Chapter 8 – Part 1 (The Crown Prince’s Direct Approach)

His Highness was dressed more casually than yesterday. Without the epaulette-adorned cape usually worn over his uniform, his splendid physique was more noticeable.

Had he worn the elaborate uniform like yesterday, I would have looked even more underdressed in the modest attire befitting the Empress’s maid.

His Highness approached me and offered his right arm. His gaze briefly lingered on my necklace.

The necklace was enchanted with a protection spell, given to me by Noah.

Although I had received at least twenty sets of accessories, none of which I wore, His Highness’s eyes remained calm without a hint of disappointment.

‘It’s not like I’m deliberately not wearing the gifts His Highness gave me.’

The items sent by His Highness were all large and luxurious, making them too extravagant for a maid to wear daily.

‘If I wore them, my outfit would be more lavish than the Empress’s or Duke Oscar’s!’

In contrast, the necklace Noah gave me was a blue gemstone the size of a pinky nail surrounded by tiny white jewels, making it suitable for daily wear.

Since it was enchanted with a protection spell, I had no intention of taking it off.

Still, feeling a slight pang of guilt, I couldn’t help but say something out of self-consciousness.

“Thank you for always sending me gifts.”

“I’m happy you accept them.”

“You keep piling gifts in front of my door on purpose, don’t you? To let people know I’m under your protection.”

“That’s part of it, but mostly it’s because I keep gathering things I want to give you, and the quantity naturally increases.”

“Haha, I’ve been enjoying the books you send me.”

I read them with Natalie after work. They’re quite interesting.

His Highness gazed at my hair intently before speaking.

“You’re not wearing the lace hair ornament today.”

“I’ve been wearing it for days. I wanted to try something different today.”

Because the deadline I promised Charlotte had passed yesterday.

I had dutifully worn that hair ornament on my head for a week.

‘If His Highness knew I was involved in Charlotte’s lace hoarding scheme and profiting from it, he wouldn’t be pleased.’

We exchanged light conversation as we rode in the carriage to the Crown Prince’s Palace.

***

We sat across from each other in the large dining room of the Crown Prince’s Palace and had lunch.

After enjoying the delicious meal, right down to the dessert, prepared by Chef Kelsey, I started making cocktails.

Several bottles of various liquors and beverages, along with numerous empty glasses, were laid out before me. It seemed they had been prepared in advance.

“Thank you for helping me, Your Highness.”

“It is I who should be thankful since you are assisting with the preparations for the Imperial ball.”

As I carefully examined the bottles, I spoke.

“To create the mixed drinks, I’ll need to taste each one myself.”

Knowing my poor tolerance for alcohol, His Highness hesitated before suggesting.

“Then, how about you taste just a tiny bit?”

With that, His Highness poured the various liquors into the glasses, barely enough to cover the bottom, and explained.

“These two are distilled liquors.”

Indeed, both were clear in color, and judging by how they swirled in the bottle, they appeared to be quite strong.

Comparing them to the alcohol I drank in my previous life, they resembled vodka and gin.

‘The one with the milder scent could be grappa or eau-de-vie. It’s hard to tell without tasting.’

His Highness continued pouring the liquors as he spoke.

“These two have been distilled and aged from grapes and grains.”

‘That would be brandy and whiskey.’

As soon as I opened the cap of one of the bottles, the dining room was filled with a heavy, potent, yet aromatic scent, befitting of a well-aged whiskey.

Of course, one could add tea, fruit juice, or sugar to it, but…

‘Doing that to this whiskey would be a crime!’

The deep aroma, which hinted at years of aging, made me instinctively turn my head.

I tossed the tiny amount of whiskey that His Highness had poured into my mouth. The high alcohol content made my tongue tingle.

The whiskey’s solid and sharp yet complex flavors and aromas instantly overwhelmed my mouth and nose.

It smelled like grass and then like wood, with a fragrant coolness and warm, smoky notes simultaneously.

Indeed, it was a whiskey worthy of being served in the Crown Prince’s palace.

“Sip… I’ll just have one more sip of this.”

When I reached out for the bottle, His Highness quickly took both the glass and bottle away.

“You may only have one more sip.”

“Yes, of course!”

His Highness poured me another tiny amount of whiskey. I was grateful yet frustrated by his thoughtfulness.

Why on earth was I born with such a pitiful tolerance in this life?

Tearing up, I covered my mouth and savored the lingering taste of the whiskey that had just slid down my throat. With every breath, the scent of the top-notch whiskey wafted up, leaving me both teased and delighted.

“This drink should be enjoyed as it is. Mixing anything with it would be a crime…”

“You really do love alcohol, don’t you?”

His Highness’s eyes were filled with curiosity as he said this, as if wondering why my tolerance was so low despite my apparent love for alcohol.

I quickly shifted back to the main topic.

“The aroma is so strong that it would be best to seal this bottle and set it aside. The hibiscus flavor would simply get overwhelmed.”

His Highness gestured to a servant to put the whiskey away.

‘Farewell, my love that cannot be fulfilled in this life.’

I briefly smacked my lips and composed myself.

After opening the windows in the dining room to let the air circulate, the environment was finally right for tasting the hibiscus cocktails.

I mixed the three types of hibiscus syrup I had worked hard to prepare into the two types of distilled spirits. Then I looked around for something to lower the alcohol content.

“Here, I’ve prepared some sparkling water.”

His Highness handed me a bottle of sparkling water.

“Ah, thank you.”

Mixing flavored syrup and fruit juice with distilled spirits and adding a splash of sparkling water—this was a surefire way to finish the job.

The rich, clear red color of the hibiscus added to the already delicious-looking cocktails, making them visually satisfying as well.

I poured the six different hibiscus cocktails into glasses and laid them out in front of His Highness.

He tasted each one in turn, carefully deliberating before selecting the one made with hibiscus syrup and gin-like distilled spirit, to which I had added a bit of spice.

“Everything you’ve made is excellent, but this one stands out the most.”

I divided the cocktail His Highness had chosen into two glasses and added lemon juice to one and lime juice to the other.

After tasting both, His Highness rendered his verdict.

“The one with lime seems the best.”

“I see. Thank you.”

I nodded and made a mental note of his choice.

“How about trying the ones with tea tomorrow?”

“Let’s do that. Are you returning to the Rose Palace now?”

“Yes, I am.”

I needed to organize the cocktail recipes we had decided on so far and get confirmation from either Duke Oscar or the head maid.

“I’ll escort you.”

I felt bad about taking up His Highness’s time, knowing how busy he must be, so I was about to decline his offer when…

Seeing the sparkle in his eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“Thank you; I won’t refuse.”

His Highness smiled at my acceptance. He then called for his aide to bring a carriage.

However, the aide looked troubled.

“Your Highness, the carriage is currently under repair. My deepest apologies, but it seems you’ll have to ride a horse instead…”

“Bring another carriage, then.”

“Uh, unfortunately, all the carriages are under repair.”

“…”

It was clear that this shrewd aide was trying to push His Highness and me together.

Though both His Highness and I were aware of this ploy, no one objected.

So, I ended up riding the same horse as His Highness to the Rose Palace.

Perhaps he intended to show me the palace’s scenery during a leisurely ride.

But I was too busy being conscious of His Highness sitting behind me to pay attention to the spring flowers or anything else.

Noah once said that there’s no way to know how you feel unless you get close and bump into someone.

‘But I don’t think he meant for it to be this physical!’

The warmth from His Highness’s body was transmitted clearly through the thin fabric of my clothes.

Startled, I leaned forward, but then it became difficult to maintain my balance on the horse.

This was not the kind of horse I was used to riding at home, which could smoothly walk at a gentle pace.

It was a sturdy military horse, large and strong enough to carry His Highness’s sizable frame, so I didn’t feel guilty about adding my weight as well. However, riding such a spirited horse for the first time led to this predicament.

With every step the horse took, I was lifted off the saddle, only to drop back down again.

It was pretty nerve-wracking to be thrown around like that twice in one second.

“Y-Your Highness! Should we just… walk instead?”

“It’s fine. Just lean on me and relax your shoulders.”