‘It’s true that just looking at it makes me feel full.’
It felt proud and amazing to see him like this now, given that when they first met, he wouldn’t touch anything other than vegetables and fruits.
“You eat too.”
Felix spooned some and brought it to Sylvia’s lips. Sharing it this way felt even more delicious.
“Ah, has that been taken care of?”
Sylvia, who had been visiting the office frequently recently and was well aware of the kingdom’s situation, asked.
“What? Oh.”
It took some time, but all of Count Lansmorris’s men had been arrested.
“That… it’s the death penalty here, right?”
The deeper they dug, the more of Count Lansmorris’s crimes came to light, which were definitely deserving of the death penalty. Sylvia found the law strange, but thought it was necessary to follow the laws of this place.
Despite knowing well that she was a dimensional traveler, Felix realized it acutely right then. He had never been curious about the world she came from, but for the first time, he had questions.
“Was there no death penalty where you were?”
“Um, there was, but in practice, nobody was actually executed. Well, there used to be.”
“So, how do you deal with criminals?”
“They divide the weight of the crime and imprison them. After serving their sentence, some are released, and some are not…”
“Hmm…”
Different from the Kingdom of Capitis, where titles are stripped or death penalties are executed, Felix felt curious about her words.
“Won’t the victims and those who suffered feel unjust if you don’t kill the criminals?”
After pondering for a while, Sylvia replied,
“Dying just ends it. I don’t think the pain they’ve caused disappears if the criminal dies. Isn’t it better to live and continually pay for their sins?”
Sylvia carefully organized her thoughts again and then spoke to Felix.
“Do as you wish. Whatever method you choose, I believe it will be the right one.”
Then, Sylvia, with a smile in her eyes, caused Felix to feel a strong urge. He wanted to embrace her tightly and kiss her passionately. He didn’t think about the fact that it was broad daylight or that they were in the office.
As Felix leaned in and was about to touch her soft lips with his, a knock sounded.
“Your Highness, the prince and princess of the Caudatium Kingdom request to see you.”
Hubert conveyed loudly from outside the door. Just a little more, and their lips would have touched, but Sylvia pushed Felix away by grabbing his shoulders.
“I’ll go for a walk with Eryngium!”
“Siri!”
Ignoring her racing heart, Sylvia quickly left the office. Recently, Felix had been making moves to kiss her at every opportunity, and she was far from getting used to it; her heart couldn’t take it each time.
“Ah, Lady Sylvia.”
Hubert, who was waiting outside, smiled at Sylvia as she came out.
“Sir Hubert, you’ve worked hard. Then, I’ll be going.”
With her face and neck flushing, Sylvia wanted to leave quickly. After a brief greeting, she used wind magic to exit through the window. Eryngium, holding a blueberry in one hand and grasping Sylvia’s hair with the other, murmured,
[I haven’t finished eating yet!]
Sylvia, who had swiftly caught the fairy and left, apologized while entrusting herself to the wind.
“Sorry, I’ll make you another one.”
Sylvia found the tallest tree in the royal palace and sat on a branch close to the top.
“Haah…”
She had hurriedly left because of Felix’s attempted kiss, but there was actually another reason.
“The princess of the Caudatium Kingdom…”
If her memory was correct, the princess was definitely the original female protagonist. Unlike in the original story, where she lost her country and hid here, and the content where the Black Dragon chose her as its companion had already deviated…
Nevertheless, Sylvia felt incredibly worried. She was tormented by a fact she couldn’t share with anyone.
“No, no… As long as Felix is happy, I’ve decided to step back.”
Sylvia, comforting herself, clenched her robe tightly. She tried to calm herself by looking at the black diamonds shining on her wrist and fingers.
[What’s wrong?]
Eryngium, who had been sitting on her head eating blueberries, felt her magic fluctuating unstably. The fairy, having gobbled up the remaining blueberries, flitted down in front of Sylvia.
[Why are you suddenly like this?]
Looking at her trembling teal eyes, which still held a bit of black, Eryngium appeared concerned. Sylvia wrapped her hands around Eryngium and asked,
“Can’t you come with me? Is it really not possible?”
Even if Felix fell for the female protagonist and abandoned her, she desperately hoped that at least Eryngium would leave with her.
[Sylvia, why are you suddenly like this? And where do you plan to go?]
“No, it’s not that…”
No, I still don’t know what’s happening. Let’s wait. If we wait, we’ll understand everything…
***
In the most splendid reception room of the palace, Carl and Naomi exclaimed in amazement as they ate their snacks.
“Brother! I’ve never tasted such desserts before. How can they taste like this?”
These were the desserts and drinks Sylvia had prepared since morning, knowing they were coming. Currently, there was not a single courtier left in the palace, so she had no choice.
Thick pancakes were topped generously with caramel syrup and whipped cream, accompanied by finely chopped strawberries, bananas, and melon. Additionally, ice cream made with cocoa powder was served in a beautifully crafted glass, shaped into perfect spheres.
“Naomi. Even if it’s just the two of us, you need to be careful with your manners. This isn’t our country, after all.”
Despite the mild reprimand, Naomi couldn’t contain her excitement.
“But, brother. I’ve never tasted anything like this before. Have you ever eaten such things?”
Listening to his sister’s chatty admiration, Carl elegantly cut the pancake into small pieces, placing them in his mouth to savor the taste. Though it was his first time too, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he had eaten something similar before.
Unable to remember, a frown formed on his brow. Savoring the moderate sweetness, he lifted a cup filled with black liquid. The steam rising and the shape inside the cup suggested it was tea, but the transparent black tea was unfamiliar.
“What kind of tea is this?”
Carl murmured as he brought the cup to his lips, cautiously tasting the tea. The flavor and aroma bursting in his mouth made Carl’s silver eyes widen.
“Mmm!”
The sour and bitter taste was intriguing and appealing. Especially for Carl, who preferred savory and nutty flavors over sweet, it was perfect for cleansing the palate of dessert’s sweetness.
Feeling refreshed after the long journey from their country to the kingdom, he felt his spirits lift.
“What exactly is this tea?”
After taking another sip, Carl murmured in amazement.
“Brother, this cool thing is sweet yet slightly bitter, refreshing the mouth. You should try it too.”
As Naomi ate the ice cream made with cocoa powder, Carl, surprised by the coffee, now scooped some ice cream with a small spoon.
“Mmm…”
Even though he knew their kingdom was larger than the city-state, he had believed their culinary arts were more advanced. But tasting this extraordinary tea and snacks, he felt his previous beliefs being challenged. Lost in the taste of the fantastic tea and snacks, the door to the reception room opened.
“His Royal Highness, Prince Felix Aethernum Capitis, enters.”
Hubert announced as Felix entered the reception room. Carl put down his cup and stood up, with Naomi quickly tidying her lips and standing as well.
Felix, dressed in a black uniform with blue accents, strode in.
“Your Royal Highness, Prince. It’s a pleasure to meet you again so soon. Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Carl Moltke Caudatium, guardian of the Caudatium Kingdom.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I am Naomi Moltke Caudatium.”
Naomi lightly lifted the hem of her dress in a polite greeting. Being royalty themselves, they maintained their manners within appropriate bounds. However, Felix, not in the best of moods, spoke with a neutral expression.
“I am Felix Aethernum Capitis. It must have been difficult coming all this way, but may I inquire the purpose of your visit to our kingdom?”
Going straight to the point and inviting them to sit with a graceful gesture, Felix took his seat on the sofa. Hubert brought tea and snacks, and Felix’s expression softened momentarily upon recognizing the pancakes and coffee made by Sylvia.
“We are aware of the current turmoil within your kingdom… We came because we wanted to repay a debt of gratitude to our benefactor.”
Although Naomi insisted on visiting for this purpose, Carl too wanted to properly repay their benefactor. He felt he would keep remembering them if he didn’t present a gift.
Upon hearing they were looking for Sylvia, Felix’s expression, which had softened momentarily, hardened again.
“She is also busy at the moment. As you can see, we are currently reorganizing the royal palace, so I have entrusted her with some internal palace affairs.”
Carl and Naomi’s eyes widened at Felix’s words. Normally, internal palace affairs would be managed by the queen, implying Sylvia was handling them at the prince’s request.
That was a request from the crown prince himself.
Carl asked with a tone of disbelief.
“Forgive my forwardness, but isn’t the benefactor not a noble? Thus…”
He wanted to imply that even if he loved her, marriage would be difficult.
“It’s of no concern to me.”
Felix cut off Carl before he could finish, eating the pancakes made by Sylvia at a rapid pace and then sipping his coffee, thinking of Sylvia.
When he had asked Sylvia to take care of internal palace affairs, she had inquired about the nature of these tasks. Knowing well that she was a dimensional traveler, he had responded to Sylvia in a nonchalant manner, regardless of her commoner status.
“Just do some cooking and have the kids clean up a bit,” he had said…
By informing her that it was no different from what she had been doing all along, Felix naturally entrusted her with the inner palace’s affairs.
Felix, savoring his coffee, casually mentioned,
“These are the desserts and tea she made.”
He gestured towards the table with a nod and added,
“As you might have noticed, her sense is superior to that of many nobles. Not only is she knowledgeable in magic, but she’s also quick-witted and altruistic. You are well aware that there are children she has saved, right? Not only from the city-state but she has also saved and cared for the kingdom’s people. More than anyone else…”
Felix set down his cup and fixed Carl with a steady gaze.
“She possesses many qualities of a queen.”
His expression seemed to say, ‘So, she is not someone you can meet simply because you wish to.’
Carl felt a twinge of irritation. However, having seen the extent of his magical prowess with his own eyes, he did not wish to antagonize the Kingdom of Capitis.
At that moment, Naomi let out an exclamation of amazement.
“Wow!”
She clapped her hands together.
“Did the benefactor make all these amazing desserts? That’s really incredible!”