“Today, the chef said he managed to get a hold of some pineapples, which Elie loves.”
“Really?”
“Yep, he said to look forward to dessert today.”
“I’m so excited.”
Alexis reached out and held Elia in his arms. Her body was still thin and light.
“Elie, you need to gain some more weight. Eat a lot of meat today.”
“My Lord, people have a set amount of food they need. If you eat more than that, it’s overeating and it’s bad for your health.”
“Elie, you’re still young. You don’t have to set those limits yet. A child needs to eat a lot.”
When they arrived at the dining room, Norman was setting the table.
“You’ve arrived.”
“Norman, those clothes look great on you.”
At Alexis’s compliment, Norman responded. “You look even more dashing, My Lord.”
Both of their gazes turned to Elia.
“It’s all thanks to Elie.”
“It’s all thanks to the Young Lady.”
The two of them said the same thing at the same time and laughed.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been on the same page.”
“Indeed. Please, have a seat.”
Alexis seated Elia in her special chair. As the ducal family’s finances improved, Elia’s dining chair was also replaced. Not only that, but the old dining table, tableware, curtains, and decorations were all changed. Lapis had carefully selected and sent them.
Lapis, who had returned to the capital, had sent a vast amount of gifts to the ducal family. There were so many pieces of furniture and decorations that they could have changed the entire residence. Elia’s furniture was changed first. It was good because she didn’t have to spend her own money to change it. Alexis was even a little disappointed that he couldn’t decorate it for her himself.
Elia’s room was newly decorated with a fluffy new bed and luxurious children’s furniture and carpets. It was the birth of a pink princess’s room.
Alexis’s office was also changed. Instead of the old desk, there was now a luxurious mahogany desk, and the bookshelf was also made of the same mahogany. High-quality paper and pens, which were commonly used in the capital, also came as gifts. Lapis, who had looked around the ducal family’s interior, had personally selected them. He had insisted that a family he was dealing with should at least be this grand and told them not to refuse. Elia also actively supported the idea, so Alexis accepted his goodwill.
Thanks to him, the interior of the ducal residence had become quite luxurious. What she liked most was Elia’s dining chair.
“It was a good idea to change Elie’s chair. It suits you so well.”
The princess’s chair, which was full of ornate decorations, looked very good on Elia. The white lace cover and the many pink ribbons attached to it made it look so adorable. But Elia felt a little embarrassed every time she sat in the princess’s chair. However, she had gotten used to it after sitting in it a few times.
And what had improved most was the quality of the food. Before, they ate bread made of flour and meat from hunted animals. Now, the chef cooked with a variety of ingredients, and the food was so enjoyable. It was a shame for such a skilled chef to only make flour bread and meat dishes from hunting! Elia thought that the chef also had the right to cook with good ingredients, so the first thing she did with the money she earned was to get ingredients. And she was still doing it consistently.
Best of all, things got even better after she started trading with the Black Pearl Merchant Guild. The Black Pearl Merchant Guild not only sold the medicine Elia made in the black market but also traded in food ingredients. And she sometimes exchanged letters with Lazli, who said his health had improved a lot and he had started helping Lapis with his work.
Elia was most relieved that the siblings had found happiness again. Grand Duchess Kristina would no longer be able to extend her wicked hands, using Lazli’s illness as an excuse. If she continued to change things one by one, maybe the people who had been unhappy because of her could find happiness. There were still a lot of problems to solve. She planned to tackle them one by one in the future.
“Elie, eat a lot.”
Alexis cut a piece of salmon steak and put it on Elia’s plate. Of course, pickled onions were also there. The soup was also onion soup.
“The chef said there were a lot of onions left over today, so he decided to cook with them.” Norman kindly explained.
“So many onions were left over.” Most of the dishes on the table had onions in them.
Elia scooped up some onion soup with a spoon and ate it. The sweetness of the onion filled her mouth and turned into a deep savory flavor. It seemed to have been caramelized, as the spicy taste was gone, and there was a sweet and rich aroma. All the dishes had a savory and sweet flavor that was so well-balanced that she was surprised to find that onions could be used to create such a taste.
The ducal family’s chef was truly the best.
After lunch, Elia finally had the pineapple dessert. It was a pizza made with a tortilla, tomato sauce, pineapple, arugula, and cheese. It was so delicious. She ate an entire tortilla herself.
“Elie, is it that good?”
“It’s so delicious.”
“You have sauce on your mouth.”
Alexis wiped the sauce from her mouth with a napkin.
“I want to ask him to make this again.”
“Did you hear that?” Alexis smiled and looked at Norman.
“I will inform the chef.”
“Norman, thank you.”
“The chef will be happy just to see you eat so well.”
“Tell him I’ll continue to eat his food a lot and very deliciously.”
“I will.”
Elia finished her dessert and headed to the training grounds with Alexis. The training grounds had also been recently renovated. She had used the money she earned to fix it and to replace the training weapons with new ones. The old, chipped wooden swords were discarded, and new ones were provided. The worn-out training uniforms were also replaced with fresh new ones. The knights also looked much more dashing now.
“Your Grace!”
Dmitry walked over with a pleasant smile.
Then Alexis said, “You don’t seem to see me?”
“Ahem, My Lord, you’re here too.”
“So I’m an afterthought, is that it?”
“Of course not! You’re always my priority.”
“Such flattery.”
Alexis chuckled. Dmitry also laughed lightly, knowing it was a joke. Elia once again felt how deep the bond between the two of them was.
Elia sat on a bench, eating the snacks Mary had packed for her, and watched the Iron Eagle Knights and Alexis train. He was in great shape, cool, and handsome. There was nothing lacking about Alexis.
[Elie, your face is red. Are you that happy?]
‘No, I’m not.’
[Of course you are. You act like you’re not, but you’re actually showing it.]
‘I’m not.’
[Are you really not?]
‘If you keep teasing me, I’ll throw you into the training grounds.’
[Elie, I’m saying this because I like it, so don’t take it the wrong way.]
‘You’re saying it because you like it?’
[Looking back on your past, you’ve never had a real relationship.]
‘Me?’
[Yeah. I never saw you look happy when you were on dates with that Raul guy, or when you were hanging out with that Serhi guy, or when you were throwing your life away on revenge.]
I guess that was true. I genuinely wanted to live a happy life with Raul. I dreamed of having sons and daughters like little rabbits and living a happy life.
‘That Raul guy was always insincere when he was on dates with me.’
When I begged him to go see an opera I liked, he was indifferent. When I asked him to go see some beautiful flowers, he would scold me, asking if it was a good time to be so idle. And yet, what was so good about him that I smiled foolishly? I was the one who stupidly apologized.
‘I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.’
I had said something so pathetic.
‘I was a pathetic fool back then.’
[I agree. You were a complete idiot back then.]
I admit it. I was an idiot who was desperate for love.
‘I really wanted to be loved back then.’
In the end, I couldn’t achieve that.
[How does it feel to have it now?]
Alexis smiled brightly, looking at Elia.
‘Maybe it’s a good thing…’
I only feel it now. That being loved feels this good and happy. In the past, I thought happiness wasn’t meant for me. I thought I wasn’t a person who deserved to be happy.
Thinking about it now, I wonder, was I really a person who wasn’t allowed to be happy?
I guess that’s why I’m here, breathing and living.
