Episode 23. Is this how you confess?
"What did you say, Adel? You're going to the territory? And in the cold winter, to the even colder northern Valoneck territory?"
Doran, who had been cutting his steak, widened his eyes in disbelief. Adel remained consistently calm.
"Yes. I want to check directly the effects of the pesticide imported from Coren last year on the farmland. Visiting during the off-season rather than the busy farming period seems better for inspecting the soil conditions in various ways."
"Do you really have to go all the way there yourself? Thanks to that pesticide, pests and diseases in Amuamu have been cut by more than half. Isn't that enough? Do you absolutely need to go check it out?"
"In the long term, maintaining soil fertility is the most important thing in farming. No matter how well the pesticide wards off pests and diseases, if it ruins the land, it's meaningless. So I plan to go see for myself. Plus, I recently sent a budget proposal to Balond (a region under Gray's jurisdiction in Valoneck territory) to stockpile emergency rations in preparation for the harsh winter, so I want to check if that's being properly executed. See if there are any supply issues, hear local stories, and so on."
Doran's eyes went blank. Even so, he didn't forget to push the bread basket—shoved to the edge of the table by the main dishes arriving in the center—toward Adel. It was because Adel, who showed little interest in most foods, at least ate croissants well.
"Gray! Isn't this too much? Sending Adel alone to that barren northern land?!"
Gray looked puzzled at the sudden accusation flying his way.
"Whoever hears you would think you came from the southern continent, Doran. You came from Hallock, which is even farther north than Valoneck. Why the fuss?"
"Wow, look at this wicked boss. She's already delivered way more harvest than other territories—why make her go inspect the site herself?"
Gray, who had frowned at Doran, turned his head to Adel. Strangely, in that short time, his displeased expression and tone had softened.
"Adel. If you don't want to go, you don't have to."
"No. I want to go myself."
Adel's resolve was firm. Gray shrugged helplessly and fell silent.
In truth, there was a greater, hidden reason for Adel to visit Valoneck territory beyond what she'd stated.
She wanted to go to Valoneck Castle. To that gloomy place where Autumn had died.
Going there might let her dig deeper into Hudson Valoneck's secrets related to her sister's death. No matter what anyone said, Adel was determined to go.
Doran, who had let out a short hollow laugh, now gazed at Adel with a deeply serious and regretful expression.
"Adel. Just think about it seriously once."
"No more about the territory visit…."
"No, not that."
"Then what?"
"How about working for me sometime? I can pay you three times what Gray gives. I'm serious."
"……."
Adel stared blankly at Doran, feigning disinterest, but inwardly she seriously weighed it.
If the work here became too burdensome in various ways, going to Hallock with Doran to live quietly where no one knew her….
At that moment, Gray placed a new plate next to Adel's steak dish and said indifferently.
"Doran. You really seem pretentious."
His voice was soft, but the disdainful nuance was clear.
"What're you saying? I'm serious."
"You were just raging about sending Adel to cold Valoneck. Now you're asking her to work for your family in Hallock, even farther north? How shameless."
Gray placed an unfamiliar bread—not a croissant—on the plate before Adel.
Adel and Doran blankly stared down at the bread dropped elegantly by the long white hand. Then Doran snorted dismissively.
"Who are you to talk? Hogging all the 'good boss' act while not even knowing Adel's tastes? Adel likes croissants, dude."
Gray half-ignored Doran and leaned toward Adel. Propping his elbow on the table, he rested his chin boredly. Then he whispered very softly.
"Adel. They say this bread's trending in the southern continent lately."
Adel lowered her voice in response.
"This one?"
"Yeah. Made with plenty of special butter from the southern continent plains, sprinkled with pink salt from northern continent mines. Pretty soft. Tastes as good as croissants."
Adel, leaning toward Gray to catch his quiet voice, looked down at the roll bread. It seemed rather rustic, lacking the croissants' gloss.
Gray urged subtly.
"Go on, Adel."
Adel, not one for unfamiliar foods, reluctantly picked up the bread, tore off a piece, and put it in her mouth.
Suddenly, Adel's body froze, and her dazed gaze dropped back to the bread. Gray's eyes curved in satisfaction.
"Tasty?"
"……It is."
Adel chewed the bread slowly.
Unlike its plain appearance, the bread had a refined taste. Clean yet deep flavor.
It had the signature chew of meal bread but melted softly in the mouth.
"Where can you buy this?"
"Dunno. It was on the table, so I gave it to you?"
Gray replied nonchalantly and dove into his meal. Doran, watching, furrowed his brows unpleasantly.
What the hell is that?
The other day, I clearly heard that guy hand that exact bread to Jillent himself and ask to bake it the same way?
Gray elegantly sliced his steak, heedless of Doran's sour face.
Meanwhile, having swallowed the bread, Adel voiced what had been nagging her.
"By the way, Young Master."
Gray leaned toward her again, whispering softly.
"Yeah?"
Adel blinked, puzzled, then lowered her voice too.
"Is this something Doran shouldn't know about?"
"What?"
"This bread."
"No. Why?"
"Then why whisper like this?"
As expected, Doran across from them sat with arms crossed, glaring as if wondering what they were up to.
Gray smiled faintly. Then he openly cupped his palm to Adel's ear as a sound barrier and whispered.
"It's fun. Leaving Doran out."
"Ah, fun… leaving out Doran…."
Ha, what to do with this crazy young master, really.
In truth, Doran was watching them with a crooked smirk.
Adel straightened up, thinking, 'Doran’s surprisingly sensitive—how to soothe him?'
Regardless, Gray leisurely rang the bell to summon the servants. He instructed them to cut Adel's steak into small pieces.
Two maids rushed over, and the thick slab of meat was swiftly diced.
"This'll be easier to eat."
Adel gazed at her neatly portioned steak and nodded quietly. Her cheeks tinted pink.
Only then did Doran's narrowed eyes widen in surprise. He hadn't known Adel disliked tough or chewy foods. Nor that she'd liked the soft-yet-chewy roll bread earlier for that reason.
Doran learned this now. And naturally grew suspicious.
But when did that guy memorize Adel's eating habits like this? And since when did he fuss over anyone so attentively?
Hmm. Wasn't he just teasing her, pretending closeness for the fun of it until now?
Doran had sensed Gray growing sensitive about Adel lately. But this was… over the top. Not normal.
Does he even realize what he's doing and stay that calm? A guy about to get married soon?
At this point, Doran had to ask.
"I'm really curious. If you're gonna eat just the two of you, why always drag me in as the third wheel?"
Annoyingly, Gray feigned sympathy.
"Why, Doran. How could we eat without you."
"We? Aha. Right, you and Adel are 'we.' That's why you whisper so sweetly just between you two."
"Darling? Hearing that from you is kinda gross."
Doran's mouth fell slightly open. His voice rose naturally.
"Oh yeah? Then you'd love hearing it from Adel? Tell her yourself to call you darling."
"Sigh. Didn't expect you'd get this upset. Doran, more meat? Eat up. You like thick cuts, right."
Look at him dodging.
Doran finally glared outright.
"After ditching me thoroughly, now pretending to care? I'm good."
"Care? Just shutting your mouth with meat?"
"Wow."
Doran was so dumbfounded his mouth hung open.
He admitted it. This was a confession. A straight-up confession.
Yeah, you bastard. You wanna confess to Adel right now, huh?
Doran turned to Adel. He planned to urge her to say something.
