Suddenly, talking about family history out of the blue? I wiped the corners of my mouth with a napkin and thought of Count Fortun. I remembered that the young ladies of the Fortun family were supposed to debut as debutantes this time. Does this mean they can no longer be met because they have gone somewhere?
“Weren’t they supposed to debut as debutantes this time?”
I asked naturally, but Adeus shook his head firmly. His decisive nod seemed unusually weak.
“No. I’m talking about my real younger sister.”
“Real younger sister?”
Was there another sister?
“My sister really loved doll-shaped cakes. It was probably due to my mother’s influence. She used to bake doll-shaped cakes for my sister every day.”
Adeus had a wistful smile on his lips. It seemed he wasn’t even aware of it himself.
“So, I guess that’s why I also came to love cakes. The sweet smell of cake always filled the house. My mother and sister would sit side by side, eating cake and welcoming me home.”
“……”
“I loved their smiling faces so much that whenever I went home, I always bought a lot of dolls and cakes.”
Adeus’s mother was a commoner, I remember. It seems he had a sister who lived with his mother before he entered the Fortun family. Not being able to see his sister must mean he can’t meet her because he’s in a noble family now.
“……Seeing this bear-shaped cake brings back those memories. I didn’t expect to see it here.”
“Ah……”
“Perhaps it was something the Grand Duchess prepared in advance.”
Adeus’s half-closed eyes flickered with bitterness, different from his usual playful demeanor.
‘Do you miss your mother and sister?’
For him, an illegitimate child, living in the Fortun family might have meant he had to stay away from his commoner mother and sister. After a moment of thought, I stood up and said,
“I’ll ask the chef to make another bear-shaped cake and pack it for you to take with you.”
Adeus, who was still eating the cake, looked up. He wore his usual mask and smiled as if he had expected it.
“No, it’s fine. Your Highness.”
“Since the bill is already settled, it doesn’t matter. The chef would be honored if your sister enjoys it.”
Just as I was about to go downstairs to tell the chef, Adeus’s bitter smile and firm voice stopped me.
“They’re both already dead.”
“……!”
I was rooted to the spot, unable to move. I turned my head, thinking I might have heard wrong, and met Adeus’s sad smile.
“There’s no one left to eat it, Your Highness.”
His voice was dry like a piece of bread that had lost all moisture. I stood there, not knowing what to say. Adeus stood up and came closer to me. He pulled out the chair and made me sit down again.
“So, Your Highness doesn’t need to worry about it.”
His voice, clearly drawing a line, was cold. Adeus whispered in my ear and returned to his seat.
“So, I don’t like cakes anymore. I don’t enjoy them.”
Now I understood what he meant by not liking them anymore. Not being able to see his sister... He rinsed his mouth with the wine he had poured earlier. Or rather, it seemed he was trying to wash away the memories that came to mind.
“Did I surprise you, Your Highness?”
Yes, you did, a lot... But I couldn’t say that. I calmed my shocked heart and sighed, offering an apology.
“It wasn’t intentional. I’m sorry, I apologize.”
“It’s fine since you didn’t know.”
Adeus chuckled and finished the cake. It seemed he was not savoring the taste but rather chewing and swallowing it as if to erase the traces in front of him.
“Eat slowly. You might get indigestion.”
“There’s a saying that if you eat something and get indigestion, your body will reject it, and you’ll feel nauseous just at the sight of it, making you unable to eat it for the rest of your life.”
“……”
“In that case, it would be more than welcome.”
For Adeus, the doll-shaped cake was a memory of his family and a painful trace he didn’t want to recall. I didn’t know what had happened, but it was clear that his family’s death had left a deep scar on him. Now, he was swallowing that painful trace. I quietly picked up my fork and started eating the cake silently, like Adeus.
“……You haven’t finished your meal yet, right?”
“Yeah, I’m trying to fill up with cake.”
Adeus tilted his head, not understanding. I awkwardly tried to comfort him.
“It’s hard to do alone, but it gets better when you share it with someone.”
Adeus’s hand paused in mid-air at my soft murmur.
“...I’m talking about the cake. It’s hard to eat it all alone, but it will be fine if you share it with me.”
Adeus’s Adam’s apple moved noticeably.
“I can manage on my own. I’ve never asked for help.”
“I did too.”
“……?”
I could feel Adeus’s gaze from across the table. I pretended not to notice and focused on eating the cake.
“I never asked for your help either. But you helped me anyway.”
“That’s...”
“So, I’m going to share the cake with you, whether you like it or not.”
Adeus closed his lips, seemingly at a loss for words.
“And if you eat it all alone and get indigestion... If you can’t eat cake anymore in the future...”
“……”
“You’ll never be able to taste the cake that holds memories of your family. Is that what you want?”
When I looked up, I met Adeus’s frozen eyes.
“The food that your mother and sister loved so much. The food you enjoyed together. It will comfort you when you miss your family and give you the strength to keep going.”
Adeus’s eyelashes trembled.
“...It’s all in the past.”
As if seeing a vision of his family in front of him, Adeus tightly closed his eyes. His face contorted with pain. He spoke with difficulty.
“It’s all meaningless now.”
“Meaningless? Do you really want to never be able to eat it again?”
He didn’t answer.
“I don’t have those warm family memories. I don’t have any comfort or motivation.”
“……”
“So, don’t throw away those precious memories. Keep them well.”
Our table was as quiet as if it were submerged in the sea. We just finished the remaining cake together.
Unlike the little bit he had eaten earlier, Adeus was now eating the cake enthusiastically. We ended up eating almost all of the cake.
‘Still liking the cake, huh.’
I looked at the nearly empty cake plate. Adeus had a relieved expression, unlike before.
“Thanks to you, I enjoyed it, Your Highness.”
“Me too.”
I think this is the first time in my life I’ve eaten so much cake. I lightly patted my full stomach, and Adeus placed his clasped hands on the table.
“The reward is the bait.”
“……?”
“Actually, you called me because you had something you wanted to ask, right?”
Oops. I almost forgot the main reason for our meeting while focusing on the cake.
“...Yes, that’s right.”
I nodded, and Adeus smiled subtly, speaking naturally.
“If you have a question, ask away. I’ll answer sincerely and honestly.”
“Anything?”
“...Yes, I feel good after eating the cake.”
I hesitated for a moment about whether to bring up the main topic right after learning about his pain. Adeus, as if reading my mind, joked as usual.
“I’m glad the Grand Duchess is finally showing interest in me. By the way, I’m so light and whimsical that I might not be able to answer sincerely if not now.”
If you’re like that, I won’t refuse. I glanced at Adeus and then brought up the main topic.
“I’ll only ask once, so listen carefully.”
“Of course, it’s a question from the Grand Duchess, so I should.”
I took a deep breath and asked the question I had been rehearsing in my mind.
“I want to know why you...”
“Wait a moment.”
“Huh?”
What? You said to ask anything. Adeus interrupted me and looked around.
“Adeus, what’s wrong?”
Adeus casually ignored my question, frowned, and stood up. He walked to the railing and glanced at the first floor.
‘Why is he looking at the first floor?’
Now that I think about it, the first floor has been a bit noisy. I listened carefully and heard the owner shouting, “Gather all the guys who were dozing off in the kitchen!” from the first floor. It seems some employees were caught napping since we were the only customers.
“Grand Duchess.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t you smell something strange?”
Strange smell? I sniffed the air, but the strong smell of the food in front of me made it hard to detect anything else.
“I don’t know. Why?”
Is there a strange smell somewhere? Adeus turned from the railing and came back to me.
“Would you like to move to another place?”
“What?”
“I know a pretty flower cafe. I’ll take you there.”
“You said you’d answer sincerely and honestly?”
I narrowed my eyes and looked at Adeus.
“Don’t tell me you’re backing out because you’re so light and whimsical?”
“Really? Did I seem that light to you?”
I nodded without hesitation.
“I think you might run away if the question is hard to answer.”