I-it’s big!
Lord Kyros didn’t seem to mind the size, and he happily watched Toppo cut it. He accepted the piece he was given and immediately sunk his fork into it.
He had a big bite and said, “It’s good. You should definitely try it, Marie—ah, tomorrow is fine, of course.” Then he continued eating his slice.
I watched him blankly. Unlike me, Lord Kyros had missed dinner, so it was only natural he was hungry. But the spectacle unfolding in front of my eyes was so odd.
“You…like sweets?” I asked.
He replied with a question of his own. “Is there anyone alive who hates them?”
“Well, my father always drinks alcohol and never touches anything sweet. I don’t know if it’s true, but he says all men are like him.”
“I see. Truth be told, I’ve never really asked other men for their thoughts on the matter,” Lord Kyros replied. “The people of this castle and my friends all like sweets, so I’ve always assumed everyone did.”
“Toppo loves the sweets Toppo makes,” Toppo said, cutting the rest of the pie into pieces.
I started panicking and was about to insist I really couldn’t eat anything more when Toppo picked up the large plate with all the slices and left.
“…Where did he go?” I asked.
“He probably went back to his room,” Lord Kyros said. “He was just sharing a bit of his own ‘before-bed snack’ with me.”
Oh.
“He’ll probably leave a slice for you—or bake you another pie tomorrow. Either way, you don’t need to worry. You’ll get to try it too.”
I wasn’t particularly worried…
In any case, the door that led to the kitchen opened once again, and Mio returned. She carried two large trays, one in each hand.
Didn’t she say she’d go make tea?
“You took your sweet time,” Lord Kyros said. “I’m already done with dessert.”
“I’m sorry. I was making myself dinner,” she said, setting down the tray she’d been holding in her right hand. It was so heavy the table shook a little.
On it was a large plate with a gigantic omelet rice. It was even bigger than the apple pie.
“You should have just eaten with me earlier,” Lord Kyros said.
“There wasn’t enough to settle my stomach. Look, I’ve brought you some nice tea to make it up to you.”
“Oh? Ah, I see, you picked that one,” Lord Kyros said with a smirk.
I stared at the peculiar object on Mio’s other tray. It was most likely a teapot, but it looked very strange, like two teapots stacked upon one another.
“This is a caydanlik, a type of teapot from the Republic of Ypsandros. Even the poorest families have one of these at home,” Lord Kyros explained.
I titled my head in confusion and asked, “In Ypsandros, tea is more or less considered to be medicine, right? Don’t people drink coffee for pleasure?”
“Your information is a little outdated,” he replied. “After the war, the areas where coffee beans are produced passed under Diltsian dominion. With the taxes the kingdom implemented, the price of coffee rose so much that tea took over. The Ypsandrian make it in a unique way, though.”
While Lord Kyros was talking, Mio picked up her omelet rice and left, whispering a quiet “Take your time” on her way out.
W-wait… It’s just the two of us now!
I started to panic, but Lord Kyros didn’t seem to notice one bit as he continued his explanation about the double kettle. “The bottom kettle comes in contact with the heat—that’s where the water boils. Then, that heat indirectly warms up the upper teapot that holds the tea leaves. Since they get steamed slowly, their taste is more distinct.”
I hummed as I listened with interest.
“After a while, you add hot water to the upper teapot as well and wait some more. That process results in very strong tea, so you usually dilute it with hot water before drinking it. The method is quite different from the way people brew tea in the kingdom, but I assure you, it’s delicious.”
“You can use a method like this to adjust the strength of the flavor to suit people’s tastes individually,” I noted.
“Exactly. That fact makes it a technique very well suited for hosting guests. The Ypsandrians love socializing, you see. It can lead to interesting encounters. You can be out shopping and the shopkeeper will invite you to tea, or locals might say ‘I’ve never seen you around, come by my house.’ One thing is for certain: You never get to walk around quietly.”
This was my first time hearing about any of this. The books I’d read were sounding outdated. Besides, most of them were history and geography books; they didn’t talk much about the daily lives of the Ypsandrians. These were the sorts of things you’d never learn unless you actually went there.
So this tea is from Ypsandros, huh? I’m curious now.
I excitedly watched Lord Kyros pick up the upper pot and pour water from the bottom pot into it. Then, he stacked them once more and sat back down. I was confused for a second, but quickly remembered what he’d just said: We had to wait some more for it to steep.
I wonder how long it takes.
I hadn’t voiced my question, but the count read right through me. “It takes about as long as the time one would spend eating a light meal.”
In other words, quite a bit of time.
“I take it people usually start steeping the tea before they eat?”
“No. They usually sit around the pot and wait.”
“Huh?”
“I told you: The people of Ypsandros love to socialize. I imagine that’s how this way of making tea came to be. You can chat with the people you’re planning on drinking tea with while waiting. You can ask them how strong they like their tea, for instance. It’s a chance to grow closer.”
So the point was to chat…
Lord Kyros and I, chatting? Just the two of us? What should I talk about…?
I was panicking once again, yet Lord Kyros simply gazed at me fondly. He rested his chin in his hand and looked into my eyes.
“Let’s get closer, Marie. I want to listen to what you have to say.” His green eyes gleamed with mischief.
“O-o-okay…” I finally managed to say after needing some time to squeeze the words out. And though I’d finally managed to speak, my voice was weak. It felt as though I was being pulled into the depths of his eyes. I could hardly keep my head straight.
There were twenty chairs around this table, but only the two of us were sitting here. Then there was this strange teapot, and then there was him, my new fiancé.
I had no idea what to talk about, and our surroundings weren’t supplying me any ideas. He’d told me to speak, so I had to speak, but about what? I didn’t even know where to begin. I’d almost never left my parents’ territory. I didn’t know anything about any topics that might interest a count.
The same thoughts sent my mind into a whirlwind until, at long last, Lord Kyros’s deep voice brought me out of it. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I wanted you to be comfortable, but I just put you in an awkward situation instead, didn’t I?” His tone was even, but I could feel a hint of sadness. Was he talking about what’d happened with Toppo?
I shook my head. “It’s hardly your fault. As per your instructions, Mio did tell me not to worry and to only eat what I wanted. It’s just that everything was so good I couldn’t pick! I’m simply too much of a glutton.”
“Mio said my plan hadn’t worked with the dresses either. Isn’t there another reason why you were dissatisfied?”
“N-no! Not at all. Every dress you’ve given me is so beautiful, so lavish—they’re wasted on me, truly.”
Lord Kyros remained silent for a few moments before saying, “Is there something else you’re missing, then? You can ask me for anything. I’m often away because of my work, and I don’t really know what women might need or want…”
“No, I’m fine. You’ve given me more than enough already.”
“What about Hanna and Ilsa?” he asked.
My shoulders stiffened at the mention of their names. Their cold laughter resounded in my mind, but I shook my head.
“They’ve been…taking good care of me,” I said. “They’re the daughters of a family of knights and have worked in the royal palace, right?”
“Yes. I asked a friend of mine in the palace for help. I told him I was looking for humble waiting maids with good upbringings—and most importantly, ones who were loyal. You’re about to become a count’s wife and, even without me, you’re already a noble woman. I instructed them to treat you as befits your stature.”
“As befits my stature…” I repeated.
It all made sense now. They’d simply acted as he’d ordered them to. They were humble and loyal when serving royalty, and when serving me, they…treated me as I deserved.
As the daughter of a poor baron, I was only a noble woman in name. Worse, I was the defective, unwanted daughter of such a family. I’d been bought for a marriage of convenience and dressed up with trinkets that did not belong to me. I was a fake, and Hanna and Ilsa had seen right through that. A girl in tatters pretending to be a countess—I’d forgotten my place, and the two of them had reminded me of it.
They’re right.
As my head drooped, Lord Kyros smiled awkwardly and said, “Your habit to bear with things instead of sharing your problems runs deeper than I expected.”
“Huh?”
“You’ve just arrived in an unfamiliar home. There’s no way you’re not dissatisfied with anything at all. Everyone has likes and dislikes, Marie.”
“B-but, everyone has been treating me very well, and—”
“Just because people are trying to treat you well doesn’t mean you have to pretend to be delighted by everything,” he countered.
I was so shocked by the statement that I lifted my head, only to find his green eyes looking directly into mine. They were practically sparkling.