𝖊𝖘𝖈𝖗𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖎𝖆 - 𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝟜: 𝖚𝖓𝖙𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝖒𝖞𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘

𝕻𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝟜: 𝖚𝖓𝖙𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝖒𝖞𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘 - Chapter Five

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"Anything else you would like to add?"

"Could you disregard the wine?"

"No."

"All right. Then could you bring for us cream puffs and...oh, yes—strawberry tarts glazed with lemon!"

"Young man, do you mind if I include a pastry as payment for bringing her here? You see, my mother made this type of curry when I was young, a complicated recipe, but it is worth it in the end. It was a labor of love for her, and it always brought us together. I have since tried to recreate the recipe, but I have never been able to get it quite right. I was only wondering—"

"You can come into the kitchen with me, Mister Venderra. No need to act sappy."

"Ah, splendid!"

I smile at the butler; though he may have a cold manner of speaking, I managed to convince him to allow us treats on our stay. And to keep Jacob preoccupied until the conclusion of my meeting with Antonio.

And speaking of the prince...

"How long has he been passed out?" I ask the butler, pointing.

"Since he left the palace, I suppose, as he arrived mumbling incoherently before passing out right in front of the entry door," he replied in his usual, nonchalant way, as if it did not matter so long as the prince remains breathing. It almost makes me want to slap some empathy into him; though such a thing would be dire.

"He informed me about your meeting when he awoke," the butler continues, "and I was tasked with making cocktails. I can only suppose he grew restless and chose to drain all the bottles I had left in the kitchens."

I wince. Oh, Antonio. "I apologize on his behalf."

"No need, so long as His Highness is living and breathing."

I frown. "Excuse me—"

"Young man!" Jacob shoots up, stretching his back. "I believe we have a curry to prepare."

I flash the carriage driver a look.

He gives a pointed glance in return.

"I suppose we do," the butler says, his spectacled eyes glued to the jewels and the emerald adorning my neck. His sapphire gaze drifts to my own eyes, though I cannot read his expression. It is as blank as paper.

Everyone seems to be looking at me today, huh.

"Shall I accompany you and Jacob?" I ask to somehow relieve the tension that I feel is building between the two of us; it is the last thing I need.

The butler props his hands on his knees and pushes himself up. "That is quite all right, Lady Reverie. I am sure Mister Venderra and I can handle ourselves on our own for fifteen minutes."

I want to ask other questions. Why haven't I ever heard of you? Why are you here? Do you live here? Is this manor a home? Was it your home? Do you have a family?

But the only thing that comes out my mouth is, "I'm sure," as Jacob and the butler depart from the room.

I am left alone.

Well, I suppose not completely alone, just with a drunken prince passed out on a desk.

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!!(𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙠, 𝙮'𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙗𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙮 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄'𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙤𝙗𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙, 𝙡𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙥 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙘𝙪𝙯 𝙄 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨.)!!

𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚. 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙎𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙤 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙜𝙚.

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