Chapter 85

Kizef unwittingly covered the rising corner of his mouth with his hand and offered his own dessert pudding to Luciel.

“Eat mine too.”

“Oh, but this is delicious? Kizef should try, too. Isn’t there some kind of food that you don’t eat, like Leoni?”

“…”

Kizef couldn’t continue answering as if he was stabbed in the corner of his heart. Luciel looked at his plate without missing it, but there was no food left over.

“I hate all vegetables.”

“But you are not picky about food, are you?”

Kizef nodded his head.

“I do eat it considering the sincerity of the person who made it.”

“…That’s nice. You have a kind heart. But don’t put up with it alone. Sometimes when you force yourself to eat something you don’t like, it will give indigestion and stomachache.”

At Luciel’s words, Kizef nodded and said.

“You are so sweet.”

Kizef folded his eyes beautifully and smiled lightly. Laughing like that, his beauty seemed to shine even more. At the wedding, he looked very mature with his bangs up, but he also looked cute with his bangs down.

“You look cute with your bangs down.”

At Luciel’s words, his red eyes blinked twice.

“What about when it’s up?”

“You look more mature.”

“Really?”

Hearing Luciel’s words, Kizef raised his bangs and lowered them.

“Which one is better?”

“Both are good, but you are closer to thirteen with your bangs down.”

“Is that so?”

Kizef pulled the corners of his mouth and trimmed his bangs with his hands.

“Today, I decided to receive swordsmanship training from mother instead of Commander Jarga, so I will go first.”

“Yes. See you later.”

Luciel picked up the pudding that Kizef had given her. It was a soft and fluffy tiramisu pudding. Knowing that Kizef was gone, Luciel laughed softly and muttered while eating.

“It’s delicious.”

Luciel, who was so happy with the two puddings, suddenly thought of saying thanks to Chef Seth.

Thud.

It was then. Kizef, who got up from his seat and headed for the door, turned and walked over to Luciel, who was eagerly eating the pudding.

“Huh? You haven’t gone yet?”

Luciel lifted her head. His reddened, blood-red eyes captured her.

“I was worried yesterday. At least tell me where you’re going before going out. That way, even if you disappear, I can go find you.”

“…Sorry if I worried you. But Ellington was there and Ralph was there.”

As Luciel smiled and spoke, Kizef lightly grabbed Luciel’s shoulder.

“I am your husband. I think I have a duty and responsibility to protect you. So let me know first. Where are you going today?”

“That, well. I’m going to the little fief first.”

After hearing the answer, Kizef left the dining room with a confident expression on his face. Luciel tilted her head with blank eyes.

“Wait a minute…Weren’t we a contract couple?”

* * *

“There’s a letter to the captain!”

Norma fluttered a black envelope, waking Maximus from a nap, lying on his desk.

“Why are you bothering me? It’s nothing important anyway.”

“Oh, no. I think it’s very important…”

As Norma looked at Maximus’s eyes, his voice gradually went from a little low to a whispered murmur.

Maximus grabbed the envelope and opened it. The eerie black dragon’s seal was firmly stamped on it.

Before he knew it, the children gathered their heads to look at the letter.

“Isn’t this the Bellstein seal?”

“That’s right, it’s a black dragon!”

Maximus raised his eyebrows.

[To my friend Maximus.

I’m inviting you to the wedding reception, so I’d like you to come and brighten up the occasion.

—Kizef von Bellstein.]

“Huh, Kizef invited the captain?”

“Nonsense.”

When the girls next door heard Kizef’s name, they murmured with suspicious eyes.

“Since when have you two been so close?”

“Hahahahahahahaha!”

Maximus laughed like crazy.

An invitation to the wedding reception of that cheeky Kizef. He really couldn’t help but laugh. This was a clear warning and a challenge.

“I almost died because of boredom, but this came just at the right time. I’m willing to accept the invitation.”

Maximus licked his dry lips with his tongue and glared in the air as if Kizef was right in front of him.

* * *

After Luciel visited Chef Seth to express her gratitude, she immediately used teleportation magic to go to her little fief.

“Little Madam. Welcome”

Ralph, who was taking care of the orchard by himself, rushed to meet Luciel.

“Everyone in the knights envies me. I’m glad I get to meet the Little Madam. Can I get you a potato?”

He had a warm impression and seemed to have received a basket of potatoes from another resident.

“No. I can’t eat because I’m full. But Ralph, are you here from early?”

“Yes, I was here in advance to take care of the orchard.”

Luciel felt very sorry. He’s a knight in name, and he might not like it, since he even has to do chores in the orchard.

The orchard was not as simple as decorating a greenhouse garden. He also had to take care of the branches, leaves, and fruits of the trees, fertilize them for good nutrition and keep pests away.

It looked like it was going to be a huge workload at harvest time.

Luciel cautiously said.

“Ralph, if it’s too hard for you, please tell me.”

“What? What do you mean? Don’t worry, the trees in the orchard have already been checked by a nearby farmer.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, Butler Eva has arranged for people to take care of the trees. And even if I work a lot in the orchard, I’m fine. Actually, I… I’m the third son of a house that works in an orchard. Haha.”

At those words, Luciel thought it was good for a coincidence.

“Then I won’t worry. I will be in the villa, so please knock on the door if anything happens.”

“Yes!”

After Luciel entrusted Ralph with her escort, she entered the small cabin.

She could live comfortably like a princess in the private residence, but she felt more at ease when she thought that this was a space where she could be alone.

In particular, Luciel put lock magic on both the windows and doors in the innermost room of the cabin.

That room was to be used as the jewel room.

The coordinates were recorded so that she can teleport to this place even if she was outside. A black cloth was also laid out on the floor to make it easier to see when the jewels fell.

Luciel was even successful on the several practical sessions of transporting herself from the bathroom of the residence to the cabin.

“Now we are ready to start collecting jewels. Let’s make as much as I want here.”

Everything was going smoothly and well. Was it because she was looking forward to the future? Luciel hummed out naturally.

She sat in the rocking chair and took time to calmly organize her thoughts.

There was still a lot of work to do, but she didn’t get impatient because she just had to move one step at a time.

‘I’ve been doing well so far, and I can do well in the future.’

Luciel encouraged herself like that and made up her mind.

She confirmed from Erika that jewels had elemental magic, and now, in order to facilitate the research of other jewels, she had to obtain approval for a measuring instrument made by a wizard called Arzeon.

However, there was one thing that bothered her, and that was the fact that Arzeon was now missing.

There were several clues. The fact that he is an ice wizard who never grows old, that he can transform into an animal and was seen in the snowy field, and that he was the former Master of the Tower.

Luciel’s eyes rolled as soon as she jumped up thinking that she should ask grandfather Gillard. Then she murmured.

“Come to think of it, the snow deer that my father-in-law brought from the snowy field used magic! Maybe…”

As Luciel came out and looked around, Ralph hurried to the front of the villa.

“Little Madam, is there anything you need…!”

“Ralph, I have a place to go.”

“Where are you going?”

“Leoni’s fief.”

Luciel and Ralph left the little fief and started running to the place where Leoni’s fief was located. The hem of the dress bothered her when she tried to run with her small legs.

Fortunately, Leoni’s fief was not far away.

Taking a deep breath, Luciel asked the manager.

“Have you seen the snow deer?”

“The snow deer?”

“Yes, he was here with other animals. A snow deer with white fur.”

“Ahh…If it’s a snow deer, it’s in an igloo. It’s over there.”

The snow deer was sleeping with his eyes closed inside the igloo. Outwardly, he looked just like a gentle little deer.

With the help of a servant, Luciel first moved the snow deer to the second room of her villa. Then she made everyone walk away and slammed the door shut.

The deer, who had closed his eyes since before, now looked at Luciel with black eyes in a side glance.

Luciel held out hay to the deer.

“Eat.”

The deer came a little closer, chewed a little bit of hay, and spit it out without eating it.

‘I don’t think there is a deer that doesn’t like grass.’

Luciel asked with meaningful eyes.

“Arzeon, it’s you?”

When the deer’s fragile legs tried to step back, Luciel quickly grabbed the deer’s body.

Shuaaaaaaaa!

Soon, a bright light fell on Luciel’s room, and at the same time, the temperature dropped and the cold hit her.

Luciel, who was wearing a thin one-piece suit, immediately trembled.

Before long, a beautiful young man with sky-blue eyes as light as water appeared in front of her. He had a pale face and water-colored hair that reached his waist, and he was wearing a long white robe all over his body.

“It’s amazing that you found out who I really am.”

A beautiful voice resounded and went in Luciel’s ear. Every time he exhaled, a chill enveloped her body, but Luciel forgot the cold because of her vigilance.

Paah!

She couldn’t contain her emotions for a moment at the wonder of facing him, and a jewel was made.

‘No! Of all things…!’

Tororong!

It was a bright light green jewel, Peridot. She had made one while eating and admiring the food.

Luciel was wary of the man and glared at him. She should never get caught by anyone, but in the end, she made jewels in front of a stranger.

Arzeon, who had picked up the jewels in the air, looked carefully at it and said.

“Crystal Fairy.”

“……!”