“Fwaaah... Th-This is so delicious!”

With just one bite, Charlotte let out a delighted cry.

The pancakes sitting on the table in front of her were about 30% larger than the ones pictured on the flyer. But they tasted even better than they looked.

The pancakes were perfectly cooked and so light they felt like they melted on her tongue.

Even though one pancake was enough to be gobbled up in no time, the rich whipped cream and fruit toppings only made them more irresistible.

Charlotte’s knife and fork didn’t stop as she smiled and cheerfully carved into the massive mountain of pancakes.

Siting at the table with her, Gosetsu and Luu continued to eat, smiling as well.

“This is indeed... among the finest sweets I’ve ever tasted. Easily in the top five,”

『Do humans eat this every day...? That's not fair! Luu want to be human, too, like Grandma! 』

"It's okay, you can eat as much as you want, even just like that. Do you want more?"

『Yay! Let's eat!』

Even though Luu was still a young Fenrir, she was quite large. Naturally, the first portion she’d been given was gone in a flash.

After refilling Luu’s plate with a fresh serving, Charlotte let out a small sigh.

“Still, even if I don’t eat it every day… I feel like I’m going to gain weight from today alone.”

"Well, it's true, even if we share it between three people, it's still quite a lot of calories."

"Ugh... I thought so."

She knew it before taking even a bite, but being reminded of the reality still stung a little.

Back when she lived with the ducal family, sweet things like this were rare indulgences. That’s why being surrounded now by such sparkling, delicious foods felt almost like a dream――but unfortunately, this was reality and the more she eat, the more she gain weight. It was only natural.

Gousetsu gave a wry smile as Charlotte stared gravely at the pancakes.

"It's no good worrying about it too much. Besides, Lord Allen wouldn't mind at all no matter how much weight you gain, as long as it wasn't affecting your health, right?"

“Y-Yes… I think you’re probably right.”

Allen definitely wouldn’t care. At most, he’d suggest a bit of light exercise and go running with her.

But that didn’t mean Charlotte could just leave it at that.

Because...

“Allen-san is always so calm and cool… I don’t want to show him any sloppy side of myself… mm?”

Feeling a little embarrassed, she looked down at her lap as she spoke her true feelings.

But then she suddenly looked up, and Charlotte's eyes widened.

“What’s wrong with you two? You look like you just swallowed some very bitter medicine…”

“No, we were just... reflecting on how that man actually looks ‘calm’ to you.”

『That guy’s just pretending to be cool in front of Mama…』

Gousetsu and Luu just looked at each other with disapproving expressions.

Charlotte could only frown.

“Is it really that different for you two?”

"Well, he has his good points... but overall, he's just entertaining to watch."

『Exactly. And sometimes kind of annoying.』

"Geez. You two are always so harsh on Allen-san!"

Charlotte could only shrug. She knew that Gousetsu and Luu didn't dislike Allen. They just viewed him as if he were a mischievous child.

That was just puzzling to Charlotte.

(Allen is always so confident, so capable... to me, he's like a...prince from a fairy tale.)

Of course, she couldn’t say that out loud. Even to Gousetsu and Luu, who knew her well, she was too embarrassed. To stave off her embarrassment, she turned her fork back to the pancakes. She resolved to start exercising tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Allen, the prince, was holding his head in his hands――reflecting on his life.

(Was it all the bad karma finally catching up to me…?)

Otherwise, there's no way he'd be taken to a place like this.

Allen glanced around.

It was a tidy office-like place. Desks were lined up evenly, and the bookshelves along the wall were packed with books. There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere, and the flowers in the vases were brand new. Picking up the papers taped to the wall, they were all perfectly parallel to the ground.

This was the city's Royal Guard’s barracks.

Armed women had been coming and going nonstop for a while now, including one fierce woman who was dragging a stretched-out thug with one hand.

It was orderly and solemn.

Allen was in a corner of this place――a small room separated by glass doors sitting across a desk from Giselle, the commander of the Royal Guard.

Although he was being taken in under the pretext of being interrogated, the first thing she handed him wasn't a consent form or anything――it was a mysterious dish.

"Please, try this first."

"What is this?"

"It's a dish from an eastern country, called katsudon."

It's a pork cutlet covered in egg, seasoned with a sweet and spicy sauce, and served on top of rice...or so it seems.

After hearing the details, Allen just shook his head.

"Why do you need me to eat this...?"

"Apparently, in a certain eastern country, it's customary to offer this dish to suspects during interrogation."

Giselle continued speaking calmly.

She spoke calmly, but her gaze was as sharp as a needle.

"It's so delicious that it's said to make any suspect open up and readily admit their guilt. In honor of that, it's customary for us to serve this at home."

“It’s not drugged or anything, right!?”

He couldn’t help suspecting it might be laced with some truth serum.

But no matter how closely he sniffed it, he detected no traces of drugs. Curious, he tried a bite. It was a flavor he wasn’t used to, but… undeniably tasty.

Watching Allen slowly continue to eat, Giselle finally got down to business.

"I've heard good things about you, Lord Allen. You're said to be a great man who conquered the infamous Mead District and reformed many thugs. I've been meaning to pay you a visit sometime."

"So why am I being accused of something as dreadful as abuse?"

"It's simple and clear. We've been receiving a series of reports from well-meaning citizens."

Giselle then took out a stack of documents and began to calmly read them aloud.

They said――

“‘While walking past the mansion, I heard a creepy man laughing and a girl screaming.’ ‘I saw a suspicious man tailing a girl around town.’ ‘In a tavern, a shady man was bragging about how he abuses a girl.’ ...All of these refer to you, Lord Allen.”

"I definitely think it was me... but isn't creepy going too far? I won't deny that I have a mean face, though!?"

Although he's often said to have a bad-tempered appearance, being bombarded with so many rumors like this still hurts a little.

What's worse, he was familiar with all of the rumors.

He'd once given Charlotte a surprise gift that made her scream, and he'd quietly watch over her when she went out alone. He'd also once bragged to Magus and the other in taverns about how he was corrupting Charlotte.

It's no wonder that outsiders would misunderstand.

What's more, Charlotte is a good girl.

The fact that so many citizens were outraged by her oppression is proof of the city's peace. That in itself is a cause for celebration. Allen would have been even happier if he hadn't been treated like a criminal.

(So… what now? Worst-case scenario, there’s always that mind-control spell… but… that’s probably illegal…)

He once used a spell to drive away soldiers chasing Charlotte. The brainwashing spell he used implants false memories.

But that kind of magic was outlawed in many countries, due to its potential for abuse. There weren’t even formal ways to learn it Allen had discovered it through obscure texts and modified it himself.

Which is why he avoided using it unless it was an emergency.

Besides, if he used it on Giselle, he’d have to erase the memories of all her subordinates too. One or two, maybe he could cover. But an entire guard division? Way too risky.

(In that case... I have no choice but to take the direct approach!)

In other words...flatly plead his innocence. That was all.

Allen spoke with a serious expression.

“The truth is… that girl has a complicated background. Her home life was a mess, so I took her in.”

“Oh?”

Giselle raised an eyebrow. Allen explained everything smoothly.

He’d taken in a troubled girl. She had no home to return to, so he’d employed her as a servant.

He left out the most critical details, but the rest was all true.

"The abuse accusation is also false. I was just teaching her naughty things, since she didn't seem to even know anything about entertainment."

Eating cake and ramen in the middle of the night, buying clothes like crazy, eating ice cream at hot springs... and so on.

Charlotte didn't know anything about entertainment. That's why Allen had taught her these kinds of things that would make a straight-laced person frown...

“I have nothing to hide. I’ve only been protecting her. I can even call witnesses, if needed, I’ve got plenty.”

"I see... I understand your point."

Giselle nodded gravely while taking notes. It seemed she accepted his argument.

Thanks to her, Allen was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

(Thank goodness. Total misunderstanding. Glad that’s clea——)

Just as he was sighing with relief, Giselle set down her pen.

And with a much more severe expression than before, she gravely said:

"Such a heinous act cannot be overlooked. It undoubtedly violate some law. You'll be spending some time in detention, so if you have family, please contact them."

“HOW DID IT COME TO THIS?!”