Rogero turned his head first. Then Franz also turned towards the direction where the sound came from. Was it an illusion that the forest not far away suddenly seemed dark and distant?
“What was it?”
Rogero said. He only heard a sound once but didn't see anything moving. Franz said.
“Like you said, it looks like a fat grouse is wandering around.”
“No, it was a sound that could have been made by something a little louder than that.”
“It was just the bushes rustling. You mean you can hear a sound like that and guess its size?”
Franz asked curiously, but Rogero did not answer. Stepping silently on the tall grass, he slowly began to move towards the forest. His hand stretched to one side was cautious, as if he was balancing on a single rope. Franz, who was trying to call Rogero over, narrowed his eyes when he realized that his back was too cautious. Franz has never seen such an attitude before.
Rogero's hand carefully moved to the handle of the sword on his waist. As he got closer, he realized that the view in this forest was not very good.
Maybe it was because it wasn't the middle of a hunting field, but the trees grew haphazardly, so there was deep shade everywhere. However, no matter how much sunlight there was in Rogero, and no matter how tangled the sprawling tree branches were, he never lost sight of the target he had once caught his eye on.
But there was no important goal in sight. Rogero, who was cautiously observing his surroundings, turned his head when he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Franz.
“I said there was nothing, Rogero. Even if there was one, it would still be an animal. The forest outside is the royal hunting ground. No one can come in without permission.”
Despite Franz's words of reassurance, Rogero's expression hardened. But the forest was still quiet, and no sound was heard anymore. Rogero sighed briefly and then lifted his shoulders.
“Yeah, you’re right. At best, it was probably a weasel. I think it was a rather large weasel.”
After looking around the forest once more, Rogero finally seemed to have given up and walked away. Franz patted his back as if agreeing with what he said.
“By the way, what are you doing this afternoon?”
Rogero, who had been walking in silence for a while, asked an unexpected question. Franz tilted his head.
“I have to go back now and change my clothes, and in the afternoon I have to discuss the disposition of the library collection in the palace with the nobles of the Privy Council. Why?"
“Oh, it’s nothing else, but the Crown Princess sent me a message. Let's have tea together at Astel Palace in the afternoon. I thought you were coming too.”
“Did her?”
For Franz, this was a story he had never heard before. For a moment, a thought crossed his mind that it was not like Judith, but Rogero was not a bad person to chat with over tea.
He liked to be sarcastic and picky in front of people he didn't like, but he was a pleasant person who joked well with people he didn't like. And Franz knew full well that Judith loved and trusted Rogero as much as he did. He could do as much as have tea time with someone like that.
“But why did she ask to meet at Astel Palace instead of inviting me to Nation Palace?”
Franz tilted his head and asked as if he was talking to himself.
“I thought that was strange too. Is this because she is trying to be considerate of me since I am still staying at Astel Palace?”
Rogero was still staying at Astel Palace. Franz had already moved to the Nation Palace, but the King thought there was no need to make Rogero, his guest, come and go.
Whether Judith was considerate of Rogero or there was some other reason, Franz didn't think there was a need to worry too much. It's up to her where she wants to drink her tea.
However, Rogero's thoughts were a bit different. He thought that Judith would naturally bring Franz with her. When he found out that wasn't the case, he felt somewhat suspicious. He had a feeling that tea time might not be just for small talk.
“Anyway, I understand. You’re not coming.”
"Yes. I want to go too, but I can’t leave.”
Franz said as if he was sorry. Rogero silently looked up at his friend's face, then grinned and tapped his arm.
“Why are you looking like a wet scarecrow again? I can still have fun with Her Highness without you, right? Don’t worry, my friend, I’ll take care of Her Highness while you ponder what to do with those dusty, puffy books.”
“Are you just saying comfort and sitting down?”
Franz tapped Rogero on the shoulder. When they turned around, a long human image quickly disappeared beyond the heavy shadows.
***
Flavia had been holed up in the small kitchen of Serene Palace since morning. This place, with only two chefs in charge, was a place where servants and maids more often came to make snacks to fill their stomachs than to cook meals for their superiors.
On the shelves were stacks of jars filled with things like dried nuts coated in sugar and caramels made as hard as possible so they could be sucked on for a long time.
Flavia, who had sent out all the cooks under the pretext of baking cookies, locked the door and did not move in the kitchen, which was heated by the heat of the oven. She had Anne Mille posted as a guard to prevent anyone from trespassing, but she kept looking back at the locked door several times with an anxious look on her face.
The cookies that had already been baked twice were cooling down on the counter. The snacks, which had an appetizing golden color like sun-baked sand, were perfectly fine for anyone to eat. Flavia, who was staring at the cookies, turned her attention to the last remaining dough. Next to the ceramic bowl containing the dough, there was a glass jar a little smaller than the palm of one's hand.
Flavia didn't know where Anne Mille could get something like that. She asked her several times to teach her, but in the end, she insisted that it was a secret. Because of that, Flavia was doubtful whether it was actually an effective item. But she was anxious about what would happen next, so she didn't even think about testing it out.
Flavia, who had been keeping her eyes on the glass bottle as if they were having a snowball fight, finally opened the bottle with a determined expression.
A heavy, light brown liquid was seen shaking inside the glass. At first glance, it looked similar to vanilla or sugar syrup, but the scent was completely different. There was a strange scent that was either flowery or earthy. She felt like she needed to add more spices to the batter to mask this scent.
After mixing the cheese powder and cinnamon into the dough, Flavia dropped a little bit of what was in the bottle into the ball. But she didn't know how much to put in. Anne Mille said two or three drops would be enough, but Flavia didn't believe her.
'What effect can only two or three drops have? If I bake cookies with this dough, it will come out in a large pan, but I will need to add a little more to be sure...'
Anne Mille said that two or three drops would be enough, but if it wasn't enough and nothing happened, it would be a disaster. Besides, she said it was only an hour, so she wondered what she would do if the Crown Princess finished her tea and went back in that time.
Flavia, who was biting her lip, ended up pouring out more than half of what was in the bottle. The dough, which had turned a dark brown color, had turned so soggy that it seemed difficult to shape it.
Unlike when making healthy cookies, Flavia's hand gestures as she scooped out the soggy dough were very rough. Tension, hatred, anxiety, and other negative emotions were reflected in his actions.
“Anne Mille.”
Anne Mille, who had been dozing off while standing in front of the door, woke up to the sound of Flavia's voice. Anne Mille looked around the hallway and then popped her head into the kitchen.
“Are you finished?”
"Yes. here... This is it.”
Flavia pointed to a plate. A faint steam could be seen rising, as if it had not cooled down yet.
“The letter... Did you send it?”
The question was whether a letter had been sent to Rogero and Judith asking them to come to Astel Palace. Anne Mill nodded her head.
"I sent it. The Crown Princess has no other plans this afternoon, so she will come.”
“Then bring someone to take the snacks. Preferably... I would like someone with a loud mouth.”
It was a huge risk for Flavia and Anne Mille to show themselves to Astel Palace in person. So they chose a fifteen-year-old apprentice maid who had just arrived at Serene Palace. Now, the girl who had just started working at the palace was trembling as she was called by the Prince concubine without even knowing what was going on.
“Please give this to His Highness the Prince at Astel Palace.”
At Flavia's words, the maid glanced at the plate with wide eyes.
"I... Those cookies?”
"Yes. But if anyone asks, don't give my name... Say it was sent by the Crown Princess.”
The maid looked even more frightened when she heard that it was the Crown Princess. Anne Mille, who was standing next to her, glared at her and scolded her.
“Her Highness said so. Can you hear me?"
“Oh, no! Yes, I heard. Still... Can I just say that the Crown Princess sent me?”
"Yes. You must do that.”
The maid was still young and had no experience working in the royal palace, but she knew that she should not rashly criticize the orders of nobles or royal family members. Moreover, since it had only been a few days since she had been assigned to Serene Palace, she was not aware of the evaluation of Flavia by those around her.
She was a nameless girl from the countryside who was just lucky enough to work at the royal palace. The fact that the other person was the Princess was enough to make her eyes turn white, but she had no time to think about what purpose her superior was giving the order for or whether she was worthy of it.
Anne Mille handed the plate to the maid. Next, a small but heavy silk pouch went into the maid's pocket. When the clueless maid was taken aback, Anne Mille tapped her on the shoulder.
“This is the price of the lock. You know what I mean, right?”
The maid’s expression became strange. Then she pursed her lips and nodded her head. It was a sign that she understood what it meant to keep a secret.
“Go now.”
The maid, who was tiptoeing while holding the plate, immediately turned around and went out. Flavia, unable to hide her nervousness until the sign of presence outside the door had completely disappeared, looked at Anne Mille.
“Oh, Anne Mille, shouldn’t you go and make sure things are done properly?”
"Yes? Of course, I should do that.”
"Then... Then come back. I'm here...”
“What are you saying? Your Highness, you have to go with me. Isn’t it up to you to prove that the Crown Princess is having a secret affair with the Prince at Astel Palace?”
Anne Mille was not easily caught up in Flavia's move to withdraw her foot. Flavia rolled her eyes nervously and stood up from her seat. Her heart was pounding loudly.
Flavia, who had sent out all the cooks under the pretext of baking cookies, locked the door and did not move in the kitchen, which was heated by the heat of the oven. She had Anne Mille posted as a guard to prevent anyone from trespassing, but she kept looking back at the locked door several times with an anxious look on her face.
The cookies that had already been baked twice were cooling down on the counter. The snacks, which had an appetizing golden color like sun-baked sand, were perfectly fine for anyone to eat. Flavia, who was staring at the cookies, turned her attention to the last remaining dough. Next to the ceramic bowl containing the dough, there was a glass jar a little smaller than the palm of one's hand.
Flavia didn't know where Anne Mille could get something like that. She asked her several times to teach her, but in the end, she insisted that it was a secret. Because of that, Flavia was doubtful whether it was actually an effective item. But she was anxious about what would happen next, so she didn't even think about testing it out.
Flavia, who had been keeping her eyes on the glass bottle as if they were having a snowball fight, finally opened the bottle with a determined expression.
A heavy, light brown liquid was seen shaking inside the glass. At first glance, it looked similar to vanilla or sugar syrup, but the scent was completely different. There was a strange scent that was either flowery or earthy. She felt like she needed to add more spices to the batter to mask this scent.
After mixing the cheese powder and cinnamon into the dough, Flavia dropped a little bit of what was in the bottle into the ball. But she didn't know how much to put in. Anne Mille said two or three drops would be enough, but Flavia didn't believe her.
'What effect can only two or three drops have? If I bake cookies with this dough, it will come out in a large pan, but I will need to add a little more to be sure...'
Anne Mille said that two or three drops would be enough, but if it wasn't enough and nothing happened, it would be a disaster. Besides, she said it was only an hour, so she wondered what she would do if the Crown Princess finished her tea and went back in that time.
Flavia, who was biting her lip, ended up pouring out more than half of what was in the bottle. The dough, which had turned a dark brown color, had turned so soggy that it seemed difficult to shape it.
Unlike when making healthy cookies, Flavia's hand gestures as she scooped out the soggy dough were very rough. Tension, hatred, anxiety, and other negative emotions were reflected in his actions.
“Anne Mille.”
Anne Mille, who had been dozing off while standing in front of the door, woke up to the sound of Flavia's voice. Anne Mille looked around the hallway and then popped her head into the kitchen.
“Are you finished?”
"Yes. here... This is it.”
Flavia pointed to a plate. A faint steam could be seen rising, as if it had not cooled down yet.
“The letter... Did you send it?”
The question was whether a letter had been sent to Rogero and Judith asking them to come to Astel Palace. Anne Mill nodded her head.
"I sent it. The Crown Princess has no other plans this afternoon, so she will come.”
“Then bring someone to take the snacks. Preferably... I would like someone with a loud mouth.”
It was a huge risk for Flavia and Anne Mille to show themselves to Astel Palace in person. So they chose a fifteen-year-old apprentice maid who had just arrived at Serene Palace. Now, the girl who had just started working at the palace was trembling as she was called by the Prince concubine without even knowing what was going on.
“Please give this to His Highness the Prince at Astel Palace.”
At Flavia's words, the maid glanced at the plate with wide eyes.
"I... Those cookies?”
"Yes. But if anyone asks, don't give my name... Say it was sent by the Crown Princess.”
The maid looked even more frightened when she heard that it was the Crown Princess. Anne Mille, who was standing next to her, glared at her and scolded her.
“Her Highness said so. Can you hear me?"
“Oh, no! Yes, I heard. Still... Can I just say that the Crown Princess sent me?”
"Yes. You must do that.”
The maid was still young and had no experience working in the royal palace, but she knew that she should not rashly criticize the orders of nobles or royal family members. Moreover, since it had only been a few days since she had been assigned to Serene Palace, she was not aware of the evaluation of Flavia by those around her.
She was a nameless girl from the countryside who was just lucky enough to work at the royal palace. The fact that the other person was the Princess was enough to make her eyes turn white, but she had no time to think about what purpose her superior was giving the order for or whether she was worthy of it.
Anne Mille handed the plate to the maid. Next, a small but heavy silk pouch went into the maid's pocket. When the clueless maid was taken aback, Anne Mille tapped her on the shoulder.
“This is the price of the lock. You know what I mean, right?”
The maid’s expression became strange. Then she pursed her lips and nodded her head. It was a sign that she understood what it meant to keep a secret.
“Go now.”
The maid, who was tiptoeing while holding the plate, immediately turned around and went out. Flavia, unable to hide her nervousness until the sign of presence outside the door had completely disappeared, looked at Anne Mille.
“Oh, Anne Mille, shouldn’t you go and make sure things are done properly?”
"Yes? Of course, I should do that.”
"Then... Then come back. I'm here...”
“What are you saying? Your Highness, you have to go with me. Isn’t it up to you to prove that the Crown Princess is having a secret affair with the Prince at Astel Palace?”
Anne Mille was not easily caught up in Flavia's move to withdraw her foot. Flavia rolled her eyes nervously and stood up from her seat. Her heart was pounding loudly.
Will it really succeed?
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