While Adeline was preparing, Felyn was walking towards the committee office, sending a message to Daiyi.

[I won't be home for dinner tonight.]

[Alright, then I'll just have to go out to eat with Bernice. Have fun with your girls. It's fine if you don't come home for the night.]

[It's not like that. It's just a normal school activity.]

Felyn put the sigil back in his pocket, then stretched his arms and body.

There had been too many things to deal with recently: contract services, the capital exams, school festival preparations, and even finding time to go to the dungeon with Zervanie.

But at least everything was moving in a good direction.

Compared to hard work, Felyn was more afraid of being lost. The feeling of powerlessness, of being unable to do or change anything, was the most terrifying.

After this school festival, it wouldn't be long until the capital exams.

Once he passed the exams at that time, he could end his current life.

"Freedom..."

Felyn shouted "freedom" as he stepped into the classroom.

The classroom was lively.

"As expected of Lady Adeline!"

"Senior Adeline, thank you!"

"I never expected such a perk. I could work all night tonight."

Several desks were pushed together, covered with desserts and cakes from the shop "Karin's Witch."

To be able to buy desserts for everyone from a super-popular cake shop that required advance reservations was something only a great noble family could do.

Adeline was that kind of great noble.

Felyn glanced at the cakes on the table but didn't take one, walking towards his seat instead.

"Felyn, you're here."

Seeing Felyn sit down next to her, Adeline licked her lips and gently rubbed the sweat from her palms.

"Mhm."

Felyn's cool response did not defeat Adeline's inner thoughts.

"I was just about to say, you don't need to get a dessert from over there," Adeline said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, but it fell back down not long after, forcing her to repeat the action.

Although Felyn found Adeline's response a bit strange, he didn't press the matter.

"Because the cake I bought for you separately is here." Adeline picked up a more exquisitely packaged dessert from the seat next to her and placed it on Felyn's desk.

She stood up and opened the package herself.

"Karin's Witch" super limited edition pudding—Sweet Trap.

The surface of the pudding had an amber-like luster, with caramel syrup slowly flowing down.

If puddings had ranks, this one would be the king of puddings.

Adeline had specifically saved this one for Felyn.

For the person she liked, she bought desserts for all the students in the classroom.

And Felyn's dessert was the most special one.

"Why is mine different from everyone else's? This will cause misunderstandings among the other students, Adeline," Felyn refused. He didn't want others to know about Adeline's feelings for him; it wouldn't be good for her.

Adeline had already anticipated that Felyn would say this.

Her mouth was slightly open, her breathing much faster.

In her world, only her own heartbeat remained; the lively classroom was reduced to just Felyn.

Shyness made her throat tighten, and for a moment she couldn't say the words she had already prepared.

Adeline closed her eyes, feeling a little hesitant.

The words I just thought of... they're probably not suitable for me after all...

But... but if I'm not more proactive, Felyn will really leave me.

The future Felyn described that night is so appealing. I want to be his wife, to spend a simple life with him.

Adeline, when did you become so weak, hesitating at a time like this?

Felyn will really leave you!

Adeline slowly opened her eyes, her gaze falling on Felyn's face.

"It's perfectly normal for me to buy a better dessert for the person I like, isn't it?"

"What...?!"

Adeline's serious and somewhat bold words to Felyn sent his brain into a standby state for a moment.

Under Adeline's gaze, it was Felyn who first looked down, a little embarrassed.

"In my heart, you are more important than anyone else, so I bought this for you." Adeline's cheeks were already burning hot. She forced down her inner shame, her gaze fixed on Felyn's eyes.

"Oh... so that's how it is. I see, I see."

Felyn didn't know what to say. For the usually composed Adeline to say such things so directly was something that had never appeared in the "Guide to Analyzing Adeline's Behavior."

And the conversation between Adeline and Felyn was accidentally overheard by Linda on the side.

She bit down on the fork she had just put in her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked at Adeline.

My sister, you're so brave!

Is this the same young lady who would usually cover her face in embarrassment when talking about love?

"Sorry, Adeline, I don't eat dessert at night. I'll get fat."

Having come back to his senses, Felyn still refused Adeline's kind gesture. He reached out and put the pudding back on Adeline's desk.

Adeline didn't insist, simply putting the pudding back in its original box and placing it back on the stool.

"I'm sorry, Felyn. I wasn't considerate enough. What do you want to eat for lunch tomorrow? I'll buy it for you, or I can make it for you. Consider it compensation for tonight."

"No need to trouble yourself, Adeline. I'm a little curious about what's wrong with you today. Did someone bully you?"

"I know what you're thinking, Felyn." Adeline lowered her head, her rose-tea colored hair curling restlessly out of shyness.

"I'm also very shy saying these things, but... but I just want to tell you what's on my mind. Is that... not okay?"

Adeline's hands tightly gripped the hem of her skirt, her grayish-blue eyes moist as she looked at Felyn with a watery gaze.

Felyn fell silent. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation.

A client had confessed to him, and he couldn't end the contract because he couldn't afford the breach penalty.

Even if the contract ended, because of the school festival planning committee, he would still have to see Adeline.

"Adeline, you know I will refuse you," he said in a low voice, looking at the others who were happily eating dessert, still unaware of what was happening.

"I know. I've confessed to you once before, and you rejected me then. But I found that I can't stand the days without you. And, I really like your vision for the future."

Adeline did not run away from her own heart.

After the contract ended last Wednesday, Adeline hadn't been able to sleep at all.

She couldn't accept the fact that Felyn was leaving her. She wanted to be with Felyn.

"This will bring you trouble, Adeline."

"What trouble?" Adeline pretended not to understand.

"Letting other nobles know that you like a down-and-out noble who sells his services... they will attack you on this point."

"What does it matter? I'll just say I fell for you because of the incident in the capital. That's a reasonable excuse, isn't it?" Adeline fiddled with the documents in her hand, not daring to look up at Felyn.

"But not many people know about that incident in the capital, right?"

The news of Adeline's attack in the capital district had been suppressed; only a few high-ranking officials knew about it.

"Exactly. So Her Highness the Princess will have my back," Adeline said with a blink, feeling a sense of relief.

If the nobles used this incident to attack the Claude family, Adeline would stand up and say she fell for Felyn because he saved her in the capital district.

And the royal family did not want the news of the attack in the capital to be known by too many people.

So the royals would step in and make this sensitive scandal slowly disappear, fading it from the public eye.

Princess Dorothy, I'll have to trouble you.

(End of Chapter)