NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: Royal Family Dinner
Chapter 25: Royal Family Dinner
Upon arriving at the dining hall, no one else had arrived except for us. Considering His Majesty’s busy schedule, waiting must be considered one of the duties of subjects.
At the dinner table, it seemed I was still intended for conversation, as I was guided to the seat next to His Majesty. The seat next to His Majesty was traditionally reserved for the Queen, and across from us would likely be where the Queen Consort would sit. I made sure not to forget proper manners.
After a while, the Queen, the Second Prince, and the Third Princess arrived, followed shortly by the concubines, the First Princess, the Second Princess, and then the Third Prince. So, the Queen and the concubines each had three children. Moreover, since the Queen had given birth to the youngest, it seemed their marital relationship was secure.
After the greetings, the princes and princesses took their seats next to Orel, while the Queen and the concubines sat opposite. Although it seemed amicable, I felt a bit of tension. Perhaps it was just my imagination.
“By the way… what happened to Commander Vandière’s coat?”
Amidst small talk, the Queen inquired. It was likely a sarcastic remark about the vassal who should have come in formal attire but appeared disheveled for dinner.
“I apologize. I encountered a young lady in distress, so I lent her my coat. I prioritized the dignity of a knight over my own appearance, so I hope you’ll pardon me.”
“Oh my, Commander Vandière doing such a thing? I heard reports that your character had changed significantly. Is that true?”
As she spoke, the Queen glanced briefly at Orel.
“Indeed… the Commander has changed during his time in the Taleraan March. He’s now adored by a much younger lady than the Third Princess.”
“Hehe, it’s news to me that Commander Vandière likes children. He didn’t even seem to glance at Lady Diane during the audience. Did he change his allegiance… is that not the case?”
“Mmgh… I, I apologize…”
It wasn’t me but Orel who seemed on the verge of bursting into laughter at the Queen’s words. Was it really that amusing to see me treated as a lolicon?
“I just happened to do a good deed on a whim, and I was merely endeared by the children of that household. Regarding the Lady of the Taleraan March, it may be impolite to put it this way, but I’ve lost interest in her.”
My response drew keen interest from all the members of the royal family present. It might be a natural reaction since they had seen me fixated on her all this time.
Suddenly, a voice echoed from the corridor. It was Ernest’s.
“There’s no mistaking it! That’s his coat! Why do you have it!?”
After some conversation, His Majesty, Ernest, and Lady Diane entered.
“You’ve kept us waiting.”
With His Majesty’s entrance, everyone stood up. Immediately, Lady Diane and her maid came to me.
“Thank you for earlier. Since it’s the dinner table, please allow me to return your words and your coat as they are.”
Following Lady Diane’s words, her maid handed me back the coat.
“We’ve confirmed that it’s not stained. Thank you very much,” the maid whispered quietly and then retreated to the wall.
“You’re welcome. Considering all the trouble I’ve caused so far, if I’ve managed to make even a slight apology, then I’m glad,” I replied.
“Are you truly Commander Vandière? You seem like a different person,” His Majesty blinked as he observed the interaction between me and Lady Diane. The Queen chuckled at his reaction.
“Hehe, we were just discussing that earlier. Your change is so drastic, it’s as if you’ve swapped bodies with someone else. And the distressed young lady you encountered was Lady Diane, wasn’t she?”
“It’s really interesting, I’d like to ask you some questions while we eat.”
As we sat down at the table, dishes were brought in one after another. As expected, the seasoning was well done, but something was still missing. Orel seemed nervous and couldn’t quite taste it.
During the meal, we were asked about our experiences in the Taleraan March, from predicting the Stampede due to the increase in monsters to resolving the situation. Everyone in the dining hall, except for Ernest, listened eagerly to our story.
Especially the princes and princesses, who probably couldn’t leave the royal castle often, urged us to tell more. Thanks to Orel mentioning Chloe earlier, we ended up having to tell the story from the moment we met Mark.
As my stock rose within the dining hall, Ernest’s mood seemed to plummet in contrast. It seemed best for him to leave shortly after the dinner was over.
In the midst of the conversation, I managed to incorporate the topic of rewards and, in addition to a rest period and an increased budget, they also promised funds for renovating the aging barracks. The topic of ennoblement came up, but since Cassius had been the one to achieve the great feat this time, we decided to postpone it.
One reason was that the Queen and the concubines seemed eager to introduce the young ladies connected to them. But for now, I prioritized the education of my subordinates over my own marriage.
My goal was to make the children of the capital aspire to join the Third Knight Order! For that, they needed to learn proper manners, even if a bit rough.
For that purpose, a carrot and stick approach… If there was something they would appreciate, I could use it as bait for training. And just as I was thinking about that, the answer came at the end of the dinner.
“They would surely be jealous if they saw it. Sweets made with plenty of sugar are luxury items, so they won’t come easily,” Orel whispered quietly to me. Perhaps we should add a mini kitchen for making sweets during the renovation. With the promise of receiving plenty in return, we quickly left the castle after dinner, before Ernest could confront us.