Chapter 50
The view of the city from above was stunning.
All the buildings in Ronheim had pointed roofs, all painted the same shade of red, and because they were so uniform, the panorama from above was breathtaking.
“All the houses have pointed roofs,” I said, fascinated.
Granada explained to me,
“If the roofs were flat, snow would accumulate and they’d collapse quickly.”
“And who decided to paint them red?”
“No one. The clay used to make the tiles in Ronheim turns red when fired, so it naturally comes out this way.”
“I see… I guess that makes sense.”
I nodded, unable to take my eyes off the scenery outside.
The quaint, fairy-tale-like buildings were packed together so closely that they formed a beautiful, unified landscape.
I remembered the storybooks my kind nurse used to read to me when I was little, back when my mother was still alive and Cabala couldn’t drive away my nurse and maids. The peaceful voice of my nurse had brought those fairy-tale worlds to life.
The pretty fairy villages in those books looked exactly like this.
However, the morning scene in Ronheim was very different from what I had imagined.
Instead of a cold, frozen city, the streets were bustling with people from early morning.
It was as if the entire population of the territory was out in the streets.
People greeted each other for long stretches whenever they met.
It felt like everyone knew everyone else.
Watching them shake hands, exchange greetings, and trade goods, the scene felt incredibly lively.
I shivered slightly from the lingering chill in my body, but still spoke with a cheerful tone,
“I want to go outside and see it for myself.”
But Granada shook his head.
“Have your meal first. Once your stomach is full, you’ll be able to walk around comfortably.”
I remembered hearing similar advice when I was with the Utar tribe.
‘The people of Ronheim really take their meals seriously.’
The maids helped me get ready for breakfast.
During that time, I watched Vanessa fearlessly pick small quarrels with Granada, and Granada either ignore them or scold her sharply.
Even if Vanessa momentarily cowered, she would quickly lift her chin and confront Granada at the first opportunity.
‘At this point, Vanessa even seems kind of cute…’
Since I didn’t have clothes to change into immediately, I had no choice but to go down to the dining room in the thin dress Cabala had gifted me, wrapped tightly in a shawl.
I expected Callius to be there first, but when I didn’t see him, I asked the butler where he was.
“Where is the marquis?”
“He went out to inspect the territory.”
“At this early hour? Without breakfast?”
“Since he’s back after a long time, he wanted to tour the territory quickly.”
At that moment, the chef brought the food and began arranging it on the table, so I stopped talking and watched the spread.
The chef gave a quick glance at the table, nodded in satisfaction, and said firmly,
“The master instructed me to pay special attention to the food because he didn’t know what the lady would like.”
She kept glancing nervously at me, clearly eager for me to taste the food soon.
I guessed that her focus was not so much on me being Princess Idelian, but more on me being a visitor from afar, tasting her cooking for the first time.
‘She wants to see how I’ll judge her dishes?’
If so, she was a true master chef.
As soon as I opened the napkin on my lap, she rushed over and served me soup.
“Please start with the soup. It has very high-quality ham, so it should be delicious.”
“Thank you.”
I smiled faintly at the chef’s suggestion and took a spoonful.
After only a few spoonfuls, she became restless again and suggested another dish.
“This is potato dumplings. They’re a staple in Ronheim.”
I poked the round, translucent dumplings with my fork, examining them curiously—it was my first time seeing such food.
The potato dumplings were pleasantly chewy and delicious.
The only downside was that they made you feel full very quickly.
Still, there were many dishes I hadn’t tried, and before I even finished chewing, the chef brought another plate in front of me.
Seeing this, Mainz intervened.
“Latina, let the lady eat in peace.”
“Oh, my apologies,” Latina said, realizing she had impatiently interfered while more food was placed before me. She stepped back hastily but didn’t take her eyes off me, clearly curious about what I liked to eat.
I found her behavior more amusing and cute than bothersome. I didn’t dislike it; in fact, it made me feel good.
I praised each dish I tried for her sake.
“All the dishes are delicious. Ronheim Castle seems to have an excellent chef.”
Latina’s face lit up with pride at my compliment.
But her proud expression didn’t last long.
As she watched me eat, her face gradually stiffened.
‘Why is she like that?’
She even asked if the food didn’t suit my taste.
“Would you like me to bring something else if this isn’t to your liking?”
“Hm? No, this is fine.”
I had clearly said it was delicious, so why was she acting like that?
Even though I was already full, I tried to taste a little of everything so she wouldn’t be disappointed.
However, Latina frowned as she looked at the leftover food and asked,
“There’s a lot left. Shall I distribute it to the lower staff?”
I was startled by the suggestion of giving away what I had eaten.
“Why would I give what I’ve eaten to someone else? Don’t do that; just throw it all away and make new ones.”
I gave clear instructions, but since Latina’s expression still concerned me, I added a polite remark as I finished eating.
“It was a very satisfying meal.”
Right after I said that, Mainz cheerfully took the chef away, so I couldn’t see Latina’s final expression.
I tilted my head and returned to my room. My stomach was painfully full.
Latina, with a stunned look, was dragged away by Mainz and asked,
“Are we really throwing away all those precious foods?”
Mainz looked reluctant but held his expression, probably thinking he shouldn’t show it in front of others, and nodded.
“The lady instructed us to, so we shall do as she says.”
“But…”
Latina looked helplessly at the table.
These dishes had been made with expensive ham and ingredients, specially prepared for a rare occasion at Callius’s instructions, after consultation with Mainz.
Yet Chloe had eaten a little of the food, picked at it, and then coldly ordered it all to be thrown away.
‘That’s taking disregard too far.’
Latina first instructed the servants to bring the dishes back to the kitchen, then quickly went to find Granada.
After explaining the situation, she asked Granada the same question she had asked Mainz.
“…Should I really follow the princess’s order?”
Granada corrected her firmly.
“Use the title ‘lady’ properly, Latina. Until now, there was no one to act in place of the mistress, so Mainz and I had to issue these instructions. But from now on, these are the lady’s affairs. If she instructs anything, you don’t need my permission—just report to me.”
Latina’s expression darkened.
Though she thought it was unreasonable, she had nothing to say when Granada and Mainz said so.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel some resentment toward Chloe.
‘A very extravagant lady has arrived. What should I do about this?’
‘I overate.’
I trudged up to my room, my stomach painfully full.
‘Back at the palace, my maids kept me eating little, saying it would be unsightly if the princess gained weight.’
Used to eating sparingly while watching the maids, I found the insistence of the people here to keep eating somewhat dizzying.
‘It’s hard to even breathe.’
I couldn’t even sit, so I had to slowly pace around the room.
Then I remembered Latina asking if I would give leftover food to the lower staff.
‘Did they think I’d do something so improper just because I’m Princess Idelian?’
I wondered. Why would anyone give the food they’ve eaten to others?
‘It’s not proper.’
Besides, I hadn’t forgotten Granada’s request to care for the staff.
‘Leftovers should go to livestock.’
There’s a famous story known to all children in Arental: a wealthy man threw his leftover bread to a beggar and incurred God’s wrath as a lesson.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
‘Did I look like such a bad person?’
I felt even more determined to shake off the label of being from Idelian as soon as possible.
