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Chapter : 30
“Ahem, ahem. I’m sorry. You were startled when I suddenly cried, weren’t you?”
It took quite a while, but Marianne finally gathered herself and lifted her head.
“U… uuu…”
Cedric, who had been quietly holding her hand until then, slowly blinked his eyes. Then he let out a small whimper.
Whether it was to say he was okay or just a childlike fuss, hearing Cedric’s voice lifted some of the weight from Marianne’s heart.
She let out a small laugh and gently patted his head.
“Your Highness, here’s some warm water. Drink it slowly, and I’ll wipe your eyes afterward.”
Ah, Chloe and Amelie were here too. Marianne felt an awkward blush creep up as she remembered crying so openly in front of others.
“Th… thank you, Chloe. You and Amelie must’ve been surprised too. I’m sorry.”
She took the glass of water Chloe brought with both hands and gave a shy smile.
“No, Your Highness. It’s actually I who should apologize. I felt ashamed as the head butler, as if I had left such an important matter entirely to you.”
It had been an offhand remark, a stream-of-consciousness comment, but Amelie shook her head decisively. Marianne felt even more embarrassed.
“N-no, that’s not it. If it weren’t for Amelie, Lusana would have caused even more chaos. Thanks to Chloe, Julia, and Laurent staying at the mansion, Cedric was able to stay safe.”
This was the truth. Without the staff led by Amelie, Cedric’s condition would have been far worse by now.
‘He wouldn’t have died since he’s the male lead… but after rampaging, he’d have been semi-comatose, only gradually regaining consciousness around his coming-of-age ceremony.’
Thinking of the calamities the original Marianne had caused, she couldn’t help but sigh. She was lucky that, since she had driven away the servants, no one else had fallen victim to the rampage.
Since it was something that would never happen again, Marianne pushed away these thoughts and slowly drank the still-warm water.
“Heheh. I feel good when you praise me, Your Highness. I’ll prepare the bath water right away, so please wait a moment!”
Chloe, holding a tray, smiled cheerfully as she took the glass of water and left the room.
Thanks to her, Marianne was able to soak in warm water scented with wildflowers for quite some time.
After Chloe applied fragrant oil and even gave her a massage, Marianne returned to her room completely relaxed in body and mind, letting out a light sigh.
“Phew…”
There was still something she needed to do before sleeping. More accurately, it was something that painfully pricked her conscience.
Marianne sighed again and went into the dress room connected to the living room, searching for the bag she had brought from the royal palace.
Click. The bag was on a lower shelf near the entrance. Opening it and releasing the lock revealed a hidden compartment inside.
“…I’m sorry, Mother.”
Marianne whispered softly. Inside was a brooch her mother had left for her. A kind of heirloom, the brooch had a single-use magic that could transport her to a location designated by her mother.
It had been intended for use if rebellion broke out or if her position in the palace became dangerously precarious.
Marianne clenched the artifact in her hand, which she had discovered while inspecting her palace room after the possession incident and carefully decided to take.
‘I didn’t want to use this… but I might need it in the future. I hope I won’t have to…’
Biting her lower lip, Marianne felt a wave of anxiety rise within her—a chill as sharp as a winter wind.
“Miss Biarritz has left Calais. We confirmed that a carriage bearing the Biarritz family crest took her and her attendants safely beyond the border.”
Tehez reported about Lusana with a precise salute. Marianne nodded and checked outside the window. The snow was still raging fiercely.
But if it was a carriage sent personally by the Marquess of Biarritz, it would be sturdy enough that even this blizzard wouldn’t stop it.
It was likely that they would leave the northern region before the day ended, or even reach the capital by evening.
“Then soon Louis will hear about it as well.”
“…Wouldn’t it have been better to keep her detained?”
Tehez spoke cautiously, a faint worry appearing on his face—a contrast to his earlier composure.
Marianne smiled gently and shook her head.
“No. There must have been a special method of communication when they contacted him. It might have been an artifact, so even if she were detained, she could have sent word to the capital.”
It had only been a hunch before, but seeing the carriage arrive early in the morning confirmed her suspicion.
“If the fact that Lusana was confined had reached the ears of the Ruina or the Marquess of Biarritz, it would’ve caused more chaos.”
Louis might not have minded, but the Marquess would have immediately rushed north to retrieve his daughter, likely bringing knights and soldiers along, causing a big commotion.
“…The Marquess of Biarritz might have violated the duchy’s territory.”
“Yes. We can’t give them that excuse.”
It was better to chase them off the estate before they could do anything harmful. Marianne glanced toward the annex. People seemed used to such heavy snow in the north, and some visitors were making their way to the annex.
“How is the annex?”
“Yes. We announced that wet wood is fine, so the local residents continue to visit. Additionally, we increased the number of knights to guard the entire annex. They are all high-ranking knights capable of sensing mana, so incidents like today won’t occur.”
“I’ll trust you, Sir Tehez.”
Marianne smiled softly, and Tehez saluted again. After he left for the annex, she picked up the documents on the table.
Taking a deep breath, she turned the first page, feeling slightly dizzy from the overwhelming flood of numbers.
“Ugh…”
She groaned, flipping back and forth through the pages.
‘I should have refused when Amelie offered to give me the budget report.’
Since the last report had been excellent, she could’ve said she didn’t need another. But seeing how carefully this report was prepared, she couldn’t just ignore it either.
“Your Highness, it’s time for your meal. Cedric is also waiting.”
Just as Marianne tried to turn back to the first page through tears, a voice of salvation came.
“Oh, right. Today we planned to try the Potea fruit with Cedric.”
Marianne quickly set the documents aside and stood from her chair.
It was the tasting time prepared according to Julia’s suggestion to distribute the Potea fruit to the villagers along with the recipe. It was as important as the report.
‘I’ll review the documents after lunch. I’m looking forward to this.’
Marianne temporarily set aside the paperwork and let herself feel excited about the new dish, her eyes sparkling naturally.
“How about it, Julia? Confident?”
“Yes. I’ve done my best to create new recipes, so I’m confident both Your Highness and Cedric will be satisfied.”
Julia responded resolutely to Marianne’s cheerful question. As the head of the kitchen, her dedication and care in preparing the meal were evident, and Marianne smiled contentedly.
“Good. Julia’s dishes have always been delicious, so I’m looking forward to today too.”
Eager to taste the food, Marianne walked quickly down the corridor, finishing it faster than usual.
“Welcome, Your Highness. Please, have a seat here.”
Entering Cedric’s room, the table was already set for the meal. A fresh white cloth, cutlery, and plates made it feel like a restaurant.
Marianne gave Cedric, who had already seated himself, a bright smile and sat across from him. Chloe quickly brought a basin of water for handwashing and a napkin.
“Now, I will explain today’s dishes. I’ve prepared an appetizer, main course, and dessert, all using Potea fruit.”
Julia, after waiting for everyone to wash their hands and dry them, cleared her throat and began explaining the meal.
Marianne, reaching for her glass, turned her head in surprise. Chloe, equally curious, widened her eyes as she looked at Julia.
“Even in the dessert?”
“Yes. Adding a bit of sweetness made it an excellent ingredient for dessert.”
“Hm, good idea.”
Marianne nodded. She intended to make Potea fruit a specialty of the north.
‘Bertrand said it’s difficult for now, but if we develop fertilizer suited to Potea, it could be cultivated steadily.’
She had also asked Julia to prepare recipes to serve to nobles who might take interest. She hadn’t expected dessert to incorporate the fruit too.
“Julia really is a culinary genius.”
“…Thank you. The appetizer is a mousse made from Potea fruit on a bed of young greens salad. The tartness of the balsamic dressing is balanced by the sweetness of the mousse.”
Blushing slightly, Julia served portions of the appetizer.
“It’s delicious.”
As she had explained, the sour sauce and sweet mousse blended beautifully. It was a perfect combination to stimulate the appetite.
“Woo!”
Cedric seemed to like it too, quickly eating everything on his plate and wearing a blissful expression.
The following dishes were equally excellent. A creamy stew made with Potea fruit was smooth, sweet, and savory, and dipping steak into the Potea-based sauce added incredible flavor.
“Phew. I’m full, but I want more. Julia, this is really delicious.”
After finishing the final cake, Marianne let out a satisfied sigh, wiping her mouth with a napkin and smiling happily.
“The flavors of the fruit come through without feeling unfamiliar. I really liked it.”
“Woo, woo!”
“Looks like Cedric enjoyed it too.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. The stew can be prepared in other ways as well, so please enjoy it again tomorrow evening.”
“Great.”
Marianne nodded. Tomorrow’s meal would surely be just as delicious. As she leaned back, content after the exquisite feast, she suddenly heard quick footsteps approaching.
“Your Highness.”
After a hurried knock, Amelie entered without waiting for a reply. She bowed her head with a stiff expression.
“…A messenger has arrived from the palace.”
