“Wow, you look more skilled than me.”

“I find it enjoyable the more I do it.”

“Right? I’ll cut the chocolate.”

It was while Sion and I were passionately making cookies, channeling our inner cooking champions.

Click-

The kitchen door opened. As I looked up from cutting, I noticed a child who appeared to be about five years old. The child was trying to sneak into the kitchen but froze upon seeing us. No, upon seeing Sion.

“Seems like someone snuck in.”

“Hueeng.”

Looking at the child whose eyes were filled with tears and about to burst into crying, I gently tapped Sion’s side.

“Sion. Try to soften your expression.”

“What? Yes.”

With his large build, holding a knife to cut cookie dough, and wearing that serious expression, it’s no wonder the child was terrified.

“Little one. Why did you come in here?”

“I’m hungwy…”

“Aren’t they feeding you properly?”

Suddenly, I became suspicious of Limpe’s management abilities. You never know.

“I ate but I’m hungwy again, hueng. I, I won’t do it again…”

Right. That couldn’t be the case.

After mentally apologizing to Limpe for doubting him, I approached the child.

“Want to try some?”

“Hueng. Some?”

When I slipped a piece of chocolate into the child’s mouth, those round eyes grew even wider.

As I gently stroked the head of the child who had momentarily stopped crying, the tears ceased.

“Later, we’ll give you cookies made with plenty of this as a snack.”

“Wow.”

“Just wait a little bit. And from now on, don’t sneak into the kitchen. If you’re hungry, tell the adults.”

After my gentle scolding, the child nodded slightly, placed hands on the belly, and bowed.

“Thank you.”

“Good. Now go play with your friends.”

“Yes!”

Creak-

“There you are.”

Just as the child was about to leave, the door opened, and a voice with a low but gentle resonance was heard.

Simultaneously, a man with his face hidden under an elegant black robe entered through the door.

“Big brother!”

The child scurried over and jumped into his arms. The way they embraced each other so naturally suggested they were not meeting for the first or second time.

“Are you here to volunteer?”

At my question, the man who had lifted the child into his arms looked up. After carefully examining me for a moment, he raised his well-shaped lips, the only part visible beneath his robe.

“Yes. I was looking for this one who disappeared during a game of tag. Jin, you shouldn’t disappear like that.”

“Hehe. I’m sowwy.”

As he gently admonished the child, the child laughed and apologized to him. Seeing this reaction, so contrary to how the child had nearly cried just from looking at Sion, I could feel Sion deflating.

The man chuckled softly at the child’s apology and nodded slightly toward us.

“Well then.”

“We’ll be handing out cookies shortly. Please have some before you leave.”

As I spoke while watching him turn to leave, he paused his steps and slightly turned his head to look at me.

“I will.”

Through the gap in his robe as he turned his head, I thought I glimpsed something golden glinting.

Thud-

The man and child left. Somehow, I found it difficult to take my eyes off him and stared at the closed door for a long time. When I turned to look at Sion, he also seemed to be contemplating something.

“Didn’t he have some kind of commanding presence?”

“Yes. His aura surpasses that of an ordinary knight.”

“It’s also strange that he’s wearing a robe while volunteering.”

Seeing me tilt my head in confusion, Sion laughed softly. Reaching out to pick up the knife again, he continued cutting the cookie dough and said.

“I suspect he might be from Kalschmitz.”

“That does make sense. Suspicious at just the right time.”

I nodded without surprise.

The elegant jawline revealed beneath the man’s robe and the perfectly symmetrical curve of his lips made it impossible not to be suspicious. It did seem similar to the Grand Duke’s portraits circulating in public. Though I only saw his chin.

“Is this some kind of secret inspection? Looking for an excuse to take revenge for my complaints about Kalschmitz?”

“Ah, you mean that incident from before?”

“Yes. But I don’t think there’s anything to find fault with in a charity project… right?”

Right. The Grand Duke wouldn’t be that petty. He even sent gifts.

Having finished my thoughts, I began placing the dough Sion had cut onto the tray.

After neatly spreading the dough and arranging it at regular intervals, I put it into the preheated oven, and the cookies began to bake, creating appetizing cracks.

As I sat on a chair in front of the oven, watching the large batch of cookies bake, a pink handkerchief appeared before me.

“Do I have something on me?”

“Flour and dough.”

Taking the handkerchief and looking up at Sion, I suddenly burst into laughter.

His face was also covered with traces of cookie-making.

“Sion. You’ve got some on you, too.”

“Is that so?”

“I think we’ve got more flour and dough on us than in the cookies.”

He smiled awkwardly and raised his hand to wipe his face.

However, the flour and dough that had dried over time didn’t come off easily.

“Lower your head this way.”

“Yes.”

He immediately lowered his head. It was actually me who hesitated.

His long eyelashes and gray eyes were suddenly so close they almost touched my nose.

“You come in so quickly? There’s no need to get this close.”

“Didn’t you tell me to come, Lady Lora?”

After gently pushing away his head as he smiled with his eyes, I sighed, and he urged me with a smile.

“Lady Lora, please wipe it off.”

“Sion. You’re becoming like Lionel.”

As I vigorously wiped his face with the handkerchief as desired, he smiled broadly, clearly enjoying it.

“You like this?”

“Yes. I do.”

I have nothing to say. If he likes it, so be it.

With a reddened face from the vigorous rubbing, Sion looked at me with gentle eyes and took the handkerchief from my hand.

“Let me wipe yours too.”

“Huh? No, it’s fine.”

“I’ll use a new one.”

“No.”

I think he wants revenge.

At my firm refusal, Sion wilted. With a somewhat hurt expression, he moved his lips slightly before speaking.

“Do you dislike it that much?”

“Yes.”

As we continued to argue about wiping each other’s faces for quite some time, the alarm from the oven rang.

Ding-

“Ah! They’re done.”

Setting aside the argument for a moment, I approached the oven, and Sion extended his long arm to open it.

“Lady Lora, let me do it. It’s hot.”

With that, hot steam, along with the rich aroma of soft butter and chocolate spread out.

I couldn’t help but smile at the perfect shape, with no part underbaked or burnt.

“Success!”

“Your skills seem to be improving.”

“I could open a shop at this rate.”

After piling the delicious cookies onto a plate and placing them on the table, I began brewing sweet tea. As I was selecting tea leaves, Sion perceptively put the water on to boil. Seeing this, I chuckled, and he turned his head toward me.

“We’re really in sync now.”

“That’s because I’m always watching you, Lady Lora.”

“So you’re adjusting to me?”

“I suppose that’s how it is.”

Now, he was able to respond to my words with a smile, without freezing up.

Ah, where did that innocent Sion go, leaving behind such a sly fox?

When I squinted at him, his smile only deepened.

“Sion.”

“Yes.”

When I called his name with a sulky expression and a low voice, his neatly folded eyes returned to their original half-moon shape. As I continued to stare silently at him, the smile that had been lingering at the corners of his mouth faded away.

I could tell from his expression that he was concerned he might have upset me.

Sion will always be Sion.

With a chuckle, I spoke.

“Would you go call the children?”

“…Yes.”

As Sion walked out with a relieved face, I began finishing the snack preparations.