In a certain pastry shop within Far East City, Ian and the other three were gathered around a table, sampling various treats.
“Is this what you meant by having things to do?”
Aetherinra asked Ian, who sat across from her.
“Yeah. What’s wrong with it? Am I not allowed to eat some pastries?”
“Of course not. It’s just that if you only wanted to eat pastries, there was no need to try and drive us away earlier.”
Aetherinra questioned him with a stiff smile.
She was certain that this wasn’t Ian’s true purpose; he definitely had other intentions.
“This is exactly what I wanted to do. Judging by your tone, Aetherinra, do you think I have some other scheme?”
‘I’m just a grown man who happens to be interested in these pastries. It’s a bit embarrassing, but that’s all there is to it.’
Ian finished speaking and stuffed a piece of bread from the table into his mouth.
He certainly hadn’t given up on sneaking out of the city, but with Aetherinra and the others following him, it was difficult to make a move.
The only solution he could think of was to stall for time.
Once Aetherinra and the others grew tired of shopping and returned to the Duke’s Mansion, he could begin his operation.
Aetherinra clearly didn’t believe Ian’s explanation, but since she didn’t know what he was actually planning, she could only take things one step at a time.
“Sister Veronica, these pastries are really delicious. You should try some.”
Compared to the mental sparring between Ian and Aetherinra, the interaction between Iris and Veronica on the other side was much more peaceful.
Facing this girl who possessed immense Magic Talent and was incredibly cute, Veronica had no resistance.
She accepted the pastry Iris handed to her.
Watching her take a bite, Iris asked excitedly, “Is it good?”
“Yes, it’s very delicious,” Veronica replied.
While the pastry Iris offered tasted decent, it wasn’t quite at the level that warranted an exclamation of delight.
Still, Veronica said, “It’s very good.”
Satisfied with the answer, Iris became even more excited.
She began pushing several different types of pastries she liked toward Veronica.
“Sister Veronica, try these too. They’re all very tasty.”
Faced with Iris’s enthusiasm, Veronica hurriedly waved her hands in refusal.
Iris was giving her so many pastries that she couldn’t possibly finish them all.
“Iris, I’ve had these pastries before. You should eat them yourself.”
Hearing Veronica’s reply, Iris looked a bit embarrassed.
“I didn’t know you had already tried them, Sister Veronica. I wouldn’t have done that if I had known.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Take your time and eat.”
Listening to their conversation, Aetherinra turned to Iris and asked, “Iris, is this your first time eating at a pastry shop?”
“Yes. This is the first time Iris has eaten such delicious pastries.”
“Didn’t your parents ever bring you here?”
Aetherinra was somewhat confused.
These pastries weren’t expensive; even commoners should be able to afford them.
Based on Iris’s previous family situation, while they might not have been wealthy, a single meal here shouldn’t have been an issue.
“It has nothing to do with my parents. It was Iris who didn’t want to eat them.”
Aetherinra fell silent.
Anyone could see that it wasn’t a case of Iris not wanting to eat them; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so excited to share the food with Veronica.
Seeing how sensible Iris was, Aetherinra felt an even stronger urge to rescue her from Ian’s hands.
“Can you tell me a bit about your life before this?”
“Of course I can, Young Lady.”
And so, Iris gave a brief account of everything that had happened from the time she was born until she became Ian’s maid.
After listening to the story, Aetherinra sighed softly.
She couldn’t imagine what this thin, frail girl had endured.
From a young age, she had taken on all the household chores.
Her father didn’t love her, frequently beating and scolding her, and even her mother—the only one who showed her affection—had passed away early.
Aetherinra felt a deep sense of pity for her.
She took Iris’s small hand and said, “Iris, forget those bad memories. You belong to the Duke’s Mansion now. No one will dare bully you anymore.”
“Iris doesn’t think those are bad memories. Iris believes that those past events helped me meet the Young Master.”
“If my father hadn’t sent me to the Duke’s Mansion, I probably never would have met him. That is something I can’t even imagine, so I feel like everything is very good right now.”
Hearing Iris’s words, Aetherinra realized Ian held a much more important place in the girl’s heart than she had expected.
Reflecting on Iris’s story about becoming a maid, Aetherinra glanced at Ian.
She simply couldn’t reconcile the Ian from her impressions with the Ian Iris described.
‘Has Ian really changed? Was he telling the truth when he said he hadn’t joined the Demon Race and only went to save me?’
Aetherinra shook her head, choosing not to overthink it.
Once Ian took the Entrance Test and stood before the Mirror of Inquiry, the truth of whether he had sided with the Demon Race would come to light.
“Young Lady, I want to know about your past too. Can you tell me?”
Iris asked, her eyes wide with anticipation.
“I can. Since you told me about your past first, it would be heartless of me to refuse.”
“Let me think… where should I start?”
“I’ll start from when I was adopted by the Duke.”
Aetherinra began her story from the moment Duke Deere adopted her, briefly mentioning several major events that had influenced her life.
“I had no idea Sister Veronica was actually brought back by the Young Lady.”
“Yes, the Young Lady found me and brought me to the Duke’s Mansion. To repay her, I took on the role of her guard,” Veronica added from the side, confirming that Aetherinra’s story was true.
“Then what was it like before the Duke adopted you, Young Lady?”
Iris was captivated by the stories and wanted to know about Aetherinra’s life before the adoption.
However, this time Aetherinra didn’t speak. Instead, she fell into a heavy silence.
Realizing she might have overstepped, Iris quickly added, “Young Lady, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s alright, I know. Honestly, those experiences aren’t a big deal; I just still need some time before I can face them.”
Aetherinra didn’t blame Iris, but she also didn’t elaborate on her life before being taken in by Deere.
Watching the three women grow more and more animated in their conversation, Ian felt a frustration he couldn’t voice.
It was almost evening and the sun was about to set.
Why were these three still sitting here chatting?