Chapter 5

"Miss, you've worked hard today. It seems you returned later than planned. Did something happen at the academy?"

Exiting the main entrance of the academy, a short distance to the carriage stop.

There, the family carriage was waiting, and a servant with neatly arranged black hair greeted me.

He is Lucian, my head attendant.

Tall and slender, with a well-proportioned face and a graceful demeanor, even if reserved.

If I had to describe my first impression in one word, he is the epitome of a capable butler.

Though he is not currently in the position of butler, he is an excellent young man at the age of twenty-two and may become the butler of the ducal family in the future.

"......Things got complicated. I'll explain in detail in the carriage."

Taking the hand Lucian offered, I was guided into the box-shaped carriage.

This interaction between the young lady and the servant might have made me, in my previous life, exclaim, "Real young lady! Bliss! Perks!" with excitement.

Leaning back on the soft seat, Lucian sat across from me.

The driver cracked the whip, and the wheels began to move slowly.

I took a moment to organize my thoughts and decided to tell him about today's events.

"Prince Fritz declared the annulment of our engagement."

"Huh?"

Lucian's blue eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed with a look of disapproval.

"What do you mean? Annulment of the engagement? Such a joke......"

"Unfortunately, it's not a lie. At the entrance of the academy, in front of everyone, I was told of the annulment and even threatened with exile."

As I explained, Lucian's eyes grew sharper.

"......That foolish prince. To shame Miss, he deserves to die a thousand deaths."

Lucian, who usually shows no mercy, harshly criticized Prince Fritz.

That good-for-nothing prince, he said.

Lucian, who cursed in such a way, had quite a foul mouth.

......Though, I also called Fritz a foolish prince in my heart, so I can't really talk.

......Well, let's put aside my inner monologue for now.

Lucian, who always behaves like a perfect butler and seems to be from the upper class, is actually a commoner from the lower town.

Occasionally, in front of me, whom he has served for a long time, he would use a tone reminiscent of his lower town days.

"I thought that foolish prince might do something someday...... But to accept such an unreasonable demand of exile, do you intend to comply, Miss?"

"I plan to leave the country with dignity. I cannot deepen the conflict between our ducal family and the royal family, which would divide the nation."

"As a noble, one should dedicate oneself to the people and the country."

This is one of the few words I received from my father.

The civilization level of this world is roughly equivalent to the medieval to modern era on Earth.

There is a clear social hierarchy, and in our country, the gap between commoners and nobles is particularly large.

Many nobles treat commoners as less than human and act tyrannically.

In such a society, my father, with the pride of a noble, worked diligently, and he was my role model.

......However, as his daughter, I don't have many memories of being doted on.

Now, recalling the memories of being loved by my parents in my previous life, I have some thoughts, but I'll put them aside for now.

"......The destination of my exile has not been decided yet, but I might be sent to the empire or some other terrible country. If that happens, Lucian, you should stay in this country and not follow me......"

"Even to the ends of the earth, I will follow you, Miss."

He stated it firmly.

"It was Miss Letizia who discovered me when I was an orphan in the orphanage after losing my parents."

"Lucian......"

Seven years ago, when I was ten.

My father ordered me to choose a few attendants, and I was struggling with the selection.

At that time, I met Lucian, who was fifteen, during a visit to an orphanage as part of a charity project.

Despite not having a proper education, Lucian had learned to read and write by imitation and was helping with the management of the orphanage.

Impressed by his excellence, I strongly recommended to my father that Lucian become my attendant.

My father was initially hesitant but agreed to employ Lucian on a one-year trial basis.

As a result, Lucian mastered etiquette and the skills of an attendant in just one year and was recognized by my father.

......In the end, it turned out well, but I think I was quite bold.

Generally, a ducal family's daughter would not willingly place a commoner from the lower town close to her.

I had just regained my memories from my previous life, but perhaps the experiences and values from my past life influenced my current self to some extent.

"Lucian, thank you. But you don't have to feel so much gratitude towards me. The reason I placed you by my side was because I wanted an excellent attendant."

"I understand. I am aware of your circumstances,......and your concern for me, which goes beyond mere calculation, as well as your noble heart as a ducal family's daughter, who is proud and cares for the country......I am well aware of all these things."

Lucian placed his hand on his chest and bowed.

Feeling his sincere respect, I felt a mix of happiness, a little embarrassment, and warmth in my heart.

......Reflecting on today, it was a terrible day.

I was told of the annulment of my engagement, pushed into a fountain, insulted by my ex-fiancé, and intimidated by a muscular man......

It was a continuous series of events filled with hostility and hatred, leaving me no moment to rest.

In such a situation, Lucian's loyalty was deeply felt, and I felt a sense of relief.

"Having a loyal attendant like you, I must be very fortunate......"

"Your words are too kind and undeserved."

With proper respect, but also with affection, Lucian smiled.

......The moment of comfort ended as the carriage slowed down, approaching the ducal mansion in the eastern district of the capital.

"Miss, don't be so down. No matter what, I will always be on your side."

Lucian comforted my sinking heart.

Though I didn't show it on my face, he must have sensed it from our long association.

"Although it will be difficult to tell the Duke, my father, about the annulment and exile......I am sure the Duke will not blame you unjustly."

"......Yes, I'm sure he won't."

I averted my gaze from Lucian, who smiled ambiguously.

Thinking about having to tell my father about the annulment and exile, I felt a heavy heart.

......But the most pressing worry now is something else.

It might seem trivial to others, but with my regained memories from my previous life, there is one thing I fear.

As I stepped out of the carriage, the sun was beginning to set.

......It was almost time for dinner.

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In my room at the ducal mansion, I changed into a home dress and, after a while, a knock on the door announced that dinner was ready.

With the usual refined and expressionless demeanor befitting a ducal family's daughter.

But inside, I was filled with a sense of despair as I was led to the dining room by the maid.

......The BGM in my head was "Donna Donna."

The ducal mansion is vast.

By the time the lyrics of "Donna Donna" reached the middle of the second verse, I had already arrived at the dining room.

Sitting in the chair pulled out for me at the table, which could easily seat ten people, I waited.

Shortly after, the service door opened.

"......!"

A strong smell assaulted my nostrils.

Even from a distance, the source of the smell was the spices used liberally in the dishes.

......This is clearly a bad sign. I tried to escape into my mind, starting a one-person commentary, but the dishes kept coming.

In this country, the serving method is to place all the dishes, from the main course to the soup, on the table at once.

With no escape from the strong smell, I hesitantly picked up my fork.

First, the appetizer.

It was a salad of leafy vegetables harvested near the capital, but......

The problem was the sauce glistening on top of the vegetables.

The thick, brown sauce looked similar to the brown sauce from my previous life, but only in appearance.

One bite was enough to reveal the stark difference.

It was too spicy, too sour, and too sticky, with an overwhelmingly strong flavor.

The freshness of the vegetables was completely overshadowed by the overpowering sauce.

Honestly, I couldn't find it delicious at all, but I swallowed it with a cool expression.

This was a moment where the facial control skills I had developed as a ducal family's daughter and a corporate worker were put to the ultimate test.

And, to my disappointment, the same sauce was also drizzled over the main course, the meat dish.

Of course, the sauce was different for the vegetables and the meat, but in both cases, the spices were too strong, and the flavors of the ingredients were lost.

The meat, which was probably a high-grade product like a five-star cut in Japan, was completely wasted.

It was no longer a seasoned meat dish but a clump of spices with a meat-like texture.

The quality of the meat was undoubtedly top-notch, but its excellence was not utilized at all, making it a very disappointing dish.

......Well, it's not so bad that I can't eat it.

The meat, vegetables, and probably the spices used were undoubtedly the best available in this country, worthy of a ducal family's table.

Yet, it was not delicious.

The overuse of spices ruined the dishes, making them a waste of good ingredients.

I like spices.

The pepper-fried vegetables I used to make in my previous life were one of my favorite dishes.

......But, the dishes in front of me are just too much.

I have never felt the saying "Too much is as bad as too little" more strongly than now.

The reason for the excessive use of spices in the dishes in front of me can be traced back to the discovery of a new sea route to the southern continent about forty years ago.

The new spices brought to this continent by ship were highly praised by the people.

In this world, the food situation was not as good as on Earth, and many vegetables had not been improved through breeding.

The arrival of flavorful and preservative spices in large quantities was a significant event.

People became obsessed with spices, and the nobility began to collect them.

Dishes heavily seasoned with spices became a status symbol, leading to a competition to show wealth......which became overheated.

As a result, the dishes on the table ignored the flavors of the ingredients.

Of course, in the homes of commoners and even poor noble families, the dishes were not as heavily seasoned.

However, in our ducal family, the dishes served daily were mostly drenched in spices.

With my regained memories of my previous life, where cooking and dining were my hobbies, this was a challenging situation.

......By the way, the taste of the people in this world should not be much different from that of Earth.

Once, I tried a dish from the lower town, which was simple but delicious.

Also, the wine served at the current noble dinners is mostly light and refreshing.

Often, water flavored with lemon is served alongside the wine.

......It seemed to be to balance the overly strong flavors of the dishes.

Yet, the nobles, for the sake of their reputation, appreciated such heavily spiced dishes.

And, I speculate that the underdeveloped cooking techniques and the lack of methods to bring out the flavors of the ingredients contributed to this situation.

Spices are delicious.

The more spices used, the better the dishes would be, they thought.

......This led to a gradual increase in the use of spices, numbing the senses, and resulting in the current state.

This trend of heavily spiced dishes is not limited to our country but is seen throughout the Western continent, with varying degrees.

In many countries, the noble tables are overly spiced, with only a few exceptions.

A notable exception is the neighboring kingdom of Liorbern.

Due to its vast farmland and strong attachment to its own produce, the noble tables there are not heavily spiced.

Liorbern had a significant upheaval about two years ago, with a change in the crown prince, but the new crown prince is said to be very capable.

Thanks to him, the domestic security has improved, and the recent reputation of the country is generally positive.

Less spiced, a capable crown prince, and a good domestic situation.

......From my perspective, being subjected to heavily spiced dishes and the whims of a foolish crown prince, it is a very enviable country.

......If I have to be exiled, I wish it would be to Liorbern or a country with delicious food.

While chewing the heavily spiced dishes with a blank expression, I couldn't help but wish sincerely.

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