Chapter 24
“Yeah?”
“The nanny said I can’t eat desserts because I’ll get fat… She said if Dalia eats them, she’ll puff up right away and become chubby.”
Reina stared at Dalia with a blank expression.
To think that someone would restrict a child’s food intake over worries about gaining weight, and the girl was only six years old.
In Reina’s eyes, Dalia simply had a pleasing amount of plumpness.
Strictly speaking, it was baby fat, not actual weight.
Honestly, compared to her peers, her build could even be considered on the slender side.
Seeing a child who didn’t suit the word “chubby” at all looking so frightened made Reina feel frustrated.
“Then you won’t eat any?”
Dalia nodded hesitantly, her stubbornness clear.
Watching Dalia continue to waver about eating, Reina personally scooped a scone onto a plate and slathered it generously with cream cheese.
She broke it into small pieces, popped one into her mouth, and chewed deliberately, noticing Dalia swallow hard.
Reading the longing in those eyes, Reina said,
“You actually want to eat it, don’t you, Dalia?”
Dalia flinched.
As she wavered, Reina placed a scone on her plate herself and continued,
“Afternoon tea time is one of the most basic elements of etiquette. Sharing delicious food naturally brings people closer together. To make that happen, you have to know how to eat and enjoy it properly, right, Dalia?”
In truth, it hadn’t been long since Reina herself could leisurely indulge in desserts like this.
After her older brother had gone missing in the past, she hadn’t been able to eat anything for quite some time.
And not long after that, she’d been imprisoned in the basement by the emperor, so now she was drawing on those distant memories to teach the girl.
“Here, try it.”
“Ah.”
Without realizing it, Dalia popped the scone that Reina had handed her directly into her mouth and began to chew.
Her eyes sparkled as she murmured,
“It’s yummy.”
“Isn’t it? This scone pairs better with cream cheese than with jam. This tea should go well with it.”
When Reina personally poured the tea and offered it, Dalia took a sip.
The savory scone and the black tea made for a wonderful combination.
Only then did Dalia pick up her fork on her own and start tasting the desserts one by one.
Reina watched her with contentment and enjoyed an afternoon tea for the first time in a long while.
* * *
As evening fell, Reina shared dinner with Kaiden.
Since arriving in the north, it had been difficult to see much of him.
With the busy state of the territory and his military training, it was hard to even catch a glimpse of his face outside of evenings.
Even so, he always spent that evening time with Reina.
Perhaps because of his strong sense of responsibility, he made an effort to treat her warmly, even though theirs was only a marriage of contract—and for that, she was always grateful.
It was then that Kaiden asked casually,
“How was the lesson?”
He followed up by naturally placing a portion of finely chopped steak in front of her.
Reina stared blankly at the neatly sliced meat.
As befitting someone who wielded a sword, the pieces were cut into perfect squares, precise and orderly.
When she just kept staring at the meat without touching it, Kaiden prompted her,
“Eat.”
She’d noticed it before, but he had this oddly indifferent yet tender side to him.
Feeling as though she were receiving the utmost care, Reina’s cheeks flushed pink.
“Thank you.”
After chewing and swallowing a piece of the meat, she continued her reply.
“The lesson went well. Dalia’s a quick learner, so it’s rewarding to teach her.”
“She’s always been clever, even as a little one.”
Kaiden offered praise for his niece with a faint smile.
It was clear at a glance how much affection he held for her.
Remembering the past, when she had taken everything from someone who cared so deeply for his family, a sharp pang stung in one corner of Reina’s heart.
Reina, too, felt a special affection for Dalia, which made the pang all the sharper.
It was then that Kaiden spoke.
“She seems to follow you quite well, though. There were a lot of conflicts with her previous teachers, so they were replaced often.”
“Really? She didn’t seem particularly picky about lessons…”
“She’s got a gentle nature, so there were plenty who tried to take subtle advantage of her. Of course, Mrs. Mary handled them each time.”
Reina paused when Mrs. Mary was mentioned.
“The nanny said not to…”
Even from just this one lesson, Reina had gotten the sense several times that Mrs. Mary was subtly trying to manipulate Dalia.
Dalia would hesitate at the end of her sentences, bringing up the nanny every time.
Reina knew exactly what that meant.
She couldn’t not know, having been used in the same way by the emperor herself.
Moreover, she kept feeling like she was missing something.
With a tone laced with concern, Reina asked,
“Do you trust Mrs. Mary, Kaiden?”
To Reina’s out-of-the-blue question, Kaiden replied nonchalantly.
“She’s been attending to Dalia for a long time, so I’d say she’s trustworthy enough. Why? Didn’t sit well with you?”
“I was just curious.”
Reina held her tongue. She hadn’t fully grasped what Mrs. Mary’s intentions were yet.
If she spoke rashly, it could end up putting her in a difficult position instead.
Mrs. Mary was someone who had earned trust over a long period.
It was uncertain whether Kaiden would believe her words more than that, especially since he hadn’t known her for long.
Deciding to keep quiet until things became clearer, Reina asked casually,
“By any chance, could I check the list of Dalia’s previous teachers?”
“I’ll tell Dive to handle it.”
Kaiden chuckled softly and readily agreed. Then he asked Reina,
“By the way, your birthday is in two weeks—anything you want?”
“Ah.”
Reina let out a low sigh. Since arriving in the north, she’d been so preoccupied that she’d forgotten the most important thing: her birthday.
Reina gazed blankly around her. Then, seeing Kaiden right in front of her, a sense of regret washed over her.
The emptiness from the fact that she wouldn’t be able to see that face much longer was greater than she’d expected.
People were truly fickle. The joy she’d felt when her sight first returned now seemed like such an ordinary part of everyday life.
To think she was taking these fleeting moments for granted.
After all, this world would vanish in two weeks anyway.
Reina stared intently at Kaiden’s face in silence.
As her expression darkened abruptly, Kaiden tilted his head.
Then, drawing closer, he placed a hand on her forehead and asked,
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“Ah… No. Anything is fine. More than that, when do you plan to do the oath?”
When Reina stepped back hesitantly, Kaiden paused.
He felt embarrassed for having acted so casually without realizing it.
Awkwardly withdrawing his extended hand, Kaiden continued,
“Are you really planning to go through with the oath?”
“Of course. That was the original agreement for this contract marriage.”
Contract marriage.
That phrase in particular grated on Kaiden.
At first, he’d accepted the proposal because he couldn’t trust Reina, who had shown up out of nowhere.
But now, he was hesitating about the oath with her.
Not wanting to burden her with unnecessary risk—it was an unusually uncharacteristic thought for him.
A dragon’s oath was no different from binding the other party in servitude to oneself.
The moment the oath was made, the other’s life belonged to the dragon.
Being able to stop their heart at any time if desired made the relationship inherently hierarchical.
Even the founding emperor, who had been friends with him, had subtly feared Crencia—it was obvious what the outcome would be.
Kaiden didn’t want Reina to see him as an object of fear.
The thought that he just wanted an equal relationship made him awkwardly change the subject.
“There’s no rush, is there?”
“Pardon?”
“Rather than that, what do you want to do on your birthday seems more pressing.”
“If it’s a birthday banquet, it would be better to hold it the day before.”
“Not on the day itself?”
When Kaiden gave her a puzzled look, Reina smiled bitterly.
The fever began precisely at the time of her birth.
She didn’t want to collapse in the middle of the banquet and ruin the celebration.
To be safe in case of any unforeseen circumstances, it would be best to hold the banquet the day before.
Of course, to Kaiden, who had no way of knowing her intentions, it was a strange suggestion.
Usually, people wanted to hold the banquet on their actual birthday. Reina said,
“On the day itself, I’d like to spend it quietly. Could you stay with me?”
