Translator and Editor: Effe and Nabi

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Chapter 12 – Give And Take (3)

“Arthur, why are you still here?”

“Where is the Princess going at this hour?”

“The kitchen. More than that, Arthur, you haven’t answered my question yet.”

“….”

Still, Arthur kept his mouth shut, but Sienna didn’t want to let it go.

“If you won’t tell me, then go back.”

At my words, he took his hand from his back. It meant he wouldn’t go back.

“…I should have died on the spot earlier.”

‘That’s always been on your mind…’

She had no idea he would feel so responsible. As Sienna tried to tell him that it’s all right, Arthur opened his mouth first.

“Arthur, that’s…”

“…I should have stopped Prince Pierre from harming the Princess. I should have saved the Princess, and then died. It’s my job to protect the princess.”

“….”

“But, I couldn’t… I was afraid to die. If I had taken one more step, His Highness would have wielded the sword. Maybe my family won’t be spared as well…”

“….”

“I dared to weigh the princess.”

At that moment, Arthur stiffened against his will.

The person in front of her was no high-ranking nobleman, but the next King of Stern. He knew in his head that he had to stop Pierre, but he couldn’t move even a single step. In the end, there was nothing he could do while looking at Siena’s face in pain.

Helplessly, he could just only pray that this time would pass safely and quickly.

Arthur’s hands trembled as he recalled the emotions of that time. She glanced at his vein-bulging hand and slowly drew out his sword.

“Princess?”

“It’s heavier than I thought.”

He wore this heavy thing every day to protect her.

And, yet—

“Are you sorry for me?”

“….”

“That’s why you’re protecting me without sleeping like this?”

“….”

“I told you to protect me, I never told you to die for me.”

“I couldn’t fulfill that.”

“He didn’t kill me, did he? I’m still alive.”

“….”

“Arthur, cherish your life.”

“….”

“Because the weight of your life is no different from mine.”

Having said that, Sienna put his sword into the sheath. Arthur’s expression softened slightly at the clumsy movement.

“Besides, if you die, I’ll be in danger, too? If you die, who will protect me? So, live your life to the fullest. Survive.”

“….”

“What’s your answer?”

“…Yes.”

“All right. Oh, and quit this nonsensical overtime. I know your feelings, but when people don’t get enough sleep, their brains get weird.”

“Princess…”

“Just for today. Leave the night to Sir Brown.”

Sienna glanced at Winter Brown, who watched the situation as he was leaning against the wall. When their eyes met, he just lowered his head lightly.

Starting to walk forward, Sienna passed the empty hallway without a single picture and went down the stairs in the middle. As she turned to see if Arthur was following along, she saw him hastily wiping away his tears with the back of his hand.

“Are you crying?”

“Me…?”

“Yes. You.”

“Of course not.”

“Because crying is nothing to be ashamed of.”

The kitchen was on the left end of the first floor of the Princess Palace.

Originally, Sienna only knows there’s a kitchen there, but it was the first time she actually went there.

Well, that was normal.

“Though, what are you going to the kitchen for, Princess?”

“I’m hungry.”

“You’re not calling anyone?”

She was the one that actually worked overtime.

“It’s time for everyone to rest.”

She couldn’t make overtime work for people who always got up before her and returned to their room later. Besides, what she wants to eat now is not something they can make.

Tong. Tuk.

However, at the entrance to the kitchen, there was a buzz.

Sienna exchanged gazes with Arthur.

He protected her behind his back and wrapped a hand by her side. Then, he opened the door at once and drew his sword.

“Who is it!”

The hand wrapped around her in the faint shadow felt strengthened.

‘What does this smell like?’

It smelled familiar and fragrant…

Sienna illuminated the door.

“Benny?”

“I, I have sinned to death!” Benny was crying and shaking his body with a potato in his mouth.

“Arthur, take off your sword.”

“Ah, yes.”

Benny then sat down in relief.

“Why are you here at this hour?”

“Well, that’s because I’m so hungry.”

As Arthur turned on the lights around the kitchen, a pot of steamed potatoes caught her eye.

Sienna passed Benny and counted the potatoes in the pot.

“Can I use this?”

Benny asked, rolling his eyes.

“Yes? Aren’t you punishing me?”

“What? You just ate some potatoes?”

“Nevertheless…”

“Do you want me to?”

“Not really.”

“Rather than that, would you make me some coffee? The coffee you gave me before was delicious. If possible, make it cold and sweet with plenty of ice, milk and sugar.”

“…Oh, yes!”

Benny pauses for a moment and then goes out to make the coffee. Cold and sweet, he engraved those words in his mind.

It is impossible to get chewy rice cakes and red pepper paste here, but if people are in a hurry, they can make radish kimchi with even cactus in the desert.

At that, Sienna finely cut the boiled potatoes.

She got heated at the thought that the potato was Pierre’s face.

Arthur, who had been staring blankly at the sudden bustle of the situation, was awakened by her voice.

“Arthur. Can you find some eggs, flour, salt, sugar, garlic, and red pepper powder? Oh, and see if there are vegetables.”

“Yes!”

He was also new to the kitchen, so he hurriedly searched for the ingredients, asking Benny.

After, Sienna diligently mixed the ingredients Arthur had brought.

She was going to make gnocchi.

If there was no rice cake, it was enough to make a substitute, gnocchi. One regret is that red pepper is present here, but there is no red pepper paste.

‘If I had known that a day like this would come, I would have learned to make soy sauce…’

She added a lot of red pepper powder and garlic to her liking.

Looking at the scene in front of them, Arthur and Benny looked at her with suspicious eyes at the reddish visual and unusual scent.

“Where the hell did you learn this kind of food, Princess?”

“Uh, huh… Ah, a book! I saw it in a book. It’s a recipe for a country to the east far across the sea.”

Seeing it boiling, it looked like it was almost done.

“Ah! I almost forgot.”

To finish, she sprinkled some pepper and added lots of cheese.

“Done!”

After cleaning the kitchen, the three of them sat down in a circle, but the two looked at each other. Their faces were suspicious of whether they could actually eat that red, spicy thing.

“Aren’t you eating?”

Siena, who has already taken a bite, blinked in wonder as she gazed at the two of them sitting blankly.

“Would you like to try the seafood broth next time? With seafood rice cake! Boiled eggs, too!”

While she was excited to upgrade her recipe, Benny, curious about it, first picked up the rice cake no, the gnocake with a fork. Then, he carefully put it in his mouth with a face full of determination.

“How about it? Good?”

“……It’s spicy.”

“Hahaha.”

Benny’s face quickly turned red.

He cooled his mouth with a cold, sweet coffee and tried again. Even though it was spicy, it wasn’t that bad.

With that, Arthur seemed to have the courage and lifted the fork as well.

“Hmm. Not bad.” He spoke softly and immediately began to inhale the food as if competing with Sienna.

The first gnocake, made so generously, was quickly gone.

“Oh, I’m full.”

Saying so, she patted her belly with satisfaction.

‘What is this full of happiness at night?’

Unhealthy things are always fun.

Benny asked as she settled down. “Now that you’ve eaten something spicy, would you like some sweet dessert?”

“Benny, you…”

Sienna called Benny in her low voice and then gently raised her thumbs towards him, who was tense at the moment.

“You know your things.”

Benny shyly smiled and served a refreshing strawberry sorbet.

It was a perfect finish.

She doesn’t know the exact time, but it was deep at dawn. When everyone was asleep, the three of them were having a friendly conversation.

It was Siena who mainly asked questions.

She also heard from the two of them outside the castle and about the situation inside the castle. She suddenly became worried.

“It’s a big deal.”

Soon, morning will come.

‘How long has it been? She’s been up all night.’

It was probably the first time since she came here.

Sienna swiftly got up and poured the coffee heavily.

“Princess?”

“I think I’ll need some of this today.”

Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love.* Recalling Taleyrand praise coffee, Sienna stirred in sugar generously. Leaving the window wide open, she emptied the glass in an instant, letting in the fresh breeze.

“Benny, if you’re tired, you can rest. I’ll tell Anna. And, Arthur…”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Let’s go.”

“Yes? Where?”

“Secret room.”

“The secret room… What?”

Sienna walked forward without waiting for his answer.

As she walked diligently she reached the main building in the center, the number of people became noticeably increasing.

At the sudden appearance of the Princess, the attendants abruptly bowed their heads and continued to watch Sienna.

When she climbs the wide stairway in the center, there is a huge tapestry that expresses the myth of the founding of the nation. She walked down the hallway again, and this time there were rows of precious paintings and pottery.

“Princess?”

The escort knight guarding the King’s office was surprised by Sienna’s appearance and their voice grew louder.

“Princess, what are you doing at this early hour?”

“I’m going into the secret room.”

“What?”

She just stood still and waited for them to step aside. It was a space that only royalty could enter, and they had no right to stop her.

“For, forgive us.”

And so, Sienna went into the room without a word.

Kiik.

The heavy door closed and only the sound of her footsteps echoed in the quiet space.

Sienna picked up the royal treasure that was laid upon expensive silk. She just wanted to check to see if something really happened. However, it was cold and hard, and that was all.

“No response today…”

Sienna repeatedly threw the Stern’s Bells up and down like a tennis ball.

“What kind of guardian deity is this?”

It didn’t even notice this and yet it somehow reacted to her, so how painful and lonely it must be.

“No matter how I think about it, you were the beginning of my misfortune.”

She’d like to destroy this first, but…

“If you’re the true guardian deity of Stern, I’d like to ask you one favor…”

Sienna suppressed her anger and spoke as politely as possible. “To Pierre, don’t react even if you die. You shouldn’t even malfunction. Never.”

She swore to be a thorn under Pierre’s fingernails for the rest of his life.

If you have a conscience, he should have never done that to her.

“Sigh.”

She let out a heavy sigh.

It was time for her to put the jewel back in place without much result.

Ring~

Along with the sound of the bells, Sienna’s hair fluttered a little.

“…Wind?”

Though… isn’t this a secret room?

Astonished, she stepped backward and dropped the Stern’s Bell.

The jewel was shining.

The light that had surrounded it filled the room, and grew bigger and bigger. From where the light started, a fluffy bundle of lights approached her.

Sienna, who looked at the scene blankly for a moment, asked towards the light.

“Who, Who are you?”

— I’m a spirit.

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Note:*) A quote from Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, a French diplomat. The quote about coffee: “Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love

/ Noir comme le diable, chaud comme l’enfer, pur comme un ange, doux comme l’amour.” The quote was actually frequently misattributed to Talleyrand; but no primary source exists, it’s not his style of speech, and he famously drank tea, not coffee.

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