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Chapter 24
“Bael.”
The Duke murmured softly.
Everyone gathered in the garden turned their eyes toward the boy seated atop the horse.
“Th-that horse…”
Theo, standing nearby, stared with wide eyes.
Osborne maintained a calm expression, but the slight crease in his brow betrayed him.
Looking at them, Luciella suddenly understood why Osborne and Theo found Bael so irritating.
Silver hair. Deep blue eyes. That tall, elegant frame. Even those eyes…
He looks exactly like the Duke.
“My greetings, Grandfather.”
Bael bowed his head from atop the horse.
“I heard you had arrived, so I came to greet you.”
“Bael… You came outside.”
The Duke muttered, unable to believe what he was seeing.
“Yes.”
Bael nodded.
“I did.”
“You can ride a horse?”
“This horse, I can.”
“And your legs… your legs…”
Bael glanced down at his lower body.
One look at the saddle made it obvious that strength had not yet returned to his legs.
Cain approached him and reached out to help him dismount.
“No need to get down!”
The Duke said hurriedly.
“If your legs cannot support you…”
But Bael slowly took hold of Cain’s shoulder and descended to the ground.
Osborne’s brow furrowed deeply.
He had expected Bael to be carried.
Yet instead, with Cain’s support, Bael set his own feet upon the ground.
His legs trembled violently under his weight.
Still, he clenched his teeth and maintained his balance.
Then—
Slowly—
He straightened himself.
“…!”
The Duke’s eyes widened.
Though he leaned against Cain, Bael was undeniably standing on his own feet.
The child who had been dying from an unknown illness.
The pale, bloodless face that had once haunted him.
Now—
That same boy stood before him, looking him straight in the eyes.
“You’ve…”
The Duke spoke quietly.
“You’ve grown.”
“It seems one can still grow taller while lying in bed.”
“How…?”
“What happened all this time?”
“What in the world happened to you?”
Instead of answering, Bael turned his head toward Luciella.
The Duke followed his gaze.
“It was thanks to that child?”
he asked, still unable to believe it.
“……”
Bael opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Watching him, Luciella knew what had crossed his mind.
The story of the sword.
The possibility that one of those brothers had caused Cedric’s death.
But Bael had no choice.
The incident was old.
And there was no evidence.
Even if they presented the demonic stone, they could simply deny ownership.
For now—
They had to wait.
“…Cooking.”
Bael finally answered.
“Cooking?”
“Yes.”
“I recovered because I ate well.”
“The child’s cooking?”
The Duke pointed toward Luciella.
“Yes.”
Bael smiled faintly.
The slight upward curve of his lips and his softened eyes had a strangely disarming effect.
“It was delicious.”
“The honey crepes.”
“The lemon tarts.”
“The sea-salt brownies and ice cream.”
For a moment, the Duke’s eyes trembled.
“Really?”
“You should try them too, Grandfather.”
“……”
A faint smile appeared on the Duke’s lips.
After a short silence, he slowly raised a hand and stroked Bael’s hair.
It was a touch that had not reached him in a very long time.
Luciella suddenly remembered—
Before Bael had fallen ill, he had been the Duke’s favorite grandchild.
If Bael remembered that too, then his words were half sincere—
And half strategy.
A strategy to create an opportunity for Luciella.
“You.”
At that moment, the Duke turned toward her.
“What can you do?”
Status Window.
Luciella muttered inwardly.
Come out again.
Pop—
A tiny shining status window appeared above the Duke’s head.
Forget the nutritional information.
Tell me what kind of food this grandfather likes.
Pop—
[Target Preference Analysis Complete]
Preferences: Sweet things.
Extremely sweet and soft foods.
Particularly fond of chocolate-based desserts.
…You’ve got to be kidding me.
That stern old man looked like someone who lived on coffee and alcohol alone.
Yet this was his taste?
Luciella stared at the status window in disbelief.
Grandfather and grandson have exactly the same palate.
Then she remembered the moment when the Duke’s eyes had trembled.
When Bael had mentioned the honey crepes and sea-salt brownies.
Wait…
While he was shocked and overjoyed by Bael’s recovery…
Did Grandfather actually start craving desserts?
“I’m good at every kind of cooking.”
Luciella answered brightly.
Which wasn’t wrong.
According to her mother, she had already been holding a ladle at the age of one.
Even before obtaining the status window, cooking had always come as naturally as breathing.
“One of my specialties…”
She smiled sweetly.
“…is rich fondant au chocolat.”
The Duke’s eyes shook again.
Naturally.
Even if the dish didn’t exist in the Empire, anyone could tell from the name alone that it contained a great deal of chocolate.
“As a matter of fact, I was planning to make some for Bael tomorrow.”
Luciella continued.
“So…”
“Hmm?”
“If you would like…”
“Would you care to join us for breakfast?”
“……”
The Duke opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
And Luciella knew.
“But for that to happen…”
She smiled.
“I would need to use the kitchen for one more day.”
The advantage had shifted back into her hands.
“Hey, wait.”
After the Duke accepted the breakfast invitation and departed—
Theo swaggered toward Luciella through the dispersing crowd.
He snatched the reins of Estelle from her hand and reached toward Bael’s hand resting on the horse’s back.
“Give her back.”
“She’s my horse.”
“That’s not how I remember it.”
Bael said, smacking Theo’s hand away first.
“Father gave her to me. I raised her for months—”
“After that, I won her in our bet.”
Luciella interrupted.
Theo’s face immediately turned red.
“Have you forgotten?”
“You said that if I tamed her within a month, she would become mine.”
“Y-you’re just a cook!”
“How dare you talk back to your master?!”
“The master failed, though.”
Luciella smiled calmly, utterly unaffected.
“You couldn’t tame her.”
“But I did.”
“And so did Bael.”
“Cheating!”
Theo shouted, gripping the reins tighter.
“You’re just a servant!”
“A kitchen errand girl!”
“How could someone like you tame a horse that even I couldn’t ride?”
“Well…”
Luciella chuckled and stroked Estelle.
“Someone who said she was only fit to become meat wouldn’t understand.”
As though understanding the atmosphere, Estelle looked down at Theo with blatant disgust.
“You…!”
“Feel free to keep wondering.”
Luciella grinned.
“Because I’m not telling you.”
“Come on, Estelle.”
“Hey! Wait—urk!”
At Luciella’s words, Estelle abruptly turned her head away.
Theo, who had been pulling on the reins with all his strength, lost his grip and nearly stumbled.
Prrrrrr—
As she moved farther away, Estelle narrowed her eyes and cast one final glance at Theo.
“Th-those bastards…”
Theo had never truly communicated with Estelle.
But even he could understand this expression.
It was filthy being with you.
Let’s never meet again.
And with that sentiment plainly written on her face—
Estelle bounced after Luciella with cheerful little steps and disappeared from sight.
