Elyse forced herself to think of an scapegoat in this situation. She's about to die right now! Surely, this suspicious woman was the rat in the palace. Once the food she made be delivered in the crown prince chamber, Elyse is the one who would need to eat it and the one who will first die! This can't be happening.
"Is there something wrong?" One of the cooks inquired, concerned.
"I just felt a little dizziness, but I can keep walking..." Elyse swayed slightly as she began walking.
"Oh, be careful! You might trip and fall!"
"Don't worry about it..." Elyse literally fell after getting tripped on her own walk after saying that. She literally felt humiliated on her own idiotic. But as expected, the food got all over the place. "Oh, my god! Have you gotten any burns? The food should be hot! Go get a wet towel!" The oldest cook uttered a panicked utterance.
Elyse stopped the older cook for panicking. "I'm all right. Don't be concerned, but... I worried about the food. I apologize for letting it go to waste." Elyse turns to face the person who prepared the food.
The girl has a clearly panicked expression on her face. "I-all It's right... I-I'll just make a new one..."
'No, you bitch, I'm not going to let you.' "No, it's fine. It must have come as a surprise to you because you worked so hard to prepare it, right? You must be very discouraged... I sincerely apologize." Elyse pretended to be a pity party. Everyone is staring at her.
"T-then! I will be the one to prepare a new meal for his highness, so please be patient." Someone with a similar age to Elyse volunteered.
Elyse smiled brightly at him. She sparkles as she is relieved that she has escaped certain death. "That is very thoughtful of you. Thank you very much."
Everyone exhaled a sigh of relief. Elyse, too. But not the other two people who were with them. Elyse now had a clear idea of who the rats were who were causing her death.
Elyse just rested while waiting for the new meal, and it didn't take her much longer than expected. "H-here is his highness' food; should I accompany you to deliver it?" He stammered as he focused on Elyse's bright smile. She, too, began to drool when she saw the food.
"No need, I am extremely grateful for your generosity. I'm wasting a lot of your time. I sincerely apologize."
"Oh, no, it's not like that, but don't worry about it."
She almost smirked at the two amusing people who panicked as she walked away. They must have been compensated. They appear naive for a spy.
She hmm-ing happily, mission accomplished. This is very different from her previous work, but she's having a great time if she just ignores the fact that she might lose her life in this kind of fun.
When she arrived, she knocked on the door of the crown prince's chamber. "I have arrived with your meal, Your Highness. May I enter?"
"Come in."
Elyse went inside and was surprised to see the Prince half-naked, with water droplets still falling on the floor and on his body. The Prince was busy drying his wet hair. Half-naked. Right in front of her.
Because of the sight in front of her, she drooled more than usual. What a sight to see. She will finally be able to die in peace after she saw this hunkiness in front of her.
"Why did you stop? Get the food ready right away. I'm famished." Damek said while still drying his wet hair, jolting Elyse awake in her daydream.
Unlike what people knows, Damek really eat a lot. As in, the prince needs a lot food to be contented. Elyse also discovered that Damek has a sweet tooth but no one else knew that aside from Damek, and Elyse just accidentally saw him eating sweet foods one time so she never brought it up. It must be a big secret of the Prince.
"Your highness!" Elyse exclaimed as she carefully placed the food on the table and turned to face the crown prince. "You should have called me your highness so I could take better care of you and prepare your bath more throughly."
"May I, your highness?" Elyse asks, offering her both hands to dry the crown prince's hair.
Damek made a tongue-clicking motion. "Am I a child who doesn't know how to prepare his own bath? You're acting like Rouge now, worrying over nonsense things," he irritably said, but still handed Elyse the towel. Damek approached and sat in the chair, making it easier for Elyse to dry the Crown Prince's hair. "No, your highness, you are not a child, but you are the Crown Prince of the Empire, and you must be treated with special care so that you do not feel uncomfortable."
His hair is very nice and shiny. It's so nice and soft to touch. Elyse could really be rich after selling it! "What you mentioned about special care is what makes me feel uncomfortable."
"Please accept my apologies, your highness." They were exchanging quite funny conversation and this is the reason why they quite seem comfortable to each other now unlike before.
"You are quite different now than when I first found you; I was planning on killing you right then and there because you have no use for me, but I'm not sure why I spared you."
"Am I supposed to thank you, your higness?" She said flatly.
"You should be." The crown prince answered back.
"Then, thank you for your kindness and hospitality." What Elyse said came out like a sarcasm.
"Are you making fun of me, the Crown Prince?" Damek asked Elyse. He can't see Elyse's expression and face as Elyse was facing his back.
"No, it must be your imagination, your highness. I would never, but I suggest you start eating before the food gets cold, and don't worry, I made sure that food doesn't have any poison on it," Elyse said with a smile that the crown prince didn't see.
Damek didn't respond, instead focusing on the food in front of him. Elyse just stood there staring at him. It's strange how the situation before now has changed. They are able to have a normal conversation. Yes, saying they'd kill Elyse had become very normal to her. She keeps hearing it while she's in the palace, so she's grown accustomed to it.
"Oh yes, your highness, while you are eating, I must begin reporting what I have seen in the kitchen; the head kitchen maid and a young girl maid are probably among those who received compensation from the second prince's palace to spy on you."
Elyse, while speaking, her thoughts was also in something. Aside from the two suspicious women, everything seems like normal in the kitchen but they can't let their guards down. Elyse realized how living in this world is more dangerous than facing her good for nothing family and before. She can get killed here in an instant.
"I saw them put suspicious powder in your food, but I immediately got a new meal for you. I didn't act hastily to accuse them since I haven't received your order on how to deal with them."
"Hmm... leave them alone. Don't be suspicious. Rouge will take care of them."
"I understand, your highness."
"These rats just keep crawling in my palace; those halfwits must think I'm an idiot who doesn't even recognize what's going on in my own palace." The crown prince's voice sounded a little irritated. Elyse understands the Prince's displeasure.
[Probably. Those motherfuckers must believe they can fool the crown prince. They paid some of the crown prince's servants to spy on him, believing that the crown prince only has a few servants in his own palace. They had no idea they were dancing in Damek's palms. Of course, Damek purposefully hires a few servants so that he can observe them more closely. It would be a pain in the arse if Damek acquired a large number of servants, and the second prince would simply take advantage of it.]
"I must move now, Your Highness; I still have to prepare your afternoon tea with the Commander of Imperial Knights."
"You should leave right now."
"Thank you, your highness, and blessing upon the Lleuad of the La Creburg Empire," She bowed and finally exited the chamber of the Crown Prince.