ITMFYWCLBU 24

The next day at noon, before heading to the Luvelier estate, Clarisse stopped by the shopping district to buy sweets as a gift.

(Mother-in-law loves canelés, after all.)

Crisp on the outside, moist and tender within—the delicate texture made them one of Clarisse’s own favorites as well. She always kept an eye on the seasonal flavors. If she remembered correctly, the shop she frequented should have released its autumn special by now.

(Plain, the tea-flavored ones she likes, and the autumn special. It should be apple this year—cinnamon apple, wasn’t it?)

She had the carriage stop a little distance from the shop, out of the way of passing traffic, and entered the red-brick confectionery with Ellen.

But as she stepped up to order, her brows knit at the display of limited flavors.

(That’s not apple. Fig? Wait—what?)

Unless she was mistaken, this year’s autumn special had been cinnamon-spiced apple.

(Even here… it’s different?)

The small, creeping differences from her memories unsettled her more than she liked to admit. Still, she ordered the fig flavor.

For the gift, she selected five each of plain, tea, and fig. And since she was here, she had the same assortment wrapped for home as well. With the neatly tied boxes in hand, she left the shop.

(Well, I suppose it’s fine. I can think of it as getting to try something new.)

She had never tasted fig canelés from this shop before. She would treat it as a pleasant surprise.

Ellen carried the parcels, so Clarisse held her parasol and walked the short distance back toward the waiting carriage beneath the midday sun.

“I bought plenty for the house too,” she said lightly. “Let’s have tea with canelés when we get back.”

She was smiling as she said it—

When a scream ripped through the street behind her.

“Runaway carriage!!”

“…What?”

Clarisse turned—and froze.

A carriage was barreling straight down the middle of the road at terrifying speed.

“Milady!!”

Ellen shouted—but Clarisse couldn’t move.

She couldn’t.

“Kyyaaaaaaa—!!”

The carriage came hurtling toward them, striking pedestrians aside as it thundered forward—

And Clarisse’s parasol flew into the air.