Chapter 18: CH 18

As soon as I arrived at the bakery, I went inside faster than anyone else.

“Hah,hah… You still have the cookie set, right?”

“Oh, what should I do…….it’s sold out.”

Oh, my God!

In the end, should I go back without buying snacks for Leon?

I stared at the display case with a sullen expression.

“Well, that little girl. Or do you want me to show you another set of cookies?”

“Yes, show us right away! It doesn’t matter how much it costs.”

I flashed my eyes and shook my head quickly.

It’s a gift for Leon, so the price is not important.

The clerk asked for a moment and went inside.

“Here you are, little girl. Whoo.”

What she brought out was a huge set of cookies.

The big box was full of cookies.

“There are people who buy this…?”

No matter how urgent I look. Are you thinking you found a pushover?

Who would buy that much?

“Give it to me. It’s better than not enough.”

Me. It’s me.

I’m a pushover. I liked the amount of cookies Leon would have left over for days.

“You really are going to buy it……?”

What do you bring it and ask me back with a surprised expression?

“Yes, please.”

If Leon can’t finish it alone, he can share it with the knights.

There wasn’t much time.

“Or, there’s something else…….”

“I don’t have time right now. I think you can just give me this.”

“I’ll prepare it for you right away!”

The clerk’s face turned bright. The price seems to be quite high.

“Oh! This is a one-of-a-kind cookie set, so it comes with a gift.”

“No, you don’t have to give me that.”

I declined immediately. The clerk took out the little teddy bear in his hand and put it back.

Hmm? Oh, my.

I grabbed the clerk’s hand and shouted.

It was pretty cute holding the red heart.

“Oh, my lady. You’re going to give the doll to Leon?”

“No, Leon doesn’t like this.”

I shook my head firmly.

“Then?”

“It’s useful. I have a very good idea.”

Is there one person who doesn’t like bear dolls?

I raised the corners of my lips and smiled at Diria.

* * *

I hastily returned to the mansion and took a deep breath.

“I didn’t expect an hour to be so short..…!”

“Fortunately, I came in on time!”

Diria and the knight also wiped away their sweat with exhausted faces.

How hard it was to get on the carriage and run to the office!

I thought it would take an hour to get to the mansion, but that’s not the right  time.

Bang!

“Huh, huh. Wow, here it is.”

I burst open the door and looked at Edgar.

‘What? Did you really look forward to it?’

That’s a relief. What if I didn’t bring this?

Edgar’s gaze rested on my hand for a moment.

I didn’t miss the moment and approached the desk.

“Here, present.”

When I opened my hand, a small, cute bear appeared.

“……this is the present now.”

“I thought you liked it because you gave me a bear.”

Edgar looked at the teddy bear on the desk. He tapped his hand and narrowed his brow.

“What do I look like?”

“A cold count?”

The teddy bear, who was sitting unevenly, eventually fell back into Edgar’s hands.

“Why? You don’t like it? If you don’t like it….”

Tak.

He snatched away the teddy bear quickly. I felt a teddy bear in his hand howling at me.

‘Sorry. It’ll be alright.’

I looked at the teddy bear pitifully and then turned away.

“Then can I go now…?”

“What did you buy him?”

“Cookies.”

“I see…”

Edgar made a meaningful expression. He looked at the teddy bear in his hand and had a pretty serious expression on his face.

I quickly left the office before being nagged.

“If you don’t like it that much, you shouldn’t have taken it. What’s wrong with the teddy bear…?”

It was a relief, though. What would you have done if I didn’t give you that?

It’s a free gift, but you won’t find out later, will you?

I was afraid of the aftermath, but he would never know.

“Ah…”

I rushed over to the knight.

It’s troublesome to tell him again.

I grabbed the dress and started running at full speed.

I felt like I was running really hard today.

I ran hard past the garden to where the knights were.

I was glad to see Leon from afar, so I raised my hand and waved it.

Oh, Leon doesn’t recognize me, does he?

Since you didn’t have a blue ribbon on my wrist, I’d better approach and reveal myself.

‘I asked to leave the cookies in the room, I’m going to close his eyes and take him!’

I smiled quietly as I imagined Leon’s expression.

The step toward the training ground soon failed to overcome the speed and became faster and faster.

There was a slight slope, but why is it going this fast……?

“Uh, uh… Too fast!”

I went down at a high speed, screaming.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…!”

“Oh, Young lady! Lady Elle, be careful……!”

“Get out of my way! Get out of my way!”

I shouted, waving my hands.

If you fall at this rate, it will be extremely embarrassing.

Why don’t we just blow ourselves into the grass?

Yeah, that’s better.

The grass is lush with flowers next to the training ground, so it may serve as a cushion.

I closed my eyes tightly and stopped rolling.

Puck! Puck!

“Huh…?”

There was a dull sound, but there was no feeling of falling.

The warm warmth and familiar body scent hugs me.

“Elle, you almost got in big trouble.”

Leon hugged me.

“Oh, my!”

Embracing myself in his firm chest, I hurriedly came to my senses and escaped.

Again, his heart pounded and loudly announced his location.

* * *

“Sorry, you’re surprised……?”

“No, rather than that, I think everyone was surprised because you ran.””

The knight rushed over and looked at me.

Was I being loved more than I thought?

I fell out of Leon’s arms and found the knight who went out with me.

I approached the knight immediately and pulled his collar.

“Young lady?”

“If you tell the count that the teddy bear is a free gift, I won’t let it go.”

“Are you going to say that….”

“It’s important. It’s very important.”

The knight opened his eyes with curiosity.

He lifted his index finger and put it on his lips, and he nodded lightly.

“Elle.”

Leon pulled me towards him and laughed.

“Yes?”

“I ran like this because I was in a hurry. Not to see Lord Ethan.”

I faced Leon’s eyes looking down at me with a soft gaze.

His touch to tidy up my disheveled hair felt very friendly. It feels like he’s dealing with something precious.

I shuddered as it tickled.

“Your hair is a mess.”

“Thank you.”

The disheveled hair soon became neat. I grabbed Leon’s hand and pulled it off with a big smile.

“I had something to tell Sir Ethan.”

“Too bad. I wish you had come because you missed me.”

Leon smiled sadly.

“Oh, oh…! Leon training is over?”

“There’s still a little bit left.”

“Really? Hmm.”

Then shall we wait patiently?

I ran and sat down on the grass.

“I’ll be waiting here, so finish!”

Leon stared blankly at me and soon took off his jacket and came to me.

He spread it out where I was sitting and then hugged me.

“Oh…”

“Your clothes will get dirty.”

Leon, who hugged me lightly, gently put me down on his jacket.

Again, I glanced at Leon with a stupid face.

Leon’s face makes me feel good whenever I see him up close.

I haven’t seen you for a day, but I feel new every time.

“But if I sit on your clothes, it will get dirty….”

“It’s okay. Even if my clothes get dirty.”

I’m fine, too.

It didn’t matter because it was only clothes.

“I’m not okay.”

I see.

I nodded modestly at Leon’s firm words.

“Most of all, this will make it easier to recognize you if I see you later.”

……Oh! That’s why.

I understood straight away. If that’s the reason, shouldn’t I feel pressured?

He made a mark that he could notice in advance in case he was confused after the training.

“Okay! Go and train. I don’t want to disturb you.”

There’s nothing better than Leon’s quick build up of his strength.

I pushed Leon on the back.