“His Highness the Sixth Prince?”
The young man who had just spoken was a full brother of the Fourth Prince, who today heard an unexpected order to head to the battlefield..
In other words, he was the second son of the Emperor's second concubine.
He was seven years old, at the age when his baby teeth began to fall out.
"Yes!
You know me, Noona!"
Noona?
It's so crazy cute!
His boyish face was a little chubby, his cheeks were flushed, and his wide smile showed a gap where one of his lower teeth had fallen out, and he quickly covered his mouth with his hand as if he was embarrassed.
It was a very wonderful scene..
He's His Highness's brother, so how could he be so nice?!
When the Sixth Prince looked at Cassian with those innocent eyes, Cassian's expression became bitter..
“I remember I was cute too when I was little.”
Not possible!
It is true that you were handsome, but it cannot be said that you were nice!
I was about to disagree with him internally, but suddenly, Cassian approached from behind and rested his head on my shoulder as if it was a habit of his, and then said:
“He who is gentle when he is young becomes beautiful when he grows up, Rose.”
Why are you trying to prove that to me exactly?!
I tried to gently push him away from me, but at that moment, the Sixth Prince extended his small hand and grabbed my hand tightly.
“Noona, play with me!”
"What?"
“I heard you were having the most fun!”
“Ah, but...”
It's time to act now, and we have to come up with a plan to deal with sending the Fourth Prince to war...
If she ignores him, the Queen will definitely use this situation to her advantage in the media.
It wasn't difficult for the Queen to act as if Cassian was the only one who could prevent this situation, while completely ignoring the presence of the First Prince, Charlie.
However, the Sixth Prince was so kind that I began to hesitate in adhering to my principle that work comes first.
Then, Cassian intervened and asked the Sixth Prince:
“Joel, was it your mother, the second concubine, who asked you to bring Rose?”
Suddenly, the innocent expression on the little prince's face disappeared and was replaced by an unexpected calmness.
“It's a secret from my brother!”
This was an implicit confession.
Then Cassian muttered in a low voice, so that the prince could not hear him:
“Although the second concubine seemed calm, she was able to protect two princes.”
“So…”
“Go, Rose.
Assistant Ashwood and I will take care of your business for a while.”
I hesitated for a moment while recalling Cassian's agenda in my mind, but in the end, I decided to follow the Sixth Prince, Goyle.
I just hope this isn't a trap set by the Queen...
Contrary to my expectations that he would take me directly to the Lilac Palace where his mother, the Second Concubine, resided, the Sixth Prince began walking me around the palace, holding my hand, as if he really wanted to play with me.
“Noona, look at that flower!
It’s as beautiful as you!”
He's clearly Cassian's brother.
Just like him, he was giving nice compliments in a completely natural way.
“You have to count to ten and then find me, Noona, okay?”
He even added a short round of hide-and-seek, which caused some of the administrators passing by to give me strange looks.
Their looks clearly said: Why are you playing with a small child when you were always moving around with a stern face as if you were about to kill someone?
Indeed...why am I doing this?
Although the backlog of tasks began to weigh on my mind, I accepted the situation, thinking that Joel, the sixth prince, was only seven years old yet.
At this age, it's normal for him to be given a small task but get completely distracted along the way.
When lunchtime approached, Joel suddenly stopped running and laughing, then jumped up to hug my leg tightly, saying:
“Noona, I'm hungry!”
“Ah, well, let's go eat—”
"I remember now!
Mom asked me to bring you!"
Did he really forget that while playing?
It seemed like that, as he began to swing excitedly in my hand before finally leading me towards the Lilac Palace.
“My mother's food is very, very delicious!”
He spoke very enthusiastically, bragging about his mother's cooking skills.
But his words made me feel a little suspicious...
‘Why does the second concubine prepare the food herf?’
“Welcome, Assistant Salis.”
I was surprised when I saw the second concubine greeting me.
I didn't know her cloy, as we had only exchanged formal greetings before, but I had never seen her with such a spontaneous appearance.
She always wore elaborate formal dresses, even to breakfasts, as if she was afraid of being caught.
This was the case with her two sons, the Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince.
Now, she was wearing a simple but elegant cotton dress, with a clean apron that looked like it was for actual use, not just decoration.
When she noticed my questioning look, the second wife spoke with a hint of embarrassment:
“Feeding and raising two children is not something that can be done luxuriously.
I hope you do not think that I acted so simply out of negligence.”
“I didn't think so, so don't worry, Your Highness.”
I was just wondering: why would she, as a second concubine, do jobs that nannies or cooks are supposed to do?
All the other concubines in the palace have their own cooks and nannies.
“Mom, I brought Noona!”
“Well done, Joel.”
The second side concubine smiled tenderly, letting go of my hand to hold Joel, who rushed over to hug her.
Then I kissed his cheek lovingly..
“I heard that Assistant Salis likes dishes that contain meat, so I prepared a meal for you that suits your taste.
My skills are mediocre, so I don’t know if you will like it, but… will you eat with us?”
When she asked me that, while holding Joel's hand, she nodded in agreement without hesitation.
“Woah!
I want to sit next to Noona!”
“And not by your mother’s side?”
“I'll sit next to my mother at dinner!”
The scene was incredibly warm, and I even wondered: Could such an atmosphere really exist inside the Imperial Palace, which resembled a war zone?
Everything in the Lilac Palace seemed different from the rest of the palaces.
Its walls seemed to be covered in warm colors, as if they reflected the nature of the woman who lived there, and there was a huge window that allowed views of the outside views like a framed painting.
Thanks to the good weather, the second wife ordered the windows to be opened, allowing a gentle breeze to enter that refreshed the atmosphere.
For a moment, I felt like I was sitting in a quiet restaurant in the countryside, rather than in the imperial palace.
Moments later, two maids with bright white skin entered, pushing a dining cart full of dishes, and began setting the table.
The meal was not as luxurious as a royal court banquet or as I was accustomed to eating the food Cassian prepared for me, but it was very delicious.
There was a warm soup with an attractive color and a delicious aroma, made of mushrooms, potatoes, and carrots cut into large pieces.
Next to it was a baguette cut into appropriately sized slices, carefully toasted to a crisp.
As for the main course, it was a meat stew that smelled of pleasant tomatoes, which made my mouth water.
“Eat, the pickled cucumbers are looking their best now.”
I didn't hesitate, and took a tablespoon of soup.
'Oh my God...this is amazing.'
How could someone like this lady live inside the Lilac Palace?
Increasingly curious, she picked up a piece of bread, dipped it in the broth, and then took a big bite.
It was simple home-cooked food, but full of warmth and flavors that touched the heart.
'Whoever has talent like this should go out into the world and make a lot of people happy!'
For a moment, I felt guilty, as if I was the only one allowed to taste this wonderful food.
Perhaps my happiness was reflected on my face, because a reassuring smile appeared on the lips of the second concubine.
Then, with the tenderness of a true mother, she said to me:
“I prepared a lot of food, so feel free to ask for more if you need.”
She seemed like a really good person...
Or at least… I hoped it would be.
After the meal was over, the second concubine began talking quietly while slowly peeling the fruit.
“You seem to have a lot of questions.
I apologize for preventing you from talking while eating.”
“It's okay, thanks to you I was able to focus on eating.”
Upon hearing my response, she gently tilted her head and smiled.
The Fourth and Sixth Princes had already eaten a few slices of the apple she had peeled for them, and then ran into the garden of the Lilac Palace to play hide-and-seek.
“I make sure to teach my kids not to be distracted while eating, so I may have unintentionally taken up your time.”
I shook my head as she carefully finished peeling the apple, then cut it into beautiful slices, and inserted a fork into one of them before holding it out to me.
I automatically caught her, which made her smile contentedly, and for some reason I felt embarrassed.
“The things I gave you today may not be of much value, but I hope they will help you feel more comfortable.”
She put the knife aside, wiped her hands wet with fruit juice, and then turned to face me solemnly.
Then, in an unexpected move, she leaned over and said in a serious voice:
“Please, help me prevent the Fourth Prince from going to the battlefield, Assistant Salis.”
“..Her Highness?”
“I know very well that this request of mine may put the Second Prince in a difficult situation.”
Of course, it wasn't easy.
But Cassian had already taken that into account.
"However, I am not fish enough to ignore it.
I also realize that other people's children are just as precious as my own."
I looked at her intently.
“Didn’t you summon me to try to convince Prince Cassian to come out instead of the Fourth Prince?”
She shook her head slowly, but this time, her gentle look turned into harsh coldness.
“I know Prince Cassian’s character very well.
Even if he wasn’t asked to, he would endure hardships for the sake of his younger brothers.”
She was right.
He himf had suffered before, so...
He didn't want his brothers to go through the same experience.
“But that's not fair.
However, I couldn't find a good way to solve the matter on my own, so I asked for your help.”
“Do you mean...?”
“Aid Salis, is there no one else, other than my sons, who can be sent to the battlefield?”