CH 3.16

‘I’m amazed at how she knows this stuff at all…’

“It’s simple. The solution is…” Recalling the information Marie had provided, Rachel recited what Marie had said word per word. “The way to satisfy the delegation is simple: just prepare a banquet excluding all meat dishes.”

“……!”

Rachel looked at their astonished expressions and confidently said, “In other words, we just need to serve vegetarian dishes.”

Rachel remembered the recent interaction she had with Marie in her private chamber.

At that time, Rachel had heard about Lady Ariel’s disastrous banquet and was contemplating how to host the East Nation delegate.

‘But religious dietary laws are quite complicated. I might end up humiliating myself if I make a wrong move.’

According to what she’d heard, Lady Ariel hadn’t made a mistake. The issue was simply a result of cultural differences. Perhaps even if Rachel had been present in that situation, the same result would have occurred.

‘It might be for the best that Lady Ariel handled the delegation instead of me. If I had taken charge, I would have been humiliated, not Lady Ariel.’

With that thought in mind, Rachel decided to take step back from that matter. If she could resolve it successfully, she would gain tremendous merit, but she didn’t have confidence in herself, considering she knew nothing about the East Nation.

‘What a shame, I suppose I should aim for the next opportunity.’

In truth, Rachel had a reason why she must become the Crown Princess—a ‘true reason’ different from pretense of reviving her family’s prestige. To achieve that, she had to be chosen in the selection. However, even so, the risks of the current dilemma were too great. So she decided to wait for the next chance.

But then, Marie, who had been quietly lost in thought beside her, spoke.

“Lady Rachel.”

“Hmm? What is it, Marie?”

“Do you have any intention of resolving the issue regarding the delegation?”

“Well… as much as I want to, I don’t know anything about the East Nation….” Rachel who was saying that, suddenly trailed off. “Perhaps… You…?”

Marie nodded with a solemn expression and said, “Yes, I have an idea.”

Rachel looked at Marie in surprise. She knew Marie was versatile in various fields, but to be knowledgeable in the East Nation’s customs as well?

“What is it? Tell me.”

“It’s simple. The solution is…” Marie began to slowly articulate her input. As Rachel listened to her explanations, Rachel’s face was filled with astonishment.

Oren pointed out the flaw in the suggestion she had made. “Preparing a banquet excluding meat? So, we would serve a vegetarian meal only? That can’t be considered a proper meal for a foreign delegation.”

As he is the Duke of Sovien, he would have responded to Rachel, a noblewoman rank below him, however he wanted. But considering her current status as a Crown Princess candidate, he opted for a more diplomatic approach.

Regardless, his point was valid. When Rachel heard Marie’s explanation, she had similar doubts. Nevertheless, Rachel recalled the information Marie had provided and said, “A meatless meal doesn’t solely consist of vegetables. The religious laws of the East Nation allow not only vegetables, fruits, and grains, but seafood as well.”

“Is it a reliable piece of information that they allow seafood dishes, Milady? We cannot afford any more mistakes.”

Rachel nodded her head. “Yes, surprisingly, they mostly permit seafoods, unlike meat. Of course, there may be varying opinions depending on different schools of thought, but all fish with scales are generally accepted.”

Oren wore a surprised expression at her words. He’d fact check it later, but still, it didn’t seem like baseless claims.

“I only have limited knowledge about the customs of the East Nation, so it’s truly impressive that you know so much, Milady.”

“You flatter me, Your Grace. It’s merely a coincidence that I happened to come across this information while reading a book.”

Rachel bowed her head at Oren’s praise. With her humble response, Oren’s expression filled with even more admiration. Books describing the customs of the East Nation were extremely rare, so it was impossible to acquire such knowledge through casual reading.

Meanwhile, Rachel inwardly smiled at Oren’s impressed face. ‘As expected, he’s amazed. But in reality, I hardly read books at all.’

It wasn’t through reading that she gained that knowledge—no, it was all thanks to Marie. Of course, Rachel had no intention of revealing that. Everything must be credited to her, to prove that she’s worthy to be the Crown Princess. ‘Because Marie’s success is my success.’

With that thought in mind, Rachel continued, “Soups, hors d’oeuvres, and entrees can be prepared without using meat, and so it wouldn’t pose a problem. With vegetables and grains alone, we can create satisfying dishes. The primary concern lies in the main course, the grosse pièce. However, if we substitute fish for meat, that issue will also be resolved.”

Upon hearing her explanation, Oren nodded. It seemed like an excellent solution. Would there be no significant issues if they treated the delegation in that manner?

However, he had one concern, so he asked, “Wouldn’t be the course too simple if we only serve vegetables and fish?”

“Of course. However…” Rachel smiled.

That question, too, had already been answered by Marie in advance. It was the most brilliant response among all the information Marie had provided. “That is something they will have to bear.”

“What do you mean by ‘bear’?”

“Exactly what it says,” Rachel says in a confident tone. “There is no need for our empire to extend such great hospitality the East delegation.”

“……!”

Rachel repeated Marie’s words verbatim. “While there haven’t been any major conflicts recently, the East Nation is our undisputed enemy. It is enough to observe basic courtesy. We are neither their vassal nor close allies, so there is no need to provide extravagant hospitality. I believe this kind of treatment is more than enough.”

It was such a perfect solution. Their empire didn’t need to concern itself with the sensitivities of the East Nation. As Rachel had stated, this level of consideration alone demonstrated enough courtesy.

“How excellent, Milady.”

“No, I’m worried that my inadequate words might have bothered you for nothing.”

“Bothered… What do you think of Lady Ariel’s suggestion, Your Highness?”

Oren turned to the Crown Prince. Listening quietly without saying a word, Rael nodded in agreement. “It seems like a good idea. Let’s proceed as planned.”

Rachel, delighted by the Crown Prince’s positive response, bowed deeply and said, “Thank you for considering my humble opinion.”

Rachel fought back the grin that threatened to come out as she bowed her head. Finally, she had gained recognition from the Crown Prince!

“Then I leave the task of dealing with the delegation for the remaining schedule to you. Should you encounter any difficulties, please inform me immediately.”

“Yes, thank you. Although I may still be lacking, I will do my best.” With that, Rachel suppressed another grin as she began to retreat from the office.

However, the Crown Prince suddenly called out to her. “Ah, just one more question.”

At that moment, the Crown Prince’s eyes turned back to her. Rachel, upon meeting his eyes, unconsciously swallowed a lump in her throat. They were such deep and penetrating eyes that she had encountered several times before. When she locked eyes with them, it felt like her deepest thoughts were being laid bare. Rachel couldn’t help but feel extremely anxious.

“The things you just mentioned, you said that you read them from a book…?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“What is the title of that book?”

“…”

Her eyes trembled. Rachel hadn’t read the book at all—it was not she who had read it, but the maid, Marie.

“Marie, how do you know about these things?”

When Rachel asked, Marie surprisingly responded, “I read it in a book.”

“In a book?”

“Yes, when I used to be a maid in the Cloyan Kingdom’s Palace, I had the opportunity to access the library’s books freely, allowing me to read them all.” Marie then continued with a somewhat bittersweet tone, “I spent a lot of time reading books during my stay in the palace back then.”

Although Rachel hadn’t read them herself, Marie had read the books. Fortunately, Rachel asked the title of the book Marie had read, in the event she would encounter such question.

“I read it in the book titled <Chronicles of East Nation Life> by Baron Dorain.”

Fortunately, the Crown Prince didn’t ask further. “I see. You may leave.”

“Yes, I shall take my leave now.”

After she left, Oren said to Rael, “Isn’t it amazing? That Delphina is so astute. It bodes well for the prosperity of our empire.”

However, the Crown Prince became lost in thought, not responding to Oren’s remark. When Oren looked at him with a puzzled expression, the Crown Prince said, “Oren.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Do you know who Count Dorain is, the author of ?”

“Yes, I do. Isn’t he a noble from the Cloyn Kingdom who got kidnapped by East Nation pirates ten years ago in the Mediterranean coast and subsequently released? I wasn’t aware that he had written a book about that. It seems like he authored it based on several years of captivity during that time.”

“Right.”

“But why did you ask?”

“It’s nothing. You should get back to work now.”

Oren looked at him with curiosity, but the Crown Prince didn’t offer any further explanation. Eventually, Oren had no choice but to bow his head and withdraw.

Left alone at last, the Crown Prince murmured to himself, “Yes, Count Dorain is a noble of the Cloyan Kingdom.” He continued speaking, “And his book was never published in this empire, as it was only exclusive to Cloyan Kingdom.”

The reason the Crown Prince knew this was simple. While searching the library to bring important books to the imperial palace after capturing the Cloyan Kingdom, the Crown Prince happened to come across that book.

Its title, “Chronicles of East Nation Life,” was a very unusual title that it had caught his attention. At the time, he wasn’t particularly inclined to read its contents, so he left it behind. However, after returning to the palace, he considered retrieving and reading the book, only to find that it wasn’t available anymore.

In that case, what does it mean that Rachel has read a book that was published only in the Cloyan Kingdom? Does it mean that she had such a strong interest in reading that she would seek out and read books published in other kingdoms?

“No… it’s probably something Marie came up with,” The Crown Prince muttered to himself.

Marie.

The name that kept running through his mind.