I’m Supposed to Be the Neglected Princess in the Future, but Something Seems Strange... - 13 - Searching for Lea - 3

Rose had never eaten at the ship’s restaurant.

Because her father, the king, had strictly told her not to leave her room, all her meals were brought to her. The restaurant was on the second floor at the front of the ship and was shared by first and second-class passengers. There was a high chance Lea and the others would be there too, and running into them could be dangerous.

When Rose said she had never eaten at the restaurant, Raphael decided they should have dinner there.

It seemed that some of Raphael’s former classmates were also on this ship, but usually, they moved around on their own and didn’t act as a group. However, once they heard Rose was going to the restaurant, every one of them—Count Molt, the son of Marquess Endran, the son of Count Faburnil, Viscount Redondo, and Duke Roper—insisted on joining them.

By the way, Count Molt was the son of Duke Charleston and the heir to the family. Until he inherited the title of Duke, he used the noble title of Count Molt, which belonged to the Charleston family. Viscount Redondo was also the son of Duke Cockbar’s family. He was the third son, and he had received one of the family’s lesser titles early on to live independently. Along with Duke Roper, these three were all relatives of Raphael—either cousins or second cousins.

“Wow, Sedoc wasn’t lying,” Viscount Redondo said in surprise as he stared closely at Rose’s face.

“Sedoc” was Count Molt’s first name: Sedoc Charleston, Count Molt.

At Count Molt’s request, everyone, including Rose and Raphael, sat together at one table. There wasn’t originally a table big enough for them all, but, as expected of the crown prince and his group, when Duke Roper said one word to the restaurant staff, they quickly joined three four-person tables together to create a special spot by the window.

Everyone kept staring at Rose, which made her a little uncomfortable. She quietly looked down at the menu the waiter handed her.

Raphael looked displeased. He leaned on his elbow with an annoyed look on his face.

Outside the window, the deep orange sun was glowing on the horizon. As it rose higher in the sky, it turned a bluish-purple color, like the tanzanite shade of Rose’s eyes.

The opera that Raphael had invited her to would begin in an hour and a half.

“Have you decided on your main dish?”

Duke Roper asked with a friendly smile. He was Raphael’s cousin, the son of the king’s younger brother.

For dinner, only the main dish was selectable; everything else was the same. The choices were beef, venison, or lobster.

When Rose said “lobster,” it seemed everyone else had already decided. Duke Roper then called the waiter.

Soon after, the waiter brought out the appetizer, along with a slim glass of ice wine as an aperitif.

Once all the appetizers and wine glasses were placed neatly on the white tablecloth, the son of Marquess Endran stood up.

“Then, let us raise our glasses to celebrate our old friend’s new beginning.”

(New beginning?)

Rose tilted her head in confusion, wondering what that meant. Everyone around her raised their glasses, so she quickly followed.

A soft clink rang out as the glasses met.

It was the first time Rose had ever clinked glasses with someone, and she felt a little nervous.

Wondering what to do next, she glanced at Raphael.

Seeing him sip from his glass while looking at her, she followed his lead and drank it all in one go.

(So sweet…!)

A rich sweetness filled her mouth. The alcohol seemed strong too, making her throat feel warm.

But more than that, the deliciousness of the ice wine she was tasting for the first time made her cheeks relax into a soft smile.

As Rose set her glass down, she noticed all eyes were on her. She tilted her head in confusion, and Raphael, sitting next to her, gave a small laugh.

“Rose, you didn’t have to drink the whole thing at once.”

Looking at his glass, Rose saw he still had about half left.

“This is actually pretty strong. Here, you should drink some water.”

He handed her a glass of water.

As Rose obediently drank it, the son of Count Faburnil burst into laughter.

“I see now. Sedoc was right. No wonder His Highness is in such a good mood.”

“Raphael dreams too much about women,” said Duke Roper with a chuckle as he ate some of his warm vegetable salad.

“Well, I guess that’s natural when you have such a strong older sister,” said Count Molt.

“And that fiancée too,” Viscount Redondo added with a shrug.

Rose tilted her head again, not understanding the conversation.

Raphael glared at his five friends and told her not to worry.

“Don’t go putting strange ideas in Rose’s head.”

“We know, we know,” laughed Marquess Endran’s son.

When they finished the appetizer, a waiter came to ask about drinks to go with the next course.

Rose asked for orange juice.

Since Raphael had said the ice wine was strong, she thought it would be better not to have more alcohol.

The only times she drank before were when Mira brought her some apricot wine as a treat. Even then, it was just a small amount.

Her nanny had also told her that getting drunk and making a fool of yourself was disgraceful.

So it was better to stop before that happened.

“So, what’s the status of that thing we talked about?”

Raphael asked Count Molt.

(That thing?)

Rose wondered what they were talking about.

Count Molt glanced at her, then replied.

“Just a little more. We didn’t have the medicine ready. We’ll get it from the ship’s doctor tomorrow.”

“I see. Make sure it’s done before we reach the port in Huig.”

“Of course. So, what are you going to do, Your Highness?”

Raphael smiled as he brought a spoonful of sherbet (served as a palate cleanser) to Rose’s mouth.

“Let’s see… I once thought about letting it go. But depending on the situation, I might take proper revenge.”

Rose took the spoon into her mouth. She didn’t really understand the conversation, but seeing that Raphael seemed to be in a better mood, she felt a little relieved.