Cookies

“Ugh… What the hell am I supposed to do here…? I mean, this didn’t happen last time, did it?”

After returning from the orphanage, Arthur had been holding his head in his hands. The qualifications the priest wanted in a candidate were surprisingly strict.

“Are you all right, Lord Arthur? I heard that sweets can help you think when you’re troubled. If you’d like, please enjoy these.”

“Cookies? And this is…”

What Kei handed him were cookies they had bought at the market, now paired with a jar of jam, and the tea she served smelled noticeably different from the usual.

“Since you were so excited about them, Lord Arthur, I asked the cook to help me choose a jam and tea that would pair well with the cookies. I believe this should suit your taste better.”

Her proud smile overlapped with the smile of the girl who had once said, “This is all I have, but I hope it’s okay,” as she gave him cookie crumbs in his previous life—and it nearly brought tears to Arthur’s eyes.

“Thanks… Would you like some too, Kei?”

“I’d love to. But is it really okay to eat snacks while I’m on duty?”

“Well then, listen to my troubles. Eating sweets improves your thinking power, after all. It’s necessary. So let’s eat together.”

“My… All right then. But brewing the tea is my job, so please let me know if you’d like a refill.”

Smiling brightly, Kei sat across from him and poured more tea. Then, for some reason, she picked up a cookie…

“Lord Arthur, say ahh.”

“Eh…?”

Arthur stared in confusion as she brought the cookie to his lips. Tilting her head, Kei blinked as if puzzled.

“Um… I felt your gaze on me when I fed the children earlier, so I thought maybe you wanted me to do it for you too… Was I wrong?”

“N-No… well, since you’re offering, I guess I’ll take it…”

Arthur briefly wondered if Kei truly saw him as a child, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn down her kind gesture.

As he opened his mouth, the crisp texture and humble sweetness of the cookie filled his mouth. It reminded him of the ones she gave him in the prison during his past life… and it reaffirmed his vow to make her happy.

“Ufufu, was it good?”

“Yeah. You should eat some too, Kei. You like them, right?”

“Then I won’t hold back.”

They enjoyed their tea and cookies together for a while before Kei finally asked what had been troubling him. Taking the opportunity, Arthur shared his concerns.

“I see… So you can’t find someone to teach at the orphanage?”

“Yeah. I was going to offer the same salary as the palace maids, so money shouldn’t be a problem. But since it’s an orphanage bearing my name, the position needs a certain level of prestige. The issue is that working at an orphanage doesn’t help build many connections like serving in the castle would…”

Arthur relayed what the priest had told him. As someone born into royalty, he didn’t fully understand, but apparently serving a notable figure added prestige to one’s resume.

Now that he thought about it, nobles at parties often bragged about their social connections or who they worked for.

‘It’s so damn annoying… But I have to figure something out…’

If he didn’t keep stacking good deeds, the guillotine was still looming. Worst case, he’d beg the maids on his knees to go work at the orphanage. Munching on another cookie, he steeled his resolve.

“Lord Arthur… if that’s the case, shall I go?”

“Huh?”

“I’m a commoner, but thanks to you, I now serve as your personal maid. That should meet the prestige requirement, shouldn’t it…?”

“No, that’s not happening.”

Arthur cut her off firmly.

To him, Kei was someone who had never abandoned him. He had sworn to repay her by ensuring her happiness. He didn’t believe going to the orphanage would necessarily make her unhappy—but he wanted her by his side.

Besides… having her near brought him peace. He was inserting his personal feelings into it. Arthur was selfish like that.

“I want you to always be by my side. Or… do you want to leave me, Kei? I won’t stop you if that’s how you feel…”

“No… Never. I want to continue serving you forever, Lord Arthur.”

Kei had been worried she might have overstepped, but hearing Arthur so earnestly express how much he needed her made her happy. To hide her bashfulness, she smiled and took another bite of the cookie.

Watching her, Arthur thought:

Sweets really do work after all…

“So, what should we do now?”

“Well, I was thinking of gathering the palace maids and asking if any of them would be willing to work at the orphanage… Oh, right—we still have some cookies left. Could you prepare tea and cookies for everyone?”

“Just like with the orphanage… You’re sharing again. You really are kind, Lord Arthur.”

Of course, this wasn’t about kindness. It was calculated. If he handed out tea and cookies, maybe their mood would improve and they’d be more receptive to his request.

Girls love sweets, after all. Kei looked delighted when she had cookies, too… Maybe if I ask them earnestly and play the ‘this is an orphanage with my name on it’ card, someone will say yes…

“Oh, and I want to eat cookies with you like this again…”

“Don’t worry, there are still plenty left. Let’s enjoy them again together tomorrow.”

As if she already knew what he was thinking, Kei smiled at him warmly like she was gazing at something precious.