A Barbaric Proposal Side Story 33

※Solitude and Apricot Butter※

[Dief] "Shellan! Where on earth have you been?"

[Flambard] "Indeed, Princess! You have no idea how our hearts were in our throats. What could you possibly have been doing to forget tea time?"

When Shellan returned to the lounge after returning the telescope to its rightful place, she was met with an uproar.

She had been gone for roughly an hour. In that time, Dief had clearly exerted himself searching for her; his face was flushed and damp with sweat. Madam Flambard and several other servants stood by, their expressions heavy with concern.

This reaction was exactly what she had expected.

[Shellan] "In solitude, the timeline of the real world is often easily forgotten, Madam."

She offered this vague, high-flown explanation to signal that she had no intention of giving a straight answer. As usual, however, Madam Flambard was quick to interpret the pedantic phrasing.

[Flambard] "I see. Your Highness was feeling out of sorts and went off to hide alone. Were you reading a book, perhaps?"

[Shellan] "No, not exactly. I was just getting some fresh air."

[Flambard] "And where was that?"

Shellan hoped the Madam wouldn't press further. She wasn't ready to reveal her secret sanctuary in the Northern Tower just yet.

[Shellan] "On my way to find Sir Renfel. By the way, when will he be back?"

She pivoted the conversation so quickly that Madam Flambard was momentarily distracted from the mystery of the Princess' hiding spot.

[Flambard] "Ah, well... has he left the castle? Oh, now that I think about it, I believe I did hear something about him going. Yes."

[Shellan] "From whom? Ah, it must have been Madam Renfel."

[Flambard] "Indeed, that’s right. So, um... yes, I was told he was sent away on a rather distant errand."

[Shellan] "I see. Did they say when he’d return?"

[Flambard] "Regrettably, I didn't hear that part."

[Shellan] "Understood. Please let me know the moment he returns."

[Flambard] "Ahem. Of course, Princess. If any word reaches my ears, I shall inform you at once."

[Shellan] "Thank you, Madam."

She gave a bright, innocent smile.

[Shellan] "Actually, I’ve developed a craving for egg tarts."

[Flambard] "It is certainly time for a snack since you missed the earlier one. Just a moment, Princess. I shall have them prepared immediately."

Madam Flambard left with a gentle smile.

As soon as she was gone, she grabbed Dief’s arm and began dragging him away.

[Dief] "Shellan? What are you doing?"

[Shellan] "I’ll tell you in a minute. Just follow me."

[Dief] "Where are we going?"

[Shellan] "You'll see."

Leaving the lounge, she marched across the central hall. She was heading toward the royal bedchamber—the room belonging to their parents.

[Dief] "Are you going to take a nap?"

[Shellan] "No."

[Dief] "Then why are we going to their bedroom?"

[Shellan] "Because Madam Renfel should be there at this hour."

She was right. The doors to the royal bedchamber were already open, and inside, Madam Renfel was dusting the furniture alongside two other maids.

[Renfel] "Oh? Whatever brings the two of you here?"

She was the first to spot them. Shellan stepped into the room, still gripping Dief’s hand tightly.

[Shellan] "Good afternoon, Madam. I’ve suddenly developed a craving for apricots. You know, the ones from the valley up the Evert River? They’re quite delicious this time of year."

The Madam nodded kindly.

[Renfel] "Is that so? Then I shall send someone at once."

[Shellan] "Sir Renfel knows exactly where the best ones grow! I don't think anyone else would know the spot."

[Renfel] "Ah, then I must leave word for him."

[Shellan] "I want them now! Could you ask Sir Renfel to finish his training early today and go get them?"

[Renfel] "I shall do exactly that."

[Dief] "Wait, Sir Ren—"

When he tried to interject, Shellan sharply tugged on his sleeve to silence him.

[Shellan] "Thank you, Madam. By the way, is it possible to make butter out of apricots?"

[Renfel] "Hmm... I don't believe I’ve ever seen apricot butter, Princess."

[Shellan] "I have a feeling it would be delicious. Could you have some made for me?"

[Renfel] "I’ll have a word with the head chef. Is there anything else you’d like?"

[Shellan] "If butter isn't possible, perhaps cheese would do. I adore apricots."

Madam Renfel let out a soft chuckle.

Usually, Shellan used incredibly mature, complex language, but she became a typical child the moment snacks were mentioned. The way her expression shifted so completely was adorable. It was a side of her that others rarely saw—a specialized cuteness that Madam Renfel felt she understood better than anyone.

Sometimes that bespectacled Chancellor would boast that he was the Princess' favorite person, but that was nonsense. To make such a claim, one had to at least be familiar with the look on Shellan’s face as she gulped in anticipation of apricots and egg cream.

[Renfel] "Understood, Princess."

[Shellan] "Then I’ll leave it to you."

Shellan gave a polite bow, holding the edges of her skirt and crossing her ankles in accordance with traditional royal etiquette. Madam Renfel knew this was a habit she displayed only when she was genuinely grateful.

Yes, the Chancellor might play chess with her, but he’ll never receive a greeting like that.

After bidding farewell to the beaming Madam Renfel, Shellan pulled Dief away once more.

---

[Dief] "That was strange, Shellan."

[Shellan] "I told you so."

The two had now returned to their own bedchamber. The fact that Madam Renfel was cleaning their parents' room meant their own quarters had already been finished. Therefore, they could speak freely without fear of being overheard.

Still, to be safe, Shellan crouched down beneath the bed curtains, hiding herself completely. Unless someone deliberately came in and lifted the bulging fabric, their presence would remain a secret.

[Shellan] "Sir Renfel has vanished. Madam Flambard claimed Madam Renfel sent him on an errand, but Madam Renfel spoke as if she had no idea about any such thing."

[Dief] "Yeah... she did."

[Shellan] "What do you think that means, Dief?"

[Dief] "Well... maybe Madam Flambard misheard? Or Sir Renfel lied? No, but why? Sir Renfel never lies."

[Shellan] "The answer is that everyone is lying."

[Dief] "What?"

His green eyes widened in shock.

[Dief] "Everyone? To whom?"

[Shellan] "To us."

[Dief] "Why?"

[Shellan] "To keep us from meeting Sir Renfel."

Every soul in Nauk Castle knew that if anyone were to sneak the children to Bellisa, it would be Klima. Therefore, his presence was a liability to the adults' plans.

No matter what promises Klima had made, if Shellan were to grab his sleeve and plead, he would follow her lead even if he had to march through a blizzard.

Consequently, Fermos and Randall had sent Klima out of the castle entirely, assigning him to patrol the southern fortress for a week.

Fermos had been thorough, keeping his official schedule a secret. He had instructed the staff, including Madam Flambard and Madam Renfel, that the Princess and Prince must not see him, hinting that it was to prevent them from fleeing to Bellisa. Essentially, they were instructed to give vague excuses whenever the children asked for him.

However, they hadn't been told exactly what those excuses should be. This lack of coordination had created a discrepancy. It was a hole that Shellan was not about to miss. Furthermore, her telescope scouting had revealed more than just Klima's absence.

[Shellan] "And Sir Fermos and Sir Randall are up to something suspicious."

[Dief] "Hmm... what are they doing?"

[Shellan] "The two of them were whispering. And when someone else approached, they acted as if they weren't doing anything at all. What do you think that means?"

He shook his head.

[Dief] "I don't know. Can't people whisper at any time?"

[Shellan] "They could. But the Knights? Whispering about a secret?"

[Dief] "People usually whisper when it's a secret."

[Shellan] "Have you ever seen the Knights act like that?"

[Dief] "Um..."

He hadn't.

[Shellan] "So, what we need to do now is uncover Sir Fermos' secret."

[Dief] "But it’s a secret. Won't he try to hide it?"

[Shellan] "Of course. That’s why it’s valuable."

[Dief] "What are we going to do once we find out? Knowing something they want to keep hidden feels like doing something bad."

[Shellan] "......"

Her mind raced. Dief could be incredibly straight-laced for his age, and it seemed this was one of those moments.

[Shellan] "I suppose you have a point. But we don't necessarily have to know the whole secret. The mere fact that they have a secret gives us enough room to negotiate."

[Dief] "Negotiate... um... You mean talk to them?"

[Shellan] "Exactly."

[Dief] "What are we going to talk about?"

She planned to blackmail them into taking her to Bellisa, of course. However, since Dief had already said he didn't want to go, she needed to adjust her strategy slightly.

[Shellan] "At the very least, couldn't we ask when Father and Mother are coming back? Sir Fermos must know."

It was a long shot, but Dief agreed.

[Dief] "If it's just that, then I’m in."

[Shellan] "Good."

She nodded.

They said that a good start was half the battle; as far as she was concerned, they were already halfway to Bellisa.

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