Chapter 129 - Cheesecake and a Friend’s Misunderstanding
Dahlia had come to the royal castle alone in the early afternoon.
It was her third visit, but she still wasn’t used to it.
However, this time she was only delivering a quote for the expedition stove and shoe dryer, so she wasn’t too nervous.
Originally, Ivano was supposed to come with her, but he was swamped with work, so Dahlia had declined his company.
She was surprised when Ivano had prepared and handed her the quote for the bulk order of shoe dryers without her even asking.
Since Volf was apparently in the middle of training, Randolph escorted her to the Monster Subjugation Force building.
But for some reason, instead of taking her to the reception desk where she was supposed to deliver the quote, he led her to a room deep on the third floor.
In the room labeled “Monster Subjugation Force Captain’s Office” with a silver plate on the door, Grato and a middle-aged knight were waiting.
After handing over the quote, the middle-aged knight offered her a seat on the sofa.
Hesitantly, she sat down, and tea and sweets were brought out.
She braced herself, wondering if there was an issue with the insoles, the expedition stove, or perhaps even a discussion about foot fungus. But Grato smiled awkwardly.
“Sorry for taking up your time. Since you’ve come all this way, I thought we could share some tea for a little while.”
“This is the cheesecake from the central building of the royal castle. Even the king eats the same one.”
“Th-thank you.”
In front of Dahlia was a baked cheesecake that felt almost too grand to eat.
It was slightly larger than the ones she bought at shops, with a thickness that made it feel substantial.
The entire cake was a beautiful cream yellow, with a caramelized brown surface. The generous dollop of whipped cream on the side was adorned with a small flower-shaped sugar decoration.
On a navy-blue plate, it was an artistic sight.
After being urged twice, she finally started eating, but it wasn’t as sweet as she expected.
The cheese was rich and strong in flavor, but the sweetness was mild, so it didn’t feel heavy. As she ate, the cheese flavor softened, and a subtle sweetness emerged.
It wasn’t until she was halfway through that she noticed the difference in taste and texture between the top and bottom layers. She realized the thickness was intentional.
It was her first time eating cheesecake with whipped cream, but the combination enhanced the sweetness with the cheese’s saltiness, creating a delightful change in flavor.
Grato, the middle-aged knight, Dahlia, and Randolph ate the cheesecake together, then discussed monsters and expeditions.
The stories of rare monsters, subjugation missions, expeditions, and meals on the road were all fascinating to Dahlia.
They also asked about magical tools, but with each answer, more questions arose, prolonging the conversation.
In the end, the afternoon tea stretched on, and Dahlia ended up drinking more tea than she intended.
・・・・・・・
On her way out, Randolph had thoughtfully arranged for her to stop by the first-floor etiquette room before heading to the stables.
She reflected that three cups of tea might have been a bit too much.
However, she couldn’t help but wonder if all the women’s etiquette rooms in the royal castle were this spacious or if this one was just for guests. The private room alone was four times the size of her tower, and everything was made of expensive-looking marble.
“Excuse me!”
As she stepped out of the private room, still feeling unsettled, a woman bumped into her from behind.
“I’ve gotten your dress wet... I’m still not used to my work, please forgive me...”
She must have been assigned to the Monster Subjugation Force building. It was a maid in the familiar dark gray uniform.
The maid frantically apologized while wiping the back of Dahlia’s skirt. Her clumsiness made Dahlia even more uneasy.
“No, please don’t worry about it.”
“Really, I’m so sorry...”
The maid bowed deeply several times before scurrying away, as if fleeing.
Dahlia thought that if there had been any rudeness to a guest, it would surely cause trouble for the maid. With that in mind, she left the etiquette room.
After walking down the hallway a bit, she saw a knight with navy-blue hair standing in the corridor, where Randolph had been earlier.
“Chairwoman Rossetti, I apologize for the suddenness. Goodwin was called away on urgent business, so I’ll escort you to the stables.”
After finishing his greeting, the knight suddenly frowned.
“Um, this is difficult to say, but... it seems there’s ink on your skirt.”
“Huh?... Thank you for letting me know.”
Pulling her skirt slightly to check, she saw a smear of black ink running from the side to the back of her light green skirt—the spot the maid had wiped earlier.
It seemed the maid had used a dirty cloth. If Dahlia had been wearing navy or dark green, it wouldn’t have been noticeable, but with today’s outfit, it stood out.
“Please wait here. I’ll call a maid.”
Dahlia hesitated, unsure if she should mention the maid. She didn’t want to think it was intentional, given how flustered the maid had been.
After a moment of thought, she realized she was lucky to be wearing a jacket and a long skirt today. If she turned her skirt inside out and carried her bag, it wouldn’t be too noticeable.
Dahlia excused herself and returned to the etiquette room, turning her skirt inside out before coming back.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. This will do. If I hide it with my bag, it’s hardly noticeable.”
“I see, that’s one way to handle it... Sorry, I spoke out of turn.”
The knight looked awkward, his blue eyes shifting to the side.
“Please don’t worry. I’m a commoner, so feel free to speak casually.”
“Then, if you’ll excuse me... We’ve met once during a meeting. I’m Dorino Barty, one of the Scarlet Armor squadmates with Volf. I’m from the commoner district, so forgive my lack of manners and my sharp tongue.”
“I’m from near the western wall, so feel free to speak casually.”
“That’s a relief.”
Realizing he was one of Volf’s friends made Dahlia feel a bit happier.
Dorino must have been one of Volf’s “few friends in the unit.”
“If you’re in the Scarlet Armor squad, you must work with Randolph-sama too, right?”
“Randolph? ...Volf and Randolph... Ah, that’s quite early.”
Dahlia smiled warmly, but Dorino suddenly gave her a cold look.
“You’re easy to talk to since you don’t flaunt your femininity. You’re definitely not the type Volf usually has around. I’m surprised Randolph’s involved too.”
“Huh?”
“I’m surprised there’s a woman who’s managed to tame Volf so well that he doesn’t even seem wary.”
“Tame? Volf is just a friend...”
The man in front of her was also Volf’s friend.
She wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, but she couldn’t think of any way to describe her relationship with Volf other than as friends.
“The Rossetti Company’s products are a great help to the Monster Subjugation Force. We’re truly grateful. But please—don’t do anything that would make them cry.”
Dorino bowed deeply, then walked ahead without waiting for a reply.
With people passing by in the hallway, Dahlia remained silent.
They reached the stables without further conversation.
Comments
Post a Comment