A faint sweetness and the distinctive scent of mint spread through the room.
Alma stared blankly at the mint candy in her hand. She had no idea when His Excellency had slipped it into her coat pocket, but at that moment, a powerful emotion welled up inside her.
She was touched!
Touched by its warmth!
For the first time, Alma had truly felt this sort of care from someone outside her family.
But when she saw her brother and father, the clever girl knew better than to let either of them misunderstand.
She immediately recounted what had happened when she first met Arthur and Malinda.
"His Excellency Credos really is a gentle, kindhearted man."
Alvin sighed with feeling.
Gentle?
Kindhearted?
Acker reserved judgment.
Still, seeing his daughter smiling with the mint candy in her hand and his son looking so moved, the retired assassin left the room.
He gazed into the distance through the window in the outer room.
That was...
The direction of the Inner Bay.
At that moment, the retired assassin truly made a certain resolve.
She should have found the candy by now, right?
Arthur estimated the time and put down the book in his hands.
Arthur had no ulterior motives. He simply felt that if a small, convenient gesture could make a clever, kind girl happy, that was rather nice.
Of course, there was also the goodwill of her father, Acker.
Arthur certainly would not turn down a chance to greatly improve Acker's opinion of him just by showing a little care for the old father's children.
Just as he would not turn down the late-night snack Lady Anna handed him.
Noodles cooked in beef broth-that had been Arthur's suggestion. Following his verbal instructions, Lady Anna had recreated the dish quite perfectly.
"After daybreak, Arthur,