Thank You For The Confinement, Grand Duke! - Chapter 72.2

Enfrise smiled as he held up the pie dish resting on his lap and took a bite. It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn’t tasted the finished product yet.

‘I wonder if it’s good?’

“Is it okay?”

“Yes. It’s delicious.”

“Can I have one?”

“….”

After glancing between me and the pie for a moment, Enfrise subtly pushed the dish behind him.

“You can’t.”

“Why not?”

“It’s a gift you gave me, isn’t it? I’m going to eat it all by myself.”

“All of it?”

I didn’t expect that at all.

To be fair, the pie was almost the size of a pound cake, given the only mold I had available, but was he going to eat all that by himself?

What was I supposed to eat?

“Just give me a piece.”

“No.”

“But I gave it to you!”

“But I received it, didn’t I?”

Wait, this guy?!

Could he possibly be the legendary food enthusiast I read about online?! No, that couldn’t be right. We’ve shared meals a few times, though I’ve never seen him act like this. Usually, when I say the food’s delicious, he barely touches it until I’ve eaten most of it.

‘What’s going on? Does he really want to keep my gift all to himself just because I made it?’

But wait, I gave it to him! So the focus should still be on ‘me’! What was I supposed to eat?

“I need to eat lunch too.”

“Tambor packed some white bread slices in the picnic bag. You can have that.”

“Why can’t I eat this?”

Thinking about it…

When do male leads usually show such reactions? It was also concerning that Enfrise made a strange sound when he secretly took a bite while I was lost in thought. If it wasn’t because it tasted good…

…Could it be?

“It’s because it tastes bad, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not.”

That was the only reason I could think of.

I confidently told him, “It’s your birthday gift!” and if it didn’t taste good, of course, he’d react that way. Knowing Enfrise’s personality, it was entirely possible. As I looked at him with suspicion, Enfrise sighed softly, then raised his fork to scoop out a piece of meat from the pie, offering it to me.

“If you’re that suspicious, try it yourself. It’s delicious.”

I had already tasted the filling, and it was good. Still, it might have toughened or lost its flavor after being baked inside the pie.

With that thought in mind, I took the fork he offered and bit into it.

“….”

“Really, it’s delicious.”

Uh, mmm.

It was tasty.

While it was a bit disappointing that it was cold, it wasn’t bad at all. Baking it in the oven seems to have made it even softer, with the filling wrapped in the crust as it cooked. Plus, the moisture has absorbed into the pie, making it thicker and stickier, clinging to my mouth. It was delicious.

…So, was he really enjoying it that much?

“Mmm.”

“Then how about this? Every time you take a bite of the bread, I’ll feed Chaperil a piece of meat.”

“No, I’d rather eat it myself.”

“Today is my birthday, so please indulge me a little.”

“….”

Well, I guess that makes sense?

Looking at him with suspicion, Enfrise smiled widely. I ultimately melted at that mischievous grin.

“Ah.”

As I bit into the bread, a piece of meat slipped into my mouth.

…Hmm, is this what a baby bird feels like when it’s fed by its mother? It’s not bad at all. I just hope I don’t get spoiled and end up lying in bed all day with my mouth open…

With such thoughts in mind, I eagerly accepted the meat that flew into my mouth.

* * *

“You’re back safely, Your Grace.”

“Yes.”

“Nothing happened, right?”

Nothing happened….

Enfrise placed the basket on the kitchen shelf with a light smile.

When Chaperil was startled by Sherry’s surprise and fell over, it was both disappointing and cute. The relief that she hadn’t been hurt only accentuated that cuteness.

“Yes.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

As Tambor opened the picnic bag with a smile, her lips parted in surprise. The dish they had taken was completely empty.

Which meant…

“Did you eat the entire pie, including the crust?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my…. I thought it would be too hard, so I packed some extra bread…”

“It’s fine.”

Trying to find a way to talk to Chaperil, who was lost in thought, he took a bite of the meat pie. He had intended to mention how good it was to steer the conversation, but—

—Uht.

It was much harder than he had expected. Plus, the inside was mushy. The meat filling was incredibly delicious, but because the pie crust was so tough, a groan escaped him without realizing it. His gums throbbed from the unexpected assault.

— …What are you doing, Enfrise?

He couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth, so he made up an excuse. Since he feared that if she asked for a fork, she might poke at the pie, he pretended to want to feed her instead. Her disgruntled expression at that moment was priceless. But soon after, she smiled and eagerly accepted his bites, which was adorable. She was delightful.

“It was delicious.”

It was heartwarming that it ached.

Enfrise said that with a smile that looked like he might cry any moment.