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The first rays of the morning sun creeped through the window, waking me up from my slumber with its warm caress -the sheer bliss of being alive.

Doris, the maidservant, had already prepared an exquisite platter of morning delights even before I had awoken. All I did was wash up, and I had breakfast already laid out on my table with Doris waiting nearby.

Even if I did not fancy this well-prepared meal in the style of Andassis, I still ate it with care, all in a bid to appear more human. After all, I could very much live without ever taking food.

I took a sip of the coffee in my porcelain cup – it was sweet, clawingly so.

Thus, I took a stab at a plump strawberry nearby. However, any tartness it could possibly have was overwhelmed by the sheer sweetness of the coffee I just had.

Next were the cupcakes, which turned out to be tasteless anyway, all thanks to that coffee.

I lowered my fork, creased my brows and declared, “I’m full.”

“My apologies, Lady Mo Na.” Doris fidgeted as she stood by me. “You don’t seem too pleased… Was the cooking not to your taste?”

“It was too sweet.”

“Hmm?”

“It was too sweet, I prefer something more bitter.” I pointed at the coffee with what must have been a deep frown on my face, given how troubled Doris looked.

“My apologies, I had the kitchen specially prepare it so… The sugar used by the palace is the finest created by our alchemists. I thought Lady Mo Na would like it…”

“Forget it, I wasn’t all that hungry to begin with.”

Before sleeping last night, I told Doris my name was Mo Na, seeing as I would most likely be in the kingdom till Ferti’nier plan was complete.

“It’s fine to clear up, I wish to have a walk in the garden.” I paused at that point. “That’s fine, right?”

My concern was that I was under some informal house arrest. Thankfully, that notion was quickly dispelled.

“Definitely, His Highness has already given the word that you have free rein to wander as you please.”

It was just about when we had decided what was next on the agenda, and Doris had started clearing the dishes, when we heard a knocking on the door.

“Lady Mo Na, it’s Sersan, may I enter?”

Prince Sersan politely awaited my answer outside. Technically, this was his home…

Judging by how much time had passed, the prince must have rushed over right after his own breakfast.

I nodded towards Doris who was quietly seeking my permission, after which she promptly put down the platter and hastened to open the door.

A while later, the prince stepped through the door, his attire neatly pressed like his well-combed hair. Nary was there a flaw to be found on his beaming face, nor in his dressing, which had clearly gone through painstaking effort to plan. His gait spoke of long hours spent in high society, commanding both an air of elegance and authority. This was a man on hunt, and he wasn’t to be denied.

Unfortunately, I was a man, and I did not swing that way, so tough luck.

Upon entering the room, Sersan first noticed my unfinished breakfast.

“Has Lady Mo Na not had a chance to finish her breakfast?”

“I did, I just wasn’t very hungry – I was about to go out for a walk, would Your Highness like to accompany me?”

“Please, Lady Mo Na, do not call me Your Highness, my name is fine. As friends, I would prefer it if you address me as Sersan.”

“In that case, Sersan, would you like to accompany me for a walk?”

“My pleasure.” Sersan smiled, nodded and extended a hand to me.

Wait… is he actually expecting me to hold his hands?

I duly ignored him.

Seeing me ignore him, the prince’s smile went a little stiff, but he smoothly changed that extended hand to a wave. “Then allow me to show you the way, Lady Mo Na.”

Considering that I hadn’t actually told the prince my name, I would wager that Doris was the one who informed him of this fact.

But that was all to be expected, seeing as she was his servant; some communication was par for the course. Besides, I had every intention of making her my intermediary, that way I wouldn’t have to do it myself.

Yet just as the both of us were about to leave, three sets of footsteps could be heard rushing down the hallway.

The ones to bar our way were His Majesty, a middle-aged, guardsmen-looking man, dressed in magical armor, face sporting a blade scar across his left face, followed by a beautiful maidservant.

“Good morning, Father.”

“Mhm.”

Andassis the Seventh nodded at his son in an offhand manner, as if the boy wasn’t someone he knew at all.

Oh? Did they quarrel? I thought they were getting along just fine last night.

As I was mulling over that juicy bit of supposition, Andassis the Seventh turned towards me and beamed in a harmless manner, completely different from how he treated Sersan.

“Lady Mo Na, are you planning to head out for a walk? What a coincidence, I was just about to invite milady for one myself. How about the palace gardens? The air is crisp and the environment lush. You will find hundreds of never-before-seen plantlife, including the elvish Aivar tree.”

“I’ll be in your care then, Your Majesty.”

Having said that, I snuck a look towards Sersan. His face was as black as my coffee was sweet.

Seems like the two of them had a falling out in just the span of one night… as for why… who knows…

However, this tense atmosphere only lasted a second before Sersan smartly chose to back down.

He lowered his head and quietly stepped behind me to avoid his father’s gaze.

For a second there, I thought the king was going to order his guard to kill his son.

Really… What happened to these two?

Shameless Self-promotion

I hate this novel.

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