Chapter 244: A Cold
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 244: A Cold
“Are these cookies?”
“There are cookies, too.”
The Countess took a list from her attendant and handed it over.
[Jacquemond’s Cookie Set.
Dublin’s Madeleine.
Sergimant’s Cream Croquant.
Logivre’s Honey Scone…]
The names of nearly ten different bakeries were listed.
“These are the signature items from the most popular bakeries nearby. I’ve had plenty packed, so please enjoy them with the Grand Duke.”
“Oh, thank you so much.”
It was a staggering amount for just two people to eat.
As I looked at the sudden gift with a puzzled expression, the Countess turned to her attendant.
“And the rest?”
“I have loaded them into the carriage, my lady.”
The rest?
When our eyes met, the Countess gave a secretive smile.
“I’ve booked tickets for Antonel’s opera today.”
The Countess blushed, explaining that while she was buying desserts that Antonel might like, she had decided to pick some up for me as well.
“I wanted Antonel to have a taste of the Capital’s desserts.”
“An opera? Is Antonel performing an opera here in the Capital?”
“What are you saying, Grand Duchess?”
The Countess arched an eyebrow in disbelief.
“The Blenheim Gate is open now!”
It seemed this was the topic she had truly wanted to discuss all along, rather than the Expo. The Countess shifted closer on her seat.
“I was so worried because I didn’t think I’d be able to visit the North for a while, but you’ve truly done a great thing, Grand Duchess.”
The Countess let out a delighted hum, saying that she could now go see an opera every day, even here in the Capital.
“I’ve decided to take a few other noblewomen to the theater today. Honestly, I had no idea the Capital was so behind the times! Can you believe no one here knows who Antonel is?”
The Countess huffed indignantly.
“They’re all still going on about how Cochibiel is the best.”
I suppressed a laugh, finding the fuming Countess rather adorable. Even back when we were in the North, the Countess had complained in her letters about how frustrating it was that her acquaintances didn’t appreciate Antonel’s charms.
I even wondered if the real reason the Countess had ended her seclusion and resumed social activities was simply to promote Antonel.
“I’m going to take them to the Blenheim Pavilion today and show them The Goddess of Revenge.”
The Countess’s eyes gleamed with anticipation as she imagined how much the other ladies would be swooning after the performance.
To think that the moment the Gate opened, her first thought was to go see an opera.
The power of a fangirl is truly formidable.
‘The Countess will probably handle the promotion of the Gate all on her own.’
With a grateful heart, I listened patiently to the rest of the Countess’s praises for Antonel.
* * *
“Annette, stop looking at those now.”
Loik whispered into my ear, his voice almost like a coaxing whine.
“You’ll wear yourself out.”
I was leaning against Loik’s chest, my legs resting on his lap as we sat on a long sofa in the parlor. I was scanning through the Expo documents brought by the Imperial administrators.
Loik toyed with a stray lock of my hair, trying to get my attention, but I kept my eyes fixed on the papers, feigning indifference.
I had made it clear—I wasn’t over my anger yet.
‘I’m only letting him hold me because he’s been whining about having no energy.’
Even last night, I had woken up feeling a sudden surge of irritation and had given Loik’s back about ten good smacks. It made me angry to think I had forgiven him too easily for his transgressions, but the problem was that my heart turned to mush whenever I faced that sculpted countenance of his.
‘Next time I scold him, I shouldn’t look at his face at all.’
Ignoring Loik’s lingering touch, I tried to focus on the Expo issues, but the more I read, the more I sighed.
“This is bad.”
“I think we’re going to lose the entire investment for the Expo. What should we do?”
I had secretly harbored the ambition to design the Expo properly and prevent a deficit, much like I had with the lakeside shopping district. However, the situation was far more dire than I had anticipated.
“Don’t worry about the investment. Your time is far more precious than that pittance,” Loik said, rubbing the furrow between my brows as if to smooth it away. He suggested they just consider it a donation.
“But we can’t just throw that money away.”
“How is it throwing it away? Thanks to you, even the Gate has been opened.”
Loik tried to persuade me, arguing that the value of the Gate was worth a hundred times the investment.
“I don’t want your workload to increase because of the Expo.”
‘I’m worried about the workload too, but…’
The bigger problem was the location of the venue. The Charleyn family villa, which was to be used for the Expo, was located far to the west, quite a distance from the center of the Capital.
The surrounding area was nothing but rice paddies and fields. No matter how I looked at it, there was nothing there to make visitors want to spend money.
‘Is there no way?’
I was lost in thought for a long time.
Loik cut a honey-glazed madeleine in half and popped it into my mouth. It was one of the treats Countess Asellino had brought.
“…It’s delicious.”
The sweetness lightened my mood slightly. As I chewed, I happened to glance back at Loik, only to find him staring at me expectantly.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Aren’t you going to feed me?”
The corners of his eyes drooped piteously.
See? He’s becoming more like a fox every day.
‘And he knows exactly how weak I am for that expression.’
I gave a deliberate snort of derision.
“Why should I feed you? You haven’t been good.”
Loik slid an arm around my waist, asking softly if I was still very angry.
“I don’t know.”
“But I’ve been behaving so well.”
Loik whispered into my ear, his voice low and languid.
“You said it yourself, Annette. That if I behaved well, you’d forgive me. Was it not enough?”
My face flushed crimson in an instant. I couldn’t help but remember exactly how Loik had “behaved well” all night, making my body burn with heat.
“If it wasn’t enough, I can always do more.”
Just as his voice dropped an octave and his long fingers began to creep up my dress, a knock at the door startled me. I hurriedly shoved Loik away.
The visitor was Perel.
Loik, suddenly pushed into the corner of the sofa, wore a wounded expression, but I ignored him and greeted Perel.
“…Your Highness, I have brought the list of merchant guilds from Rondoris and Arsen as you requested.”
I took the documents from Perel, noticing that he was standing unusually far away.
“Have some snacks while I look through these.”
“I am fine, Your Highness.”
“Try one. Is it Dublin’s? It’s from a very famous bakery.”
Perel declined with an awkward smile.
“Why? Are you worried about the Grand Duke? Should I tell him to leave?”
“Annette…!” Loik cried out, sounding wronged.
“N-no, it’s not that, Your Highness.”
Perel waved his hands frantically, seemingly afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.
“I think I’m coming down with a bit of a cold, so I’m trying to be careful…!”
“Oh dear, are you alright?”
Loik and I spoke at the same time.
“The Consort must not catch a cold,” Loik added, pulling me back by the waist as if worried Perel might pass it to me. “Don’t wander around for no reason; just finish up and go home.”
At Loik’s blunt display of concern, Perel gave a sheepish bow and left the room.
Is a cold going around?
Come to think of it, Reta had also taken the day off this morning.
— “She said she had a bit of a cough, so I told her to rest for the day.”
That was what Whitley had told me early this morning. Now that I thought about it, there seemed to be other maids coughing around the mansion yesterday and today.
“I suppose it’s because the seasons are changing.”
Loik added that people from the North rarely catch colds, so it was likely the maids who had come to the Capital for the first time were struggling with the local climate.
‘If I heal them, they’ll get better in no time.’
“No, Annette.”
Loik, quick to pick up on my thoughts from my expression, gently took my hand.
“I’ll make sure the sick maids are given proper medicine, so don’t worry about it.”
“If word of your healing powers gets out, patients from all over the Empire will come swarming in.”
Loik spoke seriously, noting that the issue wasn’t just being discovered by the Grand Temple.
I nodded, understanding his point, but I still felt a bit bittersweet. It wasn’t that I wanted to be some great saint, but…
‘There must be a reason I was given this special ability.’
What was the point of having such power if I only kept it to myself and never used it for anyone?
‘Is there a way to heal them without making it obvious?’
As I pondered, I suddenly remembered my visit to the Spring of Enlightenment.
An idea struck me, and my eyes lit up as I turned to Loik.
“Loik, I need to make some Spicy Tomato Stew.”
“You want tomato stew?”
Loik brightened at the unexpected request.
“Just wait a moment. I’ll go make some right away.”
“No, no.”
I caught Loik’s arm as he tried to stand up.
“We need to make a lot of it.”
“A lot…?”
Only then did Loik realize I had something else up my sleeve, and his expression turned uneasy.
“A whole lot.”
Enough for everyone in the townhouse to eat!