Chapter 29…
The Princess of Heat Haze Goes to the Forest.
It had been a week since Felicia arrived at Yoan’s castle.
“Shall we go to the forest today?”
Yoan asked after a late breakfast. He seemed concerned about Felicia, who could not go outside the castle.
“Staying inside the castle all the time must be boring, right? There’s a beautiful spot I can show you.”
“Yes, I would love to go with you.”
Feeling Yoan’s thoughtfulness, Felicia nodded with a smile. She had longed to actually walk through the lush forest she could only see from the balcony. She wanted to see the birds singing with beautiful voices and the small animals rustling in the branches. Still, she could not leave the castle alone; the only place she could go outside was the courtyard.
Her heart fluttered at the thought of going outside after such a long time. She had heard stories about monsters appearing in the forest, but perhaps because of Yoan’s protective barrier around the castle, she had never seen one. Above all, she felt a sense of security knowing Yoan would be with her.
Watching Felicia’s happy expression, Yoan gently narrowed his eyes with a soft smile.
“Yugo, please prepare the horses.”
“Understood.”
While Yugo prepared the horses, Felicia placed the financiers she had baked in the morning into a basket. She thought it would be nice if they could eat them together at the beautiful spot Yoan had promised to show her.
(It’s perfect that today’s sweets are easy to eat outside. Could it be that Yoan even considered that…?)
The sweet aroma of the financiers filled the castle, though this was true of any baked good. Still, it would not be surprising if Yoan knew what she had baked today, through the invisible familiars scattered around the castle. Knowing Yoan, he would not invite her to the forest on a day when the sweets were difficult to eat outside. That kind of subtle consideration came naturally to him.
Since baking canelés, making sweets for Yoan had become Felicia’s daily routine. Having a role she could fulfill and seeing Yoan pleased with her efforts brought Felicia immense joy.
(Yoan is truly kind. He always considers my feelings. I want to be of more help to him. I hope there’s something I can do besides baking…)
Holding the basket of financiers, Felicia wondered what she could do for Yoan.
