Even the regulars who stop by everyday can’t tell the difference.
“Since when did he become such a picky eater?”
“Huh?”
“So he still isn’t eating?”
“That’s right.”
Ceres clicked her tongue. When she saw Kainel earlier, she had thought he looked thinner than before. It wasn’t her imagination after all.
“Please just make sure His Excellency eats properly. I’m not asking for anything more.”
“......”
“Is that too difficult?”
***
Knock knock.
“Your Excellency, I brought your meal.”
“I said I don’t need it.”
Kainel’s reply came out harsher than usual. He wasn’t able to visit Ceres’s shop today because he was stuck reviewing documents sent from Imperial Palace.
What made it worse was that all these “urgent” documents were just paperwork rehashing decisions that had already been made.
Do these people not have functioning brains? Why are they even asking him this?
“You still need to eat.”
“I said I’m fin—”
“What do you mean, fine? Do you not know people die if they don’t eat?”
“...What?”
“I wouldn’t recommend starving yourself as a suicide method.”
At the familiar voice, Kainel finally lifted his head from the papers.
“You’re not eating breakfast? I wouldn’t recommend starving yourself as a suicide method.”
“...You die from skipping one meal?”
“Of course. How is a person supposed to survive without eating?”
“Don’t you think that’s a little extreme, Grace?”
“Arti, have you seen the corpse of someone who starved to death? First, the brain starts rotting and you become stupid. After that, the organs start rotting too...”
“AAAH! She said you’ll become stupid! She said you’ll die! Hurry up and eat Kai, you idiot!”
Grace had always been oddly stubborn when it came to food. Although she brushed everything else off like it was no big deal, whenever Artia or Kainel skipped a meal, she reacted like disaster had struck.
“Eat.”
“Why are you...?”
Why was Ceres here?
Kainel stared at her blankly as she walked over and set the dishes down herself.
“You told me to pay you back, remember?”
“Pay you back?”
“See? Your brain’s already stopped working. You forgot what you said that quickly?”
“......”
“Just eat.”
Kainel lowered his gaze to the plates Ceres had placed before him. A steaming omelet and a soup that looked freshly made. It was a meal Grace used to make for him often when they were younger.
His eyes moved slowly between Ceres and the food before he finally picked up the spoon.
He took a sip.
“Ha...”
A quiet laugh escaped him before he realized it.
This was driving him insane. It tasted exactly the same. A flavor so familiar it made his chest tighten.
Kainel stared at Ceres without blinking.
Am I losing my mind because I miss her that much? Or are you really...
“Make sure you calculate today’s pay properly. Don’t forget.”
“As long as there aren’t bell peppers in it.”
Swish!
“Hey.”
Don’t pick the bell peppers out.
***
“What’s wrong with him?”
“He doesn’t have anyone to play with anymore.”
Crown Prince Aseraian, who had stopped by the Magic Tower, looked at Cheion with mild confusion. The man was slumped by the window looking even gloomier than usual.
“No one to play with? Who?”
“His temporary secretary.”
“Why? Did she say she wouldn’t hang out with him anymore?”
“Seems like it.”
“Is that why he’s sulking?”
“Probably?”
Cheion, who had been sitting there looking like he’d lost the world, immediately snapped at the two of them.
“Do I look like a child to you? Why would I sulk over something like that?!”
“You definitely sound like you’re sulking.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
“Oh, shut up!”
As if he couldn’t stand talking to them any longer, Cheion whipped his head and turned back toward the window.
Not long ago, he’d heard that Ceres had finally started working under Grand Duke Persia. Even after he offered to pay off her debt for her, she ignored him and ended up going to that man.
It’s strange.
Ceres, that is.
Whenever she was around Kainel Persia, she felt different somehow. Around everyone else, she always seemed detached, carrying that usual coldness around her like second nature.
But around him, it was as if her entire presence grew warmer by a few degrees. He couldn’t quite explain it, but Ceres felt softer. Less rigid and less guarded.
“...So annoying.”
Ever since seeing the two of them together, something inside him had been twisting nonstop. It left him irritated one moment and strangely drained the next.
Why? Why does it piss me off so much?
“Cheion.”
“What.”
Without even bothering to turn around, Cheion answered Aseraian in a sullen voice.
“Alex is coming back.”
“Huh?”
As soon as Cheion heard that, he turned around with wide eyes.
“Alex is coming back? Really? Is he okay now? How’s his condition?”
“He seems much better.”
“Really?”
Watching the smile spread across Cheion’s face, Aseraian chuckled.
He’s really that happy about it.
Alex de Devrica.
The Empire’s Third Prince and their half-brother. Ever since they were young, Cheion had always adored him more than anyone else.
Unfortunately, Alex was born frail and had spent years away from the capital recuperating. And now, he had finally sent word that he would be returning.
“He must’ve grown a lot by now, right?”
“...Pardon?”
“I mean our Alex.”
“What are you talking about? Prince Alex was already taller than most people before he left the capital.”
Luca clicked his tongue softly.
Prince Alex was nineteen this year. He was only three years younger than Cheion, yet somehow, these two still treated him like a little kid. Do they think people stop aging just because they’re sick?
Still, it seemed he was the only one thinking that.
“Luca, you idiot. Our Alex is still young.”
“He is.”
“See?”
“Are the two of you even hearing yourselves right now?”
Luca shook his head with a sigh.
At this point, maybe the reason Prince Alex stayed away from the capital wasn’t because of his health, but because he didn’t want to deal with these two.
“So, when is he coming back?”
“Not sure. He didn’t tell me the exact date, but it sounded like it’d be soon.”
Whether Luca found them ridiculous or not, the two of them simply exchanged cheerful smiles.
***
“You said all I had to do was cook.”
“Haha...”
“You said you just wanted me to make sure he ate.”
“Ha... haha...”
“Liar.”
“...I apologize.”
Under Ceres’s sharp glare, Del could only laugh awkwardly.
“Would you mind explaining why I had to come all the way here too?”
“You’re right. Hahaha.”
Ceres shot Del one last look as he smiled helplessly, then narrowed her eyes at Kainel’s back, who was walking ahead of them.
What’s wrong with him lately?
Since when did he like dragging people around with him?
The place Ceres had been brought to was the Imperial Palace, where the imperial council meetings were held. The only reason she had come back here was because Kainel demanded she accompany him.
“Why do I have to go?”
“You need to pay off your debt.”
“......”
“You know breaking a contract comes with penalties, right? I’m pretty sure it was written in there. You go wherever I tell you to.”
Damn it. Being poor was humiliating.
In the end, she had no choice but to follow Kainel to the Imperial Palace first thing in the morning.
I’ll probably be waiting forever this time.
The last time she came here with Cheion, the idiot had set off the alarm and ended the meeting earlier than expected. But there was no chance of that happening today.
Having experienced enough imperial meetings in the past, Ceres sighed to herself.
“Where are you going?”
“Me? The waiting room.”
Just like last time, Ceres started following Del toward the room where secretaries and aides waited during the meeting, only to stop at Kainel’s voice.
“Then who’s going to attend to me?”
“...Attend to what?”
“Attend to me.”
“......”
Out of habit, Ceres turned to look at Del. When their eyes met, Del smiled and quickly looked away.
“You need to pay off your debt.”
“Do you know how to say anything else?”
“Come with me.”
Ceres glanced back at Del again. The man was waving goodbye at her with a cheerful smile, as though wishing her luck.
In the end, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and follow Kainel into the meeting hall.
This b*stard seriously...
Attend to him?
ATTEND TO HIM?
Ha!
Since when did he ever need someone fussing over him?
Most nobles attending imperial meetings usually bring servants or maids with them. After all, they were people accustomed to being served in everything, even down to pouring a glass of water.
“So, you normally bring attendants with you?”
“Mm. Around three hundred of them. But since you’re here today, I sent them all away.”
This lunatic really thinks he’s funny.
Ceres ground her teeth at his shameless reply.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter