Chapter 32

After that, Lauro and I were invited to a celebration hosted by the Duke of Modenes.

It was a grand affair, and it seemed that invitations had been sent to all the noble families.

So I thought Oline would come, but she didn’t.

Apparently, she was severely scolded by her father, Baron Dianu, during the previous incident with Eira, and since then, she hasn’t shown her face at any tea parties or social events.

I wanted to hear some kind words from Oline too, but it’s a shame.

Well, if that girl is suffering because she can’t attend tea parties, then it’s for the best.

Lauro and I greeted the head of the Modenes family in the large hall.

“Duke Mikhail Holo Modenes, thank you for inviting us to such a celebration today.”

“Duke Modenes, thank you.”

The head, Duke Mikhail, had dark blue hair that flowed back, giving him a slightly delicate impression.

“Miss Asaria, Lord Lauro, I should be the one to thank you. Thanks to your efforts, the eastern fortress, which the Modenes family is responsible for, was defended. If you hadn’t come, the fortress would have been breached.”

Duke Mikhail said this with a gentle smile that I hadn’t seen on the battlefield.

He said the eastern fortress had been breached, but that was probably a lie.

Before I returned, there was no instance of any fortress being breached until my death.

I think the fortress wouldn’t have been breached even if Lauro and I hadn’t gone.

But... something would have been lost in exchange.

If our coming here prevented that, then it was worth rushing to help.

“No, as members of the Four Great Dukes, it was our duty to protect the empire.”

“With a young and beautiful woman like Miss Asaria having such a strong sense of responsibility, the Spencer family is in good hands. As a fellow duke, I am pleased.”

“I am honored by your kind words.”

After greeting Duke Mikhail, Lauro and I moved around the hall, receiving congratulations from various people.

It seems that Prince Lewis, the crown prince, was not present, or rather, he wasn’t invited.

Probably, Duke Mikhail or Duke Alexis noticed the relationship between me and the crown prince and were considerate enough to exclude him.

And Oline wasn’t there either.

Their presence wouldn’t have been a problem, but just seeing them might have dampened my mood a bit.

So, with no one in the hall to spoil my mood, I could enjoy the celebration without any worries.

And... there are so many of my favorite sweets!

As expected of the Modenes family, they thoroughly researched my favorite sweets and even brought in some rare ones.

They even prepared a place where I could eat calmly, and made sure that I wouldn’t stand out by eating alone, allowing others to join in as well.

When I, the main guest and the duke’s daughter, sat at the table, many young ladies gathered, and we all started eating the sweets.

Sigh, sweets are the best.

Sweet desserts are good, but the salty snacks prepared by the Modenes family are also delicious.

The other young ladies were eating too, but they seemed a bit hesitant and didn’t reach for the sweets much.

“You can eat too, you know? Even if the sweets here run out, the Modenes family won’t run out of stock during the celebration.”

“Thank you, Miss Asaria. It’s very kind of you, but it’s not that we’re being hesitant...”

“? Then why aren’t you eating? Are they not delicious?”

“No, they are very delicious! But if I eat more, I might gain weight...”

The young lady answered a bit shyly, and the others nodded in agreement.

Indeed, that’s a valid concern.

“Miss Asaria, you have such a great figure, and your face is so small and beautiful. I admire you.”

“Really? Thank you.”

“Do you have any secrets to maintaining your figure?”

“Secrets, huh...”

I don’t consciously do anything to maintain my figure.

I just train to defeat beasts, and casting magic also uses a lot of energy.

So, eating a little bit of sweets won’t make me gain weight.

“Maybe it’s because I cast magic.”

“Magic... As expected of Miss Asaria.”

When I spoke honestly, it seemed to surprise them a bit.

Well, it’s not something ordinary young ladies do, and they can’t imitate it.

But with so many sweets, I can’t eat them all by myself.

“Lauro, you’ve been standing behind me the whole time. Don’t you want to eat some sweets?”

“No, I’m fine.”

...I thought he’d say that.

Lauro doesn’t seem to like sweet things much, and he doesn’t eat the sweets I often eat.

Even when I have tea at the main residence, he always stands behind me and doesn’t sit down, acting as my guard.

If he says it’s his job, that’s the end of it, but I’d like to enjoy tea with him a bit.

“These sweets aren’t sweet; they’re salty and delicious. I think even Lauro, who doesn’t like sweet things, can enjoy them.”

“No, I am Miss Asaria’s personal knight.”

Why wouldn’t a personal knight eat sweets?

Sigh, it’s so frustrating.

“Lauro, come and crouch next to me.”

“Yes.”

Lauro obediently knelt next to me, and when he sat down, his head was almost at the same height as mine.

“Open your mouth.”

“Open my mouth?”

“Hurry up.”

“...Yes.”

Looking a bit puzzled, Lauro opened his mouth and replied.

Ha, here we go.

I picked up a sweet and brought it to Lauro’s mouth.

I chose a non-sweet, salty snack that Lauro could eat.

Lauro looked very surprised and quickly closed his mouth.

In the process, he accidentally bit my finger a little.

“! I-I’m very sorry, Miss Asaria!”

“Hmm? It’s okay, just a little.”

It’s not like he licked it, and it was my fault for putting it in his mouth.

I wiped my finger with a handkerchief on the table and looked at Lauro, whose cheeks were flushed.

“How was it? Was it delicious?”

“...No, I, I couldn’t really tell.”

“What? Did you lose your sense of taste?”

“No, it’s not that... I was so surprised that I swallowed it without tasting it.”

“Oh, I see. Then open your mouth again.”

“! N-no, I can eat it myself.”

Lauro’s cheeks turned even redder, and he stood up, saying, “Excuse me,” and took a sweet from the table, taking a bite.

“...Yes, it’s very delicious.”

Lauro, who usually doesn’t change his expression much, seemed surprised by the taste of the sweet, widening his eyes a bit.

He must have found it very delicious.

“See? This celebration is for you and me, so take a break from your guard duties and enjoy it with me?”

“...Yes, you’re right. May I sit next to you, Miss Asaria?”

“Yes, of course.”

Lauro brought a chair, bowed to the other young ladies, and sat next to me.

“Thank you, Miss Asaria.”

“You didn’t do anything that deserves thanks.”

“...Yes, but I still want to thank you.”

Lauro said this with a happy smile.

With his good looks, he would be even more attractive if he showed more expressions.

“Lord Lauro is smiling...!”

“So cute and handsome, amazing...!”

...No, even with his usual expressionless face, Lauro was already very attractive.