Chapter 66 – That Which Must Be Inherited
——This story begins the day before Princess Yunia’s arrival.
As we prepared to welcome the royal entourage, we debated the best approach.
After all, they were making the long journey from the capital, and we genuinely wanted to extend our hospitality. At the same time, simply receiving them in a formal audience felt overwhelming.
“She’s coming in secret, so there’s no need to fuss,” mother said.
Even so, the moment someone addressed her as First Princess, I knew we’d end up stiff and formal.
Ideally, we wanted to meet on neutral ground—simply as people sharing a meal. She would be the guest, and we would be the cooks.
And so, we devised a plan.
Our first encounter would be over a meal.
Without revealing who we were, we would welcome her with nothing but our food.
※※※
And now—
Having finished their dessert, the royal entourage moved from the dining hall to the grand chamber, where we stood before them in a formal audience.
Only mother remained unbowed.
I, standing at the forefront of our family, knelt before Princess Yunia.
「Raise your head.」
「…yeah.」
「I wish to meet your gaze.」
「…yeah.」
「Please, be at ease. Stand and show me your face.」
「Then, if Your Highness will permit.」
Following the etiquette grandma had taught me—keeping my head lowered until prompted three times—we finally stood.
「Once again, I am Sui Hatano desu.」
「Karen Quioy desu.」
「I-I’m Mint… desu!」
「Bark!」
As we introduced ourselves, Princess Yunia smiled warmly.
「I am Yunia, First Princess of the Sorx Kingdom. …First of all, thank you for the hospitality upon our arrival. I was truly surprised. And more than anything… it was delicious.」
「We are honored.」
「Karen-sama, it has been some time. I had no idea you had helped as well.」
「Hmm. It has been a while, Your Highness. I can cook now.」
「Oh my, that is wonderful.」
Karen was rather blunt about it. Apparently, they had known each other for some time, but listening to her, I couldn’t help feeling nervous.
「Your Highness, Mint helped too. Praise me.」
「Oh, I hadn’t realized! Mint-san, thank you. It was truly delicious.」
「Uuuu—! I mean… yes!」
「Fufu, how adorable. It’s all right, please speak as you like.」
Still, Karen’s informal manner helped ease the conversation.
Mint had been so focused on following grandma’s etiquette lessons that she seemed nervous, so I was grateful that the princess spoke to her directly.
「The Cu Sith-san….Shocola-chan, was it? I have never before had the honor of meeting the guardian deity of the Helheim Valley. Such a dignified presence.」
「Bark…?」
「The princess just praised you. Isn’t that great?」
「Bark!」
Chocola, understanding the mood, sat quietly and behaved himself. What a good boy. Though, I suspected it wasn’t dignity so much as complete emptiness behind those eyes…
From there, the formal exchange with the princess continued.
She expressed gratitude to mother, commended grandma, and greeted Noah and Parker-san. This thorough and considerate behavior was probably customary for royalty. By addressing each person, it demonstrated the equal importance of each individual, conveying that she was attentive to everyone present.
To carry out such protocols naturally, even in unofficial settings—it was clear the burden of high status was no small thing. Thinking back, Noa had completely ignored these formalities. No wonder he earned the title of a wayward son…
「Yunia, isn’t that enough formalities for now? For my sake, could you let the kids relax?」
When the princess had finished her greetings, mother interjected, unable to hold back any longer. I appreciated it, but ‘for my sake’ wasn’t really the phrase to use when asking for leniency, was it?
「Indeed, you are right. Then, let us proceed to the drawing room. SubZero-sama, would you guide us?」
「As you wish, Your Highness.」
With grandma leading the way, we all filed into the next room. Coming from a normal household, I couldn’t help but think it would have been more efficient to hold the entire audience in the drawing room from the start. We could have sat down, bowed, and… no, that probably wouldn’t have been appropriate.
「Son of Heavenly Bell-dono. May I address you as simply Sui-dono?」
「Ah, yes. Um… Continuous Rain Witch-sama, was it?」
As we walked, a red-haired woman approached me softly.
She wore light armor made of metal, with a sword at her side. Tall and with her long hair tied up, she looked every bit the noble knight—or perhaps a gallant woman in male attire. Honestly, she was incredibly cool.
「Indeed. I am Karsch Adalada, captain of the Royal Knights. Please, call me Karsch.」
「Yes, it’s an honor, Karsch-sama.」
「There’s no need for the formal address. …That aside, the wrapped dish you served—the tacos, was it?」
Continuous Rain Witch-sama, Karsch—no, Karsch-san—leaned in conspiratorially as we walked.
「Ah, yes. It might have been an unusual flavor. Did it not suit your taste?」
「No, quite the opposite… Is it true they are relatively easy to prepare? And can the fillings be varied as one pleases?」
「That’s correct. This time, we used fish and beans in a tomato sauce, but you could also use spiced meat, shredded cheese, or even fruits. However, you do need cornmeal for the tortillas—the wrapping. I sourced mine from Alfheim.」
「I see, I see! Of all the dishes you served, that one was my absolute favorite!」
And then, her face softened into a smile.
「I am a rather careless person, you see. In formal dining settings, I become so conscious of etiquette that I find it hard to relax. But those tacos—those were excellent. Grabbing them with my hands and biting in, I didn’t have to worry about appearances. I could simply enjoy the food without reservation.」
「Did I not serve enough? I have a different dish planned for dinner, but if you’d like, I can make plenty more tomorrow.」
「Truly?! That would be wonderful!」
Karsh-san suddenly leaned in. Her face was close—too close. And the intensity was a bit frightening.
「I would love that! If they’re about that size, I could easily eat twenty, maybe thirty—」
「Karsh-dono. That’s enough. Just what are you doing? You are Her Highness’s guard, are you not?」
A low voice rang out from behind her.
Karsh-san stiffened, her shoulders jerking slightly. A firm hand landed on her shoulder—belonging to none other than Prime Minister Eidel-sama.
His hair was cut to a slightly longer length, his sharp, narrow eyes carrying an air of intelligence. His features seemed to embody the very definition of the word “keen.” If I remembered correctly, he was originally of common birth. The king had recognized his talents and taken him in as a foster son. An impressive person, to say the least.
「I apologize for my subordinate’s behavior, Sui Hatano-dono. …That said, I have quite a lot I’d like to say to you as well.」
Despite being a man of such ability, he was now staring at me with an exasperated, almost weary look. ‘Why? What did I do?’
「Uh… Have I done something wrong? I believe this is our first time meeting, Prime Minister-sama…」
「No. …It’s just that my family won’t stop talking about you.」
With a faint sigh, Eidel-sama spoke, his sharp gaze softening into something more amused, almost fond.
「I have a message from my adoptive father—‘Your approach may be different, but you are very much like your father.’ He asked me to pass that along.」
「Huh…」
「We’ll talk more later.」
With that, he grabbed Karsh-san by the scruff and dragged her back to the front of the procession.
I stood there, blinking in confusion, watching them go.
Adoptive father… He meant the king?
「But I’ve never even met the king before…」
—Still.
If he thinks I’m like my father…
I don’t really understand it, but… that makes me kind of happy.
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