We were supposed to return to Triste that day, but I ended up being bedridden for the next three days. I had collapsed after fulfilling my important mission of protecting Princess Griselda, and according to the doctor, it was a cold caused by extreme exhaustion. My mother-in-law said that the fatigue from the incident might’ve been compounded by my working too hard on producing bonbonnières.
I received a thank-you letter from the queen. She wrote that she was very pleased with the bonbonnière she had received from Princess Griselda, thanked me for protecting her daughter, and praised my courage. It was a courteously written letter, and much to my relief, there was no mention of blame. The newspaper featured a picture of the queen smiling and holding a bonbonnière on its front page, bringing the Lakeside Duck Bakery to its greatest level of fame yet.
Gabriel, however, was struggling due to the many people trying to visit him.
“We need to go back to Triste as soon as possible, then,” I said.
“This is the first time in my life that I’ve wanted to return to that land sooner,” he muttered.
“Let’s go home.”
We left the inn that had housed us during our stay in the capital. Thanks to Gabriel’s teleportation magic, the return trip only took a second. After being gone for so many days, as soon as I breathed in the air at the slime duke residence, I felt at ease.
“Nothing beats home,” I said. Even though I’d only been here for a little over a year, I felt as safe here as I had when I’d lived with my family.
I noticed Gabriel and my mother-in-law smiling at me.
“Um, did something happen?” I asked.
“No, I’m just very happy to hear you call this place home,” said Gabriel.
“You think of this place as your home, don’t you?” asked my mother-in-law.
“Yes, I do,” I replied.
Gabriel hugged me, while my mother-in-law jumped for joy.
Without me noticing, Triste had become my homeland. I wanted to cherish the people I’d met and the things I’d found here. I truly believed that.
Nestled in the warmth of Gabriel’s embrace, I realized how incredibly happy I was.