What was more, knowing Livio, he might very well say, “I’m so terribly sorry for acting so improperly. I’ll be more cautious moving forward.” It seemed likely he’d stop touching her altogether after that. That wasn’t what she wanted. That would be the absolute worst possible turn of events for Sophie.
In that case, staying silent was in Sophie’s best interests. It’s okay. Compared to the days she’d had to swallow all sorts of unappetizing, nauseating things, swallowing down a slowly stewed blueberry jam was nothing short of a moment of utmost bliss. It was just teatime. Someone fetch the scones!
Just smiling and giggling back at each other felt like they were basking in sunlight. In reality, the night sky was positively beaming with stars, but that was all well and good. So long as Livio was there with her, it was all well and good as far as Sophie was concerned.
Just as the two sat in the heartwarming company of each other, a knock rang out in the room.
Both of them flinched, their shoulders bouncing high. Sophie and Livio looked at each other and laughed.
After being told that dinner was ready and that they were summoned to the dining hall, the two entered, Vyce looking up at them, wearing a pair of glasses with documents in his hand.
For what it was worth, Vyce had merely tied his hair back in a bun and put on a white shirt. While it was a little late to be pointing it out, he didn’t look kingly at all. He seemed so rough around the edges it was a question of whether he was even fit to sit at the dinner table. Naturally, that didn’t bother Sophie and Livio. Regardless, they upheld their etiquette with a polite nod before being guided to their seats by a maid.
“Get a little rest?”
“I did,” Sophie answered. “Even though it might only be a part-time job, I’m a lady-in-waiting, and with no standing to call my own now...your hospitality is almost too much to accept.”
Livio nodded along in agreement.
Vyce stowed away his glasses in his chest pocket. “Enough of all that. It’s not like yer out in front’a the public or anything, so don’t be so uptight. You two’re staying here as friends of Lunetta and myself. I might not look it, but I’m still a king, y’know. I’ve got my own honor to uphold, so just can it and let me treat you.”
Vyce bundled up the documents and handed them to the attendant who’d swiftly appeared at Vyce’s side.
“Dressin’ up suits you two,” Vyce said, bursting out laughing. “This is about as fancy as it gets for me. They’re all delighted they’ve got someone worth dressin’ up now, y’know.”
I see...
Comparing Vyce and the attendant heartily nodding beside him, Sophie couldn’t help but mentally nod in agreement herself.
From the standpoint of someone helping him get ready, just having Vyce wear a white shirt was hardly worth it. On second thought, Vyce seemed like he’d turn down any attempts to help him dress.
As far as that was concerned, as a guest who was unable to turn Vyce down, Livio was also a subject worth assisting and then some. The servants might’ve wound up wanting to have him try on a whole mountain of clothes. Even Sophie wished she could’ve been in the mix with them.
Just when Sophie had found herself oddly convinced, she heard the latch of the door as it opened.
There was Lunetta, wearing a black dress with her black hair put up. It was impressive, if not surprising, that she wore black from head to toe, even when dressed up.
“You get some rest too?” Vyce asked.
“I did,” Lunetta replied with a nod, but the ladies-in-waiting behind her quietly shook their heads.
I bet she’s had nothing but magic on her mind even after she and Vyce went their separate ways earlier. Judging from the tired look the ladies-in-waiting all had in their eyes, Sophie couldn’t help but get the sense that they’d had to practically drag Lunetta here. Nice work.
“Don’t give your ladies-in-waiting such a hard time,” Vyce said.
“You’re one to talk, Your Majesty,” Lunetta replied.
They were birds of a feather. They really do suit each other.
With the well-matched pair now together, the servants brought out the food. It truly was an unusual sight, watching as dish after dish was lined up across the massive table.
“Sorry if it’s not the best etiquette, but bringing out just a tiny bit at a time always got on my nerves,” Vyce said. “Bear with me, yeah?”
“It’s so thrilling to see the dishes lined up like this—I like it!” Sophie replied with a smile.
Vyce laughed. “Isn’t it?”
Sophie had always eaten alone at home, so a trayful of food was all she’d been used to in the first place. Unless it was a special occasion such as a meal with the king or some other important figure, she had never gotten to experience the sort of meal where multiple dishes were elegantly served to her one at a time. To Sophie, it didn’t matter whether the food was lined up all at once or brought out dish by dish——it all seemed a lavish feast.
There were thick steaks, glistening pies, a soup with beans floating on its surface, and a beautiful dish with multiple layers of vegetables arranged like a mille-feuille pastry. The wondrous sight of countless dishes lining the table was enough to make Sophie’s heart leap.
But looking closely, each of their plates was a different size. Lunetta’s was even smaller than a child’s plate—so small it looked like a toy. Vyce’s and Livio’s plates were so massive they brought to mind a question of how many mouths they were sized to feed. The plate in front of Sophie was probably the standard size.
After having dined together a few times, Vyce had likely instructed his servants on how much each of them ate. While it seemed a bit surprising in light of the way Vyce spoke and behaved, Sophie couldn’t help but be secretly impressed by how considerate their host was. He really is cool—that’s the sort of grown-up I want to be, Sophie thought, making sure to write that down in her mental notebook.
“All righty then,” Vyce said. “Eat till you can’t!”
Vyce earned high marks for the fact that he was just a little bit cute when he lit up and smiled like that.
By the way...those two have massive plates, but didn’t they already eat that monster meat earlier?
The size of their stomachs was a mystery.
“So? What’re you two gonna do about your jobs?”
“You bring that up like we’re going to be living in this kingdom,” Livio replied without blinking an eye, “We’re not falling for that.”
Vyce clicked his tongue in annoyance. Admittedly, there was something nice about having a king take a liking to you.
“That won’t work,” Livio continued. “Sophie and I are still in the middle of our journey.”
“I’m just joking.”
“It didn’t sound like a joke.”
“Can it,” Vyce said, tilting back his wineglass, taking multiple gulps of the wine before gently setting the glass down. “Well, it is true that I want you two. It doesn’t matter if you’re from another country, another race, or even if you’re elopin’—if you’ve got talent, then I want ya.”
Vyce gave a mean-spirited sneer, leaving Livio and Sophie at an unexpected loss for words as they looked at each other. The red of Livio’s cheeks perfectly matched the meat on their plates. Was that because of the pleasantly barrel-scented, full-bodied wine? Probably not. Sophie’s cheeks had to be red as well.
Sophie cleared her throat, locking eyes with Vyce, whose eyes narrowed happily as if he were having a blast. “Do you have other races in your castle too?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Vyce answered. “There’re beastmen, elves, and...what else again?” Vyce turned around to look at his attendant.
The man smiled in response. “I’m demonkin myself, Your Majesty. And the soldier managing your armory is a dwarf.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right.”
“That’s right,” he says!
Sophie blinked as the attendant’s smile grew to a grin. “His Majesty only categorizes people into a handful of groups: those he’s related to, those he likes, those he can use, diplomatic relations, those he doesn’t like, and those he can’t use.”
“Hey, don’t you go pokin’ fun at me!”
“I’d never dream of it.”
The attendant gave a handsome laugh behind his round glasses. He was being honest—probably. His eyes were warm, looking happy and proud, with nothing but trust in Vyce, so it was funny to see Vyce himself grumbling about it.
“Have you decided on your next destination?” the attendant asked Sophie and Livio with a smile.