Chapter 206 The Prince And The Crown Prince
That day was unexpectedly warm for late autumn. Chloe decided to forego wearing her favorite cape over her dress and instead wore a cute corsage on her chest to satisfy herself.
Sara had been busy until the previous day and was sleep-deprived, so she followed the instructions of Maria and the other servants, taking a bath early in the morning, having a light meal in her room, and getting dressed in a daze. Her hair was styled in a complex half-updo with loose, vertical rolls at the ends, achieved using hairpins.
When Sara saw herself in the mirror, she thought, "Who does this vertical roll hairstyle make me look like? Some kind of evil noblewoman!" But since Chloe had insisted on styling her hair in those style, which was her specialty, Sara thought it wasn't so bad in comparison. By the way, all the hair care products used were from Amelia the Pharmacist Girl's new line.
Today, Prince Andrew and Crown Prince Gerhart were scheduled to arrive in the morning, and Marquis and Young Marquis, along with Robert, would be having lunch together.
The children who were not yet adults, as well as Rebecca, who was not yet officially Robert's wife, would join in the greetings upon their arrival, but would have lunch separately.
'After eating lunch at home, I need to stop by the merchant guild.'
Sara thought carelessly.
Before long, the carriages carrying the royal family entered the gates of Grandchester Castle, and the Grandchester family, including Rebecca and Sara, welcomed them at the main entrance of the castle.
The main castle of Grandchester, unlike the residential building where Sara and the others lived, was only used for official events. The castle, equipped with a large hall that stretched up to the third floor and a dining room that could accommodate 200 people, was not suitable as a living quarters.
Connected to this castle by a corridor was an old mansion where Prince Andrew and Crown Prince Gerhart were staying. Originally, it was a building where the Grandchester family lived, but now it served as a guesthouse for high-ranking visitors.
As the carriage arrived at the castle's entrance, the Marquis stepped forward and took a bow-and-scrape pose. Of course, Edward and Robert, standing behind him, also assumed the same pose, while the ladies all curtsied deeply.
"Welcome, please come in."
"Thank you for greeting us, Marquis Grandchester. Please, rise."
"Yes."
At the young man's signal, everyone lifted their heads.
'Ah, I see, the warrior god with copper-colored hair...'
Sara gazed at Prince Andrew's appearance, understanding whom Chloe had written poetry about. The young man with copper-colored hair and golden eyes boasted a slender yet well-proportioned body, with a height that was still growing at 17 years old. Though his physique was not yet fully developed, he seemed to have toned muscles.
'He's got a lean, muscular build, and still has a bit of boyish charm that girls would find endearing.'
But Crown Prince Gerhart, who emerged from behind, had an appearance that perfectly fit the word "refined." With black hair and hazel eyes, Crown Prince Gerhart wore a smile, yet his gaze was sharp, exuding an air of a warrior man.
'This person, before becoming the crown prince, was in a knight order or something... If I had to say, he's way more of a warrior god than that.'
Sara's prediction was correct. Roisen, which was established around 200 years ago to unify the Odel Kingdom, is a military state that has built its current position through military power. Even female members of the royal family learn swordsmanship, spear techniques, and archery, and many of them hold positions in the knight order. Crown Prince Gerhart was also a member of the kingdom's knight order before becoming the crown prince, and he was training to become the commander of the knight order in the future.
"Hey, Marquis Grandchester. It's been a while since we met in the capital, hasn't it? Won't you introduce me to your family?"
"Very well. There's my eldest son Edward and his children, my second son Robert and his fiancée Rebecca, the Viscount Orson's daughter, and my late third son's daughter."
As Crown Prince Gerhart asked, Marquis introduced his family members. It seems he didn't introduce his grandson. Each of them bowed their heads slightly as they were introduced.
Then, Prince Andrew asked Marquis,
"By 'late third son,' do you mean Sir Arthur's daughter?"
"That's correct, Lord Andrew."
"I've never actually met her. But my aunt, Victoria, was a fan of Sir Arthur. Even though she got married to my uncle a long time ago, she still complains that she wanted to marry Sir Arthur."
"Those are kind words. I can't believe Madam of Duke Arbal can remind me of that."
As the Marquis bowed his head in respect, Prince Andrew turned to Sara.
Prince Andrew's mother, the Crown Princess, was the eldest daughter of the Duke Arlbal. Victoria, the Crown Princess's sister, had married into the royal family, and her husband had taken over the Duke of Arlbal's title. At 25 years old, she already had 2 children. She and her husband had arrived yesterday and were participating in the hunting tournament as a couple. The Marquis himself had paid his respects to them.
"What's your name, then?"
"I'm Sara."
"Haha, your name is cute too."
"I'm honored."
"Yeah, you're small, but you can bow properly――that's impressive!"
Prince Andrew gently patted Sara's head. As far as he was concerned, he was praising Sara for being able to bow properly despite being raised as a commoner until recently. However, the people from Grandchester and the servants were desperately trying not to laugh at Prince Andrew treating Sara like a child.
"We'll talk more about this later, so let me show you around. This castle is where the opening ceremony and ball will be held. If you go down that corridor, you'll find the guest house. We've prepared a room for Lord and Lady Andrew and Your Royal Highness Prince Gerhart."
Under the Marquis's guidance, the group entered the castle, and at the entrance of the corridor, the Marquis's family bowed their heads to bid farewell to the royal family. From here on, only the Marquis would be allowed to guide them, and anyone who wasn't invited by the royal family would not be allowed to enter. Although they were still in Grandchester Castle, it was temporarily being treated as a royal palace.
As Sara and the others stopped in their tracks, they bowed their heads in a farewell gesture, and Gerhart, the Crown Prince, called out to Marquis.
"I've heard that today's lunch will be with Marquis Grandchester's family, but will Lady Rebecca and the young ones be joining us as well?"
Sara thought to herself, "Oh no, this is going to be a hassle," but she maintained her composure and continued to bow her head. After all, they couldn't possibly turn down a request from a foreign royal family.
"Viscount Orson's daughter is still unmarried and hasn't been officially announced, and the children are still minors. Will that be all right?"
"Of course it will. Since it's not a formal gathering, we won't mind if the young ones are a bit rambunctious."
With Gerhart, the Crown Prince, pressing the issue, Marquis had no choice but to agree to have the entire family join the lunch table.
As soon as this decision was made, the servants scrambled to prepare for the additional guests, while Prince Andrew and Gerhart, the Crown Prince, changed into their attire and got ready. Although they had initially prepared more than enough food, they didn't have enough matching dishes, so they had to hastily change the table settings.
Fortunately, Rebecca and the children were already dressed appropriately for the occasion, so they didn't need to get ready again. However, for the minors, this was a sudden and unprecedented experience of dining with royalty from their own country and another country. No matter what Gerhart, the Crown Prince, said about not minding, they couldn't afford to be rude or careless in their behavior.
It was a bolt from the blue for Sara. After all, it was her first social gathering, and yet Sara had to have a meal in front of the royal family right off the bat. Normally, you'd get used to socializing at small tea parties or something, but there was no time for that.
"Mother, what do I do!?
"There's no use panicking now. You don't have to worry about table manners, just focus on the conversation. Just answer the questions you're asked. You're Arthur's daughter, after all, so you should be good at playing the part of a big cat."
Sara nodded silently, her face stiff.
When she glanced to the side, she saw that Chloe was pale too. It was no wonder, considering she was having a meal with their idol, the prince, and it was her first time doing so. It would be weird if she wasn't nervous. On the other hand, Adam and Christopher seemed relaxed.
"Prince Gerhart's sword skills were amazing, weren't they? I wonder what it feels like to wield one."
"Prince Andrew's rapier was beautiful too. He must be very skilled."
'This is such a huge difference between guys and girls. It's so annoying.'
"Adam and Christopher are so calm, but I'm so nervous I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my mouth."
Sara muttered, and Chloe reacted too.
"You think so too, Sara? I thought I was the only one who was nervous."
"But this is my first social gathering, and suddenly I have to have lunch with the royal family? What's going on?"
"That's true, isn't it?"
Since Sara was getting flustered, Chloe started to calm down instead.
"But Sara, you're doing great. You even talked to Prince Andrew directly, didn't you?"
"What, little girl?"
"H-huh... That's amazing, right?"
The people around her burst out laughing all at once, shaking their shoulders. Even the servants couldn't help but shake their shoulders and look down, trying to hide their grins. Sara's laughter also helped to ease the tension a bit.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)