━━━━???━━━━

A sunny afternoon.

At the sound of someone knocking on the window (repeated twice), I looked straight towards it.

It was a baby squirrel whose eyes, nose and mouth were small and shiny like black beans.

‘I think Kyle sent it.’

“Come in!”

I smiled sweetly and opened the window.

Instead of the squirrel, he should have come himself.

..Was he busy?

It felt good to pet the baby squirrel, who always greeted me politely with a nod.

‘Hehe, it’s fluffy and warm.’

“Hello, sweet friend.”

I pulled out sunflower seeds and walnuts out of a small nut jar (I always kept the nuts by the window while communicating with Mr. Kyle) and handed them out.

The cheek pockets of the squirrel with black, sparkling eyes quickly became full~

With a satisfied expression, the squirrel? exchanged the sunflower seeds with a letter.

“Now, shall I see what you sent?”

I didn’t think there’s anything special that needs to be sent in a letter.

「Owner,

I’m thinking of visiting the ducal mansion in 10 minutes.

If you are busy, you can decline.

Forgive the sudden and rude visit that was not scheduled in advance.

As a cute act for the disrespect, I decided to first send a guy with chubby cheeks and fluttering cuteness.」

..Wow, even a serious stag acting cute?

‘Kyle, your cuteness while stacking egg tarts was the best.’

Of course, when asked later, he said he didn’t remember it at all (his face was red like a cherry tart).

“He’s very careful. Isn’t it?”

I laughed as I watched the cutie moving its cheeks, going?‘nom nom nom nom’.

As if understanding, the baby squirrel nodded, waving its full tail.

‘You’re the standard of the nobility.’

He was polite, cautious (he seemed to be especially more careful with me).

It would be okay to treat me a little more comfortably now.

..There’s even a cheeky chihuahua that suddenly appeared and rolled around on my bed?

It was refreshing to have a man visit me using a normal route after a long time.

10 minutes later..

Kyle kept to the time like a sword and visited the ducal residence.

“Owner.”

Emerald-colored eyes resembling coral islands were curved under the soft brown hair.

He smiled softly.

“Thank you for showing understanding for this sudden visit.”

“I couldn’t say no after seeing the act of cuteness.”

He smiled a little shyly and lowered his head. His Indian dimples were hollowed out.

‘What’s an appointment to such a handsome man? All is well.’

“It’s okay to come without making an appointment in advance. Even if I’m in this mansion.”

“..Is that so?”

“Sure! Think of it as <Little Bakery>. Of course, it’s too grandiose and spacious for a bakery, but.. Oh, anyway.”

“.....”

I raised my index finger and emphasized.

“Let’s treat it as a special favor for a ‘bread fan’!”

That way things would be done faster.

These days, Kyle decided to find the ‘snitch’ to wrap up my request.

‘Snitch’, there was nothing else I could call them.

After the two of us talked, it was concluded that only one of our confidants could report my location to Gerard.

‘Bayonaire is a very isolated island.’

It was an island that was difficult to come and go for tourism purposes, and it was rare for outsiders to come and go in the first place.

‘On that palm-sized island, if a new person had come, I would have known.’

―So, the probability that a person from El Dorado was bright enough to know that Gerard was looking for me would come and find me by accident was zero.

In the end, it’s the work of an insider .

That was the common conclusion both Kyle and I reached. It was when I was nodding my head.

“..No need to make an appointment in advance.”

Oh, wasn’t that topic a while ago?

‘Are you still thinking about it?’

Kyle smiled, bending his gentle eyes, as if he was a little moved.

“It’s great to hear, Owner.”

“.....”

“I’m happy to be able to meet you comfortably without making an appointment.”

Actually, I didn’t say it with such a nuance, but the atmosphere suddenly became ticklish.

“..It’s nothing.”

“It means a lot to me.”

For him, who had been hovering around for a long time, it was bound to be a big deal.

In the past, all he could do was hang around as either a little boy in a squirrel mask or disguised as a regular at her bakery.

“I’m glad.”

He touched his chest and smiled genuinely.

“.....”

For a couple of seconds, I stared blankly at that pretty smile.

Then a minute passed.

At that time, Kyle uttered, “Oh,” breaking the moment.

“I have found a clue to the snitch.”

“....!”

━━━━???━━━━

Annette asked in surprise.

“Is that so? If it’s a clue, you probably haven’t found the culprit yet.. Could you please tell me?”

“That..”

‘May I say it?’ The reason Kyle decided to speak up was because he knew she was waiting for him to find the ‘snitch’.

But really..

If it was really the grand duke or crown prince..

Could she not be hurt?

Kyle asked carefully.

“What will you do if you find him?”

“If I find..”

Annette’s pale green eyes darkened. She had a surprisingly cold expression on her face, a stark contrast to how she’s usually like.

“Revenge. As I’ve decided to do to Gerard.”

“.....”

The skin under Kyle’s eyes twitched slightly.

“I’ve been thinking about it for the past few days.”

“.....”

“After letting my mother go in such a vain way, I ended up only making assumptions in regret.”

She lowered her eyes and whispered.

“What if the snitch hadn’t told him where I was?”

The locket started flashing when Derkis Valienne’s life was in jeopardy, but she must have been alive at the time it gave the signal.

―Even if she was only breathing in bed.

“Then I would have met my mother in El Dorado, without Gerard’s intimidation.”

“.....”

“And since she would be alive.. Maybe I would’ve found a way to wake my mother up.. No, I’m sure I’ll have found it.”

Annette was full of conviction.

She was a person who mostly led life the way she wanted it to.

If she had an earnest goal like ‘her mother’s life’, she would have dedicated everything to achieve it.

Even if she failed and could do nothing but cry while holding her mother’s hand, which had already cooled..

..She still wouldn’t have suffered such terrible emptiness.

“It’s Gerard who took her life, but it’s the snitch that made it happen.”

“.....”

“I will hold him accountable.”

The voice was calm, but there was a very clear will.

Kyle quietly faced Annette’s frosty face.

His heart became heavy.

“.....”

‘It’s a big deal.’

He knew. What the Crown Prince Sislin and Grand Duke Heinrich meant to Annette.

‘When you find out the truth, and then you find out who it is.’

‘Can you not be hurt when you see the person responsible for your mother’s death?’

‘I’m worried about you, Annette.’

Suddenly, she erased the dark clouds from her face and smiled brightly as usual.

“Kyle, if you have a clue, please share.”

He took a step back.

“I’m sorry, but I’d like to tell you when it’s clear. It can lead to strange misunderstandings.”

There was nothing wrong with what Annette said, and it was also true that the snitch was to some extent responsible for the death of her mother.

‘—The other party probably didn’t intend it.’

Because no one knew who her mother was at the time.

But it would be cruel to Annette to make her doubt both of the people she could rely on right now.

So it was right to say at least after it was certain.

“I promise you that I will find it soon.”

She had a curious face, but she quickly responded with respect for Kyle’s decision.

“Okay.”

Kyle looked at her bright face and asked cautiously.

“What are you doing these days.. Are you okay?”

“Of course~! I am working hard just like when I first opened <Little Bakery>. I’m learning how to run the duchy, and I’m also getting used to the title of ‘Duchess of Valienne’, although I’m still clumsy.”

“.....”

“I think it’s as charming as being the owner of <Little Bakery>.”

Annette whispered quietly.

With a face like a sunny spring day.

“Also, I am preparing for my mother’s funeral. I will try to send her off as nice as I can.”

Seeing that face, Kyle was more reassured. It seemed like she was doing well.

“It’s a relief. I thought you’d always be sad when doing your mother’s work.”

“I am sad.”

“....!”

‘And here I thought you looked like you had forgotten all your sadness.’ Kyle’s eyes shook.

Still, Annette said with a smile on her face.

“However, I don’t want to lose the precious ‘today’ because I’m buried in sadness.”

“.....”

“I will live with a lot of positive smiles and happiness every day, as I have always done.”

In the instant the bright light hit her face, he had the illusion of her young face when she was a child.

Annette laughed softly.

“I will work hard at what I have to do.”

—Kyle felt it. The hard wick holding up behind her clear, bright, light-green eyes.

She was a stronger woman than he expected.

..But still, she was the girl the boy in the baby squirrel mask had admired.

Kyle felt his heart beating wildly.