After experiencing a series of strange and incoherent dreams about a piece of fried rice cake running for half a kilometre just to chase her, Kirsi jolted awake with a gasp. Worse yet, in addition to her body being flooded with sweat, her stomach also suddenly craved the terrible food. In her dream, Cedric was the one who finally managed to defeat the monster, so her desire to eat was accompanied by a desire for Cedric to buy it. Kirsi sat on the bed feeling stupid. She rubbed her face for a moment to provide temporary comfort, and then looked for clues to the time by peeking at a nearby cabinet clock. It's 8 o'clock now. How long has she been asleep?
Due to suddenly wanting something that had previously chased her throughout her dreams, Kirsi needed certain someone to grant it. Although the world setting in this novel is not on the earth that she is familiar with, many things take her world as a reference. One of them is food. And coincidentally, the only place in the capital that sold fried rice cakes and other Asian-style food was near where the Female Lead lived. Kirsi knows this place because the Female Lead has been working part-time here for a long period.
Kirsi grabbed her nightgown and hugged herself warmly before she left the room. Coincidentally she crossed paths with Cedric who had just come out of his study room in neat clothes. His black hair was combed sideways neatly, paired with a black ruffle collar shirt and ascot tie. His masculine body is tightly wrapped in the same coloured tailcoat that adds to his majesty. In his left hand, he wears a jet-black glove and an imperial clan ring on his index finger, while holding a blackwood brass (walking stick) with a silver grip. There was a gold pocket watch peeking into his chest pocket. Kirsi was stunned for a while.
"You're going out?" Kirsi asked, tilting her head.
"Yes."
Kirsi twisted the hem of her nightgown. "I… Can I trouble you a bit?"
Cedric raised his eyebrows. "What? "
Kirsi turned her face to the side as she replied, "Well if you cross the street on Maple Boulevard, can you buy some rice cake from Idalia's shop?"
Cedric was astonished, "Why me?"
Because the baby wants you to buy it!
Can Kirsi say that?
Finding that his wife looked so distressed by his joke made Cedric helpless. "Okay, okay. But I can't go home early tonight. How about you come with me and go home after eating? It just so happens that the place I'm going to is still around that location."
"Uh, are you in a hurry? I haven't showered yet."
Cedric raised his eyebrows once more. He suddenly approached her so that his whole body turned against the hallway lights casting a dark shadow towards Kirsi. His tall body made Kirsi's neck hurt every time she spoke to him.
"Let me check," Cedric whispered, then without warning, he leaned towards Kirsi and tucked his face in the crook of her neck. The tip of Cedric's smooth, cold nose brushed against the sensitive skin of her neck. Kirsi's body stiffened as the man took one deep breath and lightly kissed the side of her neck, giving a kiss as light as a butterfly's wing. Kirsi reflexively shrugged her shoulders as a form of self-protection, and she accidentally pinched Cedric's face between her neck and shoulder.
"Oh sorry." Knowing that she was too clumsy and embarrassing, Kirsi instantly shrugged her shoulders and let the man pull up.
"No need to take a shower. You smell like milk." Noble women bathed in milk and pearl powder to beautify themselves. Kirsi doesn't really smell like milk. If he's honest, Kirsi's scent is more of a fresh floral scent. He only said that because he thought that milk was a symbol of the cleanliness and beauty of women.
"Smell like milk?!" For some reason, it ended up sounding like an insult to Kirsi.
Cedric poked Kirsi's furrowed forehead with his index finger and said, "No need to change, just wear a long and warm robe."
Kirsi didn't get angry and immediately went to find her robe in the room. She randomly grabbed a black hooded robe with thick fur around the neck. When finished she went straight with Cedric to the front door. Alruna was ready with Frederick in their warm robes. Both of them looked a bit surprised to see their madam. Frederick instantly looked at Cedric to ask, but his master seemed unwilling to explain. He only nonchalantly let his wife enter first in the horse carriage.
Alruna moves to put another black robe on Cedric's body, but since her Master is too tall, it's a bit difficult for her to reach his shoulders how tall she is on tiptoe. Frederick piously took over Alruna's work and asked Cedric while putting on his robe. "Are you sure you want to take Madam? Why so suddenly?"
"It's just a simple inspection. After all, I won't be the one to do it."
Frederick grumbled, "But still the place we are going to check is a problematic area."
"She wants to eat something there."
Frederick was still nagging, "Can't someone buy one for her?"
Cedric sighed lazily, "She wanted me to buy it."
No matter how much Cedric explained, despite not saying anything afterwards, Frederick still looked disapproving.
Cedric added irritably, "She's having food cravings. Satisfied?" He didn't want to end up being the bad guy here.
"Food cravings?" Frederick gaped. He looked surprised and increasingly disapproved. "Isn't that even more dangerous!?"
"I'm extremely strong, I can protect her. So don't be noisy." Cedric removed Frederick's disapproving face from his view and ran after Kirsi into the horse carriage. Leaving Frederick who couldn't understand everything and Alruna who was trying to hold back her laughter.
The drive to the estate on Maple Boulevard didn't take much time. They first arrived at a typical food stall which was simple and quite crowded. The presence of Kirsi and Cedric attracted quite a lot of visitors' eyes.
Kirsi took a seat at the long bar opposite the chef. Meanwhile, Cedric went to a table by the front door where a man in super ordinary clothes was sitting comfortably. Kirsi took the glass of water the maid had handed her and drank it while she was still looking back trying to identify who the blonde man was.
A second later, Kirsi almost choked on her drink.
Haish, isn't that the Grand Marshal?!
Why would that man come to a food stall like this in such super casual attire?
The gaping Kirsi accidentally met the Marshal's gaze. Kirsi panicked, but she wasn't so clumsy as to instantly cast her gaze elsewhere. Instead, she flashed a friendly smile to cover her embarrassment.
The Grand Marshal wiped off the remaining oil in his mouth as he asked Cedric in awe, "Your Highness, isn't that your wife?"
"Yeah. You're still as forgetful as ever, Brother." Cedric chuckled softly as he raised his glass of beer.
"Sorry I didn't make it to your wedding." Alastair raised his beer too and the two of them toasted each other.
"No need to think about it. We got married suddenly, who is to blame if the guest doesn't have time to come?"
Alastair took the toasted rice cake from his plate and placed it onto Cedric's empty plate. He said back, "The youngest daughter of the Evanders, huh?"
Cedric nodded, "Right."
Alastair sighed softly, "I hope this is the marriage you want."
Cedric chuckled until his canines showed. He shook his head deliberately, "There's no need to worry. My father doesn't interfere in this marriage."
Alastair nodded. His free hand reached forward and ruffled Cedric's hair affectionately. "I don't want to be too tough on you. But because I have faith in you, I will scold you more often in the future."
"No worry. "
"Go. Look after your wife first. Our business can still wait."
Alastair tried to push him away by lightly kicking Cedric's leg under the table. But his cousin didn't go away but looked behind and called his wife casually, "Kirsi."
Kirsi, whose mouth was still full of fried rice cakes, turned her head with puffy cheeks that looked like a squirrel hiding its grain. Kirsi raised her eyebrows representing a question she couldn't say because her mouth was full.
Cedric said, "Come here."