Chapter 26

In the morning, Julius, who had frozen upon seeing Vernelli come to wake him up, was now eating a cream puff with his eyes shining like a child’s.

Still, he was eating it properly with a knife and fork, so it didn’t seem like he would get cream on his cheeks as he used to.

“It’s really delicious! Laila, you should try it too.”

“Yes, thank you.”

While Vernelli and Helka were quietly eating cream puffs in the corner of the room, Laila also cut into the cream puff on her plate.

The inside, which had puffed up due to steam, was crispy, and honey-colored cream oozed out.

(Mmm... it’s delicious! It’s a great success!)

Laila had often made cream puffs at her parents' house, and they had been well-received by her parents and the staff she had given them to.

(I wonder if everyone is doing well...)

Letters from her parents arrived about once every two weeks, and it seemed that the Kilka Company was doing well, steadily increasing its customer base.

Just because they had the backing of the prestigious Bartsek family, they shouldn’t suddenly get too cocky, as it would invite the disapproval of other merchants.

By being modest and reserved, but not missing out on good business opportunities, they could successfully operate as a member of the commercial association in the Kingdom of Rendia.

While thinking about such things and eating the cream puff, Julius suddenly looked over and exclaimed, “Ah!”

“Laila, you have sugar on the corner of your lip.”

“Huh? Oh, which side?”

“The left side. ...No, from your perspective, it’s the right. No, a little higher...”

Laila tried to wipe it off with a napkin, but she couldn’t quite find the spot.

(Oh, how embarrassing! It’s like a replay of what happened three years ago with Lord Julius!)

Julius looked at the flustered Laila with a gentle gaze.

Perhaps because Laila couldn’t get the sugar off, his arm rose, and his slender index finger gently brushed the side of Laila’s lip.

“Ah.”

“It’s off.”

Julius smiled happily, looked at the white sugar on his fingertip, and then licked it off with his tongue.

Instantly, a tremendous shock hit Laila’s chest.

(He... licked it!? He just licked it!?)

Licking sugar off a finger is a rather indecent act. At the very least, if done in public, it would certainly raise eyebrows.

But—what was it?

When Julius licked his finger with his long lashes slightly lowered, it didn’t seem at all vulgar.

On the contrary, it seemed as if such an action was part of a refined etiquette, and the glimpse of his red tongue was inexplicably charming—

“It’s sweet. Maybe it’s even sweeter because it was on your lips, Laila.”

Laila was already struggling, and her fiancé, sitting next to her, dropped another bombshell, causing her to finally cover her face with her hands and bow her head.

(No, it’s impossible... My fiancé is too sexy, it’s impossible...!)

A few months ago, Julius, who was anything but sexy, had been so thin. Now, he had transformed into a young man with a slender but masculine build.

The effects of excessive magic on his body had been significant, but with proper meals, sleep, and moderate exercise, the current Julius looked nothing like the "ghost mage" he used to be.

It’s not that Laila’s love for him had changed just because of his appearance. Julius was still the same slightly absent-minded and kind person he had always been, even when he was thin.

However, a good-looking face made every move more appealing, and Laila’s heart was pounding so much that it felt like it was about to overwork.

Without a word, Julius washed his fingers in the finger bowl that Vernelli had offered. Seeing Laila bow her head and groan, he looked at her with a worried expression.

“Laila... Is something wrong? Is the cream puff too delicious?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s... Lord Julius...”

“You?”

“...You’re too handsome. I can’t look at you directly.”

Laila thought it was a strange excuse, but it was her honest feeling.

Above her, Julius made a hmm sound.

Did she make him uncomfortable? Laila cautiously raised her head—

“I got it.”

“Hya!?”

Seizing the opportunity, Julius’s long arm grabbed Laila’s waist and pulled her closer, and before she knew it, she was half-sitting on his lap, looking up at him.

His hazel eyes sparkled with amusement as they looked at Laila. The hardness of Julius’s thigh where she had instinctively placed her hand made her acutely aware that she was being restrained by a grown man.

“Do you think I’m handsome?”

“Ugh...! Y-Yes!”

“I see, that’s great. ...Hey, Laila, I want to see more of your blushing face.”

(Ah! Lord Julius is making a move!)

The words Annina had said at the Bartsek family’s party echoed in her mind.

He’s usually absent-minded, but he gets strong in strange situations. This was exactly how Julius was acting now.

“Lord Julius! V-Vernelli and the others are watching!”

“Oh, right. Then let’s continue this tonight.”

(Continue? What’s going to happen tonight!?)

While Laila was in a state of complete confusion, Julius easily released her and set her down on the sofa, then started drinking tea with a good mood. His quick shift in mood was impressive, and thinking about tonight made her feel a bit scared.

During this time, Vernelli and the others had been standing silently by the wall like statues. But when they saw that the two had calmed down, Vernelli cleared his throat and picked up a letter from the desk.

“Excuse me, Lord Julius. ...I believe you wanted to discuss something with Lady Laila during today’s tea time.”

“Oh, right. Vernelli, bring the letter.”

Following Julius’s instructions, Vernelli brought the letter and the one inside it. Helka quickly cleared the table, and Julius looked at Laila.

“This is from a provincial city where Vernelli usually buys ingredients. We owe a lot to the lord of this region, who has asked us to help with the education of young mages in the town on a day when I’m feeling well.”

According to Julius, there is a small institution for mage education in the town.

Mages are educating children up to their mid-teens, and they have asked Julius, a great mage, to give a lecture.

“I’ve been turning down their requests due to my health, but since we buy most of our daily necessities here and the tailor who helped us before lives in this town, I want to meet their expectations in a way that I can.”

Then, Julius looked at Laila.

“I want you to come with me this time. It’s a distance we can return from in one day if we leave early in the morning, but I couldn’t agree before because of the ‘what if’ scenarios.”

“...Will I be in the way if I go?”

“No, you won’t. Besides, the people in this town know that I have a fiancée. It doesn’t have to be as formal as the Bartsek family’s gathering.”

When he said this with a soft, spring-like smile, Laila’s heart felt tickled.

(So, that’s it. Since we buy the food and items we use every day here, I’m indirectly indebted to them too...)

“...I understand. I’ll go with you.”

“Thank you. By the way, this time, I also want Vernelli and Helka to come along. I plan to leave the mansion in the hands of the magic research institute during this period.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Actually, I have a place I want to visit with Vernelli while we’re out. Helka will take care of you during that time, okay?”

He didn’t specify where they were going, but it was probably work-related. Laila had noticed that the number of letters from the magic research institute had increased recently, so they might have been asked to do something.

Thinking this, Laila nodded without pressing further, and Julius relaxed with a relieved smile.