〇〇 First Name, 〇〇〇 Last Name
[This is all hand typed so there may be mistakes]
You just couldn't help snapping at Sieg's selfish attitude. Except a few days later your bell rings, and you open the door to see...
I rushed to deliver the huge order from Prince Sieg.
〇〇 "So only you will be eating the cakes from this order?"
Prince Sieg watches me with a smirk as I stand there, floored.
Sieg "Don't just stand there like an idiot. Hurry up and serve it."
〇〇 "Fine."
I'm annoyed, but I slice up the cake and serve it.
Sieg "This is definitely your own work."
〇〇 "Yes..."
Prince Sieg takes a bite of cake, then looks towards Hans.
Sieg "Hans, get her a chair."
Hans "Of course."
〇〇 "Oh no, don't bother. I'm going back now anyway."
Sieg "Who gave you permission to leave? You'll sit here and eat with me."
〇〇 "Huh?"
Before I can react, Hans is seating me and I end up eating with the prince.
(What's his game?!)
My confidence caves as I remember the atmosphere at yesterday's marriage interview.
After Sieg thoroughly inspects the cross-section of cake, he opens his mouth.
Sieg "This sponge cake..."
〇〇 "You don't like it?"
Sieg "I do... It's moist and delicious. Is there anything special in it?"
〇〇 "Um... I added honey."
〇〇 "It rounds out the flavor, and makes it easy to rise."
Sieg "I see. That's a good idea."
(I can't believe Sieg noticed a difference in the batter...)
〇〇 "Good observation. Do you like cooking?"
Sieg "Anyone would notice that."
Sieg "Although, yes, I'm rather skilled in cooking. Next time, I'll make something for you."
Make a Choice:
A: "I'm looking forward to it."
B: "You don't need to."
C: "What will you make?"
〇〇 "T-That's okay. You don't need to."
Sieg "If you refuse, it'll make me want to force-feed you."
I feel like our conversation is going better than yesterday, so I chime in.
〇〇 "So this order was for your personal snack..."
〇〇 "I mean, an important part of your break, but what about the rest of the cakes?"
〇〇 "There's still a lot in the kitchens."
Sieg "I don't really have any plans for them."
〇〇 "What do you mean?"
Sieg "I thought if I was gonna order then I should order a lot, so I did."
Sieg "Shouldn't a humble cake store be grateful for that?"
〇〇 "You..."
(I can't believe that was the reason...)
I'm rendered speechless by his arbitrary reasoning.
Sieg "Why the face?"
Sieg "I thought it'd be an honor?"
〇〇 "Not at all!"
Sieg "What do you mean?"
〇〇 "Even when I'm in a rush I make each individual cake with love."
〇〇 "I want to make the people who'll eat them happy."
〇〇 "And yet you just... your aim was just to have us make a bunch for no reason."
〇〇 "The staff worked their hardest to get everything together, and yet it was all a waste."
Sieg "I'm paying a pretty penny. Petty complaints are unbecoming."
〇〇 "Money's not the issue here!"
Without thinking, I get up from my chair.
〇〇 "Do you think your position allows you to walk all over people!?"
I take away Prince Sieg's plate.
Sieg "H-Hey!"
〇〇 "You don't have the right to eat this cake!"
Sieg "..."
Hans "Miss 〇〇〇...?!"
I leave the room, taking his plate with me.
Yosef "Welcome back, 〇〇. What did they think of the cakes at the castle?"
〇〇 "Huh? Oh... Yeah. It went pretty well."
I give him a vague smile, not letting on what really happened.
(I can't believe I went off on him like that...)
Now that I'm back in the calm of the store. I pause as I think how impudent I was.
(Sieg must be so angry...)
(Argh, I hope this doesn't turn into a big deal...)
A few days later...
*bing-bong*
I'm lazing around at home on my day off when I hear the doorbell.
〇〇 "Coming! Who is it...?"
〇〇 "Huh?!"
I'm lost for words when I open the door and see who's standing there.
Sieg "What's with those clothes? Is that what people wear at home?"
〇〇 "..."
I ignore his jab at my loungewear.
(What is Sieg doing here...?!)
Sieg "This entryway's as small as a dog's kennel."
〇〇 "..."
Sieg "Hey, what's with the silence?"
〇〇 "Um, uh... Well, last time I..."
Sieg "Oh, yeah! You mean when you lectured me?"
Sieg "There's no way I can let a woman who stands up to me get away."
(He's not angry...?)
I hesitate, but Prince Sieg pushes his way into my house.
Sieg "I came here to visit you. Hurry up and let me in."
〇〇 "Wait a minute!"
〇〇 "How do you know where I live?!"
Sieg "It's not hard to find out."
Prince Sieg grins at me slyly.
Sieg "Do you really sleep, eat and do everything in this tiny place?"
Sieg "I didn't think it was possible, but now I've seen it with my own eyes..."
Sieg "So this is how the people live."
(Did he come all this way just to mock me?)
Sieg "More importantly, don't you have any better clothes?"
〇〇 "Huh? T-These are just what I wear at home!"
Sieg "Then change into something else. We're going out."
(Why is this happening...?)
Sieg brought me to a concert hall.
It's a stunning building with hundreds of years of history behind its walls.
I wait behind Sieg with Hans, like his attendant.
"Wow! It's Prince Sieg!"
"Ohmigosh, so handsome...."
Prince Sieg smiles benevolently at the crowd and responds like a gentleman.
Manager "Sieg, we've been expecting you."
Manager "It's a great honor to have you here today."
Sieg "It's my pleasure."
Sieg "I heard that this orchestra has been performing excellently lately."
Manager "Would you say a few words to the musicians?"
Manager "It would mean the world to them."
Sieg "Yes, of course."
(He's so different... Actually, he was like this when I first met him...)
I gaze at him reproachfully, knowing what he's really like behind this facade.
Hans "Miss 〇〇〇."
Hans "Shall we go ahead and take our seats?"
〇〇 "Okay."
Hans "He'll join us in a moment."
〇〇 "Okay."
I follow Hans to a seat in the VIP area.
The bell signals the start of the concert, and the lights dim.
(If he doesn't come soon, it'll start without him...)
Then I see Sieg appear between the stage curtains as they begin to part.
〇〇 "Huh...? Sieg?"
The audience notices Prince Sieg too, and a buzz runs through the hall.
Hans "Sieg will be performing a piece as a special surprise guest."
〇〇 "Really..."
Prince Sieg sits down before the piano and silence descends on the hall.
As he starts to play, the hall fills with graceful music.
(Whoa...)
His gingers flow softly across the keys, spinning a delicate tune.
(There's no doubt he's got a different aura to most ordinary people...)
Sieg "Hey, sit next to me."
The orchestra begins and Prince Sieg returns to his seat.
There's a heavy security presence, and we're surrounded by bodyguards.
〇〇 "Is it okay for me to be next to you?"
Sieg "There's no problem with my attendant sitting next to me, is there?"
Sieg "Just follow my orders."
(Geez, seems like his gentlemanly behavior before was all an act.)
I sit down next to him, still pissed off at how differently he treats other people.
〇〇 "That was an amazing performance."
Sieg "You know a lot about music?"
〇〇 "Not really... but it was very moving."
Prince's Sieg's performance stirred the audience...
... and it seems to carry over into the orchestra's performance.
〇〇 "Being here with you today, I can see..."
〇〇 "... that everyone loves you."
〇〇 "People are moved to tears when you speak to them, and everyone enjoyed your performance."
He replies in a flat tone.
Sieg "It's not like anyone's really smiling at me."
Sieg "They're just happy they got to meet 'Prince Sieg'."
〇〇 "That's..."
Sieg "I'm just someone who bears the title of 'prince'. That's all I'm worth."
My stomach churns hearing those melancholy words from someone usually so haughty."
Make a Choice:
A: "Maybe so."
B: "That's not true."
C: "I don't know."
〇〇 "That's not true."
Sieg "You really think so? Don't just say what you think I want to hear."
〇〇 "Ugh..."
I glance to the side to check on the prince.
In profile, his face is handsome, but he also looks terribly gloomy.
(I thought I was jealous of the princes living in their dazzling world...)
(But even they have their hardships.)
As I gaze at him sadly, our eyes meet.
Sieg "But here I've got the only woman who doesn't treat me like I'm special."
〇〇 "You must be angry about what happened before."
Sieg "No."
Sieg "It was my fault for not thinking about the feelings of the people who made those cakes."
Sieg "Sorry."
〇〇 "N-Not at all."
Sieg "I gave the rest of the order out to my staff, so it all got eaten."
〇〇 "Really? That's good."
Sieg "That cake was delicious."
〇〇 "!"
〇〇 "Thank you..."
The music of the orchestra echoes softly through my heart.
After accompanying him to the concert...
... Prince Sieg took to turning up at my house quite frequently.
Sieg "Tonight we're going to a wine-tasting event. Hurry up and get ready."
〇〇 "I just got back from work!"
Sieg "I thought you looked more tired than usual."
Sieg "You've got two minutes. Wash your face."
(Geez, why does he always turn up unannounced?)
I stare at him dumbfounded and the prince gives a little cough.
Sieg "By the way, I wanted to ask you... does someone living around here have a cat?"
Sieg "I saw one over there."
〇〇 "A cat...? I don't know."
〇〇 "Maybe it's a stray."
Sieg "A stray..."
Prince Sieg's eyebrows raise for a moment."
〇〇 "What is it?"
Sieg "N-Nothing."
Sieg "More importantly, hurry up and get changed."
At the wine-tasting event, I take a breather in a corner.
A little ways away, I can see Prince Sieg, playing the gentleman as usual.
(He brings me along with him whenever he has the chance, but why?)
It wasn't like he brought me as his partner...
(Maybe he thinks he's got himself a new servant?)
Sieg comes over to me as I'm mulling over my discontent.
Sieg "You look like a mouse huddled there in the corner."
Sieg "Does your body lack the refinement to handle fine wine?"
〇〇 "No, I made sure to take this opportunity to have more than my share."
〇〇 "And can you stop comparing me to animals like squirrels, dogs, and mice?"
〇〇 "I'm a human being."
(Somewhere along the way I've become immune to his sarcasm.)
Prince Sieg snorts, then takes a sip of wine.
〇〇 "Um... I've been thinking."
〇〇 "Why do you bring me alone to these little functions?"
Sieg "Is it a bother?"
〇〇 "No, it's not a bother. I just don't understand."
The prince downs the wine he's been holding.
Sieg "There's not really a reason."
Sieg "I thought it would be interesting... to have an ordinary person like you around."
〇〇 "There's no deeper reason than that."
Sieg "..."
(So he just brought me for his own amusement.)
(And I've got work to think about...)
〇〇 "Um, Sieg. I said it wasn't a bother, but actually..."
I start to speak, but Sieg cuts me off.
Sieg "By the way, there's going to be a boat party hosted by Nobel Michel."
〇〇 "Another one?"
Sieg "Yeah, this time it's to entertain the politicians and members of the royal family..."
Sieg "... who will be working to hold the Nobel Expo."
〇〇 "Politicians and royal family... Wow."
Sieg "Yeah, and I want you to come too."
〇〇 "But Sieg, I..."
Sieg "If you were there as a pastry chef you'd have no complaints, right?"
〇〇 "Huh?"
Sieg "According to Hans, the head pastry chef at Nobel Michel Castle..."
Sieg "...said that he wants you to help again."
〇〇 "R-Really?"
(Wow! So this must mean he was impressed by my work before!)
〇〇 "Thank you! I'd be honored to!"
Sieg "Thanks to me you're used to parties now. It'll be a piece of cake for you."
(Could that be the real reason why he's been taking me out recently...?)
Sieg "What, is there something you're not happy with?"
〇〇 "No, I'm really happy! Thank you so much!"
I beam back at him.
(This is a once in a lifetime chance, so I've gotta give it my all!)
A chandelier hangs from the ceiling, which seems too high to possibly fit in a boat.
The tinkle of voices and melodious laughter rings through the room.
Guest "Oh my, this cake roll is really delicious."
〇〇 "Thank you. Would you care for another slice?"
After I've finish making the cakes, I serve them to the guests in the spacious hall.
As I'm doing so, I hear a familiar voice a short distance away.
(It's Sieg...)
Our eyes meet, but Sieg's gaze immediately turns back to the circle of guests around him.
(I felt like we grew closer after spending time together, but...)
In his formal outfit, talking with the elite members of parliament and the royal family...
... Sieg seems like he belongs in a world far from my own.
??? "What's the matter? You look down."
Suddenly, I hear a friendly voice from behind me.
〇〇 "Oliver!"
Oliver "It's great to see you again!"
Oliver "Could I get some of that chocolate cake?"
〇〇 "Sure, here you go."
Oliver "Thanks, and some for those guys too."
I turn to the side and see Prince Hayden and Prince Aslan standing there.
Hayden "I'll have the baked cheesecake."
Aslan "I'll take whatever you recommend."
〇〇 "Of course. Just a moment."
(So the princes are here too...)
I feel nervous around their dazzling presence as I quietly watch the three of them eat.
Aslan "I see Sieg's entertaining the royals."
Oliver "Yeah, he takes his position seriously."
Hayden "All things considered, is it okay for him to be here."
Hayden "It wasn't long ago that I heard that rumor about DresVan."
(...Rumor?)
My ears perk up at Prince Hayden's words.
Oliver "Yeah, I heard that too."
Oliver "That there's been a lot of glitzy parties in DresVan recently..."
Oliver "...even though their motto is one of austerity."
Hayden "It seems like large-scale construction works are on the increase too..."
Aslan "That's under the direction of the current King, right?"
Aslan "I thought he was all about protecting the traditions of his predecessors..."
(So they're having problems in DresVan...)
I feel myself worrying as I listen to the prince's grave discussion.
Then Prince Oliver notices my expression and smiles at me.
Oliver "Oh, sorry."
Oliver "We shouldn't be talking politics while eating this fantastic cake."
Hayden "It's very subtly flavored. Thanks."
〇〇 "You're very welcome."
Aslan "It was great. I'll have to have it again sometime."
The princes return their plates, then walk off.
(Is Sieg okay...?)
I gaze at his profile as he talks seriously with the guests, and I'm seized by uneasiness.
This is the end of your 2nd day with Sieg
No comments:
Post a Comment