Thank You For The Confinement, Grand Duke! - Chapter 7
Translator and Editor: Effe and Nabi
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Chapter 7
It was beautiful.
The creamy, pure white waves gently curled around the edges of the bread, its flawless texture covering it like a pristine canvas. A single drop of fresh cream added a touch of cuteness to the masterpiece.
The sight was adorned with bright red strawberries, purple blueberries, green kiwis, red cherries, orange tangerines, and rich brown chocolate, creating a visual feast that made my head spin just from looking at it.
It felt like a genuine work of art, right?
As I gazed at Tambor with admiration in my eyes, she responded with a serene smile.
“Do you like it, Miss?”
“Of course! Tambor’s hands do magic! How can you apply the cream so perfectly?”
While it may seem straightforward, it was far from easy.
Back in my elementary school days, we had a chance to practice making cakes at school, but it was by no means a simple task.
The cake sheet was provided for us, and all we had to do was apply the cream on top. While it sounded easy for someone like me, who had never done it before, achieving a smooth and even application of cream proved to be quite challenging.
Ever since that day, I gained a newfound respect for all cake patissiers who effortlessly create these delightful treats.
“I’m glad you like it. I’ll make a crepe cake next time.”
Oh, I was looking forward to it. The cake was different from regular cakes.
“Thank you, Lady Tambor.”
“This is too kind of you. It’s something I should do. If you want anything to eat, Miss, please just let me know anytime.”
Tambor smiled softly, poured tea into the empty cup and withdrew. Was she being considerate of me so that I could eat comfortably?
“Ugh.”
It was bitter.
While it was my first time drinking black tea, it was more bitter than coffee.
Why was I drinking this? Looking at the ladies in the novel, they drink very elegantly. I frowned and licked my lips at the thought before going back to the cake. This was probably the best way to get rid of the bitter taste.
“Kuh, this beauty!”
Until now, I had mostly eaten leftover cakes, so this was the first time I had received a whole cake like this. Well, even Tambor was a little surprised when I asked her to leave it whole.
“First, the cream… no, shall I eat the fruit first?”
However, after receiving it, I was reluctant to dip my fork for some reason. What should I say? It felt like smearing ink on white, spotless paper.
I felt guilty for ruining this perfect work of art.
“…Oh, I don’t know!”
I pushed the fork in, nevertheless.
The fork effortlessly sank into the soft cake sheet, going almost to the handle despite not being very short.
Surprisingly, it turned out to be unexpectedly hard to eat it.
While I pondered about where to start, the idea of devouring the whole thing at once seemed overwhelming. What should I do? I should have asked for a bread knife. The cause of the problem was that I thought I didn’t need it because I just wanted to eat it with a fork.
Umm.
In this case, let’s do this.
The principle of leverage. If I push it outward like this…
“Ugh!”
….
As a large chunk of whipped cream flew towards my face, I dodged it reflexively, but a sticky feeling remained on my cheek. The principle of leverage, what happened? You were supposed to lever, not throw at me.
Besides, the fork was now covered in cream. I had to wash it and ask Tamber to get a new fork again…
As I thought so, someone knocked on the door.
Was it Tambor? She could read my thoughts from such a distance… did she truly have a superpower?!
“Come on in!”
However, the one who came in…
“For some reason, you’re eating so docilely…”
…It was Enfrise.
He stopped, surprised to see me covered in cream. When his eyes widened, the sharp eyes became a little rounder and looked cute. He was a man of many charms—pretty, ferocious, and cute all in one—that was to be expected of the main character of a novel.
“…What the hell are you doing?”
Ah.
Ah… uh. Um.
“Would you like some?”
“…That’s fine. How in the world do you end up like this while eating cake? It seems that not just your memory has been lost, but your common sense and culture have been lost as well.”
Even as he spat those sharp words, Enfries wiped my cheek.
‘Oh, it smells sweet.’
When I glanced at his fingers, Enfrise quickly hid his hands behind his back.
“Lady Tambor didn’t cut the cake for you?”
“I asked for it.”
“…Why would you—”
“I just… I want to eat this whole.”
A cake was prepared just for me. Even if I couldn’t eat it all, it would be a waste of food though I didn’t care about that and wanted to eat until my stomach was full. Nonetheless, since there was no way this man could understand such a common desire, he covered it up with a laugh.
“…Ha. Just go wash up. You’re a mess.”
Was I still a mess even after he wiped it off?
When I reflexively wiped my cheek, Enfrise freaked out and grabbed my wrist.
“What are you doing!”
“Oh, I want to wipe it off.”
“If you wipe your cheeks with creamy hands…”
Enfrise frowned.
Is it that dirty? Chaperil’s beauty wouldn’t fade even if she were covered with some cream. Is it because I was the one inside this body that the charm got halved?
“Okay, I’ll wash up and come back. But I’m going to eat this, so you can’t clean it up.”
“… I understand.”
Eventually, I went into the bathroom after asking him since I was afraid he would throw it away because it was dirty. Every time I walked, I could hear the rattling of chains.
Oh, come to think of it.
“Hey, uh… can I call you Grand Duke?”
It was because it was rather cringy to call him ‘Your Grace,’ so I thought Grand Duke would be better than that…
Was this an acceptable thing in this setting?
“Call me whatever you feel comfortable with.”
“Can you change this chain to something lighter? It is so heavy that it is difficult to move.”
“That…”
“I won’t even ask you to release me. It’s just too heavy.”
He didn’t answer.
As expected, this wouldn’t do. Hmm… it seemed that this would take some more time.
“If I order today, it will take a few days.”
“Ah, that’s okay! I’m just grateful that you can change it!”
Hehe, that was a success.
As I was intoxicated by a small sense of accomplishment, I could feel that this man seemed to really like Chaperil.
Naturally, he would still have thoughts in his mind that I might run away—the idea that I might be playing some tricks on him. He might think that I might be trying to escape by making him lower his guard.
Even so, if I obediently followed them, he would obediently change the chains. Perhaps if I were a little more obedient, I would be released.
‘I will have to try it when I have some time.’
“…If I don’t change the chain, it could be like this every meal so I can’t help it.”
He left me a cold word with a bright smile.
…No, how could he say that with a smiling face. Why was he saying such barbed words?
“Grand Duke.”
“…Yes.”
“You seem to be misunderstanding though I didn’t do it on purpose because I was dissatisfied with that chain…!”
Ah.
A familiar ‘shaaaa—’ sound after using the water in the bathroom earlier when I thought I turned the shower lever.
…Sh*t.
I thought while being hit by the pouring water.
‘I think my mind left my body after getting possessed.’
Ooh wow, this was troubling.
I couldn’t sleep.
Basically, my bed had always been hard and narrow since I inherited the small bed my younger brother used when he was in elementary school. The bed that was bought about fifteen years ago was so hard and stiff that it sometimes gave the illusion of sleeping on the bare floor.
For me, this environment was too luxurious and harsh.
“…Ugh, the blanket is too soft.”
Soft also meant that it was incredibly thick. While I didn’t know if it was cotton, goose down or something else inside, it was so warm and stuffy.
It was too burdensome for me, who had never had a winter cotton blanket, so I didn’t know what to do with my arm! When I put it on top of the blanket, it felt like only my arms were floating in the air, while when I put it under the blanket, it felt like I was buried!
Besides, the pillows were too soft.
Although I was worried because it was too high, as soon as I put my head on it, it sank down. Thanks to this, my ears were buried in the pillow, and I could hear the crisp sound.
There was one time my younger brother was begging me to go on a family trip. Even then, my parents were busy, so only my grandmother, me and my younger brother went. Was it too much that I had to find cheap accommodation for myself? Or was there no cheap accommodation nearby?
I was once allowed full use of one of the cheapest rooms. It was incomparable to the room where my grandmother and younger brother stayed, but even then, I was somehow burdened and had trouble sleeping.
The sound of the bedding creaking was strangely annoying. Rather, the sound of the chains rattling seems to be better.
After tossing and turning for a while, I finally got up.
“Whoo…”
I looked around the room and moved to the sofa I had never sat on. Was it a sofa bed? A long sofa with armrests on one side and nothing on the other. When I lay there, I felt more comfortable than when I was lying on the bed.
…The bed was so soft that I felt like I was sinking into a bottomless swamp. It felt like floating without touching the ground.
A shimmering scarlet light emanated from the candlestick in front of the sofa. The candle’s color was somewhat peculiar, a mix of blue and red, making it hard to determine if the candlestick was made of silver or gold.
After gazing at the captivating light for a while, I shifted my body to the side, taking in the unfamiliar room that would be my residence from now on.
As I curled up, turning away from the candle, I closed my eyes, and darkness engulfed me, just like it did in my own room.
Today had been eventful.
I dozed off while reading a novel, and something strange happened, just like in the story. I found myself possessing the body of the most beautiful woman, and the charming man seemed swayed by my every word.
It felt exhilarating as if I had experienced complete bliss for the first time in my life.
Still, a sense of unease suddenly washed over me. What if all of this was just a dream? When I open my eyes, will I find myself back on that small, hard bed? Preparing a simple meal for dawn and attending to the daily household chores as usual…
…Every day, like a hamster on a wheel again.
I was afraid to think that.
That was why they said that an overly blissful dream brought no true happiness. The greater the disparity between the dream and reality, the more despair awaited upon waking.
I didn’t want to return to that place… a loveless home where I was merely a cog in the machine, a presence without value. A place where there was no one to say a kind word to me.
Having tasted this happiness, the thought of going back to that wretched existence…
God, if you have sent me here, on a mere whim or otherwise… please don’t take away this small heaven from me. Allow me to peacefully stay in this comfortable, confined paradise of my own until my last breath.
Behind my tightly closed eyelids, the scarlet hue that adorned the edges of darkness gradually faded away.
And soon after, I drifted back to sleep.
I kept murmuring that I didn’t want to awaken from this blissful dream tomorrow.
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