There were about 6 shops next to which they visited to buy other necessities so they barely got home in the evening. All of their groceries would be delivered the next day by each store, so all they brought home today were the kinds of food Kirsi wanted.
At 11 pm and 2 minutes, the dining room in the Crown Prince's residence was brightly lit with chandeliers and a set of candles in the candle holders being lit. The maids whose curfew had been extended stood in a row around a couple who were enjoying their late dinner. Previously, they arrived at 7 p.m. However, because she was too tired, Kirsi fell asleep and woke up hungry at 11 at night. Cedric, who had not slept yet, decided to dine too. He had been receiving guests from the police force until 10 pm and had not had time to eat dinner. Obviously, this is the right moment to eat together, even though it's certainly not good for their health because it's done too late.
Tonight's meal is baked pastries stuffed with meat, vegetables and cheese. This food is served in a large tray in the form of a square cut. The top is sprinkled with sesame seeds and chilli powder as needed. It tastes savoury and slightly biting. It was Kirsi who had the idea to buy this food. And because it was quite spicy, Cedric didn't take it at all. Cedric, on the other hand, ate flatbread with a dipping sauce made of peanut butter and a mixture of watery congee. Don't forget that he also likes vegetable salad with olive oil dressing and beaten egg whites.
After the savoury pie was finished, Kirsi took another bowl filled with beef stew cooked with several types of vegetables. Seeing her only eating meat all this time made Cedric want to push a plate of steamed fish towards her. But as soon as he did, Kirsi soon wrinkled her nose in disgust and pushed it back. Cedric who didn't like rejection shortly babbled, "There's no meat in the North. Marchioness Scarlett loves fish and won't let other people eat meat."
Kirsi momentarily stopped eating. In astonishment, she tilted her head and wondered to herself, 'Isn't Marchioness Scarlett in the West right now? '
Cedric shortly enclosed his mouth. But he was too late. Soon, Kirsi could guess what this man was trying to cover up.
So going North is just an excuse huh? It turned out that they were going to the West. But if said that out loud, the Emperor would not grant it even if the heavens fell and the earth shook. What a coincidence, Kirsi honestly wanted to go to the West with the pretext of going to the North too. To be honest, this is a very brilliant idea because, in Nirari adjacent to Alba, there is an internal bridle line belonging to the Northern border which is directly connected to the Western border, which is useful for connecting when one of the borders is attacked. That way, it will be easier to relay the supply of rations and reinforcements.
This special bridle line existed because of the good relationship between Marchioness Scarlett and Prince Livia, the Grand Marshal's father. The reins ran from Nirari to Engel and came to the rear of the Livia border command. By passing through this bridle line, they did not need to pass through the border posts between provinces that needed to leave their names as guests for the Emperor to know later.
Kirsi had guessed from the start that the main purpose of their trip was precisely in the West, since the one who decided on this trip in the first place was the Grand Marshal. And judging by how Cedric was trying to cover up the topic, it seemed the man didn't want her to know until at least they got to the West.
Hence, Kirsi didn't say anything and pretended that she couldn't guess from Cedric's sentence just now. She understood that even by her silence Cedric had already guessed that she knew. Even so, both of them kept their mouths shut and pretended not to know.
The late-night dinner this time was finally over, and just as they were about to go to their room to rest, Alruna stopped to deliver a report which she couldn't do sooner because Kirsi had fallen asleep.
"This afternoon someone came to see you, Madam."
"Ah," without even hearing their name, Kirsi could already guess who it was.
Viona Winslow. The Heroin. Lover of the Protagonist. A great and highly dedicated woman with ocean-wide kindness.
Kirsi laughed and waved her hand, "Tomorrow she will come again for sure."
She went to the room and slept. Next to her is her husband who is resigned to be used as a living bolster. Kirsi's legs wrapped around his waist like octopus tentacles. And her hands hugged his head tightly like a monkey hanging in a tree. All that she did without her awareness. But since the weather was very cold tonight, Cedric didn't refuse the warm treat and fell asleep soundly.
The next day, just as Kirsi said, Viona Winslow came to this residence again.
The woman came in her best clothes which she tried to tidy up so that they were not wrinkled. Even so, when faced with a noble's daughter who was big on money, Viona was no match. This made her even more uncomfortable and ended up clutching a pinch of her skirt until it crumbled.
As soon as Viona arrived a quarter of an hour earlier, body checks were carried out back and forth to ensure that she had not brought any threats with her. Then she was brought in and made to wait quite a while for the hostess to finally come out in her nightgown.
That's right. Nightgown. Even Viona's best clothes still can't beat her nightgown.
"What necessity do I have?" Kirsi spoke as if she couldn't guess the reason for her visit. She made Viona even more restless.
Previously, there had never been an opportunity where Viona had to speak privately with Kirsi. Usually, there is always Arthur who will be the mediator between the two. The man had always been the one to speak for her. Especially because Kirsi was a barbarian who always spoke with a protruding vein on her forehead. Even though the current Kirsi somehow looked relaxed and calmer, Viona couldn't understand why she now felt even scarier. After all, roaring beasts were easier to dodge than beasts hiding behind bushes.
After mustering up the scattered bits of courage, Viona replied in a low voice, "About Your Highness' offer a while ago..."
"Oh, did you think I would still offer it after being so rebuffed?"
Viona who was looking down instantly raised her head in extreme surprise. "...Eh?"
Kirsi smiled gently, "Of course, I still offer it." Kirsi lifted her warm ginger drink and sipped it for a few moments. After her nausea subsided and her belly began to feel comfortable with the warmth, she continued. "But there might be a slight change in the contract after being rejected once since. What do you think?"
"N-No problem, Your Highness."
"Before talking about the contract, let's first listen to your reasons for rejecting it, shall we?" Kirsi's mocking smile became a nightmare for the shy Viona. Not to mention she has to explain the reason for her refusal in front of the person directly. Isn't that very scary and embarrassing?
Why is this woman so cruel?
From start to finish...
Fear and embarrassment piled up until finally, Viona became silent, unable to answer. She looked back down and waited for Kirsi to give her a break. Those negative feelings accumulated in such a way that led her to wrinkle the fabric on her skirt even more.
Unexpectedly, Kirsi's laughter echoed in the living room that was four times the size of her entire yard. Viona looked up reflexively, finding Kirsi standing up to leave her alone here. Viona couldn't help but stand up and frantically called out, "Y-Your Highness?"
"Follow me," Kirsi said without turning her head. Her firm steps weren't that fast but seemed to be able to overwhelm Viona who followed her. All the maids who were cleaning glass and dust from the furniture around didn't dare to turn their heads when Kirsi passed by. But as soon as Viona passed by, they shortly looked at her like she was an annoying speck of stain.
"Dahlia, prepare two sets of clothes suitable for attending a party."
Dahlia happened to be cleaning a glass cabinet containing various types collection of tea sets belonging to the late Empress, which was on display in the connecting passage between the living room and the next floor. As soon as Kirsi gave the order, the woman with an appearance as beautiful as her name rushed upstairs to prepare what was requested.
Kirsi didn't truly know Dahlia, but the woman with a small mole on her nose was very close to Alruna, so Kirsi too often relied on her. Besides being beautiful and swift, Dahlia is also smart so she rarely makes mistakes, just like Alruna. Both also knew Cedric so well that Kirsi had no doubts about their credibility. If the current Kirsi was the real Kirsi, maybe she would die of jealousy seeing how often Cedric brought Dahlia on his assignments.
Well, as a wife, such worries are legitimate and normal. Unfortunately, being jealous and suspicious of someone as ignorant and apathetic as Cedric is a waste of energy.
Following Dahlia who had already gone to the dressing room upstairs, whether it was Kirsi or Viona who couldn't stop worrying, the two of them spent their time on the trek in silence. And once they arrived at their destination, Viona gaped at how luxurious and grand this place was.
Kirsi peeked at that expression of admiration and couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic. If only Viona had not been kidnapped when she was a baby, maybe now she was having a tea party with other aristocratic girls. Unfortunately, that is not possible. Well, after all, if, that kidnapping had never happened in the first place, maybe this novel's story would never have been written either.
Because after all, Viona's only outstanding appeal was that she was a commoner. If she debuted from the nobility like the others, she wouldn't be able to win Arthur's sympathy with her standard beauty. Even Kirsi with her unquestionable beauty was still inferior to the charm of the commoner Viona. So clearly, all of Viona's difficulties exist for story purposes.
And now while Kirsi is still considered a part of the Evander family, she's going to enjoy what she can to her heart's content.
"Come here," Kirsi called Viona closer.
The choice of clothes that Dahlia prepared for them was quite good. Unfortunately, the colours in Kirsi's wardrobe are filled with colours that are suitable for fair-skinned people. Apart from black and white, there are also pastel colours and other dulled colours that Kirsi rarely uses.
"Hmm..." the ivory-white dress did not quite suit Viona's fresh brown skin. Kirsi put the dress back in its place and asked Dahlia for another colour. "Look for a slightly darker colour such as burgundy, caramel, orange, leaf green, or purple."
"Yes, Madame."
Most of the colours Kirsi mentioned were not in her cupboard. But luckily she had a burgundy and caramel dress. Kirsi chose the caramel one and felt that it suited Viona's skin and hair tone. She decided unilaterally that that was what Viona would wear without asking.
Kirsi went to take care of herself with Alruna and Dahlia, while Laura and several other servants helped Viona to bathe and dress up while biting their tongues. They couldn't comment at all when they were asked to serve someone even lower caste than them.
Servants may be the lowest caste in the social strata of nobility, but even being a servant still requires recommendations from important people. Not to mention, Laura was a servant who was directly recommended by the Emperor. Bathing and dressing a commoner like Viona was an insult to her. She was so irritated that she almost bit her tongue until it bled.
Viona kept her head down as long as these people served her hatefully. She could do everything on her own as usual, but it seemed Kirsi wouldn't let that happen.
None of the 6 maids who served her dared to open their voices to let out their grievances. Their performance can be recognized as highly professional per the established service code of ethics. Even so, for a second Viona turned her back on them, they would look at each other with disdainful faces. Viona couldn't see it directly, but she could tell something like that would happen. She wanted to hurry home and scream into her pillow.
Half an hour later, Viona was ready.
A caramel dress with a slightly fluffy skirt looks very suitable on her body. Tunic dress with three layers of downy fabric like rose petals with rich embroidery. The shoulder of the dress is puffy with long sleeves. To protect her from coldness, she is also wearing a green sunbonnet decorated with thick ruffles.
On the other hand, Kirsi wore a simpler type of dress. She wore a white satin dress with floor-length long sleeves. The hem of the dress dangles with a slight crease. And the front of her dress is in a v-line that exposes her curvaceous chest. There is a collar that ends at the neck with an emerald brooch typical of members of the imperial clan. The brooch was also often worn by the Emperor, Empress, Cedric, Arthur and the Grand Marshal. And unlike Viona, who gave off a more innocent impression of helplessness, Kirsi wore a white fascinator hat decorated with goose feathers in the same colour that emphasized her maturity. Matched with the snow-white lapel cape cloak, she looked like a majestic winter elf. Even Viona couldn't take her eyes off her.
"Follow me." Once again Kirsi took her somewhere without wanting to explain.
Feeling that she was too blind to her own situation, Viona worked up the courage to ask. "Where to? "
Kirsi who had walked ahead of her before turned her head and answered, "Tea party."
Viona was clearly even more confused. She knew that kind of party was very common among nobles. Not to mention that besides being known as a troublemaker, Kirsi often attended tea parties held by royalty. She just didn't do it these days after getting married. Viona wouldn't be surprised if Kirsi suddenly changed her mind and went to someone else's tea party and made another mess. But she wouldn't have expected that she would also be dragged into such a party visit.
Viona instantly refused, "No, I can't, Your Highness." Kirsi was certainly scary, but a group of noble ladies gathered in one place drinking tea was far scarier than 12 Kirsi.
"If you want to be my protégé, then you should start getting used to high-class social gatherings. From now on you will wear nice clothes and go to noble parties with me."
"B-But, I'm just a medical student, there's no need for me to—"
Kirsi cut her off and explained unhurriedly. "If you want to be successful, thus studying is not enough. You also need connections to rise to a higher level. Shut up and follow me."
Viona truly couldn't get her.