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Chapter 32
“This is my treasure.”
“I see. But why hide it so carefully? Were you afraid I might ask you to give it to me?”
“No, it’s not like that. It’s just really precious to me. I almost don’t want to show it to anyone else.”
“True. There are things like that.”
At Richard’s explanation, Alina gave a small nod. She glanced toward where Richard’s necklace was and smiled faintly.
“…I had something like that too.”
“What was it?”
“My mother’s necklace. The one she left me before she passed away—the family necklace she inherited from my maternal grandmother.”
“Where is it now?”
At Richard’s question, Alina hesitated for a moment and then looked down at her empty mug.
“It was taken from me.”
“By whom?”
“My eldest brother. He wouldn’t allow me to have jewelry.”
Alina laughed bitterly as she spoke.
Kineric never allowed Alina to possess jewels.
Even if it was her mother’s keepsake, he never permitted it. He would only scold her, saying that luxury was far beyond someone of her station.
That was just one of the many ways Kineric tormented Alina.
“If I still had it, I might have been able to find my maternal grandfather by now.”
Fidgeting with the cup, Alina spoke softly.
Her mother had been the daughter of the Viscount of the Elsberg family. When Xenotat fell, the Elsberg family vanished without a trace.
Because of that, Alina was unable to find her maternal grandfather, effectively her only remaining family.
No matter how hard she tried, it was impossible to find relatives she had been separated from before she was even born—people whose faces she had never seen.
She had asked Kaiden to look for the former Viscount of Elsberg, but without any clues, there was no way to find the head of a family that had been completely destroyed.
Most likely, Alina would never meet her maternal grandfather in this life either—just as in her first and second lives after reincarnation.
“So… Alina’s eldest brother.”
Murmuring in a low voice, Richard frowned and asked,
“Can’t you get it back, even now?”
“I don’t even know where my brother is. He’s not someone I can meet just because I want to.”
Nor did she want to.
Alina added that silently and let out a sigh.
“It’s already been taken. There’s nothing I can do.”
At her resigned words, Richard clicked his tongue.
“…That’s unbelievable.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“No, nothing.”
With an irritated expression, Richard tapped the table. Each time he did, Tilde lifted one leg and tapped the wooden tabletop as well.
“What’s precious to Alina is precious to me too. I’ll definitely find it for you.”
At his firm promise, Alina smiled without a sound.
Even if the necklace was never found, just having someone say that was comforting enough for her.
After a good night’s sleep thanks to some warm milk, Alina and Richard woke up early in the morning.
Because of that, they were able to arrive at the market on time.
The plaza they reached, having loaded boxes of ingredients onto a cart, was already buzzing with the chaotic energy that preceded the opening of the market.
“I’m glad the market’s on Sunday.”
Richard grinned cheerfully as he carried a large box of pizza sauce.
“A market that only opens on weekends—I like that.”
Alina, who was checking the dough beside him, looked puzzled.
“Why is it good that it’s on the weekend?”
To Alina, a weekend market was only natural.
The market in the Albib shopping district was held every winter on the founding-day weekend—the anniversary of the nation’s establishment, when the first emperor of Malehark was said to have appeared riding a phoenix.
Looking up at the clear sky after the rain, Richard spoke briskly.
“There was the imperial founding anniversary festival this Wednesday, and the knight order was mobilized. Since I’m the knight commander, attendance was mandatory. If the market hadn’t been on the weekend, I wouldn’t have been able to help you at all.”
At his explanation, Alina’s eyes sparkled.
“Then you marched in the imperial festival? That’s amazing.”
“It was nothing.”
Richard shrugged and went to move the rest of the supplies.
“It wasn’t particularly fun.”
“Why? An imperial palace festival must be on a completely different scale from this.”
“Because you weren’t there.”
After saying that, he turned to look at Alina and continued with a bright smile.
“I like being here with Lise more than being at the imperial palace.”
“Then why did you say we should go back to the palace?”
“If Lise comes to the palace, then the palace will become a better place.”
He added playfully,
“And if the legendary chef goes, the people at the palace will love it too.”
“Uh… it’s cold. Let’s hurry and light the fire.”
Feeling her face grow warm again, Alina awkwardly changed the subject.
Watching her, Richard let out a small chuckle.
“It is cold.”
White breath rose from his lips as well. Rubbing his hands lightly, he looked out over the plaza, where preparations for the market were in full swing.
Albib was usually a small town with hardly any people around, but on market days it came alive.
People bundled in layers of thick winter clothing walked around, each holding some kind of food in their hands.
Their faces were filled with happiness.
Richard watched them with a gentle smile.
“Everyone looks happy.”
“Richard, where was the firewood—”
While looking for the firewood, Alina stopped mid-sentence when she saw Richard.
He was staring intently at something.
At the end of his gaze was a little boy holding his mother’s hand and eating cotton candy.
“Wow!”
The child opened his mouth wide and stuffed in a handful of cloud-like cotton candy.
As the sweetness melted instantly in his mouth, the boy jumped up and down in place, shouting,
“Cotton candy! Mom! Cotton candy is so good!”
“Yes, yes. Oh my—why did you get it all over yourself again?”
The mother wiped the cotton candy stuck around his mouth with a handkerchief.
“Ehehe!”
As his chubby cheeks were rubbed by the cloth, the child burst into giggles.
“Richard?”
Richard didn’t even hear Alina. He was staring blankly at the scene.
Seeing his back, which somehow looked lonely, Alina closed her mouth.
‘He probably never saw his mother’s face.’
She had died giving birth to him, after all. So Richard would never have seen her.
Of course, as the empress of the empire, there would be portraits left behind—but seeing a portrait was hardly the same as truly knowing a person.
‘He probably never ate cotton candy with his mom, either.’
Thinking of something, Alina broke into a bright smile.
“Richard, watch this place for a moment! I’ll be right back!”
She spoke quickly and hurried out of the stall. Before Richard could even respond, she had already run off.
“Lise…?”
Lost in thought for a moment, Richard looked up to find Alina gone from his sight, and his expression turned flustered.
“She’s gone.”
He hurriedly looked around, then stood up with panic in his eyes.
Left alone in the stall, Richard’s face went pale with anxiety.
“Al… Lise, Lise!”
Calling Alina’s name, Richard rushed out of the stall. With trembling hands, he clutched the necklace over his shirt and muttered in a voice full of despair,
“Ah, Lise. You left me again…”
“Richard?”
Just as his voice was about to break, Alina appeared behind him.
“Lise?”
Richard spun around. There she was—the Alina he had been desperately looking for—standing there holding pink and light-blue cotton candy in both hands.
Seeing his pale face, she asked in surprise,
“What is it? Did something happen?”
“Lise…”
With an expression on the verge of collapsing, Richard rushed toward her and wrapped her in a tight embrace before she could say anything else.
Caught off guard in his broad arms, Alina spoke in confusion.
“Richard? What’s wrong?”
Richard didn’t answer her question. He only held her tightly and breathed slowly.
After his ragged breathing finally calmed, Alina called his name.
“Richard.”
“…It’s nothing.”
Burying his nose against the nape of her neck, Richard murmured. He took a deep breath, as if trying to steady himself by inhaling her scent.
After a few breaths, his breathing evened out. When he lifted his head, his face was calm again, as if nothing had happened.
Seeing Alina’s worried gaze, Richard smiled faintly.
“I was just a little startled.”
“By what?”
“That’s…”
Richard stopped himself and closed his mouth. Letting go of her, he asked gently,
“Where did you go?”
“Oh, this. I went to buy cotton candy.”
Stepping out of his arms, Alina held out the pink cotton candy to him. She checked his complexion.
Judging by how awkwardly he was changing the subject, it seemed he didn’t want to talk about what had just happened.
‘He’s really okay, right?’
Feeling like she shouldn’t press him further, Alina asked another question.
“Do you like cotton candy?”
“Yes. I like it.”
“That’s a relief. Here—eat.”
She handed the cotton candy to Richard and headed back to the stall.
Standing behind her, Richard silently stared at the pale pink cloud in his hand.
“…I like Alina too.”
He tightened his grip on the cotton candy and let out a shallow breath.
Focused on returning to the stall, Alina didn’t notice his tense expression. Hearing his words from behind, she replied gently,
“As much as cotton candy?”
Seeing her brush off his confession so lightly, Richard looked deflated. He shook his head and followed after her.
“Yes. As much as cotton candy.”
Alina stopped walking, tore off a piece of the light-blue cotton candy, lightly gathered it, and tidied the thin strands of sugar trailing behind it. Then she held it out to Richard.
“Here.”
Richard stared at Alina as she tried to feed him cotton candy, like one would a child.
She probably wasn’t aware of it, but Richard was no longer a fourteen-year-old boy.
He wasn’t sure whether he liked being treated like a child by Alina or not.
‘For now… this is fine.’
