Chapter 35

Captain Blanche looked uncertain, her eyes darting around. I leaned in closely.

"Please, Captain Blanche."

"W-well, it's not up to me alone."

"Then, at least the name of the blacksmith."

"U... um, yes, well, um..."

Just as I was about to press further, a knock on the door interrupted us, and my luggage arrived. Captain Blanche looked relieved, but I wasn't ready to give up. However, I decided to put it on hold and start unpacking the delivered items. Some of my personal belongings were sealed, and if anyone other than me opened them by mistake, they would explode, causing a major disaster. The dresses and other clothes were put away in the wardrobe by the male servants who brought the luggage. Natalie kindly took the undergarments to the inner room. It seemed that my research materials had not been brought here, so the unpacking was quickly finished.

Soon, Lillian added some fragrant distilled water to the bathwater. The fruity scent that wafted with the steam made me sigh in relief as I decided to wash my face.

"Princess, your hair seems tangled. May I use some scented oil to untangle it?"

Captain Blanche looked at my messy hair with a troubled expression. It seemed to be tangled in several places. She tried to comb a strand, but it got stuck halfway. The scented oil had a refreshing aroma, and while it would make my hair soft and manageable, I had a specific request.

"I'd like it to be fluffy."

"Fluffy?"

"Um... the Duke seems to like my fluffy hair."

"Will you not tie it up?"

"Well, the Duke prefers it down."

I decided to ask Captain Blanche to help me achieve the Duke's request. The Duke seemed to find great comfort in touching my fluffy hair, and his gentle touch was something I didn't mind at all.

"Indeed, this is an important mission!"

"An important mission?"

"Yes, a crucial task. Understood. I'll untangle it with the scented oil and then rinse it to make it fluffy."

"I'm sorry to make you, a knight, do such a thing."

"Don't worry. I used to brush my daughter's hair when she was little, so I'm quite good at it."

I swallowed the words "Is that so?" that were about to slip out. Captain Blanche had a daughter... Was she married?! She mentioned her daughter was no longer little, which meant she must be grown up now. She didn't look like someone with a grown child.

"Do you have children?"

"Yes, I have a daughter and a son. My daughter looks just like me and wants to become a knight, which makes her father worry."

"I think female knights are wonderful. It might be tough, but they take great pride in their work and are much more reliable than the average noble knight."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Captain Blanche skillfully applied the scented oil to my hair. She mentioned that she used to do the same for her daughter when she was mischievous. Her daughter now has short hair and attends the Midleague Knight School.

"Of course, I'm proud to be a knight of Galbreath. At the same time, I know the challenges of being a knight here. I've promised to forge a sword for my daughter if she graduates from the knight school... Princess, do you carry a sword... or any blade?"

Captain Blanche asked quietly.

"Yes, I need to process monsters."

"Is it... for eating?"

"Of course, for eating. This connection started because the Duke wanted to try it. I properly processed the Loiroyamudler I received as a gift and served it."

"Princess, you processed that Loiroyamudler yourself?!"

"Yes. It was so large that I needed help from the Duke and the knights. The borrowed blades made the work easier, so I thought I'd try."

In Marshall Raid, we rarely processed large monsters. But in Galbreath, there are many large monsters, and I needed to prepare the right tools for the job.

"Natalie, my tools are in that luggage. The seal is broken, so can you open it?"

"Yes, this one?"

Natalie brought me a leather bag containing my tools. She took out three blades I've been using for a long time.

"These are quite worn out."

"They seem to have been sharpened and used many times, making them much smaller than their original size."

Captain Blanche and Natalie examined my blades as if they were appraising them. They were sturdy and larger than usual, designed for cutting bones and slicing meat.

"The ones that fit my hand best are the ones I've shaped myself."

"Princess, you did that yourself?!"

Before Captain Blanche and Natalie could react, Lillian, who was watching with great interest, raised her hand hesitantly.

"Yes, Lillian. What is it?"

"Um... do you really eat monsters, Princess?"

"That's rude, Lillian! Don't ask such a question!"

"I'm sorry, Lillian was very rude."

Natalie quickly covered Lillian's mouth, and Captain Blanche apologized. But I appreciated her straightforwardness, as it made it easier to answer.

"It's fine. Hehe, eating monsters is quite intriguing, isn't it?"

I gently asked Lillian, and she nodded vigorously, still with her mouth covered.

"The land where I grew up, Marshall Raid, is very cold and not very fertile. Seventeen years ago, during the great drought and famine, the people suffered greatly from hunger and thirst. My late mother developed a method to turn monsters into safe food for the people, and now I continue her work."

After explaining my background, Lillian wriggled free from Natalie's grip and gasped.

"So what Mr. Chaos said was true! There are secrets about how to eat monsters without getting sick, right?"

"Yes. If the Duke allows it, I can serve Loiroyamudler and Zanas."

"Is it really delicious? Everyone says it's dangerous, and they won't let me eat it. They always leave me behind on expeditions, saying I'm too young, and the captain and vice-captain just say I'll be allowed soon."

Natalie scolded Lillian, but she couldn't stop talking.

"One of the knights who returned from your place said that the Duke's fiancée served delicious monster dishes. Princess, are monsters really delicious?"

I see. It seems Lillian hasn't participated in the harsh monster hunts. From Captain Blanche and Natalie's reactions, I could tell they had eaten monsters before.

"I'm really sorry, Lillian. You should stop bothering the Princess. Please step back."

"But..."

"Lillian!"

Lillian, called out sternly by Captain Blanche, looked down with a pout. Earlier, Mullan seemed to be protecting Lillian, and she looked quite young. I stopped Natalie from making Lillian leave and decided to answer her question.

"How old are you, Lillian?"

"I turned fifteen this year. I'm recognized as a knight, so I'm a grown-up now!"

"In Galbreath, do you become an adult at fifteen?"

"At seventeen. But Princess, I'm not a trainee; I'm a knight."

She seemed to be at a difficult age. I needed to find a way to convince her without hurting her feelings. Reflecting on my own experience, I remembered how I had felt before my debut in society. I had been quite anxious, and I still feel that way sometimes, but I've become a bit wiser after three years of socializing.

"Lillian, when I first started, I struggled with processing monsters and doing the necessary preparations. I went through many difficult experiences."

Research is full of failures. In my case, I often ended up bedridden from magical exhaustion rather than getting sick from the food. I've learned a lot from these failures. Lillian's sword seemed to be newer compared to Captain Blanche and Natalie's, suggesting she was a new knight. I decided to approach her gently.

"Lillian."

"Yes, Princess."

"Would you like to process and eat a monster with me to see if it's really delicious?"

Lillian's eyes widened at my suggestion. Captain Blanche looked like she wanted to say something. It was natural for her to be concerned about suddenly eating a monster. However, this could be a good opportunity for her to see what I do firsthand.

"I've been dealing with monsters since my blades were new. While I can't kill them with one strike like the Duke, I'm confident in my preparation skills."

Even if they don't agree with eating monsters, I hoped Captain Blanche and Natalie would understand my dedication to my research. The Duke would likely give his permission.

"Would you like to join me, Captain Blanche and Natalie? We have Loiroyamudler and Zanas meat, but is there any other monster you'd like to try? A magical beast, fish, tree, or even a magical insect?"

Captain Blanche and Natalie were hesitant, but Lillian was different. Ignoring the two frozen knights, she raised her hand enthusiastically.

"I want to try the fruit of the Scrimwood! Captain Blanche and the Duke said it was very astringent, but Captain Mullan said it was rich, sweet, and juicy. After that, he was bedridden with stomach pain and fever, but he mumbled that it was even better than the nectar of the high-end fruit!"

I see. Lillian's curiosity is strong due to her youth. The Scrimwood fruit... If it's really better than nectar, I'd like to try it too.