Chapter 2 (Part 5)

<If you find a young lady you want to keep buying meals for, act lovingly.>

<Father, what does it mean to act lovingly?>

<Just keep smiling.>

The words of his late father suddenly came to Theodore’s mind.

Meia entered a dessert shop near the beach with Theodore.

The cakes beautifully displayed in the showcase were so cute that they seemed too precious to eat.

“The cakes are so cute.”

For Meia, it was her first experience directly picking out and eating cakes in a dessert shop.

“This one is pretty, and that one is cute… It’s so hard to decide what to eat.”

Meia always had a personal patissier. Therefore, she had never had to worry about desserts. She just ate what was given to her.

Theodore looked at Meia, who was sparkling with excitement in front of the dessert showcase.

Earlier, she seemed so beautiful, proud, elegant, and graceful, but now she looked as cute as an adorable chick.

No, she was cuter than a chick! How could such a being exist in the world!

“Lady, aren’t the cakes adorable?”

“Yes, they’re so cute that it’s a shame to eat them. It’s hard to choose.”

Although Meia’s face looked somewhat serious as she said it was hard to choose, Theodore found her to be the cutest thing in the world.

“In that case, you can choose all the ones you like. I’ll buy them for you. Do you like all kinds of cakes?”

“I love all cakes. But I especially like strawberry cakes.”

“What would you like to drink?”

“I like strawberry juice.”

Meia’s lips, murmuring that she liked strawberries, looked like a cute squirrel, and Theodore smiled as he looked at her.

He knew it was against etiquette, but it was hard to take his eyes off her.

“Is there something on my face, Your Grace?”

“No, nothing. Would you like anything else?”

Meia also stared at Theodore just as he had been staring at her.

“Your Grace, aren’t you going to choose?”

Feeling oddly embarrassed, Theodore instinctively avoided Meia’s gaze.

“I’ll choose!”

Theodore turned his gaze to the side and rubbed his reddened neck with his hand.

Meia picked out various types of strawberry cakes and then went up to the third floor of a cafe reserved for nobles with Theodore.

“Wow.”

As Theodore had said, the view of the beach was stunning, and Meia couldn’t take her eyes off the sea.

The slightly open window brought in the salty sea air, which she also found pleasant.

The sound of the waves and the cries of the seagulls created a beautiful symphony.

With her chin resting on her hand, Meia brushed back her silver hair and said.

“I love the view of the sea. I’m glad I came. Thank you, Grand Duke Florence.”

“I’m glad it pleases you, Lady.”

“Yes, I like it very much.”

The sight of Meia’s white fingers elegantly holding a fork, cutting the cake, putting it in her mouth, and then lightly wiping her mouth with a handkerchief continued to captivate Theodore’s attention.

“Does it taste good?”

The sweet scent, the sound of the waves, and the sweetness spreading in her mouth.

Meia, feeling satisfied with all her senses, smiled brightly and spoke to Theodore.

“The cake was so cute that I hesitated to eat it, but it’s delicious.”

Seeing Meia enjoying the cake, Theodore couldn’t help but murmur.

“You look even cuter while eating, Lady.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.”

Not having heard Theodore’s murmur clearly, Meia tilted her head and then turned her gaze back to the sea.

Resting her chin on her hand, she watched the sea move with the waves. She felt a sense of peace.

“I’m glad I came.”

Theodore gazed at Meia without blinking.

Feeling his gaze, Meia continued to look at the sea without turning her head.

It felt like their eyes would meet if she turned her head.

For some reason, she felt a ticklish sensation.

‘Why is he staring like that?’

Meia wondered if she should ask why he kept staring at her when suddenly,

“Oh my! Isn’t this Lady Meia?”

Hearing someone call her, Meia turned her gaze from the sea to the person calling her.

‘Ah, the world is small. I didn’t expect to meet Lady Marienne here.’

The person calling her warmly was Lady Marienne of the Baron Alengar family, who ran a fur business in the Carpen Empire.

The Alengar family was once impoverished, but it became famous after Marienne became the Baroness and lifted the family out of poverty.

People called her the “Lover of Fur” and admired her high business acumen, wanting to build connections with her. Additionally, Baroness Marienne was quick-witted and very fond of Meia. Of course, Meia also didn’t dislike Baroness Marienne.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, Lady Meia.”

“Hello, Baroness Marienne.”

Baroness Marienne wondered why Meia was at Elrn Port but was so delighted to see her that she started explaining why she had come to Elrn Port.

“I recently went abroad and found some excellent fur! I’m planning to release it this winter season! I think it would look perfect on you, Lady Meia!”

“Really? Finding good fur, as expected, you are very capable, Baroness Marienne.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Lady Meia.”

“It’s not a compliment, just stating the obvious.”

“Please look forward to it this time as well, Lady Meia.”

Baroness Marienne had made Meia her first fur bag as a gift.

When Meia wore the fur products she received as gifts to social gatherings, they sold out completely.

Thanks to her, Baroness Marienne became rich overnight.

Since then, she had put her heart and soul into making the first fur coat and various fur products for Meia every winter season and continued to give them to Meia as gifts.

“I got the skin of an animal called the Moonlight Beast, and its fur, which grew under the moonlight, is as beautiful as opal. By the way, it was classified as a dangerous animal because it kept attacking people, so it was allowed to be hunted. I just saw the fur of the Moonlight Beast I caught. It will surely look great with your silver hair, Lady Meia! You can look forward to this winter’s products!”

“Thank you for always giving me such wonderful gifts, Baroness Marienne.”

“No, compared to what you’ve done for me, Lady Meia, my gifts are nothing. By the way, did you come to Elrn Port with His Highness the Crown Prince?”

Baroness Marienne opened her fan and covered her mouth, glancing at Theodore sitting opposite Meia and looking around for Crown Prince Patzraelli.

“Did you come to see the sea with His Highness the Crown Prince after all the hardships? I’m glad you have the Crown Prince by your side, Lady Meia.”

It seemed that Marienne, being abroad, hadn’t heard the news. Feeling a bit awkward, Meia decided to introduce Theodore to Marienne

“Baroness Marienne, let me introduce you. This is Grand Duke Theodore of the Florence family from the Sirius Empire. He is the kind person who helped me when I was in danger yesterday.”

At the word “danger,” Marienne ‘s eyes widened, and she trembled as she spoke.

“What! Danger! Who dared to harm our lady! What was His Highness the Crown Prince doing? And the knights guarding you?”

“Baroness Marienne, please calm down.”

Baroness Marienne closed her fan, slightly lifted her dress, and turned to Theodore, bowing her head in respect.

“Grand Duke Florence, I am Marienne of the Alengar family from the Carpen Empire. As a noble of Carpen, I sincerely thank you.”

“It’s nothing… I didn’t do anything significant. No need for such excessive gratitude.”

After thanking Theodore, Marienne continued to look around.

She seemed to be searching for Crown Prince Patzraelli.

“His Highness the Crown Prince did not come with me, Baroness Marienne.”

At Meia’s words, countless thoughts swirled in Marienne’s mind.

The future Crown Princess and a Grand Duke from another empire alone in a dessert shop.

To those who didn’t know, it could easily be misunderstood as a date.

Marienne, lost in thought, began to break into a cold sweat while smiling.

Meia, of course, noticed Marienne’s feelings.

“Oh, Baroness Marienne.”

“Yes?”

“My engagement with His Highness the Crown Prince has been canceled.”

“What?”

“We’ve broken off the engagement.”

It took Marienne some time to understand Meia’s words.

As Marienne processed this, Meia calmly cut a piece of the strawberry cake in front of her with a fork and put it in her mouth.

“It’s delicious. You must not have heard the news as you were abroad. Now, my cousin Meryl is the new fiancée of His Highness the Crown Prince. Meryl will become the flower of the social scene in my place. You don’t need to send me fur gifts anymore.”

Upon hearing Meia’s words, Marienne’s face turned serious.

After the previous Duke and Duchess died, Meia’s uncle Luman inherited the dukedom.

Luman’s daughter was named Meryl. 

So, that means? They… 

‘They cast Meia out!’

As soon as she realized this, Marienne’s face gradually turned pale.

“I’m sorry to ask this on our first meeting, Your Excellency Grand Duke, but may I sit down?”

“Please do.”

Marienne clasped Meia’s hands tightly and began to sob.

“No. This can’t be. What happened, my lady? Sob.”

“Don’t cry. Your pretty face will swell.”

Meia took a handkerchief out of her bag and handed it to Marienne.

“This doesn’t make sense. You just went through a tough time…”

Hearing about Meia’s broken engagement, Marienne continued to cry and held onto Meia’s hand tightly. She felt both shocked and indignant.

“This doesn’t make sense. Sob…”