By Zephyria 
“Yes, I understand.”
As the manager disappeared with a wide smile and the other staff members, another employee soon arrived to set up the refreshments and tea. Seeing the beautiful treats filling the table, Bliss subconsciously swallowed his saliva and let out a happy sigh.
Until now, whenever he needed something, people brought it to him just by asking. Bliss only had to pick what he liked from the selection. There were occasional visits to shops, but whenever he had to choose refreshments, Koi’s teaching was always to take only one, two at most.
‘You mustn’t eat too many sweets.’
Because of that, Bliss always had to agonize over which treat to choose…
“What are you doing? Eat.”
Cassian, having finished his tea, spoke as he set down his cup. Bliss replied while scanning the treats frantically with an ecstatic expression.
“I’m deciding what order to eat them in.”
He had to start with the least sweet ones. If the order was wrong, he wouldn’t be able to taste the flavor of the next treat.
As Bliss continued to ponder with a serious face—hmm, hmm—as if he were solving a problem his life depended on, Cassian reached out without a word.
“Ah!”
Just like that, the only jelly of its kind popped right into Cassian’s mouth. Seeing Bliss’s face turn pale as if he had lost everything in the world, Cassian spoke nonchalantly.
“What’s wrong with just one?”
Bliss was even more appalled by the indifferent reaction. How could he be so brazen!
But it didn’t end there. Cassian popped a cookie studded with chocolate chips into his mouth in one go. Then, he elegantly brought the tea to his lips and spoke as if nothing had happened.
“I don’t know why people eat things like this.”
To say such a thing after stealing someone else’s… you mean, you wicked…!
“You…!”
“Everything is ready. Would you like to try them on?”
It was just as he clenched his fists to shout. The manager suddenly appeared and asked with a bright smile, causing Bliss to miss his timing. As he looked around in momentary confusion, Cassian naturally responded to her.
“We’ll try them on as appropriate. Go on in.”
“Um, I—”
“Please come inside, Darling.”
Bliss reached out to put a treat in his mouth even now, but it was in vain. Leaving Bliss to be dragged away while flailing, Cassian simply sipped his tea.
“Noooo…!”
After the faint echo disappeared into the dressing room, the surroundings instantly fell silent. The Count, who had been sitting with one leg elegantly crossed, finally set down his teacup and leaned back comfortably against the sofa. And then.
“Pfft.”
A laugh he could no longer contain burst out. The employees waiting against the wall looked at him in surprise, but Cassian didn’t care and burst into loud laughter.
In truth, he didn’t particularly like sweet treats. He might have one or two with tea very occasionally, but he never sought them out. Besides, he could just ask for more refreshments. However, seeing that shocked face of Bliss’s, he couldn’t help himself.
Should I just have all the treats cleared away right now?
If he came out after changing and saw that not a single treat remained, he might actually cry. While that would be pitiful, on the other hand, he wanted to see it. How cute and lovely would that be?
‘Cassiaaan…’
Recalling the childhood Bliss, who used to cry with a face smeared with tears, snot, and drool, the corners of his mouth curled up instinctively. Truly, he hadn’t grown at all from then until now.
“Um, Count.”
At the cautious call, he looked up to find the manager standing over him. When their eyes met, she added with a smile.
“It is finished. Would you like to see?”
With those words, the manager stepped aside. Thinking about what else he could tease the capybara with as he stood there awkwardly, Cassian turned his gaze, a loose smile still lingering on his lips. However, the moment he saw the waiting Bliss, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by a look of surprise.
The crazy capybara who always ran around wildly with messy hair and a crumpled shirt was gone; instead, a young man he had never seen before stood there.
Wearing a lavender shirt with a blue tie featuring thin stripes and light cream-colored trousers, he wore Oxford shoes instead of the sneakers he always wore. With his hair neatly combed back and looking at him, he was no longer the child who cried with a face smeared in tears, snot, and drool.
…When did he grow up like this?
Even when they met again—no, until he entered this place—Cassian had thought of him as merely a wild child. But perhaps because he was sitting? Bliss was taller and leaner than he had thought. Not only his waist, but his shoulders were squared, making his posture perfect. Only then did Cassian vaguely remember.
That this fellow was also a Miller.
‘Um.’
Suddenly, Bliss spoke. Cassian stared blankly at the way those exceptionally red and plump lips moved. Bliss was saying something.
‘…can I… too?’
Cassian furrowed his brows deeply, trying to concentrate to understand the words, but it wasn’t easy. He was just staring blankly at Bliss’s face.
“Count?”
At the sound of the manager calling him again, Cassian belatedly snapped back to his senses. The surroundings were silent. The moment he realized everyone was looking at him, he suddenly felt embarrassed. He turned his gaze away as if nothing were wrong and reached for his teacup.
“It’s fine.”
Fortunately, his voice came out as usual. As he brought the tea to his lips, pretending to be indifferent, the manager spoke as if she had been waiting.
“Right? Since the guest is so tall and beautiful, everything looks good on him. I’m quite excited myself.”
The other employees nearby also chimed in.
“It’s true, I felt a momentary dizzy spell when he came out.”
“It suits you so well. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you came to our shop.”
“Please try on some other clothes quickly. I have some items in mind; how about trying them together?”
The manager nodded to the employees stepping forward from all sides and grabbed Bliss’s arm.
“Then I will prepare the next outfit immediately. Let’s go change.”
“Wait, my treats…!”
Bliss shouted urgently, but he was dragged inside once again. Now alone again, Cassian let out a secret sigh of relief and set down his teacup.
“Ah.”
It was only then that he understood Bliss’s words.
‘Can I eat the treats now?’
“…Haa.”
Along with that, a sense of self-loathing washed over him. Young man, my foot; he’s just a kid. That fellow is simply a child.
But regardless of the self-reproach, for some reason, he kept becoming anxious. In a fit of irritation, he shoved a treat into his mouth and chewed it loudly and ungracefully.
“Thank you very much. Please come again.”
The manager greeted them with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. It was only natural. Cassian had practically bought out the entire store.
“As you requested, the items you purchased will be sent directly to His Grace the Duke’s castle.”
At the manager’s words, Cassian gave a short nod and got into the car. As Bliss followed him in, the car soon departed smoothly. The amount of goods purchased was enormous, but the only thing Bliss was actually holding was a single shopping bag.
One containing various types of refreshments.
Bliss hugged the shopping bag tightly with a satisfied face. It was as if he liked these free treats far more than the items bought today. Seeing Bliss smiling broadly and burying his nose in the bag to sniff the scent, Cassian found it inwardly fascinating.
“Haven’t you eaten things like that often?”
Thinking that it couldn’t be that he’d never had them, Cassian asked, and Bliss answered while still clutching the bag.
“I’m only supposed to eat a little bit of sweet things. Even when the shops gave treats, I could only pick one or two…”
Bliss let out a deep, moved sigh—haaa—and rubbed his cheek against the bag of treats again. Seeing this, Cassian suddenly remembered.
When they reunited at the Miller estate, this fellow was stealing cookies too.
Once that memory resurfaced, the feelings Cassian had felt earlier seemed like an illusion. What was I thinking about a peanut crumb. With a small chuckle, he changed the subject.
“You must behave yourself at the party tomorrow. Alcohol is strictly forbidden.”
“I know. I just misunderstood that day. Besides…”
Bliss, who had been grumbling with a pout, suddenly stopped talking. Cassian stared at him as if telling him to continue, but Bliss soon turned his head away.
“Nothing, it’s nothing.”
If you hadn’t just gone off with a woman on your own, I wouldn’t have misunderstood either!
Barely swallowing those words, Bliss stubbornly stared out the window. He felt that if he said it, it would seem like he was jealous. Not a chance. I was simply offended.