Chapter 3

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"......Well, it's decent enough......"

"......Yes, it is. It's delicious, but......"

"What's wrong with it? It's quite delicious! Isn't it, Seb?"

"Umm, yes, well......"

The reaction to the pudding they had just made, tasted by Lylis, Tena, Jeff, and the apprentice cook Seb, was somewhat mixed.

Of course, it wasn't bad. It was rather sweet and delicious, they thought. But something was off.

Lylis, insisting it was delicious, sought agreement from Seb, the apprentice—though he was quite skilled, Jeff, his master, hadn't yet acknowledged him. Seb could only nod, averting his eyes.

"This sauce sticks to my teeth......"

"That's because it's burnt caramel."

"But the ingredients and the method should be correct! I saw it myself!"

"Ah, if I could have seen it myself......"

"Anyway! Miss, are you satisfied with this? Any more fuss will interfere with Jeff and the others, so please return to your room."

Tena's words made Lylis pout, but she didn't insist further and nodded obediently.

Seeing this, Seb hastily added:

"Um, I mean, I'll try to improve it and make it even more delicious!"

"Seb! What are you saying? You're ten years too early! Leave this to me!"

Tena sighed in exasperation at the two who were indulging Lylis, but couldn't help smiling when she saw Lylis's delighted face.

In the end, Tena was also quite indulgent with Lylis.

"Thank you both! But don't overdo it! I really appreciate you listening to my whims!"

Waving to the two who knew her secret, Lylis was about to leave the kitchen when a person who rarely showed up appeared, and Jeff and Seb stood at attention. The other cooks in the distance did the same.

"Ah, there you are. Lylis, your father is calling for you. Hurry, you can come as you are. Go to his room immediately."

"Father? Alright. Thank you, Brother Eam."

Taking off her apron and handing it to Tena, Lylis followed Eam to the king's private chamber.

Worried that something must be seriously wrong for Eam to come and fetch her, Lylis didn't voice her concern.

Upon arriving at the king's private chamber, Eam knocked lightly and opened the door, gesturing for Lylis to enter first.

"Thank you, Brother. --Excuse me, Father."

"Yes, Lylis. I'm sorry to call you here."

Upon entering, Lylis was slightly surprised to see not only the king but also the queen, the crown prince, and even her younger sister.

Moreover, her younger brother, Lino, was sitting on the queen's lap.

Everyone stood up to greet Lylis, and King Dreaum sniffed exaggeratedly.

"You smell good, Lylis. Were you cooking something in the kitchen again?"

"Yes, Father. But it wasn't good enough to serve everyone..."

"I see. I'm curious, but I'll trust Jeff and wait patiently."

"That's right. Jeff can turn even Lylis's most unreasonable requests into delicious dishes. I'm looking forward to it."

"Father, Mother, I agree with you both, but... I'm not quite convinced."

Lylis muttered, and everyone laughed.

The king, saying "Sorry, sorry" casually, laughed and gave Lylis a light hug.

Thanks to this, the tense atmosphere when Lylis entered the room had eased somewhat.

But as soon as Lylis sat on the sofa and the king cleared his throat, the room became tense again.

"Recently, our country has been having friction with the Kingdom of Fontae, as you know?"

"Yes. They're rudely asking us to become a vassal state, right?"

"Basically, that's it. If we accept their demands, we'll have to pay a significant tribute, which would burden our people. We've been politely but firmly declining so far..."

"Are you planning to take a hard line?"

"Have you seen it?"

"No, not yet. But I can guess as much."

Lylis nodded in response to the king's words, and the king looked a bit surprised.

Lylis shook her head in denial.

Even if she mostly slept, she still received education as a princess, and seeing everyone's serious faces, she could understand the situation.

"It seems the Kingdom of Fontae is preparing for war. And the only country Fontae is likely to fight against is the Aelaros Empire... According to intelligence, they've already had several diplomatic clashes over the rights to Machinukan."

"But Machinukan is an independent commercial city. It's strange for them to be fighting over its rights."

"You're right, Lylis. Machinukan has been able to maintain its independence thanks to Aelaros's support. Now that Fontae is putting pressure on it, Aelaros can't just stand by, can it?"

The crown prince, Spirit, explained.

Lylis understood the content but couldn't help frowning at the unfairness of Fontae's actions.

"In other words, this Kingdom of Freud will be caught between the two countries and drawn into the war?"

As her anger subsided and she regained her composure, a growing sense of fear crept over her.

Suppressing her feelings, Lylis asked calmly.

Eam, the second eldest brother, answered her.

"If we think about it straightforwardly, that's what would happen. But according to intelligence, Fontae doesn't have the strength to fight Aelaros right now. So, there's only one possibility: they're trying to force us into vassalage."

"Such... an unreasonable demand..."

Lylis was speechless at the injustice.

The queen and her younger sister, Daria, remained silent with heavy expressions.

The king let out a heavy sigh.

"For the past few years, our country has flourished thanks to Lylis. Fontae has noticed this. They suffered a significant blow from the famine a few years ago and haven't been able to regain their former glory. They are after our wealth. But the wealth of this country doesn't come from gold or silver. It comes from the rich natural resources, Lylis's wisdom in utilizing them, and the hard work of our people. If we were to fall under Fontae's control, everything would be exploited, the people would suffer, and this country, this land, would eventually wither."

The room fell into a heavy silence after the king's words.

Lylis, realizing the severity of the situation, was desperately thinking.

Whenever Lylis had a significant "reality dream" or a problem arose, the entire family would gather to discuss it.

This had been the case since Lylis was eight and her sister Daria was five.

"I'll try to be near the King of Fontae as much as possible from now on. Perhaps I can find a way to resolve the situation."

Unfortunately, Lylis's dreams—what she called "reality dreams"—didn't show her what she wished to see.

They were usually random.

But if she thought strongly before going to bed, she could sometimes go to a specific place, so Lylis decided to try.

However, the king shook his head sadly.

"Actually, an envoy from Aelaros arrived a while ago, offering aid."

"Then we should accept it! If our country is invaded by Fontae, Aelaros's border will be threatened. It would be a loss for Aelaros too."

The reason Freud had remained independent and free from invasion by either country was not just because it was insignificant, but also because it helped maintain the balance between the two.

Lylis finally smiled, but the king and the princes looked troubled.

It seemed the matter wasn't that simple.

"......What are the conditions?"

"The conditions... No, Aelaros has offered an alliance. An alliance through a blood tie between the two countries."

"Blood tie..."

"The Emperor of Aelaros wishes for our daughter to become the Empress of Prince Gesalde."

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