Taming Her Highness the Princess

12 – A slightly different look (5)

“I see. Baldure was caught…….”

As Mandel walks away with her hands behind her back, she bursts into laughter. Levera, an executive of the Red Moon Fortress, who was following Mandel holding a torch, expressed her doubts in a low-pitched voice.

“What is so funny about Count Mandel? Thanks to Baldure being caught, the identity of our Jeokwol Castle was not enough, and the imperial family started to be on guard.”

“Ah. I didn’t mean to make fun of you, so don’t be so hot. This is Won, it’s like a wild beast that has been attacked for its weak point, so you only feel sympathy for it.”

“Count Mandel…… !”

As Leva, who was following him, raised his voice, Mandel stopped walking. In the cellar, where several torches hung from the walls flickered, Mandel suddenly turned and kicked Levera in the stomach.

Puck! With a dull noise, Levera takes a big step back. Mandel murmured coldly as Revera, clutching her own belly, let her cough out a few times.

“It must be Count Mandel’s name. These Untouchables play around for a while, so I can’t see anything. Or, are they not aware that they are dealing with the nobility of the empire?”

In Mandel’s eyes, where not even a hint of warmth could be found, there was ferocity in not seeing the other person as the same human being.

Revera was a squeamish, but she provoked Mandel, and there was nothing good about it. Biting her teeth, Revera hid her expression by bowing her head deeply.

“…… Sorry. Please forgive my rudeness.”

It was only then that a smile returned to Mandel’s face. He was the owner of a good impression that seemed to give warm warmth to others.

“Good. I am a generous person, so I will forgive you generously. However, if you commit such rudeness next time, will you be prepared to sacrifice your head?”

“Okay. Count Mandel.”

Mandel turned around and continued walking, as if he was satisfied with Levera’s polite reply. An iron door soon appeared, so Mandel took a key from his bosom and rummaged through it.

Levera, who was watching Mandel from behind, thought that if it were not now, she would have no chance, so she opened the door she had closed.

“Count Mandel. I apologize for daring to express my opinion, but the current system has strengthened crackdowns and surprise inspections by order of the emperor. The guards are also active, so how about delaying the ball a bit?”

“That’s funny. Don’t you think I, a noble of the Empire, don’t know that? Think about it with that stupid head. Why am I going to force the prom?”

Finding the key, Mandel whistled once and inserted it into the lock. When you turn it slightly to the left, the lock opens with a clicking sound.

“That’s because I don’t do things sloppily like you do. I don’t have to worry about getting caught, so if you have time to worry about others, I hope you’ll do your job diligently.”

Mandel, denying Levera’s opinion, enters the door. Revera also followed Mandel inside and she bit her teeth. It’s because I haven’t gotten used to it no matter how many times I’ve been here.

“Your Highness is also in the palm of my hand, so you don’t have to worry. Since he is pure and ignorant of the world, he probably won’t have a big setback in your plans. Ah. Would you like to hold the torch a little higher?”

Levera held up the torch without a word. Then, the range of the flames widens and numerous iron bars are revealed. Inside the cage, countless children were looking up at Mandel with terrified eyes.

“Hello? How are our cute money bags?”

Mandel smiles cheerfully at the children who are trembling in fear…… There really was no such thing as a demon.

*

The next morning.

The mansion of the Malaig family.

“Is it morning?”

As usual, Jenial woke up at 7:00 am, pulled the blanket off and got out of bed. Putting on slippers, folding the blankets and placing them on the bed, Jenial opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

A servant walking down the hallway carrying a load of laundry smiles awkwardly when he sees Jenial. His inner feelings, which he did not want to face as much as possible, were revealed through his facial expression.

“Go, Young master! Good morning!”

Jeniel’s eyes reach the servant. Jenny Earl, who had been looking at the servant for a while, nodded his head with a sleepy smile.

“Yes. Good morning.”

“Oh? Ah yes!”

Thanks to that, the employee was taken aback. If it was normal, I would have been angry about why I didn’t take care of the work on time while the laundry was piled up like this, but strangely, it was because the reaction was kind.

‘Is there something that makes you feel good?’

I don’t know, but the person serving was kind, so there was nothing to lose. After bowing his head, the servant who passed Jenny Earl turned around in a sudden thought.

“Oh no! Last night, the housekeeper brought medicinal herbs and decocted them! Since Young Ae helped the housekeeper put down the drugs, I think you can go to the living room and have a drink!”

“Deacon and Seryl? I get it. Thanks for letting me know.”

After hearing the word thank you, the servant walks away with a hehehe smile. After confirming that the attendant was turning the corner of the hallway, Jenial headed down the stairs of the mansion to the living room.

He arrives in the living room and sees Cheryl resting her body against the back of the sofa. But the outfit was somehow strange.

The white top had wide sleeves that almost covered Cheryl’s hands, and her long skirt cut into her hips, exposing her bare skin.

In addition, she was wearing something similar to a veil on her head, so her attire was somehow similar to that of a saint from the Holy Land. Thanks to this, Jenial naturally raised a question.

“Ceryl? What is that outfit?”

“…… Ok?”

Ceryl, leaning back on the sofa and turning her head away, sighed softly after confirming that it was her brother who was talking to her.

“You are asking as if you are seeing something for the first time. This is a divine attire. Today is the day to give offerings to the shrine, so I am preparing in advance.”

“Ah. I see.”

Come to think of it, her sister Seril always used to make offerings and hold ancestral rites to the family god. I wondered if there was any meaning to it, but since it was something passed down from generation to generation in her family, she didn’t interfere much.

“It was originally what her mother used to do, but…… Now i have to More brother! Have you been to see your father recently?”

“How do you…….”

“Oh! Because I knew it! Yesterday, the housekeeper came with both hands full of medicines. Who would have ordered that! Of course, my father must have ordered this and that to feed my brother.”

Using the medicinal ingredients, you and the butler cooked the medicine all morning. Knowing that, it was understandable that her sister was so haggard.

“I’m sorry. I feel like I made you suffer unintentionally.”

“Is it okay? I didn’t mean to get an apology, so drink some drugs. My father will ask the butler if he took the medicine well, but if you don’t drink, things will get awkward.”

“Yes. So is he.”

Jeniel approached with a smile and sat down next to Cheryl. A bowl on the table in front of the sofa is seen filled with drugs.

It must have been a while since the medicine was dispensed, and warm steam was rising above the bowl. It didn’t look appetizing at all, but I couldn’t ignore my father’s sincerity and the sincerity of Seryl and the butler.

Jeniel, who reverently lifted the bowl with both hands and brought it to his mouth, gulped down the drug. When he had drunk half of it, Jenny Earl put the bowl down.

‘…… What did you put in It must have been several times more than what I ate before.’

After wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Jennie Earl subconsciously looked away and met Seryl’s eyes, who were staring at her.

The curious eyes were shining like stars. As I was looking at her wondering what the hell she was so curious about, Seryl could not stand it and asked a question.

“Is that delicious? It always seemed like they were eating well.”

“Huh? You mean this?”

Drugs are basically bitter. Because it was a structure that couldn’t be delicious. However, it was natural for Seryl, who had never drank this before, to be curious about the taste.

This is because Demar, the father of the two, unknowingly and unknowingly showed favoritism and allowed only his eldest son, Jenial, to drink drugs.

So, Cheryl grew up watching her older brother, Jenny Earl, drink her potion, but she doesn’t know what it tastes like.

“The taste of drugs… ….”

Jeniel tried to be honest, but then a subtle playfulness turned around and he decided to trick Cheryl.

“…… Very sweet and delicious It is sweeter than any other dessert and has a deeper flavor than wines aged for decades. It’s also good for health, so I can’t find any downsides.”

“Me, really?”

Innocently, he bites the rice cake right away.

Now that the bite was over, it was time to reel it in.

“If you are curious, try it once.”

“Uh, huh?”

Cheryl is embarrassed as she hands over her bowl. Not surprisingly, the drug was only allowed for Jennie Earl, the eldest son of her family.

Seryl has never questioned that fact, and Jenial has always drank alone as if it were her own privilege.

But when she said that she would share it, it was only natural for Cheryl to feel embarrassed. Of course, that wasn’t the only thing that was embarrassing.

“…… This is what his brother ate.”

“So?”

It is unpleasant for her to take something her brother ate into her mouth. Anyway, since she was more curious about the taste of the drug, Seryl accepted the bowl.

Gulp─

Finally today, I was able to approach an unknown taste. Swallowing his dry saliva, Seryl nervously lifted his bowl and poured the drug over her lips. And… ….

“Ettu!”

As soon as I took a sip, I immediately dropped the bowl to the farthest place from my lips. Then he turns to Jeniel with a very angry expression.

“Sweet and delicious, damn! You just write! Why are you lying and f*cking…… !”

His face was red and he was angry, but in Jenny Earl’s eyes, Seryl was just a cute cat.

In addition, seeing that he received and drank the drug without any doubt because it was his brother’s words, laughter comes out naturally.

“Puheh… ….”

As Jenial covers her mouth and bursts into laughter, a grid of tendons sprouts from Seryl’s forehead. Seryl, who put the bowl down on the table, rolled up his sleeves as if she couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Don’t laugh! Because I’m really mad! Stop laughing!”

“No, what am I supposed to do when I see something funny?”

“Oh really!”

Seryl, with tears in her eyes, slapped Jenny Earl on the shoulder as hard as she could, but it only tickled her. After arguing for a few minutes, several servants open the door of the living room and enter.

“Young lady. It is time to go to the shrine soon.”

The eldest among the servants speaks politely. All of them were dressed similarly to Cheryl, but not as flashy as Cheryl’s.

“…… All right.”

Ceryl glared at Jeniel with a pale eye and stood up. As Seryl approached the servants, the servants changed his position to escort Seril.

It seemed that Seryl would leave the living room soon, so Jeniel stopped laughing and looked at Seryl’s back as he spoke.

“Ceryl.”

At her brother’s call, Seryl looks back at her. From the grim expression on her face, she still seemed angry that she had been tricked by her brother. So, stop teasing and tell the truth.

“Thank you for brewing the medicine. She will drink the rest as well.”

Cheryl looked a little surprised, then regained her composure and stuck out her tongue.

On the ship─

Seryl, who gave her brother her medallion, withdraws her gaze and moves on.

“Let’s go. It can’t be late.”

The figure of Seryl leading the servants and leaving the living room seemed somewhat mature. After staring at Cheryl’s back for a while, Jennie Earl laughed and got up from her seat.

‘Now… ….’

It was her turn to take Irea and get ready to go to Mandel’s ball.