For a long while, silence held.
"D-Darien, pardon me, I didn't mean—"
Celeste, aware of her boldness, stepped back, clutching the hem of her gown in modesty.
Darien observed her unease and gave a polite nod, maintaining proper distance.
"It's fine, Celeste. Did you get a chance to eat this morning?" he asked.
"Y-yea… I have eaten," she whispered, averting her eyes in modest shame.
"Well, I grabbed you a little sweet treat—figured you'd like it."
He stepped aside and pulled a delicate trifle from behind the clothes. Its pale, shiny top looked almost too fancy to eat.
"What… is this?" Celeste asked, inhaling the rich scent of cream and custard.
"'Tis a trifle I have prepared" Darien replied gently. "Sweet it is, yet take care not to overindulge."
Celeste's eyes brightened—if Darien said it was tasty, it surely must be.
He placed the trifle on the table before her and gestured politely.
Celeste, hesitant at first, lifted a spoon herself. The first taste drew a soft
"Um~" from her lips.
Sweet it was indeed, rich with cream, soft and yielding, yet lightly crisped.
Each new dish Darien offered seemed the finest in the world, and now this trifle held that place.
When the small cup was empty, Celeste licked her lips with delight.
"Want some more?" Darien asked.
"Mmm~" she nodded eagerly.
"Sweets are fine, but take it easy—too much and you'll put on weight." he cautioned.
Celeste nodded repeatedly.
Darien smiled and asked, "Celeste, is there a locked-up spot in this castle? Somewhere totally off-limits to everyone else?"
Apart from the clothes and mirrors, his room was full of valuables, all carefully stored. Celeste had seen it before but kept her thoughts to herself.
After a moment's thought, she replied:
"There's plenty of rooms like that in the castle. The keep's the safest spot in Brindlemark, but the safest of all? The treasure room and the dungeon underneath."
"A dungeon beneath the castle?" Darien asked, his brow lifting.
"Yeah, though it hasn't been used in ages."
Darien frowned, thinking it over. The dungeon below had been secure enough, but he didn't like the idea of sleeping right above a prison. Maybe it was time to seal it off—or get rid of it altogether.
For now, he needed a safe place for the things he'd brought.
"Is the treasure room big? What's in it?" he asked.
Celeste nodded. "It's huge—about the size of three study rooms. There's the spice chest you've seen."
The chest had belonged to Baron Charles, but now it was Darien's. He didn't care much for the spices himself and had let Celeste keep them.
Darien looked around the room. Plenty of space, but only a single spice chest in the whole place? Felt kind of empty.
"We'll move all this stuff in here later."
"Got it!"
Celeste's eyes sparkled as she caught sight of all the things she'd never seen before.
Darien thought about explaining everything, but decided it was simpler to let her figure it out herself. Every time he brought new stuff, making excuses just caused trouble—better she knew from the start.
He trusted her—she was smart enough not to fuss. And, as expected, she didn't ask a single question.
Celeste led him to the treasure room, right in the heart of the castle, dry and perfect for storing valuables.
"Here's the key, Darien," she said, holding out the unusual key.
Darien inclined his head respectfully. "You should keep it. I trust your care."
Celeste blinked, surprised. "Me? Why?"
Darien met her gaze calmly. "Because I have faith in your judgment."
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🔍 Did You Know?
- Medieval castles often had secure vaults or treasure rooms to store gold, important documents, and rare artifacts. Some even had hidden dungeons beneath them for extra protection.
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