The tea room that Albert led them to boasted the most exquisite private room within the junior division tea room.
The tea table was adorned with beautiful flowers, and delicate, gold-patterned dishes against a white backdrop showcased an array of delectable sweets, meticulously arranged. Amidst the tempting assortment, the cream-covered pie stood out as particularly eye-catching.
While the term "pie" often conjures images of thin crusts adorned with jam or fruit, a cream pie was a rarity. Butter and granulated sugar alone held a certain luxury, but the addition of fresh cream elevated it to a level seldom experienced by the common folk.
"Please, take a seat," urged Albert, as Monica and Glenn gracefully settled into their chairs.
Monica, battling a churn in her stomach, fought to maintain a composed expression.
Does Prince Albert suspect my identity as the Silent Witch? Has he noticed? He couldn't have, right? Right?!?
Meanwhile, Albert, praising his own cleverness for guiding them this far, pondered his next move.
So far, things have gone according to plan! Now, my negotiation skills will truly be put to the test. I'm determined to win over these two favorites of my older brother, Felix!
Glenn and Patrick couldn't take their eyes off the enticing cream pie.
Wow, that looks so tasty!
Amidst the intertwining expectations, Albert's hosted tea gathering began.
The first to break the silence was Glenn.
Monica, having received lessons in tea gatherings, possessed a basic understanding of etiquette. However, it was only natural to assume that Glenn, being the son of a butcher, had no such knowledge of refined manners.
Disregarding etiquette entirely, Glenn seized the cream pie and eagerly devoured it.
"It tastes incredibly good!"
Seeing Glenn with cream smeared all over his mouth, Monica couldn't help but worry that he might incur Albert's displeasure.
However, Albert seemed more delighted that his treats were being enjoyed than concerned about Glenn's breach of etiquette. Sipping his tea with a somewhat proud expression, he appeared to relish the moment.
"Monica, this is really delicious!"
Concerned about proper etiquette, Monica hesitated, considering whether it would be more appropriate to wait for Albert, the highest-ranking person present, to begin eating. She observed as Albert directed his attention to Patrick, his young attendant. Patrick, with a beaming smile, generously scooped the largest portion of pie onto a plate and eagerly gripped a fork.
"Idiot, I didn't gave you a sign for that! Fetch pastries for Miss Norton!"
Cunningly, Patrick managed to keep his own plate while also serving a portion of the pie onto Monica's plate.
Albert smiled softly, adopting a condescending demeanor befitting his royal status as he looked at Monica.
"Now, go ahead and eat, Miss Norton. I presume the Count Kerbeck household haven't provided you decent meals."
"N-no, it's not like that…"
Nervously, Monica shook her head, her demeanor seemingly conveying consideration for the Count Kerbeck household, at least in Albert's perception.
Albert displayed a somewhat sympathetic expression.
"No need to be reserved, I've heard the rumors. It seems the Count Kerbeck household mistreats you, and as for my brother… in the student council room, he treats you like a… like a pet, doesn't he?"
Left speechless, Monica listened as Albert, somewhat embarrassed, muttered quickly.
"I never thought my brother had such a perverse taste, treating a woman like a pet with a collar. I'm sure he's imposing shameful and indecent things on you, things I can't even imagine. No, I don't need to hear all the details. I'm not a man lacking in delicacy to make a woman speak about such things. Yeah. But if it's tough for you, you can honestly say it's tough."
It was unclear exactly what Albert was imagining, but it appeared he was leaping to various conclusions.
Besides Albert, who had dropped the bombshell statement, and a stunned Monica, Glenn, and Patrick were leisurely nibbling on their pies.
"This pie, you see, gets even more delicious when you generously spread this raspberry jam on it!"
"The balance between sweetness and sourness is exquisite!"
"Yes, you can eat as much as you want. Oh, would you like a refill of tea?"
At that moment, it was a world of tranquility. Monica found herself yearning to join that peaceful realm.
…However, she couldn't just leave Albert's misunderstanding unaddressed.
"Um, I-I'm not a pet or anything, I mean… I am… I am…"
As Monica attempted to speak, she stumbled over her words.
Monica was still grappling with the shocking statement she had received in the entertainment district: ‘I thought of you as an interesting pet.'
But, I've already graduated from being called Little Squirrel… Now, things are different, right? Huh, but then… What am I to His Highness?
For Felix, the Silent Witch was a lady he admired and respected. So, what was Monica Norton to Felix?
Monica, who was not adept at objectively assessing how others perceived her, struggled to navigate the situation. Nevertheless, she had to get through this moment somehow, and Monica desperately tried to rummage her brain. She had already graduated from being a Little Squirrel, and now he called her by her name. That should mean she was no longer considered a pet. However, Monica couldn't shake the feeling that Felix still found her amusing and played with her. In other words, what Monica Norton meant to Felix was…
"I am… His Highness's… toy?"
When Monica blurted out the word that came to her mind, it seemed to place her in a position even lower than being a pet.
Albert cast a pitying glance at Monica.
"Miss Norton, why don't you stop serving my brother and come under my protection? If you do, I'll guarantee you a life with three meals a day, plus snacks."
Now Felix seemed to be painted as a villain because of her words. At this point, Monica didn't care how she appeared, she had to somehow support Felix. However, the more she tried to defend Felix, the more she felt like she was digging herself into a hole.
As Monica stammered, "Um, well…" Glenn, having finished his tea in one go, interjected.
"The student council president is a good guy! Not a bad person!"
"B-but, according to the rumors…"
As Albert insisted, Glenn, with cream still all over his mouth, made a serious expression.
"I don't really get the rumors, but from what I see when looking at the president, I can tell he's a good person."
What a pleasant thing to say.
Monica lowered her head and quietly chuckled at herself.
…If only I could confidently say that His Highness is a good person, just like Glenn does.
However, Monica couldn't shake the image of Duke Crockford from her mind, and the fear of trusting kept her hesitant.
In response to Glenn's sincere words, Albert, for some reason, had a frustrated expression as he bent his mouth into a pout, hanging his head down. Deep wrinkles formed between his young eyebrows.
"…It's always . Everyone always sides with my brother."
His muttered words were a far cry from the arrogance he displayed earlier. It sounded more like a sulking child. In front of the sulking Albert, Patrick placed a plate of pie.
"Prince Albert~. When you're feeling down, sweet treats are the best~."
"I'm not feeling down at all!"
"Let's put plenty of raspberry jam on it~."
"I more prefer apricot jam!"
Albert, still pouting and displaying a hint of anger, seemed to have regained a bit of his energy.
Glenn, licking the cream around his mouth, said to him, "In other words, Albert, you want to be friends with Monica, right?"
"Well, I think that's probably not it…"
Ignoring Monica's softly muttered retort, Glenn cheerfully slapped his chest.
"Then it's settled! Since we eat something delicious together, we're already become friends! Me, Monica, Albert, and Patrick, we're all friends!"
While Patrick casually said, "It's an honor," in response to Glenn's overly positive words, Monica was not in the mood for such things.
If you said something disrespectful to royalty , wouldn't it be considered a crime of disrespect? As Monica sweated nervously, Albert muttered quietly, "…friends," and then looked at Monica as if seeking confirmation.
"Miss Norton, let me confirm. you are not ‘friends' with my brother Felix, correct?"
"Um, well, Prince Felix is my senior, so it would be too presumptuous of me to say we're friends…"
"I see, so you're not friends? But if I become your friend… yeah, yeah, my brother might get frustrated about this…"
The last part was spoken in a nearly inaudible whisper. However, Albert seemed to be satisfied with something, nodding elegantly as he took a sip of his tea.
"I see, we're friends. Yes, friends. If that's the case, I don't mind inviting you to tea parties in the future. After all, we're friends."
"That's great, Prince Albert~." The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel-fire.ɴet
"Hehe, I'm in a good mood now, so feel free to eat more pie, Patrick."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Prince Albert. I already ate all of it~."
"You didn't leave me any!?"
As Albert protested loudly and Patrick remained unfazed, Glenn smiled and said, "You guys seem to get along well."
Phew… for now, it seems like my true identity hasn't been exposed… I hope?
Monica sighed in relief and took a small bite of the untouched pie.