Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: An Invitation to Lunch
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Once the commotion in the hallway died down, Lucillea headed to the glass garden with Mei.
The effect of the glass garden was truly incredible.
A transparent, dome-shaped glass ceiling, and beyond it, a sky blanketed in silver-gray clouds.
The warmth was so surprising it was hard to believe this was the North, and there were even nameless, multicolored flowers.
It felt as if she had been transported to another dimension.
Lucillea decided to set aside the complicated worries occupying her mind and enjoy the moment with Mei.
As they spent their time chatting cheerfully and sipping fragrant tea, she felt a sense of vitality coursing through her body.
‘Oddly enough, I don't feel tired at all.’
Far from feeling tired, the more time she spent here, the more at ease she felt.
It seemed to be the same for Cookie.
Cookie flew freely through the vast, high-ceilinged glass garden.
[Screeeech-hoooooo!]
He swooped up and down repeatedly, as if showing off how magnificent his wings were and how dashing he looked while gliding.
Then he would land on a branch to rest for a moment or frantically devour the berries Mei offered him.
And so, time steadily marched toward noon.
“You'll be having lunch with His Highness, the Grand Duke.”
“What…?”
Coughing, Lucillea choked on the milk she was drinking.
Mei wiped the corner of Lucillea's mouth with a handkerchief and continued.
“You don't need to worry. It's just a simple meal.”
“Simple…”
Somehow, she already felt like she had indigestion.
When Lucillea showed signs of nervousness, Mei quickly added.
“Don't be too nervous. It's a process that everyone chosen by the Elite Corps goes through.”
“Is this part of the procedure, too?”
Mei subtly raised an eyebrow and hummed softly.
“Calling it a procedure sounds so impersonal. Ah, I know! How about thinking of it as the first step to getting to know each other?”
“……”
Getting to know him?
‘Uh… I have no intention of doing that.’
In any case, now that she had entered the grand ducal estate after being chosen by the Elite Corps, it was clear this was an unavoidable occasion.
“I understand. I was able to come to the grand ducal estate thanks to His Highness, so I can't very well refuse a meal.”
She had hoped to avoid him as much as possible, but Lucillea knew it was selfish to expect not to run into the Grand Duke while living in his home.
‘Aside from this meal, we probably won't cross paths much.’
He was a grand duke, after all.
Desks of grand dukes like him are usually piled high with documents.
Besides, wasn't Elbadin's character setting that he travels the empire with the Elite Corps?
‘He'll probably be leaving on another expedition with the Elite Corps soon, so we'll barely see each other.’
As Lucillea was lost in thought, Mei spoke.
“And you should speak to me more comfortably, Lady Lucillea. There's already talk about a maid being addressed so formally by someone chosen by the Elite Corps.”
“Oh…”
She had been so awkward about speaking down to someone that she might have been making things difficult for Mei.
“Okay, I will.”
Lucillea nodded with a bright smile.
***
Even after returning to her bedroom, a ticklish feeling lingered in her chest.
She had a feeling she would be visiting the glass garden often.
[So. You're just going to leave me behind? Lucy? Did you get closer to that maid! Do you like her more than me?!]
Squawk! Squawk, squawk—!
Not long after arriving at the grand ducal estate, Cookie had become the embodiment of jealousy.
[I told you! That maid is weird! There's something about her! She's hiding something—! Huh?!]
Just then, Mei approached the noisy bird.
“Here, our dear Cookie. Say 'ahhh.' Here comes a rathe berry~.”
[Hmph, hmph!]
Of course, despite his suspicions of Mei, he gobbled up the red berries she offered without a second thought.
[Just because you give me these… huh?!]
Nom, nom, nom, nom. Cookie turned red again. She worried his yellow beak might be permanently stained red at this rate.
Without even glancing at Lucillea and Mei, Cookie chattered on with his reddened beak while eating the berries.
[Ooh. So sweet, so sweet!]
While Cookie was lost in the sweetness of the fruit, Lucillea changed into a new dress.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes!”
Just then, with a flutter—.
[I wanna go too!]
Cookie stopped wiping the juice from his beak and flew over to perch on the crown of Lucillea's head.
He must have been tired from flying around the glass garden, but he insisted on coming along.
Even after enthusiastically devouring the berries Mei had given him, Cookie eyed the maid with sharp suspicion.
[I have to be by Lucy's side! I can't let you go alone with that maid!]
‘…’
Lucillea knew what Cookie was worried about.
After all, she too had felt an indescribable chill when she first met Mei.
Mei tilted her head and asked.
“Looks like Cookie wants to come along?”
Lucillea gave a troubled laugh.
“Yes, he's a very curious little one. Is it okay if he comes? Won't His Highness or Serdian be bothered?”
“Why would it matter?”
Mei smiled warmly and continued.
“If he causes any trouble, I'll just drag him back to the room—…I mean, escort him back.”
At that, Cookie flapped his wings furiously.
[D-Did you hear that, Lucy? She said she'd drag me! You heard her, right?! Right?! She said she'd drag me back to the room, didn't she?!]
See! She's suspicious! A bad person!
Shh, Cookie!
Lucillea said, trying to calm Cookie down.
‘Calm down. It's just that her choice of words is a bit rough sometimes.’
She said drag! Drag! This small, lovely, and delicate parrot!!
Cookie's voice rang in her head. Unable to take it anymore, Lucillea warned him in a serious tone.
‘Cookie, if you don't calm down, I'm leaving you in the room.’
[Hah!]
Only then did Cookie snap his beak shut.
‘And if you get excited and cause a scene in the dining hall like you are now, I'll make you go back to the room alone with Mei, so keep that in mind.’
[Eek. N-No, I don't want that… I'll be quiet….]
Cookie said in a dejected voice. She felt a pang of guilt, but it couldn't be helped.
She couldn't let Cookie's voice ringing in her head ruin her meal with the Grand Duke.
As the rampaging parrot suddenly fell silent, Mei, who had been watching with interest, spoke.
“It's fascinating. He really seems to understand human speech.”
“Right? That's why I just assume he really does understand people. That's how smart I think my Cookie is.”
Lucillea smiled brightly.
It was easier to brush off such a sensitive and dangerous topic with childlike innocence.
Just then, Mei took Lucillea's hand.
“Well then, shall we get going, Lady Lucillea?”
“Yes.”
Lucillea held Mei's hand as they walked to the main building.
Click-clack. The light sound of her low heels against the white marble floor echoed cheerfully.
“Ah, so that's how you came to know so much about herbs?”
“Yes. I used to follow my grandmother often when she went to gather them.”
Lucillea nodded, looking up at Mei.
Her face was flushed with excitement as she spoke of Briola.
On the way to the dining hall.
Lucillea told Mei stories about her time living with Briola.
About gathering herbs with Briola, following her down to the village to shop at the market, and what kind of herbs Briola used when Lucillea had a fever.
Mei said in admiration.
“My goodness, a mage who knows about herbs. Now that's rare.”
“Rare?”
“I've heard that if a mage has knowledge of herbalism, they can learn alchemy later on.”
Alchemy! It was a concept that often appeared in other novels.
But she had always skimmed over the fantasy-related parts, so she didn't know much about it.
Lucillea asked.
“Can you make a lot of money with it?”
“Of course! It's where you…”
Mei's short lecture on alchemy followed.
As she walked and talked with Mei, they soon arrived at the hallway leading to the dining hall.
At that moment.
Suddenly, she felt a chill run through her.
‘Huh?’
Sensing the strangely subdued atmosphere, Lucillea unconsciously stared at the end of the hallway.
The entrance to the dining hall was there, and someone was standing in front of it.
Just then, Mei, who was walking beside her, spoke.
“Oh, it's His Highness the Grand Duke and the Young Lord.”
Huh?! The Young Lord?
‘Serdian?!’