The manor was huge, just looking from the front gate, though there were seemingly endless buildings beyond the exterior that you couldn’t even see from outside.
“Wow, it’s huge…”
“Is this the kind of house you want?”
“No, it’s too big. If a house is too big, you have to hire other people to help maintain it, and hiring people costs a lot of money.”
“Everything comes back to money, huh.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t ask you for any.”
“I have no intention of giving any to you.”
While we bickered, the manor’s gate opened its shiny metal jaws. A maid approached us.
“Are you the ‘Miss Irene’ I’ve heard so much about? I am Patty, Lady Rosie’s handmaid.”
She was a cheerful girl, maybe in her late teens.
I nodded, confirming her guess. She glanced at the crown prince standing beside me, and her cheeks grew red.
I broke the brief moment of silence:
“…We had quite the walk here, didn’t we?”
“Oh… I… I’m sorry! There’s only a little further to get inside-”
“Send us a carriage next time.”
The maid was astonished by the crown prince’s command.
I poked him in the side, but he ignored my nudge and continued confidently:
“Of course you didn’t bring one. Not even a dinky wagon. We have so much to deliver, and it’s for the people of the house. Even if not for our own sake, shouldn’t you have brought us a wagon to ensure the safe delivery of this family’s precious food?”
“Oh, Lady Rosie told me to bring her inside quickly… I was careless.”
“Be more attentive next time.”
I shook my head in disbelief. It seemed as though no matter where we went or who we talked to, he couldn’t shake his aristocratic upbringing.
Well, even just by looking at him, you could tell he demanded respect. Everyone seemed to default to their utmost professional when coming across him.
“By chance… are you one of Miss Rosie’s acquaintances?”
“What? No. I’m here for the delivery. From David’s bakery.”
“What? So you’re saying you’re not an aristocrat?”
Patty opened her eyes wide in surprise, while I found myself embarrassed by her quasi-accusation.
“I’m sorry! I thought you were an aristocrat…!”
“Well…I’m not…. haha.”
“You’re as handsome as an aristocrat would be. So of course I was surprised to see you at the door, you know?”
Patty looked at the crown prince, hoping he would say anything at all in return to lessen the pain of their awkward interaction. Concerned for what would happen to her if he answered intuitively, I intervened:
“Well, it is what it is, isn’t it?”
He hurriedly walked ahead of us. He was acting rather strange today.
* * *
Patty guided us inside the manor. The white-tone mansion had an aggressively modern feel to it.
After spending so long in the log cabin-esque bakery for so long, being in a building like this made it feel like I was back in Seoul.
It felt like I was on a field trip to the Seoul Arts Center or the Museum of Modern Art.
I looked around and admired the architecture.
“This is some high-quality stuff.”
“You’ve got an eye for quality, huh?”
“It feels like my room.”
‘Oh my god…’
The crown prince, though I could tell he was getting a bit emotional, gave a cheeky reply.
But he was very well suited to the interior of the manor; it seemed as if he felt like a fish in water.
Right then, I spotted Rosie, who was standing in front of the stairs, smiling brightly at me. I ran so quickly down the stairs towards her that I thought I might fall.
“Irene!”
“How have you been?”
“I’ve been great, of course! …Who is this?”
Rosie, who had been smiling so brightly at me, became stiff as she noticed the crown prince.
I smiled awkwardly. I couldn’t quite figure out how to clear the air between them.
“Oh, he’s one of our employees.”
“Oh…wonderful. Well, carrying all of that alone would’ve been difficult… I guess it was helpful of him to come carry everything. Come in! Let’s go to my room!”
“What?”
“The table has already been set for you! To thank you for everything you did yesterday!”
Rosie led me by the hand, almost dragging me.
I signaled at the crown prince to ask him to follow me. He drudged forward in annoyance.
Rosie’s room was unbelievably cozy.
Opening the door, we were greeted by a giant velvet sofa and a sprawling, fluffy carpet.
The table situated right in the middle of the room had already been decorated with plates offering delicious-looking meals–a sincere display of gratitude hosting an array of wild delicacies.
“Wow. You’ve prepared a lot.”
“Let’s eat this together, with the baked goods you brought, too!”
“Oh, this is too much… I can’t accept all this.”
“Yes. You spend a lot for your young age, miss.”
Irene’s face turned red as she heard the crown prince utter those words.
“What does age have to do with money? If you have money, you should spend it.”
“Your spending habits will get bigger and bigger over time. Sure, for someone like you, it’s all the same whether you spend your money or not; but it’s obvious that you have money to anyone else, who would have to throw their life savings away to pull off such a superfluous act like this.”
“Oh my. Well, I also show off when I spend my money, and I save all the rest and keep that to myself, right? Surely, Miss Rosie is careful with her money, and is mindful to save more than she spends.”
“Y-yeah!”
Rosie agreed with my statement, courageously seconding my opinion while glaring daggers in the crown prince’s direction.
“Then, shall we eat? Mr. Joseph…, you too.”
The three of us sat together around Rosie’s table.
The crown prince took up a fork and took a portion of the small blue orbs laying atop the smallest plate. His forkful looked just like one of colored caviar.
Irene’s jaw dropped at this sight.
“How did you know which is the most expensive…”
The crown prince closed his eyes and began to savor his mouthful. He nodded to himself briefly, satisfied.
“It’s Firming. This must have been hard to get. Based on the color, it’s been aging for about five years.”
“Oh…how did you…”
The two continued on their conversation that I couldn’t even comprehend.
They repeated this pattern, in which Rosie was shocked to find that the crown prince could produce accurate information about the rare foods she’d procured.
Well, I let it be. I thought that if the two of them talked, they would become more accepting of each other, at the very least.
I cut into the ribs I’d placed on my own plate with a shiny knife and ate without interrupting their conversation.
‘David would love this, I think…’
It made me a little excited to think of David, who probably would’ve torn apart these ribs if he’d gotten the chance.
He gifted me these fine clothes so suddenly. When I get paid next month, I’ll feel a lot better if I get him a nice shirt, too.
“Does it taste good?”
“Wow, this is delicious! Thank you so much, Miss Rosie.”
“Thank goodness! The dishes David suggested are spot on.”
“David?”
“Yes, that David. He told me that Irene likes meat, even though she doesn’t mention it.”
I was puzzled. When had they discussed this?
The crown prince glanced at me, noticing my surprise, and pushed a plate of meat my way.
“So… you eat meat?”
“Well, don’t most people?”
“I thought you were all about baking.”
“I’m just good at baking, that’s all.”
I responded a bit sourly to the crown prince’s words.
“I wish I had something I was good at. You mentioned wanting to own a bakery, right? Have you wanted that since you were a kid?”
“No, not really… I was more into different things when I was younger.”
“Like what?”
“Just random things.”
“That’s cool! But how did you end up baking?”
“Well, at the time… I figured baking would bring in the most money.”
The crown prince nodded at my response.
Meanwhile, Rosie nodded along enthusiastically.
“That’s fantastic! Those meringue cookies were divine too. But not everything’s in our control, right? My father’s always on my case about getting married.”
“It’s normal for parents to worry. And… didn’t you say you were sick?”
“Yeah… I’ve been cooped up at home because of it…”
“So there’s not much you can do.”
Rosie’s demeanor shifted, her expression darkening. I shot a glance at the crown prince and gave Rosie’s shoulder a comforting squeeze.
“Why doubt yourself, Miss Rosie? Didn’t you design this entire room?”
“Huh? Oh yeah… I did.”
“You did an exceptional job. Every detail here blends seamlessly. Don’t you think so too, Joseph?”
At my urging, the crown prince surveyed Rosie’s room.
“Well, I’m no expert, but in my opinion…”
“See? Joseph agrees.”
I gave the crown prince a subtle nod. The crown prince turned his attention back to his meal, silent under my gaze.
“One thing I think I’m good at is interior design. I’ve always dreamed of pursuing it professionally.”
“You should do it. Your career is what you make of it.”
Rosie’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
“Pursuing your dreams… I love that! Conversations with you always leave me feeling inspired, Irene! Like I could always embark on something new!”
“Heh… heh… heh…”
Rosie’s expression took on a hint of envy.
‘Not the right moment for this…’
I needed to find a way to bridge the gap between the crown prince and Rosie.
But right now, there’s no chemistry between them.
Time to hurry up and fall for David…so then I can hurry up and atke over the bakery.
“Miss! Aunt Susan’s asking for you!”
“Me, really?”
“Yes, come on!”
Patty rushed in and relayed Aunt Susan’s summons to Rosie.
Rosie perked up at the news of her aunt’s arrival, lost in thought.
The crown prince mirrored her reaction. I fretted over the possibility of Aunt Rosie recognizing me.
‘Aunt Rosie…’
I wracked my brain. Was there an aunt among those who visited Seien manor…
Just then, the door creaked open, revealing Susan, Rosie’s aunt.
“What’s happening here?”
She was dressed in a navy silk dress, her face obscured by a black veil.
And then it dawned on me. I recognized her.
‘The Squid Witch.’
I remembered Rosie murmuring those very words while watching Susan.
Susan was her aunt who always took charge whenever the Marquis was away.
She married into this family and led a life filled with monotony.
Perhaps after spending so long abroad, she failed to recognize the crown prince.
Susan scrutinized me and the crown prince, speaking in a thin voice.
“What’s the commotion about?”
“I was just enjoying lunch with friends…”
“Friends?”
Susan closed the distance between us in measured steps.
“Wearing such shabby clothes… are these two really your companions?”
The shabby clothes she referred to were mine, and the even shabbier ones belonged to Joseph… no, the Crown Prince.
‘How shallow…’
I swallowed hard. Susan’s tone stiffened as she continued.
“May I inquire about your backgrounds?”
“We both work at David’s bakery.”
“Really?”
Her inquiry initially bore a veneer of politeness, but upon learning our origins, her tone quickly dropped all traces of formality.
Rosie wasn’t accustomed to life outside the manor, so she struggled with social niceties.
This was pretty standard for most aristocrats.
Our crown prince hadn’t exactly mastered respectful speech with anyone, either, even without revealing his royal status.
“It’s your father’s least favorite thing to allow just anyone into the house.”
“Auntie…”
“And why would a frail, sickly girl like you have friends, anyway? And are those really… your friends?”
“Auntie…”
“Me personally, I’d prefer solitude over associating with such riffraff. You were so eager to leave the house…but is this really what you wanted?”
Rosie’s eyes welled up with tears.
I’d dealt with plenty of difficult customers, so her words didn’t faze me.
However, the crown prince seemed uneasy. His expression shifted slightly.
“Are you seeking guidance from commoners? Of whom to befriend and whom to date, and whatnot?”
“If I can’t make those decisions for myself, then what can I do?”
“That’s enough…”
The crown prince couldn’t hold back any longer and interjected.
Susan’s gaze shifted to the crown prince. She looked at him with raised eyebrows, showing interest.
“You… Did you just challenge me? You, the delivery boy?”
“She isn’t a child. She knows how to make her own decisions, to judge people for herself.”
“Does she now…”
Susan didn’t seem to let go of the crown prince’s audacity.
Finally, the novel’s plot was resuming.
*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･:.｡..｡.:･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*
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