Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 297

TN: Please read my translations only on my website since I never give my permission to any site to host my translations. And if you like my translations, please support this site on Ko-fi and Patreon to read several chapters ahead!

Sponsored chapter by our Patreon. Enjoy~

ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 297 – Indulgent for Once

And not long after, Ain returned to the mansion.

In one of the rooms, Olivia stared intently at a stack of documents, her finger pausing on one particular report.

“—Oh, Olivia-sama? Is something the matter?”

“I found a report that caught my attention. I’m sorry I stopped working while helping you…”

“Not at all, but what were you reading? Ah! The murals found at the Heim ruins?”

“…It seems to be a report from a child who was Ain’s classmate from the Duke Fors family.”

“That’s amazing, isn’t it? Apparently, it was meaningful because it resembled you, Olivia-sama, so they copied it down.”

Lili’s attitude was perfectly normal, as always. There was absolutely no hint of any deeper meaning in her words.

She had merely glanced at Olivia’s work while handling her own tasks.

“Hey, may I ask just one thing?”

“Yes?”

“Has this report been delivered to Warren, too?”

“Ah, no, it hasn’t been delivered there. Since it was something I could handle, it didn’t reach His Excellency… Warren-sama. Is there something wrong with that?”

Not understanding the intent of the question, she asked back.

“Oh, that’s a relief.”

Olivia abruptly tore a sheet of paper.

Though the mural report remained, she tore through the reports she had reviewed, one by one.

“Wh-what are you doing!? Olivia-sama!?”

“Are there duplicates of these? Are there?”

“There aren’t any. Wait, huh? No, no, no! Why are you suddenly doing this?”

Olivia continued tearing, but at a certain point, she stopped.

Lili was bewildered by the melancholy, nostalgic expression on Olivia’s face.

“Lili. Forget what you just saw here. Forget these reports ever existed. Understand?”

“…I cannot comply.”

“Why not?”

“I have a duty to retain information. Therefore, even if it is Your Highness’s wish…”

Then, Olivia approached Lili, who was seated at the desk, and said, “Then—”

Meeting her gaze, Olivia looked at her with a lustful expression that no common town girl could imitate and that not even Krone and the others could replicate.

“In the name of Olivia von Ishtalika, I issue a royal decree. Regarding the report I requested, you are forbidden to speak of its existence to anyone except when His Majesty or Ain demands answers. Understood?”

“Why? Why issue a royal decree over some wall painting?”

“You haven’t answered my question. Which is it?”

“I couldn’t possibly refuse. Saying it’s only forbidden to speak of it when His Majesty or Ain-sama intervenes is far too convenient. That’s far too convenient.”

“Fufu. Thank you. I’m glad you’re so understanding, Lili.”

Lili thought. Olivia’s actions were a bad move.

If she really wanted to keep it a secret, she should have hidden this information with small, repeated maneuvers instead of using a royal decree.

But she probably disliked the potential cracks that could appear.

Therefore, she took the quickest route and used the Royal Decree to ensure that only Ain and Sylvird could intervene.

“I’d like you to discreetly pass along a message. Tell Leonard-kun to not discuss the information gathered during the investigation carelessly…”

“…Fine. But is it really necessary to protect it this much? It’s just a mural, after all. Are you saying that painting was by Olivia-sama?”

“There are things that should be known and things that shouldn’t. You’ve handled countless covert missions, Lili. You understand the meaning, don’t you?”

It was still puzzling.

It was just a mural. Even if it depicted someone who looked like Olivia, no one in their right mind would draw any conclusions.

Olivia married into the Heim family, but she was clearly not old enough to be in a mural.

Lili had experienced countless things she couldn’t accept before, but today was the first time she encountered something this baffling.

“Does that mean I can’t tell Ain-sama either?”

She asked suddenly, testing the waters.

“Then—”

“Yes, of course.”

“I see, I see. So that’s how it is.”

Olivia was royalty, too, after all.

She had an imposing presence, as if she were standing before Ain—or perhaps it was Ain who resembled her.

After swallowing hard, Olivia returned to her work with a calm expression.

She quietly moved away from Lili and sat on the sofa at an angle so Lili couldn’t see her face.

Soon, she cast a nostalgic gaze toward the illustrations in the report.

“How nostalgic.”

The whisper, like a sigh, didn’t reach Lili. It vanished along with her lustrous aura.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The next morning, Ain was at it as usual, tackling paperwork before sunrise.

It was a happy moment, though, savoring the jam at breakfast and knowing he had made it himself—a taste of the finished product.

In the small study within Ain’s private quarters, the two sat side by side, enjoying a leisurely moment.

“…Hey, Krone?”

“What is it?”

Krone spread Balt strawberry jam lavishly on her bread, her cheeks melting with delight.

Pressing one cheek against her palm, she moved the spoon in her other hand in pure bliss.

This single act easily blew away her beloved’s fatigue.

Meanwhile, the clock had already struck nine, and the lively atmosphere outside the mansion began to seep in.

“Ah, Ain. A thank-you letter and some items arrived from Grandfather. What should we do?”

“Hm? A thank-you for last night?”

“Yes. What should we do?”

“…If it’s cash, I think it’d be wrong to accept it.”

“I think Grandfather thought so, too. It seems that what arrived was food handled by the August Trading Company.”

“Then let’s deliver it to the people working at the festival. Tell them the August Trading Company sent refreshments.”

The matter was handled, but last night’s incident was related to Ain and the others’ investigation.

Therefore, Ain’s judgment was just about right.

“I should probably get ready soon. It’s time for my official duties with Tigre.”

“…Ah, right. Speaking of which, I met with Duke Heim yesterday and had a talk.”

“E-eh…? Was it okay?”

“Fufu, it was fine. He’s calmed down now, after all.”

Truthfully, Ain was really concerned about Tigre’s mental state.

While their past connection played a part, he was worried that he might be overwhelmed by words again, as he had been during the meeting. But, seeing Krone’s smile, he breathed a sigh of relief. Tigre seemed calmer than he’d imagined.

“He said, ‘If the old me had been as wise as the current me, would you have accepted my proposal?’ That’s about it. Oh, and he apologized for what happened back then.”

“Ah… that sounds just like Tigre. In many ways.”

Seeing how calmly Ain responded, Krone pulled at his clothes with a sulky expression.

“When you respond so casually, it makes me a little dissatisfied, you know?”

“You want me to be jealous?”

“…To put it bluntly, yeah, something like that. Ugh! If you already knew, why did you ask?”

Still, his answer was easy to imagine.

It wasn’t self-delusion; it was unconditional trust in her.

“I can’t imagine Krone not being by my side, and I think Krone feels the same.”

Ultimately, Ain had grown stronger in matters of love compared to before.

Easily swayed, Krone blushed, stood up, and climbed onto the chair where Ain sat.

They sat face-to-face with her hands wrapped around Ain’s neck.

“Even after I said something that makes me seem like a troublesome woman, you’re still so kind.”

“I’m not kind to everyone. You’re special.”

“Liar. Ain is always kind.”

“Could you just agree that I’m especially kind to Krone?”

It was a satisfying answer.

She drew her lips close to Ain’s, nibbling him and clinging to him.

“You know, I’m actually quite good at fortune-telling.”

“First time I’ve heard that.”

“And you know what? It says you should skip your official duties today. How about it? Don’t you think it’s good fortune?”

Very good.

Her seduction was filled with a sweet, bewitching charm that made him want to forget everything and surrender completely.

Ain’s hands naturally wrapped around her back, and Krone’s body pressed close without resistance. But just before he succumbed completely, he managed to hold onto his sanity.

“…It’s a fortune I want to believe in, but maybe defying that fate would be kind of cool?”

“I’m sorry. The fortune was a lie. I just want to be with you. Is that okay?”

“―It’s not no. Rather, it’s yes.”

An attack reminiscent of a battleship’s main gun was unleashed upon his dying spirit, and Ain had already made up his mind.

No, it’s definitely a “no.” But Krone was such a formidable woman to Ain that he found himself thinking, even if just a little too late.

Seeing him like that, she said one last thing:

“Fufu—just kidding. It’d cause trouble for everyone else, and we can’t just push our selfishness through, can we?”

“Hey, isn’t it kind of sneaky to tease me like this after you’ve already conquered me?”

“Well, I wonder? But if you come back soon… I’d be incredibly happy.”

After exchanging a few final kisses, Ain stood up, still holding Krone.

She walked like a prince carrying a princess in a fairy tale and sat Krone down on the sofa.

“Is it okay if I work in Ain’s room like this?”

“Sure, feel free to use it however you like.”

“Then I’ll take my nap here, too.”

Ever since Ain returned to Strohm, Krone had become more clingy.

While Ain welcomed it wholeheartedly, it was difficult not to feel overwhelmed by it, especially on days like today.

Then, after putting on his coat, Ain met up with Tigre just outside the mansion.

He walked alongside Tigre, who looked weary from the long journey. He offered him comfort as they headed to work.

If you like my translations, please support me on Ko-Fi and subscribe my Patreon to read several chapters ahead!