Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Eve moved purposefully toward her next objective. A standing dinner like this—which did not include a meal—was ideal for socializing. This time she approached a nobleman who was occupied with trying all the desserts. The plump man, Baron Raflier, was a bit of a gourmand.

“Are you looking for something especially exquisite, Baron Raflier?”

“Your... your Highness?”

“I suggest the dark scones you see over here. They are made with an ingredient called coffee, which has a very unique flavor.”

“You don’t say? Coffee?”

Baron Raflier fell into conversation, forgetting the confusion elicited from Eve’s sudden approach and the strange homunculus by her side.

Eve then said, “Coffee is a drink of the Aratica tribe in the south, made by roasting the beans of the coffee plant and boiling them in hot water. It’s completely different from black tea, but it has a charm of its own.”

“Hmm. It certainly has a unique scent. Coffee... Very interesting.”

In her previous life, Baron Raflier had been a coffee enthusiast. He’d even gone so far as to insist on drinking only coffee, not black tea, despite the prevalence of tea drinking throughout the empire. Perhaps he was fated to fall in love with coffee. Just the first scent of it appeared to have a profound effect on the man.

“What a splendid smell! I must try this drink sometime. I’ll try and see if I can procure some of this coffee as soon as I get home.”

“There aren’t many distributors that deal in coffee, and the ones you’ll be able to find quickly will be of inferior quality. I have some coffee beans stored away myself, actually.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes, since tea blending is a hobby of mine, I also experimented with coffee making for a while. That’s when I bought the coffee beans.”

“If... if I may... if you wouldn’t mind sharing some of those beans...”

“Of course. I shall inform my maid. Since you manage the ledgers, you are free to roam the palace. Please visit my quarters whenever it is convenient for you. We can chat more about coffee as well, if time permits.”

“Oh, Your Highness, I would appreciate that very much! I will come visit you soon.”

A tea session agreed upon, Eve turned away with a feeling of satisfaction. The Office of Finance, which the baron headed, managed the budgets of the imperial family and had a profound impact on palace life. Eve would need connections if she was to improve her status at the palace. Baron Raflier was a talented man, and his friendship was sure to come in handy. It wasn’t difficult for Eve to win him over. In her previous life, she’d learned quite a few coffee recipes, though her knowledge wasn’t as expansive as her library of tea recipes. Eve knew Baron Raflier would be fixated on the coffee she introduced him to for a while.

Eve then continued to roam about the hall, meeting those who might be of help to her in this second life. In between, she met with elderly nobles of powerful families, making sure to say a few flattering words or engage in meaningless small talk with young aristocrats. She put all her efforts into making her manners and mode of speech as flawless as possible so she could leave her best impression. With Eve moving about so busily, it was to be expected that many nobles noticed the change in her. The timing was perfect to attract this kind of attention since Rosenitte had not yet arrived.

“Interesting. I did not know the seventh princess was such a social butterfly.”

“Is that really her? I know this sounds strange, but she acts like she’s suddenly gained 10 years of experience doing this.”

“The seventh princess seems quite interesting. Why don’t we speak to her, too?”

“Shall we? I’ve been wondering about that personal knight of hers as well...”

Gossip was an important element of high society. One could even call it a source of its energy. The personal knight of the pariah princess would no doubt be a hot topic for a while to come. Eve greeted all the nobles who approached her out of curiosity. When they surrounded her, she introduced Mikael to them and described how she had come to imprint him. Her story was then embellished slightly as the nobles shared and gossiped about her story.

“She was commanded during a morning audience to imprint Sir Agnito?”

“To think, Sir Agnito was a powerful homunculus who was sealed away in the training center for three whole years!”

“Doesn’t that basically mean His Majesty gave Sir Agnito to the seventh princess?”

“Ah, then the late selection ceremony for the seventh princess must have been a part of the emperor’s plan!”

Mikael’s three-year imprisonment was now said to have been due to his extreme power. As for how Eve had received permission to take him as her personal knight, it was dramatized as having been at the command of Desmond II himself at a morning audience. Eve didn’t bother to correct the mistakes. It was beneficial to be known as a princess who had earned so much of the Emperor’s favor that he’d grant her a valuable homunculus.

Eve could not move for a while, as wave after wave of nobles came up to make conversation. Right now she was speaking to some ladies who were about her age. Suddenly, a red-haired lady cut into the conversation with a shrill voice.

“Excuse me, which jewelry shop made Sir Agnito’s body chain? That looks like a design from at least five years ago.”

It was Julia, the daughter of Marquis Amelos. Marquis Amelos owned the largest jewelry shop in the capital. Julia was a judgmental lady who, even in Eve’s past life, drew attention to faults in Eve’s dress and accessories, as she had been unable to afford the latest fashions because of her limited budget.

So she’s attacking Mikael’s fashion now, not mine. But, I suppose she’s still attacking me, just indirectly.

Eve sighed inwardly, but masked it with a bright smile.

“It’s from a jewelry workshop in the city.”

“A jewelry workshop? No wonder— I thought as much. There’s about a five-year gap between high society trends and those of the commoners. I can see that it’s not even custom made.”

Julia’s green eyes gleamed, having found an opening. These kinds of fights usually led to a victory for the person with better taste. Eve was good at keeping a level head in tense moments, and knew she was no match for Julia regarding fashion.

I’ll have to defeat her with wit, then.

Eve broadened her smile.

“Sadly, we had little time to prepare before the banquet.”

“Even so, it’s evident that Her Highness did not pay the requisite attention to the dress of her personal knight for his first banquet.”

“Though it is painful to admit, Lady Julia, you are right. I wanted to offer the best that was available for Sir Agnito, but this was the best I could manage. I understand why you may think I was not attentive enough.”

“That’s your best? That outdated gold ornament?”

“Please take a closer look, Lady Julia. You see how the topaz, olive green garnets, and peridots on the chain form an intricate design that looks like a bejeweled vine?”

“I suppose one might have been so generous five years ago.”

Eve was now talking to the other ladies surrounding her, not Julia.

“Though it is not custom made, I liked these jewels as they represent my hair and eye colors. It’s as if... I have chained Sir Agnito myself.”

“My goodness, it’s so true, Princess!”

This sly joke she’d learned from the imperial princes in her previous life certainly came in handy here. It was a subtle joke that could be regarded as very clever. The ladies surrounding Eve burst into giggles. Julia was taken aback by the sudden shift in mood. Eve did not miss her chance.

“What do you think? Certainly you can see that detail, can’t you, Lady Julia? Oh, but please don’t stare at my knight’s body too much.”

“Wha... what!”

“I’m only joking, my lady.”

The ladies laughed so loud this time that heads turned from across the hall. Julia reddened as she realized she had been made the butt of a joke.

She’s simpler than she looks.

Eve decided she’d had enough of her petty revenge. Eve didn’t wish to blow this out of proportion and make enemies with the treasured daughter of the House of Amelos. Handing the lady a glass of juice as an apology, she said affably,

“Your fine taste in fashion is known far and wide, Lady Julia. If there is an opportunity later, I would like to have a longer conversation with you so that I can learn a thing or two from you.”

“...”

In high society, the words “if there is an opportunity” were a not-so-subtle way of saying you would never actually find time in the future to meet. Julia would understand the message. Eve waited for Julia to return words that were equally insincere.

Julia took a sip of the drink and blushed as she said, “If... if you say so, then I will have to send you an invitation.”

“...Excuse me?”

“I can advise you on what adornments would suit your personal knight best. For starters, silver would look far better than gold on Sir Agnito. I shall also give you a detailed explanation of current trends, suitable for one of high society such as yourself, Your Highness.”

“...”

“Th... thank you for the drink. I’ll take my leave now, Your Highness.”

“Oh... Yes. Please take care, Lady Julia.”

Eve was left puzzled. Mikael nudged her back to attention.

“So chains are your thing.”

“You... should not take superficial social niceties too seriously, Sir Agnito.”

Eve avoided the steady gaze Mikael sent her way, one eye covered with the eye patch.

Mikael suddenly whispered in Eve’s ear, “The fourth princess and fifth prince are approaching from 5 o’clock.”

“Ah. I did get the feeling that I was being glared at.”

The other members of the imperial family, displeased to see Eve socializing so much, were closing in. She would not be able to avoid fruitless confrontations with them if she stayed where she was.

“Do you think we could get away without running into them?”

“Two o’clock.”

Mikael turned Eve with a gentle hand around her shoulders.

I feel so protected.

She was reminded again that Mikael was her personal knight.

“Eve!” called Hesia, the fourth princess.

Eve pretended not to hear as she lost herself among the crowd, hurrying away through the nobles.