Looking at the child who still couldn’t take her eyes off the cookie, Lucia thought that this might be an opportunity to practice.

“……That cookie looks delicious.”

Nia suddenly looked around as if her true feelings had burst out.

But all she saw was Lucia, staring at her intently.

“It’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, isn’t it? It looks really delicious, doesn’t it?”

“……!!”

This time, it was Nia, blinking her big eyes and even swallowing saliva.

She started to look like a puppy with a wagging tail, impatient with a tasty treat in front of her.

Lucia looked like a devil sensing victory, ready to steal a soul by tempting a child, and delivered the final blow to Nia’s ear.

“I’ve never seen or eaten a cookie like that when I was little. Even now that I’m an adult. Now, think about it. This crumbling, savory butterscented pastry and the jam inside, like tangy tropical fruit, will be a heavenly taste when chewed. So, now. What should you do?”

Lucia’s previous obsession had almost driven her to a gourmet level of metaphor.

It was the first time in her history that she had spoken so many metaphors and so many words.

Ah, she’s almost there.

Did such an effort shine?

Nia’s small mouth slowly opened,

“……Nia’s. The cookie……”

That’s when it happened.

Along with the voice of the kind clerk earlier, the chatter of the woman came closer.

“That’s what I’m saying. Our Cesar is so wellbehaved. There’s no gentleman like him.”

“Right. My lady, I’ve never seen such a composed child!”

“Oh my, is that so? How nice. Hohoho”

The alert puppy, disturbed by their noisy conversation, quickly closed its open mouth and hid its wagging tail.

‘……Ah. A failure.’

Turning her head towards the sound, Lucia looked at those who had ruthlessly trampled on the opportunity she had worked hard to create.

Wearing a fluttering fresh dress, she was constantly boasting about her child, Cesar, next to her.

Lucia looked at them with terrifying eyes, then quickly turned her head to the window at a face she had seen somewhere before.

‘Please just go by.’

Fortunately, the sound of the small bell stopped with the clerk’s farewell, and Lucia was relieved.

But as she was about to turn her head again, her eyes met someone outside the window.

“Oh, my!? Could it be……!”

A woman outside, pointing at her with wide surprised eyes.

Yes. The place where Lucia turned her face was a window through which a neatly cleaned road was clearly visible.

‘…….’

Another failure.

Is she out of luck today?

Sure enough, the lady who recognized Lucia hurried back to the tailor’s shop with quick steps.

“My goodness, my goodness! Lady Lucia!?”
Having failed to remember the faces of the troupe members she met after a long time, Lucia started the game of who is who again.

“Leader! It’s me! Me! Marien!”

“Ah. Marien…….”

Fortunately, she reacted to the girl who told her own name, but unfortunately, she still couldn’t remember her clearly.

“I mean!! Maybe. This must be fate. Let’s greet him quickly, Cesar!”

“Yes, mother. Cesar Cheply, the first of the Cheply Baron family. Nice to meet you.”

Despite looking the same age as Nia, the child’s eloquence and pronunciation were perfect, quite surprising.

Even among peers, there seemed to be quite a difference.

“You’ve heard a lot about Lady Lucia, haven’t you? She’s a wonderful person, but she’s also a gracious lady who allowed you to be with her child.”

‘……Childhood?’

“Yes, mother. I know well. I heard that parental leave was created after you asked the Commander of the Hundred Knights. Thank you, Lady Lucia.”

Cesar, with dark brown hair and a warm impression, expressed his thanks politely.

‘Ah, it was Berl’s sister.’

Since Marien was Berl’s sister, her infamy had become merely familiar rather than avoided due to the endless praise of the diligent Berl from the leader.

Lucia had only seen Marien once, so it was hard to remember her, but the atmosphere that emanated from Cesar was similar to Berl’s, and she could easily infer it from then on.

“Nice to meet you, Cesar.”

She received Cesar’s eye greeting, but somehow, they did not leave, and only a subtle silence flowed.

Realizing the atmosphere, their eyes were directed towards Nia, hidden behind Lucia.

Whether it was because of the vigilance created by seeing a peer, the feeling was sharper than when they first came here.

‘Ah, I haven’t taught her formal greetings yet…….’

“……It’s Nia.”

Lady Marien, a baroness, seemed surprised at Nia’s shy and short greeting, her eyes wide.

Lucia remembered the etiquette of the nobles she had forgotten at Marien’s reaction.

Marien was a noble lady with the status of a baroness, and no matter if it’s a 5yearold child’s greeting, such an act of just saying the name could be a breach of manners.

At Nia’s short greeting, Marien’s eyebrows twitched.

“……You!”

‘……This is going to be annoying.’

Lucia let out a small sigh at the imminent scolding.

However,