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“So it is to my understanding that women must allow their romantic partners to spoil them as much as they like on Valentine’s Day. Am I correct in this?” Iudex Neuvillette comes into her bakery one day to ask her calmly, and Shanna isn’t sure how to reply at first.
While yes, that is technically correct, the way that he had phrased it just made it sound a little wrong. Maybe Lady Furina was against him spoiling her too often? She wouldn’t have expected it from their nation’s former Archon, but some women were like that. Shanna had been so happy when it was announced through the Steambird that Iudex Neuvillette and Lady Furina had finally worked things out. It felt like the whole nation had been holding their breath for the time when the two of them would get together.
And now it looked like Iudex Neuvillette was dedicated to keeping their romance alive. Good for them.
Shanna smiled up at the awkward man. “Yeah, it’s practically law to us women folk. If any of us are lucky enough to land a man that wants to spoil us, we have to soak it in at times like these.” She joked.
Neuvillette appeared to take it seriously.
“I’ll make sure to let her know, so she is aware she shouldn’t break such a rule. In related matters, I’d like you to send five each of the deserts on your menu to this address.” He said, placing a piece of paper down on the counter that Shanna ignored in favor of gaping up at him.
Five- five each?! Their bakery prided itself on the varied selection of deserts they had to offer; there were a lot. And Neuvillette was going to send five each of them to Lady Furina?!
That was too much. That was way too much.
Well… Lady Furina was friends with the renowned Traveler, and the Traveler and her travel buddy did have famously large stomachs, didn’t they? Maybe they would be able to help her with them. She would need some help with them, that was for certain.
“O-okay.” She stuttered uncertainly as she pulled the paper toward her.
Neuvillette frowned down at her. “Was that not enough? I had planned to send more, but Sedene limited me to five each. She said that more than that would be past the line of acceptable.”
It already was, Shanna inwardly cried. It already was.
“No, no, it’s fine!” she exclaimed quickly, probably looking mentally unwell to him with the way she was waving her hands in the air. She was going to save Lady Furina from dying from sugar overdose. She was. “That’s plenty, trust me. I’ll get started on them right away and we’ll get them to her very soon.”
Oh no. This was going to be. So much work.
At least Iudex Neuvillette appeared pleased as he looked down at her.
“Good. Feel free to send the bill to the Palais, Sedene will separate it from the rest and direct it my way.”
“Will do.” Shanna said overly brightly. She kind of wanted this conversation to end already so she could go have a minor break down over how much she would have to hustle to get this order done.
He turned away with a nod and headed out the door, muttering absently to himself as he went, “Hmm. I should probably go to the chocolatiers next, and then the florist after. The jeweler can be saved for last so I can take my time, I think.”
And he was gone before she could react to any of that.
She stared after him blankly, for once feeling sorry for a woman whose man wanted to spoil them rotten.
Poor Lady Furina. Shanna really hoped she managed to survive this trying time.