Chapter 7 – Part 7

“Wait, when did I pass out?”

When I opened my eyes, the sky outside the window was still bright. It seemed I had just woken up, which was a relief.

I could also hear the sounds of people busily preparing for the ball around me.

“Did I really fall asleep after just drinking that much?”

I couldn’t believe it.

“I barely drank a few sips…”

Yawning widely and stretching to shake off the drowsiness, something thick and heavy slid off me onto the floor.

When I picked it up and looked at it, I found it was a luxurious men’s dress coat.

Still slightly dazed, I thought to myself:

“Where did this come from? It looks a lot like the clothes His Highness the Crown Prince wears.”

“Did His Highness cover me up?”

Did His Highness see me passed out drunk in the Rose Palace since the morning?

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, the remnants of the alcohol and sleepiness vanished instantly, and everything became clear.

Then I noticed His Highness the Crown Prince sitting on the sofa across from me, looking through some documents.

“Whoa!”

I made eye contact with His Highness.

In my panic, His Highness spoke to me in a calm voice.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Y-yes, Your Highness! I apologize for showing such disgraceful behavior.”

“It wasn’t disgraceful, so don’t worry.”

His Highness reached out and took the jacket from my hands.

“It seems you’re quite sensitive to alcohol.”

“Ah, it appears so.”

I was embarrassed by how pitiful my alcohol tolerance was.

Now that I think about it, the Count of Marnel, my family’s home, didn’t serve alcohol with meals. Even the servants had alcohol with their meals.

Maybe my parents and sister have just as poor tolerance as I do?

How am I supposed to make cocktails like this?

As I was lost in thought, His Highness brought me back to reality by speaking again.

“How do you plan to make mixed drinks with such low tolerance?”

You’re telling me.

His Highness glanced at the row of glasses on the table, contemplating for a moment, before suggesting.

“How about I taste them on your behalf?”

Are you seriously telling me to serve alcohol to the Crown Prince in broad daylight?

“Are you serious?”

“Of course, I am.”

Our eyes met again. His Highness was completely serious.

Although this was something that could be left to the servants, His Highness seemed determined to taste the drinks himself. Could it be that he was quite fond of alcohol?

When I hesitated to respond, His Highness urged me once more.

“Please, I’m very much looking forward to the mixed drinks you’ll create.”

When he put it that way, how could I refuse?

I asked a passing servant to fetch tea leaves from the Rose Palace, then chose an Earl Grey tea with a particularly strong bergamot scent and brewed it strongly.

Next, I mixed the tea with a light-colored, mild-flavored distilled liquor, added sugar and lemon juice, and gently shook the mixture.

I also made a version using honey instead of sugar and another version with a reduced amount of distilled liquor and added white wine.

I carefully measured and mixed the liquids, pouring them into several glasses. I also jotted down the differences between each version in pencil on a piece of paper.

It would have been nice to have a sparkling wine like Prosecco, but there wasn’t any among the drinks the servant brought.

I could try steeping tea leaves directly in this clear, almost flavorless liquor, whether it’s eau-de-vie or vodka.

But I wasn’t trying to make cocktails that would knock out the ball attendees; I wanted them to enjoy delicious drinks, so I dismissed the more extreme recipes.

His Highness watched intently as I made the cocktails. Feeling a bit shy, I hurried my movements.

I swiftly completed six variations of Earl Grey cocktails and lined them up on the table.

His Highness seemed eager.

“So, I should taste them now?”

“Yes. Please taste each one and rinse your mouth with water before moving on to the next.”

I said this while handing His Highness a glass of water.

His Highness alternated between drinking the first three cocktails and the water before commenting.

“They’re all delicious.”

This won’t be helpful at all.

I looked at His Highness.

Sensing my dissatisfied expression, His Highness explained.

“I’m not just saying that because you made them; they really are all delicious.”

“But which one did you like the most?”

His Highness seriously pondered for a moment before trying the three cocktails again.

“Out of these three, the first one seems the best.”

The first one was the recipe where I mixed the distilled liquor with the tea, added sugar, and only a little lemon juice.

I took a pencil and circled recipe number one.

His Highness then tasted the remaining drinks and, after a brief thought, gave his verdict.

“Among these, this one is the best.”

His Highness pointed to the fifth glass, which had a recipe where I reduced the amount of distilled liquor, added white wine, and generously included honey and lemon juice.

I set aside the first and fifth glasses chosen by His Highness.

“If you compare these two, which one is better?”

His Highness alternated between drinking the two I handed him before commenting.

“It’s hard to say which is better. One has a nice balance between the alcohol and tea flavors, while the other is easy to drink, like a beverage…”

After pondering for a moment, His Highness continued.

“Why not serve both?”

“Shall we?”

That was a good idea. I could even add some orange and lemon zest to one of them to create a slightly different flavor.

Excitedly, I rummaged through the Rose Palace’s kitchen and made four more versions of the Earl Grey cocktail by adding freshly chopped orange and lemon peels.

His Highness quickly selected one with a higher alcohol content and another with a lower content.

His Highness, known for his discerning taste, turned out to be an exceptionally reliable taste-testing machine.

“The bergamot tea cocktails have been decided on these two. Now, for the distilled liquor with hibiscus…”

As I began explaining the next recipe, His Highness waved his hand apologetically.

“Would it be alright to taste that tomorrow?”

Looking closer, I noticed that His Highness’s earlobes were slightly flushed.

Oh right, how many cocktails did I just serve His Highness?

“Yes, of course. Let’s continue tomorrow.”

“Then, would you join me for lunch at the Crown Prince’s Palace tomorrow? We can discuss the drinks for the spring ball while having lunch and immediately proceed to tasting the mixed drinks.”

His Highness had just invited me to lunch.

When I accepted, His Highness smiled.

“I’ll come to fetch you at the Imperial Palace at 1 PM tomorrow.”

After sending His Highness back to the Crown Prince’s Palace, his ears still red but his stride steady, I occupied the small kitchen in the Rose Palace and focused on making hibiscus syrup.

Tomorrow, I plan to mix the clear distilled liquor with hibiscus syrup and add lime, mint, and various other ingredients.

It would be nice to use sparkling water. I’ll have to ask Duke Oscar about that later.

***

The next day, Empress Beatrix graciously allowed me to postpone serving her tea for a while so I could assist with preparations for the ball, going between the Crown Prince’s Palace and the Rose Palace.

“It’s a pity I won’t get to enjoy your tea, but since Oscar requested it so earnestly, I suppose I have no choice.”

The Empress’s jade eyes were filled with a kind smile as she spoke.

After serving her morning tea, I immediately dove into cocktail preparations.

I made two additional versions of the hibiscus syrup I prepared yesterday, adding a few extra spices.

By the time I finished, it was already 1 PM, and as promised, His Highness came to fetch me.

***