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Chapter 20
“How is it!”
Floheta looked at Yuse confidently and spoke in a loud voice.
“What! It’s so delicious!”
Yuse took a big bite and strongly agreed, clearly showing why Floheta had been so confident.
Floheta walked with Yuse through the busy market street in the center of the city, introducing her to different kinds of food.
Right now, they were eating chicken skewers.
Pieces of chicken and green onion were placed alternately on the stick, grilled over fire—not burned, but perfectly roasted.
“You’re supposed to eat the chicken and the green onion together. Try it like that next time.”
“Okay. Should we get one more?”
Yuse looked at her as if asking for another, but Floheta shook her head.
“No. Sorry, but we still have many more things to eat.”
“Really? I don’t think anything can beat this.”
“Yuse.”
“Hmm?”
“You know you say that every time you try a new street food, right?”
Yuse only laughed.
“But it’s just so good. The food at Killian’s estate, or the food I ate at the lord’s castle, tastes completely different! This is much stronger… and even more delicious.”
“Hahaha. There’s still a lot left, so it’s too early to be amazed.”
Floheta laughed as she watched Yuse talk so passionately.
She loved coming outside. She loved experiencing new things. There was so much for her to see and try.
Then why was everyone around her trying to keep her locked up?
Floheta truly could not understand.
“Flo? Floheta?!”
Yuse’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
“Huh? What?”
“What are you thinking so hard about? Let’s go eat the next one. Since we had something salty, shall we try something sweet now?”
It seemed Yuse had already discovered the perfect balance of sweet and salty.
Floheta nodded again.
“Then how about over there?”
“Where?”
“Over there. Come on, let’s go!”
Floheta shook her head quickly to clear her thoughts and followed Yuse, who was already running ahead.
Selitias bit her lip as she looked at the roll cake placed in front of her.
Every time she went out with Killian, he always brought her to a dessert shop.
No matter how much she thought about it, she could not understand why.
And once they visited a shop, they never went there again. It was as if he wanted to try every dessert shop in the capital at least once.
‘Does Duke Killian even like desserts that much?’
The answer to that question was unclear.
If someone had this much passion, it would usually mean they loved desserts deeply. But Killian showed no such signs.
Killian rarely showed clear emotions, but still—if he kept visiting new dessert shops like this, should he not at least look like a dessert fanatic?
Yet his expression never changed in front of desserts.
It only made her wonder again and again if he truly liked them.
“Please, eat.”
Killian gestured toward her while looking at the fruit crepe in front of him.
“Ah, yes…”
Selitias nodded awkwardly and picked up her fork and knife.
She cut a piece of the cake and placed it in her mouth. Before she could even fully taste it, it melted like cotton candy.
The rich flavor of cream slowly moved from her tongue down her throat.
When she drank a sip of mint tea afterward, it was truly a perfect combination.
Originally, Selitias did not like desserts very much. She was careful about her appearance.
But ever since she began meeting Killian and visiting every dessert shop in the city, she had gained some weight.
Even so, she could not complain when she tasted such wonderful desserts every time.
In truth, she could not deny that she was starting to like desserts more and more.
Still, she could not continue this habit forever. So she gathered her courage to ask.
“Your Grace, I have something I’m curious about.”
“Please, speak.”
Killian also picked up his fork and knife, cut his crepe, added whipped cream, placed fruit inside, and took a bite.
“It seems Your Grace truly likes desserts. Which kind do you like the most?”
If she directly asked why he liked desserts, it would seem too personal. So she asked in a roundabout way.
She only hoped he would understand.
“Hmm…”
Killian paused to fully taste the dessert in his mouth. After swallowing it and taking a sip of tea, he finally answered.
“I do not think I enjoy them that much.”
Selitias almost opened her mouth in shock but barely held it in.
What did that mean?
Was he simply unaware?
She thought that might be possible. He could be that insensitive.
But still, to have no awareness at all—was that not too much?
“You brought me to a new dessert shop every time we met. So I thought perhaps you liked desserts. And since you order something different each time, I did not know which one you liked most.”
Killian looked at her as if he truly had no idea.
“I thought my lady would like desserts. If that is not the case, shall we leave?”
“No, no!”
Selitias quickly shook her head and stopped him as he began to stand.
“I liked it. I only wanted to know what you like most.”
“Haha, is that so?”
Killian’s expression softened slightly at her somewhat pouty face.
It could not be helped—his face was truly handsome.
“My favorite dessert is roll cake.”
“Th-This one?”
Relaxed by his easy answer, Selitias pointed to the cake in front of her.
“Would you like to try mine?”
Killian lifted the corners of his lips.
“Then, my lady, please try mine as well.”
Selitias smiled brightly.
But she could not fully smile inside.
From their first meeting, she had said she did not like sweets much. Yet from their third meeting onward, their dates—could she call them that?—had always followed this same pattern.
Even though she felt uneasy, Selitias kept her smile.
Until late afternoon, Yuse showed no signs of getting tired as she continued walking around with Floheta.
“Yuse, let’s rest a little!”
Floheta was so exhausted that she spoke first.
“I’m so full, but today was such a happy day. How often would I get to visit a market like this?”
They were now sitting at another café, hiding from the sunlight.
Yuse took a big sip of her iced lemon tea and her eyes sparkled again.
Floheta felt as if there were stars in Yuse’s eyes all day long.
“We can come again next time.”
“Right?”
Yuse nodded strongly, as if it would be a disaster if they did not.
“But don’t forget—we must return before Killian comes.”
Floheta reminded her again.
She did not care about herself. She simply did not want to see Yuse hurt.
“Yes!”
Yuse was drinking her drink again when she lifted her head to answer.
“Of cour—”
She could not finish her words.
The brightness in her eyes disappeared in an instant.
“Why? What is it?”
Following Yuse’s gaze, Floheta turned her head and bit her lip.
Damn.
She had hoped not to run into him in the city.
She had truly hoped not to meet Killian here.
But it seemed Floheta’s luck was as terrible as ever.
Just as always.
