When they left the information guild, Aphra seemed to feel sorry towards Rosenta.
He kept crying and asking over and over again if he was okay.
"Are you sure you don't mind me bringing you out like this? Even now, again..."
"It’s okay. It’d be better to speak with you anyway."
Of course, it was a shame.
It would have been best to finish all his errands since he’d come to Nota today.
But what could he do?
"Earlier, when they heard me referred to as ‘Duke’, their eyes sparkled fiercely. They probably wanted to immediately take me to the guild master so he could reap the benefits."
After all, it was an information guild.
They would probably try to sell him high-quality information for a high price and, at the same time, steal information gleaned through conversation with him.
So Aphra's decision to lead him out of there was a good decision.
He could ask Enoch to run an errand and send him to buy information later.
"Sorry, I'm sorry."
"What do you have to be sorry for? It was my judgment and choice."
"Yes…"
Contrary to his answer, Aphra’s shoulders still drooped weakly.
Rosenta felt the need to lighten the atmosphere.
"Isn't this cafe so pretty?"
"What? Café? Actually, there's a lot of white and pink... I don't think it's your cup of tea."
Aphra was quite sharp.
Rosenta smiled happily and nodded once. It was meant as affirmation.
"Yes, it's not my cup of tea, but I've followed Lady Marigold here as few times, so I've come here often."
Vivian was a regular at this cafe.
As a result, he always came here when he met with Vivian, and naturally, this became his regular cafe.
Above all, the food here was tasty.
"The cakes are very sweet and delicious. Please try some."
"Yes, you too, Duke."
As he ate the sweet cakes and drinks, Aphra's expression gradually relaxed.
‘Could we start talking now?’
In fact, he was concerned that Aphra had visited the information guild for 'business'.
Of course, he didn't think Aphra was carelessly running his mouth.
If he had said something forbidden, his heart would have burst, and he would have died at that very moment.
[t/n He put Aphra’s heart under a curse.]
However, ...
The envelope that Aphra was holding was bothering him. The envelope with 'business plan' clearly written in the middle.
He called Aphra.
"Aphra, judging from the appearance of that envelope, I guess you came to see if you could sign a contract with the information guild...."
His guess seemed to be correct.
Seeing that Aphra’s fork froze as he was digging into the cake aggressively.
"I think it's better not to do that. If we sign a contract with them, we could be the ones taken advantage of."
"What? Us being used?"
"Usually, central nobles use messengers when they use the information guild. Do you know why?"
"Oh, no."
"They sell anything that makes money. Even fake information."
The aristocrats like gossip, but they also hate it.
It's fun to talk about others, but they consider it a disgrace to be talked about themselves.
As a result, the information guild was like rat poison to them.
“If you work with them in any way, the nobles will avoid using our couriers. They will think we’re in cahoots with them."
He’d finally finished his long explanation.
Only then did he lift his teacup and drink some tea to quench his throat.
"The duke is right."
Fortunately, Aphra nodded with a serious look, clearly understanding what Rosenta said.
Then he tilted his head.
"But why was the duke there? You said you were buying information…"
"I had the information I needed."
In fact, there was no reason for this matter to be handled covertly.
It was just information about a bug.
So, he took out the paper he had crumpled in his pocket.
It was a newspaper article that had been cut out in advance.
"I went to find information about these bugs. I feel the opportunity to promote the delivery service I mentioned has finally come."
"Are you promoting the home delivery service?"
Aphra took the paper with interest.
As time went by, however, Aphra's expression became strange.
This didn’t faze Rosenta.
He thought Aphra probably questioned how bugs could promote delivery service.
It was a natural reaction.
He had thought of all the answers to Aphra's questions beforehand.
"Duke."
"Yes."
But Aphra said something completely different than expected. Something completely unforeseen.
"This bug... Why is it here? Huh? This is weird."
It sounded as though he knew this bug.
Suddenly, Rosenta’s heart trembled. He was so surprised, there was a sudden rush of anticipation.
Pressing down on his trembling heart, he asked Aphra a question.
"Do you know this bug?"
Aphra answered very confidently.
"Yes! This is a bug that often appears in Silva every summer. It's a very difficult pest."
He said it's a difficult pest.
It was also a bug that often appeared in Silva.
If so, of course, he would know how to get rid of this bug.
"How do you kill them?"
***
He’d been talking to Aphra about various things for a while at the cafe.
It was almost exclusively business-related.
Nevertheless, they kept talking without even realizing that time was passing.
He didn't even notice that the sun was setting.
"Let's have meetings outside from now on. We’ve only met in the office or the duke's castle and today was so fun."
In the carriage, on the way back to the duke's castle, Aphra stamped his feet like a child who had been on a picnic.
Rosenta smiled at his enthusiasm.
Then he made a promise to Aphra for next time.
"We’ll come out like this next time. I'll guide you to a good place."
"Yes! I loved the place we went to today, but I want to go see other places, as well."
At that moment, Aphra smiled like a teenage boy his age.
After that, Aphra's chatter continued. He was already making plans for an appointment that hadn’t even come yet.
"Um. Where should we go? The square would be the best, right? Oh! No. Isn't there a hidden restaurant somewhere?"
‘I wonder if my ears will bleed.’
By the time such concerns arose, the coachman had announced their arrival.
"We're here."
Rosenta darted out of the wagon immediately.
He reached out his hand.
It was for Aphra, perhaps because of Silva's customs, Aphra sometimes wanted to be escorted.
Just like now.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
It wasn't until he took his hand back that he was able to get off the ride that was Aphra.
It was time to part ways.
All he had to do was go straight ahead and Aphra would turn to the left.
"Have a good evening, Aphra."
"Yes, you too, duke."
He turned his back right away.
Rosenta went inside and began to climb the stairs in the hall on the first floor.
But he stopped walking.
"Would it be better to give it to him before it melts?"
He gently lifted the cake box that he’d been holding in his hand for a while.
It was a cake he’d bought at the cafe. It wasn't, however, for him.
He bought it to give to Enoch.
He’d worked hard to cover Anna’s duties, so this was a thank-you gift.
"Should I go to the butler's quarters?"
His worries were short-lived.
He turned around immediately, to take it directly to Enoch.
He crossed the hall again.
After quickly giving it to him, he planned to take it easy.
But there was suddenly an unexpected scene.
A very colorful carriage with a golden sun on it appeared before his eyes.
"…… Your Majesty?"
He didn't believe it.
As he frowned and looked at the carriage, the window began to open.
It was as he expected.
Appearing through the open window was a brilliant, golden Theodore.
"I didn't expect to see you so soon."
Perhaps it was entertaining to see him so surprised because Theodore smiled and waved his handkerchief.
It was Rosenta’s handkerchief.
Fortunately, it seemed that the maid had handed it to Theodore safely.
‘But why...’
"Why are you here?"
"Wasn’t this handkerchief meant to tell me to come and see you?"
‘I didn't mean to come see me right away.’
Clearly, Theodore knew the meaning of sending a handkerchief and had followed through.
"I meant I’d pay you a proper visit next time, not now."
The door jerked open.
Theodore's hand popped out of the carriage and grabbed Rosenta’s forearm.
"That's why I came to see you. To have a proper visit."
Theodore smiled brazenly.
Passers-by began to recognize Theodore and bowed their heads in a hurry.
Rosenta sighed quietly.
It wasn’t ideal to be standing out there. It seemed it’d be better to get inside the carriage.
"Then I'll come in for a moment."
Rosenta grabbed Theodore's hand and quickly climbed into the carriage.
Bam.
The carriage door closed.
There was no longer anyone else's gaze. It was now a private space for two people.
Rosenta immediately changed his tone.
"Since when do you move so quickly?”
The reaction was strange.
Normally, when somebody spoke this way, Theodore responded slyly.
But Theodore didn't say anything.
He just stared at Rosenta. To the point where Rosenta felt embarrassed.
‘Does he have anything to say?’
"Your Majesty?"
Still, no answer was heard, he just looked at him.
There was a great deal of tension.
It caused Rosenta’s throat to move as he kept swallowing.
He called him again.
"Your Majesty, is something the matter with you? If so, tell me what’s going on..."
Theodore interrupted him.
"Why do..."
He closed his mouth again.
Just two syllables ended the conversation.
But his gold eyes were shaking constantly, as if he were agonizing over something.
When his eyes barely stopped trembling, Theodore's mouth opened again.
"Am I not allowed to come see you?"
That was not the case.
They often came and went to each other even if they didn't have a reason.
But This didn’t put Rosenta at ease.
Maybe because they’d known each other for a long time, there were things Rosenta knew even if Theodore didn't tell him.
‘Theodore has a lot to say to me, but he seems to be hiding it.’
Rosenta didn't intend to force him to divulge his inner thoughts, though.
He shook his head.
"No way."
Theodore smiled warmly at his reply. It was a sweet smile.
"Rosenta."
It was a call as friendly as a smile.
At his call, Rosenta also met him with a gentle look.
"I came because I thought I would be more certain if I met you."
"What would be more certain?"
"My heart."
"What?"
It was a mysterious answer.
However, Rosenta wasn't worried or anxious about Theodore like before.
If it was truly a serious problem, Theodore wouldn't be able to smile so brightly.
"I should thank him."
His relief didn’t mean Rosenta ignored Theodore’s enigmatic words.
He also asked a question.
Thinking, ‘If I keep asking questions, he’s bound to answer one of them clearly’.
"Him?"
"Yes. That obnoxious crow told me something."
‘If it’s a crow, did he mean Enoch?’
Even in this world, the crow was a bird associated with bad omens.
Therefore, Enoch was the only person who would cause Theodore to speak so ill of someone.
"What happened back then?"
"Your butler didn’t tell you?"
"No."
He kept changing the subject when they spoke of it.
If Enoch felt any signs of Rosenta asking for the story, he quickly averted the topic.
So, since he’d mentioned it, Rosenta was going to at least ask Theodore....
"I don't want to tell you either, because if I tell you about the conversation we had that time, I might be helping him."
Theodore also declined to speak.
But Rosenta didn't continue asking. Once was enough.
Rosenta nodded.
"Then I won't ask."
If neither of them would tell him, there was a good reason for that.
Not wanting to get between them and suffer, Rosenta was willing to move on from the subject.
Then he brought up another topic.
"Your Majesty, I'd rather go inside than stay like this."
"No, I have to go now."
Theodore flatly refused.
"I just came to see your face."
Rosenta couldn't believe it.
‘You came such a long way just to stay so briefly?’
He really wasn’t staying?
Even though the duke’s castle was located on the outskirts of the capital, there was definitely a distance.
"Are you really here to see my face?"
"Yeah. I only said I was taking a quick outing, so I'll have to go back in."
It was a very inefficient act.
Theodore was a person who disliked inefficiency.
Rosenta raised his brows and looked at Theodore in awe.
"That's not like your Majesty."
"I know."
It was such an unabashed admission.
New flowers seemed to bloom on that brazen, smiling face.
It was a very pretty smile.
"This really isn’t like me. But after admitting things to myself, I think I know why. Why was I the only one who didn't know?"
Theodore continued his words.
Like it didn’t matter if Rosenta understood it or not.
"Everyone else knew..."
"Your Majesty?"
"I care a lot about you. Yes, I care a lot about you."
This confession came out of the blue.
But it was only natural for friends to care about each other. Rosenta cared about Theodore and Vivian very much.
That is why he also answered Theodore as carefully as he could.
"I care for Your Majesty, too."
Theodore frowned.
He looked as if he had heard an answer he didn't like.
Then, he made a sudden declaration.
"I won't run away anymore, but I won't rush at you either."
"What?"
"It's time to take action before someone else takes you away."