“It’s a dessert imported from my kingdom, and this is the only place in the empire that serves it, so I really liked it. To think it would be sold out…”

Charlotte placed her hand on her cheek and drooped her head, looking so pitiful as if she might cry at any moment.

Thinking back, pudding was a cultural import from Kasis that entered the empire after their defeat in the war, and Charlotte was from the Kasis Kingdom.

Seeing her looking so endlessly sad, Merrien unconsciously clutched her heart.

If she sent her away like this, she would surely keep thinking about it even after returning.

Perhaps that’s why.

“Charlotte. Would you like to come visit the Hartez mansion?”

When she spontaneously invited her.

“What?”

“What?”

Both of them asked simultaneously.

Even Ariel, who seemed to be paying no attention to the conversation at all.

Given their stronger reaction than expected, Merrien decided to be honest.

“Actually, I’m the one who bought all that pudding. Haha…”

She could feel Ariel staring intensely at her as if to ask what on earth she was saying, but by now she could brush off this much.

“Really?”

“Yes. I bought so many to share with the servants…. There’s plenty, so let’s eat together!”

“That would be wonderful! But would it be alright?”

Charlotte must really like pudding. She was so happy she almost jumped while holding Merrien’s hands but belatedly started checking Ariel’s reaction.

“……”

Soon came a sound like teeth grinding.

Merrien pretended not to notice and whispered to him.

“Ariel. She’s my only friend.”

His eyes flickered with annoyance, threatening to look away. If anything, this reaction only seemed to provoke him further.

“I am.”

“You’re not a friend. Not a friend, but…”

“But?”

“That… um… what is it.”

This is awkward, really.

He wasn’t just a friend.

They had just kissed, so she thought Ariel might feel the same way. What should she call this relationship?

…But whenever these thoughts came up, what always worried her was that there wasn’t much time left before returning to reality.

Merrien spent a long time thinking, unable to speak.

Whether Charlotte hadn’t noticed Ariel’s increasingly turbulent energy at all, she looked back and forth between them before speaking.

“I felt it at the banquet too, but you two are really close. You’ll be engaged soon, right? You’re like the perfect example of a good couple.”

“…Couple?”

Merrien unconsciously echoed Charlotte’s words.

“Did you say couple?”

Ariel didn’t miss this. Suddenly the atmosphere brightened.

His eyes, which had been gleaming with various emotions, now sparkled like those of an innocent Whitey, leaving Merrien just staring at him in bewilderment.

Meanwhile, Ariel quickly answered in her stead, finally giving Charlotte his attention for the first time.

“As Merri’s lover, I formally invite you to the Hartez duchy, Saint Charlotte.”

“Oh my, thank you so much!”

…How did it end up like this?

Although she had invited Charlotte first, Merrien felt cold at their conversation which completely excluded her opinion.

Ariel had already taken her hand and was leading her, with Charlotte following behind.

Merrien soon found herself smiling.

She secretly touched her lips.

It felt like the moist sensation was still there.

***

Was this really the same Charlotte who had rushed to the pile of puddings on the table as soon as they arrived in the drawing room?

“So the Duke’s circumstances were…”

“The Duke truly had such unspeakable pain…”

Thanks to Merrien bringing up the romance novels, Charlotte seemed lost in deep contemplation, no longer even glancing at the pudding in front of her as she held back tears.

She was tightly hugging a book in both arms, its cover reading [The Duke’s Secret Circumstances].

“She’s talking about the Duke when he’s right here.”

Ariel, who had deliberately sat right next to Merrien, pretended to be uninterested in their conversation but was quick to interject like this.

Judging by his grumbling criticism, he had completely forgotten about when he had teased Merrien by reading passages from romance novels.

Merrien was no longer embarrassed by his reactions. She firmly spread her hands and countered.

“The characters in books are completely different from real people. Right, Charlotte?”

“Of course! Just look at this part – it’s clearly fiction. The Duke seduces the heroine while his hands are tied!”

She should have just ignored Ariel’s comment. After hearing this completely unrealistic passage, he seriously contemplated it.

“That sounds fine.”

“…What do you mean ‘fine’!”

Merrien whispered very quietly as she smacked his mouth.

Even then, she hurriedly covered Ariel’s mouth with her hand and checked Charlotte’s reaction, but fortunately, she was already absorbed in the novel’s text.

What a relief. She took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

“Phew… Ah!”

She let out a small cry.

‘You crazy bastard!’

Afraid Charlotte might see, she mouthed the words frantically while watching carefully.

Ariel was casually licking the hand that was covering his mouth!

This time even Charlotte looked up curiously.

“Hm? Merrien, what’s wrong?”

“What? Oh, it’s nothing.”

She quickly waved both hands to smooth over the situation. A cold, wet sensation remained on her palm.

Her body trembling involuntarily, Merrien whispered to Ariel.

“Are you really crazy?”

“Yeah. All the male leads you like seem to be crazy anyway.”

“Haah…”

I shouldn’t carelessly invite people anymore. Yes, this is all my fault.

It was her mistake to think he would be sane at least when other people were around.

Merrien leaned back on the sofa, her head throbbing.

Meanwhile, Agnes, who was sitting on a different sofa slightly apart from them, muttered in a very small voice.

“Why am I even here?”

Agnes, who had been dragged along without knowing why, was introduced to Charlotte as Ariel’s distant cousin.

With the added explanation that he was staying temporarily due to illness, he continued to stare blankly into space, unable to understand the situation. Despite his lifeless eyes, his hand holding the spoon was busily scooping up pudding.

Shortly after, the butler entered and bowed politely.

“Saint, I have distributed the pudding to all the servants.”

It seems he had faithfully carried out her request to share the pudding with the servants as soon as they arrived at the mansion.

Merrien, who was almost lying down while holding her head, suddenly sat up.

“Ah, good work. Did you get your share too?”

“Yes, thank you. The chocolate pudding was really delicious.”

“Why are you eating such delicious things?”

Ariel grumbled needlessly at the butler. He was clearly taking out his frustration at the current situation.

‘Wait, who was it that formally invited someone to the mansion earlier, saying it was good?’

This is really ridiculous. Merrien glared at him.

But the butler didn’t even pretend to hear Ariel’s words.

True to being the butler of House Hartez who got there by reading the room, he immediately realized that the two Saints were the most powerful people here right now.

The butler approached the new power holders instead of his master with a business smile and held out a book.

“Saints, please take a look at this series too. It’s the currently popular [This Butler is the Strongest].”

“Oh, come on.”

Ariel snorted, but the Saints absorbed in reading didn’t even react.

Charlotte even showed tremendous interest in the new series she received.

***

The two Saints reluctantly got up when Ariel started complaining that it would be six in the evening soon.

Ariel had already prepared a carriage at the mansion entrance. He was practically pushing her to leave quickly.

Yet he waved his hand saying he didn’t want to go along for the farewell, so Merrien headed to the entrance alone with Charlotte.

While showing her the outer garden along the way.

“I really had fun today, Merrien.”

“Me too, Charlotte.”

In her hands as she walked reluctantly were several volumes of [This Butler is the Strongest] series.

“When you finish those, I’ll lend you other series too.”

“Really? That’s wonderful!”

Merrien hesitated for a moment at Charlotte’s delighted expression.

This was the first time she’d seen her smile so innocently…