Chapter 86

I submitted my report and exchanged a meaningful glance with Lady Clara.

“I’ll be waiting for you in my room,” I said.

“I am looking forward to it,” Lady Clara replied.

It was fine. Within that span of less than a second, the shared sentiment in our eyes went unnoticed by Fiene and Emma, who were standing right there.

I could have gone home with her, but I had plenty to do—I needed to get back first to warm up the room and start preparing the meal. Besides, I think both the person waiting and the person visiting can enjoy that time apart to let their excitement build.

I headed inside the city walls first to finish some shopping. I bought potatoes, onions, carrots, bacon, cheese, and bread. The goods here are more expensive than outside the walls, but the quality is much better.

Just as I finished buying everything on my list and was about to hail a carriage, I happened upon a florist. I was surprised to see flowers for sale in the dead of winter, but the clerk informed me they were grown in a greenhouse. Since they have plate glass here, I suppose a glasshouse shouldn’t be that surprising. Though the variety was limited, the flowers were a beautiful sight after so long. I purchased three anemones.

Upon reaching the apartment, I hurriedly lit a fire in the hearth and began cooking. Since adjusting the heat on a wood stove is difficult, I decided to use a gas burner for the actual cooking.

I boiled potatoes in a large pot to make potato salad. Today, I decided to add fried bacon and small cubes of cheese. I only know how to make a few things, but I was always told this one was delicious…

By Emi.

For the first time in a while, I thought of Emi, my ex-wife. Usually, I forget, but when I do things related to daily life—like cooking or laundry—it slips back into my mind. I suppose those things are directly tied to the concept of “home.”

Next, I started the tomato sauce. I fell into deep thought as I slowly sautéed garlic, chili peppers, and onions in olive oil.

It’s a bit late for this, but I wondered what exactly had been wrong with me. It’s not that I have lingering regrets. I just had a genuine curiosity to know where I fell short compared to the man Emi fell in love with. I should have asked when we split, but I was far too emotional back then. I’m only able to stay composed like this now because I have such a clear future ahead of me.

Since there are no tomatoes in Saxens during winter, I added canned tomatoes to the sautéed onions. There should be some basil leaves Akito bought tucked away somewhere in my Spatial Storage. Maybe after some time has passed, I could meet Emi and ask her—if the day ever comes where we can talk calmly. Then again, for Emi, it’s only been four days since the divorce.

Once the moisture had evaporated to the right consistency, I added salt and tasted it. I set a large pot of water to boil on the hearth. This way, I’d be ready no matter when Lady Clara arrived.

I wondered if I should have had some BGM. Unfortunately, I don’t have any audio equipment, and I don’t have any moody songs on my smartphone. Since I don’t own a vase, I arranged the anemones in a small glass.

Thinking she’d be arriving soon, I looked out the window at the street and saw a single carriage stop in front of the building. I saw Lady Clara, wearing a coat, enter the foyer. I stood by the door, ready to welcome her.

“…”

Huh? She’s not coming in. Did she lose track of which room was mine? I didn’t put a nameplate out, so she might be lost.

Just as I opened the door to go look for her, Lady Clara was standing right there in front of me.

“…”

She seemed startled and froze up.

“What were you doing?”

“Taking a deep breath…” she muttered in a voice so small I could barely hear it.

“Pardon?”

“N-Nothing. May I come in?”

I led Lady Clara inside and took her coat from her.

“Something smells wonderful,” she said.

The smile Lady Clara gave me as she turned around was radiant.

She wasn’t wearing a dress, but she had come in a knight’s uniform that was a bit more stylish than usual. Her hair clip was also one I hadn’t seen before. The dark, lustrous material—ebony, perhaps? It looked wonderful against her silver hair.

“That’s a lovely hair clip. It really suits your hair, Lady Clara.”

“Thank you. My grandmother bought it for me.”

Colored by a faint bashfulness, the flowers of love began to bloom within the room.

“I’ll get straight to finishing the meal then.”

“I shall help as well. Though I am not sure what I can do.”

Lady Clara had no experience with cooking. But it was fine; I had already thought of a part for her to play.

“Oh, I’m certainly going to put you to work. Tonight, I’m the wicked servant who works his master to the bone.”

“I welcome it.”

I brought a bowl over to the restless Lady Clara.

“What is this?”

“The contents are a well-mixed and strained blend of milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla beans. Lady Clara, I want you to use your magic to freeze this bowl. But you mustn’t freeze the contents solid. A temperature just cold enough to slightly freeze the liquid touching the surface of the bowl is perfect.”

What I wanted to make was ice cream for dessert. By having Lady Clara freeze the bowl with magic while I stirred, we could make it together. It was simple, and I figured doing it as a pair would be fun. Besides, ice cream is the king of desserts.

“This looks interesting. Let us try.”

Lady Clara seemed intrigued as well. There were a few minor mishaps—Lady Clara putting in a bit too much magical power or a little liquid splashing as I stirred—but bit by bit, the ice cream began to firm up. By the time we had reached a state of relaxation where we didn’t mind our shoulders or arms brushing against each other during the process, the ice cream was complete.

“Let’s have a little taste.”

I scooped some up with a small spoon and held it out to her. With a nervous expression, Lady Clara took a bite.

“It’s delicious! Did you and I truly make this, Kota?! Cooking is a mysterious thing.”

I left the preservation of the finished ice cream to Lady Clara. Using her magic and some ice packs, we kept the inside of the cooler box below freezing and tucked it away. In the meantime, I moved on to the final steps for the pasta.

While it might not have been something made by a first-class chef, both the potato salad and the pasta turned out wonderfully. The fresh ice cream in particular was so good I could only feel gratitude toward Akito for teaching me the recipe.

As we talked, just the two of us, we learned more and more about one another, and each discovery filled my heart with fresh surprise and joy. Even after the meal, as we sat on the sofa sipping dessert wine, we never ran out of things to talk about.

As we finished our glasses, the sound of a bell echoed from a nearby temple. It was the hour for Cinderella’s magic to break. We shared a kiss as we listened to the final four chimes.

“I’ll walk you back.”

“Yes.”

Since we couldn’t hail a carriage at this hour, the two of us walked side-by-side back to the barracks. We spoke few words, but an unspeakable sense of fulfillment filled us both.

A room in the Royal Palace was thick with a stifling sense of tension. This was one of the rooms granted to the Chancellor, Count Nurenberg. Nurenberg was only forty-two. He was the youngest person in history to hold the position of Chancellor—proof that he was born into a powerful family and blessed with both intellect and wealth.

Tonight, a man and a woman were being welcomed as guests in this room: Baron Petersen and his wife. In other words, the parents of the apprentice knight, Emma. They weren’t usually on close terms, but for some reason, they had received a sudden invitation.

While Baron Petersen was a bureaucratic noble holding a post at the palace, his status was not high enough to be personally invited by the Chancellor. There was only one thing they could think of: the change that had occurred in his wife, Gretel.

Lately, Baroness Petersen had been receiving treatments called “esthetics” from a mysterious merchant named Shonai. The effects were dramatic; the skin of her face, the area around her eyes, and her jawline had become beautiful beyond recognition. The Baroness, who was in her mid-thirties, was frequently mistaken for a young bride in her twenties.

“I do not consider myself to be such a boorish man,” the Chancellor began in a calm tone. “I understand that beauty itself is mysterious, and that trying to uncover its secrets against the will of those involved is the height of tactlessness.”

The Baron could only nod. His companion was, after all, the Chancellor of the country.

The Chancellor continued. “However, that is my sentiment as a private individual. Matters of politics and public office are another story. Furthermore, it goes without saying when it involves a matter of great importance to diplomacy.”

The Baron was the first to succumb to the pressure. “In other words, Lord Nurenberg, you wish to know the secret behind my wife’s transformation? Is that it?”

“Yes. Though it is a tactless request. However, allow me to justify it by saying that this involves the alliance between Saxens and Francea, and the happiness of a member of the Royal Family.”

The Baron thought to himself that this had turned into quite a monumental conversation.