“…how?”

“Hmm?”

“How did you… know?”

“Know what?”

“That the snowman I make always wears a yellow scarf. How did you know that?”

Lena’s transparent and pure eyes like the spring sky stared directly into Delian’s golden eyes.

Delian thought.

‘I’m screwed.’

That was absolutely not the kind of thought that should arise in the mind of a proper Northern Duke, a man with a trace of imperial bloodline and blue blood flowing to his bones.

This was a curse word he had learned from rolling around with knights since his early childhood, following his father’s policy.

Anyway, Delian avoided Lena’s gaze as she looked up at him intently.

‘Did he avoid me?’

Lena opened her eyes a little wider. Seeing this, Delian felt anxious.

‘What should I say?’

He had acted like he knew too much.

He did it because he was happy to see her. The thought of having fragments of a past they could reminisce about together simply made him joyful.

‘How stupid of me.’

Delian cursed himself. Lena’s face already showed clear doubt and distrust.

If he didn’t provide a satisfactory answer, all the goodwill he had built up would crumble.

In this critical moment,

Flutter.

The canary flew over. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, it perched on Lena’s shoulder and began to sing, chirp chirp.

As if it knew why it came to live in this greenhouse.

Startled, Lena shuddered, but the canary didn’t fly away.

Instead, it thrust forward its adorable chest with fluffy down feathers and chirped as if asking her to look at it.

Lena became captivated by that beautiful sound. Delian breathed a huge sigh of relief internally.

‘It’s worth the money.’

The canary had been specially brought from a southern count’s territory for her, whom Delian knew would come someday.

When Delian looked at the canary with a relieved face, the canary blinked briefly. Almost like a wink.

After diverting Lena’s attention for quite some time, the canary flew away without looking back.

Delian hurriedly spoke before Lena could bring up the subject again.

“Do you like it?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. I’ve never heard a canary’s song before.”

“It’s worth the price.”

“Worth the price?”

“That’s how it is. How’s your stomach feeling?”

Lena unconsciously touched her slightly bulging stomach from overeating, then nodded that she was fine.

“Shall we sit for a while then?”

Delian asked for Lena’s opinion on everything. It made him feel oddly ticklish.

So while they were facing each other, and even as a modest tea set that wouldn’t be burdensome was being prepared, Lena’s heart kept thumping.

Because of this, she temporarily forgot about the snowman and the lullaby.

Looking at the beautifully arranged tea set, Lena reached out her hand but then flinched.

It was her first time eating such fancy confections, so she worried about making mistakes.

Delian, as if considerate of Lena, ate each dessert first.

Although he usually detested sweet things and wouldn’t even add sugar to his tea, he was pleased when Lena carefully followed his lead.

Delian found himself amusing, but he didn’t mind.

‘I absolutely must not be discovered.’

He wanted her to stay in his castle for a very long time.

Around that time, Lena recalled the question she had momentarily forgotten.

But whenever she tried to ask, Penna would bring a new confection, or Delian would bring up a new topic, making it impossible to find the right timing to ask.

‘Somehow… it feels like I shouldn’t ask.’

If that’s the case… it would be better not to.

‘If I make a mistake and get kicked out, I have nowhere to go. I shouldn’t ruin the atmosphere.’

Lena resolved inwardly.

Strangely, though Delian and Penna were currently watching her reactions and accommodating her, this was absolutely not right.

The one who should be watching their reaction and being accommodating was herself, the freeloader, not him, the owner.

‘Get a grip.’

Lena mentally slapped her own cheek. Then she racked her brain to somehow have an enjoyable conversation with Delian.

But despite her efforts, the only interesting stories she knew were fairy tales she had read to Roberto while sitting him down.

She had lost friends and given up time to enjoy things because she had to take care of Roberto.

‘Unlike me, Roberto made many friends, but……’

She suddenly felt lonely realizing she didn’t know any of the casual stories friends might share.

‘Interesting stories… what could there be?’

She felt he would already know anything she knew.

‘I haven’t heard about him hosting parties or balls, but… still, he is a Duke.’

She didn’t want to ruin this pleasant atmosphere by saying the wrong thing.

While Lena was worrying about this, Delian was also concerned about how the previously good atmosphere had suddenly sunk.

‘What’s the problem? Why did she suddenly become so quiet?’

She wasn’t a talkative person to begin with. Her days consisted entirely of sewing or occasionally playing with her younger brother.

But hadn’t she been comfortably conversing with him until just now?

‘Does she dislike the desserts?’

When Delian looked at Penna, she too was pale, reviewing the notes she had written.

She was even biting her fingernails, apparently quite flustered herself.

Delian asked.

“What don’t you like?”

“…Pardon?”

“Why are you suddenly making such a serious expression?”

Delian asked fiercely. He was asking out of concern, but to Lena it appeared differently.

‘He’s angry because I’m not entertaining him! What should I do!’

The color drained from Lena’s face. It was a shame considering her cheeks had been reddened with powder made from crushed rose petals.

Seeing Lena’s reaction, Delian clicked his tongue internally.

‘So she doesn’t like the desserts.’

For her to be so flustered. How uncomfortable she must have been forcing herself to eat desserts she didn’t like. Delian felt extremely pathetic for not noticing earlier.

When Delian gave Penna a chin gesture, Penna mercilessly crossed out the dessert list she had carefully compiled.

Lena’s head was spinning.

‘W-what should I do……’

For her, conversation topics were limited to village stories Roberto told her, or eavesdropping on her family’s cheerful chatter.

Lena hastily squeezed out words.

“Th-they say Leorne potatoes are delicious.”

“…What?”

“Last month, Smith’s father brought back whole peppercorns.”

“What are you talking about?”

“They say those peppercorns were of good quality.”

Delian silently looked at Lena.

‘What is she suddenly talking about……’

Feeling Delian’s yellow gaze fixed on her, Lena continued more earnestly.

“They say Philip’s mother makes good potato potage.”

She didn’t know what she was saying. Lena clutched the hem of her dress in panic.

‘Ah, oops. It’s not mine.’

Lena hurriedly released the dress she had grabbed and smoothed out the wrinkles with her hand.

They say good fabric wrinkles easily, and it was true. No matter how much she tried, the wrinkles wouldn’t smooth out.

Similarly, the wrinkles on Delian’s face deepened. Lena felt like she might cry.

‘Because I’m not doing my job properly…… What if I get kicked out?’

This luxury, warm Penna, time spent with Delian—all of it made her happy.

Just having a comfortable place to sleep, not having to worry about being hit for oversleeping—these things made her feel like a person living a proper human life.

‘I don’t want to go back to before.’

Lena bit her lower lip firmly. But she had no idea how to navigate through this difficulty.

That’s when Delian’s low voice broke through the silence.

“Is that what you wanted to eat?”

“…Pardon?”

“Penna.”

“Yes! I’ll prepare it right away! Potato potage made by Philip’s mother with Leorne potatoes and whole peppercorns brought by Smith’s father!”

Penna answered enthusiastically, twirling a pen between her fingers.

‘Huh?’

Lena looked at Delian in surprise. He met her eyes with a slightly troubled face.

“You don’t need to speak so desperately.”

“……”

“You can freely ask for things you want to eat, things you want to have.”

“Ah, no, I… I……”

She hadn’t said she wanted to eat it; she was just repeating stories she had heard.

For her, interesting stories were limited to rumors like ‘They say the villagers did this~’ so that was all she could share.

But before Lena could explain, Delian said.

“Prepare it right now. Tonight’s dinner will be potato potage.”

“Yes!”

As Penna, who had snapped to attention, darted out of the greenhouse, Lena was literally dumbfounded.

“And what else.”

“Pardon?”

“What else do you want to eat? What do you want to have? What do you desire? Just tell me.”

Delian crossed his legs and lifted his chin. At this violently kind arrogance, Lena’s mind froze.

‘This isn’t what I wanted……’

Lena was flustered by the situation flowing in the exact opposite direction of her intentions.

Delian genuinely seemed to think she had brought up the story because she wanted potato potage.

Lena was afraid she would appear materialistic.

‘I don’t want that. I just… wanted to have a place to stand.’

Lena opened her tightly closed lips like a clam.

“You misunderstand.”

“Hmm?”

“I… don’t need anything.”

As she spoke, a slight sense of grievance rose at how her true feelings had been distorted.

“I just… wanted to have a pleasant conversation……”

Lena couldn’t bring herself to clutch her dress, so she just clenched her fists tightly.

Delian didn’t understand her words, but seeing her look like she might cry at any moment, he fidgeted and shook his leg.

Lena barely held back her tears and looked straight at the Duke.

“I don’t want… potato potage!”

“What……?!”

Thud.

Delian was shocked.

‘Did she hate potato potage so much she would cry? Then that story earlier meant she truly hated potato potage and never wanted to eat it in her life?!’

Delian blamed himself internally.

‘And I, such a fool, didn’t even realize…!’

Without a doubt, he had never felt as stupid as he did now.