**Chapter Six: Happy Sweet But Foolish**
Sofia… is hurt?
After hearing Victoria’s words, my heart sank. I couldn’t care less about whether she had told Victoria anything. I grabbed Her Majesty the Queen’s hand and anxiously asked, “Where is she? How is she now?”
Victoria raised an eyebrow slightly, turning her stunning beauty toward me, her face expressionless as she stared for about a second before speaking, “Just a surface injury; she fainted due to overstimulation. She was already awake when I carried you back to the church.”
Thank goodness…
I felt a bit more at ease, and as I relaxed my grip on Victoria’s hand, I was about to ask her more when the inner door swung open again, and several servants rolled in a dining cart, bringing bowls and plates with them.
Dinner…
As soon as they entered, the aroma of food hit my nose, and I quickly sat up straight on the sofa, staring eagerly as two maids set the plates on the table. I felt a bit of anticipation, though I couldn’t say I was excited.
If all goes as expected, tonight’s dinner will be…
As the metal lids on the plates were lifted one by one, my spirits dropped — the table was a lush green, with hardly a hint of oil in sight. I knew it was healthy, but really… it completely killed my appetite.
“Wow, this is… a very disciplined dinner.”
Carlos rubbed his temples in exasperation, gazing at the delicate dishes on the table, utterly speechless.
I mean, right?
I couldn’t help but sneak another glance at the brown paper bag that had been placed at the edge of the tea table, then back at the watery dishes, my brow furrowing in confusion.
Let’s just give it a try…
Once the servants left, I grabbed a kn*fe and fork, unwilling to pick and just went for the nearest large plate of unrecognizable green leaves. I stabbed a big chunk, opened my mouth wide, and “nommed” it all in one go, eyes wide as I chewed rapidly.
Crunch… crunch…
It was crispy and juicy, with a slightly sticky texture — like okra but not quite… I could tell it was high-end ingredients, but there was absolutely no flavor, making me feel like I was eating grass.
Not very tasty…
But I kind of wanted another bite…
With my mouth stuffed with leaves, hardly swallowed, I lifted my fork again, reaching for the next plate.
“Slow down.”
Victoria hadn’t touched her utensils and had been watching me for a while. She pulled out a pristine napkin from somewhere and wiped the juices from the corners of my mouth, sliding the plate of food on my left closer to me, saying softly, “Don’t eat greasy things at night; focus on these healthy options.”
Carlos, who had already raised his fork over that plate, saw it moved and froze in mid-air for a moment. He then shrugged, smacked his lips, and redirected his attention to the soup bowl nearby.
“Oh, Mr. Carlos. That soup was specifically requested for Pepé. It’s good for nourishing bl**d and might not be suitable for you.”
“……”
Carlos pouted.
And just as I was about to stuff my third bite into my mouth, I was suddenly taken aback by Victoria’s words.
How does she… even know about my cycle!
“Your Majesty, just tell me plainly. Which of these can I actually eat?”
“Everything except the soup.”
“Oh.”
Carlos nodded and resumed his kn*fe and fork battle.
After that, the dinner was nearly silent, creating an awkward atmosphere. In the spacious living room, the only sounds were the clinks of utensils against plates.
This dinner felt a tad uncomfortable.
Carlos seemed to notice this too, so when the servants started clearing away the empty plates to serve dessert, he stood up from the sofa.
“Your Majesty, would you mind if Little Shay and I took a stroll in the courtyard? We won’t be long.”
Huh?
Just as I swallowed my last bite, I wiped my mouth and looked up at him, a little confused. “What for?”
“Just come with me.”
With that, Carlos didn’t bother explaining, just nodded slightly and turned to walk out. At the door, he suddenly turned back, placed his right fist over his heart, and bowed towards us.
“Your Majesty, thank you for the hospitality.”
Without waiting for a response, he pushed the door open and left.
I turned to look at Victoria, squirmed on the sofa, and blinked my eyes.
“What are you staring at me for?”
Feeling my gaze, the Queen, who had been staring out at the moonlight, sounded a bit impatient.
“Uh…”
I figured Carlos wanted to talk to me about something. I just didn’t know how to explain it to Victoria and was afraid she’d overthink it. I hesitated, unsure how to start when suddenly she said, “Go there and back quickly, don’t let the dessert sit too long.”
“Oh, okay!”
Her words hit my ears like a pardon. I don’t know why, but for some strange reason, I let out a huge sigh of relief. I nodded repeatedly and “whoosh” jumped up from the sofa, bolting outside.
The night was vast, the stars twinkling in the sky.
The warm night breeze gently blew, ruffling the leaves outside and sparkling under the streetlights, sweeping over the lush lawn, brushing against Carlos’s somewhat lonely silhouette in the courtyard.
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and walked toward him slowly.
Hearing my footsteps, he turned around, and before he could speak, I jumped the g*n.
“Are you… leaving tomorrow?”
Carlos hesitated for a moment and then broke into a relaxed smile.
“Probably tomorrow… But there will be others traveling with me, so it might be a hassle. I won’t have time to come back and say goodbye.”
“Oh…”
I nodded.
And then blanked out on what else to say.
Carlos waited for a while, seeing I wasn’t talking, reached out to pat my head.
“I came today just to tell you this… I returned to the royal city mainly for something concerning the teacher. If it weren’t for this unexpected… disaster, and if you hadn’t been in a coma, I probably wouldn’t have stayed this long… Right, about the Valen Empire, you really don’t have to worry. I saw Duke Skarlick again, and he’s doing well, very clear-headed, and has the Church’s strong support… perhaps the chaos in the Empire will end sooner than we thought. But you…”
Carlos paused here, his hand dropping from my head.
“It was inconvenient to talk about it indoors. Little Shay… both I and the Pope are currently most concerned about your wellbeing… You sort of understand this, right?”
Sort of understand…
What do I even understand…
I looked at Carlos’s serious face blankly, my mind a jumbled mess, unsure of how to reply.
And Carlos didn’t expect me to answer him anyway.
“You might not see it from Angel, but you have to trust me… Margaret met with me before she left. She said her personality isn’t fit to be around you, that she can’t do a good job, so she wanted to ask me to take care of you during this time… I remember how glum she looked when she said that. But, to be honest, I’m not very good at this either… Ugh…”
He scratched his head in frustration, desperately trying to organize his thoughts.
“Little Shay, you know I’m not one for long speeches… In summary, our consensus is not to let you do anything. For the foreseeable future, you must get ample rest. If—though we don’t want to think about ‘if’—if anything unexpected happens… whether it’s your power, your body, or anything else… if you feel anything unusual, you must find Angel at once, understood? He’ll make sure to stay a bit longer in the royal city just for you.”
About this trip to the Eastern continent, I initially planned it with the Pope to take you along. Regardless of your willingness, I felt safer keeping you with me, and our Pope seems to trust you even more than I do… But considering what happened in the royal city, and with the circumstances we’re facing, I’ve decided not to take you. You need a calm, quiet environment to adjust yourself.”
At the end, Carlos shrugged at me.
“Do you… get my point?”
“Yep.”
I understood perfectly.
“It means just let me, do nothing at all. Just be a happy, sweet fool.”
