CH 3.11

After the welcoming banquet had come to an end, some time had passed. The relationship between the two candidates, Ariel and Rachel, had grown increasingly cold. Whenever they coincidentally bump into each other at the Lion Palace, a chilling atmosphere filled the air, sending shivers down the onlookers’ spines.

Especially when Ariel openly tried to harass Rachel, the latter didn’t remain silent. She would calmly nod her head and subtly retaliate with a cutting remark, leaving Ariel at a loss for words and eventually storming off in anger.

‘She truly is something,’ Marie thought, shaking her head as she watched Rachel calmly sipping her tea.

The doll-like, beautiful girl with her mesmerizing smile was surprisingly adept at undermining others despite her innocent face. Just how furious did she make Lady Ariel?

Lady Ariel looked somewhat sullen.

‘Will it be alright? It didn’t feel like her usual anger.’

Marie grew concerned. Just moments ago, Lady Ariel had been engaged in a heated argument with her, storming off in a fit of rage. It was far from her usual bouts of anger.

‘What kind of trouble will she stir up now?’

Marie had an uneasy feeling. And, as always, her intuition proved to be correct.

Ariel had once again concocted a scheme. It was during one of the official events with the Crown Prince, known as the “Battle of the Pâtissièrs”

“What did you just say? The patisserie can’t make it?”

“Yes, Milady. They suddenly had urgent matters to attend to.”

“No, that’s preposterous!” Rachel’s face turned pale. “Does that mean I have to personally bake pastries for the Crown Prince?”

The Battle of the Pâtissièr was an event where the candidates themselves prepared pastries to serve the Crown Prince.

“But how can I bake pastries myself?”

However, there was one major issue with this tradition: none of the noblewomen knew how to bake pastries. At some point, it became an open secret to bring in a renowned pastry chef to help, and since then, none of the candidates had baked pastries on their own. Instead, the event had transformed into a competition of who could invite the best Pâtissier.

“No way. I’ve never even touched flour, let alone baked pastries,” Rachel murmured with a pale face. She, of course, enlisted the services of the most famous Pâtissier in the capital, but now it seemed as if lightning had struck her.

“Why? What urgent matter could possibly come up?”

“Well… the Duke of Schulian’s estate was suddenly in need of a patisserie.”

“…!”

Rachel and Marie’s expressions stiffened. Once again, Lady Ariel was behind it! Not only that, but she’s openly waging war, unlike her underhanded tactics during the welcoming banquet.

‘Again, what a petty scheme.’ Marie shook her head inwardly. She had anticipated it, but it was so predictable that she couldn’t help but sigh.

“Can’t we hire another Pâtissier?”

“That… we don’t have enough time. The event with His Highness is scheduled for 2 p.m. today.”

Rachel bit her lip.

‘Lady Ariel is sure to have hired the finest pastry chef to serve His Highness. It’s so unfair and unacceptable.’

It might seem trivial, but risking the Crown Prince’s displeasure over something simple was inconceivable.

“What about you? Is there anyone among you who can bake pastries?”

Rachel looked at the maids she had brought from the southern region. However, even the maids were nonplussed. Since they all came from a noble background, they had never tried baking pastries as well.

Rachel then turned to her secret weapon, Marie, as a last resort. “Marie, what about you?”

Marie let out a soft sigh and nodded. “I may not be the best, but I know how to bake pastries.”

Rachel’s face brightened at those words. “Thank goodness. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much! You truly are an angel!”

Rachel was well aware that during the empire’s founding anniversary banquet, she had displayed her culinary prowess by serving dishes to the foreign dignitaries. Since her skills were reportedly on par with the palace’s head chef, Rachel figured her baking skills would be equally impressive.

“Then, since we don’t have much time, let’s start preparing right away.”

Before long, Crown Prince Rael visited Lady Rachel as scheduled. “Your Highness, thank you for coming all the way here. Your presence means a lot.’

Unlike Rachel’s pale and anxious face earlier, she now radiated with confidence, revived by the delightful taste of Marie’s pastries.

‘She’s truly amazing. She even excels at baking.’

The pastries Marie baked were incredibly delicious, leaving Rachel pleasantly surprised by Marie’s exceptional skills.

‘Could Marie possibly be the angel of the palace?’

There had been rumors circulating within the palace since the festival. The rumors spoke of an angel that helped those in need. Although the true identity of the angel remained unknown, Rachel couldn’t help but think that Marie might be the angel. After all, Marie had played a crucial role in turning the previous welcoming banquet into a great success.

And so, Rachel had become confident that Marie could help her overcome her current predicament once again.

“The weather has become much cooler. Not to mention, the leaves in the garden have turned a beautiful color,” Rachel remarked.

“Indeed.”

“You always seem busy with political matters. How about taking a moment to unwind and appreciate the autumn leaves?”

Before enjoying the pastries, the two engaged in a brief conversation. However, in the midst of their chatter, Crown Prince Rael brought up an unexpected question, asking, “Where is Marie?”

Rachel was suddenly caught off guard. Why was he looking for Marie? Rachel was well aware of Marie’s exceptional abilities and how she used them to alleviate his insomnia. She also knew that he had developed some affection for her because of that. However, why would he constantly seek her out when she’s just a lowly prisoner of war?

“I sent her on an errand.”

In truth, Rachel had temporarily sent Marie away from the palace, not for an errand, but to prevent their deception from getting discovered. Although only Rachel and her maids knew about Marie’s pastries, Rachel sent her away just in case.

“…I see.”

Rachel hesitated before saying, “Your Highness, these may not be the best, but here are the sweets I’ve prepared for you.”

The Crown Prince nodded. Soon, Rachel’s maids brought out the pastries Marie had prepared. Rael, upon seeing the basket before him, widened his eyes slightly in surprise.

“This?”

“These are Burgundy butter cookies, meringue cookies, and dacquoise tarts,” Rachel explained, thinking that the Crown Prince was surprised because the pastries looked rather simple. Indeed, the sweets Marie had made were quite basic.

‘Lady Ariel must have prepared much more high-end pastries using a variety of expensive ingredients,’ Rachel thought to herself. ‘Compared to pastries that look obviously made by a professional patissier, these pastries are much better. A lot of noblewomen make these cookies as a hobby, after all. His Highness will find it more believable that I made them.’

Best of all, the pastries were delicious. When Rachel had her first bite, she was pleasantly surprised.

“I may not possess great baking skills to prepare fancy pastries—as I am still lacking in that regard—but I hope they suit Your Highness’s taste,” Rachel said.

However, there was one thing Rachel hadn’t considered. The Crown Prince’s surprise wasn’t solely because the pastries weren’t fancy.

‘These sweets… It’s been a while.’

Those kind of pastries were nostalgic for him. They were the kind of cookies his unjustly poisoned sister—the 7th Princess—used to make for him. But more importantly, they were also the same pastries Marie had gifted him during their chance encounter at the Swan Garden, where the 7th Princess had died.

‘Ah, it’s been several months since I received those sweets from Marie. So much has happened since then,’ the Crown Prince thought, lost in his memories.

‘Did she use Marie’s recipe or did Marie make it herself?’

Once he tasted them, he would be able to tell who made it. After all, the taste of Marie’s pastries still lingered on the back of his tongue.

“Your Highness, please have a taste.”

“Sure.”

The Crown Prince picked up a piece of Burgundy butter cookies and took a small bite. Soon, his mouth was filled with a delightful sweetness. And in that moment, the Crown Prince immediately knew who had baked those cookies.

“…Impressive,” the Crown Prince praised sincerely, bringing great joy to Rachel. After that, he tasted each type of pastry and praised them without fail. Although Marie was the true baker of the treats, Rachel spoke as if she had made them herself. “I was worried because I don’t have much experience in baking, but I’m truly grateful for your kind words.”

However, it was at that moment when the Crown Prince, who was about to take another bite of the cookie, paused in his tracks. “…You baked these yourself?”

“…?”

Rachel nodded her head. “Yes, they may not be perfect, but I personally made those pastries just for you, Your Highness.”

“Is that so?”

The Crown Prince asked again, causing Rachel to tilt her head in confusion. Why was he asking that so persistently? Plus, he seemed rather displeased.

‘Does he think I’m lying?’

But Rachel shook her head. Only she knew that Marie had baked them. As soon as the pastries were ready, she sent Marie away to create an alibi.

“Yes, Your Highness. I baked them myself.”

“…”

The Crown Prince remained silent for a moment. His mood seemed to worsen, much to Rachel’s bewilderment.

‘Is it just my imagination? There’s no reason for him to be displeased.’

When Rachel tilted her head in confusion, he said, “I’ll ask once again. Did you really make these pastries?”

Meanwhile, Marie wandered aimlessly around the palace. Unexpectedly, she found herself with free time, with nothing else to do.

‘How nice, to take a walk like this.’

Feeling the pleasant tickle of the wind, she thought, ‘Lady Rachel must be doing well.’

Well, despite her delicate appearance, she’s incredibly skilled in socializing. Marie figured Rachel would handle it just fine.

Thus, Marie decided to enjoy her free time. ‘I have to go back by evening, so let’s take a walk around the palace.’