Chapter 16: Dinner Party (Part 2)
Sitting at the dining table, I stared blankly at the abundance of food spread out before me. From the kitchen, I could hear Annie’s soft conversation with Mother.
“Where did you find her…”
“Couldn’t find her; the child came back on her own…”
“This girl…”
“I chatted with her a bit on the way back. Aside from talking noticeably less, she seems a bit down, but other than that, I didn’t notice anything… Lady, are you worrying too much…”
“Ah, if only that were the case…”
Glamorously yet gracefully dressed maids shuffled in and out of the kitchen, bringing freshly prepared dishes to the table. The Head Maid came over, holding a tea tray, standing straight as a broomstick, and poured me a steaming cup of fine black tea. She introduced the tea briefly, but I didn’t catch a word.
These maids weren’t brought in from the Northern Region; they likely worked at the palace already. The Northern Army seemed not to have troubled them, as evident by the not-so-tense expressions on their faces. In fact, some looked quite cheerful.
I thought to myself that the ones here helping Mother prepare dinner must have previously served Emperor Keynes. Every one of these women was young and beautiful—both in looks and figure—far surpassing the standards for maids at Shanter Castle. Clearly, being hardworking wasn’t the main requirement for entering the palace… I began to understand why they all seemed to be in good spirits.
Also, poor souls, I guess…
I pondered as my gaze returned to the table. I suddenly realized that Mother had prepared a different meal tonight compared to the usual ones in Winter City. Back then, mainly meat filled the table, except for dessert, due to the surrounding environment. But today—today the table was dotted with an abundance of soupy vegetable dishes that looked frankly unappetizing.
And there was wine… ah.
I thought I understood what was going on.
Oh no…
A bad premonition welled up from the depths of my heart, and I instinctively stood up from the table again—not sure why, but I suddenly felt the urge to take a walk.
“Mom!”
Without hesitation, I called out to Mother in the kitchen. However, Lady Catherine was busy and didn’t seem to notice. Just then, footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the arches, and before I could react, a graceful white figure glided into the dining room.
“……”
It was Viki.
Wasn’t she supposed to be in the palace? How did she return so quickly?
“Welcome, Her Excellency Queen Elizabeth of Ethanbel, to our dining table. It’s our greatest honor to serve such a great lady; please have a seat and wait. Tonight, the banquet is hosted by Her Royal Highness, the Queen of the Valen Empire, who has invited you to taste the signature cuisine of Shanter Castle.”
Oh look, a grand entrance speech.
I glanced back at Mother’s direction but obediently sat down.
When I arrived just now, there was no grand opening speech…
Viki, still dressed in a pure white silk gown that highlighted her near-perfect figure without appearing too formal, was guided to the dining table by two eager maids. She shot me a quick glance and frowned slightly, deliberately bypassing one maid to sit down in the chair right next to me.
That maid froze, her face stiffening in panic as she floundered about.
“…What’s going on?”
I instinctively grew cautious, signaling to the flustered little maid with my hand, gesturing her to mind her own business and muttering gruffly.
Viki turned to me, “Eat.”
Then she questioned, “What? Is something strange?”
Her calm gaze seemed to say: Do you have a problem with me sitting here? I mean, it’s only natural that I sit here… She had this attitude like it was obvious.
“Earl Annie of Erin Castle, I have met Her Majesty the Queen.”
Just then, Firebird Annie hurried out from the kitchen, her hands wet, looking like she had been helping out. She quickly bowed before Viki, and after receiving a nod in response, she smiled and said, “I’ve long heard that Ethanbel has a remarkable mandrake flower. Seeing you today, I understand that rumors are just rumors; they can’t compare to the real deal.”
Annie probably said this out of genuine shock at Viki’s beauty, trying to compliment her from a woman’s perspective. Too bad Viki never takes such flattery to heart; Annie’s attempt fell a bit short.
“Too generous.”
The Queen replied, “Firebird Annie, the Countess of Erin Castle, I’ve heard of you. You’re an indispensable general of the Northern Army, having made significant contributions in this northern-southern war.”
“To be praised thus by Her Majesty is a great honor.”
Ah, here come the boring small talk.
But realistically, the Queen doesn’t usually shower such insincere compliments. Annie must be enjoying such treatment because she is close to Mother, and Viki surely noticed this.
Tsk.
The thoughts of this woman…
“The Northern Army’s victory can also thank the Royal City Army for their relentless support.”
Annie sat down across from Viki, sincerity plastered on her face: “This isn’t something I should mention, but as a commander on the battlefield, I want to thank the soldiers from the Northern Region on behalf of many. You’ve saved lots of lives; without you blocking at Moon Mountain Gorge, who knows how long this battle would drag on.”
“Countess Annie, there’s no need for that. I already made an agreement with Skarlij; now that our two nations have become allies, we must face numerous difficulties and dangers in the future. Figuring out how to coexist and seek more long-term and stable trade development is most important for the benefit of both our peoples.”
“Your Majesty speaks rightly…”
As the two chatted, the Head Maid stepped forward respectfully, trying to pour tea for the Queen, only to be stopped by Viki, who tapped the table with her long finger, pointing at a bottle of unopened wine.
Ah, she wants wine again…
I furrowed my brows and quickly turned to look at her.
The Queen pretended to ignore me, her face unchanged as she continued her conversation with Annie: “I hope this time we can send some of the Royal City Army blacksmiths to go back with you to the Northern Region and visit the central workshop’s metallurgy techniques in Winter City.”
“In return, Shanter Castle, Erin Castle, and New City of Kaliye can also send some craftsmen to Chrisrodney City later to discuss architecture studies with our artisans.”
“This is something the Majesty has already discussed with the Duke, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I think this is a great idea; Erin Castle has always been short on skilled craftsmen. We must prepare carefully for this matter when I return…”
As they spoke, the Head Maid skillfully opened the wine bottle, and another maid hurried over with wine glasses, placing one in front of the Queen, then another each in front of Annie and me.
“I’ll pass, thank you.” I hurriedly declined.
“Haha.”
Just as Annie was about to say something to the Queen, upon seeing the maid bringing over a glass for me, she couldn’t hold back her laughter: “Your Majesty, you’re familiar with our Pepé, right? Have you ever seen her when she’s drinking?”
She seemed to remember something funny, laughing a bit boisterously.
This was supposed to be just a harmless, normal joke.
But for some reason, the Queen’s atmosphere suddenly shifted.
She looked at Countess Annie, her previously calm demeanor vanishing in an instant. Although her face didn’t show a hint of change, her golden eyes flickered in the candlelight, a subtle yet aggressive tone crept into her voice: “Our Pepé?”
With slow and deliberate words, her seemingly calm question strangely made the warm atmosphere at the table feel a bit awkward.
“Uh…”
Firebird Annie suddenly had a head full of question marks.
Sharp as she was, she quickly sensed something was off, but her mind couldn’t catch up; so she instinctively continued, “Yes, Erin Castle and Shanter Castle are family friends. When Pepé was just a sprout of a child, I took her around everywhere…”
Her voice slowed as she trailed off midway.
“Is that so?”
The Queen reclined back, crossing her legs, and added, “That sounds quite close; didn’t you two roll around in the wheat fields together?”
While saying this, her finger knocked sharply on the table, her lips arched without a trace of a smile in sight.
“Were… were you?”
Confused, Annie turned her gaze toward me, utterly bewildered about why a perfectly normal topic turned oddly serious all of a sudden.
“……”
I didn’t say a word.
I quietly reached under the table and pinched Viki’s soft thigh.
Mmm…
The sensation felt great.
I knew exactly what she was referring to with that “rolling in the wheat fields” remark. Viki had told me the story about when she “first fell in love.”
There are things I can’t discern about this woman, but when it comes to matters like this, I feel like I can guess with uncanny accuracy: she probably thought Annie looked somewhat androgynous but pretty, plus her armored attire gave off a heroic vibe. When she spoke of “our Pepé,” her tone naturally became possessive, striking a sensitive nerve in Viki.
This topic couldn’t continue.
“I’m hungry.”
So I stood up, grabbed a piece of dessert from the table, and stuffed it in my mouth: “Mmm… delicious! Viki, you must try my mom’s cooking; I’ve been craving this bite for ages!”
Saying that, I picked up another piece, planning to feed it to her.
“I don’t eat sweets, remember?”
Viki shot me a cold stare and uttered that statement. No matter how much I rubbed the dessert against her soft lips, she wouldn’t open her mouth.
“I didn’t forget.”
I hummed, leaning closer while resting a hand on her thigh, trying to get my face nearer, holding the dessert up to her eyes: “If you don’t want any, then you can’t drink wine. Otherwise, I’ll tell Mom you don’t love her dishes.”
Huh?
Did I inadvertently discover a new way to threaten this woman?
That fleeting thought crossed my mind as I chuckled, tossing the dessert I’d rubbed on her lips into my mouth.
It was a subconscious action, completely unthought-out.
However, after chewing for two seconds, I caught a glimmer of laughter brewing in her eyes, and I suddenly went blank.
