My Former Disciple Wants Me as His Bride

Just before sunrise, when Eris had finally been on the verge of drifting into a shallow sleep, Ciel had been the one to wake her.

His voice from the other side of the door, insisting that they eat breakfast together, still seemed to echo in her ears like a persistent ringing.

“You went out of your way to wake me because we absolutely had to eat breakfast together. So why aren’t you eating, Lord Ciel?”

The food on Ciel’s plate remained exactly as it had been when first served.

“How could I possibly eat when you look that exhausted? I prefer meals that are enjoyed together.”

“…Of course you do.”

Ciel elegantly opened a small glass jar of jam and slid it across the table toward Eris.

“This is wild raspberry jam I brought from Tervanne. It’s my favorite. Spread some on the bread, put a slice of cold butter on top, and just try one bite.”

Eris had told him from the beginning that she wasn’t going to eat, but Ciel had come up with one excuse after another to seat her across from him. Was she really going to leave him to eat all alone in a foreign country? Wasn’t it uncomfortable for him if she just sat there staring?

And now she was apparently being coaxed into eating breakfast as well.

It gave her the peculiar feeling of being a stubborn child throwing a tantrum over her food. She had grown up eating whatever she could get her hands on, so refusing a meal like this was a luxury she could never have dreamed of as a child.

With a faint sigh, Eris obediently picked up a piece of bread.

Once she prepared it the way Ciel had suggested, the yellow butter sitting atop the vivid red jam did look rather appetizing.

“Like this?”

Ciel looked at her with a gentle, satisfied look.

‘I really do feel like a child now.’

Under Ciel’s watchful gaze, Eris took a large bite of the toast. The atmosphere was decidedly strange, but the taste itself was excellent. Tart pieces of fruit seemed to melt across her tongue, mingling perfectly with the crisp bread.

“Well?”

“It’s delicious. Really….”

The honest admiration slipped out before she could stop it, and a satisfied smile appeared on Ciel’s lips. Only then did he finally withdraw the persistent gaze he had kept fixed on her and begin spreading jam on his own bread.

“What are your plans for today? If there’s anything I need to prepare, please tell me in advance.”

It was his first proper day traveling through the Kingdom of Celis, so Eris naturally assumed he must have an itinerary in mind.

Until Ciel’s companions arrived, it would be difficult for her to find much time for herself, but that aside, she still needed to know his plans in order to work out the most efficient routes and the best way to protect him.

Ciel delicately dabbed at the corner of his mouth before drawing out a thoughtful, “Hmm….”

If he had nowhere in particular he wanted to go, staying in and resting would be perfectly reasonable.

“Nothing in particular.”

“Then you must be tired after such a long voyage, so perhaps you could relax here and recover from the journey—”

“Ah, since it’s my first day, why don’t you show me around, Miss Eris?”

Apparently, Ciel had a rather nasty hobby of his own.

He had a remarkable way of twisting a person’s hopes around with a few words. Cutting her off at exactly the right moment, almost as though he had done it deliberately, he made it abundantly clear that he intended to go out.

His voice was perfectly innocent, as though it had never occurred to him that his only escort had barely slept and was already exhausted.

“…Me?”

“For lunch, I’d like to try your favorite food in the kingdom. And perhaps pudding for dessert? The pudding you had yesterday looked rather good.”

For an assignment Prince Lakan had paid her such an enormous sum to undertake, the proposed itinerary was almost disappointingly mundane.

Had Ciel truly come all the way to the Kingdom of Celis simply to rest?

‘There was a naval war between the Kalta Empire and the Tervanne Empire. Tervanne won a decisive victory, and I heard that the commander and several of his adjutants were granted leave as a reward. What I don’t understand is why he chose this kingdom of all places. Even if he really is here just to travel, we still need to ensure his safety, so an escort is necessary.’

‘If he’s important enough for Your Highness to be this concerned, wouldn’t it be better to assign knights from the royal order—’

‘Apparently that level of attention would be too burdensome when he’s supposed to be on vacation. Ridiculous, isn’t it?’

Prince Lakan clearly suspected that some significant motive lay hidden behind Ciel’s journey, yet Ciel himself seemed to be behaving in a way that hardly matched those suspicions.

Eris found herself tilting her head in puzzlement.

Still, it was only the first day. It was far too early to draw any conclusions.

“And if we want to avoid another incident like yesterday, I should probably buy a few more changes of clothes before my men arrive with the luggage. Do you know much about the kingdom’s current fashions?”

Ciel’s next words snapped Eris sharply back to reality.

Another incident like yesterday. In an instant, her mind filled with the outrageous sight of a droplet sliding down onto the towel hanging precariously around his hips, while those long fingers tapped idly at his waist.