TYWML 28

28. Picky Eaters Are a No-No
2024.05.28

“Shall we take a look then?”

Madame LaChapelle began walking around Riena, analyzing her diligently.

“You have such fair skin. I heard the southern sun is harsh and tends to tan easily.”

“It must be genetic. My mother was from the north. I used to spend a lot of time outside, but I never tanned easily.”

“Your skin tone is so lovely. Cool-toned blue dresses would suit you well. By the way, are you having a dress made for the royal ball?”

“The royal ball?”

Riena tilted her head in confusion at the unfamiliar term. Madame LaChapelle kindly explained.

“The Foundation Festival is coming up soon. There will be a hunting competition and a royal ball. The whole capital will be filled with festivities. I don’t know if you’ll attend, my lady, but the night market is quite a sight.”

“I didn’t know. I’ve never been to the capital during this time.”

“That’s understandable. I’m not well-versed in southern affairs myself, so it’s only natural that you wouldn’t know about the capital’s events. But you’ll pick it all up soon just by staying here for a bit.”

“That makes sense.”

Riena found herself liking Madame LaChapelle’s thoughtful and considerate personality.

She didn’t usually judge people quickly, but she had a feeling she could easily become friends with Madame LaChapelle.

“So, should we design a dress for the ball?”

“I think I need to discuss that with the Duke. I haven’t heard anything about attending a ball. We might head to the Winkler estate before that.”

“Ah, right. Around this time of year, His Grace usually stays at the estate. I’ve heard that the former Duke rarely attended the ball either. Then what kind of clothes shall I make for you?”

“Please make some indoor wear, a light dress I can go out in, and a coat. Also, could I ask for some alterations? I need to go out briefly next weekend, but I didn’t bring many clothes. I’m thinking of altering some of the former Duchess’s dresses for now.”

Madame LaChapelle accepted the request without a hint of displeasure.

“Of course. I’ll go through the wardrobe and pick something that’s not too outdated by the capital’s current fashion trends. I’ll have it altered before your outing.”

“Thank you.”

Riena flipped through the booklet Madame LaChapelle had brought and chose a few dress designs.

Once the selection was made, measurements were taken carefully.

“Then I’ll visit again soon. Let me know if you decide on the ball gown. I happen to have a design that would suit you perfectly.”

“Thank you. I’ll count on you.”

“Leave it to me.”

Once Madame LaChapelle left with a happy smile, the next visitor was the gardener, Ryan.

“I’ve brought the flowers I mentioned yesterday, my lady.”

As he placed the lush, blooming pink flowers in a vase on the table, the once-dim room felt instantly brighter.

“Thank you so much.”

“It’s nothing. I’ll bring fresh ones once these start to wilt.”

Only after Ryan left could Riena finally sit down at the table and catch her breath.

After a day full of activity, it was already time for dinner.

“How would you like to have your dinner?”

Riena hesitated at Amy’s question and asked in return:

“Has His Grace returned yet?”

If Kassel wasn’t home, she had planned to ask for a simple meal to be brought to her room. She didn’t want to eat alone again in the silence.

“Yes, he returned just a little while ago.”

Riena’s face lit up at the response.

“Do you think he’ll be eating dinner in the dining room?”

Amy smiled brightly, understanding Riena’s thoughts.

“Yes, I believe so.”

“Then I’ll eat in the dining room too.”

“I’ll inform the kitchen right away!”

Amy soon returned to escort Riena to the first-floor dining room.

When she entered, she saw that Kassel had arrived first and was already seated where it had been empty in the morning.

As soon as he saw her, he stood up and came over to escort her to her seat.

He helped her sit and asked,

“Are you feeling tired?”

“I’m fine. I slept a lot last night, so I’ve been full of energy all day.”

“That’s good.”

Kassel sat across from her and gave a nod to the attendant.

While salad and soup were being served, Riena lightly swung her feet under the table and looked around.

Compared to the quiet morning, the room now felt much more lively.

Kassel was still quiet, but his presence alone made the space feel full.

Riena glanced at Kassel out of the corner of her eye, trying to find traces of the boy she once knew in his now-grown-up face.

At first, she thought he looked completely different. But the more she looked, the more she found familiar traces of young Cass.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Oh, no reason.”

Caught in the act, Riena felt embarrassed and looked away.

Just then, she noticed something and muttered,

“You still don’t eat peas, huh?”

Kassel froze just as he was about to lift his fork. Riena rested her chin on her hand and smiled.

“My plate has peas, but yours doesn’t.”

“…”

“You used to tell me I had to eat all my vegetables to grow taller.”

Amy, who was pouring water into Riena’s glass, couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

Riena gestured to Amy to assure her, then continued teasing Kassel.

“Things like this really prove you’re the same Cass I remember.”

Kassel avoided her gaze and muttered as if making an excuse.

“It seems avoiding peas hasn’t affected my growth.”

“That’s true.”

Riena nodded sincerely.

Kassel was impressively built.

He was even taller than Count Dyke, who was a knight, and Raul. There probably wasn’t anyone in the empire more physically imposing.

“Well, then I guess it’s fine…”

Just as she was about to finish her sentence—

“But still…”

Kassel looked directly at her.

“I’ll try to fix that.”

“That’s a good attitude.”

He was the one saying he’d fix his picky eating, yet Riena felt oddly proud.

Perhaps because they shared a memory from their childhood, the slightly stiff atmosphere seemed to soften.

She felt as if the invisible wall between them had been lowered just a little.

So Riena continued chatting with a more excited voice, just like she used to when eating with young Cass.

“Today I explored the mansion. I met Sandra, the head maid, and got introduced to a few other people too. Sandra was your nanny, right?”

“Yes, she was.”

Riena expected Kassel to go quiet after that.

She opened her mouth to continue the conversation, but Kassel spoke first.

“Did you enjoy touring the mansion?”

“Ah, yes. It was fun. It’s definitely larger and more elegant than the Dyke estate. If the townhouse here is this big, I wonder how large the estate mansion is.”

“It’s large enough that I got lost there as a child.”

“Wow. I’ve never even thought about getting lost at home. I didn’t know that really happens.”

“The ducal estate is unnecessarily big. The Dyke estate is much more livable.”

“Is that so? Still, I’d love to see it sometime. I wonder if I’d get lost too.”

“I’ve left the winter preparations to people I trust, but once autumn begins, the North must start full-scale preparations for winter. I’ll have to return to the estate soon to oversee it. Of course, whether or not you join me will depend on your wishes. If you prefer the capital, you may stay here…”

Riena quickly cut in.

“I’ll go. I want to go. I don’t know anyone in the capital, and being alone feels a bit… lonely.”

“Then I’ll make the arrangements accordingly.”

“Oh, and also—”

Riena remembered something Madame LaChapelle had said.

“I heard the Foundation Festival is coming up. Madame LaChapelle asked if I needed a dress for the royal banquet.”

She pushed her empty salad plate back slightly.

“But I guess we won’t attend, right? I think the festival is about a month away, and we’ll probably have to go to the estate by then. Madame LaChapelle also said the Winklers rarely attend the banquet anyway.”

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t a little disappointed.

She wasn’t particularly interested in the royal banquet, but missing the festive mood and the night market was a bit of a shame.

Still, it was something she could experience another time.

Then Kassel, who had been studying her expression, made a suggestion.

“If you’d like, how about staying to see the festival before we leave?”

“Really? Can we do that?”

“We can’t stay until it ends, but a few days should be fine. I’ll instruct the staff to adjust the schedule.”

“Thank you. I was a bit curious about it.”

“As for the royal banquet…”

Kassel hesitated again.

“We don’t know how things will unfold, so let’s order the dress just in case. We can decide later whether to attend or not, depending on the situation.”

“Alright, let’s do that.”