“Pfft. Sebastian didn’t prepare it for you? Even though you’re disguised as commoners, aren’t you being too faithful to the concept?”

“I was just a bit busy this morning.”

Come to think of it, he was a bit late this morning, wasn’t he? But still, to be so distracted that he couldn’t even bring money? This usually meticulous person?

Ilion’s uncharacteristic excuse was so childish that I couldn’t help but laugh.

Finally, unable to hold back my laughter, I covered my mouth and shook my shoulders. Ilion responded irritably.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, it’s just… of all people…”

Seemingly annoyed by my words, Ilion turned his head away and started walking ahead.

“Wait, don’t get upset. I brought some, so it’s fine.”

I quickly grabbed Ilion and showed him the wallet I pulled out of my pocket.

“I see. Go ahead then.”

As soon as I got permission, I trotted towards the store. Inside, various colored candies were elegantly packaged in jars.

In this world, candy was treated as quite a luxury food. It was natural, given that the process of making sugar wasn’t easy.

Standing in front of the store, I happily pondered for a while about what to eat, then picked up a few lollipops and paid for them.

When I came out of the store, Ilion had an unusually flustered look on his face. It was a face I’d never seen before, even though I prided myself on being quite good at flustering Ilion.

Feeling it was too good a sight to miss, I deliberately watched from a distance.

“Waaah! Mommy!”

“Um, you…”

A child, seemingly lost, was sitting on the ground crying, and unfortunately, Ilion was standing next to him, trying to comfort the child while receiving piercing gazes from around.

His restless hands were fidgeting in the air, unable to find their place.

Such a flustered face. If I had a camera, I’d want to take a picture and tease him with it for life.

Ilion, who had been earnestly trying to comfort the child, now bent down to look at him.

But it backfired. The child, upon seeing Ilion’s face, seemed even more frightened and cried even louder.

Worried that Ilion might be branded as a villain who made a child cry, I hurried over.

“Hey little one, why are you crying? Did you lose your mom?”

The child looked at my face and nodded, shedding big tears.

“It’s okay, don’t cry. I’ll help you find your mom.”

I wiped his tears and handed him a candy.

“Do you want to eat this while I look for your mom?”

“What is this…?”

“It’s candy. It’s sweet and delicious.”

I unwrapped the candy and put it in his hand. The child put it in his mouth and his eyes widened. His tears had stopped, and he was now fully focused on eating the candy.

“Haah…”

Ilion let out a small sigh of relief behind me. It seemed the crying child had drained all his energy.

“You don’t seem to get along well with kids. Have you never comforted a child before?”

“Never.”

“Come on, you must have comforted your grandparents when they cried, right?”

“……”

At my words, Ilion looked at the child silently and closed his mouth. There was that bad habit again of only answering what he wanted to.

“Oh dear, it’s troubling that you’ve never comforted a child…”

“Why?”

I smiled meaningfully at Ilion’s puzzled face.

“Well, I don’t think I can handle childcare alone. Since you say you’ve never comforted a child before, I’m already worried.”

“That’s an unnecessary worry. The child will be raised by a nanny anyway.”

“My goodness, children should naturally be raised by their parents. Leaving them to a nanny, how irresponsible!”

I stopped talking and looked at Ilion.

Come to think of it, I didn’t know anything about Ilion’s father or mother.

Unfortunately, all I knew were the crude jokes Bishop had made.

I was about to ask him about his parents but closed my mouth.

I was curious, but on the other hand, I wasn’t sure if it was okay to ask about such things.

Is this what people meant when they felt uncomfortable asking me about my parents? Now that I was in their position, it was harder than I thought.

“Um, miss.”

“Yes?”

Lost in thought for a moment, the child tugged at my clothes.

“You’ll help me find my mom, right?”

“Of course. Shall we go look for her now?”

I stood up and took the child’s hand.

***

We were able to find the child’s mother easily. As we followed the street where the child had gotten lost, we found her wandering around, desperately calling out the child’s name.

She kept thanking us profusely for our help.

After sending the child back, I fumbled in the bag and took out some candies.

“Do you want one?”

“No.”

“Why not? I bought some for Your Grace too.”

When I insisted, Ilion reluctantly took one and put it in his mouth. Then he frowned.

Yeah, that’s cinnamon flavor.

I giggled inwardly as I took out a strawberry-flavored candy and put it in my mouth. Cinnamon flavor was always a landmine even in grandmother’s candy bag.

The flavor I hate the most.

I specially prepared it for our dear Duke.

“Do you dislike sweet things that much?”

I asked innocently, looking at Ilion’s displeased expression.

“I don’t have good memories of them.”

“Why?”

“I always got a headache after eating sweet things. Or felt sick.”

“Since you were young?”

“I think I used to enjoy them quite a bit at first…”

It seemed even he didn’t know why he suddenly started disliking them. Well, people’s tastes change over time.

On the other hand, I’ve consistently loved sweet foods since childhood.

I ate so many candies that I got cavities and was scolded by the doctor. After that day, my grandmother went as far as to throw away all the candies in the house.

I cried loudly on the street, asking for candies because I was so upset about it.

Remembering something that happened nearly 20 years ago, I crunched the candy rolling around in my mouth.

The sharply cut surface, like a blade, melts smoothly with the warmth and gradually becomes round.

“By the way, can I choose where we go for dinner tonight?”

“Is there somewhere you want to go?”

“El Corsa!”

My only goal for this trip. A luxurious restaurant where one menu item easily costs more than a dress!

The only reason I’m still following Ilion through all these hardships and not going home is this.

Once I achieve this goal, I plan to pester Ilion to send me home even tomorrow.

The price of the artifact to return home would be considerable, but so what? It’s not like it’s my money anyway.

“Since Your Grace didn’t bring money, I’ll treat you.”

When I said this with a grin, Ilion reluctantly answered with a disgruntled face.

He looked like he had a lot to say, but what could he do? If you don’t have money, you should keep quiet.

***

“Um, I’m sorry but…”

The waiter cautiously spoke to us.

“You cannot enter.”

“…What?”

“Guests without reservations cannot enter.”

He glanced at Ilion behind me. Why is he looking at Ilion when I’m the one asking?

I’m the one with the money, you know? Not him?

I deliberately leaned towards the waiter and asked again.

“Can’t we wait?”

“No, you can’t.”

This time he refused more firmly. Why can’t we? Do you know how much I’ve gone through to eat here?

Feeling like I’d regret it even in my dreams if I turned back now, I decided to be a bit more persistent with the waiter.

“Then if I make a reservation today, can we eat tomorrow?”

“I’m sorry, but all reservations are full.”

“Then please tell me when reservations are available.”

“It’s difficult for the foreseeable future as we’re fully booked.”

What exactly is possible here? This isn’t possible, that isn’t possible.

The waiter was just repeating that nothing was possible in front of me like a parrot. As if he had no intention of letting me in from the start.

“You’re working hard, William.”

As I was about to have a staring contest with the waiter, a guest who seemed to have just arrived at the restaurant greeted the waiter.

The man with a protruding belly was wearing an expensive coat covered in fur, and next to him was a woman so beautiful she could be mistaken for a model.

And William immediately bowed politely to the man. He seemed to be quite a regular customer to know the waiter’s name.

“Baron Dubier. Welcome.”

“Well, is there a table available?”

“Of course. I’ll guide you right away.”

Wait a minute. What’s going on here?

“You said earlier that we needed a reservation.”

I couldn’t help but interject after quietly listening to their conversation.

“I’m sorry, but you cannot enter…”

“Ah, wait a moment, William.”

Baron Dubier raised his hand to stop William, who was repeating the same words like a parrot, and looked at me.

“Young lady, it seems you’re new to this restaurant and don’t know, but this isn’t a place commoners can enter freely. It’s a place that only accepts nobles.”

“But nowhere in the guidebook did it say…”

“Well, it’s because it’s a place ordinary commoners can’t even dream of.”

“I have money if that’s the issue.”

The Baron burst into laughter at my timid rebuttal.

“You must be from a wealthy family, but you should know that in places like this, money isn’t everything.”

Thoroughly irritated by the Baron’s response, I looked at Ilion. It was a signal asking him to do something, anything, using his status as a duke or his connections, but Ilion just shrugged his shoulders.

Is this revenge for teasing him earlier about not having money?

“Well, if you really want to eat here, there is a way. How about accompanying me, if the young lady doesn’t mind?”

Just as I was about to give up, the pot-bellied Baron made an unexpected proposal to me.

“But leave your boyfriend behind, just you alone.”

Boyfriend behind me? Is he saying to go without Ilion?

Ha, Baron, no matter how much I want to eat crab dishes, I’m not going to follow just anyone who says…

“Let’s go!”

Without Ilion? Thank you!

I was about to step forward excitedly when I felt a grip on the back of my neck.

“Ugh.”

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Ilion asked me with an extremely annoyed face.

“The Baron is kindly offering to eat together.”

I whispered quietly so that the Baron couldn’t hear, while keeping an eye on him.

“So?”

“Are you upset because he said to eat without you?”

“You…”

“Okay, okay. I’ll ask them to pack some for you too.”

When I smiled brightly, Ilion rubbed his face with one hand.

“Are you really going to follow just anyone?”

“I don’t follow just anyone, you know.”

“Then?”

“Someone rich and handsome?”