Chapter 40 “It’s Strange to Feel Good When Treated Like a Child”
Anette noticed Kardin hesitating.
Feeling a little guilty for having said something unnecessary, she silently chastised herself.
‘I should have just said I wasn’t thinking about anything.’
Her fiancé had just asked whether monster parts sold for a high price—
And she hadn’t even been showing off her experience as a knight who hunted monsters.
Worried she might appear pretentious or ignorant, Anette blamed herself for thinking about her former subordinates.
Those subordinates—or rather, those who had been her subordinates—wouldn’t think of her at all now that she had retired.
‘Well, maybe they’d happily blurt it out if they knew.’
Now that she was no longer commander, the king wouldn’t reject the budget proposals, and the situation of the knights would certainly improve.
Moreover, Zeon Millard, the newly appointed commander, was an upright person trusted by the knights; he would do an excellent job. Everything would turn out fine.
‘Yes, everything’s going well.’
It was a bit disappointing not to witness it herself, but just as her former subordinates no longer concerned themselves with her, Anette no longer needed to care about them.
Right now, the person she had to pay attention to most was……
“The soup has cooled to a good temperature, I think.”
Even in the awkward silence that had just occurred, the Grand Duke fidgeted with the bowl of food meant for her.
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
Trying to break the tension, Anette stretched out her hands with a bright voice.
But Kardin didn’t simply hand her the bowl.
“I’ll feed you. Ah, do it.”
“……Huh?”
“No, a bit louder this time.”
At the coquettish tone, Anette blinked slowly.
“Princess?”
“Haah……”
Anette let out a sigh she hadn’t intended, covering her face with both hands.
She wished he would stop calling her “Princess.”
Or at least, could he save it for in front of others?
Didn’t he notice the knights flinching every time he said it?
And those curious stares trailing behind him like spectators—what a nuisance!
Though uncomfortable, Anette didn’t explicitly ask Kardin to stop.
It was slightly embarrassing, but the title wasn’t wrong. And more importantly……
‘He’s going to tease me, definitely!’
After only a day, Anette had a pretty good read on Kardin.
If she called him “Princess,” he’d obviously respond with endless “Princess, Princess” repetitions, teasing her for being embarrassed.
It was better that he wasn’t in teasing mode yet.
Even knowing this, she still felt uneasy.
Perhaps she understood that this interaction would never appear like a lovey-dovey couple to anyone else.
‘To everyone else, we’d look like father and daughter.’
With his mask on, Kardin’s sturdy frame only emphasized that image, and his behavior seemed like that of a doting father.
‘But why does it feel so frustrating…….’
No, that’s wrong.
Of course, it should feel frustrating.
‘I’m not a child; I’m an adult! It’s only natural to feel annoyed when treated like a kid!’
Satisfied with her reasoning, Anette nodded firmly to herself and said decisively:
“Your Grace, I can eat with my own hands.”
She didn’t need to explicitly mention that mentally, she was an adult, too.
‘Because I know he’ll just laugh and say, “Oh really?” anyway……’
“I know. I want to feed you myself.”
“…….”
That she hadn’t expected.
Anette pressed her lips together, cheeks burning.
‘Maybe I should find a mask for myself too……?’
Unable to think of removing Kardin’s mask, she tried to at least hide her own face.
But Kardin’s eager voice urged her:
“Hurry. The food will get cold. Everyone worked hard to make it for you……”
Are you really going to ignore their effort?
Unable to resist his gaze, Anette closed her eyes tightly and opened her mouth.
“Ah.”
As she swallowed the warm food, she didn’t notice that the spoon Kardin held was a child-sized one brought all the way from the distant Grand Duchy—a rarity at a campsite like this.
Had she held the spoon herself, she would have realized, but she didn’t.
“How is it?”
“……Delicious.”
As she ate, she restrained her embarrassment, thinking of the effort put in by those who prepared it.
The soup, with perfectly cooked potatoes and generous chunks of meat, was flavorful and harmonious.
Even the temperature Kardin had cooled it to was just right.
Only Anette’s face was too hot to handle.
“There’s also roasted meat. Eat plenty.”
“……Yes.”
Kardin watched with pride as Anette obediently ate, feeling full just from seeing her eat.
The sight of her nibbling bread soaked in soup was so cute he couldn’t resist; he reached out and gently stroked her head.
As his warm hand settled atop her hair, Anette’s pupils widened.
Noticing her reaction, Kardin realized his mistake but didn’t withdraw his hand.
Brazenly, he said:
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but today I’ve grown a lot more confident about something.”
“……What is it?”
“If we have a child someday, I think I could raise them well.”
“……!”
Caught off guard by the sudden touch and words, Anette froze despite trying to act normal.
Kardin, apparently proud, mentioned how comfortable she looked when she fell asleep in his arms earlier that day after crying.
Finally, he said:
“Princess, if you can’t sleep tonight, tell me. I’ll carry you to bed…… Ah! Ah!”
Anette clenched her fists and struck Kardin’s arm repeatedly.
With every hit, he groaned and set down the bowl, clutching his arm.
“What’s wrong, Princess?”
He asked frantically, but Anette had already stood and was heading to the carriage, face as red as her hair.
No one watching could stop her, and she slammed the carriage door shut with a bang.
“……Huh?”
Kardin, momentarily stunned, rose in confusion.
“Why is she acting like that?”
“Do you not know why?”
His aide Samuel ran over in a flash, asking.
Kardin’s expression grew serious.
“Was I too mischievous?”
“By my judgment, it wasn’t mere mischief.”
Usually outspoken, Samuel today carried a confident air.
Kardin narrowed his eyes and addressed him.
“……Then?”
People change easily when in love.
The usual Kardin would never seek Samuel’s advice, but since Anette had left in anger, he decided to listen.
Overjoyed by his lord’s inquiry, Samuel spoke confidently:
“Your Grace, you were extremely perverted!”
Creak. Kardin’s head awkwardly turned toward the carriage.
“What did you just say……?”
“You were the most perverted person ever. Speaking of having children to someone who looks like a child! That’s why the princess ran off with such an exasperated look.”
“……!”
Kardin froze, shocked.
He had long noticed Anette’s sensitivity to affectionate or casual teasing, which is why he deliberately acted friendly, hoping she would warm up to him faster.
He had assumed her anger was only due to embarrassment or his overly hasty closeness.
Never imagining she could interpret his actions this way……
“I need to clear up this misunderstanding.”
Samuel clicked his tongue at Kardin’s back as he hurried to the carriage.
“You should have had some experience with romance to understand a woman’s delicate feelings. I’ll help you from now on!”
Hearing this, Kardin felt reassured, though he didn’t know that Samuel, skilled in almost everything else, was hopeless at romance.
‘Good heavens, I must be insane!’
Anette, riding in the carriage, covered her mouth with both hands, her face, neck, and ears flushed like a fully ripe tomato.
Even as she tried to quiet her breathing, her heart pounded so violently she felt it might leap out.
〈If we have a child, I think I could raise them well.〉
A child.
Our child.
It wasn’t a mishearing.
Though Kardin had already expressed his hope that she would commit to their married life, this statement made Anette truly realize—
‘…That we might one day have children together.’
It made her feel, in a subtle way, that he no longer saw her as a child.
All the frustration she had felt about being treated like a kid vanished completely.
