Extra: A Dinner Incognito
AFTER she and Marcus married, one might have wondered whether Cesia would settle down in her new role as princess consort and become a bit more well-behaved and ladylike. Needless to say, that was not the case. In fact, her mischievous prince of a husband was even less well-behaved than her.
“Hey! We haven’t been here in a while,” Marcus said, smiling cheerfully. He had used disguise magic to change his hair and eye color, and his hair was a brilliant blond.
They were at a bar in the more working-class part of the capital city. Many customers had gathered inside the spacious restaurant, and everyone was enjoying their drinks and stuffing their cheeks with delicious-looking food. The menu was written on several pieces of paper tacked to the wall, and customers ordered by pointing at what they wanted.
That night, both Cesia and Marcus were free, without any official duties, so when Marcus said “Let’s go on a date!” she readily accepted his invitation. The bar they had arrived at stuck out in her memory; they had come to the bar once before they had fallen in love.
Seeing her husband so excited, Cesia—who’d used magic to alter her hair and eye color to be the same as his—smiled awkwardly. Just as Cesia’s creed was constant, determined resistance, Marcus’s cheerful attitude never changed. Whether there’s trouble or not, this prince is always ready to meddle in all sorts of things, Cesia thought. She had sworn before God that she would spend the rest of her life with Marcus as her husband, so she had no choice but to accompany him wherever he went. Not that she disliked doing so.
“Marvin, let’s take a seat first,” Cesia said, urging Marcus onward using his fake name.
“Yeah, Sarah,” Marcus replied, using her fake name as well, then obediently followed her.
A server showed them to a two-person table in the corner, where they had a good view of the rest of the bar. Marcus liked the food there, but he also seemed to be a fan of the atmosphere. He looked around the place with childlike wonder in his eyes.
Cesia jabbed his upper arm several times to get him to pay attention. “All right, let’s order!” she said cheerfully, and Marcus nodded.
“Oh, yeah,” he said.
Cesia mostly ordered the tasty food she had the last time Marcus had brought her there, but she also took a couple of suggestions from Marcus and went for some dishes newly added since she’d last seen the menu. In no time, plates full of food crowded their small table.
“This looks good! Let’s eat,” Cesia said. She and Marcus quickly did a pre-meal prayer, then she put some food on Marcus’s plate before filling her own. There was mouthwatering smoked meat and grilled vegetables—and she couldn’t forget the soft, fluffy bread, either. “Mmm! The bean salad is great, too!”
Castle food was delicious and often quite luxurious, but there were some tastes that only a restaurant in the city could provide. Savoring the commoner cuisine for the first time in a while had its own special charm, and Cesia cleaned off plate after plate with a smile.
“You must’ve had quite an appetite. I feel good just watching you,” Marcus said. He cut some thick slices of meat, then put them on Cesia’s plate as if to say, “Here, eat these too.”
The last time they had come to the bar, Cesia had felt embarrassed to be served by her boss, but this time was different. It wasn’t because he was her husband but because she had learned that he liked to look after others. He’s a natural older brother, Cesia thought. Normally, he behaved like a prince, and his servants always treated him with reverence, but that wasn’t particularly remarkable—it was his duty. But as he looked after her, he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.
Marcus poured a strong fruit wine into his own glass and smiled as he took a sip. At the castle, they often had dinner together, just the two of them, but a large number of servants were always nearby. It had been a while since they had gone out for dinner like this. Many other customers were all around them, but they were enjoying their meals, and no one knew that he and Cesia were the prince and the princess consort. In that way, it was just the two of them in their own little world.
The word “date” perfectly fit what they were doing, and Cesia felt more excited. “Thanks,” she said, happily smiling as Marcus served her diligently. Marcus smiled, too. That part of him is a bit cute, she thought, then said, “Hey, don’t just look at me. You should eat, too. You ordered a bunch of food, after all!” She piled some grilled vegetables on Marcus’s plate, and he smiled childishly and carefreely. That expression is also cute.
To take care of someone and be taken care of—that was the true essence of a family relationship, and to Cesia, it all still felt a bit embarrassing. She had lived alone for much of her life, and Marcus was the only person besides her parents to fawn over her like family. He behaved like it was only natural, and he hoped Cesia would accept it as such.
Cesia was overjoyed that the person who’d become the family she had long hoped for was so considerate, and she beamed.
Marcus tilted his head, puzzled. “What is it?” he asked.
“I was just feeling satisfied over my aesthetic sense.”
“I don’t get it, but I assume I’m being praised right now.”
Cesia pursed her lips and pouted. “You sure have a strong sense of self-esteem…” He was right, but it was frustrating to admit it.
Marcus chuckled. As always, he was excellent at managing his facial expressions.
Just then, a man grabbed Marcus’s shoulder out of nowhere. “Heeey, kiddo, you look like you’re having a good time! Why don’t you share some of that with me!” the man said.
The clearly drunk man startled Cesia, but Marcus appeared to have sensed this, smiled, and replied amiably. “Yeah, it sure is a nice night tonight. Let’s drink to that and enjoy ourselves,” he said. He was probably sincere when he said that, but unfortunately, the man wasn’t moved.
“It’s not good to lie, sonny. I bet you’re happy because you’re drinking with such a pretty girl.” He looked at the table, then shifted his gaze to Cesia, sitting across from Marcus, and smiled crudely. “Nice. Is she your sister? Pour me a drink too,” he said to Cesia, then reached out to her.
Cesia could easily bat away the shaky hand of a drunk, but that would cause a commotion. Troubled, she shrunk back slightly when Marcus firmly grabbed the man’s arm and stopped him.
Marcus looked at Cesia, who was surprised, then winked so perfectly she would have sworn it made a sound. “She’s not my sister; she’s my wife,” he said. Then, with the man’s arm still in his grip, Marcus looked at him. “Thank you for your kind words of praise. She truly is beautiful, isn’t she?” He was smiling and speaking in his usual, cheery voice, but the man’s arm began to tremble. Marcus held it so tightly that the man couldn’t shake him off.
Then, Marcus nimbly let go, and the man blushed, though not from the alcohol. He left awkwardly, mumbling something. My condolences, Cesia thought. Unfortunately for him, he had chosen the wrong person. He had tried to hassle her and had instead ended up on the receiving end of Marcus’s earnest, lovey-dovey talk about her.
Marcus watched the man’s back as he skulked off, then turned to the table and grinned at a blushing Cesia. “You’re embarrassed.”
“I certainly am…” Cesia pouted. In addition to that drunk, more and more people told her that she had grown prettier lately. Always wanting to be a worthy partner to Marcus, she was happy to hear it, but at the same time, the castle’s maids were helping her, so she thought it was only natural for her to look more refined. That was all the more true because, as Cesia herself was well aware, she had been lax regarding her appearance before she’d gotten married. She had started from well behind and had only recently made it past the starting line, and even then, she was far from being comparable to the ladies who had always paid careful attention to how they looked.
Still, when she had brought that up to her new sister-in-law, Mavis, the princess had said, “That’s not true at all!” According to her, “When someone falls in love, they get way prettier! They look much better as if a light is shining out of them.” The cute princess was quite partial to Cesia, and she always complimented her without reserve. This effusive praise made Cesia feel awkward. And embarrassed. Incredibly, awfully embarrassed.
However, Cesia was glad to hear that, rather than it all being thanks to her maids’ skilled work, she had gotten a bit more beautiful because of her love for Marcus and his love for her. From now on, she wanted to strive to become a stronger, better, and more beautiful person—someone fit to be with Marcus and who anyone would approve of as the princess consort.
“I’m already proud of you enough as my wife,” Marcus had said. Whether he knew what she was thinking or not, he always indulged her like that. His love and trust for her encouraged her and made her want to exert herself even more for him.
“Just you watch. I’ll be someone you can be even more proud of,” Cesia declared with a broad grin.
Marcus smiled carefreely. “Even better. If you get any lovelier, I’ll have to put in more effort myself to be someone worthy of you.”
As he spoke, he raised his glass. You’re on, Cesia thought, crashing her glass against his, and they each drained their drinks.