Evelyn sent Wade and his group back.
Since the weekend was over, they needed to return to the capital to begin another week in Arcana.
She wanted to leave with them but still had unfinished business in her territory, so she had no choice.
“What a shame.”
She watched the carriage disappearing through the office window.
Wade Silverrain.
When they first met, she saw him as a vulgar and rude man interfering with her love.
However, when she discovered the incredible skills he was hiding, an inexplicable curiosity arose, and she kept observing him.
He pretended to be an underachiever in Arcana while blocking women from approaching Kalian.
Though she still didn’t fully understand why, she witnessed him rescuing people in danger while concealing his identity several times.
And today, he saved her as well.
Evelyn didn’t understand his purpose or why he was hiding such power, but…
“Ha-ha-ha.”
Thinking about him now brought a smile to her face.
How could he selflessly take on dishonor while saving others?
How was such behavior even possible?
At some point, Wade had transformed in her heart from a vulgar man to a noble one.
Although the purpose of her invitation was to get closer to Kalian, she found herself more intrigued by Wade.
“Lady Evelyn.”
A soldier entered her office.
“What is it?”
“Someone named Alka wishes to meet you. I told him it wasn’t a good time, but he insists on expressing his gratitude.”
“The man who lost his village? Let him in.”
It was the man who had asked her to avenge his village.
Evelyn, though aware of how the villagers might spend the night, wanted to hear the details directly.
“Thank you for allowing me to visit.”
Alka soon entered her office and bowed deeply.
Unlike before, he was dressed in a neat suit.
“Are you injured?”
“Thanks to your concern, I have no major issues.”
“You’ve come to thank me? At this late hour, it wasn’t necessary… but if you have something to say, go ahead.”
“There’s not enough time in one night to fully express my gratitude, but knowing how busy you are, I’ve brought a gift instead.”
“A gift, you say.”
Alka took out a deck of cards and shuffled them skillfully.
“I’d like to read your fortune, Lady Evelyn.”
“Ha-ha, are you a fortune-teller?”
“I’m merely a drifter who picked up knowledge here and there, but it should be an amusing experience.”
“Interesting. Go ahead, Alka.”
“Now that I think of it, I haven’t told you my real name.”
He pulled out the Queen of Hearts card and smiled gently.
“My name is Alcatraz Morden. But as you’ve called me, you may simply call me Alka.”
Life at the academy with Kalian continued as usual after returning from the Rose duchy.
The only difference was that Evelyn no longer seemed interested in Kalian.
The problem was that her attention appeared to have shifted to me.
Evelyn, pretending otherwise, subtly lingered near me—sitting close during class or pretending to run into me by chance.
Each time, I warned her to stay away, but she ignored my words entirely.
Kalian laughed and said,
“You really do have a charm that attracts women.”
“Kalian, you’re one to talk.”
“There’ve always been strong-willed women around you. Watching how you handle them so well is impressive.”
We had finished class and were strolling outside Arcana.
Our destination was where Lumia worked.
I wasn’t thrilled about visiting her workplace, especially since I’d caused trouble for her job before, but I had no other options.
Her part-time cycle had never ended, so I had to meet her there to raise Kalian’s favorability.
“Is this really okay? What if something goes wrong again? I’d feel terrible.”
“That’s why we need to be careful this time. Who knows? Maybe we can even help her in some way.”
“I hope so.”
Lumia worked in several places, but today, we were heading to one located in the outer market of Arcana.
Even though it was on the outskirts, it was still part of the empire’s capital.
Surely Lumia worked in a decent environment.
Fortunately, my prediction was correct.
Lumia worked at a bakery in the capital.
It was tucked away in a corner, mainly catering to commoners, but it was far better than the trash heap she’d worked at before.
Ding!
“Welcome… Oh? Kalian? Wade? What are you doing here…?”
“Hmm? Why are you here?”
Lumia, who had been naturally bowing her head, looked up and froze when she saw us.
Although I had already investigated everything, I acted like I knew nothing, as if I had truly stumbled upon her by chance.
“I work here.”
“Oh, I see. But is it okay to leave customers standing like this?”
“Oh! My mind is all over the place. Please, come this way.”
She led us to a table by the window and handed us menus.
“What do you want to eat? It’s on me.”
“No need for that.”
“I insist. I want to treat you. After all, I’ve owed you from before and feel bad about recent events… Just let me.”
“What recent events?”
“…Never mind that. Just tell me. Should I order the most popular item here?”
Lumia kept insisting on paying, but Kalian firmly shook his head.
“That won’t do, Lumia. We’re here to help you. If you pay for us, it feels like we’re just burdening you.”
“Didn’t you just say you came by coincidence?”
“Ah… Well, anyway… Don’t overthink it. We’re practically invisible here.”
“You came all the way here, and now you’re saying that?”
This back-and-forth… It’s great.
Yes, keep feeling each other’s care and consideration.
Lumia can develop her affection for Kalian, and Kalian can overcome his fear of women.
But of course, trouble had to rear its head again.
Just as Lumia served her recommended rolls to Kalian and me, women sitting nearby called over the shop owner.
“Excuse me, we’d like to speak with the owner?”
Their leisurely tone and refined demeanor clearly marked them as nobles—and, naturally, they were the same women who had been following us.
There were so many women trailing after us that I couldn’t remember all their faces, but their subtle glances our way made it obvious.
The shop owner, who had been busy baking, cautiously approached them.
“What can I do for you?”
“It’s nothing major, but I found the bread here rather disappointing. The aroma and ingredients… they don’t quite satisfy.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve tried my best, but it seems I couldn’t meet your expectations….”
“And there seems to be an issue with staff training as well. I noticed one employee being quite a nuisance to the gentlemen at that table.”
She gestured toward us.
The shop owner then pulled Lumia aside and, left with no choice, Lumia bowed to the customers to apologize.
“I apologize for any discomfort caused by my shortcomings. I’m truly sorry….”
“You should be apologizing to those gentlemen, not us.”
“Imperial Suite, Pastry Alchemy—there are far better bakeries in the capital. Perhaps you’d be better off visiting those instead.”
To the shop owner, this sounded like a pointless complaint, but I knew exactly what the woman was trying to do.
Imperial Suite and Pastry Alchemy were among the Empire’s top bakeries. Mentioning them was her way of flaunting her expertise in the field.
And, of course, it was obvious who she wanted to impress.
Her approach, however, was utterly misguided.
Since Kalian and I had spent so much time together growing up, his mindset was a bit different from that of other nobles.
As he sat quietly for a while, he finally turned around and addressed the women.
“Excuse me.”
“Oh my, isn’t that Lord Kalian?! What an incredible coincidence.”
“Ah, yes… Sorry to interrupt, but I overheard your discussion about the bakery.”
“Oh, oh…”
The women, seeming genuinely delighted that their words had reached Kalian, nodded with radiant smiles.
“Yes! If you’re interested, we’d be happy to guide you to the finest bakeries. Just leave it to us.”
“Thank you for the offer.”
“It’s nothing at all. We’ll help you forget all the unpleasant experiences you’ve had here.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that.”
Kalian gestured to the bread in front of him.
“I think the bread here is quite good. Of course, I’m not saying your impressions are wrong, but I, for one, am satisfied.”
“What? Oh, um, yes…”
“I may not know as much about bread and pastries as you do, but I’ve seen people genuinely happy eating this bread… Wouldn’t it be a bit harsh to criticize the owner so severely?”
“Ah, um…”
The women, who had just disparaged the bread, now found themselves flustered, like malfunctioning kittens.
They quickly stood up, waving their hands.
“Oh, ah! I think there’s been a misunderstanding. That’s not what we meant at all.”
“Really?”
“Yes! We were just, uh… lamenting how such a wonderful bakery isn’t more widely recognized. And we thought with some improvements, it could become the Empire’s best bakery!”
“I see. Such thoughtful intentions…”
Kalian pretended to understand, and the noblewomen turned to the bakery owner.
“Owner!”
“Y-Yes?!”
“We’d like to purchase more of your bread.”
The women bought out all the bread and pastries in the bakery.
The quantity was too large for them to carry themselves, so they hired couriers to deliver the goods to their estates and the academy.
Thanks to this, Lumia received an enormous bonus from the bakery owner, who praised her for bringing in “distinguished guests.”
Incidentally, the bakery later became known as “Kalian’s Favorite Bread Shop,” and noblewomen began flocking to it to buy newly baked goods.
On days when the bread sold out completely, some even paid hefty sums to buy flour and butter instead—a frenzy bordering on madness.