Chapter 24

Natalie-sama returned my greeting and took her seat at the dining table. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Natalie-sama gave a nod to the servant.

The scent of the dishes being served was overwhelmingly stimulating. Although I didn’t show it on my face, inside I was filled with the desire to leave.

The dishes laid out on the table were served on white plates adorned with gold. The cutlery was silver. It was a custom among the nobility to use silver cutlery for formal meals because it reacts to poison.

I picked up the silver fork and took a bite of the appetizer, a platter of ham and cheese... It was salty and spicy.

The surface of the ham was coated with pepper and nutmeg, which exploded with spiciness in my mouth. My tongue tingled, and I couldn’t even feel the texture of the ham. The cheese was also heavily spiced, leaving no respite for my tongue.

I thought I was used to the strong flavors of noble cuisine, but today’s dishes were even more intense. It was no longer a matter of whether they were delicious or not; it felt like I was being made to eat the spices themselves.

“Lady Letitia, how do you find the taste? Our chef, who is proud of his skills, has used a generous amount of spices brought from our territory’s port. I hope you enjoy it.”

“...I am very grateful for the luxurious hospitality with such generous use of spices.”

I smiled gracefully and gave a non-committal answer to Natalie-sama. Although I wanted to leave the table immediately, this was part of social etiquette.

My compliment seemed to please the man standing by the wall. He was probably the head chef of this palace, dressed in a white chef’s uniform. He stood proudly, as if boasting of his achievement.

...He doesn’t seem like someone I could get along with. The overly strong flavors of the dishes and his attitude, which seemed to take it for granted that such dishes should be praised, made him someone I personally didn’t want to get close to.

The meal with Natalie-sama continued, with occasional conversation. Natalie-sama was polite and had beautiful manners, but she had a very quiet, almost cold demeanor.

I had heard that she was 16 years old, a year younger than me. She was a beautiful young lady with light blue hair and eyes. However, her expression was limited to the minimum smile required for social occasions; otherwise, she was almost expressionless.

Was she nervous about meeting me for the first time? That might be the case, but her handling of the cutlery was smooth. She was known by the nickname ‘Doll Princess,’ and it seemed likely that this was her true nature.

I observed Natalie-sama and the people around her while trying to finish the meal. To counteract the excessive spices, the meat dishes were heavily oiled and heavy, making them hard to digest.

After the meal, I sipped lemon water to soothe my throat and stomach. Natalie-sama was also swallowing, and although she remained expressionless, there was a sense of relief and revival about her. ...Could Natalie-sama also be averse to overly spiced dishes?

As I empathized with her, Natalie-sama quietly looked at me.

“Lady Letitia, thank you for accepting our hospitality. Were you satisfied?”

“Yes, it was a wonderful meal.”

“I am grateful to hear that. Then, that means...”

What does that mean? I couldn’t press her, and Natalie-sama remained silent.

When she closed her mouth, Natalie-sama looked like a well-made doll. A woman who had been standing behind her stepped forward.

She was a woman in her mid-thirties with her hair neatly tied up, wearing an elaborate and expensive dress, though not as elaborate as Natalie-sama’s.

“Lady Letitia, I apologize for the intrusion. My name is Dears. May I speak on behalf of Natalie-sama?”

“...If Natalie-sama is agreeable.”

Dears Digrace. She was the youngest sister of Natalie-sama’s father and had married into the Digrace family, a branch of Natalie-sama’s duchy. She seemed to be here to assist the young Natalie-sama, acting as both a chaperone and a supervisor.

I had been in this country for a little over ten days. While spending time with the wolves, I had memorized the names and basic information of the nobles. The amount of memorization would have been overwhelming in my previous life, but it was easier now due to familiarity.

...My eldest brother was extremely strict with my education. Known as the ideal prince in public, he was actually a harsh teacher. His beautiful face would mercilessly point out my flaws, and I still sometimes dream about his smile.

My ability to endure the rigorous princess education might have been due to the resilience I built up from my brother’s training. He cared for me, but that’s why he was so strict. The love and results of his education are now serving me well.

While silently thanking my brother, who was far away, I observed Natalie-sama. When she nodded, Dears stepped forward.

“Lady Letitia, your presence at this palace today means that you are joining our camp, correct?”

It was a direct question.

“I am merely a decorative queen. I have no intention of favoring any of the four princess candidates.”

“Then why did you accept our invitation?”

“To convey that I have no intention of being an enemy. I do not support any of the princess candidates, nor do I intend to oppose them.”

This is my policy in this country. Since I plan to step down from the position of queen in two years, I have no intention of getting deeply involved in the political aspects of the princess selection. I want to fulfill my role as a time-buying agent as requested by Emperor Glenread and spend my time quietly at the palace.

“The four princess candidates...”

Dears laughed condescendingly.

“Indeed, in terms of numbers, that may be true. However, the reality is different. Given the current power dynamics, it is almost certain that the southern princess candidate, who is a minor faction, will not be chosen, don’t you think?”

“...Is that so? Unfortunately, I don’t understand.”

I couldn’t denigrate the southern princess candidate and smiled ambiguously.

“It’s understandable that Lady Letitia, who comes from a foreign country, wouldn’t know.”

Her words were openly condescending. I thought she might be trying to provoke me or gauge my reaction, but there was no such indication. She seemed to simply have a bad character or looked down on me.

“The southern princess candidate is out of the question. The northern and eastern princess candidates are beastmen... ‘half-beasts.’ With that said, Lady Letitia, you should understand. Among the four princess candidates, it should be clear who you should support.”

“...Yes, I see. I understand.”

The term ‘half-beast’ and the overly spicy dishes, which were far from the standard of noble cuisine in this world...

---Dears, and probably Natalie-sama, who allowed her to speak this way, made it painfully clear that they had no intention of hiding their contempt for beastmen and were seeking my agreement.