Chapter 102.1: Is It Sweet? (1)
“Thank you.” Mepeilu tucked a strand of her golden hair behind her ear, then gently placed a piece of the sweet treat on her tongue. It was divine.
“Would you like to try mine?” Mepeilu asked.
“Certainly.” Outside the Candy House, the sweetness was startlingly fresh, with subtle undertones very different from the treats within.
The bond between Lady Liana and Princess Mepeilu was truly touching. Outside the Candy House, Loraviel and Vivian sat beneath a gazebo, each sampling a few confections to cleanse the palate.
“Yes,” Loraviel replied absently, her attention fixed instead on a corner of the Candy House. From there, she could see Lady Liana and Princess Mepeilu feeding each other sweets, ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) their cheeks tinged with the soft flush of bashfulness. If she were a stranger, she might have assumed the two shared a most intimate relationship—but she was not a stranger, and she felt a bitter pang of jealousy sitting opposite them.
“You seem very concerned about Lady Liana,” Vivian observed.
“After all, Lady Liana is not my mistress,” Loraviel returned, lowering her gaze to the desserts before her. Perhaps, when she could not see them, her heart would ache less.
“Is that so?” Vivian tapped her fingers on the table. Princess Mepeilu had instructed her to entertain Loraviel—to create opportunities for Mepeilu to be alone with Liana.
“Shall we go for a stroll? You’ll soon be returning, and I doubt you’ll visit the Lisat capital again for some time,” Vivian prompted.
“Protecting the Tok family’s safety is a maid’s duty, is it not?” Loraviel countered. “Lady Vivian, you know that well enough.”
“True.” Vivian nodded.
“I merely do not wish for any misfortune to occur in the time we have left,” Loraviel said, straw poised between her lips, expression unreadable.