“Ahem, ahem…” Leo made his presence known at the door.
“Come in,” Rapunzel called out.
Leo entered upon getting permission and laid some clothes and shoes on the bed.
“These clothes and shoes are what I used to wear when I was younger. I thought they might fit you,” he said.
“Really? Thank you so much!”
Rapunzel excitedly tried on the clothes, running around the room with joy. Watching her, Leo felt a mix of happiness and pity.
In reality, he had just bought these clothes new, fearing she might feel burdened if she knew the truth. They were far too small for an adult man, but even so, they were a bit large on Rapunzel’s slight frame and scarred visage. Leo’s heart ached every time he saw her fragile form; she was like a little sister to him, and he looked after her whenever he could.
“Wow, I really like these shoes,” Rapunzel exclaimed as she found they fit perfectly. Leo smiled warmly, relieved that at least the shoes were a good fit.
“We should hurry, the Crown Prince is waiting.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, and this ointment is good for wounds.”
Leo handed her a small round container, which Rapunzel quickly tucked into her pocket and followed him out. Thanks to the apprentice mage’s magic, she was actually fine now, but she chose not to mention that. She remembered Gale’s advice not to hurt someone’s feelings with unnecessary truths.
‘After all, not saying something isn’t the same as lying.’
***
The servants cleared untouched dishes from before Ludwig. Normally, he would skip breakfast, preferring only a freshly brewed cup of coffee. But today, as soon as the butler placed his coffee down, he requested breakfast to be brought in.
“What kind of food would you like?” the butler asked, puzzled.
“All of it. Bring everything delicious.”
‘It’s unusual for him to eat breakfast at all.’
Thinking that a freshly slaughtered cow had just been brought in, the butler decided to prepare a steak, along with a salad, mushroom soup, and chocolate pudding.
“Isn’t it cold? Bring it fresh.”
Ludwig, visibly agitated and irritable, had spent a long time preparing the summer palace to give Rapunzel, who was stifled by her mask, a chance to feel the fresh air. He had all the glass in the walls replaced with long drapes of silk.
Now that the summer palace was ready, Ludwig had planned to have breakfast with Rapunzel, but she hadn’t arrived, and the food had gone cold.
The butler, doing as instructed, was bewildered. The Crown Prince was particular in many ways, but he had never fussed over food.
‘How strange. Is he troubled by something?’
Just as the butler and maids were leaving with the dishes, Leo and Rapunzel hurried in.
“We’re late,” Rapunzel said, bowing her head.
Ludwig frowned, clearly displeased.
“I’m sorry.”
Leo repeated, hoping to defuse the tension. Ludwig gestured dismissively for him to leave, then turned to Rapunzel, who bowed deeply as she waited to be reprimanded.
“Hmm, I haven’t been waiting long. Rapunzel, do you always take my words so lightly?”
“What?”
“Sit down at the table. Didn’t I speak to you about this on the ride back from the monastery?”
Rapunzel looked puzzled.
“Your Highness, you said a lot of things, it’s hard to keep track.”
Once she sat down, the table quickly filled with delicious food, and she couldn’t take her eyes off it.
“About the mask…”
“I haven’t taken it off, just as you commanded.”
“Really, why are you so stubborn? What if I really meant for you not to take it off ever?”
As the butler left, Ludwig waved everyone else out of the room and went behind Rapunzel to remove her mask himself. Rapunzel caught the mask in surprise.
“It’s fine. From now on, don’t wear the mask at all. That’s an order.”
“But I look horrible with these scars on my face. Don’t people struggle to look at me?”
“Fine, then take it off only in front of me. You don’t need to worry about others’ gazes in the prince’s palace.”
Ariel looked around.
The atmosphere in the summer palace was different from the main palace, where Ludwig’s bedroom and office were located. The summer palace had silk curtains hanging from the ceiling to the floor. The red, orange, and yellow silks created a cacophony of colors.
The silks were attached only at the top and bottom, allowing breezes to pass through.
A cool breeze enveloped Ariel, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the gentle touch of the wind on her cheek like a feather.
After a moment, she opened her eyes and smiled brightly, “The wind has told me many stories.”
“Do you talk with the wind, too? And what did it say?”
“Maybe, it said things might be alright.”
“Is there something worrying you?”
Ludwig looked sadly at the food on the table, which was cooling off. Seeing the steam dissipate from the dishes made him annoyed.
‘It’s so hard to even have a proper meal.’
“No, don’t worry about it,” Ariel murmured in a barely audible voice.
“Ha, haven’t you heard the rumors that I have a terrible temper?” Ludwig asked, his patience wearing thin.
“Please don’t put me on the chopping block!”
Ariel looked frightened but spoke up bravely.
“The chopping block? You mean the guillotine, the execution device?”
“Yes…”
“Why would you think I would put you on the chopping block?”
Ludwig asked, his expression weary. Conversations with Ariel always seemed to go in unexpected directions.
Talking about guillotines during a meal was certainly not usual.
“Your Highness, you despise anything that isn’t beautiful, and as you know, I am…”
Rapunzel’s dejected expression clearly did not sit well with Ludwig.
“Don’t worry. You’ll never have to face the guillotine. Who would attend to me if you weren’t here?”
“Aren’t there many other servants in the prince’s palace?”
“Enough! Eat the food on the table, or it’s the guillotine for you.”
Ludwig, seeing that the conversation was spiraling nowhere, cut it short with a dramatic flare.
“What? Yes!”
Startled, Ariel quickly picked up her spoon to start on the stew.
“Eat before it gets cold.”
“Please eat as well, Your Highness.”
“I’ve already eaten plenty and am full.”
“That’s a lot of food.”
“Eat up. Is it good?”
“…Yes.”
“That settles it then.”
Ludwig stood up from the table as soon as Rapunzel took a bite of the stew. He was certain that she would ask another bizarre question that would exhaust him—perhaps something like, ‘Your Highness, if I don’t finish all the food, will I be sent to the guillotine? What if I leave a third of the T-bone steak?’
“Dealing with the old nobles at the council might be easier than this.”
It was a situation he couldn’t simply flip on its head.
***
Meanwhile, a masquerade ball was in full swing in the Prolands Empire.
As the ball approached its peak, Gale, who had been anxious about not meeting the person he needed to, scanned the crowd. When he first arrived in Prolands a month ago, it seemed he would soon meet Prince Alexei, but various obstacles had continuously thwarted his attempts.
Staying at an inn within the castle walls, he had seized the opportunity to attend the royal masquerade upon hearing that the prince would be there.
Though he had made it to the ball, Countess Alfred had long disappeared, and the whereabouts of the prince were still unknown.
Surveying the surroundings, his eyes caught a young man with black hair.
“There he is.”
Gale slowly approached the young man who was drinking wine alone on the terrace.
“Your Highness, it has been a long time.”
At Gale’s greeting, the icy, sharp gray eyes behind the mask sparkled.
***
The royal treasury butler, concerned about the excessive expenditures continuing at the Prince’s Palace, was on his way to confront the situation.
The expenses were overwhelmingly for silk, along with clothing costs, food, various medicinal purchases, and mask-making.
What on earth was going on at the Prince’s Palace? The elderly butler, fired up with determination, decided to meet with head servant Leo first.
As the butler approached the prince’s bedroom, he noticed maids eavesdropping at the door.
‘I’ll have to firmly address this behavior.’
Startled by his approach, the maids scurried away, and he could hear the prince and a servant talking inside.
“Take it off. Didn’t I tell you to?”
“Are you speaking again?”
“Yes, if not here, then where?”
“But what if your close advisors come?”
Rapunzel bit her lip firmly, a clear sign of her discomfort.
Seeing her stubbornness, Ludwig decided to compromise.
“Alright, then I’ll make sure no one else can even come near. You’ll only take it off in front of me.”
She didn’t understand his words at first, but upon realizing their meaning, she slumped down.
“…This is no ordinary matter. I must inform His Royal Majesty.”
This was an issue that could affect the very survival of the Romanov Empire.
***
Ian held a half-mask in his hand. Since meeting Ariel, he had been working in the magic tower to create a mask specifically for her.
Considering a full mask might be too suffocating, he decided to craft a half-mask that would only cover the burn scars. The mask matched Ariel’s skin tone and was designed to be thin and lightweight. The challenge was creating transparent yet resilient threads.
“I like it. I must deliver it to her soon.”
As Ian prepared to take the finished mask to Ariel, the head of the mage tower burst in urgently.
“Master of the Tower, a dragon has been spotted in our territory.”
“…Of all things, a dragon. Understood. I’ll prepare immediately.”
‘It’s unfortunate, but this issue must be addressed first.’
Ian sighed, suppressing his eagerness to rush to Ariel. Despite his duties, he couldn’t stop thinking about her, and as he headed toward the location of the dragon sighting, he murmured to himself.
“Ariel, please wait just a little longer.”
🍉🍉🍉
T/N: Ludwig is simping hard on Ariel. I honestly find it quite endearing, if not a bit too creepy. She’s been in the palace in like what, a few days or weeks? LMAO
