Lucas, brimming with enthusiasm, led Rosette not to the training grounds but to the dining hall.
“Everyone knows the best people are the ones who give you delicious food!”
After making this declaration (which made absolutely no sense to Rosette), he marched over to the head chef and issued some instructions with dramatic flair.
Soon, the maids brought out a breakfast spread completely different from yesterday’s formal meal. Instead of individual plates, dishes were laid out buffet-style at the center of the table for everyone to serve themselves.
Rosette gaped at the mountain of pancakes stacked like a golden-brown tower. Lucas, seated beside her, puffed out his chest.
“When Father’s away, we eat like this sometimes. No need for stuffy manners.”
He shoveled a pancake the size of his face onto his plate, drowned it in maple syrup, and shoved an enormous bite into his mouth. It was unclear whether he intended to feed Rosette or just satisfy his own hunger.
As Rosette watched him eat, her eyes wandered over the feast:
Crispy bacon glistening beside plump sausages
A fluffy omelet stuffed with cheese and diced vegetables
Roasted seasonal greens
Fresh salads, artisan cheeses, and more
Rosette swore—in both her lifetimes—she’d never seen so much food in one place.
Frozen with a fork in hand, she blinked until Lucas ‘now on his second pancake’ nudged her.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
“I… don’t know where to start.”
“Huh? Just eat what you want first! What looks best?”
Rosette hesitated.
No one had ever asked her opinion about food.
At the orphanage, she ate what she was given. At the Dallas estate, she choked down meals under Elisha’s sneering gaze. She’d never been allowed to choose.
Watching a crumb of pancake cling to Lucas’s cheek, she whispered:
“I’ll have… what you’re having.”
“Yeah? Here—” Lucas preened as he plated a pancake for her. “Want syrup?”
“Like… like yours.”
“Maple it is!” He drizzled a generous swirl. “Toppings? Whipped cream? Fruit?”
“Fruit…”
“Which kind? Banana? Strawberry? Blueberry? Kiwi?”
Rosette’s head spun. Syrup was one thing, but this avalanche of options felt like a test. One wrong answer might disappoint Lucas.
Her voice wavered.
“I… I don’t know.”
Lucas panicked at the tears glistening in her eyes.
“H-Hey! Don’t cry over fruit! Here—” He shoved the entire fruit platter toward her, piling samples of everything onto her plate. “Just eat it all!”
Rosette’s eyes widened to saucers.
“I can… eat all of this?”
“Of course!”
“Really?”
“Duh! Eat as much as you want!”
Lucas grinned and piled his own plate high with pancakes and assorted fruits.
“C’mon, let’s eat together.”
Finally relaxing, Rosette nodded.
“Okay!”
She took a careful bite. The syrup-drenched pancake was almost painfully sweet, drowning out the fruit’s natural sugar.
Yet it was delicious enough to bring tears to her eyes. Or perhaps what moved her wasn’t the food, but Lucas’s kindness.
When she sniffled while eating a strawberry, Lucas asked smugly:
“Good, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m the best, right?”
“Yes.”
“Better than Brother Daniel?”
“……”
Rosette couldn’t answer. She didn’t have strong enough feelings to compare them.
Misinterpreting her silence, Lucas grumbled:
“Even after my special pancakes, I still can’t beat Brother? Why does everyone like him better?”
“That’s not true!”
Rosette hastily swallowed her food. Lucas perked up.
“So?”
“I… like you both,” she mumbled.
“So you like me too?”
“Yes.”
“Then that’s enough.”
Lucas’s ears turned pink as he scratched his cheek.
“Hurry up and eat. When you’re done, I’ll show you around the estate.”
Rosette nodded and dug in. They ate like they were racing, unaware the servants were watching the siblings fondly.
Lucas kept piling food onto Rosette’s plate like a man possessed.
He even praised her whenever she finished something.
This feels nice.
Rosette kept eating just to hear Lucas’s chatter. Only when her flat stomach rounded did she finally put down her fork.
“I can’t eat anymore.”
“Really? Just one more bite?”
“I’ll… throw up.”
She barely stopped herself from saying it outright.
Lucas seemed to understand and didn’t push further. Instead, he wolfed down his own food and stood.
“Alright! Time for the grand tour!”
Just then, an unimpressed voice cut in:
“You’re going out looking like that?”
Isabelle Ardrian stood there, fresh from morning training. The scent of floral soap clung to her as she approached.
Lucas pouted his lips.
“Why? What’s wrong with the way I look?”
Isabelle snapped at him.
“You smell.”
Lucas made a shocked expression and sniffed his arm. His face quickly turned red.
“I don’t smell!”
But contrary to his words, he slowly backed away from Rosette and Isabelle.
“Hey, kiddo, I’ll go wash up, so wait here—or no, in your room! I’ll come get you soon!”
With that, he dashed out of the dining room like a shot. As Rosette chuckled quietly at his retreating figure, she suddenly felt a gaze on her and turned her head. Isabelle was staring at her intently.
“Why… Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Just because.”
Isabelle muttered indifferently.
“I was wondering if you’ve already gotten close to that fool. Have you had breakfast?”
“Yes, with Lucas… I mean, with brother Lucas.”
“Let me guess—he ate like a pig, piling up food like a mountain.”
Rosette quickly shook her head, but Isabelle clicked her tongue knowingly.
“Anyway, what’s with your appearance?”
“Ah…”
Rosette mumbled as she glanced at herself. Anyone could tell she was wearing clothes borrowed from an older sister.
“I picked the smallest one I could find, but…”
Isabelle turned to the personal maid standing behind her and gave an order.
“Call Madam Wide. As soon as possible. We need to get her clothes fitted.”
“Yes, my lady.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Isabelle stepped closer and grabbed Rosette’s hair.
“Even if your clothes don’t fit, at least take care of yourself properly. What’s with this hair? It looks like a bird’s nest.”
Rosette, feeling a little self-conscious, hurriedly patted her hair down with her palms. Her natural hair was quite nice, but due to malnutrition and lack of care, the ends had become rough.
Back at the orphanage, she had the best hair among the children, but compared to Isabelle’s silky strands, the difference was stark.
While Rosette stood there awkwardly, Isabelle skillfully ran her fingers through her hair, combing it neatly. Then, with practiced hands, she braided it and tied it off with the ribbon she had been wearing.
Once she let the braid fall over one shoulder, Isabelle gave a satisfied nod.
“There. Now you look a little more presentable.”
With that, she sat down at the table and began eating her meal.
Rosette unconsciously touched her newly braided hair. Isabelle might be a bit blunt, but she seemed to be just as good of a family member as Lucas and Daniel.
***
Early in the morning, Daniel set off for the royal palace with Duke Adrian. They were going to see Joshua, the prince and a longtime friend.
When his father suggested heading to the palace at such an early hour, Daniel thought he had misheard. But his father’s following words surprised him even more.
“The prince was shaken by a nightmare?”
“Yes. Whatever he dreamed about, he urgently asked about you and me.”
“He’s not the kind of person to be troubled by a mere dream. That’s strange.”
“He didn’t share the details, but it must have been a truly terrible nightmare. He even said he would visit you soon. But as his subjects, how could we make the prince come to us?”
That was why the two of them had entered the royal palace at the crack of dawn.
Duke Adrian wasn’t someone who exaggerated, but Daniel still found it hard to believe. After all, the Joshua he knew would never be disturbed by something as trivial as a dream.
Joshua Ehrenhardt was arrogant and cynical. Having studied royal etiquette and politics from a young age, he never let personal emotions sway him.
For someone like him to be shaken—not by war, not by a political crisis, but by a dream? It was unthinkable. Until Daniel saw him in person, he assumed the prince must have been joking.
But then…
“Daniel!”
The moment they met, Joshua rushed forward and pulled Daniel into a crushing embrace. Though it had only been a week since they’d last seen each other, Joshua acted like they’d been separated for years.
“You’re not hurt anywhere?”
Joshua gripped Daniel’s shoulders, scanning him up and down. Daniel shrugged.
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine, Your Highness.”
“Your legs? How are your legs?”
“Did I injure my legs in your dream?”
Daniel had meant it as a lighthearted quip, but seeing Joshua’s grave expression, his own demeanor turned serious.
“They’re completely fine, as you can see.”
“Really? Walk for me.”
Though the request was absurd, Daniel humored him, crossing the room with the confident stride of a knight-in-training who could outmatch any peer.
Joshua watched, stroking his chin, then remarked offhandedly:
“No issues.”
Daniel laughed as he sat back down.
“Were you teasing me?”
“Took you long enough to notice. You’re slipping.”
Joshua smirked, lifting his teacup—finally resembling the composed crown prince Daniel knew. Relieved, Daniel shifted the topic.
“By the way, what kind of dream did you have to worry so much about Father and me?”
