The Crown Prince Who Raises a Side Character

#36 Servant Cedric (2) – Clear Eyes

#36 Servant Cedric (2) – Clear Eyes

When told of the plan to conjure a servant-avatar, Lucidra had raised a query.

“But, this new avatar you’re creating… its memories of being the Crown Prince are supposed to feel like a hazy dream, and its personality will differ from yours, tailored to its role, right?”

“Indeed. Is there a problem with that?”

“Your goal is to reform that wicked young lady and nurture her into a capable leader. But how can you do that with the identity of a ‘servant’ who must obey their master? What if the master gives unreasonable orders?”

If the true aim was reformation, wouldn’t a tutor be better, Lucidra suggested, but the Crown Prince tilted his head.

“Why do you assume servants always blindly obey their masters?”

“Well, because they’re servants?”

“The servants here at Geumun Palace certainly don’t.”

“What?”

Lucidra’s eyes widened.

Surely, the servants attending the Crown Prince of the Empire, not the thoroughly worn-down servants of a fallen noble with no authority, wouldn’t dare to be insubordinate?

“I told them to reduce their daily working hours, as they were too long. I said that if there was a labor shortage, we could hire more people. But then a group plea came in, begging me not to take away their work. After fierce negotiations, I failed to implement my original goal of three 6-hour shifts and had to compromise with a mere two 9-hour shifts.”

“……”

“There was also the time the chef practically roared at me because I said he took too long eating a full course meal every meal break, and asked him to make something simple like a burger or a sandwich. He insisted, with his pride as a chef on the line, that he couldn’t possibly serve me such a thing, so we even had a cooking competition to settle the score. In the end, we negotiated that I could only have my way with lunch out of three meals.”

“……”

“Servants usually stand their ground and say everything they want to their masters. There’s no reason ‘Cedric’ won’t be the same.”

“Oh….”

“Fundamentally, he’ll be based on the servants here, but with a certain degree of flexibility. Conveniently, there is a good example in Lenya so I will be using it.”

Lucidra’s mouth gaped.

She wore an expression that suggested she had an awful lot to say, but Alond left her to stew in silence.

This was hardly a novel reaction from a Category: Great Demon (formerly succubus).

The Crown Prince calmly began to summon his magic.

Hues of vibrant mana coalesced into impossibly thin threads, which, responding to the Crown Prince’s will, intertwined to manifest a multitude of structures.

Lucid felt a sense of disbelief as she watched bone, muscle, and nerve being meticulously assembled, layer upon layer.

Originally, the clone magic she had offered was structured for a simple ‘poof’ and a quick appearance.

The user didn’t need to understand the clone’s minute details in their mind, as it merely copied and stamped the original’s characteristics.

Yet, the Crown Prince was manually running the entire process of the clone’s creation.

More astonishingly, he was simultaneously weaving in the invisible aspects – the spirit and soul.

As a Great Demon with sway over souls, Lucid could easily foresee the result.

An innocent face like a puppy, the wheedling tones of Renya, but a resolute ‘No’ to anything that didn’t suit him, and abilities perfectly tailored to the Gold Cloud Palace servants, making him supremely competent…

‘…Wait? Isn’t this just a madman with clear eyes?’

Lucid shuddered at the sudden realization.

Still, she didn’t bother to stop the Crown Prince.

It wasn’t *her* suffering, after all.

*

Claudia blinked.

But no matter how many times she closed and opened her eyes, the scene before her remained stubbornly unchanged.

Her minion, prostrate on the floor and whimpering.

And the servant who, far from being surprised, merely offered a mild rebuke when a two-headed giant wolf suddenly burst into the room.

Leaving the frozen Claudia to her fate, Cedric calmly conjured a table into the room and began arranging food, cutlery, and napkins upon it.

“My skills aren’t nearly polished enough to present a proper course meal, like a Head Chef. I’ve prepared something relatively simple. Please, don’t hold back on your assessment.”

Cedric lightly pulled out a chair, gesturing for her to sit.

Only then did Claudia snap out of it with a gasp. She glared fiercely at Cedric, but he only met her gaze with large, clear eyes like a puppy.

“Is there anything else you require?”

“You….”

Claudia gritted her teeth, but obediently sat in the chair Cedric offered.

It was too late to ask how he had subdued the Twin-Headed Wyvern. And demanding to know ‘why aren’t you flustered like I expected’ felt like admitting defeat, wounding her pride.

She surveyed the prepared food.

As Cedric himself had assessed it as ‘simple,’ the table wasn’t laden with an excessive amount of dishes.

There was an omelet with an impressive, bright yellow hue. Two cuts of meat that resembled steak but possessed a different texture. And single plates of soup and salad, each.

Claudia indifferently lifted a forkful of the omelet.

‘Rice?’

For a simple omelet, it was curiously puffed up. It seemed to be a dish with rice stir-fried with vegetables or meat tucked inside.

‘Well, whatever.’

She had no intention of actually eating it properly anyway.

She would merely pretend to take a bite, then accuse him of trying to feed her such trash and throw the plate in his face.

A gulp.

“…?”

Claudia’s mind went momentarily blank.

Almost unconsciously, she moved her spoon again, scooping up the omelet–no, the *omurice*, as it should be called. This time, a larger portion than before. Including some of the red sauce drizzled on top.

And once more, the well.

The rice grains were distinct, each bursting with a nutty savor upon chewing; the finely diced vegetables, expertly stir-fried, unleashed a gentle sweetness; the chicken, kissed by salt, offered a satisfying chew. Add to that the softness and moisture of the egg, embracing everything as one.

Claudia’s eyes twitched.

‘Why, why, is it so delicious?’

Her mind screamed to stop eating at once, to fling the plate away, but her hands and mouth moved of their own accord, defying her will. It felt disturbingly close to a sorcerous enchantment.

Her gaze drifted towards the pair of meat patties nestled on another plate.

They had been radiating a peculiar fragrance since before, and as she brought her knife to one, it sliced through with barely any effort at all.

A suitably sized piece pierced with her fork, she took a bite.

“…!!”

A sensation like a flood erupted within her mouth.

An unrestrained burst of juices, laced with finely minced meat and an amalgamation of… other ingredients. Above it all, the weighty intensity of the sauce, coating her tongue.

The salad and soup, ordinary enough, familiar in their taste, somehow magnified in flavor several times over when eaten alongside the other two dishes.

Claudia silently continued to wield her utensils, and soon, the plates were impeccably clean.

Had any of the other servants witnessed this, they would have been aghast.

While the quantity of food Cedric had prepared couldn’t objectively be considered excessive, Claudia was known for her delicate appetite and volatile temperament, often leaving food untouched or overturning the table in a fit of pique.

Claudia herself seemed unable to comprehend her own actions, glaring at Cedric with eyes that could have snarled.

“You, what is this?”

“Omurice and Hamburg steak, with salad and soup, milady!”

“I wasn’t asking for the menu!! What, what trickery is this? How could it be…”

“Trickery? Hahaha. I am simply overwhelmed by your praise, milady.”

“What madness is this, now?”

Whether Cedric sensed Claudia’s bewilderment or not, he continued with a beaming smile. “Surely, that means you enjoyed the meal so much you suspect some trickery? As the one temporarily in charge of the kitchen, there could be no greater honor!”

Something surged within Claudia, threatening to erupt. “A mere servant dares mock me?!”

Nearly convulsing, Claudia hurled the knife in her hand at Cedric’s face.

But Cedric didn’t even blink, snatching the knife from the air and replying with a smile, “You needn’t be so embarrassed! This Cedric is renowned for his discretion! The fact that you were so engrossed in your meal will remain buried within my heart forever!”

“You, you little…!”

What followed was near pandemonium.

Forks, spoons, plates – all flew wildly through the air, but Cedric, far from dodging, deftly caught them as if performing some kind of feat, neatly stacking them.

The meticulous care he took to ensure not a single drop of sauce or morsel of food landed on the floor bordered on madness.

Claudia, her face contorted in rage, strode towards Cedric, intent on slapping his cheek, but even this he easily evaded.

It was the same as Claudia flailed, desperately trying to grab him.

“You! Won’t you just stand still?!”

“Hmm? Why ever should I stand still?”

“Because you’re a servant, that’s why!”

Claudia shrieked, her voice laced with exasperation.

Servants were meant to meekly endure her violence. The man before her, flouting that obvious ‘rule’, filled Claudia with utter revulsion.

“Ah. It seems the young lady is under some misunderstanding.”

A look of discomfiture settled on Cedric’s face.

Claudia, seeing this, anticipated an excuse tumbling from his lips, but the words he actually uttered were quite beyond her expectation.

“My contract contains no clause stipulating that I shall quietly endure being struck for unjust reasons. Furthermore, such rash acts of violence may be a detriment to a young lady’s refinement; I would strongly advise you exercise restraint.”

Claudia’s mouth hung slackly open.

Leaving her thus, Cedric calmly began to rearrange the tableware and the table itself, before bowing deeply as he prepared to leave the room.

“Then, I shall take my leave! Please do not hesitate to summon me again, should you require anything!”

*Click.*

The door closed, and silence descended upon the chamber.

For a long while, Claudia remained unmoving, as if turned to stone.

–*Creak*…

The mournful cries of the Blood-Magic Beast, whimpering and ever mindful of its mistress’s mood, echoed sadly throughout the young lady’s room.

*

“Se-Cedric. Are you alright? No injuries to speak of?”

“Yes, not a problem in the slightest! I believe the young lady was satisfied!”

“Hoo, that is a relief. Judging by the empty plates, it seems the young lady enjoyed your cooking.”

“Thanks to the Duke’s family’s abundant larder! The quality and variety were better than expected, I must say.”

“Even if it is just a villa and not the main estate, Redbelle is still Redbelle. As the wealthiest family in the kingdom, their ingredients could be nothing less than the best.”

“Just as the head chef says!”

“Huhu, yes, yes. I look forward to working with you. If the young lady continues to eat so peacefully, it might not be bad to make your dishes the main fare from now on.”

“I pride myself on possessing skills that aren’t, shall we say, lacking. However, the repertoire I can offer isn’t particularly broad. It’s difficult to compare to the Head Chef’s vast experience. If you were to entrust me with this position, I would humbly request your guidance as well.”

“Of course, that’s only natural! Looking at you now, you possess quite the silver tongue. I can see why the young lady took a liking to you!”

“Hahaha!”

“Hahaha!”