This is a terrible experience. She had only met the person once but the trauma that had accumulated throughout her entire life seemed to be summoned. Whether it was vomiting because she was pregnant or because she was scared, whichever was still making her anxious. Kirsi struggled on the terrace for a while before she could come back inside. The doorman of the greenhouse who had previously seen her leave in a hurry now greeted her once again with a stiff smile. Kirsi ignores him and is about to enter. But stopped when she heard a chat behind the glass door. That's why the doorman's face seems uneasy...
3 people were joking. Their backs were facing Kirsi, so they didn't know someone was behind them. One of them with caramel brown hair said, her voice loud enough to penetrate the gap in the door. "Crown Princess, huh? What a shame that person is! Look at that relaxed attitude! It was as if all her crimes had been wiped out just by giving her a small box of gifts!! What did little Anne actually do, invite such a person? Didn't she remember how many sins the Crown Princess had on her, that they could fill the Suerius river if they were collected!"
Kirsi didn't expect her to be faced with this kind of awkward situation. The real Kirsi is so troublesome that 9 out of 10 people she meets are her enemies. In fact, 11 of the 12 people she accidentally met on the street were the ones she had abused. This fake Kirsi wasn't so surprised that she would become the subject of conversation as soon as she disappeared for a moment. Not to mention they were talking about it right in her face. This kind of embarrassing situation is not the first time fake Kirsi has felt. This has happened many times in the former world. The problem is not in the content of their chat. But it was this awkward position that made her uneasy. We can't control what other people think about us. Inevitably some people will tell us with bad sentiments behind our backs. But please tell her that when she's not here.
How is this, did she can just barge in? The event seems to have started. Why don't these people intend to leave from the front door? Do they prevent people temporarily leaving the party from entering? Aren't they just as dirty as the real Kirsi if they behave like that?
Amid her hesitation, someone suddenly opened the door through Kirsi's side. When Kirsi turned her head, it was another elegant woman who was slightly taller than Kirsi. Her long wavy lilac hair framed a pale face with red lips. She looks more mature than Kirsi. When she saw Kirsi, she was shocked. It was a false surprise as a sweetener. Actually, this person already knew who Kirsi was just by looking at her back from a distance.
"Oh my, Crown Princess?" Her voice was deliberately raised so that when the door opened, the three people who were talking stiffened. Their movements were stiffer than the robots that elementary school kids made for practical exams when they looked back. When they were about to spill gibberish to cover their sins, Kirsi just smiled gracefully and entered without a word. The woman who opened the door couldn't help but laugh softly. Then she just as gracefully entered.
The event had already started when Kirsi took a random place to sit down. People sat at the longest and most magnificent dining table, with the main course of meat lined up on the surface. As the main star of the day, Anne sat at the far end of the table with her hands clenched in front of her chest, praying to Goddess Sorin, the Goddess of life who gives light for the continuity of life on earth. Goddess Sorin is one of the many deified figures in Elysian.
As everyone clenched their fists in front of their chests and prayed, Kirsi was the only one who kept her face straight and lowered her hands. Her sharp and distant eyes looked at the mosaic portrait of Goddess Sorin made with an arrangement of broken glass. It's exactly the same as the one in her residence. Kirsi only realized that it was a portrait of a Goddess now after seeing people praying nearby. While at home, Cedric just stared at the portrait without ever praying. Speaking of prayer, Cedric never prays before sleeping or eating. Eating with Cedric was very quiet and solemn. And sleeping with him was very warm and quiet.
"You don't pray?" someone asked her in a low voice. Kirsi turned her head and found a woman who was looking down and clenching her fists as if praying was asking her. That woman was the same person who had helped her escape the awkward situation just now.
Kirsi replied, "I would ask you the same thing."
The woman giggled softly. Anne's loud voice of prayer managed to hide her laughter. She revised her question. "Then don't you believe in God?"
Kirsi answered slowly. "I believe in monotheism."
Prayer session over. The noise of the guests again filled the area like a tsunami that swept the land. The woman finished her pretend gesture and turned to Kirsi. "What's that? "
"The belief that there is only one God."
"Whoa, I just heard."
Kirsi just smiled a bit.
The woman again said, "I only believe in the God Ares because He is very handsome. Want to see His portrait? I always carry it wherever I go."
Kirsi was about to refuse, but seeing her enthusiasm made her not have the heart. In the end, she nodded.
The woman took out a piece of paper with a painting of a half-naked man with great muscles. In the painting, the man has blue eyes paired with white hair and pale skin. Seeing him reminded Kirsi of someone. After showing Kirsi her little treasure, the woman explained, "If you're interested, I'll show you more."
Kirsi shifted the conversation to other things. "By the way, what's your name?"
"Oh my gosh, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Zaria Esther."
Just two words? Is she not noble? Then why is she here? Is she the daughter of a palace official?
Amidst Kirsi's confusion, Zaria spoke again, "Crown Princess, you don't seem as bad as people say."
How dare this woman bring up such a topic right in front of her face. If she talked to the real Kirsi, instead of being flattered, the real Kirsi would throw a tantrum in her face.
"Well, hearsay can sound wrong, depending on the ear," Kirsi replied nonchalantly as she turned her gaze to Anne who started cutting the cake after blowing out the candles. Kirsi joins in clapping along with everyone else.
Immediately after blowing out the candles and cutting the cake, Anne kept Kirsi's words about her gift being perishable by instantly opening her gifts in front of the crowd. She may have other intentions besides rewarding the giver. Her face was filled with a twisted passion as she opened the gift box. The filling is a chunky fluffy cake that has not been found in this era. In essence, Kirsi had made her maids beat the egg whites until their hands were cramped to make this cake. And she shamelessly put a 'homemade' label on the cake. But she was not wrong to credit this cake in her name because the original inventor of the cake did not live in this era.
"This is a gift from the Crown Princess. Did you make it yourself, Your Highness?" Anne's voice far away called Kirsi's full consciousness towards her. It wasn't just Anne, now almost all the guests were looking at her.
It would be a lie if she wasn't nervous. Kirsi had never received this much attention in her previous life. If it weren't for her skill at controlling facial expressions, she would now look like a mouse caught stealing in front of a cat. Kirsi put on an elegant smile and replied, "Yes. Have a taste."
Her legs were crossed and her hands resting in her lap. Watching gracefully how Anne was surprised when she took her first bite. Maybe all her bad intentions soon disappeared as the softness of the fluffy cake caressed her mouth.
"Oh my God, this is so soft and delicious!" Anne kept on recounting her first bite with excitement as if she had just been brought back to life by a messiah. Her compliments seemed rambling and random, but her sincerity was clearly felt.
People began to be curious and asked many questions about the cake to Kirsi, which were only answered carelessly by stating that Cedric found the recipe. It makes them reluctant to ask further. Who dares to bother the Crown Prince about food recipes? Old-fashioned people in the royal era believed that cooking was a woman's job. They would not dare to demean an Emperor's son by asking for food recipes.
To be honest, Kirsi didn't have any special intentions about this cake. She just didn't think of any other suitable gift for a noble's child who 'she' bullied in the past. She didn't expect that the response would be this positive.
As soon as the enthusiasm for fluffy cakes died down, people started to get busy with the dish in front of them. There is roast pork and donkey cooked alive to give it a taste that is said to be authentic. Food like this is very common in ancient times like today. If Kirsi wasn't a modern person, she would enjoy this food as much as anyone else.
Seeing that Kirsi only minced smoked beef and a few spoonfuls of stir-fried broccoli, Zaria asked in surprise. "You don't eat other kinds of meat?"
Meat is a sign of prosperity and glory in this age. Seeing someone reject the pleasures of meat is the same as seeing a child hate sweets. Kirsi understood such thoughts and answered Zaria's question without turning her head. "My religion forbids almost all meat precisely. But I often break and eat beef and chicken. My tolerance goes only so far."
"...Huh? What kind of belief is that?" Zaria was surprised by her answer.
Zaria would have been even more shocked if she knew that Kirsi's religion also forbade her to drink coffee and tea. In the past, Kirsi's small residence only allowed water to enter their dining table. Even when the weather is at its lowest, they can only warm themselves with ginger-boiled water without touching the alcohol.
Her family in different parts of the world are devoutly religious people. Kirsi is also very obedient and religious at home. Except outside, she would break some taboos by drinking coffee and tea, then eating beef and chicken, as she said just now. Except for pork and alcohol, she couldn't break the two taboos. She can't eat pork because she has a pet little pig at her grandmother's house. She wouldn't have the heart. And she does not drink alcohol because she believes that it is not good for her health. She avoided getting into health problems in the future because of her painting career. She was a serious person once she had set her goal, even if she hated it to the bone.
Kirsi didn't last long at the party. After her plate was empty, she soon looked for Frederick who was hanging out with other single youths. She said that she would go home alone. Frederick vehemently refused, but a pregnant woman's argument was even tougher than a knight's bones.
Alruna who was waiting for her in another horse carriage with two other ladies-in-waiting instantly greeted her. Kirsi asked them to move into her lonely carriage before finally leaving for home. Kirsi didn't forget her older brother's request to tell him before she left. She remembered so well that she avoided the man on purpose. The discomfort is so real that it's hard to ignore. There must be something between the friendly guy and the real Kirsi.
While thinking for a moment about her older brother, Kirsi took a short nap during the trip. And when she got home, she had an unexpected visitor.