Chapter 62
The King's villa stood in a rather unusual place. In a word, it was almost at the top of a mountain.
The altitude was not particularly high, and the road had been carefully constructed, so getting there was no trouble at all. Even so, the Rudek royal family had built a villa in a remarkably out-of-the-way place.
I was told this was one of their summer retreats. The prince explained that their usual summer routine was to come here or visit an island reached by ship from Gadeland.
It was certainly cool. Since it was still a little early in the season, the mornings and evenings were probably chilly. In fact, as I write this diary, it is just right to wear a jacket even indoors.
However, on this trip, I get the impression that Prince Zerand is making quite an effort. Not politically speaking. I mean with Lufa.
The prince seems to have genuinely taken a liking to that girl. Lufa is certainly a girl with considerable promise. Though adopted, she is the daughter of one of Rudek's most prominent families, and as a member of the Tenth Knight Order, she herself has become someone others hold in high regard.
But I wonder how Lufa herself feels. It does not seem that the prince's feelings have quite gotten through to her. The members of the Tenth Knight Order close to Lufa seem content simply to watch over the situation warmly, but it looks like this may take some time.
Still, on this trip, the prince has been taking the initiative in escorting Lufa. I hope she realizes how he feels, even if only a little.
Speaking of that, I wonder how King Zeuracia and Zackhart view the prince's actions.
At first glance, this seems unrelated to me, but if the prince truly intends to take Lufa as his consort, she will become the future queen of an allied nation.
If I get the chance, perhaps I'll try to sound them out.
I'm starting to feel sleepy.
I ate a little too much. Surprisingly, the villa's cuisine centered on vegetables. Apparently, because the altitude is high here, many vegetables come into season at different times than they do in other regions.
I see. Fine meat isn't the only luxury. Enjoying food in this way must be one of the privileges of royalty, too.
In particular, fresh paramade lightly boiled and served with a rich sauce was delicious. Its crisp texture and refreshing quality paired with the cheese-based sauce, creating a robust flavor that could stand up to meat.
The vivid green of the paramade was also pleasing to the eye, enhanced by the white sauce.
It truly was a beautiful dish.
I am ashamed to admit that until that moment, it had never occurred to me that paramade could serve as the main course. The world is full of things to learn every day.
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The next morning, perhaps because of the difference in climate, I woke unusually early and quietly left my room. Since I was up early anyway, I decided to enjoy the view at dawn and headed for the villa's balcony.
At the entrance to the balcony, I cocked my head slightly.
The balcony door was slightly ajar. Someone must already be there.
It would be troublesome if it were the twins, but they are night owls and sleep soundly, so they are unlikely to be awake at this hour. Besides, if it were them, they would be making far more noise.
I opened the door, somewhat wary, and found Lufa there. She noticed the noise, spotted me, and smiled.
"Morning, Livote. You're up early."
"Ah, good morning. You're up earlier than I am."
"Yeah. I just woke up."
"I see."
"You came to see the view, right? Here, look! It's amazing!"
At Lufa's urging, I turned my gaze to the view.
"Oh, this is..."
The world below was blanketed in thick fog, turning the entire landscape white. It felt as though we were above the clouds, and even I couldn't help voicing my amazement.
"Amazing, isn't it?"
For a while, the two of us simply took in the view. Once we'd had our fill of it, I suddenly found myself wondering...
Should I ask her now?
It might be tactless, but this was a good opportunity.
"So... Lufa, what do you think of the prince?"
"...What do you mean...? I think he's a good kid."
"I see. Is he like a younger brother who needs looking after?"
"Hmm, maybe that too... but..."
As I waited for her to continue, an especially bright light suddenly caught my eye.
"Oh, the sun's coming up."
Perhaps the sun was rising, just as Lufa had said.
Somehow, that brought our conversation to an end, and we fell silent again, enjoying the dreamlike sunrise.
I stole a glance at Lufa's profile.
In the end, I could not tell whether the flush on her cheeks came from the morning sun or some other reason.