Chapter 36: Her and Feeding

When it was finally okay to eat breakfast, I tried moving my blanket-covered body to get off the bed. The food was prepared on top of the table, so I thought to at least transfer towards it. 

However, just when I moved to separate myself from Freed, an electric shock-like pain traveled to my hips.

「Uuu!!」
「Lidi, don’t force yourself.」

Reflexively pining my hips down, Freed reached out his arms and encircled them on me once again.
The pain made me lean down on Freed and take out a rough breath.

It hurts……

Somehow, the soreness of my whole body felt worse than it felt when I woke up. 
It made my eyes teary. I looked up at the reason for my pain, but Freed averted his eyes instead. 

His face is red.

I knitted my eyebrows at his out-of-place reaction. 

……Umm, I’m actually mad you know?

「……Freed?」
「Sorry, Lidi’s teary eyed face was just too cute……」
「……」

Just who do you think made me unable to move from too much pain?
I glared at him with a pout but he just patted my head while continuously muttering ‘cute, cute’.

Stop it.

「Your Highness……」

I looked over my shoulder as a calm voice reached my ears. Clara was holding a plate out to Freed.

Small portions of the laid-out breakfast were on the plate.

「Your Highness, in consideration of the Princess’ state, I thought that it would be better to eat as it is for today. I am the only one on the scene to witness as well」

The capable Head Court Lady suggested and Freed agreed.

「That’s right, that would be better. Lidi, you don’t have to force yourself to move. It would be a bit ill-mannered but let’s eat our breakfast on the bed.」

Freed accepted the gold plate from Clara. Unintentionally, my eyes followed it.

Freed noticed my movement and slipped out a laugh.

He picked out an already peeled grape from the plate and brought it closer to my lips.

「Here, say ‘aahh’.」

　Bite.

「！！」

I bit the offered grape without any questions.
I was entranced by the fresh taste that was spreading in my mouth.

Aaa, the fruits from the royal palace is different as expected.

My house, the duke’s residence, gives me delicious meals but as one would expect, the royal palace’s meals are more extraordinary.

I chewed the fruit until it was okay enough to gulp it down. Because of the grape, I felt the sensation of hunger get stronger.

Wanting to eat more, I stared at Freed steadily. He snapped out of his daze and hurriedly offered me one more.

「……Here」

Bite.

Yum…… My lips loosened into a smile as I deeply felt happiness.　

I placed both my hands on my cheeks as I was

immersed in the taste of the grape. And then I noticed, for some reason Freed was quivering beside me.

What??

「Freed, what’s the matter?」

When I called out and asked him a question, the Freed that was gazing down became red and covered his mouth with his palm.

「No…… I wouldn’t have thought that you would obediently eat it…… Speaking of, Lidi, what’s with that face!! You’re too cute!! Just how far are you going to push me over!?」

「Push you over……I mean I can’t move anyway so if you’re going to feed me, then I will eat.」

I don’t know what he was agonizing himself about but, he seemed to be pleased by this situation of him feeding me.

I inclined my head at Freed’s unusual tastes.

As for me, it doesn’t really matter if I was fed or I feed myself instead.　　

It might sound strange but, I was already used to this kind of activity, therefore, I didn’t really think of it as something embarra.s.sing.

「……then, what would you like to do? I don’t mind either way though…… If you’re going to feed me anyway, I’d like to eat that salad next.」

I did not intend to restrain myself. I told my desire as it is. 
While sporting a complicated face, Freed spoke.

「……Of course I’ll feed you. But Lidi, I wanted to ask you something. Don’t tell me, you’re used to this kind of thing?」

I continued to munch on the salad as I nodded at Freed’s question, having no idea what his intention was.

I virtuously gulped down the food before I recalled the memory and told him.

「Yeah, I guess so. Will seemed to like feeding me. He would always feed me after I return home from an evening party and was too tired to move.」

It was when I was completely exhausted and couldn’t bring myself to eat. And during that time, Will would take care of me heroically. ‘Eat properly’ he would say with an expressionless face. 
　
I think that was almost already like a parent bird.

「……Who’s Will?」

Freed asked in a small voice.

「??I think Freed already knows him but he’s this kingdom’s magic division commander. As a matter of fact, he’s actually my childhood friend.」
「……Hooo, he is hmm」

I revealed Will’s affiliation as an answer. From the rumors, it seems that that they have a trusted relations.h.i.+p, so naturally, Freed would know (him).

Without noticing Freed’s steadily softening voice, I hurriedly picked what food I want to eat next.

He brought the sandwich closer to my mouth silently.  I was instantly pleased as I took a bite.

Ah, this egg sandwich is superb.

「Delicious」

I’m relieved at the existence of mayonnaise in this world. When I first

first realized that there is mayonnaise, it made me want to jump up and down from the joy it brought.

Possessing the memory of my past life wouldn’t let me pardon a world without mayonnaise. If mayonnaise didn’t exist, I surely would be an evangelist and spread the greatness of mayonnaise in the world!!

Mayonnaise is indispensable in an egg sandwich.

The flavorful taste of the mayonnaise made me comprehend that it was handmade.

As expected!! As expected of the royal palace’s chef!! I certainly would like to meet them firsthand and express my compliments.

As I was deeply enjoying myself in the taste of the food, I didn’t realize the change in Freed’s words.

Like an interrogation, he kept on asking questions one after another.

「That’s rea.s.suring to hear. The head chef will surely be delighted as well ……and then, Lidi. That childhood friend refers to the eldest son of the Pejegreeni Duke’s House, right?」
「Yup. My father wouldn’t really let anyone get near me, that is why he’s my only childhood friend.」

Although I do have female friends as well, other than Will, I have no one with a relations.h.i.+p that was as long as I’ve had with him.

「You just said ‘evening party’, didn’t you? Lidi, were you attending evening parties?」

I bite into the next meal that was brought to me.

「Hm? Ah, yeah. From time to time. When I couldn’t refuse an invitation, Will escorts me and I attend. I didn’t want to meet with the royal family so we would leave early though.」

In the end, I still ended up in this situation though.

「……Hmmm, he escorted you hmm……did you perhaps attend Duke Muller’s hosted evening party?」

When I heard the word Duke Muller, I instantly remembered the time I scurried back home.

I frowned at the unpleasant memory.

「Aaaa!! That time was the worst. They didn’t announce that a royalty would attend and since they eagerly requested my presence, I attended. And then the host suddenly said that Freed will be coming as a surprise guest.」
「……Is that so. That’s why you went home. That’s right, I haven’t met Lidi at an evening party even once.」

‘If we did meet I surely wouldn’t let you go’ Freed muttered but I completely ignored him and asked for another dish.

Freed breathed a sigh at the sight of my uninterested att.i.tude and gave me the food I asked for.

The insistent questions continued.

「……Then, at that day, Will fed you as well?」
「??I wouldn’t remember every single thing about it ……?」

When we were returning home, we were both exhausted that’s why my memory of that time was fuzzy.

I wouldn’t possibly remember if Will was feeding me food or not.

That was what I thought, but Freed was nodding head while looking as if he comprehended something.
br>
comprehended something.

「You were doing it enough for you to not remember……Yup, I should discuss this with him at least once.」
「……Are you satisfied?」
「Hmm?」

I was worn-out from his continuous questions. I then thought of teasing Freed a bit as I looked at his face.

「Hey, Freed have been talking about Will since a while ago and it’s tiresome.  Don’t tell me, you’re jealous?」
「……!!」
「Hmm?」

His face reddened once again and became at a loss for words. I stared at his reaction in puzzlement.

I wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction from him and it made me dumbfounded.

「Freed?」
「……That’s right」
「?」
「……Aaaa, hearing it from the person herself is quite intense」

He looked up and gave out a huge sigh while combing his hair upwards. Afterwards, he laughed in a troubled face as he looked at me.

「……I’m telling you I’m jealous. You might think of me as someone without composure but, monopolizing Lidi at a time where I wasn’t present is something I can’t forgive.」
「……Haaa」
「What’s with that indifferent reaction. Did you understand? I want to tear him from limb to limb, is what I’m saying.」

I’d be bothered if you say that. I can’t do anything about it and I think nothing of Will. 

Besides――――

「I mean, it was already decided that Freed and I will be married in half a year’s time, isn’t it?」

On top of that, the ‘King’s Flower’ was given to me. You strongly appealed yourself to me already, what are you even insecure about. 

「It’s not something I can explain. I just feel displeased about it. I don’t want any guy to get close to Lidi.」
「Haa……Haaa」

He clasped my hand as he looked at me with an intense gaze.

My line of sight moved somewhere else as I couldn’t handle returning his gaze. At that moment, I saw Clara’s form and then remembered that it was just not the Freed and I in the room.

「F……Freed！！The Head Court Lady！！」

Now, since I declared such, she silently bowed her head.

「Princess, by all means, please do not mind my presence」

I would mind！！

The excellent head court lady did not once change her facial appearance. I was honestly in-awe of the court lady’s professional att.i.tude, however aside from that, please make Freed stop.

He stared at me intently as he draws himself close. If I don’t do anything right now, he will surely devour me again！！

「Food！！I want to eat！！……Alright? Feed me more food?」

I will use everything I can use. I looked at him with upturned eyes that were slowly tearing up. Freed became fl.u.s.tered in reaction as expected.

「Lidi……that’s unfair. You’re doing that on purpose aren’t you」
「……What is？」

I tilted my head as cute as Icute as I can while I looked at him pointedly. He quickly averted his eyes.

Of course I am self-aware.

I laughed with a ‘hehe’ as I strayed away from the topic. Freed widened his eyes in earnest and said ‘It can’t be helped’.

「……Haaa……Alright, let’s continue eating. But Lidi, don’t ever let Will feed you again, okay?」
「mmhmm……I’ll try my best」

I couldn’t promise him definitely, prompting me to say something similar to a politician somewhere. Freed pulled my cheek because of that.

It hurts.

「Rely on me on times like that. From now on, I will be the one to escort you, isn’t that simple?」
「Is that so? Aren’t you busy?」

Freed shook his head at me as I said that he shouldn’t force himself to do so.

「Since I’m Lidi’s fiancé, it’s a given. I won’t entrust it to any other man. I will attend all the evening parties that Lidi can’t refuse.」
「But, I don’t attend much anyway so you don’t have to worry about it.」

It seems that I was already treated as a rare animal to the public because of my low attendance rate in evening parties. I didn’t think to go out of my way to turn their opinion back at this point.

Yet, Freed shook his head.

「It’s not for the purpose of your low attendance, it’s for my own reason. Therefore, be obedient and let me escort you, okay? Moreover, since you’re my fiancée, evening parties that you should attend will surely increase.」
「……Now that you mention it」

So far, I’ve been using my ‘illness’ as a reason to stay indoors and away from parties but evening parties hosted by the royalty are a lot. My current standpoint will absolutely require me to attend such. The rumor about my weak condition will be out in the open for sure.

As I became crestfallen to realize such, Freed that was looking at me hugged me closer.

「Hey, I want to flaunt Lidi to everyone……Though the feeling of not wanting to show you is of the same extent.」

‘That’s why let’s do our best’ Freed said in an absent-minded whisper.

「……Then, will you wear your uniform again??」
「Of course, if Lidi wishes for it. I won’t let you sleep in exchange though, alright?」

When he coaxed his desire for a reward, the implicit implications of our deeds yesterday came back to me and made me blush.

Even though I had already reflected on the results of my actions, for some reason I gave a small nod and did not disagree.

「Fufu, good girl」

My reaction made his mood thoroughly joyful and prompted him to laugh in a delighted manner.

And like that, I stayed in his embraced as it is while he continued to feed me breakfast.