Chapter 7

In the church's dining hall, there is a long wooden table.

There are also long benches for the children to sit on either side, and everyone gathers here for dinner.

Today, the meal is not modest, but rather, it is surprisingly lavish, unlike what one would expect from a church dinner.

A fresh salad made from vegetables from the church's garden.

A vegetable consomme soup.

Pancakes served with cream—

The main dish is a roast pork that Elizabeth has put extra effort into.

In addition, the basket contains round bread and baguettes.

While it may not match the dinners of the nobility, it is more than enough of a feast for an ordinary table.

"O Goddess Helvira... I give thanks for your kindness. Please bless this humble meal and let it be our sustenance."

Before the meal, everyone was supposed to join hands and pray...

—Why did it end up like this!?

Elizabeth is not in the dining hall; she is in the church's courtyard.

Under a large tree, she is sitting at a wooden table with a chair made from a polished log.

The real issue is not the location but the person sitting across from her.

At the other end of the table, Knight Commander Leonid sits expressionlessly, apparently waiting for the pre-meal prayer.

"I'm done, please."

She wants to say, "Please go back," but she holds back.

"Let's eat."

He reaches for the food, answering brusquely. The menu is slightly different from the dining hall's, likely due to the smaller table.

The roast pork is sandwiched between baguettes.

The thick pancakes are stacked in two layers, with fruits and fresh cream in between.

A small plate with a low candle provides a faint light.

If it weren't for the knight who had been chasing her, it would be a rather romantic dinner...

"..."

She takes a big bite of the roast pork sandwich.

For a moment, she stops moving, and Leonid looks at the bread while chewing.

"There's no poison in it."

"...I know."

She thought he might be cautious since he was here to monitor her, but he didn't seem to care.

He then starts eating the prepared meal voraciously.

Elizabeth reluctantly starts eating as well.

—Yeah, it's well done.

The roast pork is neither too soft nor too hard, cooked to perfection.

She glances at Leonid again.

—What? He's already finished three roast pork sandwiches.

She had prepared more for him because of his large build, but they are almost gone.

—He eats so well.

She doesn't mind that he is enjoying her cooking, even if he is her nemesis, the Knight Commander.

—Is it enough?

The roast pork sandwiches are already gone, and Leonid has moved on to the next dish.

On the table, there are quarter-cut fruit-filled pancakes.

—There were no fruit sandwiches with cream, which children love... The creamless ones were just a light snack.

She recalls her past life.

At birthday parties, children would stack pancakes, pile on cream and fruits, and be overjoyed.

She never got to do that job.

"..."

While she is lost in thoughts of her past life, Leonid continues to eat the dishes one after another.

The pancakes are quickly reduced to half-moons.

—I should have studied yeast in my past life.

She has baked bread before, but only with commercial dry yeast. She doesn't understand natural yeast well.

She wants to add more varieties.

—If I do, he'll be even happier... Who am I talking about!?

She scolds herself.

Regardless of the purpose, she wants to continue her yeast research.

Yeast significantly affects the aroma and taste of bread.

While watching Leonid, she remembers something.

In the church's storage room, she had lined up glass bottles of yeast, and Roxane had called it "creepy."

She had received yeast from a local woman but wanted to get some from a baker as well.

Ideally, she would like to learn from a master.

—By the way, there was a famous bakery in the capital of the Moaize Kingdom.

Since she has been exiled, it's impossible to go back and ask for yeast.

"..."

She realizes Leonid is looking at her.

—I wasn't watching you eat, you know?

She looks back at him with a puzzled expression.

—I was looking at the bread... Oh, I shouldn't have been watching during the meal.

She averts her gaze, but Leonid continues to stare at her.

"What is it?"

She can't stand being stared at by his amber eyes.

Then he says something unexpected.

"...I will come to see you every day."

"Huh...!?"

—Every day?

"Are you going back soon?"

Elizabeth is filled with question marks at his sudden declaration.

Is this a final warning to stop her from running away?

But wouldn't it interfere with his duties as a knight?

Many questions arise in her mind.

"There are no inns in Nortia Village."

This area is not a tourist spot, and there are no large towns nearby, so there are no places to stay.

Is he going to camp out?

But he says something even more surprising.

"I bought a house on the outskirts. I will commute from there."

"Ah...!"

Elizabeth's eyes widen at Leonid's words.

She screams in her heart.

—How far are you going to watch me!?

Her peaceful life is already in jeopardy.

***

Leonid, after declaring he will come every day, continues to eat silently—

After finishing everything, he leaves with a satisfied look, as if his mission is complete.

He must be heading back to the house he bought to monitor Elizabeth.

—What determination!

"Sister Elizabeth, then? Then?"

Fercy, from her bed, urges Elizabeth to continue the story.

Elizabeth has just put the children to bed.

The energetic boys fall asleep quickly, but Fercy often asks for stories.

She especially likes stories about castles, princes, and noble ladies.

"Oh, right. So the noble lady attends the ball."

"Ball!?"

She tells the story of her debut at a ball, exaggerating a bit.

As a duke's daughter, she was the center of attention, but the various emotions in people's eyes made her feel uneasy and scared.

"—So, the castle is sparkling, but it's a place filled with envy and jealousy, where they cling to you and won't let go. It's a scary place."

"Envy... envy?"

She ends the story at an appropriate point, using difficult words on purpose.

This makes the children drowsy.

She gently pats Fercy, whose eyes open and close repeatedly.

"Wasn't it fun?"

"No, it was full of unpleasant events."

Only a heroine deeply loved by the world or someone completely insensitive could enjoy it.

Even now, recalling it makes her shudder.

"Then... didn't Elizabeth have a prince...?"

Fercy seems to believe that a prince will always come to the rescue.

If that were true, how wonderful it would be.

"Yes. A prince—"

An antagonist noble lady wouldn't have someone to share her heart with.

It's not possible by the story's setup.

"Didn't have one."

—!?

As she says it, Leonid's face suddenly appears in her mind, making her shudder.

—Why is his face...?

The image of him drawing his sword and commanding his men.

Just thinking about it is scary.

He seems more like a demon on a black horse than a prince on a white horse.

"Right, right. It's impossible."

Beside Fercy, who has already fallen asleep, Elizabeth nods to herself.

★ On April 2, 2021, I started a new work. Please read it if you like.

【I Failed to Reincarnate as an Antagonist Noble Lady and Became the Heroine Instead ～Giving Up on a Family Ending with My Brother, I Aim for a Lover's Ending～】

https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7332gw/