〇〇 First Name, 〇〇〇 Last Name
[This is all hand typed so there may be mistakes]
You have a marriage interview with Sieg after he was so horrible to you?! You arrive at the castle, still unable to get your head around the situation...
Zain III "Miss 〇〇〇? Miss 〇〇〇...?"
Zain III "Are you okay?"
〇〇 "N-No, I'm not. Why have I been chosen?"
〇〇 "There's no way Sieg would choose me..."
I recall Sieg's attitude last night.
(He didn't treat me nicely at all, did he...?)
Zain III "I think it was Sieg's own decision."
〇〇 "There must be some mistake..."
The butler's expression softens at my words.
Zain III "No, he definitely chose you."
Zain III "If it's okay... We have a dress for you."
Zain III "I'll return tonight with the maids to help you change."
Zain III "After that, I'll take you to the restaurant for the marriage interview."
〇〇 "M-Marriage interview?!"
Zain III "Yes, this is an opportunity to get to know him better as his potential bride."
Zain III "I've been entrusted with bringing you to the meeting place."
(Get to know that prince?!)
Prince, potential bride, marriage interview...
The unfamiliar words chase each other around in my head.
I can't believe this is happening...
There's no way I can turn down an invitation from a prince, so all I do is nod.
As promised, Zain returns that evening with the maids.
After the girls have helped me with my dress and makeup, I get into Zain's car.
Zain III "The dress really suits you."
〇〇 "Thank you."
Zain looks in the rear view mirror and compliments me as I sit in the back.
I get the sense that he's trying to help me relax.
(Zain's a really nice guy.)
(But just like yesterday, I feel out of place in such a fancy dress...)
(And more importantly, what the hell's gonna happen tonight?)
〇〇 "Um, what restaurant are we going to?"
Zain III "I apologize for my lack of explanation."
Zain III "It's a place near Nobel Michel Castle."
〇〇 " Thank goodness, so we're not going all the way to DresVan Kingdom."
Zain III "Yes, Sieg is currently staying at Nobel Michel Castle..."
Zain III "... to prepare for the Expo."
(I heard that the Expo is some kind of party...)
〇〇 "Um, what exactly is the Expo?"
Zain III "The Nobel Expo is a great exhibition held by a group of the surrounding countries..."
Zain III "... in order to deepen friendships and promote cultural exchange between them."
Zain III "This time, Sanct Sybil Kingdom and Shaharazal Kingdom will also be participating."
(So that means Prince Ivan and Prince Aslan will be at Nobel Michel too...)
Zain III "Organization of the event is entrusted to the princes of those kingdoms."
Zain III "The princes are staying at Nobel Michel Castle for an extended period as they prepare."
〇〇 "I see..."
Zain III "Miss 〇〇〇, allow me to help you."
〇〇 "Thanks..."
When we enter the restaurant I'm met by a slender man dressed similarly to Zain.
(Who's that?)
Zain III "Hans, I've brought Miss 〇〇〇."
Hans "Thank you very much for taking Sieg up on his request."
Hans bows to Zain...
... and then glances at me, his intense eyes burning into mine.
He quickly lowers his head into a deep bow.
Hans "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss 〇〇〇."
Hans "My name is Hans, and I work as Sieg's butler."
Hans "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."
〇〇 "Me too... Thank you very much for today's invitation."
Feeling pressured by Han's intensity, I also bow my head.
Hans "Now, allow me to take you to Sieg."
My back stiffens at his words.
(Up 'til now I've been vaguely uneasy about all of this, but...)
I start to feel incredibly nervous, knowing I'm having an interview with a prince.
I look towards Zain, and he smiles encouragingly.
Zain III "I hope you have a wonderful time."
Hans "Sieg, Miss 〇〇〇 is here."
Sieg "Yeah, come in."
(Here we go...)
Feeling my body stiffen up, I take a step into the room.
Sieg sits at a dining room table at the far end of a decadent room.
It looks like he's enjoying some kind of alcoholic beverage.
Keeping his hand on his glass, the prince slowly turns his face towards me.
〇〇 "Oh..."
I find myself drawn in by his elegant demeanor, and my heart starts to race.
(Yesterday, I was so flustered I didn't really notice...)
His handsome features and sophisticated aura are nothing short of prince-like.
The prince stares back at me with his mouth slightly open.
〇〇 "Sieg...?"
Sieg "Well... I guess anyone can look good with the right clothes."
Sieg "It's impossible to look dull..."
Sieg "... when I hand-picked a dress that would flatter even the likes of you."
〇〇 "Wha?!"
I'm stunned at his cruel words.
(I can't believe that's the first thing out of his mouth!)
I immediately regret admiring him just a moment before.
Sieg "Don't just stand there, sit down. How long are you gonna keep me waiting?"
Make a Choice:
A: Sit down silently
B: Answer back.
C: Force a smile.
〇〇 "It's not like I intended to make you wait."
〇〇 "Zain said we'd arrived exactly on time."
Hans "Miss 〇〇〇..."
Hans hurriedly tries to butt in, but Sieg raises a hand to stop him.
Sieg "Hans, it's fine."
Hans "But Sieg..."
(Eek, I guess I was a bit impertinent.)
Sieg "You're an assertive girl, just as I saw yesterday. Anyway, sit down."
I sit beside Sieg, still simmering. After a while, the food is brought out.
The presentation is beautiful. The flavors are complex and wonderful.
〇〇 "Mm, this sauce is delicious!"
(They've used a subtle amount of fresh cream.)
Forgetting my earlier annoyance, I crack a smile as inspiration hits me.
(This might be good research for my baking...)
Feeling pleased with myself, I continue to eat. I hear a derisive laugh from beside me.
Sieg "You look happy."
〇〇 "Yes, the food looks great and it tastes amazing too."
Sieg "Well, of course. This is a restaurant for the royal household."
〇〇 "Yeah."
Sieg "Your sort don't really get the chance to eat this kind of food."
Sieg "So make the most of it."
〇〇 "I will..."
(It's true, but he didn't have to be so ...blunt.)
I fight the urge to snap back, and concentrate on enjoying the food.
A bone-in meat dish is brought out.
(Huh? How do I eat this? I can't just bite into it.)
I glance at the knives and forks laid out, looking for a clue.
Then I cast a furtive glance towards Prince Sieg to see what he's doing.
Sieg "Pfft."
〇〇 "Huh?"
I look up to see him smothering a laugh with his hand.
Sieg "Your face... You're like a squirrel scavenging for nuts."
〇〇 "S-Squirrel?!"
Sieg finds it so funny that he turns away, his shoulders shaking.
Hans "Sieg, shall I get you some water?"
Hans, waiting nearby, speaks up to try to smooth over the situation.
Sieg "Y-Yeah... Please."
Prince Sieg clears his throat and takes a sip of the water Hans pours him.
Then he picks up his knife and fork, spearing the meat with the fork.
He uses the knife to cute along close to the bone.
Sieg "After you've cut it off the bone like this, dice it into bite-sized pieces."
〇〇 "I see..."
I nod, my face bright red.
Sieg "Try as you may, your manners pale compared to mine."
Sieg "Bumpkins will always eat like bumpkins."
(What the...)
My stomach sinks at this blunt words.
Feeling ashamed and miserable, I continue with my meal...
The time to leave this farce of a marriage interview draws near.
(Phew... It's finally over...)
I let out a small sigh, then a voice calls out from behind me.
Sieg "Hey."
Sieg "Hans will drive you. That's okay?"
〇〇 "Thank you."
〇〇 "Well, I'll be going now. Goodbye Sieg."
I raise my head and make to leave, when...
Sieg "Wait."
Suddenly, there's a hand on my shoulder.
〇〇 "Huh...?"
Make a Choice:
A. Stare at him.
B: "What's the matter?"
C: Step back.
〇〇 "What is it?"
Sieg "Nothing..."
The prince's lips move slightly like he wants to say something.
In the end, he doesn't form the words...
Sieg "It's nothing... Go home."
〇〇 "Wha?!"
(He's the one that stopped me!)
〇〇 "You don't need to tell me that. I was going anyway!"
I retort, then lift the hem of my dress and head towards Hans.
(What a jerk.)
(And why was he acting so strange just now?)
Hans drives us through the nighttime streets.
After some silence, he looks at me in the rear view mirror.
He keeps glancing at me.
〇〇 "Um... Is something the matter?"
Hans "I'm sorry."
Hans "I was wondering whether or not you enjoyed this evening's dinner..."
〇〇 "Well..."
(I can't really say I didn't, can I? And I think Hans knows that...)
〇〇 "Yeah... The food was incredibly good."
I avoid bringing up Prince Sieg. Hans lets out a disappointed sigh.
Hans "Sieg really enjoyed himself."
〇〇 "Huh...?"
Hans "Forgive me."
Hans "A butler shouldn't presume to speak of what his master is thinking."
Hans "Please forget I said anything."
〇〇 "O-Okay..."
(He said Sieg enjoyed himself... That means he found it fun being mean!)
〇〇 "Phew... I'm exhausted..."
Hans drops me off at home and I flop down onto my bed.
The tension drains away and a wave of exhaustion sweeps over me.
(But what the hell was today about...?)
The way he treated me made me feel so inferior.
〇〇 "He said marriage interview, but he probably just wanted to laugh at an ordinary person."
The next morning...
I wake up to the sound of my cell phone vibrating.
(Nn... It's morning...?)
The next moment I'm leaping out of bed.
(Right, last night I went out for dinner and then fell asleep... ARGH! Work!)
Completely frazzled, I lunge for my cell phone.
The call is from Yosef.
〇〇 "Yosef, I'm so sorry! I overslept..."
Yosef "Don't worry, you still have time before work."
〇〇 "Huh?"
I look at my wall clock and see I have time to spare.
Yosef "Sorry to call you so early. It's just that it's an emergency..."
〇〇 "An emergency?"
〇〇 "Yosef, you said there was an emergency...!"
I hurry to the stop and find Yosef there surrounded by bags of flour.
〇〇 "Oh, we got the flour back? That's good."
Yosef "No, this isn't from Nobel Michel Castle."
Yosef "This has been sent to us from DresVan Kingdom."
〇〇 "DresVan?"
As I hear that word, my heart skips a beat.
Yosef "Yeah, and from the royal family at that!"
Yosef "They want us to make a bunch of cakes with it by 3PM today."
Yosef "And they asked for you..."
Yosef "... to deliver them to the castle personally."
〇〇 "M-Me?!"
(However I look at it, this is Sieg's doing. Although why the hell...?)
Yosef "〇〇, could you get started right away?"
〇〇 "Sure."
Hans "Miss 〇〇〇, good to see you."
We finally finish the cakes, and when I arrive at the castle Hans is waiting for me.
〇〇 "Thank you for your order..."
〇〇 "We're happy to receive big orders, but it was difficult on such a short notice."
Hans "I'm very sorry to hear that."
Hans "But we needed you to deliver the cakes yourself..."
〇〇 "Are you holding some kind of special event?"
Hans "Yes... Something like that."
Hans "Well, could you take one of the cakes..."
Hans "... and follow me?"
〇〇 "Just one?"
Hans "Yes, the castle staff will unpack the rest."
Still in the dark, I follow Hans down one of the castle's many corridors.
(Does he want me to serve it?)
(Maybe I've gained a good reputation as a pastry chef since I helped at the party...)
(I'd be pleased if that's the case.)
Hans "In here, please."
I enter the room anticipating a crowd of people.
Instead, there's just...
〇〇 "Sieg... Huh?"
The room is a large wood paneled office.
Prince Sieg is sitting alone at a desk in the center.
Sieg "You're late. Are you incapable of responding to an order promptly?"
Bewildered, I look at Hans.
〇〇 "This wasn't an order for a party?"
Sieg "What? Is that what you told her, Hans?"
Hans "N-No, I..."
Prince Sieg glances at his watch.
Sieg "My break is at exactly three. Now, thanks to you, I'm late."
Sieg "Hurry up and bring me that cake."
〇〇 "Your break's at three... so does that mean this order..."
〇〇 "... was for your personal afternoon snack?"
Sieg "Don't be so stupid. I'm not a child who needs his afternoon snack."
Sieg "It's simply a requirement so I can perform my duties without a hitch."
〇〇 "Wha..."
(What the hell is he thinking?!)
He stares at me smugly, as I stand there dumbfounded.
At the moment, I had no idea what the fates had in store for us...
This is the end of your 1st day with Sieg
No comments:
Post a Comment