The Guardian Knight of Affection-Starved Young Ladies - Chapter 137



136 – Le Calin (03)

137.

“Is it okay to have dessert right away?”

“I’m fine… I always liked snacks… But… I wonder if you’re okay with it, my lord…”

The main street of Mland.

Kalen and Daphnis walked there, hand in hand.

The river flowing long along the road was something Daphnis loved.

Walking aimlessly with Lichesa in the cool breeze would blow away any fatigue.

A place she sought when tired from work.

It’s important to work hard, but taking breaks in between is also necessary.

But Daphnis had no time to look at the river she loved so much.

Ha, ha.

Like the sound a beast makes when it feels good.

Daphnis kept exhaling heavily, as if she had become a beast herself.

The reason was Kalen, holding her hand.

The pleasant feeling that made her head go blank, making it impossible to gather her thoughts.

She loved the river on this main street so much.

But she thought it was a waste to even turn her gaze towards it.

Daphnis placed a small fist on her chest and barely looked to the side with trembling eyes.

Daphnis and Kalen are holding hands, heading to eat something they both like.

Something they had only imagined doing when they couldn’t sleep.

Daphnis hurriedly lowered his gaze and took a deep breath.

Maybe even eating his favorite chocolate dessert wouldn’t be a big deal.

Daphnis glanced at Kalen and thought that it might be okay.

“I’m fine.”

“Then… let’s go eat right away…”

Dessert is a snack.

It focuses more on taste than nutrition.

It’s the reason why it attracts the attention of young ladies, and it’s hard to eat it early in the morning.

But Daphnis took four hours just to get dressed.

They met not in the early morning, but in the afternoon just past noon.

It means there’s no big burden in eating a snack.

So when Kalen suggested eating dessert right away, Daphnis nodded.

Holding hands like that, they headed to Daphnis’s favorite chocolate dessert shop.

*

“So, that young master yesterday…”

“Sigh, my younger brother is so immature, it’s a worry…”

“Right? After taking a manners class once…”

“Let’s eat this and then go look at clothes…”

The atmosphere was rather noisy.

If the voices of the young ladies filling the chocolate dessert shop weren’t pleasant to hear, that would certainly be the case.

The giggling of the young ladies echoed here and there.

Because of that, Kalen, who opened the door to the dessert shop, paused for a moment.

“…There are more people than I thought.”

“Chocolate desserts are the most popular snack among young ladies right now… but there should be seats upstairs.”

The chocolate dessert shop was crowded.

Kalen, who had also been to the honey milk dessert shop earlier, was surprised at the difference.

It was amazing that there was such a big difference between shops offering similar snacks.

“…Understood.”

Kallen nodded quietly.

Then he fully stepped into the shop.

“The guide should be coming to greet us…”

The shop was so spacious that it warranted the expression “coming to greet.”

Seeing that there was even an upstairs, it was understandable why it was said to be the most popular among the young ladies.

There have been quite a few desserts in the empire’s history that captivated the young ladies of the social circles.

Until recently, it was milk desserts, and at other times, it was tea with a refreshing floral scent.

There were also round, bite-sized cookies that were sweet enough to make your tongue tingle.

Now, chocolate desserts had taken that place.

As Kallen nodded and stepped further inside, the surrounding noise lowered.

The voices of the young ladies exchanging everyday stories grew quieter.

When Kallen turned around, the young ladies quickly turned their heads.

They whispered something among themselves in voices that could be heard.

Had he broken some rule unique to this place?

As Kallen was pondering this, Daphnis, as if sensing his thoughts, chuckled.

“You haven’t done anything wrong, sir.”

“Then…”

“It’s just curious. Gentlemen usually don’t like places like this.”

Hearing this, Kallen looked around.

Here a young lady, there a young lady.

The seats inside the shop were filled with young ladies.

“Of course, it’s rare for gentlemen to come to a dessert shop like this… and also…”

Daphnis glanced at Kallen’s face and then slowly turned her eyes away.

“…It’s nothing…”

“…”

As Kallen and Daphnis waited at the entrance like that.

A woman who looked like a guide hurriedly walked over.

The woman seemed urgent, and as she got closer, they could hear her panting.

“Huff… Huff… Lady Daphnis… I’m sorry. As you can see, many other young ladies have also come, so I am late…”

“I’m fine.”

If the guide knew the guest’s name.

It was a vague indication of how often Daphnis had visited this place.

Daphnis smiled at the guide who bowed deeply.

“Still… I can’t keep making the young master wait like this, so I’d appreciate it if you could guide us quickly.”

“Ah…! Yes, yes! There are no seats on the first floor, so would it be alright to take you to the second floor?”

“That’s fine.”

“Then I will guide you…!”

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Kallen watched the guide, who bowed deeply once again, turn around and lead the way, and whispered quietly to Daphnis.

“They know your name.”

“Hik…!”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“If you whisper in my ear, it startles me…”

Kallen, who had moved a little away from Daphnis’s ear, whispered again.

Daphnis, who had calmed down, answered with her hands clasped to her chest.

“This is the main street of Mland.”

“Is there a connection?”

“Of course. There are so many young ladies walking around this street. To keep such a good spot, it’s very important to cater to the young ladies’ moods.”

Daphnis looked at the guide’s back and smiled bitterly.

“They must make a lot of money… but it’s not an easy job. Most of them are precious daughters of noble families, and if rumors spread in the social circles about poor hospitality…”

Knowing Daphnis’s name.

Was the overly polite attitude because of that?

Daphnis is the heir to the Marquis of Lecalin.

Most of the young ladies who visit here are like her, if not as much.

Is it not just about serving delicious snacks?

Kallen nodded as if he understood.

Following the guide up to the second floor, there were still quite a few empty seats.

It felt excessively few for an afternoon just past noon.

The important thing was that there was a place for Kallen and Daphnis to sit.

The guide looked at the few remaining empty seats and guided them to the most secluded spot.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“No, Daphnis. So, what would you like to order?”

“Hmm…”

As Kalen and Daphnis sat down, the guide knelt to take their order.

Daphnis looked at Kalen, but Kalen, who didn’t even know what kinds of desserts were available, shook his head.

Nodding, Daphnis spoke to the guide.

“Cake and pie, iced chocolate, and drinks, please. Make everything a little less sweet, and don’t freeze the iced chocolate too cold.”

“Understood. Please wait a moment.”

The guide, having taken the order, bowed and left.

Thanks to her consideration, they were seated in a relatively quiet spot, so Daphnis’s words were well heard.

But they couldn’t engage in lively conversation.

Daphnis kept hiding his hands under the table and avoiding Kalen’s gaze.

Then, a glance.

Whenever their eyes met, he quickly turned away.

Kalen quietly watched him, then looked at the guide who had come back with a tray full of desserts.

“Enjoy your meal.”

“Thank you.”

“Pardon…? Ah…! Th-thank you…!!”

Was it that he wasn’t used to hearing words of thanks?

The guide, who had bowed several times at those words, left.

Daphnis was seen staring blankly at the chocolate dessert.

Then, awkwardly smiling, Daphnis spoke to Kalen.

“Try the drink first… my lord…”

Listening to Daphnis’s words, who said it was good to start lightly.

Kalen picked up the drink with a faint chocolate scent and took a sip.

It wasn’t as sweet as he thought.

Of course, it was sweeter than honey milk, but it wasn’t sweet enough to furrow his brows as he had expected.

Surprisingly, it was quite palatable.

That was Kalen’s first thought after tasting the chocolate dessert.

“How is it…?”

Daphnis, seemingly having forgotten to eat, fiddled with his cup and cautiously asked Kalen.

“Sweet.”

“Ah…”

“Delicious.”

“…I’m glad.”

Only then did he naturally smile and bring his cup to his lips.

It was Daphnis who had asked if he would like to have some chocolate dessert.

At that time, Daphnis, thinking he had to create an opportunity somehow, promised without considering Kalen’s taste.

So he was worried.

Wouldn’t this chocolate dessert be to his liking?

As if to confirm his thoughts, Daphnis, who began to eat the chocolate dessert comfortably, looked genuinely happy.

He scooped out the cake with a utensil and ate it modestly, covering his mouth.

His faint smile, with his mouth covered and chewing, was pretty.

Kalen quietly watched him and then scooped out a pie with his own utensil, which he hadn’t touched yet.

When Kalen, who had only been drinking, showed interest in the dessert for the first time, Daphnis watched him.

Kalen, who had scooped out the pie, held it up.

But the hand was not directed towards Kalen’s own mouth.

“…Sir…?”

Daphnis’s mouth.

The small lips that had been diligently chewing the cake.

The chocolate pie that Kalen had scooped out was headed there.

“This, this is…”

“You like it a lot.”

“…”

Anyone could see that Kalen was feeding Daphnis himself.

Daphnis looked at the scene.

Gulp.

Even though he had swallowed everything in his mouth, he gulped dryly.

He wanted to ask why he was feeding him.

But if he did, it seemed like Kalen would withdraw his hand.

Gulp.

Gulp.

Daphnis stared at it with trembling eyes.

“Haa…”

Closing her eyes tightly, she neatly tucked her side hair behind her ear.

She eagerly accepted the chocolate dessert that Kallen fed her.

It was sweet.

The same dessert, but incomparably sweeter.

Daphnis felt her ears getting hot as she diligently chewed the pie.

At that moment.

Tap…

“Huh, uh…?!”

Something touched the corner of Daphnis’s mouth.

Startled, Daphnis swallowed the pie and opened her eyes wide.

She saw Kallen casually wiping something off her own mouth.

“Eat slowly, Daphnis.”

“…”

The chocolate dessert she ate that day.

It was so sweet, she couldn’t forget it.