CH 3.15

‘This kind of treatment is quite a pleasant surprise,’ Kashan thought to himself as he bathed in the warm water specially prepared for him. Given that the empire was the land of infidels, he had expected receiving nothing but poor treatment. However, to his surprise, he was treated with great care.

It was all thanks to Lady Ariel, who had put in her utmost effort in making all the necessary arrangements.

“Did you feel any discomfort during your bath?”

Kashan shook his head and replied, “It was fine.”

“Lady Ariel has organized a welcoming banquet for you tonight. Will you please attend?”

Kashan’s face brightened at those words. They had arranged a banquet for him? “I would be delighted to attend. Please convey my gratitude to Lady Ariel.”

“Understood. We look forward to seeing you at the banquet.”

“By the way, will the Crown Prince be present at the banquet?”

“No, he will not be attending. Instead, Lady Ariel, the Delphina, will be in attendance.”

Kashan nodded. He wanted to meet the Crown Prince as soon as possible to immediately resolve the matter at hand. However, it was customary for delegates to wait for a certain period of time before meeting the ruler of a foreign country.

“I understand. After a long journey, I am looking forward to the banquet,” he replied.

As the time passed quickly, the banquet finally began. Kashan was escorted to the Lily Palace, where distinguished guests were received. This time, he was welcomed by Count Gilbert, the palace manager, alongside Lady Ariel.

“I am Lady Ariel of the Schulian Duchy. On behalf of His Highness the Crown Prince, I extend my greeting to the East Nation.”

Kashan inwardly admired Ariel’s exquisite beauty. From the perspective of his nation, her attire seemed too light, but her allure was undeniable nonetheless.

“I am Kashan of the East Nation. It would be my pleasure to share a meal with a lady as beautiful as you.”

The banquet proceeded in a pleasant atmosphere. Ariel had invested considerable effort into hosting the delegation, sourcing only the finest ingredients and enlisting top chefs with the support of her family’s resources. Each dish presented at the banquet was a culinary masterpiece that tantalized everyone’s taste buds.

Another detail Ariel paid attention to was abstaining from serving pork or alcohol. ‘I heard that the people from the East Nation do not consume pork or alcohol,’ Ariel thought to herself. It was a piece of information she had been completely unaware of.

The Eastern Empire and the East Nation had no official exchanges for years, only harboring mutual hostility as adherents of different religions. As a result, there was little knowledge about each other’s cultures.

Initially, Ariel had planned to serve pork dishes with the finest wines, as customary to a typical banquet. However, she received timely advise that the people from the East Nation abstained from pork and alcohol. And so, she quickly made adjustments and removed them from the menu.

“In consideration of your preference, we have prepared alternative beverages in lieu of alcohol.”

“Thank you.”

The banquet proceeded smoothly, and it seemed like it would conclude without a hitch. Ariel couldn’t help but smile, feeling a sense of triumph. ‘This time, His Highness will definitely notice me.’

Hosting the delegation was a task of significantly greater magnitude compared to the trivial events where Rachel had previously taken the lead. It was an opportunity for Ariel to demonstrate her competence befitting a Crown Princess. The thought of finally suppressing Rachel’s insolence brought immense satisfaction to Ariel.

“The main course of the banquet is the Grosse Pièce—a steak made from veal. I hope it pleases your palate.”

As the soup, hors d’oeuvres, and cold entrées were served, the anticipation for the highlight of the banquet, the veal steak, grew. However, as soon as it was served, a sudden chilly atmosphere swept through the once lively banquet hall!

Clink!

Kashan slammed his cutlery onto his plate, his face flushing. He exclaimed, “What’s… this? Are you mocking me?”

Lady Ariel, the Palace Manager, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs looked at Kashan with surprise.

“What’s wrong?”

“This is haram!”

Haram, meaning ‘forbidden,’ refers to foods prohibited by their religion’s law.

Startled by the interpretation, Ariel responded, “There seems to be a misunderstanding. This is veal, not pork…”

She had learned that beef was not a prohibited food in the East Nation. In fact, it was even a staple meat there. However, Kashan pointed at the rare steak oozing with blood, and exclaimed, “Are you telling me to eat meat that wasn’t slaughtered according to Dhabiha (Zabiha)?”

“N-No.”

Ariel was completely caught off guard. Dhabihah? What does that mean?

“T-There seems to be a misunderstanding…”

But Kashan abruptly stood up from his seat. “How dare you insult me like this? How do you view our nation, to subject us to such humiliation?” Kashan said with an enraged expression as he started to storm off the banquet hall.

“Even though I am nothing but a delegate seeking assistance from the Empire, to receive such insult like this… The East Nation and I will never forget this disrespect.”

“Wait, please!” Ariel called out desperately, but Kashan did not pay her mind and left the banquet hall in anger.

“W-What was that?” Ariel, Count Gilbert, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs looked at each other in bewilderment. They couldn’t figure out what had caused such offense to him.

As a result, the banquet turned into a disaster, and the delegate from the East Nation, Kashan, formally lodged a complaint to the Crown Prince regarding the events of that day.

“The delegate from the East Nation stormed out of the banquet hall?”

“Yes, he took offense with the food that violated his religious beliefs and declared that he would not eat unless halal foods were provided.”

The Crown Prince pursed his lips at Prime Minister Oren’s words. “For someone who came uninvited, they sure are demanding.”

The Prime Minister also smiled bitterly. “Right. I heard that upholding their religious doctrines hold greater importance than their own lives, so that’s why.”

“But what was the problem? They didn’t serve pork or alcohol, right? It’s not like they served rotten meat either.”

The Crown Prince had some understanding of their religious doctrines. That’s why, in order to avoid any unnecessary conflicts, he had reviewed the food prepared by Lady Ariel in advance. There was no pork, alcohol, or any other religiously forbidden food listed.

“He protested that the veal wasn’t slaughtered according to the Dhabihah method.”

“Dhabihah?”

“Yes, it’s their method of slaughtering animals. Upon further investigation, it seems that…” Prime Minister Oren began to explain his findings.

Crown Prince Rael furrowed his eyebrows as he listened to the explanation. “The livestock’s head must face the direction of the sacred place, and the throat, windpipe, jugular veins, and carotid arteries must be cut in one swift motion to drain all the blood?”

“Yes, they don’t consume meat that hasn’t been slaughtered in that manner.”

It had been centuries since the East Nation and the Eastern Empire had any official exchanges, resulting to a lack of knowledge about each other’s customs and traditions. Although the Crown Prince was well-versed in various fields, he had no prior knowledge of that specific slaughtering method.

“I thought it was enough to avoid pork, alcohol, cloven-hoofed animals, and sharp-fanged carnivores. But it appears to be far more complex.”

“Yes, it’s also my first time learning about it.”

“How did the East Nation’s delegate react to this?”

“The delegate was furious and declared a hunger strike. He refused to discuss the purpose of his visit until he’s provided with strictly halal food.”

“This is becoming troublesome.”

The Prime Minister then asked the Crown Prince for his input. “What do you propose we do? Frankly speaking, I don’t think we need to entirely cater to him. After all, it’s their religion, not ours.”

The Crown Prince nodded in agreement. “Exactly. While we can accommodate their dietary restrictions, it is unreasonable of them to demand that we adhere to their specific methods of slaughtering.”

It was not simply out of stubbornness. It was a matter of the Empire’s dignity. Not only was the Eastern Empire not a vassal state of the East Nation, but yielding too much would undoubtedly lead to unfavorable consequences as well. Especially with the fact that the Vatican, who was always quick to nitpick, would certainly make an issue out of it.

‘The problem is that we cannot simply dismiss them,’ The Crown Prince thought. It would be easy to disregard their demands and send them away, but that would not be a wise choice.

‘The fact that the East sent an official delegation after so many centuries indicates that they have pressing matters at hand. It would be imprudent to dismiss them without hearing the purpose of their visit.’

Of course, it was not out of fear of the East. No matter how dominant they were in the East, the Empire’s power was no less formidable. The concern lie in whether their purpose would be beneficial or detrimental to the Empire. Ignoring them outright was not an option.

The Crown Prince tapped on his iron mask, a habit he had whenever he felt troubled. ‘This is quite troublesome. We cannot bend to their unreasonable demands, nor can we simply disregard and dismiss them.’

He pondered for a moment, searching for a solution. They needed a way to defuse the tension without giving in to their demands. What approach should they take? Suddenly, in that moment of contemplation, a certain person popped into his mind.

It was none other than the maid, Marie. The girl who had consistently displayed her miraculous abilities. Would she know a way to overcome this dilemma?

“No, it’s unlikely that Marie would know.” the Crown Prince shook his head. No matter how talented Marie was, her abilities were not applicable to the current predicament. Finding a solution required political expertise.

‘In any case, I’ll have to take charge of this matter. It’s not something Lady Rachel can handle.’

Initially, after Ariel’s failed attempt at hosting, it would have been the turn of another Crown Princess candidate, Rachel, to welcome the delegation. However, the Crown Prince was well aware of Rachel’s true abilities. She didn’t seem equipped to handle such a serious matter.

‘First, I should meet with merchants who are well-versed in the customs of East Nation. I need to find a way to defuse the tension without conceding to their unreasonable demands.”

Just as the Crown Prince was about to give instructions to Prime Minister Oren, Almond, the Royal Guard Knight, announced the arrival of a guest.

“Lady Rachel has arrived.”

“Lady Rachel? Inform her that I am currently occupied with state affairs and that I’ll reach out to her later,” the Crown Prince replied, shaking his head.

However, Almond delivered unexpected news. “Well… Lady Rachel insists that she has something important to discuss regarding the East Nation’s delegation…” He continued, “She claims to have a solution to the issue with the latter.”

“…!”

Soon, a beautifully dressed young woman entered the office. “I, Lady Rachel from the Istvaan County greet Your Highness.”

“So, you have a solution to the delegation issue?”

Rachel said with a polite yet confident voice, “Yes, even if it’s not much, I wanted to offer help in resolving the problem that arose during Lady Ariel’s banquet,” Rachel said, subtly criticizing Ariel.

The Crown Prince nodded and asked, “Do you understand the crux of this issue?”

“Yes, It is necessary to appease their anger without giving in to their demands.” Rachel explained further, “Considering the devotion of the East Nation to their religious laws, if they feel insulted, they may refuse an audience and return to their country immediately. We don’t even know the purpose of their visit, so if they were to leave in such an abrupt manner, it wouldn’t be favorable to the Empire.”

“She’s right, Your Highness,” Prime Minster Oren exclaimed in admiration. Rachel had precisely grasped the crux of the problem.

“Then what solution do you propose?”

As Rachel looked into his blue eyes beneath the iron mask, she smiled timidly. The Crown Prince’s gaze had always been cold and intimidating to meet, but today, she felt confident.

It was because she genuinely had a solution.

‘Incredible. How did she acquire this knowledge?’ Rachel thought, recalling the person who had taught her the solution.

‘When the Crown Prince asks for a solution, tell him this.’

She was nothing but a skinny girl with a lower status than Rachel. However, the more Rachel get to know her, the more fascinating the girl had became.

To Rachel’s surprise, the one who had provided Rachel with the solution was none other than the maid, Marie.

t/n: don’t mind me, im just screaming crying over ts’ speak now rerecording release