Chapter 33

“Sir Clips, don’t you think you’ve been waking me up too early lately?”

Daphne grumbled at Ryan as she spread jam lazily on her toast.

“Every morning at eight, you knock on my door without fail. I’m so stressed I can barely sleep anymore.”

“Is eight in the morning early? I always thought it was normal to wake up at five or six.”

Ryan, sitting across from Daphne with his arms folded and his head tilted slightly, replied. Having been up since dawn, he had already finished his breakfast long ago.

“Besides, you were the one who asked me to wake you up early today, since we absolutely had to go to the morning market. Don’t you remember?”

“……”

“You’re not blaming me for doing what you asked, are you?”

“……”

Left speechless by Ryan’s words, Daphne stabbed her toast with the butter knife. The golden-brown surface of the toast was now full of dents.

“My Lady, don’t play with your food.”

Marianne, carrying the teapot, gently scolded Daphne as she refilled her half-empty teacup.

“Don’t take it out on Sir Knight. Just a few days ago, you said you’d start living a regular life from now on.”

“Whose side are you on, Marianne?”

Daphne glared at Marianne and complained.

“You’ve only known Sir Clips for two weeks, and you already favor him this much. Give it a little more time and you’ll forget about me completely.”

“What a ridiculous thing to say. Lady Daphne, you will always come first for me.”

Marianne, used to Daphne’s whining, smiled and comforted her.

“I’m just saying, don’t be too hard on Sir Knight. He was actually quite anxious about possibly breaking his promise to you.”

“Anxious? Sir Clips?”

Daphne raised her eyebrows and looked at Ryan.

That arrogant man, who seemed like he’d rather break than bend?

“I just don’t like breaking promises.”

Ryan avoided Daphne’s surprised gaze and tried to act nonchalant. But despite his blunt words, the tips of his ears were as red as a ripe apple.

* * *

Even though it was nearly noon, the morning market was still crowded. Ryan cut through the throng of people, walking ahead.

“Stay close. Don’t wander off and get separated from me.”

Ryan repeated his warning several times, worried about Daphne, whose eyes sparkled with excitement. But with her curiosity, she was never going to obediently follow his words. The moment he looked away, she would turn and peek into nearby shops, sometimes even mistaking someone else for him and following them.

In the end, his patience snapped, and he handed her a corner of his coat, ordering her to hold onto it and follow quietly.

“I just wanted to look around for a bit. Can’t you even let me do that? You really are stingy.”

Daphne protested fiercely, asking if he thought she was some kind of pet. But it was useless. Ryan’s stubbornness was like a bull’s horn, and since she couldn’t break it, she had no choice but to follow, holding onto his coat.

Grumbling all the way, Daphne voiced every complaint she could think of as she trailed behind Ryan. Even though he couldn’t possibly not hear her, he ignored her and pressed on.

How long did they walk like that? At last, their destination appeared before them.

“There, over there!”

As if she’d never been upset, Daphne skipped ahead to a shop. She paid no mind to Ryan’s warning to be careful not to fall.

The shop she rushed to was a flower shop. It not only sold all kinds of fresh flowers, but also specialized in making various goods from flowers. Perhaps for illiterate customers, the sign above the shop had a flower symbol instead of a name.

“Miss Daphne, it’s been a while.”

The shop owner, recognizing Daphne, greeted her with a warm smile.

“Are you here to buy the candy for Miss Lilyana?”

“That’s right. Do you have any candy with dried chrysanthemum petals?”

“I’ll have to check the stock in the back, but I think we still have plenty. Is that what you want?”

“Yes. Please give me about fifteen pieces, with big ones where the petals are clearly visible.”

“All right. Please wait here for a moment.”

Their conversation flowed naturally, proving this wasn’t Daphne’s first visit.

After taking Daphne’s order, the owner disappeared into the shop, and Daphne browsed the goods displayed on the counter while she waited.

Teabags and bath products made from dried petals, perfumes, jams, and even flower-shaped ornaments. The products varied in type and form. Daphne gaped at each one, sometimes letting out little exclamations like “So pretty” or “How cute.”

She really looked like a young girl in moments like this.

“Do you like flowers that much?”

Standing beside Daphne, Ryan asked quietly as he watched her instead of the products.

“At this rate, honey might drip from your eyes.”

“Yes, I do. They’re delicate, pretty, and smell nice.”

Daphne replied with a nod, still unable to tear her eyes from the display.

“Look at this. Isn’t it adorable?”

Daphne held up a wooden bowl shaped like a flower petal.

“It looks like something dwarves would use in their kitchen.”

Adorable?

Ryan looked at the bowl in her hand with a disinterested face.

It just looked like a cheap imitation to him.

“Well, I suppose it’s somewhat original.”

Unable to agree with her taste, Ryan mumbled a vague answer.

“Is there anything here you especially like?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. They’re all so pretty…”

She pressed her lips together, thinking seriously.

“If I had to pick… maybe this one?”

Tapping her chin with her finger, Daphne picked up something from the display. Ryan’s face showed confusion as he saw what she’d chosen.

“That’s your favorite?”

“Yes. I like the color, and the size is just right.”

What Daphne held was a hair ornament—decorated with three flower buds and small leaves. Between the pale pink petals were long stamens and a blunt pistil. It looked a bit like a faded azalea.

Ryan frowned. The ornament was pretty, but compared to the flashy ones with roses or chrysanthemums, it seemed quite plain.

“You don’t look convinced.”

Daphne noticed his expression.

“From the look on your face, you must not like it much, right?”

“That’s not it. I just thought something more ornate would suit someone like you, Miss Sinclair…”

“Ornate?”

Daphne’s eyes widened, then she laughed.

“As expected, you’re a man—you don’t have an eye for these things. I’m not exactly refined, so overly fancy ornaments don’t suit me. People say they’re so flashy you don’t know where to look.”

She playfully scolded him, then carefully held the ornament to the side of her head.

“How is it? Doesn’t it look quite nice when I put it on?”

“……”

“Sir Clips?”

When he didn’t answer, Daphne blinked and called to him. But Ryan couldn’t reply. His tongue, usually quick to tease, suddenly felt tangled. In her bright eyes, he saw his own confusion reflected.

Which was the flower and which was the person?

Placing a pretty flower next to a beautiful woman’s face only made her beauty shine more. The sweet scent of flowers around them made his mind swim.

He knew she was beautiful, but…

Ryan’s throat bobbed.

Seeing her like this, he could understand why she was so renowned.

“Sir Clips, are you all right?”

Noticing Ryan’s odd behavior, Daphne lowered the ornament. When she gently shook his arm, he snapped out of his daze.

Like someone waking from a spell, he blinked rapidly and unconsciously took a step back.

“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You look strange.”

“No, it’s just… the fl-flowers…”

“Flowers? Sir, are you allergic?”