I squatted on the floor, buried my face in my skirt, and cried endlessly.
The servants, who had been shedding tears beyond the iron gate as if they had been infected by me, only got on the carriage after hearing me urging them to hurry up.
“Take care, young lady.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Don’t worry about the house. We’ll take good care of it. Yes?”
I waved my hand to them, who were only worried about me until the end, and told them not to worry.
The carriage they were riding gradually moved away and eventually disappeared from sight completely, but I was still unable to leave the spot, so the Crown Prince urged me on.
“Let’s go too.”
Only then did I come to my senses and walk away, hiding my red nose with my sleeve, and soon I arrived at the mansion of Lord Delucia, where I would be staying tonight.
In front of the main gate, Count Hafen, the lord of the castle, was already waiting for us.
“Welcome, Your Highness, Lady. Thank you for your hard work in treating the sick. On behalf of all the people of Delucia, I thank you.”
His actions of lowering his head until his crown touched the ground, while his frail body trembled so much that he could barely stand, showed his sincerity.
“Thank you for letting us into your mansion, Count Hafen. It must not have been easy to take us into your mansion after spending all day in contact with the sick.”
“What are you saying, Your Highness? My old body is not listening to me, so I have not been able to go out to the scene, but I should at least do this much.”
He smiled shamelessly.
“Well, you must be tired, so please come in. I have prepared a small supper for you. Please soothe your tired body and mind with some warm food.”
Count Hafen guided us into the mansion.
But I only accompanied him as far as the front door.
“I’m sorry, but I’d like to go straight to my room and rest.”
“Does that mean you won’t eat dinner?”
“Yes, I don’t have much of an appetite today.”
As I nodded toward the Crown Prince, Count Hafen looked worried and tried to persuade me.
“Please don’t do that. Have a few drinks. I heard you haven’t had anything to drink since you were treating the sick all day. If you skip it until dinner, your body won’t be able to handle it.”
My mind did not change even after the earnest request of the old Count who was over 80 years old.
'Delton did all the work, so I don't know why I'm so excited.'
It seemed as if I had been infected by the peculiar gloomy atmosphere that emanated from the sick.
“Thank you for your words, but right now I need rest more than food. I’ll take care of my own meals later. Please take care of Delton’s meals as well.”
I said as I looked at Delton, who was dozing off at my feet.
It looks like he had a very tiring day today, as he fell asleep during the short pause for conversation.
But.
“I’m not really hungry today either. I think I’d better just sleep.”
I was startled by Delton's words, which to others would have just sounded like a cry.
'What's going on with this pig?'
It was not like Young Delton to refuse food.
While I was seriously worried that something was wrong with his body, I heard Count Hafen's voice.
“If that is what the Saintess wants...”
He stroked his white beard as if he had no other choice and called one of the maids lined up in the hallway.
“This child will guide the Saintess to her room.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
I bowed my head briefly to express my gratitude and hurriedly followed the maid.
The maid, who had been walking up the stairs to the second floor for a while, eventually stopped and opened a door to show me.
“This is the room where the Saintess will stay.”
It was a fairly large room with antique furniture harmoniously arranged.
It seemed like the Count had put a lot of thought into it, as even a faint lavender scent could be felt.
"Thank you."
After briefly thanking her, I spoke to the paladin who accompanied me with my luggage.
“Would you please leave that basket on that table?”
“Yes, Saintess.”
He put the basket on the table, as I had instructed him, and I sent him out to thank him for his hard work.
“Oh my, it’s a sack!”
As soon as the door closed, Delton jumped onto the bed.
“I’ve been dealing with sick people all day, so my whole body aches, and I feel like I’m going to die.”
Delton, who had been pressing his temples with his large front paws, saying that his head was throbbing, soon fell asleep with his arms and legs stretched out.
“No, that’s my bed...?”
I couldn't hide my shock at having my bed taken away in an instant.
However, it was impossible to wake up Delton, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion after working without complaint all day long like a slave.
‘But I can’t move that giant thing with my own strength...’
I felt like I had no choice but to spend the day on the sofa.
I let out a deep sigh and turned my gaze back to the basket the servants had given me.
When I lifted the white cloth covering the basket, it was revealed to be filled with food.
It was almost painful to list them all: high-quality red wine made from grapes grown on the Duke's estate, cookies made with plenty of butter, chocolate made soft with milk, rich-flavored cheese, dried ham, jams, and marmalades made with various types of fruit, dried fruits, and roots stewed in honey.
“Somehow the basket felt heavy.”
It was very heavy for its size, which I thought was strange, but it was packed so tightly that there was no space for a needle to fit through, so it made sense.
As I continued to shake my head and rummage through the basket, I cheered when I saw a small glass bottle huddled together in a corner.
“Wow, this is orange pudding?”
My mother loved to eat this dessert while she was alive. It involved grating oranges, boiling them with gelatin, and then hardening them.
This dessert reminds me of my mother, so the kitchen maids would often make it for me when I was feeling down.
They never specifically said what they meant, but they probably meant to encourage me.
Then and now.
I was grateful for that thoughtfulness and my eyes turned red again. I stopped trying to open the glass jar containing the pudding.
There was no spoon to eat the pudding.
“Oh, I don’t want to bother going all the way to the kitchen.”
I put down the pudding bottle that was scratching the bowl and picked up the wine instead.
“When you’re tired, alcohol is the best. I’ll have to eat the pudding tomorrow.”
I pulled out the cork with all my might and poured the wine from the bottle into my mouth.
With a sip of hot wine flowing down my esophagus, I felt like all the day's fatigue had been washed away.
“Ouch, good!”
At that time, I let out an exclamation like a man in his forties.
Knock knock.
There was a knock.
"Yes."
“Can I come in for a moment?”
It was the voice of the Crown Prince.
'What are you doing at this hour?'
I suddenly felt anxious as if something urgent had come up.
“Come in.”
The Crown Prince opened the door with my permission.
As he was about to cross the threshold naturally, he looked at the bottle in my hand and made a puzzled expression.
“Were you drinking?”
“Yeah, whatever.”
The voice sounded a bit like a reproach, but I nodded my head innocently.
It is not a crime for adults to enjoy drinking alcohol, and there is no reason to hide it.
“What kind of alcohol is this on an empty stomach?”
“It was in the basket the servants left behind. But what are you doing in my room?”
“I haven’t eaten anything all day, so I came here because I felt like skipping dinner.”
He approached with long strides and placed the tray he was holding on the table.
The tray contained a thick beef stew and a few slices of white bread.
“Huh? Why did you give me all that wheat bread?”
I couldn't hide my surprise at the fact that the Crown Prince handed me white wheat bread instead of multigrain bread, so I quickly tore off a piece of bread and put it in my mouth.
The bread, moist and rich in butter, covered up the bitterness of the red wine and was the perfect accompaniment.
I was shivering with satisfaction and was about to bring the bottle of wine back to my lips when I saw the Crown Prince staring at me intently.
Seeing that he had already taken over the sofa across from me, I could tell he had no intention of leaving.
'It's embarrassing to eat alone.'
I scratched the ball with my index finger and slipped the wine bottle out.
“Would you like some? I don’t have any glasses.”
It was the very bottle I was drinking from.
'He's not going to drink it anyway, what's the big deal?'
If it was the Crown Prince I had seen and felt, I was sure he would refuse, saying that he had to wake up at the crack of dawn tomorrow and go to the field, so how could he drink alcohol?
But what the heck?
"Great."
Contrary to my expectations, the Crown Prince nodded readily and accepted the bottle I handed him. Then he put it in his mouth.
'That's unexpected. Wine doesn't look like it should be poured into a glass and drunk.'
It felt strange to see him not caring at all even though he clearly knew that it was the bottle I was drinking from.
My gaze, which had been staring at his protruding neck moving up and down, slowly scanned his entire body.
His hair was unusually disheveled from running around all day, giving him a somewhat lethargic look.
He spoke as he took his mouth off the bottle while I was quietly observing.
“It’s a well-balanced wine.”
“Yes, it’s made from grapes grown on the Duke’s estate. I guess he put it in because he usually enjoys drinking it. Oh, and would you like some cheese too?”
But since he was the Crown Prince, I couldn't let him drink cheap wine, so I quickly searched through my basket and took out some cheese.
The Crown Prince, who was looking into the basket following me, said.
“They must be good servants, having come all the way to this dangerous place to bring such things. I guess they think a lot about you.”
“What about good servants? They’re just idiots. What are they doing, sitting in a house that has no owner to pay them?”
“Doesn’t that mean you’re so valuable that they don’t care at all about not getting paid enough? That’s proof that you were a good employer.”
As I was putting the cheese-wrapping paper down on the table, I stopped for a moment.
'What, why is it warm all of a sudden?'
The Crown Prince, who had been acting stiff and throwing away manners ever since I was caught pretending to be a fake Saintess, suddenly gave me such compliments.
Now that I think about it, the voice coming out of his mouth was softer than before.
As if the bad feelings towards me had subsided a little.
'Was it worth running around until your feet sweat today?'
Well then, this was an opportunity.
I was wondering when would be a good time to tell him something I wanted to ask him anyway.
'Maybe it's possible now?'
I looked at the crown prince with a secret sense of anticipation.
“Well, we’re like family. We’ve all worked at the Duke’s residence for a long time.”
“It’s nice to see an employer who gets along so well with his employees.”
Oh my God!
This time, even a smile?
It seemed clear that his feelings for me had softened considerably.
I opened my mouth without missing this golden opportunity.
“So, Your Highness.”
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The servants, who had been shedding tears beyond the iron gate as if they had been infected by me, only got on the carriage after hearing me urging them to hurry up.
“Take care, young lady.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Don’t worry about the house. We’ll take good care of it. Yes?”
I waved my hand to them, who were only worried about me until the end, and told them not to worry.
The carriage they were riding gradually moved away and eventually disappeared from sight completely, but I was still unable to leave the spot, so the Crown Prince urged me on.
“Let’s go too.”
Only then did I come to my senses and walk away, hiding my red nose with my sleeve, and soon I arrived at the mansion of Lord Delucia, where I would be staying tonight.
In front of the main gate, Count Hafen, the lord of the castle, was already waiting for us.
“Welcome, Your Highness, Lady. Thank you for your hard work in treating the sick. On behalf of all the people of Delucia, I thank you.”
His actions of lowering his head until his crown touched the ground, while his frail body trembled so much that he could barely stand, showed his sincerity.
“Thank you for letting us into your mansion, Count Hafen. It must not have been easy to take us into your mansion after spending all day in contact with the sick.”
“What are you saying, Your Highness? My old body is not listening to me, so I have not been able to go out to the scene, but I should at least do this much.”
He smiled shamelessly.
“Well, you must be tired, so please come in. I have prepared a small supper for you. Please soothe your tired body and mind with some warm food.”
Count Hafen guided us into the mansion.
But I only accompanied him as far as the front door.
“I’m sorry, but I’d like to go straight to my room and rest.”
“Does that mean you won’t eat dinner?”
“Yes, I don’t have much of an appetite today.”
As I nodded toward the Crown Prince, Count Hafen looked worried and tried to persuade me.
“Please don’t do that. Have a few drinks. I heard you haven’t had anything to drink since you were treating the sick all day. If you skip it until dinner, your body won’t be able to handle it.”
My mind did not change even after the earnest request of the old Count who was over 80 years old.
'Delton did all the work, so I don't know why I'm so excited.'
It seemed as if I had been infected by the peculiar gloomy atmosphere that emanated from the sick.
“Thank you for your words, but right now I need rest more than food. I’ll take care of my own meals later. Please take care of Delton’s meals as well.”
I said as I looked at Delton, who was dozing off at my feet.
It looks like he had a very tiring day today, as he fell asleep during the short pause for conversation.
But.
“I’m not really hungry today either. I think I’d better just sleep.”
I was startled by Delton's words, which to others would have just sounded like a cry.
'What's going on with this pig?'
It was not like Young Delton to refuse food.
While I was seriously worried that something was wrong with his body, I heard Count Hafen's voice.
“If that is what the Saintess wants...”
He stroked his white beard as if he had no other choice and called one of the maids lined up in the hallway.
“This child will guide the Saintess to her room.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
I bowed my head briefly to express my gratitude and hurriedly followed the maid.
The maid, who had been walking up the stairs to the second floor for a while, eventually stopped and opened a door to show me.
“This is the room where the Saintess will stay.”
It was a fairly large room with antique furniture harmoniously arranged.
It seemed like the Count had put a lot of thought into it, as even a faint lavender scent could be felt.
"Thank you."
After briefly thanking her, I spoke to the paladin who accompanied me with my luggage.
“Would you please leave that basket on that table?”
“Yes, Saintess.”
He put the basket on the table, as I had instructed him, and I sent him out to thank him for his hard work.
“Oh my, it’s a sack!”
As soon as the door closed, Delton jumped onto the bed.
“I’ve been dealing with sick people all day, so my whole body aches, and I feel like I’m going to die.”
Delton, who had been pressing his temples with his large front paws, saying that his head was throbbing, soon fell asleep with his arms and legs stretched out.
“No, that’s my bed...?”
I couldn't hide my shock at having my bed taken away in an instant.
However, it was impossible to wake up Delton, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion after working without complaint all day long like a slave.
‘But I can’t move that giant thing with my own strength...’
I felt like I had no choice but to spend the day on the sofa.
I let out a deep sigh and turned my gaze back to the basket the servants had given me.
When I lifted the white cloth covering the basket, it was revealed to be filled with food.
It was almost painful to list them all: high-quality red wine made from grapes grown on the Duke's estate, cookies made with plenty of butter, chocolate made soft with milk, rich-flavored cheese, dried ham, jams, and marmalades made with various types of fruit, dried fruits, and roots stewed in honey.
“Somehow the basket felt heavy.”
It was very heavy for its size, which I thought was strange, but it was packed so tightly that there was no space for a needle to fit through, so it made sense.
As I continued to shake my head and rummage through the basket, I cheered when I saw a small glass bottle huddled together in a corner.
“Wow, this is orange pudding?”
My mother loved to eat this dessert while she was alive. It involved grating oranges, boiling them with gelatin, and then hardening them.
This dessert reminds me of my mother, so the kitchen maids would often make it for me when I was feeling down.
They never specifically said what they meant, but they probably meant to encourage me.
Then and now.
I was grateful for that thoughtfulness and my eyes turned red again. I stopped trying to open the glass jar containing the pudding.
There was no spoon to eat the pudding.
“Oh, I don’t want to bother going all the way to the kitchen.”
I put down the pudding bottle that was scratching the bowl and picked up the wine instead.
“When you’re tired, alcohol is the best. I’ll have to eat the pudding tomorrow.”
I pulled out the cork with all my might and poured the wine from the bottle into my mouth.
With a sip of hot wine flowing down my esophagus, I felt like all the day's fatigue had been washed away.
“Ouch, good!”
At that time, I let out an exclamation like a man in his forties.
Knock knock.
There was a knock.
"Yes."
“Can I come in for a moment?”
It was the voice of the Crown Prince.
'What are you doing at this hour?'
I suddenly felt anxious as if something urgent had come up.
“Come in.”
The Crown Prince opened the door with my permission.
As he was about to cross the threshold naturally, he looked at the bottle in my hand and made a puzzled expression.
“Were you drinking?”
“Yeah, whatever.”
The voice sounded a bit like a reproach, but I nodded my head innocently.
It is not a crime for adults to enjoy drinking alcohol, and there is no reason to hide it.
“What kind of alcohol is this on an empty stomach?”
“It was in the basket the servants left behind. But what are you doing in my room?”
“I haven’t eaten anything all day, so I came here because I felt like skipping dinner.”
He approached with long strides and placed the tray he was holding on the table.
The tray contained a thick beef stew and a few slices of white bread.
“Huh? Why did you give me all that wheat bread?”
I couldn't hide my surprise at the fact that the Crown Prince handed me white wheat bread instead of multigrain bread, so I quickly tore off a piece of bread and put it in my mouth.
The bread, moist and rich in butter, covered up the bitterness of the red wine and was the perfect accompaniment.
I was shivering with satisfaction and was about to bring the bottle of wine back to my lips when I saw the Crown Prince staring at me intently.
Seeing that he had already taken over the sofa across from me, I could tell he had no intention of leaving.
'It's embarrassing to eat alone.'
I scratched the ball with my index finger and slipped the wine bottle out.
“Would you like some? I don’t have any glasses.”
It was the very bottle I was drinking from.
'He's not going to drink it anyway, what's the big deal?'
If it was the Crown Prince I had seen and felt, I was sure he would refuse, saying that he had to wake up at the crack of dawn tomorrow and go to the field, so how could he drink alcohol?
But what the heck?
"Great."
Contrary to my expectations, the Crown Prince nodded readily and accepted the bottle I handed him. Then he put it in his mouth.
'That's unexpected. Wine doesn't look like it should be poured into a glass and drunk.'
It felt strange to see him not caring at all even though he clearly knew that it was the bottle I was drinking from.
My gaze, which had been staring at his protruding neck moving up and down, slowly scanned his entire body.
His hair was unusually disheveled from running around all day, giving him a somewhat lethargic look.
He spoke as he took his mouth off the bottle while I was quietly observing.
“It’s a well-balanced wine.”
“Yes, it’s made from grapes grown on the Duke’s estate. I guess he put it in because he usually enjoys drinking it. Oh, and would you like some cheese too?”
But since he was the Crown Prince, I couldn't let him drink cheap wine, so I quickly searched through my basket and took out some cheese.
The Crown Prince, who was looking into the basket following me, said.
“They must be good servants, having come all the way to this dangerous place to bring such things. I guess they think a lot about you.”
“What about good servants? They’re just idiots. What are they doing, sitting in a house that has no owner to pay them?”
“Doesn’t that mean you’re so valuable that they don’t care at all about not getting paid enough? That’s proof that you were a good employer.”
As I was putting the cheese-wrapping paper down on the table, I stopped for a moment.
'What, why is it warm all of a sudden?'
The Crown Prince, who had been acting stiff and throwing away manners ever since I was caught pretending to be a fake Saintess, suddenly gave me such compliments.
Now that I think about it, the voice coming out of his mouth was softer than before.
As if the bad feelings towards me had subsided a little.
'Was it worth running around until your feet sweat today?'
Well then, this was an opportunity.
I was wondering when would be a good time to tell him something I wanted to ask him anyway.
'Maybe it's possible now?'
I looked at the crown prince with a secret sense of anticipation.
“Well, we’re like family. We’ve all worked at the Duke’s residence for a long time.”
“It’s nice to see an employer who gets along so well with his employees.”
Oh my God!
This time, even a smile?
It seemed clear that his feelings for me had softened considerably.
I opened my mouth without missing this golden opportunity.
“So, Your Highness.”
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