𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠

The royal blue evening gown, illuminated by the chandelier through the curtains, sparkled and was beautiful.

Besides the royal blue, gold and the same sky blue as our gowns were used.

Although the gown was elaborately embroidered and lavishly decorated, it didn’t seem like Roa-sama was being worn by it. Rather, he was wearing it with ease.

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“You won’t be surprised this time.”

“Before, I thought being surprised was all I could do.”

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A slightly sulky voice escaped, and Roa-sama chuckled lowly.

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“Please have a seat. You must be tired, right? It would be good to take a break.”

“Is it alright for Roa-sama to stay here?”

“Yes. Originally, one doesn’t have to stay at the party venue all the time. Those who stay until the end, take breaks or leave midway. Since I am the main character this time, I can’t leave early.”

“I see.”

“Such parties are long. Everyone takes a break with someone at some point. That’s how they make new acquaintances or deepen relationships.”

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Roa-sama escorted me to a seat. As soon as I sat down, my legs tingled with numbness, and I became acutely aware of my fatigue.

The fluffy cushion and backrest felt good.

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“You must be tired too, Roa-sama? Emilia fought for me, but Roa-sama has to lead the battle.”

“To fight, yes. . . Indeed. Although in a different form, this too is a kind of war.”

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Roa-sama smiled faintly, appearing tired but not ill.

His neatly groomed hair sparkled with the movement of the curtains.

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“Chris has prepared some light meals for Alice, who hasn’t eaten much. Let’s eat together.”

“Yes! Actually, I’m quite hungry.”

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However, with my stomach tightly corseted, I couldn’t eat much.

At Roa-sama’s suggestion, I tried a little of various kinds.

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“There are strawberries for dessert.”

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The strawberries were a deep blue color.

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Contrary to what one might think, the deep beauty of the strawberries did not diminish my appetite.

The night-sky-like strawberries had star-shaped golden patterns scattered over them, twinkling beautifully.

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“Beautiful, isn’t it? The star-shaped ones are the seeds.”

“These are the seeds?!”

“These strawberries are best enjoyed whole in one bite.”

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Roa-sama picked up a strawberry that had been hulled and placed it in his mouth. I followed suit and ate one.

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“Mmm. . .!”

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The moment I bit into it, the juice overflowed.

Surprisingly, what I first felt was a strong acidity. Afterward, a refreshing sweetness surged in, and it disappeared smoothly in the end.

There is no sticky aftertaste. All along, there is the unique sweet and sourness of strawberries.

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Above all, the texture was intriguing. The star-shaped seeds had a crunchy and novel sensation.

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“Delicious. . .! It’s delicious!”

“I haven’t had it in a while, but it is indeed delicious. There’s plenty, so please eat as much as you like.”

“Thank you very much!”

“This is a strawberry exclusive to the royal family. If missed, one rarely gets another chance to eat it.”

“Gulp?!”

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The strawberry almost got stuck in my throat, and I hurriedly swallowed.

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“I, I ate it!”

“It’s fine if it’s Alice. My brother and sister-in-law also said they wanted Alice to eat it.”

“I, Is that so. . .?”

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If His Majesty and Pamela-sama say it’s fine, then. . . it must be okay. . .?

After a moment of thought, I decided that it must be fine since the royal family had given permission!

 ㅤ

“It’s really delicious, isn’t it!”

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I wanted to eat a lot, but because of the intimidating feeling and the corset, I couldn’t eat much.

It’s a shame. . . really, truly a shame.

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While reluctantly looking at the strawberries, I sipped a little tea.

I realized Roa-sama was intently watching me and put down the cup.

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“I’m sorry, I couldn’t eat much. . .”

“It doesn’t matter. Watching Alice eat is cute enough.”

“Cute?!”

“I thought it was lovely too.”

“Lovely?!”

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Roa-sama laughs amusingly at my flustered self.

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“Ah, you’re teasing me!”

“No, it’s my honest feeling.”

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Even though I was supposed to be angry, Roa-sama’s smile made me involuntarily burst into laughter.

After laughing together for a while, Roa-sama began to speak.

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“You’re going to chase the dream of opening your own shop, aren’t you, Alice?”

“Yes. I haven’t decided on the place or the time yet, but since my face is known in the capital, I’m considering opening somewhere else.”

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I really wanted to open near the pie shop run by the grumpy uncle.

But now that I’ve been so publicly commended in the capital city, my identity would spread quickly no matter how much I try to hide it.

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I hope for a welcoming acceptance, but it will probably be difficult.

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“If Alice hasn’t decided where to open the shop, why not in my territory?

As a Duke, I’m determined to try all sorts of things in the land I receive, one policy being to employ women in various professions and to make men capable of cooking.”

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I’m puzzled by the sudden proposal.

It’s a very attractive offer, but I don’t want to be further away from my family.

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“The capital and my territory are about an hour apart by magic tool. It won’t be every day, but you’ll be able to see your family often. Of course, I won’t force you. It’s also good to open a shop in other lands.”

ㅤ

If it’s in Roa-sama’s territory, there’s a chance I won’t be so antagonized for opening a shop as a noble lady, part of his policies.

Noise could trouble my family, and harassment or being driven to close the shop is conceivable.

That’s why I was secretly planning to open a shop, but now that’s impossible.

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In other words, an unexpected opportunity!

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“Please let me consider it positively. I haven’t thought about the scale of the shop or the menu in detail yet.”

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Now that I have Prep-kun and Cooker-kun, I plan to decide what to buy accordingly.

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“That’s fine. It’s not compulsory, so I want Alice to do as she wishes.”

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Roa-sama nods and smiles as if relieved.

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“I’ve been granted to become a Duke by the royal family. Fortunately, my brother’s children are both healthy and rarely fall ill. It won’t be a problem if I leave the royal family.”

“Is that what you wish for, Roa-sama?”

“Yes. I’ve always wanted to be an existence that doesn’t threaten my brother’s position. As I’ll receive royal land, it’s rich and the public order is good. For Alice’s sake, I’ll look for a place where commoners can come.”

“Thank you.”

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I glance at Roa-sama, as usual.

. . .Maybe it was a misunderstanding that Roa-sama has special feelings for me.

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I remember holding hands with Roa-sama by the lake before we caught Maurice.

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At that time, Roa-sama simply said that he wanted to know my feelings.

Along with the words, “That’s what it is.”

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I somehow convinced myself too, replying with “That’s right,” but if asked what it meant, I still can’t explain.

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“Alice.”

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Realizing that I had been lost in thought, I looked up.

There was Roa-sama, staring at me with a serious expression.

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“Tell me about the true feelings you promised on that day, Alice.”