<h4>45: Edenbach Estate</h4>
Silence reigned over the carriage once again.
Roberto-sama did not talk to Lancel-sama, probably because he didn’t want to pass information to me.
They didn’t nce at me, probably so that they wouldn’t interfere with my embroidery.
<i>I wonder if we’ll stop somewhere soon.</i>
<i>I’m hungry.</i>
I didn’t want my stomach to growl as a woman of independent age.
I concentrated on my embroidery and tried to forget about my hunger.
But, I couldn’t stop my stomach from growling.
――― Guuurrrrrururu
I froze. I could tell that my face turned red and then blue. <i>This is embarrassing. Embarrassing.</i>
“... Pardon me...”
“Ah, don’t worry about it. You haven’t had lunch, have you?”
“We’ll take a long break soon, so you should eat something then.”
The two didn’tugh, probably because they didn’t want to embarrass me further. <i>They’re gentlemen, aren’t they?</i>
Lancel-sama said, “It’s my snack, have some,” and passed me some chocte. I haven’t had chocte in a long time and it was sweet and delicious.
I might have gotten a better impression of them, but only just a little. <i>I won’t be tempted by chocte.</i>
At the next resting ce, I had a light meal of eggs and vegetable sandwiches with tea. It was so big that the egg woulde out from the sides when I took a bite. I was extremely grateful. <i>The sandwiches that the proprietress made gets a perfect score.</i>
It might have been a nuisance since we’d stopped at the vige so suddenly, but I was extremely thankful.
The carriage was escorted by 4 knights riding on horses... <i>To go this far just to pick me up. No, this number should be reasonable since they were escorting 2 high-ranking nobles in this carriage.</i>
Then, the carriage entered the Royal Capital with its escorts. Lancel-sama got off the carriage at a corner in the Royal Pce and 2 of the escorts went with him. I was taken to Roberto-sama’s estate.
<strong>?</strong><strong>?</strong><strong>?</strong><strong>?</strong><strong>?</strong><strong>?</strong><strong>?</strong>
Roberto-sama’s mansion, the Edenbach estate, was near the Royal Pce. It was built in the innermost corner of the block where the high-ranking noble mansions were.
<i>Yes, it was 2 times? No, 3 times bigger than the Thousand Estate.</i>
It was already night time, so I couldn’t see very well because it was dim, but I could tell that it was big.
My mind wandered and I felt like my mouth would gap open. I looked around me.
We got off the carriage and the butlers and maids lined up at the sides to greet us. I lowered my heads and took an attitude that was natural while being surprised inside.
“Behave like a noble,” Roberto-sama had said to me before.
<i>This was probably good enough, but I’m not sure.</i>
I could tell that the furniture had good aesthetics and was of high quality, even if I didn’t have a good eye for things like that. The servants acted in a refined way. They weren’t a Marquis House who’d produced a lot of Prime Ministers for show.
They didn’t look down on me for wearing simple clothes as a noble. They didn’t say anything when Roberto-sama said, “It’s a visitor, she’s going to have an audience with the imperial prince tomorrow,” and treated me with courtesy.
I passed a wonderful guest room that looked as if it had never been used and no one had entered it before. After refusing attendants for my bath, I entered it alone and when I got out, a new dress had been prepared for me.
It was a light pink dress with little design.
<i>(I wonder if I can wear such a cute dress.)</i>
The maids sprayed perfume on me. My hair was dried and set and my makeup was done. A cute girl was standing in front of the mirror.
Roberto-sama was already sitting down on a chair in the room that I was guided to.
<i>Oh, do we have dinner here?</i>
I was d that his family wasn’t here. <i>Cause, you know, I don’t know how I should introduce myself to them.</i>
Dinner was great.
It wasn’t like the food that Bobles-san made was unappetising, it was probably fine to say that the expertise was different.
The chefs of the Edenbach House paid delicate attention to food. Cutting the vegetables with a thin knife made them shine like gems. The meat and fish melted inside my mouth. The sauce was tooplex and I couldn’t tell what it was made from.
<i>I’m sure the chefs put all their skills to use for Roberto-sama.</i>
But dinner with Roberto-sama and me, just the two of us... We spent most the time in silence.
Dinner was a little livelier even when I was having ufortable meals at the Thousand estate. I wanted to share how delicious the meal was.
<i>Does conversation decrease once one bes a high-ranking noble?</i>
I, who was used to the noisy and lively guard dining hall, thought this dining room was dested.
<i>You can talk a little. I won’t be having meals with Roberto-sama soon after this anyway. </i>I kept my manners in ce.
“This is really delicious. I’m extremely happy to eat such a delicate meal.”
I smiled at the man who had served the meal.
After being a little surprised, he changed his expression back to normal and replied, “Thank you. The chefs would be happy to hear this.”
“I hired the chefs at a decent sry, so of course they would make delicious meals.”
<i>(I thought Roberto-sama would say something like this.)</i>
<i>Let’s properly convey how delicious the food is after a several more meals here.</i>
Because i know just how much the 5 senses are stimted and how great the impression can be when someone tells you that they’ve devoted themself to work for the sake of another.
<strong>?</strong><strong>?</strong><strong>?</strong><strong>?</strong><strong>?</strong><strong>?</strong><strong>?</strong>
I wrapped myself in nkets and was so sound asleep, I didn’t even dream.
I was extremely nervous in the carriage.
My body must have remembered this experience because I was up by sunrise. <i>I have to go back to sleep, don’t I?</i>
If I don’t refill my energy then I wouldn’t be able to oppose the 3<sup>rd</sup> Imperial Prince.
When I awoke the second time, a ck wig and long green dress had been put in my room.
<i>(Woah, I’ve never worn a dress like this before.)</i>
<i>Today, I face the 3</i><i><sup>rd</sup></i><i> Imperial Prince.</i>
I smirked. <i>Let’s praise myself for being able tough before facing a strong enemy.</i>
I got dressed and looked in the mirror, which reflected a talented woman of unknown age.
There was a knock on the door.
<i>Now, shall I proceed onto the battlefield?</i>