Chapter 4 – Part 2

When I regained my senses, I found myself sitting on a sofa in the Crown Prince’s office.

“……?”

I couldn’t remember how I had gotten there.

A soft and heavy blanket was draped over my shoulders, and a teacup sat on the table in front of me.

I blinked in confusion, then the Crown Prince spoke to me from across the table.

“It seems you were very frightened. Rest here until you feel better.”

“Yes…”

I reached out and wrapped my hands around the teacup. It was lukewarm and filled with rich chocolate.

Seeing this, His Highness instructed an attendant to bring a warm replacement.

‘That’s my job.’

Instinctively, I tried to get up from the sofa, but His Highness, who had approached without me noticing, gently pressed on my shoulder, making me sit back down.

His Highness’s voice echoed in my ears.

“Take the day off and rest.”

Soon after, something warm was placed in my hand. Looking down, I saw a pleasantly warm cup of chocolate.

From then on, five minutes felt like an hour, and an hour felt like five minutes.

I couldn’t tell if I was the one sitting dazed in His Highness’s office, or if I was the one watching myself being dazed.

How long had I been like that?

Someone approached me and informed me it was time to leave. I felt like time had flown by without me doing anything.

Walking back to the servants’ quarters with sluggish steps, I was thankful to see the head maid had come to meet me.

As she walked with me, matching my pace, she spoke.

“You were nearby today, weren’t you?”

By “nearby,” does she mean the area where the chaos occurred?

I was there, but I couldn’t remember well. The loud explosion sounds had seemed to tear at my eardrums, and screams were coming from all directions…

As I began to sink back into the memories of what had happened, the head maid’s voice pulled me back.

“You must have been shocked. This is your first time experiencing something like this, right, Miss Marnel?”

“…Yes.”

Does this happen often?

“You need to get used to it. These disturbances happen occasionally. Although it’s rare for them to be as loud as today.”

I had many questions, but my mind was too jumbled to speak clearly.

“Her Majesty has taken care of it, so don’t worry. We just need to trust and endure as always.”

After saying that, the head maid hesitated for a moment, then looked me straight in the eye and spoke.Miss Marnel. No, may I call you Erica?”

“Yes.”

“Erica, you need to be strong.”

I really want to, but it’s not easy.

We soon arrived at the servants’ quarters.

As soon as I returned to my room, I collapsed into bed without even changing my clothes.

* * *

How long had I been asleep?

I woke up feeling suffocated. It was early dawn, and the room was filled with the characteristic blue light of the break of day.

After sleeping, my head felt clearer than before. I lay in bed, organizing my thoughts.

The loud explosions and the hole in the Crown Prince’s palace from yesterday must have been an attack by someone. Her Majesty had said she “took care of it” with her sword drawn.

‘Who on earth would attack the imperial palace like that?’

Could a trebuchet, no, a siege cannon create such a hole in this sturdy palace?

‘No, that wasn’t any ordinary siege weapon.’

Bringing siege weapons to the imperial palace was impossible from the start.

Anyone trying to carry such menacing equipment would be discovered before even entering the capital. Besides, there were no traces of anything being thrown near the hole in the ceiling.

Destruction without a trace. A result without an apparent cause.

It reminded me of the magic Noah had shown me recently.

But there was no magic in this world. Just like on my previous Earth, magic was only a figment of imagination.

At least, that’s what I thought until I met Noah.

‘Was yesterday’s commotion caused by Noah?’

I imagined Noah casting a meteor spell at the imperial palace.

‘Wow, that really doesn’t suit him.’

Noah, who found joy in running a small magic shop, suddenly risking everything to attack the imperial palace didn’t make sense.

So was yesterday’s disturbance caused by another outsider? And was the area outside the palace safe?

I had no idea how far the chaos had spread.

‘Oh, my diary friend seems to live in the capital!’

If there was a secret passage near the fountain square close to the imperial palace, their house might be nearby.

I got out of bed and opened my diary.

Thankfully, there was a new message from my diary friend.

[It seems there was a major disturbance near the imperial palace earlier. I’m safe. Are you okay?]

“I’m glad he’s safe…”

I took out my pen and ink and wrote a reply right below.

[Yes, I’m fine too.]

Then, after a moment of hesitation, I asked,

[Do you think it was the work of an outsider?]

Could it have been caused by someone like me, an outsider?

Since it was still early morning, there was no immediate reply from my diary friend. Hugging the diary, I fell back asleep.

* * *

The sound of the clock tower’s long chimes woke me. The morning sunlight filled the room with a bright white light.

Opening the diary I had held close, I found a reply from my friend.

[I’m glad you’re safe. And yes, your suspicion is correct.]

And in the question I asked earlier at dawn, the word “outsider” had been erased with black ink.

‘So it really was the work of an outsider.’

If my diary friend said so, it must be reliable information.

And whatever it was, I had heard from the head maid yesterday that Her Majesty had taken care of it, so the incident was over for now.

I had to go to work soon.

‘The head maid was right.’

I needed to become stronger.

Though I couldn’t become physically strong like Her Majesty or His Highness, I could strive to have a steadfast mentality like the head maid.

Resolving myself, I headed to the tea storage room for work.

Not long after, Archie came to find me.

“Miss Erica!”

‘You’re so energetic even today. Wasn’t yesterday’s incident troubling you at all?’

While I was inwardly impressed, Archie exclaimed,

“They said we’re short-handed!”

It was an abrupt statement with no context or explanation.

Upon closer look, Archie’s cheeks were flushed with a rosy hue, and he seemed a bit out of breath.

“Archie, what’s going on?”

“They asked for Miss Erical. Do you know how to cook?”

I still had no idea what she was talking about.

For now, I followed Archie as she led me.

‘There’s still plenty of time until the morning tea time, so it should be okay.’

Following Archie quickly through the corridors and down the stairs, we arrived at the main kitchen of the Crown Prince’s palace.

The heat from the kitchen, where preparations for meals were in full swing, hit my face.

Archie left me in front of Chef Kelsey and went off to chop vegetables.

Even amidst the busyness, Chef Kelsey welcomed me.

“Erica, you’re here?”

Chef Kelsey was stirring two pots at the same time, one deep and one shallow, with a long spatula in each hand.

It was usually busy at this hour preparing breakfast for His Highness, but today seemed particularly hectic.

Chef Kelsey spoke to me.

“Several people couldn’t come to work today. We need to prepare His Highness’s breakfast, but we’re short-handed. Erica, do you know how to cook?”

“Oh, no. Not at all.”

I could make instant noodles, but that wouldn’t be helpful here.

Hearing my response, Chef Kelsey ladled a generous portion of soup from the shallow pot into a broad bowl and handed it to me.

“It’s an appetizer. Take it up. It’s the large dining room directly above.”

“Yes!”

I answered promptly and took the bowl of soup.

A savory, fragrant aroma wafted up. In the center of the thick, creamy soup was a sprinkle of green parsley.

‘To create such perfect dishes even in this situation, Chef Kelsey is truly amazing!’

I found a matching lid for the bowl, covered it, and placed it on a silver tray.

Carefully carrying the soup to avoid spilling it, I climbed the kitchen stairs to the large dining room of the Crown Prince’s palace.

‘How do others serve food in situations like this?’

Holding the tray in a posture I’d roughly learned from observing others, I entered the dining room.

The Crown Prince, sitting alone at the long table, raised an eyebrow. It felt like I could hear his thoughts: ‘Why are you here?’

‘That’s a good question…’

I placed the bowl of soup before His Highness and lifted the lid.

“It’s soup, Your Highness.”

I have no idea what kind of soup it is, but I guarantee it’s delicious.

Looking around the large dining room, it was just me and His Highness. Meaning I was the only one available to attend to his meal.

Understanding the situation, I poured sparkling water into his glass. Then, stepping back, I waited quietly until His Highness finished the soup, and brought the empty bowl back to the kitchen.

This process repeated itself.

Receiving dishes from Chef Kelsey, bringing them to the dining room, refilling His Highness’s glass, and bringing back the empty dishes.

When I finally placed the dessert on His Highness’s table, a thought struck me.

‘Oh right, I need to make tea!’

Glancing at His Highness, he didn’t seem to need any immediate service.

I hurried back to the tea storage room.

“Wow, it’s so busy!”