Chapter 69

When Lewis called, it was a long sofa with a white base and floral patterns.

He picked up Claudia and seated her there. Lewis himself also sat down next to her, pointed to the tea set and cake on the table in front of them, and asked with a smile,

"Here, which one do you want to eat? I asked the pastry chef to prepare a lot of cakes that I thought you might like."

"Claudia loves fruit cake!"

"Then let's start with the strawberry and peach tart."

The cake, served by the maid, was shaped like a work of art in a triangular form. The layers of dough, cream, and fruit created a beautiful harmony. The sweetness of the strawberries and peaches, enveloped by the gentle cream, combined with the pleasant texture of the crispy dough, made Claudia smile at Lewis.

"It's so delicious! Thank you, Lord Lewis!"

"…I'm glad."

Seeing Claudia's face, Lewis smiled warmly.

"Just seeing your smile makes me happy from the bottom of my heart. …Being by your side makes me very happy."

Seeing Lewis like this, the maids standing nearby whispered to each other with smiles.

"Prince Lewis really likes Princess Claudia."

"Even though he has had tea with young ladies from other families and princesses from other countries, this is the first time he has looked at anyone with such a gaze."

"Even though he has always been kind to girls and has had gentlemanly manners since he was eleven…"

The maids' gazes turned to Lewis's profile, which was that of a perfect young man.

"Prince Lewis, in front of Princess Claudia, is the perfect 'prince' as if drawn in a picture."

(…Really…)

Claudia, who was eating the cake with a hearty appetite, continued to pretend to be innocent while thinking to herself.

(I didn't expect Lewis's behavior to change this much.)

She deeply felt that the world is full of "unexpected" things. After tilting his head with a "hmm?" Lewis leaned in to look at Claudia's face and asked,

"Claudia, do you want me to feed you the cake?"

"Uh-uh. Claudia can eat it herself!"

"Is that so? Then eat as much as you like. Everything on this table was prepared just for you."

Claudia looked up at Lewis.

"The cake is really delicious. Isn't Lord Lewis going to eat?"

"I'm fine. …Just watching you enjoy the cake makes my cheeks melt."

(Oh my, my)

Seeing Lewis's smiling face, the maids blushed. Claudia continued to blink, pretending to be a child.

(This is quite something. What should I do?)

Looking at Noah, who was waiting in the corner, she saw him frowning. However, the moment their eyes met, Noah lowered his head with a composed face.

"When you're done eating, I'll read a book to you."

"Yay. Thank you, Lord Lewis!"

"I'll do anything for you, Claudia."

Lewis looked down at Claudia's mouth.

"There's cream on your lips. Wait, I'll wipe it off for you."

"It's okay!"

Claudia smiled and called out to the servant.

"Noah. Noah!"

"Yes, Princess."

Noah walked straight over and knelt at Claudia's feet. He took out a handkerchief with magic and gently wiped the cream from her lips.

"Phew! Good boy, Noah."

"It's my duty. However, if you don't eat more neatly, it might be considered bad manners in front of Prince Lewis."

"It's okay, Noah."

Lewis chuckled and said in a cheerful tone,

"I want Claudia to be free and relaxed in front of me. It's fine to interpret it as me being pampered, right?"

"…I apologize for my rudeness."

Noah bowed to Lewis and immediately retreated to the corner. Lewis, watching this, spoke to Claudia.

"Noah is a very loyal servant, isn't he?"

"Yep! Noah does a lot of 'efforts' for Claudia."

Magic training, swordsmanship, practicing tying hair. Besides the magic to create dresses, Noah's efforts have continued for two years.

"For example, Claudia doesn't like vegetables…"

"Hehe. I had a feeling."

"Noah thought that if it was the food he made, Claudia might not leave any vegetables. So, he studied a lot of cooking, and Claudia eats all of Noah's meals without leaving any."

"I see. Noah is a trusted and important servant to Claudia."

Then Lewis murmured,

"Then, I have to try harder too."