My lady is experiencing a brain freeze.
Let's talk about Marle, a city in the southern part of the kingdom. It's not just any city; it's the kingdom's largest port town where almost all the seafood for the kingdom is brought in.
In this world, fishing is far more dangerous than it was in our previous world. Of course, there are natural hazards like storms and high waves, but the biggest problem is the presence of monsters.
The sea is the domain of these creatures, and sea monsters, nurtured in the vast expanse with abundant prey, are often mightier than their counterparts on land.
Even the nobles, who are supposed to be the ones capable of standing against these monsters, are, in the end, just humans. They live on land and lack the ability to move freely underwater. To travel, they must rely on vulnerable vessels like ships.
If one of those vessels were to get destroyed, that would pretty much be the end of it, and they wouldn't have a way to defend themselves against the sea monsters.
However, there's an exception when it comes to the sea around this city.
A massive barrier, centered around the city's grand lighthouse, has been set up to keep powerful monsters from intruding into the surrounding waters. This barrier is nearly as formidable as the one around the capital city, making the waters nearby relatively safe for fishing.
Maintaining such extensive magic should come at a significant cost, but it doesn't seem to be a major issue for the kingdom. They are renowned for their mastery of magic, after all.
With the creation of the world's only safe sea in this area, it naturally piqued the curiosity of humans. At that time, idle nobles grew curious and, gradually, more and more of them began to visit, enjoying the safe sea.
As a result, the city expanded and underwent improvements to cater to these nobles. Thus, Marle became not only a port town but also as a resort for the kingdom's nobility.
"Then, we'll stay in the guesthouse. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call."
"You may do so."
As expected, the Valiaz Duke's family also uses this place as a resort and has a separate villa for that purpose.
While a carriage ride would normally take over a week to get here, our wyverns covered the distance in no time. We arrived at this mansion around noon, right on schedule. The elderly couple who managed the mansion welcomed us, bowed, and then left the room.
We've arranged for them to procure the necessary supplies for us, and we'll take care of Milady here. These household staff are mainly here to maintain the rarely-used mansion. We wouldn't want to burden them unnecessarily. Plus, it's more convenient for us to have them out of the way.
"Ah~ This is so refreshing~"
As soon as the couple left, Milady dove onto the bed in the cooled room, her face lit up with bliss.
In this city, they had many ice attribute magicians due to the need to transport fresh fish from various places, which allowed for easy arrangements for backup magicians.
It seemed Milady's decision to come to this city was influenced by this convenience.
"Now, Milady, what would you like to do for the rest of the day?"
I sat on the bed, gently stroking Milady's hair as she buried her face in the pillow, and asked about our plans.
To be honest, we had no plans at the moment because Milady had come here on a whim.
"Let me see... How about taking a rest for a while, and then we can head into town? It's been a while since I've been here as well, so we can enjoy a leisurely stroll and do some shopping."
"Of course, Milady. In the meantime, I'll check the estate with my subordinates."
"Feel free to do as you please. Ah~"
As Milady relaxed completely, her face expressing total relief, I smiled wryly, having received her permission, and left the room.
"I love it! I'll take everything on these shelves!"
"And the exclusive design only available in this city? Well, of course, I'll buy it!"
"Well, if you say it suits me well, it's only natural. But, I also quite like this item. I'll buy it."
After taking about an hour to rest at the mansion, Milady and I headed to the town center.
During this season, many nobles visit this town, so the central area is filled with shops catering to them, and magical ice formations are placed around for a comfortable atmosphere.
Milady strolled down the main street, diving into shops and purchasing whatever caught her eye.
Her energetic shopping spree seemed like a way to relieve pent-up frustration from not being able to go out much, and it was enjoyable to watch.
At this rate, she might end up buying everything in the town's shops, but I'm sure they'll manage.
"Well... I think I've visited all the shops on this street for now."
After looking around and seeming satisfied, Milady came to the central plaza and sat by the fountain.
By the way, she had already spent an amount roughly equivalent to a small noble's annual income, but I suppose it's not a big deal for her.
Truly a lady of high standing.
"Hey, Crow, what's going on over there?"
"Just a moment... It looks like an ice cream stall. They use fresh ingredients from a nearby farm, and it's become quite popular among the nobles."
I pulled out a notebook from my pocket to answer Milady's question and quickly reviewed the information my subordinates had gathered.
"Oh, I see... Ice cream, huh..."
Perhaps intrigued by my explanation, Milady placed her hand on her chin and stared at the stall, lost in thought.
"Since we're here, would you like to try some?"
"What?! Why would you think I'd eat ice cream from such a shabby stall?"
"Is that so? I thought that having ice cream in this scorching heat might be really refreshing."
"Well, ugh... I mean, it might be, but..."
Despite the magical enhancements to the environment, there was no escaping the blazing sun. In fact, many customers were swarming the stall in front of us, seeking relief in the form of cold ice cream.
Milady tried to act disinterested, but her eyes were clearly fixed on the colorful assortment of ice creams being enjoyed by the customers.
However, when I thought about it, Milady had never eaten at a stall like this before. So, I could somewhat understand her reaction.
"Alright then, I'd like to have some, so I'll go buy it. Please wait here, Milady."
"Ah, hey.......!"
I had been observing Milady's covetous gaze for a while, so I reluctantly headed towards the ice cream stall. It's not easy serving a master who isn't straightforward.
"Milady, I'm back."
"Leaving your master behind like that, aren't you failing as a servant?"
"I apologize. As a gesture of apology, please enjoy this."
When I returned, Milady met me with an expected disapproving look. Ignoring her gaze, I confidently offered her a chocolate-flavored ice cream, which seemed to be her most desired choice among the various options available.
"I told you I didn't need it."
"Well, you see, I originally bought these for myself. I wanted to try both flavors, but then I realized I wasn't all that hungry. It seemed a waste to throw them away, so if you'd like, would you mind having some?"
"You're offering something like that to me?"
Milady showed a slightly displeased expression, but her gaze kept flickering toward the melting ice cream. Well, it's time for one final push.
"I apologize. If you don't want them, I can dispose of them."
"W-what are you talking about? I didn't say I didn't want them. Since I've already bought them, it can't be helped. I'll have some."
As I attempted to put the ice cream away, Milady hastily snatched it from my hand. Confirming this, I sat down next to her.
"Do they not have spoons or something for this?"
"Hmm, it seems they don't."
I looked around, but no one else eating ice cream appeared to be using spoons either. There were no plastic spoons like in my past life; it would be unreasonable to expect that from a simple food stall.
"Well, how am I supposed to eat this?"
"Well, like this, you just take a bite... See?"
I demonstrated by taking a bite of the vanilla ice cream in my hand as Milady shouted.
The moment it touched my tongue, the rich flavor of milk spread through my mouth. Indeed, this flavor could become quite popular.
"Well, I'm not forcing you to do it..."
"Grr... I can manage that much! Mnngh..."
Before I could explain that I had spoons on hand, Milady had already taken a small bite of the ice cream. I hadn't intended to provoke her, but it seemed she took it that way.
"Hnggghh~!"
Milady had been frowning in annoyance, but as soon as she took a bite of the ice cream, a radiant smile blossomed on her face, and she became completely engrossed in the treat.
I watched her childlike behavior with an affectionate smile while enjoying my own ice cream.
"...stare..."
"What is it, Milady?"
I noticed that Milady, after consuming about a third of her ice cream, had turned her gaze toward me.
"...staare..."
"It's a bit hard to eat when you keep staring at me like that."
Even after speaking, she continued to silently gaze at me, leaving me quite perplexed.
No, upon closer observation, it seemed she wasn't looking at me but at the ice cream I was holding!
"...staaareee..."
"Well, if you don't mind, would you like a bite?"
"It's not like I wanted any, but if you insist, I'll have some!"
"Yes, yes."
I reluctantly offered her the ice cream I was holding, and Milady nodded repeatedly with a resigned expression.
She could have just asked for it directly, but her noble pride likely prevented her from accepting things so easily from her attendant. She could be quite a hassle in that regard.
"Munch... Mmmmm~! It's delicious!"
With one hand, Milady brushed her hair out of the way, bringing her face closer to the ice cream I offered. She took a bite and her face lit up with satisfaction.
"Ugh! That's... good to hear..."
Seeing her radiant smile up close almost made my heart skip a beat, but I managed to stay composed. She always seemed so vulnerable, and any ordinary man might easily fall for her in that moment. Well, I was already quite taken.
And she was eating from where I had just taken a bite. I wondered if she didn't mind an indirect kiss. ...No, she probably didn't. She likely didn't even know about such things in the first place.
"Ahhhh......"
I couldn't help but sigh.
Even though I had no such intent for Milady, my heart raced for no reason, making me feel foolish.
They say in love, the one who falls first loses, but being so clearly defeated felt strangely empty.
"Hmm?"
"Milady?"
As I was lost in these silly thoughts, an ice cream was placed in front of me.
When I looked up, Milady was gazing at me with a concerned expression.
"You did want some too, didn't you? You can have a bite if you want."
"Holy...?"
Was I dreaming?
Could it really be that Milady is now sharing something she owns with someone else? It might even snow tomorrow.
It's Milady we're talking about!
Milady, who is typically known for being possessive and treating others' belongings as her own...
"What's wrong? Don't want any?"
"No, I'll have some."
She probably noticed I was feeling down and worried about me. Seeing me frozen in surprise, there was a touch of annoyance in Milady's voice.
I didn't want to keep Milady waiting any longer and risk making her even more upset, so I took a bite of the ice cream she offered.
"This is tasty too" I commented.
Honestly, I was too nervous to really appreciate the flavor, but there was no way something Milady gave me could be bad. I knew I was being quite simple to get cheered up by something like this, but it still warmed my heart.
"...This is actually quite embarrassing" Milady admitted.
"Milady?"
"N-never mind!"
Even after I pulled back, Milady remained in the same posture, holding out the ice cream, and blushed deeply, seemingly frozen in place. Concerned, I spoke up, and she twitched her shoulder before hastily taking another bite of the ice cream.
"Milady, if you eat so quickly..."
"Chomp, chomp...! Ouch!?"
"See, that's what I told you" I said, but Milady was already digging into her ice cream with such enthusiasm that my warning came too late.
The cold ice cream seemed to have given her a brain freeze. Milady clutched her head and let out a pained groan.
"Good grief... it's because you rushed so much. Look, it's not just your mouth, even your nose is a mess. Come on, please stay still."
"Ugh..."
With tears in her eyes, Milady's face was smeared with ice cream. I smiled and used a handkerchief to wipe it away.
TL NOTE: tomorrow day off
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