Chapter : 04
“We’ll be staying here for the night!”
As evening fell, the carriage that had been traveling all day finally came to a stop.
When the door opened, I saw the knights busy preparing dinner.
“What are you making?”
“Ah, Lady Lailit!”
I almost corrected them for calling me by that unfamiliar name again, but I decided against it. At this point, it felt like a waste of breath.
“We’re making a simple soup! Of course, we’ve prepared a separate meal for you, Lady Lailit!”
“A separate meal for me?”
“Yes. We’ve prepared fried chicken.”
Huh?
Fried chicken?
That dish wasn’t supposed to exist in this novel.
“Fried… chicken?”
“Yes. His Grace specifically requested it. We just have to fry the chicken in oil, so it’ll be ready in no time.”
Wait.
They actually knew exactly what fried chicken was?
“How do you know about fried chicken? A dish like that shouldn’t exist here.”
“Of course I know.”
I turned around to see Leindart carrying an armful of firewood.
“It was the first dish you ever made while staying at the Grand Duke’s castle.”
“…I did?”
“Yes. You did.”
Well, fried chicken was my favorite food…
But I’d been the one to invent it here?
“After you made it, the recipe spread among the maids and became popular throughout the North. It’s still being sold even now.”
“I… see.”
At first it sounded strange, but then it made sense.
After all, it was only chicken fried in oil.
It’s not as if this world doesn’t have fried food.
Surely, in an empire this vast, someone else could have come up with a recipe like that.
Judging from my expression, Leindart smiled faintly.
“It seems you really don’t remember anything.”
“I’ve told you over and over. It’s not that I don’t remember. I’m simply not the person you’re looking for.”
“…”
For a brief moment, I was flustered by the longing that crossed his face.
Before the conversation could become any heavier, I hurriedly changed the subject.
“By the way, you’re making fried chicken in weather this cold? The oil will never get hot enough.”
“…Hot enough?”
“The oil.”
“…Don’t tell me you were just planning to throw the chicken in?”
Only then did I really look at the ingredients laid out in front of the knights.
The vegetables for the soup had been cut into absurdly large chunks that would never cook properly.
The oil wasn’t even close to boiling.
And the chicken was still completely whole.
“Move.”
“…Pardon?”
“I said move. I’ll handle the cooking.”
The knight looked startled and frantically waved his hands.
“N-No! Please relax. We’ll prepare everything for you.”
Yeah, right.
Anyone could see how this was going to turn out.
“Forget it. Just go gather more firewood. And make the fire stronger.”
I rolled up my sleeves.
“I’m taking over the kitchen from here.”
By the time darkness had completely blanketed the sky, warm firelight pushed back the night, and fragrant steam drifted into the cold air.
“Wow! This is incredible!”
The knights devoured their soup with astonishing enthusiasm.
“This is the best soup I’ve ever had!”
“I’m glad you like it.”
It was just…
An ordinary pot of soup.
Seriously… what have these people been eating all this time?
The answer came almost immediately.
“I’ve never had potatoes cooked this fluffy before.”
…
Did I hear that correctly?
“Exactly! And the seasoning is perfect!”
When I glanced at Leindart, he awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Well… we’re usually in situations where we have to eat quickly. We don’t pay much attention to flavor.”
“I see.”
“By the way… are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“With what?”
“The chicken. We never ended up making the fried chicken. We just added it to the soup.”
So…
He’d actually been worried about that?
“Oh, that’s fine. Fried chicken wouldn’t have stayed crispy in weather like this anyway.”
I smiled.
“And besides, you and the knights worked much harder than I did today. How could I eat something special all by myself? It’s better if we all share.”
Silence followed.
When I looked over, Leindart was smiling softly.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s just…”
He looked at me with gentle eyes.
“You really haven’t changed.”
“In what way?”
“You always think of others before yourself.”
He paused.
“And you’re warmer than anyone else.”
“…You’re praising me way too much.”
And what was with that affectionate look?
It was enough to make anyone’s heart skip a beat.
“By the way… where am I sleeping tonight?”
“There’s a bed inside the carriage.”
“A bed?”
“It folds out. Once it’s assembled, it’s a proper bed. It’s already set up, so don’t worry.”
“What about everyone else?”
“We brought tents for camping. We’ve slept outdoors in winter many times before.”
“That’s right! You don’t need to worry about us!”
The knights all answered cheerfully.
Even so…
The thought of me sleeping comfortably while everyone else slept outside in the freezing cold made me feel guilty.
“Lailit.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t start apologizing again.”
…Did he just read my mind?
“From our perspective, you’re our guest.”
He smiled.
“Wouldn’t it be absurd to make a guest sleep on the ground?”
“I… suppose you’re right.”
“So stop feeling guilty.”
He spoke matter-of-factly.
“This is only natural.”
“…”
Ever since I’d awakened in this world, I’d become so accustomed to worrying about everyone else’s feelings that I’d started doing it without thinking.
The longer I hesitated, the more uncomfortable I was making things for Leindart and the knights.
“…Thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”
Then—
Smack.
A warm, gentle sensation touched my forehead.
A heartbeat later…
I realized it had been his lips.
“W-Wait… Wh-What are you doing…?!”
What had this man just done to someone he’d only recently met?
Oddly enough…
His face had turned bright red too.
“N-No, I’m the one who should be shocked! Why are you blushing, Your Grace?!”
“I…”
He looked genuinely flustered.
“…I’ve gotten so used to kissing your forehead every evening that I did it without thinking.”
Even the Grand Duke seemed stunned by his own actions.
His cheeks were crimson.
Meanwhile, every knight nearby was watching us with thoroughly entertained expressions.
“What are you all staring at?”
Leindart barked.
“Clean up.”
The knights hurriedly began tidying the campsite.
Though none of them could quite hide the amused smiles tugging at their lips.
“I… I’m sorry.”
Leindart carefully watched my reaction.
He looked exactly like a giant dog waiting to see whether its owner was angry after making a mistake.
“U-Um… I’m tired! I’ll head inside first!”
“Wait, Lailit. Are you—”
“Good night!”
Ignoring the rest of his sentence, I hurried into the carriage.
The bed had already been assembled.
I didn’t even have time to admire it before burying my face under the blankets.
What… just happened?
It still felt vivid.
The warmth of his lips against my forehead.
The more I thought about it, the blanker my mind became.
“No… don’t overthink it.”
I shook my head.
“We’re both adults. Things like this can happen.”
Right.
It was just a small accident.
He said I reminded him of someone.
It wasn’t as if he’d kissed me on the lips.
“Yeah… don’t think about it anymore.”
But despite my determined resolve…
My heart refused to calm down.
It felt ready to leap out of my chest.
Later, I would learn that at that exact same moment…
Leindart had been trembling as well.
Overwhelmed by a mixture of joy and embarrassment.
“…”
“…”
The next day, the carriage was filled with an awkward silence.
Neither of us seemed willing to speak first.
This is driving me crazy.
It wasn’t as though we’d talked that much yesterday, either.
But…
It definitely hadn’t been this awkward.
Then again…
Maybe it was better to let it pass without mentioning it.
If we brought it up, I couldn’t imagine the conversation ending well.
So instead, I decided to ask something that had been bothering me.
“Um… Your Grace.”
“Yes?”
“About… how I should address you.”
I hesitated.
“I know it’s a little late to ask, but shouldn’t I be calling you ‘Your Royal Highness, the Grand Duke’?”
Leindart let out a quiet chuckle.
“Call me whatever you like.”
He smiled.
“You used to call me ‘Duke’ before, anyway.”
Before?
Before I could question what he meant, he seemed to sense that the atmosphere had lightened slightly and spoke again.
“Lailit.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry about yesterday.”
The very topic I’d been desperately trying to avoid.
“Why would you bring that up again?”
“We can’t keep being this awkward forever.”
Seriously…
How could someone who looked so emotionally distant be so considerate about things like this?
“I-It’s fine!”
I waved my hands.
“We’re adults! It was just your lips touching my forehead.”
“Just?”
The atmosphere shifted.
“‘Just?'”
His gaze sharpened.
“Has something like that happened often?”
“Huh? N-No! That’s not what I meant…”
“I suppose…”
His expression hardened.
“…Someone as beautiful as you attracting men’s attention wouldn’t be surprising.”
Then, in a completely serious tone, he muttered,
“I should cut off those bastards’ lips.”
“Haha… Your Grace, that’s a pretty violent joke…”
“…”
“…Y-You’re serious.”
The look in his eyes told me everything.
He wasn’t joking at all.
As the carriage continued to rattle down the road, I couldn’t help feeling a growing sense of unease.
The North…
Am I really going to survive living there?
