Silent Witch

Book 12: Chapter 9: The Imaginative Power of the Growing Adolescence

Book 12: Chapter 9: The Imaginative Power of the Growing Adolescence

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.

Looks delicious!

Wow, that looks so tasty!

Amidst the intertwining expectations, Albert's hosted tea gathering began.

The first to break the silence was Glenn.

"Let's dig in!"

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!"

"Uh, well, I, um"

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.

"Yay, let's dig in!"

"Idiot, I didn't gave you a sign for that! Fetch pastries for Miss Norton!"

"Oh, right!"

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"

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 like this. 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 like this, 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 like this in the future. After all, we're friends."

"That's great, Prince Albert~."

"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.