After his peaceful walk around the mansion, Caius found his mind significantly calmer, the tension that had gripped him finally loosening. The conversation with Lilia had been surprisingly refreshing, and he felt lighter than he had in a long time. Though his situation was still dire, he realized that small moments like these were a welcome distraction.
The rest of the day passed smoothly. He spent some time reading through books in the study, aimlessly flipping through pages while his mind wandered. The mansion was quiet, with most of its inhabitants tending to their duties. Occasionally, he would hear the distant chatter of the maids or the rhythmic footsteps of the knights patrolling outside. It was an oddly comforting atmosphere.
When lunchtime arrived, Caius was greeted with an extravagant meal, a spread of delicacies that made his mouth water at the very sight. The rich aroma filled the dining hall as he took his first bite, savoring the explosion of flavors. The texture, the seasoning—everything was perfect. It was the most delicious lunch he had ever had, and he found himself appreciating the care put into every dish. Compared to the simple meals he was used to before, this was on an entirely different level.
As he finished his meal, Elise approached with her usual composed demeanor. "Young Master, do you require anything else?"
Caius leaned back in his chair, thinking for a moment before a mischievous idea came to mind. "I'd like some premium ice cream in the afternoon from the best shop."
Elise gave a slight nod, though her expression remained unreadable. "Understood. It will be arranged."
True to her word, when afternoon arrived, Elise returned with a beautifully presented serving of premium ice cream. The creamy texture and the delicate sweetness made it even more enjoyable than he had expected. But before she could leave, Caius spoke up.
"Elise, could you bring Lilia here?"
For a brief moment, Elise's expression flickered, a faint frown crossing her features before she gave another nod. "I will inform her."
Not long after, the door opened again, and a hesitant Lilia stepped inside, her soft auburn curls bouncing slightly with each step. She looked around, clearly unsure why she had been summoned.
"Young Master? Did you need something?" she asked, tilting her head.
Caius smirked and gestured to the extra bowl of ice cream sitting on the table. "This is for you."
Lilia blinked in surprise, staring at the ice cream before looking back at him. "F-For me? Really?"
"Yep. I told you earlier today that i will give you premium ice cream right."
A bright smile spread across her face, her previous hesitation vanishing as excitement took over. "Oh, thank you so much! I really thought you forgot about it ."
Caius chuckled as she eagerly took the bowl and sat across from him, her eyes practically sparkling with joy. The two of them ate enjoying the sweet treat.
"Why would i forget ?" Caius raised an eyebrow in amusement.
She twirled her fingers, looking slightly embarrassed. "Well… you're the Young Master. And I thought you were arrogant and didn't care about anything else ."
Caius almost choked on his ice cream. "arrogant Me?"
Lilia nodded quickly. "I mean the senior maids told me that you always act as you wish, and you always act as the whole world revolves around you"
suddenly realized what she had just said, her face turning pale. "N-nothing! I mean—I am sorry please don't punish them "
. "You know, I never thought I'd be eating ice cream with you like this."
He sighed dramatically. " yeah i won't punish anyone , happy?"
she nodded happily
After a few bites, Caius spoke up
"So my reputation is that bad, huh?"
She laughed nervously. "Not that bad."
Caius shook his head with a small smirk. "Well, I hope today proved that I'm not as arrogant as you thought."
Lilia grinned. "you did. In fact You are humbler than i thought."
He feigned shock. "Was that a compliment?"
She gasped in mock horror. "Oh no! I must've let my guard down."
They both laughed, the tension that had been there before completely gone. After a few more minutes of lighthearted conversation.
Lilia suddenly straightened up and said, "I guess this makes us… ice cream buddies!"
Caius let out a genuine chuckle. "Ice cream buddies, huh? I can live with that."
then she asked with a low tone "umm.. can I take the rest of the ice cream with me so that I can eat after my duties are over? "
Caius chuckled and said "Sure sure, take as much as you want ."
Then Lilia jumped in happiness and said "yesss..."
Then she sat back and took the pendant which was hanging around her neck , it was an unique looking pendant with a blue orb in the middle and she placed it over the ice cream after couple of second the whole ice cream vanished .
Caius was shocked at first then the next movement he calm down after realising that it was a dimensional storage artifact, they were storage devices that high ranking nobles and adventures carry, even though they are not common it was hard to get hands on .They were made by Special High ranking magic stones
Realising that Caius asked in curiosity "Wow that was a good artifact . where did you get that ?"
At that for a fraction of a second she became sad ,the next movement she gone back to cheerful expression. Caius noticed that short movement.
"Hehe right . It was a gift from my mom"
Thinking that she was Uncomfortable to talk about it further he dropped the topic .
"umm.. ok"
After a bit more chatting she stood up and she beamed at him before glancing toward the door. "I should get back to work before Elise finds out I'm slacking off."
He waved a hand. "Go on then. And don't worry, I won't tell her about ice cream."
Lilia sighed in relief. "Thank you, Young Master! And remember, this whole ice cream thing stays between us, alright?"
Caius smirked. "Our little secret."
She nodded happily before hurrying out of the room, leaving Caius alone once more. As he leaned back in his chair, he realized that, for the first time since arriving in this world, he had actually enjoyed himself.
Maybe, just maybe, he could find some semblance of normalcy in this life.
The next couple of days passed quietly. Caius spent most of his time reading, resting, and occasionally chatting with the Elise or eating ice cream with Lilie. The mansion was peaceful, and he found himself adjusting to the rhythm of this life. It was almost comforting.
But on the third day, the tranquility was broken. The duke and the rest of the family arrived earlier than expected. The grand carriage rolled through the gates, its arrival marking the return of reality.
The peace he had grown accustomed to was about to change.