"P-Princess, you are finally here! We were waiting for you to arrive for a long time. Please come to the dining room with you. We've prepared breakfast for you."
Minister Xiao nervously rubbed his hands as he welcomed the princess into his household.
From the maids to the chefs, everyone had been given special instructions to do their best to please the princess.
The breakfast room was lined up with food, and the minister's wife and son were the only people there.
"Princess, it is an honor to host you in our residence."
The wife bowed down lowly before nudging the man beside her.
Minister Xiao's son looked uninterested in greeting the princess, but he relented and reluctantly bowed to her when his stepmother probed him.
"It's an honor, princess."
Each word seemed reluctant to say these words, but he had no choice.
Too many eyes were looking at him and judging him for everything he said.
"P-Princess, don't take my son's tone to heart. He is going through a rough time with his stepmother. P-Please, step in."
The princess stepped inside, but she waited for Sui to follow her.
Sui did not seem to have a choice but to head in after the princess.
She could feel how startled the minister looked as he watched Sui follow the princess to the head seat.
Ultimately, there was only one seat at the main table, and everyone else sat further away.
'I don't like this arrangement. I know this is a standard arrangement based on hierarchy, but I feel uncomfortable following this. I will not be able to reach the princess in time if anything happens to her.'
It was a useless concern to think about the princess getting attacked.
The princess was too fast and agile to get hit by an attack.
Plus, too many guards from the Minister's side were protecting the princess to let a threat close to her.
But Sui could not curb her worry for the princess.
'It would have been good if my seat was near the princess. Maybe I should stand behind her to protect her from danger? I can always skip a meal and make up for it later.'
Sui was debating what she should do when the minister headed toward her and waited for Sui to look at her.
"Esteemed guard, please come with you. Your seat has been prepared with the other guards in the side room."
Sui blinked at the man in a shocked manner.
The minister looked calm after his suggestion, and he likely thought he was right to suggest this arrangement.
But Sui still felt worried for the princess's safety.
"I appreciate the offer. However, I would rather keep guard-"
"We cannot allow that to happen! You need to head to the side room and eat there. Right now! If you don't go properly, I mustered."
Young Master Xiao surprised everyone when he suddenly stood up and declared this.
Even the minister and his wife looked shocked at the sudden outburst.
Sui's brain brewed conspiracy theories about why the minister's son wanted Sui to head inside the side room severely.
But the more she looked at him, the more Sui was sure she did not want to head into the side room.
However, Sui's status was not high enough to argue against a minister, and she sighed.
She was about to head out when the princess decided to interfere.
The princess raised her hand, and her sudden action startled everyone.
"Minister Xiao, bring another chair and place it beside me, Sui; you will stay with me to protect me today. I do not want you to leave my side."
Silence filled the hall after the princess declared this, and everyone yelled in surprise.
"E-Eh, princess, that is not right. A-A guard cannot eat at the same table as their master!"
The minister quickly reminded the princess, and even his son joined at that time.
"That is right! You need to treat the servants as servants so that they remain in their line. Indulging someone too much can cause them to become arrogant and aim for something that is not theirs."
Minister Xiao's wife blushed at her stepson's comment, confirming the rumor that was written on the intelligence report.
The sudden protest caused the princess to smile happily, and she turned toward Minister Xiao's wife.
"Hmm, Mistress Xiao, do you agree with your stepson and your husband's words? That servants should not sit at the same table as their masters, no matter what?"
The princess asked the former servant of the Minister's household.
The minister froze in shock and even the servants moved around to see what the mistress had to say.
After all, the story about Master Xiao's wife being a former servant of his household was commonly known.
The poor miss was currently the center of attention after the princess had suddenly put her to the test.
"Oh my! I apologize for my husband's harsh words, princess. I never realized that my husband had such strong opinions about the servants and their places. However, don't worry. I will do as you wish me to."
The minister flinched as soon as he realized that his wife was pissed off.
He did not dare speak as his wife took charge of the situation.
"Oi, what are you doing? Don't you know that you are helping a servant be on the same standing as their master? Moreover, I heard that she used to be a former slave-"
The stepwife quickly smacked her son and made him bow his head.
"You better keep your mouth shut if you know what is good for you. How dare you insult the princess and her choice of guard?"
Young Master Xiao rarely felt fear, and he had never been afraid of the gentle person his stepmother was.
But for the first time in his life, the young master feared for his life because of his stepmother.
Moreover, he could feel an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach and he looked up.
Cold blue eyes looked at the young master as if he was prey and the young master understood fear for the first time.