Chapter 8 – Episode 8. Astrid Stopped Seeing People Again
It was time for her first meal, a few hours after leaving the Myterien Manor.
Even if it was the prince’s visit, the imperial cook couldn’t follow her, so she had no choice but to eat with food prepared in advance.
‘It’s not that the class is different… ‘
Not dried bread, but bread baked in a mobile oven and a steak served with a nutritionally balanced salad.
In addition, a wide-footed glass of wine more than half full to prevent falling over.
At this level, it is not portable, and it is a meal that would be served at a fairly decent restaurant, although not upscale.
Besides, Astrid herself is not picky about her appetite and just eats whatever she gives her.
However, if the person sitting across from him was Leopold, no matter how good the meal was, there was no way the meal would be tasty.
‘I want to go out and eat.’
Glancing, Astrid’s eyes turned to the outside of the car window.
Outside in the sunny weather, the escorts were eating in rotation in several groups, and although it was difficult to see due to the distance, something similar to that small khaki iron can…
‘… Isn’t that the antithesis?’
Wow, it’s been a while since I saw that.
I thought I’d never see her again.
Astrid, who was suddenly immersed in her memories, heard a voice that instantly crushed her mood.
“I want to have a comfortable meal.”
Leopold grumbled as he rubbed the salad while holding a fork and knife in a noble style with a tray on top of a small table designed for one person.
“It is surprising. I didn’t know it would match my wishes. Good for you. Then I’m done.”
Words are fast, actions are even faster.
Astrid stood up from her seat at the same time.
Like Leopold, she held the tray on the table and kicked the carriage door with the toe of her shoe, and the attendant guarding the carriage door gently opened it.
“Astrid, where are you going!”
Hearing Leopold’s bewildered voice, Astrid took a step down the steps of her carriage, handed the tray to the attendant in front of her, and looked back at her.
“Your Highness takes care of your meals. I will try to avoid it.”
I want to cry, but it’s like being slapped on the cheek.
It was an uncomfortable seat for Astrid, and it wasn’t a very welcome situation to sit face to face with Leopold in this carriage, but it was a situation that was more than welcome when Leopold said so.
“I-I… Ey, do whatever you want!”
Leopold’s voice, which seemed to have grown thorns, drifted into her ears as Astrid took her tray from her attendant and moved on.
A small vacant lot where the escorts are having a rotational meal.
When the sound of Astrid’s approaching footsteps was heard by the escorts sitting in groups of threes and fives in the clearing, the escorts looked around to see what was going on, then quickly put down the trays and jumped up from their seats.
“Go, princess!”
“Eat comfortably.”
I can’t help but feel comfortable.
It is no different from the wife of the chief of staff and daughter-in-law of the president sitting right next to her.
There’s no way Astrid didn’t know that, but unfortunately Astrid didn’t have the heart to yield either.
Once she wants to fill her tummy.
Even if it’s news, you have to eat rice.
“Princess, how about having a comfortable meal?”
An epaulet with an eagle pattern on it.
Looking at those epaulettes… He was a figure who looked like a platoon leader.
The man, who seemed to be five or six years older than Astrid, had short-cropped hair and a rather sharp look, so he didn’t seem to be particularly intimidated by Astrid’s stare staring at him.
“I am comfortable here. Think of it as someone who doesn’t have one and enjoy your meal comfortably.”
That couldn’t be the case, but anyway, Astrid was really comfortable now.
Sitting face-to-face with Leopold in the carriage to have a meal, even though I was comfortable, I felt very uncomfortable.
“But… Everyone to eat.”
No matter how much it is a night meal, it is still an escort, so it is mainly salad.
The meat looked barely smaller than Astrid’s palm, while the meat on Astrid’s plate was over twice that size and three times as thick.
“Are you the platoon commander?”
“Yes, Princess. My name is Biko.”
“Okay, Platoon Commander Biko. Bring the utensils.”
“Yes?”
The platoon leader who revealed his name as Vico at Astrid’s sudden words looked puzzled.
The purpose was to send Astrid, who had not been able to overcome the notice of the platoon members and now sat down, to the carriage, but instead, when ordered to bring tableware, Biko hesitated and returned to his seat to bring tableware.
“What if soldiers who have to fight eat like that? Soldiers defending the country. Tsk tsk.”
Even kicking his tongue, Astrid cut off 4/5 of her portion of meat.
Then I stab it with a fork, and in case it falls off, I use a knife to support it—
“Go-Princess?!”
“Uh huh. If the superior gives it to you, just say that you will eat it well.”
It was transferred to Biko’s tableware as it was.
Even if it was the same meat, there was no way that the food that the crown prince and the princess (Jin) ate would be the same as the food that ordinary soldiers ate.
Astrid’s portion of meat, which was superior in every aspect, from the quality of the meat to the cooking method and the sauce on top, was placed on Biko’s tableware while dripping its juices.
“I only eat a little bit anyway, so it’s obvious that I’ll have some leftovers, so it’s better for you guys to eat it. Now, Platoon Commander, don’t eat it all by yourself. Please share.”
*
It was Leopold’s sullen look that greeted Astrid, who returned to the carriage after the meal.
“Astrid.”
“Yes.”
Leopold’s eyes followed Astrid, who sat down as the carriage door closed and the hem of her dress was pulled.
“Astrid von Mitterien.”
“I am listening. Speak up I know my name well.”
“It’s quite right.”
I wanted to be sarcastic, but it wasn’t like that.
Leopold was not the type to be sarcastic. Rather, he had a straightforward personality like Astrid.
And that, to Astrid, sounded strange.
Astrid, who had deliberately turned her gaze through his car window, not Leopold, looked back at Leopold.
“What are you talking about?”
“No, nothing.”
‘It’s pointless.’
Then it is.
I guess that’s just what I said
As Astrid sat down and straightened the hem of her skirt, Leopold rang the call bell by pulling the golden string draped inside the carriage.
“Did you call, Your Highness the Crown Prince?”
The carriage window opened, revealing the face of an attendant.
“Starting tonight, don’t prepare a separate meal for me and Astrid.”
“Yes?”
At the same time as the attendant’s eyes widened as this was completely unexpected, Astrid also opened his eyes wide in surprise.
“We don’t need such a luxurious meal, since we’re just going in a comfortable carriage and protected. It would be right to pass that meal on to the soldiers toiling outside. Tell the quartermaster cook that the imperial family meal should not be prepared separately, so that it can be tasted evenly and little by little.”
“Ha, Hao, Your Highness. The imperial family’s laws cannot do that.”
The attendant’s reaction was natural.
In this country where classes clearly existed, it was against common sense to deliberately lower the royal family’s meals and distribute the ingredients to the knights.
“It’s the law and the nabal, and even my father would have done that. Do according to my name Astrid, are you going to object?”
Leopold’s blue eyes turned to Astrid.
Slowly, slowly, Astrid shook her head.
“And don’t prepare a separate table for dinner. I’ll have Astrid and I eat together with the escorts.”
“Me, Your Highness. However, if you do that, the escort will be burdensome… “
“Would you say that there is no attack just because you are riding in a carriage? Rather, it seems safer to be escorted on the side mixed with the escort. Furthermore.”
Leopold looked at Astrid again.
Sparkling blue eyes.
“If they’re stupid enough to attack a wagon with the imperial flag on it, wouldn’t it be better to die?”
That’s right.
“His Highness Leopold.”
“Hmm?”
“His Highness Leopold von Einhafen.”
“… Next time, I’ll fix the title. Don’t call me that because it makes me feel dirty.”
‘Since Ji started. He’s a funny guy.’
After nearly opening his mouth, Astrid managed to hold it in, and forced a smile.
“Good job. You could have looked down on my actions, but you were indeed the country’s crown prince.”
It was sincere.
Astrid’s behavior was distasteful to the aristocrats of this era and would rather be seen as degrading him.
Nevertheless, Leopold did not think so and judged that Astrid’s actions were correct, and even gave instructions accordingly.
From that point of view, Astrid needs to look at Leopold a bit again—
“As expected of Uncle Wolfgang. I don’t think you came up with that idea yourself, so it must have been your uncle’s teaching. He is also a great person. He is a respectable person mmmm.”
It didn’t happen.
“Is it so. Your Highness, the Crown Prince, is also broad-minded.”
“You sound obvious, you too.”
It was around the time that Leopold’s mood began to improve, as Astrid wanted to say the right thing for some reason.
“Your Highness seems to have a wider area than your favorite sword.”
“What?!”
Leopold’s face was crumpled, but Astrid pretended not to see and looked out of his car window.
