"Come here, my dear Princes!" Cletus Fotos Sardounis requested for his sons to appear before the scrumptious grandeur placed at the grand dining table taking over the biggest amount of space in the room.
King Cletus flaunt an evident smile on his face. He brushed his hands through his hair, the same color as Eros's as his green eyes had a sudden tic.
"You too~ Dongsaeng~" Eros suggested.
The dining table was filled with delicacies served in small amounts. A creamy blend of pink and white fish roe, a slice of potato as a base, drizzled virgin olive oil and the other bowl had a squeeze of lemon.
His lovely periwinkle huge round eyes sparkled at the sight of these.
The leftover from last night's dinner of smoked salmon, soft cheese, crème fraîche, and lemon was sensed in Eros's taste buds. The slightness essence of spice coming from the chopped red bell peppers was scented by his sensitive nose.
Layers of sautéed aubergine, minced lamb, fried puréed tomato, onion, garlic, and spices like cinnamon and allspice, a bit of savory taste from a bit of potato, and the fluffy topping of béchamel sauce and cheese.
Olive oil as the base of the dessert and honey combinations encased in flaky filo pastry. The classic baklava involves honey, filo, and groundnuts. A sinful custard-filled pastry. A thick layer of custard soaked in syrup which is often flavored with citrus.
The stuffing consisting of minced meat with long-grain rice boasts rice flavored with heady combinations of herbs such as thyme, dill, fennel, oregano, and pine nuts as well. The excessive power of ash infused with the cyanic tone smooth the appearance of the texture of his hair, every person in the room was dazed by His coruscating halo as far as one can tell.
As Diakon was acting all high and mighty, from the look of his face, his disheveled brunette hair from bed and an oblique glance out of the corner of his eyes unfolded self-evidently.
Storm clouds loomed on the horizon and eternal rain poured out of them. He suddenly became expressionless and his eyes were bulged out big.
Fear takes over the whole body of Eros for no reason as he ran out of the room only to find...
... a bowl of candy. He dug his hands into the candy bowl and filled his pockets with countless sweets. Only a lone white scallop bell lamp shade casts a dim, yellow light on the desolate room he escaped to.
As he walked down the red carpet, tree branches seem to lean into his path. They grab at his hair and his velvet pantsuit, striking a polished look. Spider webs stretched across the branches get caught in his eyes and mouth with the candies still in the state of chewing. He heard something behind the trail as he wiped them away and he saw a door.
He grabbed the doorknob and just as he took a step onto the sagging front porch, the door creaks open. A second after, the door slams shut!
The solitary essence surrounded him as the room was forming several shadows which gradually got bigger and bigger approaching him. He jumped up and gasped in horror as his heart beat wildly. His lower lips blistered as it slid towards him. It had rows of razor-like teeth, a coat of slimy armor, and several tattered tentacles. Its appearance was a sluggish dark purple without eyes, it was voiceless and tall garnering six feet, its mouth chomped him as smooth as butter.
"Aah!" He recently realized that it was all just a dream and the reality was even worse.
He had jumped out of his bed and landed face-down on the floor, half-asleep, still being haunted by the dream he had. The sound of someone singing in the kitchen, breakfast was already in the pan sizzling.
He was used to waking up to the smell of his favorite food in the morning, and, oddly, none of the usual sounds are there, and the anxiety starts to creep in pretty fast.
"Prince Eros, it's time for breakfast already, and as I kept in my mind, this day is the very first day you have been late for breakfast and also the very first day where you're gonna eat the leftovers," the silhouette of a woman said as she flickered with laughter afterwards. Her voice was of an old woman, probably the palace's housekeeper.
He dolled himself with brown breeches and a fashionably daisy light overgown sewn with fur worn over a silky brocade fabric doublet which was dyed in mint and dashed through the statue of the knight's armor beside the walkway in a haste and turned left to the dinette.
An arched ornate mirrored wooden double door of yore was seen just by his right side further sequester the people inside from the rest of the house. Identifying the room should be nearby his left because he committed to his memory that the guest room was fore of the kitchen which is just seven steps to the right apart from the dining room.
One, two...
... three, four...
... five, six...
.... and...
... seven!
"Hear ye, hear ye!" King Cletus welcomed him with a big stomach and wide opened hands aloft, holding a silvery dinner knife in his right hand and a fork in his left hand, the four tines facing down.
The King lent him a plate of orange honey cake with pistachios, alight, flavor-packed honey cake skips all the fuss of the prince who woke up late. Greek yogurt here lends a godly light and fluffy texture. Its slightly tangy flavor balances insanely well with crave-worthy citrus from the generous amounts of orange and lemon zest.
"Moelleux et délicieux!" He exclaimed, slightly bragging about his knowledge of the language French— moist and delicious.
"Those are all yours," the King declaimed his thoughts, hands directed towards the plate containing two dozens of medovik— honey cakes. He hugged Eros tightly than a pot-bellied pig would as he munch and crunch the little pieces of sweet honey cakes, summoned by gluttony.
"Darn!" Diakon yelled furiously out of the blue.
"Son," Dori said as she was expecting a resumed response from Klete as to complete her sentence.
"Yeobo~" She whispered warmly to his ears as it faintly turned red.
"Watch your words," His father ordered as the difference of his expression from a while ago and now increased wildly. He glared at him as Deke rolled the green pupils around his eyes. He chomped his knife through the grilled beef and carry on with his passive eating.
"So much for waking up early," he mumbled to himself.
"Here~ have some~ Dongsaeng~" Eros sweetly lifted two little pieces of medovik between his fingers in one hand and stuffed it inside the thin lips of Deke's mouth while he was sneering with an evil disapproving atomizer —tsk.
He accepted his offer in the end. They quite had a lavish breakfast and wanted to visit the other nation— Vadimir for the preparation of the annual gala and other purposes.
His Royal Highness Eros dolled himself up again— at least that was what Deke thought of for the time being. Eros called it a retouch as he rummaged through his stuff and damped some face powder but not too much to get a light and youthful effect.
The two princes set themselves up for a little adventure and rode on their horses.
Along the way was the azure colossal boundaries between Tuvinid and the northwestern nation of Paroton which assembles patriotic red mages, scholars, and bards. They embark on mystical discoveries, cast countless spells, and create both curable and incurable potions.
The gigantic ivory borders between Paroton and the smallest but luxurious nation in the north called Yarnat, whose woman emperor currently builds Her harem of countless consorts from all other walks without the one and only Royal Consort with the undisclosed reason to secure Her throne.
The northern nation of Yarnat has Paroton's Third Prince Kirk Iordanou Hatzis, the Tuvinid's Condottiere Carter Silvrout Adamos, southeastern nation of Pharetri's unmarried marquess Burton Galatas Averescu and Vadimir's Second Prince, stepbrother of the Duke Achilles, second son of Archduke Christos and first son of the Consort Merle Rodiadi Leventis, Mirtos Rodiadi Leventis.
The northeastern nation of Serikon having the same color of boundaries as the Paroton between Yarnat, a country with lots of history of bloodshed and war however is now a peaceful nation and governed by democracy, which is ascendant in this economically developing nation.
And finally, the grand creme tall borders between Serikon and Vadimir, whoosh— the clip–clopping of the hooves of their horses gradually subside as they yanked the ropes, got off and land on their feet as the huge palace of Vadimir gave them a hearty welcome.
"Which brings you, princes, here?" Achilles asked as if He was surprised and He was not expecting them to come over.
"A meeting for the annual gala~" Eros answered.
"Obviously," He whispered.
"Say that again Eros," He ordered, glaring with his stupefied russet brown eyes which appear to be more bloody under the slanted rays of the sun.
"Oh~ nothing~ just full~" he responded with rosebud lips showing a wry grin from ear to ear.
"And I think you'd be a great digestion," he mumbled to himself. He licked his tongue to the right, touching his lips with his fingers like he was slurping honey.
The servants and maids were busy preparing tables, decors, and pastries for the annual gala. They were tidying up the place and the golden shimmer of the walls soon appeared after the dust was removed.
Today is three days after the first Sunday of September, five days before the annual gala occurring at the palace of Vadimir. Meanwhile, in the little palace of Baroness Nefeli Regas Bakirtzis was the two of them cooking, or more like, Lia was teaching her to cook and she was learning how.
They decided to go to Vadimir Centreville to buy more ingredients and set off at the carriage. All she could see was the silhouette of the coachman of Neli pulling the rope harnessed onto the neck of the silhouette of the horse as it clip-clopped continuously clip clop— clip clop— until the carriage reached the marketplace —screech!
They went to the rows of fruits and vegetables stands, and the columns of racks containing already husked rice to make wheat flour for baking bread. She regretted the day when she chased that chicken, she thought that she should've boiled it inside the clay pot after it was chopped into slices, and skew them together into the long twig under the hot coals of fire.
The meat was rarely sold out in the marketplace as it was expensive and could be bought by the wealthy.
The skin of dark bisque, with freckles on Her face similar to the shape of a fresh pear, orange marmalade chiffon-layered French braided medium wavy hair, sterling grey eyes, and height is almost the same as hers, only taller about two centimeters. The skin of dark cocoa with huge biceps and a stance similar to a soldier, light cool ash blonde and electric eva roundish-almond eyes, oval-shaped face, he was eight inches taller than the three of them.
Countess Tatiana Othonos Zafeiriou had another man and what's more, he seems like a foreigner from another nation, perhaps the southern nation of Sonya. She guessed.
Ah! A name of a person showed up beside the man. He's Tolis Kanelou Pardiadis!
"Huh? Is Cutie Pie giving me new pieces of information?" Her tongue slipped up that out loud.
Neli gave her a curious look over her innocent eyes as she gave the gold coins to the silhouette of a seller. She approached her, ignored the two of them, and pretend that she did not see them at all.
"Are you hiding behind me to ignore them, sunbae?" She asked. When you put it like that, it seems that I am using you when it's actually true.
"And by the way, who's Cutie Pie? A friend of yours?" She asked again.
"Yeah, yeah, the answers to your questions are both yes," she stated. She bathed in sweat and she was embarrassed of the fact that she called her sunbae again.
"Oh, it seems you're nervous. I better be quiet now then," she responded and at that time, she thought she was an angel from the sky who God sent her.
Half of her mind was filled with confusion as the other half was filled with frustration. Neither parts were empty which had her asking herself and wander above the clouds of the role of Tolis Kanelou Pardiadis in the novel.
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The Financial Countess
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Annual Gala In Vadimir
mjanwu2008xin
She was thinking that they didn't notice her but the reality was the opposite. Tina crept up on her and engage in conversation with her companion complimenting her beauty as if Neli was an easily flattered crow and she was a sly fox.
Unexpectedly, Neli was a cunning crow.
"Unnie~ your beauty is rather rarely seen. I can sense many gentlemen to be fond of you in my business, hope you to consider it," an eerily vulgar smile arisen from her lips as she said these words.
"Exploiting people while pretending to flatter them is such an awful deed," fluttering sweetness howbeit was feebly embarrassed and faintly aloof. There was a pang of sudden guilt that struck Ah-hwa's chest.
"What Lia unnie did was right!" she gave her justice when she did not even ask for it.
"Let us just ignore them sunbae," she added and glared with grim directly at the shocked eyes of Tina.
They both leave together and she cooked again at her palace to rehearse the baking of desserts for the preparation of the dishes in the annual gala. They said every noble can bring their dishes to the gala so they tried to make— or she may say, she tried to teach Neli in culinary.
One of the most beloved and traditional Korean confections, yakgwa is a fried cookie dipped in honey-ginger syrup that is found everywhere, from grocery stores to traditional tea houses in her town in South Korea.
Shaped like flowers, or cut into squares or diamond-shaped bits, these treats are very sweet and often served as a dessert rather than being eaten as an everyday snack.
This snack means medicinal confection but, it usually is served at ceremonies and on special occasions. Yak literally means medicine and gwa means confection or sweets.
Although the time of frying and soaking the cookies are kind of wearisome, the effort will greatly be compensated when you sit down and take a bite of these wonderfully chewy cookies, flavors of honey, and ginger. It took the cookies at least three hours to be soaked in the syrup and a quarter of an hour to be fried. And a quarter of an hour to be cooled down.
Half-past noontime and they munched the takgwa. They were astounded and turned up by its flavor, they guarantee that they can build a business together in the marketplace, a pâtisserie to be specific.
She saw a silhouette of a man with newspapers at hand which was been given to the passersby as they walked outside and the man announced something about the gala.
"The theme of this year's gala is a masquerade ball," the man briefly told.
Earlier at the guest room in the palace of Vadimir. The golden triple sliding door adorned with the decor was opened wide and full of chatter and refreshing royalty.
"Although masquerade balls can be somewhat suspicious since the nobles would be wearing masks on their eyes, it's mysterious for me like chicanery, but in a rather good way," Deke shared his thoughts right at the moment he was given the chance to talk at their meeting with the nobles which happened a few hours ago.
"Masquerade balls are fun, do you agree Your Grace?" the Crown Princess of Pharetri, Rosrilati Lamprouli Petridis with Her small upturned eyes, and rose pink pupils, white creamy hair, a notch higher with elements of quirk, see-through bangs.
Rena Stavrouli Calla, the Archduchess of Sonya, Sakis Miskides Totas, the second Prince and a bard in Tier Ranking of Paroton, Yianni Tassili Kormide, the Chief Minister of Serikon, Avgi Morakou Anastas, Marchioness of the southwestern nation of Philolgi, and the others all agreed to this theme.
And the day came when the annual gala would be occurring. On the second Sunday of September, many carriages of different colors and styles, many nobles from neighboring nations of unique presence and charm, the foreign horses were exchanging neighs and snuffles.
Moreover, she was there accompanied by the dark cocoa prince— Ah-hwa made up that name. As she pondered about this topic, she thought that they can give birth to a baby and gave it a name with T as an initial. They would be the Royal Family of Ts.
The walls were shining brightly as her gown was not a corset anymore. She wore a formal line sequin, a diaphanous dress of pale gold evening off-shoulder dress as Neli was wrapped sophisticatedly in rose backless long gown with glam.
Deke requested for her hand and she gracefully put her hand on his while waiting for Acki to request for the hands of Neli. His Grace was standing there beside the tables clothed with a white and silver luxurius overgown with a metallic grey embroidery on the visible part of the jerkin. The shoes of His Grace were dark blue as his mask.
Deke was wearing a sleek brown hose with a gold codpiece and a brown cape, gold chains embroided, and loosen brown sleeves. He wore brown gloves and he rubbed his gold bangle wrapped around his wrist. His shoes had low heels and were also brown.
Despite the face of His Royal Highness being covered by a seemingly gleaming gold mask, the previous owner of this body have known him too well for her to not recognize him. As they finished dancing to the music, she had a small girl's talk with Neli.
Chefs stood in front of the man in a pantsuit who was giving critiques of the food they made. They seem to be anticipating nice feedback from Him.
Random guys and girls danced together under the spotlight of the ballroom as she saw His Grace grit and control his temper like he was about to perform a violent breaking of glasses placed just on the table nearby.
Smash— Nope! This was just a fragment of her imaginations. Up until now, he still does not request for the Baroness's hands.
She saw a long rosy cloth waltzing, pinkish vanilla hair, and ahem— hazel eyes?! The Baroness seems to be enjoying the rest of the night dancing with another man. He wore a dashing pantsuit, eyes were a shade of violet, his hair had the color of the middle of the ocean. It was long and braided in a single thin braid. She guessed that he was the food critique oppa from before.
The silhouette of a girl with a voice as soft as the icing on a cupcake invited her to their conversation. Four silhouettes of women greeted each other including her in the left. Neli was done with dancing and joined them as well. They talked and drank their glasses of wine until they came into this question that triggered the flow of the plot.
"Who's the one you like?" Neli asked while swirling her glass.
"Oh, me?" The other lady asked.
"I like the First Crown Prince Diakon. Although, He's already taken by the Countess," She responded, expressing Her regrets, and sighed. Ah-hwa felt somewhat embarrassed by what she said.
"I like the Duke of Pharetri. I heard He was quite a role model in their nation, they also said that he joined the military in the age of five, and a handsome man as well," she sincerely said.
"What was his name again?" She asked.
"I think His Grace's name was Aris Ruboti Petridis" Neli said.
"Well, I don't know about you girls, but I like Duke Achilles the most," She snorted —hmph and glanced at where the Duke was.
"Me, too,"
"Agree with you,"
The three of them agreed on admiring the Duke Achilles.
"How about you, sunbae?" Neli asked, pointing at me.
She came to think of it that she likes the Duke, too. Not romantically but as a fan. He is the most likeable and there's nothing to be wary of when saying the one you like. She might even trigger the jealousy of Neli when saying the Duke Achilles is who she likes.
"Then, I like the Duke, too," Ah-hwa said.
"Then?" She asked.
"Sunbae, if you say it like that, it seems you have that answer because of the three who likes the Duke," Neli responded.
Oops! Perhaps my choice of words wasn't right...
"I like the Duke Achilles, too!" And that is when she was misunderstood by someone who eavesdropped on their conversation.
The crowd and the ladies in front of me went wild out of the blue. They left the ballroom one by one, others hold their hands tight. His Grace was enraged in anger and was unable to control his temper.
He took off his mask and went to Tina who was saying her apologies. He confronted Tolis who was in front of Tina, being Her knight in shining armor and Tina being the damsel in distress. He venged out his anger at Tolis for his accompaniment being disrespectful towards the Duke.
"I am terribly sorry, Acki oppa," she said behind Tolis, scared as a cat.
"Tina was solely a clumsy girl," Tolis responded as Acki wiped the clumsily poured wine stains off his clothing.
"A clumsy noble, what a wonderful title for Your girl. How can a noble be not taught etiquette?" He asked. He hanged the clothing on the chair beside the table for it to dry and at that period, she decided to go to the scene.
"May I?" She performed a curtsy before His Grace and asked him quietly.
"Yes, you may but what—" He paused and was curious about what she was going to do.
She took his clothing reeking of lingonberry wine, placed the clothing on the table, as few paper towels were underneath the stained area of the fabric and voila! The wine was soaked up by the paper towels.
"Does sunbae have some sort of magic that can clean clothes?" She was astounded that she asked herself and heard it with her ears. She thought they may know this trick since they were all way older than her. Older as in ancient Greece however no. They believe that what she did was magic.
"I am sorry but all the visitors left so, I think we should be leaving as well," she said to the Duke as she gave the clothing back to him and bid farewell.