7 - Valentina's Paradise
“By the way, you say he’s picky? Does Gongzi not eat well? I even gave the chef the finest spices to make sure he’s well-fed.”
“Ah, that’s another thing I wanted to mention…”
As if he’d been waiting for the chance, Pepe’s voice suddenly grew louder.
“Your Highness, I never knew the dining etiquette of Terra Petronia was so atrocious! I swear, I’m not saying this because I enjoy gossiping.”
“What else is so atrocious?”
“Well, for one thing, he uses his left hand often when he eats. It’s a sign of an evil curse!”
The jester, who believed in every superstition imaginable, made an exaggerated sign of the cross.
“Pepe, that’s just prejudice. There are left-handed people among the most devout kings and knights, even among archbishops and those canonized as saints.”
“If that were all, I wouldn’t say a word. Everyone on the continent knows that Terra Petronia is dirt poor, right? But this Petronian nobleman is presumptuously imitating the extravagant nobles of the old Holy Empire.”
“What imitation of the old Holy Empire nobles are you talking about?”
“Like this, you see. Munch, munch, hack, cough. Kueh!”
Pepe pretended to eat something, then stuck his tongue out towards the floor and mimed vomiting with all his might. Then, with a solemn face, he lifted his chin, pursed his lips, and dabbed at them with a handkerchief. His expression was so convincing that the maids burst into laughter again.
“Didn’t Your Highness order the chefs to treat Gongzi lavishly? So the chefs poured their souls into creating a table full of delicacies, right? Then he eats and vomits, then eats and vomits again, for over three hours. There are so many people starving in the world. It’s a sin. And how miserable must it be for the person dining with him? Their appetite would be ruined, buried six feet under!”
“If that’s true, it’s truly atrocious.”
“Woof, woof, woof!”
As if in response, a dog barked. Valentina noticed that the door was slightly open and frowned.
“Oh my. The guest room door was open? I wonder if he heard everything?”
Pepe lowered his voice and winked slyly.
Valentina realized that Pepe had deliberately spoken loudly. He was, in his own way, warning the guest of the detached palace to ‘mind his table manners in front of Her Highness.’
Of course, it was quite rude for a jester to say such a thing. If he was unlucky, he could be whipped, not just slapped. But Pepe would say or do anything for Valentina. He had enough courage to be whipped until his back was torn to shreds.
Edeled sat loosely, half-closing his eyes and resting his right hand on his chin. Instead of quickly getting up to greet Valentina after hearing her presence, he calmly organized the parchment and ink before slowly rising to his feet. Valentina widened her eyes without realizing it.
Good heavens, is that person… really the beggar youth I saw ten days ago…?
Instead of rags, he wore a black satin outer garment embroidered with gold thread and a short cloak covering one shoulder, and a purple hat decorated with white feathers. His well-groomed black hair neatly covered his shoulders, and his fair, clean skin and neat features, combined with his sharp, lively black eyes, gave him an intellectual and cool impression. Just standing there, he exuded a noble and dignified aura.
Contrary to Pepe’s words, he was already a handsome and attractive man. However, rather than being handsome in a masculine way, he had a strong androgynous beauty, and rather than being flamboyant, he had a quiet, pure, and mysterious atmosphere like a classical sacred song. He was far from the images of adultery, bastardy, and the son of the devil that clung to him.
She thought she had only glanced at him for a moment, but later realized that quite a long time had passed. It was only after Pepe cleared his throat a few times that she could come to her senses. When Edeled, who had been waiting for a long time, lifted his chin and stared down at the attendants as if to suppress them, Lord Ricardo, who had been standing there with a dazed expression, hurriedly announced.
“H-His Grand Ducal Highness has arrived.”
Only then did Edeled approach Valentina and kiss the back of her hand.
“It has been a while, Dominella. Have you been well?”
“……”
She could feel his smile on the back of her hand. He lifted his head and smiled meaningfully. He had immediately noticed that Valentina had taken off her ring in advance. A light shiver ran down Valentina’s back and thighs.
She still couldn’t feel the passage of time. Valentina had a premonition that she would remember this strange moment for a long time.
“Thanks to you. Have you been comfortable?”
“I am receiving excessively luxurious treatment. Thank you.”
He heard Pepe chattering in the hallway. Even the way he puts barbs in his words is elegant. Valentina smiled and sat down at the table.
“I have been busy with public affairs, so I could only invite you to dine today. I am sorry.”
“Not at all. I am well aware that you allowed me to dine in peace while I recovered. Thank you.”
It is still a bit barbed, but an impeccably dignified and courteous response. The current Edeled was not a wandering beggar, but a sophisticated nobleman worn out by the court.
The maids began to place dishes on the table. The well-grilled meats were lavishly decorated with colorful dyes and ornaments. It was clear at a glance that the chefs had put a lot of effort into it. Regio Florida was a country that fervently celebrated the joys of life, famous for its flamboyant clothing, beautiful works of art, and luxurious gastronomy.
“You haven’t had breakfast, so you must be hungry. Please, eat.”
The meal began with Valentina taking the first glass. Lord Ricardo served the meat and poured the wine.
His table manners did not seem particularly strange, unlike what she had heard from Pepe. However, it was true that he ate very slowly. The dog approached and nudged its owner’s leg with an expression that said, ‘Why aren’t you giving me food?’, but unlike Pepe’s words, he did not share any food.
“Aren’t you feeding the dog first today?”
When Valentina probed him slyly, Edeled’s hand paused. He stared at Valentina for a moment, then wiped his hands and mouth with a towel and smiled.
“In Regio Florida, must one commit such rude acts while dining with a noble lady?”
“……”
“It’s food that Dominella is eating as well, so I didn’t think you would have put anything terrible in it.”
Valentina was indirectly saying, ‘I’ve been watching you,’ and Edeled was retorting, ‘I know you’re watching me, and I heard your rude conversation.’ Valentina chuckled without realizing it.
This meal will be a battle where invisible swords and spears fly.
“To have to use your beloved dog as a tool to detect poison, it’s a cruel thing. Doesn’t it break your heart?”
“Well, I don’t think it would hurt less if I ate it myself to detect it. Then my body hurts instead of my heart. Hmm, if I remember correctly, it hurt quite a lot.”
Aha? Did he almost get poisoned as a child in Nebulosa?
But, why is he bringing up that story now?
A light excitement began to bubble up. Edeled also lowered his head slightly and stared at Valentina with his eyes raised. In his jet-black eyes, she could feel some emotion burning fiercely. His red lips thinned like a thread, and one corner of his mouth curled up slightly.
“But, Dominella, wouldn’t you be a little embarrassed to call that cruel?”
“What do I have to be embarrassed about to Gongzi?”
“Are you really asking because you don’t know? You know why I carry a dog around, but you don’t know why I’m disgustingly imitating the old nobles of the Holy Empire? Or are you pretending not to know? With that much audacity, how thick must the iron plate that makes up that beautiful face be?”
Gasp, she heard a sound of someone inhaling sharply from behind. The smile disappeared from Valentina’s face as well. At this point, it was a frontal attack. Lord Ricardo, who was standing behind her, immediately drew his sword and aimed it at his neck.
“You villain! Are you saying that His Grand Ducal Highness attempted to poison you! Do you want to die in this place!”
“Stop!”
Valentina raised her hand to stop him.
From the counterattack, honed as sharply as a sword’s edge, his reason and wit overflowed. Such an elegant and flamboyant provocation. Valentina decided to respond to Edeled’s real sword fight.
“Put away your sword and everyone get out.”
“But Dominella! This is also an insult to our Florida. Immediately…”
“Lord Ricardo! I said get out. Pepe too.”
Ricardo, who never listened to a word, retreated with a snort.
As the door closed, Valentina smiled coldly and picked up her wine glass again.
“Let’s talk while we eat first. I don’t really believe the rumors that Petronian men are ignorant and barbaric. Surely, I can expect a nobleman from there to have enough manners to share a meal with me?”
“You’re lumping my country together like that, so I can’t do anything, Dominella.”
He smiled elegantly and politely. And he took a sip of wine together, cut the meat in front of him, dipped it, and put it in his mouth.
Crash.
A moment later, he covered his mouth and jumped up. Damn it! I knew this would happen…! Low curses scattered behind him as he kicked open the door and ran out.
“Hngh, ugh, woop, sob, damn it…”
At the end of the hallway, on the outer wall, there was a small toilet protruding outwards, and inside the cloth screen, the sound of rough panting could be heard. As if familiar with this situation, the dog sat outside the door with a gloomy face.
Valentina waited silently in the empty hallway. After a while, he staggered out, his hair disheveled, and his face flushed red with tears and snot.
He was startled to see Valentina standing there and stepped back, then drew his sword from his waist like lightning and aimed it at her. In his eyes, with their blood vessels burst red, a murderous intent flashed.
“Don’t come near me, Valentina. If you come any closer, you will die in this place.”
