Chapter 138 – An Outing with Gain

“Gain, are you ready?”

I called out while knocking on Gain’s door.

“Y-Yeah!”

Gain emerged from his room in a hurry, fixing his hair. He wore his usual dark pants and white shirt, topped with the chestnut vest full of pockets that I’d gifted him the other day.

He looked so thrilled… kinda cute.

Not that I’m any different—I’m buzzing with excitement in my favorite dress and cape.

“Alright, you guys, leave Marie to me.”

Today, it’s just the two of us, taking it slow.

Fernet and Master told me to spoil Gain plenty.

“Spoil him, they say…”

Last time we went out together, it was for Lily’s travel shopping, and the holy knights tagged along as porters.

Gain had been so obviously disappointed to see them, and Fernet laughed his head off holding his stomach.

“Be careful out there.”

“Have fun.”

“Take it easy.”

Everyone saw us off with smiles, and we headed into town.

“Marie, how about the central square?”

There was supposed to be a market there today.

I looked up at Gain and nodded with the biggest smile I could muster.

“It’s been a while since we went out just the two of us like this, Marie.”

“Yeah. We’re usually with everyone else.”

Gain ruffled my hair roughly.

Hehe. That’s his habit when he’s in a good mood.

“Today, I’ll buy you whatever you want. Pick anything you like.”

“Yay! So many choices, I can’t decide.”

The central square was lined with tents and stalls. Merchants and shoppers haggled cheerfully, even though it was still early morning.

We wandered around, our eyes darting everywhere.

Antiques, beast hides and fangs… After a bit of walking, the air filled with scents of flowers, fruits, and spices.

“Oh, tea!”

I dashed to the stall, and Gain followed with a laughing, “Hey, hey.”

“What kinda scent you lookin’ for, missy?”

A sun-tanned old lady with a hunched back handed me a small dish of tea leaves.

I leaned in close. It had a slightly spicy aroma.

“That one’s great with milk.”

“Sounds perfect. How about this one, and something good for iced tea?”

The old lady grinned, stood up with a “Yoisho,” and started blending a few tea leaves from the stack behind her.

“Missy, what fruits do ya like?”

“Hmm… Kirue, maybe?”

I glanced at Gain without thinking, and he beamed. “I like that too.”

The old lady mixed some dried kirue into the blend.

“My old man’s wind magic dries ’em in one go without lettin’ the scent escape. Whaddya think?”

“Wow, amazing. It smells just like fresh.”

The old lady laughed proudly. “Pretty great, huh?”

The kirue had a cherry-like fragrance.

“Granny, put that in this bag.”

“Hold yer horses.”

She scooped the blended leaves into the bag, added the kirue, and mixed it all with vigorous shakes.

The aroma spread around us, and passersby started stopping to sniff.

“Oh, Saintess! Hello there. Granny, gimme the same.”

A crowd gathered in no time. Gain paid for the tea and took the bag, and we slipped away.

“Hahaha. Tired already? Let’s rest at the cake shop across the street.”

Gain led us to a fancy shop famous for its tea and sweets—super popular with the ladies of the capital.

Wait… Did he look this up for me?

I got so happy, my face softened without me realizing.

“Hey… What’re you gonna do about Heart?”

In the frilly shop filled with bright, sweet scents, Gain poked at a kirue pie piled high with cream, fork in hand, glaring at it like he couldn’t decide where to dig in.

I took a sip of my iced tea and gently set the cup down on the table.

“I’ve never really thought of Heart that way myself, so right now, I’m taking it slow to figure out my feelings.”

Honestly, talks like this are embarrassing.

Especially with Gain—he’s basically like a dad. It’s not the same as chatting with Sis.

But Gain’s showered me with so much love over the years. I owed him a serious answer.

Gain sliced into the pie, stabbed a piece with his fork, stared at it, and paused.

“I see. Kinda weird comin’ from me—the guy who was so shocked he took to his bed. But I ain’t gonna oppose whatever you decide. No need to hold back on my account. I’ll always listen if you wanna talk, and no matter what happens down the line, I’ll keep bein’ your stand-in dad…”

The giggling chatter from the girls around us cut him off, and big ol’ Gain hunched his shoulders, shrinking a little.

I looked around. The place was all girls.

He picked the wrong shop. Not that it was my choice.

“Hehe. In my heart, you’ve always been my dad, Gain.”

I leaned in to say it, and Gain looked up, popping the forkful of pie into his mouth.

“Sheesh. You’ve got cream all over your mouth…”

I laughed and pulled out my handkerchief. He wiped his mouth with it and burst out laughing. “Wahaha!”

“For your happiness, Marie, I’ll do anything. Even Lily’s situation—I’ll carry that burden with you.”

His words filled my chest to the brim.

He’d told me to decide for myself, but I’d wondered if he was really against it deep down.

Lily’s a criminal who can never leave again. Turning away would be easy.

Yet those few words from Gain melted the lump in my chest.

As expected from Gain. He always lightens my heart.

“I love you, Dad!”

I blurted it out in my joy, and Gain dropped the pie off his fork—mouth still wide open.