The Bewilderment of the Sacrificial Second Princess

Chapter 11: Labor Milk Tea

“You look quite tired.”

“Yes… Aren’t His Majesty and His Highness angry? I’ve been quite selfish…”

Each department should have reported the content every time I gave them instructions. And Lord Balk’s conversation with me should have reached His Majesty after dinner by now.

I ordered all departments to stop for a month for reorganization and personnel changes! And I’m just a young girl who has come up with such an outrageous idea. They must be feeling bad about it.

We had a pleasant conversation during dinner, but as soon as I sat down in the salon, my head was filled with drafts and I apparently looked serious. I made His Highness worry.

“No, it was a good opportunity. We need to handle post-war processing and make reforms. Both my father and I have full confidence in your instructions.”

“Ah, haha… Um, I don’t have any practical experience, so if I fail…”

A dry laugh escaped from me.

Yes, I’m just a know-it-all with no practical experience. But today’s situation was terrible. It started from organizing and rearranging papers. And then we need to listen to the voices on the ground, or everything will be in chaos.

However, I’m scared at the thought of failing.

Lost in dark thoughts, I lowered my head, and a cup of lightly warm, emulsified light-brown liquid was handed to me.

The rising steam didn’t carry the scent of coffee. As I wondered about it, the prince seemed to have realized something.

“In the Faithnum Empire, tea was either oolong or green tea.”

“This… is tea?”

“Yes, it’s black tea. It’s made from the same tea leaves as green tea, but the production process is different. It has a good fragrance, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, this is the black tea I’ve read about in books.”

In our country, tea leaves are cultivated and tea is popular, but the main types are green tea, which is said to have a sterilizing effect in an unfermented state, and occasionally semi-fermented oolong tea, as rotation is prioritized due to the many vassal states. There are very few tea farmers who finish (semi-fermented state) the tea leaves into black tea.

At the same time, the method of brewing tea has been forgotten and is only found in books. The black tea that occasionally appears as a rare item doesn’t have a good smell and is bitter.

It seems that black tea is mainstream in the Baratonia Kingdom. This is the first tea I had since arriving in this country.

Nevertheless, it has a faint milk and honey scent.

“When you’re tired, it works. Especially to rest your head. “

“Itadakimasu.”

I put my mouth on it at Prince Auglia’s recommendation.

The aroma and sweetness spread throughout my mouth, and the honey sweetness that slid over my tongue and the aroma that escaped through my nose made my eyes widen.

The temperature is just warm enough. It’s just right, and I unintentionally savor it in silence.

“Have your thoughts cleared a bit?”

“Yes…! I’m surprised, it’s really delicious. It’s sweet… Ah, it’s already gone.”

“For a while, should we have milk tea after dinner? Hehe, Claire, you’re so cute.”

“Eh?”

I was suddenly called cute and looked at His Highness in surprise, and then his hand reached out and wiped the milk tea off my upper lip. Ahh?! Wait, I was just wiping it! Your Highness, what are you doing?!

In front of me, in great confusion, could you please not kiss the finger you just wiped with?!

“Let’s do our best tomorrow… Cheating is not allowed, okay?”

“Geez! Your Highness! I won’t do it, I don’t know about it!”

I turned my red face away in embarrassment and pouted like a child. Thinking I was acting childish, I hastily tightened my lips, and then His Highness, who had wiped his hand, started to pat my head.

“Do you want a refill? Drink some more.”

“…itadakimasu.”

By the time I finished drinking another glass of milk tea, my mind had completely settled down.