CATB Chapter 36

6. Scattered Fragments

While the royal banquet for the Harvest Festival was being smoothly prepared, my preparations for festival sightseeing with Belkellion were also progressing smoothly.

After declaring war on Ariel, I could feel the eyes watching me had increased, making me wonder if I shouldn't have said anything, but it was spilled milk anyway, so I had to come up with a way to leave the palace without getting caught. Otherwise, I felt like the garden incident would repeat itself. For me, who didn't want my relationship with Ariel to reach extremes, I concluded that the best method would be for Belkellion and her not to meet.

"Princess, I sent everyone away with errands!"

Lily burst into the room, breathing heavily.

"Now's the time! Word came that the Grand Duke has already arrived in front of the palace, so please go quickly!"

What's this 007-filming feeling...

The problem was that Lily seemed more immersed in the situation than I was.

"Lily, I don't think it's quite such an urgent situation..."

"No, Princess! Protagonists are meant to overcome hardship and bloom brilliantly! Please go!!"

"Lily, I think you're too excited. I'm just going out to have fun."

"Hurry! I'll wait at the palace entrance when it's time for you to return! You at least need to escape!!"

"No, it's not such a serious situation in the first place, so there's no need to..."

"Hurry!!"

Under Lily's enthusiastic pressure, I hastily left the palace.

I didn't know she liked hero stories... Huh, I feel like I should put on sunglasses and secretly climb walls too.

"Alexa?"

I was thinking about playing spy a bit to humor Lily when Belkellion, who had been waiting, suddenly appeared.

"Oh my, what a surprise. It's been a while."

Belkellion nodded and said:

"Why did you come out alone?"

Explaining why I didn't come out with my maids would require talking about Ariel too, so I made up an excuse. Whether he didn't like that I came out of the palace alone, Belkellion's brow furrowed slightly.

"Please make sure to move with your maids next time. Isn't this your first time outside the palace?"

"Belkellion, do I look like someone who would get beaten up by anyone?"

At my words, he looked down at me. He didn't answer my question.

Damn, right. Even you can see I'm not the type to get beaten up anywhere.

I'm assured. Seriously, I want to give myself a round of applause. I'll be able to live firmly on my own in this rough world.

While I was going on like this by myself, Kuro, who was next to Belkellion, poked his head out. I stroked Kuro's mane and said:

"Let's go quickly. We don't have much time to play."

Even though it wasn't the actual festival day, the market was already packed with people's anticipation and joy for the festival. The bustling sounds of people and cheerful music coming from somewhere made my heart start to float. I was already captivated by the completely different atmosphere from the static and quiet palace. This is how places where people live should be.

"Panini! Have some hot panini before you go!"

"Give a flower to the lovely ladies you're with!"

Vendors shouting about their various products raised their voices, and boisterous laughter echoed throughout the market. Without realizing it, I was gaping and looking here and there, fascinated by the sights, when Belkellion grabbed the long sleeve of my dress.

"You'll get lost."

"Does Belkellion think I'm a child?"

"......"

"No, well, I mean I'll follow along obediently."

The way he looked at me seemed slightly like glaring, didn't it?

I shouldn't be too cheeky. Hehehe

"Skewers, skewers! Delicious skewers so good that if two people eat them, one could die and not notice!!"

At the boisterous voice, I reflexively turned my head. A man was holding several well-grilled skewers coated with sauce, hawking his wares.

Gulp.

I swallowed. I had dressed up somewhat nicely for what I considered a date, so it felt awkward to suddenly say I wanted to eat skewers less than ten minutes into market browsing. Damn, but I like skewers...

I sneakily glanced at the skewer man, hoping Belkellion wouldn't notice. The smell carried by the wind was making my mouth water.

"Do you want some?"

"What? Oh...no!"

He seemed to chuckle at me, then walked over and bought two skewers. In the process, people were so surprised by Belkellion's presence that they parted like Moses's miracle, so he bought them easily without any line—but that's a secret. Looking at him placing both skewers in my hands, I beamed. What do I do, he's perfect.

After that, he bought me parfait drenched in chocolate syrup, special condensed milk bingsu, sugar-coated fruit skewers, and coconut sherbet with pretty butterfly decorations. In the process, I learned new things about Belkellion:

1. He's an incredibly good person, and
2. Despite his appearance, he doesn't particularly enjoy sweet things.

"Just try it once. Please?"

"......"

Before I knew it, we had finished browsing the market and were sitting at the central fountain in the square that created small, pretty rainbows, enjoying the sunlight. In my right hand was the condensed milk bingsu I had eaten earlier. It was so rich with milk, and absolutely deliciously terrible that I had coaxed him to buy it again.

"It's really delicious! Really! I guarantee it!"

While buying me all sorts of things, Belkellion barely touched any food. I hadn't yet realized that everything I'd eaten up to this point fell into the main product category of containing large amounts of sugar, and feeling bad that only I was eating these delicious things, I was actively urging him to try them.

Belkellion slightly pulled his head back and said:

"Alexa eats a lot. Do you want more?"

Already rising from his seat ready to go to the store again, I grabbed him and held out a spoonful of bingsu with the extra spoon I had received earlier. Actually, I wanted to offer him the one I had used, but that would be too perverted... I was a person with some conscience.

He hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth and took the spoon.

Cute...

"How is it? Delicious, right! Delicious, right!"

"......"

He instinctively started to furrow his brow but returned to his expressionless face and nodded. However, looking at his completely still Adam's apple, this guy hasn't swallowed it yet.

"Does it not taste good?"

"......"

When I asked with a tearful expression, he paused for a moment then shook his head. But why isn't he swallowing...

What started as goodwill turned into mischievous sadism when I saw him looking troubled.

"Am I the only one who finds it delicious... I've been the only one eating this whole time... Maybe I'm the only one having fun."

"......"

"I can see you holding it in your mouth without swallowing. It doesn't taste good, does it?"

He seemed to agonize deeply over my words, then finally swallowed what was in his mouth. In the process, I didn't miss his eyelid twitching. I thought he'd only been buying me desserts this whole time, and realized this man must detest sweet things.

"It's delicious."

He said quietly. If I hadn't been carefully watching his reactions the whole time, I probably wouldn't have noticed how calm his tone was. Anyway, he was born with a poker face.

"Really? Then would you like to try once more? If you mix it with the sugar powder sprinkled here, it tastes even better..."

When I was about to recommend the bingsu to him once more, the spoon he had been holding - the one that had been firmly grasped in his hand ever since I made him eat a spoonful - smoothly fell. In a very deliberate movement.

"....."

"....."

"....I dropped the spoon. Alexa, you eat plenty first."

"....."

I didn't know he was someone who could pull this kind of trick... I chuckled and pulled out another one from my bag.

"I brought an extra one just in case..."

Belkellion looked at the white spoon in my hand and finally frowned. At that defeated and irritated expression, I laughed out loud.

"Do you know that expression you just made was really funny?"

"You knew all along and still tried to make me eat it?"

"No. When you said it was delicious just now, I didn't know?"

When I grinned mischievously and spoke teasingly, he looked at me and then chuckled.

"Liar."

As the corners of his mouth slowly drew an attractive arc, it sparkled. Whether that sparkle came from him or from the sunlight shining down on us behind Belkellion was unclear, but I stared blankly at that brilliant sparkle for a moment.

Embarrassingly, with my mouth slightly open.

Belkellion took the spoon resting in my hand, scooped up a spoonful of bingsu, and brought it to my mouth.

"Are you asking me to feed you?"

"...No...not really."

I swallowed the bingsu that suddenly entered my mouth and answered. Damn, I stuttered like a fool... And it's disgustingly delicious in the midst of this.

Belkellion scooped up another spoonful and brought it to my mouth.

"I'll feed you anyway."