Hasis smirked at my expression, clearly having anticipated my reaction. Feeling irritated, I retorted, “We hardly ever talk much anyway.”

“Still, it bothers you, doesn’t it? I heard the Master rarely gets angry, but that day…”

“No. It doesn’t bother me at all.”

That was a lie, of course. I couldn’t fathom Lerrhagen’s thoughts or why he had become so angry, but this uncomfortable situation certainly didn’t sit well with me. Hasis, seemingly having already read the answer on my face, chuckled softly. Soon after, he sheathed his sword, approached me, and spoke.

“Don’t worry about it. Master isn’t the type to stay angry over something like that. Actually, he doesn’t really experience emotions like anger in the first place. I heard he didn’t even mention that day again, right?”

“But…”

“Well, if it’s really bothering you, why not go talk to him first?”

But that would make it seem like I actually did something wrong.

Hasis must have sensed my thoughts because he let out another quiet laugh. Then, with a long sigh, he said, “Taking the initiative to speak first is also a mark of maturity.”

“Shouldn’t Lord be the one to approach me first then? He’s the adult, and I’m just a child.”

“So you only play the child card when it’s convenient?”

I snorted in response.

“Forget it. Let’s continue training.”

“What? Again?”

“Don’t try to sneak in a break. I need to get stronger.”

“Come on, you’re already plenty strong. Didn’t you take down all those magical beasts by yourself?”

“I did. But I need to be even stronger.”

With those words, I gave Hasis a determined look. He sighed in resignation and drew his sword again. For quite some time, the garden echoed with the sounds of our sparring.

* * *

I continued to pester Hasis for several more rounds of training afterward. After responding to his ‘Do you have any conscience?’ look with a firm ‘no,’ I finally returned to my room once our training concluded.

When I opened the door, Sela was there as usual. She greeted me with a bright smile as I entered. “Your Highness, you’re back? I was just about to head to the garden.”

“No need. The training’s already over.”

“Oh dear, I’m sorry. I was just warming up some milk and waiting for the cookies to finish baking.”

“Cookies?”

Now that she mentioned it, I had noticed a rich, appetizing aroma when I entered the room. I glanced at the table Sela was setting up and saw cookies baked in various cute animal shapes, just as she described.

“I don’t like sweet things. I told you that before.”

“That’s why I made them less sweet. Would you like to try one?”

“Did you make these yourself?”

“Yes! I once dreamed of becoming a patissier. I don’t pursue that anymore, but I’m still quite confident in my skills!”

I vaguely remembered Rigan mentioning something like that when she first came to my room. Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations. After becoming Emperor, countless palace patissiers had prepared various desserts for me, but none had ever truly satisfied my taste.

With that thought, I sat down in a chair and picked up a cookie. Behind me, Sela began fixing my slightly disheveled ribbon.

Crunch.

The moment I took a bite and the cookie entered my mouth, my eyes widened at the savory yet slightly salty taste.

‘It’s delicious?’

How could it be this good?

I blinked in surprise as the cookie’s flavor gradually spread through my mouth. I had tasted countless cookies before, but never one that matched my palate so perfectly. It was as though she had studied my taste preferences before making them.

Sela, noticing my satisfaction, breathed a sigh of relief. Then she spoke, “Does it suit your taste?”

“Ah… yes.”

“I’m glad. You seemed to enjoy the savory bread last time, so I thought you might like something with a similar flavor.”

“Bread? You made that too?”

“Yes. Since you dislike sweet things, I specially asked the head chef to let me use the oven for a little while.”

“The head chef isn’t someone who would easily surrender his kitchen…”

“That’s why I had to use all my charm! Who am I if not good at that sort of thing?”

Having finished fixing my ribbon, Sela came to my side and wrinkled her nose playfully. I finished chewing and swallowing the cookie while looking at her innocent face.

Soon, I picked up a second cookie and took a bite. In my hand was a half-bitten chick-shaped cookie.

“Do you enjoy cooking?”

“More than cooking, I enjoy baking bread, cakes, and cookies. When I was young, my siblings loved the desserts I baked.”

“Siblings?”

“Yes, I have three younger siblings. They’re all incredibly cute! As cute as Your Highness. Oh, but of course, Your Highness isn’t cute but dignified.”

“It’s fine. I don’t dislike being called cute to that extent.”

“But it’s true! Your Highness is truly dignified and beautiful and cute…!”

Sela’s continuous compliments gave me mixed feelings. Perhaps because of my experience with Duke Elvierts, I surprisingly didn’t find it particularly strange. However…

“You’re a good older sister.”

“I’m the eldest in our family. So naturally, I have to take care of my siblings.”

“That’s just it—you don’t have to, yet you do. There’s nothing truly ‘natural’ about it in this world.”

Sela looked at me, unable to comprehend my words. Well, for someone who had built good memories with her siblings since childhood, my statement might be incomprehensible.

After finishing the cookie, I extended my hand. Sela wiped it with a handkerchief. Looking at the back of her small head, I spoke.

“I’ll double your salary. In return, prepare all my snacks from now on.”

Sela’s eyes widened in surprise at my words. However, she soon seemed to understand my meaning in her own way and smiled brightly.

“There’s no need for that. Preparing snacks for Your Highness is my duty.”

“How is that your duty? You’re only supposed to attend to me, yet here you are making and offering snacks.”

“My duty includes not just attendance but supporting Your Highness in all ways. That includes snacks.”

“But no one would criticize you for not making them.”

“I must insist that there is someone who would criticize me.”

“Who?”

Honestly, I couldn’t understand Sela’s reasoning. She had no obligation to treat me this well. Besides, given her financial difficulties, why wouldn’t she accept my offer?

I frowned slightly in confusion. Sela smiled gently and said, “Because I want to do it.”

“But why? Why do you want to do something without compensation?”

“Well, that’s because I really like Your Highness!”

Sela laughed brightly as she said this. Her clear laughter made me press my lips together tightly.

Frankly, I found it difficult to accept that she genuinely liked me. She hadn’t known me for long, and the only reason she might like me was that I was her employer. And yet…

“It’s strange.”

“What is? That I like Your Highness? What’s strange about that? There’s nothing to dislike about Your Highness to begin with.”

“I get irritated very easily.”

“So do I. I just don’t show it in front of Your Highness.”

“And I have a bad personality.”

“That can’t be true. I’ve never felt that way at all.”

“Don’t you find children annoying?”

Sela’s eyes widened at my question. She responded, treating my words as completely absurd.

“Why would children be annoying?”

“They require so much attention. They make mistakes with everything they do, they’re clumsy, they’re noisy. And if you take your eyes off them for a moment, accidents happen. You were worried during the last festival, weren’t you?”

Sela’s eyes grew round at my words. But soon, she chuckled softly and replied, “That’s because they’re children. Children are supposed to be that way. The only thing children shouldn’t do is harbor bad intentions. Everything else—no matter how immature—is perfectly fine.”

“…”

“And that incident wasn’t Your Highness’s fault. It was those bad people’s fault.”

From Sela’s perspective, who didn’t know the truth, that made sense. She believed I had been kidnapped, after all. Even so…

‘Come to think of it, she’s never once shown irritation toward me.’

In reality, the “child” Sela was referring to would be quite different from me. Despite my appearance, I was an adult inside. I could handle daily tasks on my own, think reasonably, and accomplish most things efficiently.

Yet I still wanted to ask: if I were truly high-maintenance, clumsy, and awkward, what would Sela think? Though it held little significance, so I didn’t press further.

After thoroughly wiping my hands clean, Sela stood up.

“Would you like more cookies?”

“It’s almost dinner time, so I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m going to rest a bit until then.”

“Yes, understood.”

After finishing her words, Sela left the room. I recalled her innocent smile and chuckled softly.

‘I should just give her more money anyway.’

Although she had refused, what better compensation was there than money? Moreover…

‘That way, she might stay in this palace for a long time.’

My original plan was to send Sela back to where she came from once I returned to my adult form. When I become an adult again, everything needs to return to how it was before. However…

‘She can’t remain as my lady-in-waiting, but she could stay in the palace as a patissier, couldn’t she?’

With that thought, I found myself smiling without even realizing it.