Did You Eat All the Candy and Chocolate for Today?
It had only been a few hours since they parted, yet it felt as though they hadn’t seen each other in ages.
Whether he knew her feelings or not—
“I came to see you, Princess. It seemed like bedtime was near. I still haven’t finished my work, but more importantly—”
Cardin, answering Annette’s earlier question in his usual composed manner, straightened from where he had been leaning.
“Princess, did you eat all the candy and chocolate you were allotted for today?”
At the sight of her fiancé speaking in a mock-stern tone, Annette let out a small sigh.
Inevitably, the argument they’d had in the carriage came back to mind—
including the embarrassing memory of herself accusing him of child abuse.
‘He’s probably just as embarrassed as I am.’
She had a strong suspicion that, behind that mask, the corners of his mouth were twitching in suppressed laughter.
A little pang of petulance suddenly bubbled up.
To treat her like a child again, and in front of Larisa, no less!
Annette stiffened her expression and said firmly,
“Your Grace, I’m not really a little kid.”
“Oh, I know that. Now then—shall we go brush our teeth?”
“…Tch.”
Just as I thought!
So this was why he showed up at this hour—he had an ulterior motive!
Annette bit her lip in frustration.
Finding this reaction amusing, Cardin began to chuckle.
‘Infuriating man!’
When Annette shot him a glare, he urged her on.
“Come along, Princess. And show me around your room, too.”
Annette ignored him, striding past toward her room.
Trailing after her, Cardin asked,
“Did you enjoy your dinner?”
“…Yes.”
Though she had tried to ignore him, Annette eventually gave a slow nod.
“Now I see why you praised the duke’s chef. The food was truly wonderful.”
The only drawback was the strange emptiness that had left her feeling a little lonely.
“I’m glad it suited your taste.”
Annette glanced up at him, wanting to ask if he had eaten well too, but they had already reached her room.
After surveying the space Larisa had worked so hard to decorate, Cardin asked repeatedly if anything was lacking and told her to speak up anytime she felt inconvenienced.
Annette nodded almost mechanically, and when there was nothing left to say, silence settled between them.
Bathed in moonlight streaming through the large window, their eyes met.
Sensing the sudden quiet and the odd tension, Larisa’s eyes widened.
She had clearly seen the change in Annette—how her gloom had lifted the moment she saw the duke, even replaced with a slight air of excitement.
Larisa blushed. She wondered if she should quietly slip out now, or follow her original plan of helping Annette into her nightclothes and tucking her in.
“Princess.”
“Y-yes?”
Breaking the silence first, Cardin extended a hand toward her.
Startled, Annette blinked, then slowly reached to take it—
“Let’s go brush our teeth.”
“…Your Grace, did you perhaps suffer terribly from tooth decay when you were little?”
Cardin tilted his head at her frowning question, then burst out laughing.
“No, Princess. I’ve always taken meticulous care of my health, so that’s never happened to me.”
Though, he had never been very good at listening to other people.
He didn’t say that aloud—he knew that, if they had a child one day with a rebellious streak who never listened, Annette would surely blame him.
The voice of his mother came to mind, declaring that she hoped he would have a child exactly like himself so he could understand how it felt.
He chuckled quietly.
If their child took after him in temperament, he hoped at least they would look like Annette. Then, contrary to his mother’s wishes, watching over the child might not be such an ordeal.
In fact, it might be the opposite…
‘A miniature version of the Princess, always contradicting and rebelling… just imagining it makes me want to scoop her up and kiss her.’
Of course, if he actually did kiss her, she’d probably shriek, “Daddy’s the worst in the world!” and throw a tantrum—but he suspected even that would be adorable.
Cardin was lost in this vision of a spoiled, not-yet-born daughter when—
“I can take care of myself, so please go back now.”
Annette’s prim voice broke in as she turned toward the washroom.
“My lady! Let me help you wash up and change into your nightclothes.”
Larisa, who had been hovering uncertainly after missing her chance to leave, quickly followed.
“No, I can do it myself. Larisa, you should—”
Wait. If she told Larisa to leave, that would mean both Larisa and Cardin would go…?
Annette changed her mind at once.
“Larisa, help me!”
“Yes, my lady!”
“Princess…?”
At Annette’s single word, Larisa and Cardin’s fortunes went in opposite directions.
Cardin, left behind, bowed politely to her and watched as Larisa followed Annette into the washroom.
The shock was real.
“Why… not me…?”
And in that instant, he realized—
he had never expected it, but Annette’s personal maid might actually turn out to be his greatest rival.
Oblivious to Cardin’s childish but sharp-edged wariness toward Larisa,
Annette brushed her teeth, washed her face until it squeaked, and changed into a fluttery nightgown with Larisa’s help.
When she returned to her room, she naturally assumed he would have gone back to his office—but there he was, crammed into a small sofa, his long legs awkwardly folded, waiting.
“Your Grace, you’re still here?”
“I was planning to see you fall asleep before leaving.”
And, of course, to enjoy little moments like handing her a soft towel after helping her brush her teeth and wash her face—
but that chance had been stolen by the maid.
At his disgruntled expression, Larisa, who had been preparing Annette’s bed, flinched.
“M-my lady, then I’ll take my leave. Sleep well and I’ll see you in the morning.”
This time, she didn’t miss her cue and hurried out.
“Hmph. At least she’s not completely oblivious,” Cardin muttered.
“What was that?”
“Nothing at all.”
Once Larisa was gone, he looked noticeably relieved. Then, with a deliberately casual tone, he asked,
“So, you’re rather fond of your maid?”
“What? Oh. Yes. I like her very much.”
Annette answered honestly. She had been completely satisfied with Larisa’s service all afternoon—and the promise of hot chocolate had stolen her heart entirely.
Cardin, unaware of the true reason, stiffened slightly before forcing a gentle voice.
“Come, lie down on the bed.”
Annette pouted.
“You’re not about to offer to sing me a lullaby, are you?”
“…”
He had been considering it. Smiling, Cardin rose from the sofa.
“Of course not. I was only going to watch you fall—
No, just watch you lie down.”
He caught himself mid-sentence under her reproachful gaze.
“There’s something I wanted to tell you, too.”
Annette narrowed her eyes and turned toward the bed.
“What is it?”
Cardin lifted the thick, embroidered quilt invitingly.
As soon as Annette climbed in, he pulled the covers snug up to her neck.
“You mustn’t kick the blankets off in your sleep—you’ll catch a cold.”
“…That’s what you wanted to say?”
“Mm.”
Hesitating briefly, he added quietly,
“No. I’ll tell you tomorrow. Sweet dreams, my princess.”
With a soft good-night, he smiled at the sight of her peeking out from under the covers, then straightened.
He started toward the door—but stopped.
A small hand was clutching the hem of his coat from beneath the blankets.
“Princess?”
Annette, more flustered than he was, realized she had reached out unconsciously.
Thank goodness the room was dim.
Before the perceptive Cardin could catch on, she quickly said,
“You too—sweet dreams. And finish your work quickly.”
Then, without waiting for his reply, she released his coat and pulled the blanket over her head.
Whether it was Larisa’s carefully chosen plush bedding or her own embarrassment, her face felt hot beneath the quilt.
From outside came a soft chuckle, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing.
Annette finally let out the breath she’d been holding and pushed the covers down.
She had been on the verge of falling asleep earlier, but now her eyes were wide open.
Perhaps it was because it had been so long since she’d exchanged a good-night with anyone—ever since her nanny had died.
Certain she couldn’t sleep like this, Annette slipped quietly from the bed and went to the window.
Without even standing on tiptoe, she could see the view of the ducal estate through the wide pane of glass.
Bathed in moonlight, she thought to herself—
‘This is the home I’ll be living in from now on.’
…My home.
“I like it.”
It felt different from the imperial palace.
She had a strong hunch she would grow to love this place.
A faint smile spread across her face without her even realizing it.
“Welcome back, Your Grace.”
Samuel, like Cardin, had been confined to the office the moment they arrived at the ducal estate. By now, heavy dark circles had formed under his eyes as he lifted them to greet him in a voice as lifeless as death.