Chapter 4 – Part 1 (A Thunderbolt Out of a Clear Sky)

I rubbed my eyes and carefully read the letter from the beginning.

[To my Dear Piglet,

I received your reply well the other day. I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. Mother and Father also send their regards and love. It must have been difficult for you to be alone in the palace, but I’m so proud of you.]

“What’s gotten into my sister? Why is she suddenly praising me?”

I scratched my cheek out of embarrassment.

[I worry that the allowance I sent you in my last letter might not be enough. The cost of living in the capital is high, and if you spend carelessly, you’ll find yourself penniless before you know it…]

“Oh, sis, there you go again. Nagging as usual.”

I could almost hear her voice in my ear, and it made me smile, feeling a ticklish warmth in my heart.

I continued reading the letter.

[…The spring social season in the capital is about to start. By the time you receive this letter, we might have already left our estate. I hope to welcome the first day of the official social season at our townhouse in the capital.

We should be able to meet in the capital by the weekend at the latest. Just thinking about riding the carriage for several days makes my bottom ache already. Please wish me a smooth journey…]

“They’re finally coming to the capital!”

To prepare for the spring social season starting in a week, they were moving to their townhouse in the capital.

Families with enough manpower could stay in the capital earlier, but our family moved more tightly because Uncle found acting as lord too bothersome.

I finished reading my sister’s letter, then took out paper and a pen to write a reply immediately.

“I’ll send my reply to the house in the capital. She’ll read it once she gets there.”

* * *

The next day, after successfully completing the Crown Prince’s morning tea time, I was sifting through tea leaves in the storage room.

There was a lively knock at the door.

Knock, knock, knock!

Just from the sound, I knew who it was.

When I opened the door, as expected, it was Archie.

“Hello, Miss Erica! His Highness is having lunch.”

“Alright, I’ll prepare the tea right away. …Is it for two people again today?”

“That’s right! Her Majesty is here again.”

“Then I’ll serve the tea in the small dining room today?”

“No, it’s the large dining room!”

Her Majesty had paid an unexpected visit again.

I could almost hear the kitchen staff groaning in distress.

After sending Archie back, I selected Assam and Ceylon tea leaves, mixing them in a predetermined ratio.

Then I added a suitable amount of bergamot and lemon zest, a small amount of dried fruit and herbs, and finally, a touch of chocolate.

This blend was a variation of Earl Grey, but if you weren’t careful, the chocolate could overpower the tea flavor. So I had to be cautious not to add too much chocolate.

‘The chocolate here is different from what I had in my previous life. I went through several trials and errors because of it.’

After finishing the tea blend, I hovered near the small dining room to check when the dessert would be brought in.

“Now is the perfect time to bring it in.”

I quickly grabbed the tea and tea set and headed to the dining room.

In the cozy dining room, only Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince were present again.

I set up the teacups and poured the tea. The refreshing fruity aroma spread as the tea trickled down.

Her Majesty spoke.

“It smells like black tea with bergamot, but the scent is different.”

“Yes, it’s a blend of tea leaves from the southern part of the empire with bergamot, lemon, and chocolate added.”

After sipping a few sips, Her Majesty spoke again.

“The aroma is sweet, but the tea flavor is light and pleasant. Could you send this blend to the Imperial Palace as well?”

“Thank you! I will.”

Her Majesty was always generous with her compliments.

The Crown Prince also seemed to enjoy the tea, finishing his cup without a word.

I lifted the teapot and refilled the Crown Prince’s cup.

‘Today’s tea time is a success too!’

Thinking everything was going smoothly, suddenly, there was a series of explosions outside.

Boom! Boom-!

Then came the chaotic sounds of people screaming.

At the first explosion, Her Majesty swiftly kicked open the dining room window, drew her ever-present sword, and jumped out.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

‘Are window frames supposed to fall apart like that with just one kick?’

And is it really okay to jump out from such a height unprotected?

‘The imperial family’s superhuman strength isn’t just a rumor to inspire loyalty in the empire’s citizens?’

The sounds of things breaking outside continued.

As I stood there, dazed and unable to comprehend the situation, the Crown Prince protectively wrapped his arms around me, shielding me from whatever was outside the window.

My head barely reached his chest, completely blocking my view.

Meanwhile, the explosive sounds continued to ring out several more times.

Boom-!

Wouldn’t it sound like this if a meteorite fell on the imperial palace?

The explosion made the air vibrate violently, causing my skin to tingle. Soon after, the screams of people ceased.

‘Did everyone evacuate? Or could it be…?’

I desperately tried to push away the ominous thoughts from my mind.

The sensory overload made reality feel increasingly blurred.

What on earth is happening? Did a meteorite really fall? Or is it war? The imperial palace being attacked like this, could it really be war?

But why? How could this happen so suddenly?

Why did His Majesty jump out of the window? Wouldn’t he break his legs doing that?

And why is His Highness holding me here instead of evacuating me to a safer place?

I couldn’t understand anything.

I began to mentally escape from reality, unable to hold onto my sanity.

Is this sturdy thing my face is touching His Highness’s chest? And the hands covering my ears, are they His Highness’s hands?

Amidst the sounds reminiscent of war—BOOM, CRASH—I continued to be embraced by the Crown Prince.

A faint scent of clean skin and soap mixed with a light fragrance oil emanated from him. He must bathe every morning.

I wasn’t intentionally smelling him. His chest was just there, so I couldn’t help but notice. I’m innocent.

Now that I think about it, this place has widely available good-smelling vegetable soaps. Even before the Industrial Revolution, how could they mass-produce such uniformly high-quality soap? Something’s suspicious…

BOOM!

A deafening explosion pulled me back to reality.

The noise was so overwhelming it felt like my head would explode, and I couldn’t continue my thoughts. The only thing I could rely on was the Crown Prince right in front of me.

This was a first for me… I didn’t know what to do. I missed my mom and sister.

How much time had passed while I was held by His Highness?

Suddenly, it became quiet outside. The bombardment-like sounds and the screams had ceased.

I lifted my head and made eye contact with His Highness.

He examined my face and then spoke.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes…”

You were holding me so securely, there’s no way I could have gotten hurt.

But I felt something on my face, and when I rubbed it with my hand, I realized it was tears.

His Highness’s front was also soaked with my tears.

I must have cried unknowingly out of fright from the loud noises.

As I tried to wipe my tears away with the back of my hand, my hand trembled uncontrollably.

His Highness gently took my hand to stop me.

“You might hurt yourself.”

Then he softly wiped my tears with his sleeve.

As I stood there dazed, receiving his touch, I saw something.

Beyond His Highness, who was standing in front of the window, I saw Her Majesty.

It seemed Her Majesty had been about to return to the dining room but stopped, surprised to see us hugging. She paused briefly, then winked at me before disappearing again.

‘Oh, Your Majesty! This is not what it looks like!’

I actually have someone I like in my diary… no, I mean, there is someone I like!

Finally coming to my senses, I awkwardly stepped out of the Crown Prince’s embrace.

It was only then that I noticed the dining room was much brighter than usual.

When I looked up, I saw that the ceiling above where I had been standing had a large hole. Through it, I could see a patch of sky the size of my palm.

‘If it weren’t for His Highness, I might have been blown away along with that ceiling…’

A chill ran down my spine, and I felt dizzy.

Looking around, I saw that the walls were also in shambles. The sound of falling stone fragments filled the room.

A high-pitched ringing echoed in my ears.

Whatever had happened, it seemed to be over now.

Should I leave now? Or not? Is it time to return to the tea storage room?

I was confused.

“Um, can I leave now?”

My voice sounded foreign, as if it belonged to someone else.

The Crown Prince examined me carefully before responding.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll send someone to check the situation first.”

* * *