TOOCM | Chapter 024

Episode 24

“Mm?”

“The nanny said I’d get fat if I ate dessert… She said if I eat, I’ll gain weight right away and become chubby.”

Reina stared at Dalia with a blank expression.

To think that a mere 6-year-old child was being made to restrict her food because of concerns about gaining weight.

In Reina’s eyes, Dalia simply had a healthy amount of baby fat.

Strictly speaking, it was baby fat, not actual weight.

Honestly, compared to her peers, her frame could even be considered delicate.

Seeing a child so ill-suited to the adjective “chubby” tremble with fear made Reina feel frustrated.

“So, you’re not going to eat?”

Dalia hesitated, nodding stubbornly.

Watching Dalia continue to hesitate, Reina took a scone, placed it on a plate, and slathered it generously with cream cheese.

She broke off a small piece, put it in her mouth, and chewed slowly, noticing Dalia swallow hard.

Reading the longing in her eyes, Reina spoke.

“You actually want to eat it, don’t you, Dalia?”

Flinch.

As Dalia wavered, Reina placed a scone on her plate and said,

“Afternoon tea is the most basic of etiquette. Sharing delicious food naturally brings people closer. For that, Dalia, you need to know how to eat and enjoy it, right?”

In truth, it hadn’t been long since Reina herself had started enjoying desserts so leisurely.

After her older brother went missing, she hadn’t been able to eat anything for a while.

And not long after, she was imprisoned in a basement by the Emperor, so she was teaching this while dredging up distant memories.

“Here, try it.”

“Ah.”

Dalia instinctively put the scone Reina handed her into her mouth and chewed.

Her eyes sparkled as she mumbled,

“It’s yummy.”

“Right? This scone goes better with cream cheese than jam. This tea should pair well with it.”

Reina personally poured the tea and offered it to Dalia, who took a sip.

The combination of the rich scone and the black tea was delightful.

Only then did Dalia pick up a fork and start tasting the desserts one by one.

Reina watched her fondly, enjoying afternoon tea for the first time in a while.

* * *

As evening fell, Reina had dinner with Kaiden.

Since arriving in the North, it had been difficult to see Kaiden.

With the busy state of the estate and military training, it was hard to even catch a glimpse of him except at dinner.

Even so, he always spent the evening with Reina.

She was always grateful that, despite their contract marriage, his strong sense of responsibility made him treat her warmly.

At that moment, Kaiden casually asked,

“How were the lessons?”

He then naturally placed a neatly cut piece of steak in front of Reina.

Reina stared blankly at the precisely cut meat.

True to someone who wielded a sword, the meat was cut into perfect squares.

As she stared at the meat, Kaiden prompted her.

“Eat.”

She had noticed before, but there was something oddly aloof yet kind about him.

Feeling like she was being cared for so attentively, Reina’s cheeks flushed slightly.

“Thank you.”

After chewing and swallowing a piece of meat, she continued,

“The lessons were good. Dalia is a quick learner, so it’s rewarding to teach her.”

“Well, she’s been bright since she was little.”

Kaiden gave a faint smile as he praised his niece.

His affection for her was evident at a glance.

Thinking of the past, when she had taken everything from someone who cared so deeply for his family, made a corner of Reina’s heart sting.

She, too, was growing particularly fond of Dalia.

At that moment, Kaiden said,

“Still, it seems she’s quite taken with you. She’s had a lot of conflicts with previous teachers, so they were frequently replaced.”

“Really? She didn’t seem particularly picky about lessons…”

“She’s soft-hearted, so there were plenty of people trying to take advantage of her. Of course, Mrs. Mary always handled it well.”

Reina paused when Mrs. Mary was mentioned.

“The nanny told me not to…”

Even from just one lesson, Reina had repeatedly sensed that Mrs. Mary was subtly trying to control Dalia.

Dalia hesitated, mentioning her nanny at every turn.

Reina knew exactly what that meant.

She herself had been manipulated in a similar way by the Emperor, so she couldn’t be unaware.

Moreover, she kept feeling like she was missing something.

With a concerned tone, Reina asked,

“Do you trust Mrs. Mary, Kaiden?”

Caught off guard by Reina’s sudden question, Kaiden replied casually,

“She’s been looking after Dalia for a long time, so I’d say she’s trustworthy. Why? Did you not like her?”

“Just curious.”

Reina held back. She hadn’t yet fully grasped Mrs. Mary’s intentions.

Speaking rashly could put her in a difficult position.

Mrs. Mary was someone who had earned trust over a long time.

It was uncertain whether Kaiden would believe her, someone he hadn’t known for long, over Mrs. Mary.

Deciding to hold her tongue until she was more certain, Reina subtly asked,

“Could I possibly see a list of Dalia’s previous teachers?”

“I’ll tell Dive to arrange it.”

Kaiden chuckled and readily agreed. Then he asked Reina,

“By the way, your birthday is in two weeks. Is there anything you want?”

“Ah.”

Reina let out a soft sigh. She’d been so busy since arriving in the North that she’d forgotten her own birthday, of all things.

Reina glanced around absently. Then, looking at Kaiden in front of her, she felt a pang of regret.

The realization that she wouldn’t see this face much longer brought a heavier sense of emptiness than she’d expected.

People were truly fickle. The joy she’d felt when her sight returned now felt like such an ordinary part of her daily life.

To think she’d been taking these fleeting moments for granted.

In two weeks, this world would vanish anyway.

Reina stared intently at Kaiden’s face in silence.

As her expression darkened rapidly, Kaiden tilted his head.

Coming closer, he touched her forehead and asked,

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“N… No, I’m fine. Anything is fine. More importantly, when are you planning to make the oath?”

When Reina stepped back, Kaiden paused.

He hadn’t realized he’d acted so familiarly, and it flustered him.

Awkwardly withdrawing his hand, Kaiden continued,

“Are you really going to go through with the oath?”

“Of course. That was the plan for our contract marriage, wasn’t it?”

Contract marriage.

That phrase particularly grated on Kaiden.

At first, he’d accepted Reina’s sudden proposal because he didn’t trust her.

But now, he was hesitant about making the oath with her.

Not wanting to burden her with danger was an oddly uncharacteristic thought for him.

The dragon’s oath was akin to binding the other party to oneself.

The moment the oath was made, the other’s life belonged to the dragon.

The ability to stop their heart at will could easily create a hierarchical relationship.

Even the first Emperor, who had been friends with Crensia, had subtly feared her, so the outcome was obvious.

Kaiden didn’t want Reina to see him as an object of fear.

Wanting to remain equals, he changed the subject.

“There’s no rush, is there?”

“Huh?”

“More than that, what do you want to do for your birthday?”

“If it’s a birthday celebration, the day before would be better.”

“Not the actual day?”

When Kaiden looked puzzled, Reina gave a bittersweet smile.

The fever had started on her birth date.

She didn’t want to collapse in the middle of a celebration and ruin the day.

To be safe, holding the party the day before seemed best.

Of course, to Kaiden, who had no way of knowing her intentions, it was a strange suggestion.

Most people wanted to celebrate on their actual birthday. Reina said,

“I’d like to spend the day quietly. Can you stay with me?”