TOPWL 17

Yudit returned to his bedroom and opened the wardrobe. As he debated between the royal ceremonial attire and the one he had worn previously, he chose the same outfit as before. While changing, his nanny opened the door and entered.

“Your Highness, I thought you were in class.”

“I finished early.”

“Ah, you said you’d be attending Selena’s party today, right?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“Hmm, are you planning to wear that?”

The nanny scratched her cheek and made a displeased expression.

“…Why? Is it bad?”

“Didn’t you wear that last time?”

“True, but I don’t have anything else to wear.”

“Don’t you have your imperial ceremonial attire? I washed it and put it away last time.”

The nanny glanced at the wardrobe and spoke.

“It’s a small party at the townhouse, so I don’t want to overdress.”

“Still, you can’t wear the same thing as last time.”

The nanny approached the wardrobe, opened the door wide, and began inspecting the clothes. Without hesitation, she picked out an outfit.

“Here, wear this shirt, these pants, and this jacket.”

As Yudit looked at the clothes the nanny had chosen, he made a troubled expression.

“Isn’t this… too fancy?”

Yudit wasn’t fond of wearing extravagant clothes. He needed to avoid drawing attention as much as possible. However, since he was a prince, he couldn’t wear completely plain clothes, so he had decided to keep one part of his outfit simple while making the other part more decorative. If the top was fancy, he wore plain, monochrome pants, and if the pants were elaborate, he chose a simple top. But the clothes the nanny had chosen had both a fancy top and bottom. Seeing Yudit’s discomfort, the nanny reluctantly took away the jacket.

“Is there still time? I’ll remove the embellishments from the jacket. The gold and beige colors will match well together.”

“Can you do that?”

“Of course. I’ve been doing this since the clothes were simpler. I’ll remove the decorations from this one and add them to the other, and vice versa.”

The nanny wasn’t lying, as she quickly took out her sewing kit and started removing the decorations. Yudit watched her humming a tune, feeling a strange emotion rise within him. Though they had conflicts in recent years, he couldn’t completely push the nanny away. There was something between them, a bond beyond just a servant and employer. It wasn’t a relationship that could simply be divided into black and white.

“Now, you should ask Suu to fix your hair. You’re the prince of a country; it shouldn’t look so simple.”

“Yeah… okay. I’ll do that.”

A servant standing by motioned to Yudit and walked over to the mirrored side table. As Yudit sat in front of the mirror, the servant took out an oil bottle and began to work on his hair with skillful hands.

“Done. Now, if we add a brooch here… What do you think? Does it look good?”

The nanny smiled brightly with her wrinkled face as she held up the clothes to Yudit. The jacket, now with some embellishments removed and a amber brooch added, looked completely different from before. Yudit seemed to like it, and the nanny looked pleased.

“Try it on.”

Yudit put on the beige silk shirt with creases and dark blue pants, then added the jacket the nanny had adjusted. Standing in front of the mirror, Yudit could tell that he looked slightly more polished but not overly dressed up. In a positive light, he looked like a noble from a minor family, but negatively, he didn’t quite resemble royalty. Yudit was pleased with his appearance.

“Thank you, nanny. Suu.”

“Let me know if you need anything else next time.”

The nanny puffed out her chest proudly. Yudit checked the time and buttoned up his jacket.

“I think I should go now. Have a good dinner.”

“Enjoy yourself too, Your Highness.”

Suu bowed to im, Yudit quickly walked out the door.

…

Thanks to having reserved a carriage from the palace in advance, Yudit was able to arrive at Selena’s townhouse on time.

“I’ll wait here.”

The coachman adjusted the reins and spoke. Yudit nodded and walked into the townhouse. It was quieter than the noisy party from last time, and as he got closer, the lively sounds of the previous event faded. The faint smell of delicious food and the warm orange light seeped through the slightly open door. As Yudit opened the door and entered, the sound of voices and laughter became clearer. People who recognized Yudit greeted him, and he awkwardly accepted their greetings.

“Your Highness, it’s an honor to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you.”

At the mention of Yudit’s arrival, someone came rushing out from inside. It was Selena. Selena was wearing a bustle several times larger than her body, and every time she moved, it felt as though a vibrant flower was moving along with her.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”

“Thank you for the invitation, Selena.” Yudit’s words made Selena blush deeply.

“It’s an honor to have you at the banquet.”

It was indeed an honor. Yudit smiled awkwardly and nodded.

“This isn’t the time for that. Come over here, Your Highness.” Selena, excited, almost pulled Yudit towards a certain direction. Yudit obediently followed her lead.

“I brought it here.”

Selena’s eyes sparkled as she pointed to the drink foutain in front of them. The foutain, which Yudit had seen before, took up one side of the room filled with simple finger foods. It was still fascinating, and Yudit stared at it for a while.

“People praised it at the last banquet. Both the foutain and the drinks.”

“It was really delicious.”

Selena used a ladle to serve juice and handed it to Yudit. Yudit hesitated for a moment but then drank the juice. It tasted the same as last time, but it was less thick and easier to drink.

“It’s delicious.”

At Yudit’s comment, Selena seemed to relax, smiling brightly.

“Right?”

Craven’s townhouse was one of the larger ones among the capital. The banquet hall could accommodate about thirty people.

While Yudit was thinking this, a guard outside announced the arrival of a new guest.

“Then, I’ll go greet the other guests. Feel free to look around.”

After saying this, Selena grabbed the hem of her skirt and made her way toward the door. The door was small compared to her skirt, and she struggled to get through, looking somewhat pitiful. Yudit couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for her, thinking that a new style of clothing should emerge soon.

As Yudit sipped his drink, he slowly looked around the room. The walls of the townhouse were painted white with golden-patterned borders, which made even the smallest flaws appear bright. Yudit took in the decorations, food, and overall style of the place. Compared to the previous banquet, which was decorated with lavish expensive items, this townhouse felt more comfortably furnished in just the right places. The aesthetic was more pleasing to Yudit’s eyes.

The food consisted mostly of simple finger foods that could be enjoyed with drinks, though there were also heartier options like oatmeal porridge, pilaf, and sandwiches. Yudit picked up a sandwich and took a bite. The savory cheese and fresh vegetables blended perfectly with the freshly baked bread. Nearby, the oatmeal porridge also had a delightful grainy texture, making it satisfying to chew. While tasting the food, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice came from behind him.

“Has the prince’s budget gotten so tight that it can’t even cover his dinner?”

Yudit swallowed the food in his mouth before slowly turning around. As expected, Khalid was leaning against the door, looking at him.

“That’s not the case.”

“Really? Then I guess the food is delicious.”

Khalid walked over to Yudit and asked.

“What’s good?”

Suddenly, Khalid had gotten very close, making Yudit uncomfortable. He took a step back.

“The sandwiches are delicious. The fruit cake here is also pretty good.”

The fruit cake was served in triangular wine glasses, likely so that it could be eaten easily with a spoon while conversing. It was not only convenient but also delicious. The fresh seasonal fruits, whipped cream, syrup, and cake layers all came together to create a perfect balance of flavors.