Chapter 64
I finished filling the bag that Mariana had prepared for me with cookies.
“Milady, what will you do with so many of these?”
Allen nodded in agreement with Lucy’s question.
Tiana handed some of the cookies she had made to Allen, the chefs who had helped her, and her personal maids.
“Thank you for helping me today!” she said first to Allen and the cooks.
“…We’re truly grateful, but are you sure it’s alright for us to receive something like this?”
Allen turned toward Tiana.
“Of course!”
They had helped her, so it was only natural for them to eat what she had made.
“In that case, we’ll gladly accept.”
Allen and the chefs smiled warmly and happily accepted the gift from her.
Next, Tiana gave what she considered her best cookies to her personal maids.
“Thank you so much, Milady!”
Lucy was the first to receive them, and she was so delighted that she ate them right in front of Tiana.
When she gave some to Mariana and Rose as well, they didn’t get as excited as Lucy, but they were clearly pleased.
I’d like Father to try what I made, too. I wonder if it’s alright to go see him now.
Thinking that, Tiana decided to head to the Duke’s study.
Before visiting Father, I should give some to my sister and brother as well.
Her sister and her brother Gilbert, of course, were delighted.
Liam, on the other hand, she thought might not eat what she made — but to her surprise, he tried a cookie right there and said, “Well, not bad. Make more sometime.”
That was Liam’s way of showing gratitude — though a bit lacking in words.
He’s such a tsundere.
On the way to the Duke’s study, Tiana ran into several servants who were always kind to her, so she handed out cookies to them as well.
When she arrived, she knocked on the study door. Hearing a response from inside, she called out loudly, “Father, may I come in for a moment?”
Vice opened the door from within.
“Tiana, what is it?”
“Well, I just baked some cookies, and I wanted Father to try them.”
Saying that, Tiana hurried over to her father and handed him a bag with a little extra inside — more than what she had given the others.
There were heart-shaped and bear-shaped cookies, among other designs.
“Tiana, you made these yourself?”
Yes! I was worried he might not accept something I made, but I’m glad he did.
“Yes! But I couldn’t do it alone — Head Chef Allen helped me.”
“I see.”
“Oh, and I made some for Vice too!”
“What—! Really!? I’m so happy!”
She handed Vice his portion.
Then Vice said, “Your Grace, please don’t glare at me like that.”
Huh? Was it wrong for me to give Vice some cookies?
Tiana looked back at her father.
But he looked normal to her. Maybe Vice was mistaken?
“Hey, hey, Father’s not glaring, you know?” she whispered to Vice.
“Hehe… He’s trying to make sure you don’t notice. The Duke thought you were giving them only to him. In other words — he’s jealous.”
“Really? But I gave them to my sister, brothers, and the servants too!”
“Ahahaha! Did you hear that, Your Grace? She gave them to everyone!”
Vice burst out laughing at her words.
“Vice, you’re too noisy. Bring out the sweets prepared for Tiana.”
“Understood, sir.”
Tiana thought to herself that her father and Vice must be quite close.
After that, Tiana and her father enjoyed tea together with the cookies she had brought.
