Serdel had been about to go straight home, but then remembered something from yesterday and stopped by a dessert shop to buy cake and tea.
As soon as she arrived at the mansion, it seemed Siri had spotted the carriage from the window and came running out.
“Lady!”
She looked like a small, cute animal in appearance and build, but the way she charged forward had a surprising intensity.
“Lady! Did things go well?”
“Yes. They went well. Here.”
“Eh? These are Montlanché cakes! Wow! Ah, right! Lady, today the master came home early. And so did Young Master Redan and Sir Adis.”
“Really?”
“The master even personally ordered the kitchen to prepare for a shared dinner with everyone. He said all four of you would eat together.”
“How unusual.”
“Everyone is in a frenzy right now—the head chef, the butler, and the head maid. They’re all excited, saying it’s the first time in a long while all four of you are having a meal together.”
‘It just so happens I had something to talk to Father about.’
This works out perfectly.
“This strawberry shortcake is yours. And… since there’s still time before dinner, give the blueberry one to Sister, and the orange-topped one to Father and my brother along with tea.”
Siri’s eyes sparkled.
“…Also, tell Sister that I said I enjoyed the chocolate.”
Perhaps because it wasn’t something she usually did, her chest felt a little itchy. No—on second thought, quite itchy.
‘Seriously, why did she give me chocolate…’
Though she did enjoy it.
As she hesitated, Siri’s intense stare made her hurry her steps.
“Fufufufu.”
Behind her, Siri followed closely, laughing softly.
“I’ll also tell her that Lady was very embarrassed.”
“Who’s embarrassed!”
Serdel shouted sharply, then quickly retreated into her room.
“……”
In the study, Adis stared blankly at Siri as she entered carrying a tea tray after knocking.
“…I never asked for snacks.”
“Lady Serdel bought cakes from Montlanché. Knowing that Sir doesn’t particularly enjoy sweets, she specifically chose blueberry cake and told me to bring it with tea.”
“…Serdel prepared this for me?”
There was no syrup on the blueberries.
In Montlanché, where syrup was beloved, this counted as a relatively less-sweet cake.
“And she also asked me to tell you she really enjoyed the chocolate.”
“…I see. So she did enjoy it…”
Muttering, Adis’s cheeks turned red. Even her usually stiff mouth curved into a faint smile.
She probably didn’t even realize she was smiling.
“Tell her I will enjoy it. And…”
Her previously sharp atmosphere softened.
“…Also tell her I will see her at dinner later.”
“Yes! I will deliver the message!”
Siri left after bowing cheerfully.
Left alone, Adis glanced at the cake again.
“…I don’t really like sweets…”
Even when the youngest imperial princess had urged her, she had never touched cake.
She had never even looked at the elaborate desserts made by imperial pastry chefs.
And yet, the cake Serdel had brought for her kept drawing her eyes.
She picked up a fork and took a bite.
Unlike usual, her brow did not furrow.
One bite became two, two became three—and before she knew it, the plate was empty.
Her mouth was now filled with sweetness. And yet it didn’t feel unpleasant.
A sip of slightly cooled tea made her feel strangely refreshed instead.
‘Has cake always been this good?’
No. Perhaps this cake was special because Serdel had bought it for her.
‘Come to think of it, a long time ago she once gave me cookies she made with her mother.’
What had they been like again?
They were dry and extremely sweet. She had taken one bite and thrown it away.
‘How terrible. I really was awful.’
Back then, she hadn’t understood how precious that everyday life was.
She hadn’t known her mother would die, or that it would break their family apart.
Burdened by the title of genius, even breathing had been difficult, and she had become heir while barely able to endure it.
Drowning under the weight of the future headship, she had been called to the Imperial Palace.
In that place filled with danger, she had to suppress even the remnants of her emotions.
It was not a place where one could live honorably just by following knightly virtue.
And just when she had finally adapted—
‘Serdel hadn’t woken up.’
It felt like her daily life had collapsed.
For a moment, she wondered if this was the peace she had wanted.
But realizing something was precious only after losing it meant it was already too late.
She had learned that painfully when she lost her mother.
And she had feared experiencing that agony again.
If Serdel had never woken up, this fragile family would have collapsed on the spot.
Redan would have lost it just as much as she did.
He had secretly gone to Serdel’s room every night, crying in silence.
On the fifth day, he had even tried to move to eliminate Count Meiyant, and she had barely managed to stop him.
The madness in his eyes had been terrifying.
The amount of suppressed anger behind it had nearly drained her strength just to witness.
Both Redan and herself—
They had avoided facing their sister properly.
They had stabbed her without realizing it, numbed by their own emotions.
But she swore she had never once hated Serdel.
She had only wanted her to become stronger.
‘People have different talents. I tried too hard to force her into my standards.’
She wouldn’t do that anymore.
Weak or not, she would accept Serdel as she was.
For a moment, she clenched her fist in resolve.
Then, looking at the empty plate, she coughed.
“…I ate well. I ate well? No, I ate well. Thank you, Serdel. Thank you, Serdel?”
She wanted to express how much she had enjoyed it, but it was harder than expected.
How did she usually express gratitude? To Redan, she simply said “Got it.”
To fellow knights, she would punch her chest.
Without thinking, she glanced at her fist—but shook her head.
If she used that rough gesture on her sister, she might actually kill her.
Ahem, cough!
She cleared her throat again, steeling her resolve.
“Ye. na. ga. na. re. ul. wi. hae. go. le. un. ke. i. keu. i. geu. leon. ga. hwang. nyeo. jeon. ha. ge. seo. meok. eo. bo. ra. deon. geu. eo. deon. di. jeo. te. bo. da. hul. ryeong. ha. go. mas. it. eot. da……”
“…Pfft!”
Startled!
Siri, who had somehow returned and was standing at the door, burst into laughter at the scene.
“K-khm… pffft!”
Panicked, Adis opened her mouth.
“I-I’m sorry. Pfft! I-I didn’t mean to watch, I just thought you’d finished so I came to collect the plate. Ah! I did knock…”
The more she spoke, the deeper the pit became.
In the end, Siri covered her mouth, turning away, her shoulders shaking.
From her neck up, Adis’s ears slowly turned red.
“Pffft… I-I’m really sorry. I-I’ll go now…”
Before Adis could even reach out, Siri dashed away.
“……”
Left alone, Adis’s eyes trembled violently.
If there had been a hole, she would have crawled into it.
Looking around in embarrassment, she finally lowered her head under the desk.
It was the most humiliating moment of her life.
“Kyahhh—!”
