Aiming to be the perfect butler for my lady

After consoling and gaining permission to continue his daily duties, Alatia and Kyle moved to the dining table to have the last meal of the day.

While Alatia joined her brother at the table, Kyle went to the kitchen to ensure the food was prepared and it was to the liking of the Princess.

Once done, Kyle returned to Alatia's side and allowed Maria to serve the dishes for the siblings.

First came the mushroom soup with some chopped vegetables. While Edmund just took the soup, he noticed Kyle pouring a specific sauce into Alatia's soup which was contained in a separate small pot.

"What is that? I hope you are not feeding something unhealthy to my sister."

Hearing his question, which surely wasn't a part of table manners, Kyle halted.

He put down the pot before standing back straight and answering him, "It's a coconut garlic sauce which My Lady likes to have with her soup. This is something I myself have prepared and every ingredient is hand-picked. Apart from the nutritional value, it adds a creamy taste to the soup."

He added, "Since My Lady doesn't prefer soup before meal generally, I invented something that could help her maintain the fine dining etiquette."

Edmund was genuinely surprised to hear that response before he asked, "Can I also have the sauce added to my soup?"

"As you desire, my lord."

Kyle handed the pot to Cassie, which she first assessed, and poured some content into Edmund's appetizer.

All this time a very faint smile curved Alatia's lips as she listened to them in silence. Although she didn't want to share the sauce that Kyle prepared exclusively for her, it was also necessary for her brother to see how precious and unique Kyle was.

The golden spoons were lifted by both before Edmund and Alatia took the first sip of the appetizer.

Edmund's eyes sparkle having the soup coating his tongue and sliding down his throat. The creamy texture and the rich blend of coconut and garlic along with mushroom. About the soup, everything felt just the best.

Edmund didn't utter a word once he began, however, he decided to have Cassie take the recipe for the sauce before they left.

After some time, the appetizer came to an end and the main course was brought out.

For the main course, there was roasted pork with stir-fried and sauce-coated vegetables. The well-balanced nutritional food had the perfect flavor and spices that could prove to be both: beneficial and delicious.

Edmund keenly watched Alatia slicing the meat with the knife and piercing the fork in it before bringing it near her lips. His own movements never halted but he never allowed his eyes to wander away from his sister

And just as she swallowed the food after chewing it thoroughly, he suddenly got up.

"Aha! You lost, butler! Cassie."

The brown-haired maid heeded her master's call before she made her way around the table and approached a clearly exasperated Alatia.

"What is this about, Brother?" Her tone suggested here unhidden frustration.

However, that didn't affect Edmund before he pointed his finger toward Kyle and spoke in a haughty tone,

"Just now, he failed to perform his duty as a butler. To ensure his master's safety, a butler should be alert every time."

"What are you trying to imply here?" Alatia ignored the vial of some potion which the maid was offering as she kept her gaze straight at the older one in front.

With a wicked smile, Edmund stated the answer, "I told the head maid to put a very less toxic poison in the food to see whether Kyle notices it and eliminates it or not. Since you carry divine blood, I knew this much toxicity wouldn't affect you and just in case I have told Cassie to prepare the antidote."

Refocusing on Kyle he concluded, "However, the fact of the matter is...this good-for-nothing butler of yours, failed to perform one of the most crucial tasks."

Alatia sighed, however, before she could retaliate against her brother and defend Kyle, the latter mentioned spoke up,

"If you allow me, my lord then I would like to say something in my defense."

"You may, Kyle. You may."

Edmund sat back down with a smug face and gestured for Kyle to start uttering his excuses.

However, Edmund's marrow-mindedness allowed him to measure Kyle in a very limited fashion. And Edmund was about to realize that very soon.

With a smile never leaving his face, Kyle spoke up,

"First of all, every dish prepared for my lady gets thoroughly assessed by me before it gets served to her. Second, if the poison had been applied after my inspection and before it was served to my lady, I still would have noticed it thanks to my fine working senses. And third,"

Taking out a fork that Kyle was keeping inside his pocket, he concluded, "The poison was applied to her fork, not the food."

*Clang*

"E-excuse me." The vial from Cassie's hand suddenly fell before she hurriedly picked it up and returned to her master's side.

The shock was evident, not only for Cassie but Edmund and every other maid standing at the side.

Alatia had a wide smirk now on her face as she secretly held Kyle's hand at a height that could not be seen by her brother.

After a full minute of silence finally, Edmund asked,

"...how?"

Kyle didn't need to ask what he meant by that.

He answered, "As I said, I have a very good memory and since I did not awaken, I have trained all my senses to the fullest. As such, I can smell if any foreign ingredient is mixed in her food or applied to the cutlery."

After a brief pause, he added, "The moment I resolved to serve my lady as her butler, my focus diligently remained on her, every single minute of the day. As such, my lord doesn't need to worry about her safety while I am in the service."

Edmund clenched his fist, being utterly defeated by Kyle and realizing how greatly he underestimated the person.

However, being a Prince he has enough tolerance to not suddenly erupt in anger and frustration.

"Well, let's just continue the dinner."

*******

After dinner, when Alatia took a bath and changed into her nightwear, she told Kyle to dry her hair before she could go to sleep

Kyle, naturally, obliged her wish and used the hair-drying artifact to evaporate all the moisture slowly from her hair.

"'My focus remains on her every minute', eh? I wonder if that's true?"

Kyle couldn't help blushing a little hearing those words from Alatia.

He moved the handle of the incense burner-shaped tool around her hair and chose to remain silent on the matter.

Alatia took his bashful reaction as a 'yes' and smiled in contentment.

"I never saw you changing my fork. When did you do that?"

Kyle answered after a small pause, "When you were occupied in searching for my hand after finishing the appetizer."

This time Alatia blushed and glared at him through reflection.

Kyle ignored her gaze and continued to do his work.

"You make me sound like a desperate woman, searching for a man's warmth."

Kyle raised his brows as he asked, "'Man's warmth'? You do know what that means right?"

"Of course, I-" Alatia paused.

The realization struck her hard as she covered her face with both of her palms and refused to even look at herself.

How stupid of her! How can she be this much dense?! Oh lord, please just reverse the time and make her unsay it!

How much she prayed, her prayers weren't heard.

Kyle chuckled at her innocent reaction before he said something off-topic,

"Ala, we should be prepared for tomorrow."

Alatia soon calmed down, hearing his slightly serious tone before she nodded

"I know. If my brother can even poison me just to test you, then this matter is far greater than just assurance."

Kyle nodded in assent

There is something massive brewing in Edmund's head.

*******

A/N:- I am making the chapters long so I can finish the pre-canon events as soon as I can. Although I am enjoying these character build-up chapters I don't know whether the readers are enjoying these chapters or not.

Anyway it will take seven to eight chapters before we dive into the canon. Stay tuned.