# Chapter 47
“Mr. E, E, Ed…?”
“‘Master’, you say?”
Edmund smiled weakly, twirling the cup in front of him with his fingers.
The transparent water in the cup was vibrating according to its movement, and with it my heart was vibrating uncontrollably.
“Not bad, but next time I’d prefer you call me without ‘Mister’.”
“Next time?”
"Yes, next time. You're my assistant, and we'll have to go on secret inspections like this again, right?"
Despite his rude tone, the tips of his ears looked red with embarrassment at hearing his nickname accompanied by that intimate tone.
A strange feeling of warmth came over me, and a small laugh escaped me.
“What are you laughing at?”
“Because you seem...a little cute.”
"Me? With this body?"
He looked at himself in astonishment, as if he couldn't believe what I said.
Indeed, Edmund was not one of those described as “nice.”
His broad shoulders, strong chest, and toned arm muscles made the shirt look like it was made especially for him.
But, I don't know why... he seemed really nice to me.
“It's a compliment, just take it.”
“If we put it the same way, you're the one who seems nicer.”
“Huh…m-what?”
He didn't answer.
While the strange silence fell, the dishes were placed on the table.
“Look.”
He smiled as he pointed to the food in front of us.
"When two people are different, they can order two different dishes and share them. That's how they complement each other."
He handed me some of his plate, with a kindness I had never seen from him.
Then silence came again.
Even the sound of spoons and knives disappeared, and the atmosphere became heavy.
Food in such an atmosphere is never digested.
I looked up at him shyly.
He ate calmly and elegantly, like an educational picture in a table etiquette book.
Galerheid was talking freely to me while eating... As for the prince of the country?
It is enough for me to open my mouth and he will scold me under the pretext of violating etiquette.
I decided to focus on my plate only.
“Don't you find something to talk to me about?”
“Huh?”
I was carefully cutting the meat when he asked me in a reproachful tone.
I raised my head and found him staring at me with a clear frown.
“I see you talking freely with Galerhead during dinner, but not a word with me.”
“Ah...”
Right, why was he there that day in the first place?
“Until the day I ate with Gallerhead… you seem to go out a lot, Your Highness.”
Is palace food not suitable for him?
Or is Lucid or the Empress messing with his food?
It is quite possible, as they are competing for the crown prince, and the Empress cannot stand Edmund's superiority. Perhaps she wanted to protect her son by getting rid of the competitor.
“Why is your face so serious?”
“Oh, nothing.”
He laughed sarcastically and raised his fork.
“I don't know what you're thinking, but the reason I was there that day was because...”
He paused for a moment, then said after hesitation: “I was just...craving a steak there the other day.”
Oh, understood.
Sometimes I eat spicy foods even though I can't stand them, just because I crave them.
When he seemed to me that he did not mind talking during dinner, I began to ask him some questions to find out if he was really the gentleman I was looking for.
“Have you lived there since your childhood, Mr. Ed?”
“You still don't know that?”
He said it in a surprised tone.
“Really, you were young then.”
Small? What is the difference between our ages in the first place?!
But I remained silent, because the story was important to me.
“As you know, His Majesty has never been close to the throne.”
I nodded. I knew this from the novel I had read previously.
"He was the youngest of thirteen half-siblings, and had no desire for the throne at all. After marrying my mother, he left the palace and they lived apart together."
His eyes reflected a sad gleam when he remembered the past, and I recalled in my mind that tragedy that I had forgotten.
Edmund's mother, an exotic dancer, was murdered fifteen years ago during the Civil War... by strangers like herself.
“Although my father attained the throne thanks to my mother, he lost her before he ascended it.”
In that war, extremist outsiders killed even half-bloods, and called Edmund's mother a traitor because she married a human prince.
Edmund's father, Kay, lived in a small, unguarded hut after he married the exotic dancer. But when the war dragged on, the imperial family decided to appease the outsiders by installing Kai as emperor.
The day he returned to the palace, extremists infiltrated his home and killed the woman who was to become the empress.
If Edmund had not lived in the palace since his youth, he might be my lost master...
At that time, there were no guards around the house, and perhaps a young child went out into the streets without protection... and was hit by a bullet, as in the story?
No, impossible. He said he didn't like dolls, so how was he going to hold a doll then?
“Let's move on to dessert now.”
Dessert was a piece of cake covered in gourmet chocolate.
But Edmund doesn't like chocolate.
“Take this.”
As I expected, he didn't eat it.
“You said you don't like chocolate, so at least eat it now.”
I said that while smiling.
The cake is really delicious...but—
“So, give me a moment.”
“Ah, yes.”
Where did he go? the bathroom?
While he was away, I called the waiter.
“Sorry.”
"Yes, ma'am? Do you need anything else?"
“I saw on the menu a dessert called batisa, can you please bring one?”
The waiter nodded and left while Edmund returned.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, just...what is this?”
Edmund returned holding a bouquet of flowers.
“It's a gift I've been meaning to give you before.”
"before?"
Did he promise me a gift someday?
“What exactly is this?”
I looked carefully, and found something else among the flowers.
“This is… chocolate from the store I love!”
"Hmm. I'm just a little late."
He coughed lightly, then put his hands firmly on the table and bowed.
"I'm sorry."
huh? apology? suddenly?
"I didn't push you on purpose that day. I didn't think you'd fall like that."
“Ah, the front?”
So that's why he apologizes! I thought he was going to say something bigger.
“You bled because of me, so… I’m really sorry.”
“I know you didn't do it intentionally, and you apologized that day too.”
“But you were hurt, and that's a fact.”
I received a bouquet of blue flowers the color of my hair.
If he had just had chocolate, it would have been enough, but he also brought flowers... something I didn't expect from him.
“They said this chocolate was the best seller in the store you mentioned to me.”
"Thank you."
He extended the gift again to me.
“So what is it?”
“Ah, this is something special that I picked out myself.”
He looked proud, so I thought it was something luxurious.
“Can I open it?”
"naturally."
The box was a little big, so I thought it was shoes or something.
But when I opened it, a strong, pungent odor emanated from it.
“This...”
“A valuable, hard-earned drug. I was taking it to strengthen my body.”
“Ah... drug...”
This really suits Edmund.
I closed the lid with an embarrassed smile.
“Boil a portion of it with water every day and drink it. Your body is weak, so I chose this carefully. Eat it every day.”
“I will. Thank you.”
Well, as long as it's his idea to take care of me, that's fine.
“I look like someone who would take medicine and then eat chocolate, don't I?”
Although I will die if I do not find my master before my birthday... but remembering that now hurts me.
“The Patisa’s request, please.”
"What is this?"
“Oh, I asked for it while you were out.”
I pushed the plate towards him, smiling.
“Taste it, it is a dessert made from the pate plant.”
Patti is one of the most popular popular tonics, similar to red ginseng.
It is boiled with honey until it is concentrated, then dried to become a dessert called batisa.
It is loved by common people and elderly people, and even the priests in our temple eat it often.
But it is a dessert for the poor, so I thought the prince had never tasted it before—and apparently I was right.
“You ordered it for me?”
“You gave me candy, so take it as a simple return.”
“I appreciate that.”
He started eating quietly, and he seemed to really like it.
“Delicious.”
“Huh?”
“I mean...this dish. It's not too sweet and it's good for the body.”
Oh, I thought he meant me!
“What's his name?”
“Batesa.”
“I will ask the chefs to prepare something like it when we get back.”
He was completely satisfied, while I just watched him enjoy his food, and finished my cake with a small smile.