Chapter 66

Happy New Year!

⸜ (●˙꒳˙●)ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ɴᴇᴡ ʏᴇᴀʀ(●˙꒳˙●)⸝

"I'm going to try my best to make pudding today!"

When Oscar heard this, his reaction was, "Seriously, this guy..." After showing his clumsiness to everyone at the camping trip, and despite being fully aware of his lack of cooking skills, he still had the nerve to say such a thing. Oscar was so impressed by his boldness that he couldn't help but admire it.

While Oscar was still in a daze, Dante, who was standing next to him, turned on his heel and tried to leave through the door. Oscar quickly grabbed his arm, and Dante gave him a carefree smile.

"Where are you going?"

"I just remembered I have something to do!"

(No way...)

After all, when he arrived, he had said with enthusiasm, "I was just free, you know!"

Under Oscar's accusing gaze, Dante whispered in his ear, so quietly that Cecilia couldn't hear.

"I like Cecilia, but I don't think she can cook at all."

As he said this, he brought his index finger and thumb together to emphasize "at all."

"So, bye-bye!"

"Hey, wait!"

Dante quickly shook off the arm holding him and was out the door in a flash.

After watching Dante leave, the next to act was Lean. She had arrived earlier than Oscar and walked over to her boyfriend, Huey, took his hand, and smiled adorably.

"Master Huey, you came to pick me up! I'm so happy!"

"Pick you up?"

Huey looked puzzled.

Ignoring her boyfriend's confusion, Lean turned back to the group.

"I was planning to go out with Master Huey! It's a shame I won't be able to taste Lady Cecilia's cooking. Please enjoy it on our behalf!"

With a social nicety that was hard to understand, "Please tell us how it tasted later," she left the kitchen with Huey.

Left behind were Gilbert, who was sweet to his sister-in-law, and Oscar, who was sweet to his fiancée. There was also Jade, who knew nothing and couldn't read the situation, and Cecilia, the innocent source of all mischief (or so it seemed).

After watching Lean and Huey leave, it was the naturally clueless Jade who sighed regretfully.

"It's a shame, but if everyone has something to do, there's nothing we can do."

"Yeah,"

Replied the equally clueless Cecilia. She crossed her arms and looked thoughtful.

"I feel like I can do this well today."

"Should I deliver the pudding to everyone later?"

"Really?"

"See, Lean just said, 'Tell us how it tasted'!"

Oscar thought, How can he be so successful in business when he can't read between the lines? But maybe it's his good nature that draws people to him. He decided to take a positive view of it.

Cecilia clapped her hands with a smile that bloomed like a flower.

"Then, if it turns out well, I'll ask you to do it!"

"Leave it to me!"

Jade, who was standing behind her, patted his chest, and Cecilia smiled adorably.

(Something about watching small animals interact...)

They were innocent, naive, and cute, radiating a healing aura that was hard to describe.

"So, let's make delicious pudding!"

"Yay!"

Behind the two, Oscar and Gilbert sighed simultaneously.

Cecilia started preparing the ingredients for the pudding. Watching her, Jade's cheeks lifted in a contented smile.

"Cecilia can cook! I didn't know that!"

"Didn't you see her at the camping trip?"

"At that time, I was in a different group and wasn't close by! But, oh! I heard from Lean about the 'chaos in the first-aid tent'! ...You two were being all lovey-dovey, right?"

"Huh?"

Gilbert reacted immediately. Oscar, under his death glare, quickly said, "No, we weren't!"

Why did he have to be caught by his fiancée's younger brother for being close to her? But he was scared, so there was nothing he could do.

Jade, a Cecilia supporter, grinned and continued to watch her with a delighted expression.

"You seem happy?"

"Yeah. Nobles usually don't cook, right? So, I feel a lot of affinity! You know, I used to be a commoner."

A baronetcy is the lowest hereditary title, with no seat in the House of Lords and usually no land. It places him closer to a commoner than a noble.

"Being in this kind of school, I often feel a sense of alienation. You know, cooking, cleaning, and sewing are seen as things to learn to understand the lives and work of commoners. Since we don't use these skills in daily life, few students take them seriously."

After a wry smile, Jade squinted as if looking at something bright.

"So, I really like Cecilia's attitude. Just accepting what we consider 'normal' as 'normal' makes me feel so at ease!"

"...I see."

"Yeah! When I met Lean and heard she was a commoner, I felt a lot of affinity! ...I guess I'm easily swayed, huh?"

"Well, it's fine, isn't it?"

Oscar remembered the young Cecilia he had just met.

What drew him to her wasn't her position as a duchess's daughter or her beautiful appearance. It was her carefree smile.

In his childhood, everyone around him saw him as "Prince Oscar." This included his parents, his nanny, and the friends given to him. At the time, he didn't think much of it, but looking back, his childhood as a "cog in the wheel of the nation" was a lonely time. He hardly remembered being pampered by his parents, and the words he heard were always about his future duties. He had few memories of playing like a child, spending his days from morning to night studying to become a "cog."

One day, in the midst of this life, he met Cecilia.

Perhaps because she didn't know, she was the first to see "Oscar" as an individual and greeted him with a carefree smile, ...and stuffed food in his mouth.

At first, he was confused and even thought, "A duchess's daughter..." But as the years passed, he realized how precious her smile was. During tough times, when the weight of the nation felt overwhelming, or when he was tired, he often thought of her.

Gradually, he began to think that if she were by his side in the future, even if it was just a little time each day to be "Oscar" again, he could probably fulfill his duties.

This feeling was similar to how Jade felt affinity for Cecilia. Both of them found great comfort in her approachability.

Oscar's agreement seemed to surprise Jade, whose eyes widened for a moment.

"Really?"

"Yeah. If you think about it, I'm 'easily swayed' too."

"You use words like that, Oscar?"

Indeed, his desire to make more friends who could stand by his side was probably due to her.

Oscar watched her fumbling with the preparations and covered his mouth, which had relaxed into a smile.

The first story of the new year is an Oscar and Cecilia one.

The next story will also be about Oscar and Cecilia, so I hope you enjoy it.

There will be an update tomorrow too! (Probably)

My daughter is home until the 8th, so I can't find much time to write.

Please bear with me!

I hope I've done a good job contrasting Gilbert, who had no expectations, and Oscar, who is almost crushed by expectations.