Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Shia could not believe her ears. ‘How could he?... How could he think of sleeping together in such a light and impersonal manner?...’ she furiously contemplated as she began to step outside. It also sounded as if he was expecting it to be some kind of business transaction. “Indeed... The way that most royals think can be quite revolting!” Shia muttered under her breath as she tried to quicken her stride.

Shia furiously slapped away the opening of the tent and would have stomped farther, but she immediately jumped when, just a few steps away from the tent, she was greeted by a throng of servants who all quickly gasped and curtsied when they saw her.

“Our heartfelt greetings from the Royal Kitchen, My Lady,” one of the woman at the head of the procession said, “We come bearing the royal dinner for you and for the Imperial Highness. May you enjoy it immensely!”

Shia could see that several servants and helpers were ¬¬carrying numerous piles of different-sized plates (she gave up counting after three). She also noticed that they have not lifted their heads and remained in their bowed position in front of her. After a while, one of them, a young looking servant girl bobbed her head up to take a peek at Shia .As their eyes met, she blushed and bowed down even lower. Shia’s face began to also display a deep red color as she felt too stunned to do anything about the affair.

A hand suddenly slipped around her waist, and she heard a familiar icy tone began to speak “You may begin to set up the table.”

Shia’s stare met the masked face of the prince she hated the most in the world. She would have broken a finger or two from the hands that twined against her waist if they were not in front of so many people, but she knew the possible repercussions of her actions, so she decided to go against her thoughts.

He directed his stare at her and spoke again, this time with eyes that match the iciness of his tone. “Shall we go in, my love?”

Shia opened her mouth to protest, but her stomach grumbled so loudly, she positively thought that the servants at the very end of the procession heard it distinctly. She also began to worry a little as to what could happen if she leaves the prince now amidst all these people.

“I guess we should...” she timidly replied in utter embarrassment.

The prince led the procession with Shia and opened the entrance of the tent revealing the mess she and the prince had created earlier. For the first time, Shia became well aware of the tumbled mattresses and the various cloths inside the tent as well as the bath towels lying about. She also realized that his Imperial Highness, who was standing too close for comfort, was wearing nothing but his bathrobes and was still revealing a considerable amount of his chest exposed for everyone to see. Some of the younger servants looked a little embarrassed and surprised too, judging from how colored their faces were, but they held their tongue and said nothing. Shia wanted to die out of utter humiliation at the very thought of what the servants might concur at what had happened between them based on all these sights.

His majesty guided Shia to one of the seats and planted himself opposite her in a small table near the bed. In an instant, several servants began arranging the tumbled mattresses and setting up the dinner wares for them.

When they had finished arranging the table, one servant finally landed a dish in front of Shia and lifted its large, brass lid. The smell of cream and seafood suddenly wafted through the air. Shia remembered that her last meal consisted of a single fish she caught and roasted by the riverside yesterday. Thinking about the meals she skipped made Shia even hungrier that it felt like part of her stomach was already being digested.

“The first course is creamy seafood soup and bread rolls. May you enjoy your meal to your heart’s content,” the head servant said, and they bowed down to the two of them once again. The prince nodded his head, and began picking up his spoon and consuming his dish.

A cluster of bread rolls was laid next to Shia’s side of the table and another set was laid next to the prince’s side. There were only two of them, but the amount of food was good for about five or six people. Shia began eating a spoonful of the soup, and it immediately made her insides so warm and cozy that it felt like she was in heaven. She dipped a small amount of bread in the soup and ate it. The combination was just too perfect; she had no words to describe it.

The two of them ate in rapid silence perhaps because they were both famished. Shia observed how his highness looked so refined when it comes to his table manners, which is a complete opposite of how boldly he had carried himself as he ate with only his bath robes on and with his upper body half exposed. This fact bothered Shia so much that she would stare at his chest from time to time, but it did not seem to bother him at all.

After finishing the bowl of soup big enough for several bunch of people and around three pieces of bread rolls, one of the servants took Shia’s plate away, and they did the same with his highness’ dishes.

Thinking that dinner was over, Shia stood up half-way from her seat, but another servant put down the next bowl covered in a brass lid. When he lifted the cover, the smell of roasted chicken filled the whole tent, and despite feeling full, Shia’s mouth began to water.

She told herself that she will only take a bite out of the dish for it looked quite sumptuous, but lo and behold, she finished the whole plate in a matter of minutes. Now, Shia’s tummy felt quite full, a feeling she had not had for months after getting captured by the ruffians in the woods.

Once the servants cleared the table, Shia wiped her mouth and pushed herself away from her seat, but she saw that another plate was laid down for her. Thinking desperately that the whole affair would become an endless procession of plates, Shia refused and told the servant politely, “Oh, I’ve enough.”

It was the young servant girl who took a peek at her face from before that served Shia the third plate. At her refusal, the servant girl began looking a little downcast, but she politely took the plate away from her and bowed down towards her.

“Don’t you want to at least take a look what’s inside? Marmie here from the Royal Kitchen makes the best desserts. You may regret not eating it if you don’t,” his highness said from across her.

Shia looked back at the young servant girl he called Marmie, and her eyes dazzled with excitement. She beamed with joy and pride at the mere mention of her name and the dish that she was carrying. This girl looked like she is just about the same as age as Ran, Shia’s younger brother, and yet she was already able to take in a role at the Royal Kitchen. Shia couldn’t bear the thought of making the girl feel dejected once again, and if half of what his majesty said was true, it would definitely be a waste not to at least try her dish.

“If you say so, your highness,” Shia replied, and the servant girl’s face seemed to light up from immense delight.

She quickly set the dish in front of Shia and lifted the lid. It revealed a work of art. Right before her eyes were different-colored berries and fruits. They were arranged around a soft, sweet pudding that was decorated with cream and sugar icicles on the top and on the sides. Shia could also make out the fresh smell of citrus from it, which made it look even more gorgeous.

“Enjoy your pudding ala mode, My Lady!” Marmie exclaimed.

Shia took a large spoonful of the pudding and put it inside her mouth. It was so soft and velvety that it seemed to melt in her tongue. She took another spoonful with the sugar icicles, and the immense sweetness immediately ticked her taste buds even further that she began to smile despite herself.

“Indeed, this is so nice!” Shia exclaimed to the prince. She smiled so beautifully, it was as if she had forgotten her rage towards him just a couple of minutes ago.

The young prince smiled back at her, and Shia saw the eye behind his mask faintly glowing in a semi-pinkish hue. All at once, Shia remembered why she was there and the role that she was supposed to play towards him.

As her instincts kicked in, Shia stretched her hand from across the room to hold his hand. Saying the first few words she could think of at the top of her head, Shia exclaimed, “I liked it, my prince. Thank you.” The words felt fake in Shia’s own ears, but maybe it was because she knew the level at which she revolted him.

He took the show a step further by lifting Shia’s hand and kissing it. “You are most welcome, my love.”

At that moment, Shia’s eyes fell onto the signet ring on one of her fingers. She recognized it as the ring she saw in the prince’s pouch the night before. She distinctly remembered putting it back in his pouch, but why was it there? Did she perhaps?...

“M-my Lord, t-this ring! I-I did not mean to take it when we were at the cave!” she exclaimed, forgetting that they was amongst servants who would most likely talk about even the simplest of things.

Looking at her surprised expression, the prince issued a command in his icy voice “Everyone, leave us.”

“I-I didn’t even know I tried it on...” Shia began to say, feeling mortified at the idea that she might have taken someone else’s belonging.

“That’s alright. You did not take it,” he said.

Shia felt even more perplexed with what he said next.