Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Fairy Tale Prince
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Kandoria Castle on a Sunday morning.
Normally a quiet day of rest, yet a few people had gathered in the castle kitchen.
Two sturdy employees from the Argentis-Valerius United Caravan, and two or three young maids from Kandoria Castle.
They soon held their breath and clustered around a small plate.
On the plate sat several canapés topped with heaps of white, glossy cream over freshly baked, crispy bread slices.
They looked ordinary at first glance, but that cream was none other than the mysterious sauce Jonathan had perfected just days ago—the mayonnaise destined to be presented first to His Majesty the Emperor.
"This is... the new one the Lord made...?"
"To think we're tasting what will be offered to His Majesty the Emperor first—it's an honor, but I'm trembling."
"He must trust us that much to suggest we try it first, right? Well then..."
The caravan employees' low voices made the maids swallow dryly as well.
By order of the Lord Proxy, a small tasting had been permitted as the final check before presentation.
The most senior maid, Martha, cautiously picked up one canapé as the representative.
Her fingertips trembled faintly.
Finally, Martha squeezed her eyes shut and took a bite. And in the next instant...
"...!"
Her eyes flew wide open.
She froze, as if forgetting even to chew.
"Martha sis, what's wrong? Does it taste weird?"
"No... no, it's not that..."
Martha hurriedly swallowed what was in her mouth, then murmured in near-ecstasy.
"It's a heavenly taste...! So smooth and nutty... The chewy bread just melts in your mouth!"
At her exclamation, the others couldn't hold back any longer and scrambled for the canapés.
A brief silence, followed by soft gasps of admiration.
"Whoa, this is insane... What is this flavor?"
"It's more like the texture...? So smooth...? I can't even describe it."
"Right? Just one bite, and how is it like this?"
"Yeah. Nutty, smooth, and refreshing as it flows down, then it just vanishes in your mouth."
"How on earth did the young master make something like this...? He's a real genius."
"A noble who cooks—what a weirdo. But he's handsome, so it's fine."
"Hey, hey, the young lady might hear you. You know how much she likes him."
"So what? You get a thrill every time you see the Lord without his shirt on."
Just like that, the canapés vanished from the plate like melting snowflakes.
The servants licked their fingers regretfully over the now-empty portions meant for single bites and began chatting.
"This is gonna be another huge hit, isn't it?"
"No kidding. Remember the uproar in the capital over Tomato Sauce and Arrabbiata last time?"
"Think His Holiness the Pope will declare this a holy relic too?"
"Hmm... Doesn't seem impossible. But didn't they say His Majesty the Emperor gets first taste?"
"So what? Ah, just wish there was more. Hope the Tower folks hurry up and expand the facilities so we can try more."
"Oh yeah, didn't that chief magitech engineer from the Tower get caught sneaking Arrabbiata last time?"
"Yeah. He was coughing like crazy, even choked, and ended up buying some with his own money."
For that brief moment, a pure gustatory pleasure that erased the fatigue of their grueling daily routine.
Unknowingly, they wiped the cream from their lips with their fingers and smiled happily.
The tension of it being food for His Majesty the Emperor had long faded away.
But while abundance filled some hearts elsewhere, one person could only sigh.
"Hooouuugh..."
A girl was walking down the corridor from the Papal Palace's prayer room.
White hair, innocent golden eyes, and a graceful figure.
Lumiel Benedicta, the mascot of the Papal Palace and the Saintess in charge of external affairs, was sighing deeply for some reason.
Her heart, sunken in gray, drifted back to the memory of that day at Kandoria Castle just a few weeks ago.
- To put it bluntly. We'll pay ten times the market price, so can you supply exclusively to the Imperial Family? We'll handle the conveniences too.
- For future orders of magitech devices and equipment needed by the Tower, we plan to prioritize imports and sole contracts from Argentis...
The Princess's bold offensive with massive profits, and the Tower Lord's granddaughter's practical benefits.
In between, how powerless had her offers of honor and blessings felt?
- Even if you guarantee sanctity and value, how do you protect Jonathan without worldly gains like money? The Papacy is powerful, but meddling in lords' affairs is clear interference in internal matters.
- We've considered your offer of protection too, but we can help in this case as well. Even remote nobles these days rarely go without magitech.
"Hiiing..."
The power, authority, and wisdom to assert one's position without hesitation and give opponents what they want.
But it seemed her heart remained uneasy, wondering if she had only made shameless demands without offering him anything in return.
In the end, thanks to Sir Jonathan's wise judgment, the Papacy had secured the Argentis and Valerius sauce as relief supplies, but she had felt her own powerlessness to her bones in the process.
'In the end, I didn't secure anything...'
That day's sense of defeat peaked when she reported the results to His Holiness the Pope.
With her head bowed, she apologized for failing to fully secure what the Church desired due to her inexperience.
But what returned was no rebuke.
"Heh heh, lift your head, sister."
Pope Innocentius III merely gazed at her with a kind smile.
"Do you think you failed?"
"......"
Lumiel couldn't bring herself to raise her head. The Pope continued softly.
"The Imperial Family crushes with power, the Tower trades with the utility of technology. That's their way. But ours is different, sister. Our strength doesn't come from worldly swords or gold."
The Pope rose and walked to the window, looking down at the holy city's landscape.
"You may not have seized what the Princess or the Tower Lord's granddaughter wanted. But you obtained what neither of them could."
"You drew out Sir Jonathan's goodwill and secured a promise of sharing for the poor in the Papacy's name. That is our way, the greatest value we must show the world."
At his words, Lumiel cautiously lifted her head.
The Pope turned to her with an encouraging smile.
"I know your caution stemmed from fear of harming the Church. That heart deserves praise."
"However, sister, it's all right to be a bit more assertive at times. Trust the Lord's love in your heart and be bolder."
"If there's any fault, it's mine for not offering Sir Jonathan a better position and terms. So don't blame yourself. Relax and rest, sister."
She bowed her head, replying in a trembling voice.
"...I shall keep it in mind, Your Holiness."
Even after the audience with the Pope, Lumiel's heart remained heavy as she stepped into the corridor.
Despite His Holiness's merciful words, her self-reproach over her powerlessness wouldn't fade easily.
Amid the rainbow light pouring through the stained glass, she looked up at the fresco of the first Saintess on the cathedral wall.
'The first Saintess repelled the demons in the Lord's name alongside the Empire's founder and saved the world...'
The black-haired Saintess in the painting wore sacred armor and wielded a flaming sword to judge evil.
Compared to that majestic figure, her own trembling silence at the negotiation table felt utterly pathetic.
'What did I even become a Saintess for...'
Just then, as she sank into deep self-loathing, a strong, stimulating aroma wafted from the distant dining hall, tickling her nose.
"This is..."
Lumiel dragged her heavy steps toward the dining hall. It was already packed with priests.
Unlike the usual solemn atmosphere, their faces shone with reverent joy at facing the one hope that sustained them through the week.
"Oh, Lord. We thank You for granting this trial once more today."
"Through this penance, I repent my laziness from last week. Amen."
They offered pious prayers, but their eyes were fixed on the white steam rising from the massive pot at the serving counter.
But for Lumiel, that time was no joy—another form of torment.
"Hngh..."
She swallowed dryly at the fiery red glow of the stew she was served.
While the other monks joyfully scooped it up, Arrabbiata—the Penance Feast—lived up to its name only for her, who was especially weak to spicy flavors.
She squeezed her eyes shut and took the tiniest spoonful.
And in the next instant...
"Hic, hngh...!"
The searing pain stabbing her tongue brought tears instantly welling in her golden eyes.
She fanned her mouth frantically with her small hand and gulped down her water cup.
The old monk beside her spoke pityingly.
"Saintess, this penance is still hard for you, I see."
"Y-yes... My tongue... my tongue hurts so much..."
Lumiel barely replied through sniffles.
The others savored the pleasure after the pain, but for her, it was nothing but agony.
Gazing at her bowl through teary eyes, she sank once more into deep self-loathing.
Lumiel couldn't bring herself to take another spoonful and quietly clasped her hands in brief prayer.
The Lord deemed wasting food a sin, but this trial was too harsh for her frail tongue.
In the end, she left the dining hall almost unfed, slipping away from the others' eyes.
Then, voices of other nuns heading out after Sunday prayers reached her ears.
"Sister, is the cart for Merenes ready? We mustn't lack fresh vegetables and herbs for the kitchen."
"It's prepared. I hear since Sir Jonathan took over what was the Merenes' old Scarlett Pasture, the local trade has boomed even more."
Merenes territory. At that name, Lumiel's steps faltered unwittingly.
She'd heard Sir Jonathan had recently been granted the ranch held by Court Count Merenes as a gift from His Majesty.
Lumiel interjected without thinking.
"Um, sisters. May I join you?"
The nuns were briefly startled by the Saintess's sudden request but soon nodded with warm smiles.
"Of course, Saintess. We're the ones who feel reassured with you along."
With a small thrill of an outing after so long, Lumiel followed the nuns out of the cathedral.
She closed her eyes briefly and drew in a deep breath of fresh air.
The fresh air seemed to lighten the powerlessness and self-reproach weighing her down.
While the sisters shopped and rested, she could look forward to seeing the horses and sheep at Scarlett Pasture after so long.
Animals had always taken to her well since childhood, so she might enjoy a pleasant time. That anticipation lightened her steps.
They boarded the cart and traveled a bit.
Leaving the capital behind, they entered a quieter territory, and finally, the cart jolted to a stop at the entrance to a bustling market.
Lumiel descended amid the nuns' warm farewells.
"Sister, don't come back too late, okay?"
"Right. No one would harm the Saintess, but still, be careful."
Lumiel nodded with a gentle smile.
The vibrancy outside the cathedral after weeks made her heart feel much lighter.
After seeing the sisters off, the vast open view met her eyes with each step.
Imagining peaceful sheep and horses grazing on the wide plains brought a smile to her face.
She walked the open fields for a good while, savoring the grass and tree scents carried on the wind.
But when she reached Scarlett Pasture, the sight before her was far from the pastoral scene she'd imagined.
"...Huh?"
It wasn't a flock of sheep.
Something enormous and bizarre moved slowly yet relentlessly along the horizon.
Dozens of massive wheels intricately woven from metal and wood.
Towering atop them, a colossal structure like houses stitched together.
And enveloped within it, an overwhelming number of... something.
They were living creatures.
"......!"
She held her breath for a moment.
Thousands—no, perhaps tens of thousands—of chickens.
As she stared dumbfounded at the surreal sight, a clear, vigorous horse neigh rang from behind.
- Neigh-!
A knight astride a majestic steed with jet-black coat and silver mane billowing approached her.
As the distance closed, she saw black hair, a sturdy build, and a familiar face.
"Sir Jonathan...?"
He halted the horse, recognized her, and dismounted with a slightly surprised look.
"Saintess? What brings you to this remote borderland?"
"Oh, I... I came shopping with the sisters and stepped out for some air. But... what is that?"
"Ah, that?"
Jonathan glanced at the massive structure and smiled proudly.
"My latest invention, the egg factory that will revolutionize the Empire's tables once more. A mobile ranch, you could say."
"Mobile... ranch?"
She echoed in disbelief.
Understanding her innocent confusion, he kindly elaborated.
"Instead of bringing feed to the chickens, we bring the chickens to the feed. Chickens raised on always-fresh grass and bugs lay the finest eggs."
Lumiel nodded to his explanation, but her mind grew hazy.
Morning prayers, a barely eaten meal, fatigue from the rare carriage ride, plus the shock of the unreal sight before her.
Her vision began to blur slowly but surely.
Voices sounded distant, the ground beneath felt like soft cotton.
"Saintess? You don't look well..."
With his worried voice as the last thing she heard, her world tilted sideways.
"!"
He couldn't finish speaking before leaping forward.
Forgetting even the horse's reins in his hand, he caught her falling, fragile body in his arms.
Thud—the impact against his firm chest. The sensation of strong arms supporting her securely.
And the unfamiliar masculine scent of earth, wind, and his sweat filling her nose.
Lumiel struggled to open her eyes. In her blurry vision, a man's worried face looking down at her came into focus.
Backlit, a golden halo framed his black hair.
Why, though?
Did it overlap with a scene from the worn fairy tale book she'd secretly read at the convent as a child?
The brave prince arriving to save the damsel in distress seemed to merge with him for a moment.
The man who created miracle sauces to feed the poor, who showed goodwill despite her powerlessness.
And now, the man who caught her without hesitation as she fell.
Thump.
The Saintess's quiet heart suddenly pounded fiercely with a loud, unfamiliar rhythm for the first time in her life.