Vol. 11 Chapter 59 - Let's Get Along, Yum Yum Yum

It is widely known that members of the royal family do not eat anything when they are not in the palace. Though there are courtesies for someone they hinted to be trusted the most.

Nowadays, detoxification magic has evolved, and it is said that it is nearly impossible to poison someone who is wearing a magical item.

Still, the cumbersome courtesies should be performed even if it’s only for empty formalities.

It was my first time having such an occasion with Karpel, but I had seen the Marchioness do the courtesies for her majesty the empress when I was invited to tea with the Marchioness Zelude the previous time, so I was aware of it.

There was nothing difficult about it.

Karpel wiped his hands with a wet towel brought by the servant and chose one of the desserts studded with a fresh cranberry, which resembled a jewel, and fed it to me.

Karpel then moved the refreshment toward me slowly. Meanwhile, I was suddenly embarrassed.

I felt like a few minutes had passed only for that refreshment to approach in a short distance. I was so nervous that I lowered my head and only lightly bit the edge.

I guessed I’d moved too much because I could feel the tip of Karpel’s finger on my lips, and I was afraid I’d bite his finger if I made a mistake.

I chewed it tightly, swallowed it, and looked at Karpel. Karpel, on the other hand, was stiff and clenched his teeth.

‘What kind of expression is that?’

I had no idea whether he didn’t like it or was astonished.

Anyway, no matter how long I stared at him, I couldn’t read his expression positive way.

Nonetheless, it appeared that the act had sparked the minds of my followers.

Exclamations like ‘Kyaaa!!!’ or ‘Oh my!!!’ contributed to relieving the heat on my face.

Though I couldn’t figure out how to make Karpel’s face less stiff.

“Your Highness… If you don’t mind, may I have the rest?”

Only then did Karpel blink and reach out to me, as if to feed me.

But then he paused, with no sign that he would feed me.

So I reached for it, and Karpel frowned and took the half-eaten refreshment I had raised back and placed it in his mouth.

What the hell just happened?

Karpel paused for a moment before picking up another. And extended it to me.

“……”

But I don’t think it’s because he didn’t like it, do you?

Karpel put what was left in his mouth without any expression when I ate the desserts.

Somehow, I felt like we were unintentionally sharing a meal with each other.

He took one and held it out again.

‘Again?

Everyone at the party seemed to observe us.

It was embarrassing, but I had already tasted everything before the tea party began, so I didn’t want to eat them now.

Karpel was surprised when I frowned as if I wanted to cry. And I, like Karpel, was surprised.

“Pffft.”

When I turned to see who was laughing, I noticed the crown prince was covering his mouth.

Clara, who was perplexed while holding the plate, eventually handed it over to the crown prince, whether she realized or remembered that this was a courtesy to the royal family.

Without hesitation, the crown prince took one.

Clara gave him a hopeful smile.

“I’m just going to eat it, Clara.”

If you don’t want to, you can refuse in this manner.

Indeed, if one did not wish to perform the courtesies, they could refuse in this manner.

The crown prince said it was fine to do it freely today, and it wasn’t like he was trying to find a real poison because it was just empty formalities.

The crown prince then looked at Karpel as if to say that he, too, could refuse if all he wanted was to eat the desserts, and Karpel seemed to surprised by the crown prince’s behavior.

“Ah.”

From the words that came out of his mouth, he must have never thought of it.

Karpel set down one he had picked up, possibly because he didn’t want to eat it at all.

But why did he pick desserts if he didn’t want to eat them? Don’t tell me, did he want to feed me?

The crown prince ate two or three desserts in a row, his eyes widening. Then he chose another and placed it in his mouth.

“It looks simple but it has a chewy texture due to the berries, and the savory flavors from the nuts, and the sweetness from the syrup coated blend together so the taste is not overpowering……”

The taste isn’t overpowering, but the calories are. Because it was made with fatty acid-rich nuts instead of wheat flour.

“It’s really flavorsome.”

Karpel looked at the crown prince with admiration in his eyes as he ate, as if he understood what the crown prince was feeling.

Sure, enough when I went looking for the dessert basket I brought Karpel the last time, Tom who found it said it was empty when he found it.

It seemed that Karpel ate them all by himself.

What if he gained weight and his abs faded away as a result?

As the crown prince gave his review, I heard a crackling sound from behind so I turned my head naturally.

I noticed the children sitting at different tables, dictating the crown prince’s words.

“If the crown prince has given his reviews, then it will be a great promotion.”

“I heard he just ate something with sesame seeds in it.”

They whispered among themselves, saying that the crown prince’s review was a good start, or that the crown prince appeared to be busy and that they shouldn’t bother him.

The person who enjoyed the tea party the most today seemed to be the crown prince.

He said he was looking forward to the opening of the desserts shop and packed a lot of desserts and pastries then went back.

Clara, who arrived uninvited to the tea party with the intention of mobilizing the crown prince to see Thalia, was forced to leave before she could complete her mission.

⇺⇺⇺⇼⇻⇻⇻

I entered the main building after seeing off the crown prince, and Talia was waiting for me inside.

“Well done, Ina-nim. I have sent Lady Float back.”

“What exactly do you mean by sent her back?”

“I assume she was taken aback by his highness Karpel’s question and felt queasy. His highness Prince Karpel inquired if she had invited Lady Zelude to the party.”

“Was that a surprising question?”

Thalia tilted her head.

“Rather, I believe she was taken aback when Clara arrived. I mean, I was the one who rushed out of the greenhouse, but she also did. Come to think of it, she had said something strange.”

“Something strange? What did she say?”

“Why did that fake come here? I heard her saying it. However, when I looked into it, there was no occasion for Lady Float to come into contact with Clara……”

“I don’t think Clara would approach Shabelle on purpose because I refused her……”

“Ina-nim, I’ll look into it further.”

I didn’t think it was necessary, but it worried me.

According to the novel, Shabelle was a pure and unpretentious young lady.

‘Do I care too much about novels? Is what was described in the novel fiction and not based on reality?’

Seeing Shabelle act so differently from how she was described in the novel made me uneasy.

Rather than considering this world to be a world within a novel, it may be more realistic to consider the situation in this life to be only overlapping with the novel I read in my previous life.

Except for Shabelle, everything was the same.

Only Shabelle, who differs significantly from the novel.

‘Wait. No, I believe there was something else that was different.’

I believe it is important and relevant to me.

But as I could remember that there was something else different I couldn’t catch what it is.

What else is differentiated from the novel besides Shabelle?

What else is related with Shabelle?

That, I believe, is what caused Shabelle to behave differently than in the novel.

I recall having dinner with Shabelle after our meetings at the Rose Garden and the theater.

I wasn’t paying attention at the time, but I believe only Stein and I were with Shabelle at dinner.

Shabelle then told a story about Karpel. Instead of questioning her, I mumbled something about my future.

It wouldn’t make sense, since I was the novel’s villain.

Oh, that’s it.

It’s me.

I’m different.

The Ducal Princess Krenberia’s demeanor and personality had changed since I remembered my previous life. And it was at that point that I first met the heroine Shabelle.

‘Does Shabelle act differently because of my influence, or because of the novel?’ No, I don’t believe that to be the case. It’s as if she’s a completely different person. Just like me…… ’

“Ina-nim?”

“Huh?”

I was surprised to see who had called my name.

The thought that had been floating around in my head vanished the moment I made eye contact with Thalia.

Thalia looked at me, perplexed.

“Should I see the guests off if you’re not feeling well? I have something I want to tell you, but I think the story will be too long, so I’ll finish the party first.”

“No, I’ll do it.”

“Then I’ll accompany you.”

Thalia followed me with a concerned expression.