“Have you eaten, Miss Rizanne?” I turned back towards the lady who seemed to be awkwardly fretting about something.
As if in response to my question, her stomach growled loudly.
“What was that noise? A beast?” My father, who had been looking elsewhere, didn’t know that it was from Rizanne, hence the innocent question.
But that innocent question made me want to howl in laughter, and it took me tremendous strength to rein it in. Rizanne had turned red once more, looking extremely embarrassed. I bit the insides of my cheeks and pinched my arm, as I didn’t want to make her feel bad, but I still couldn’t stop my shoulders from trembling.
Once I had calmed myself, I held out a hand towards her. “Miss Rizanne, please accompany us for lunch.”
“Thank you, but it’s alright, my lady!” Rizanne flailed her arms wildly. “I am not worthy to be eating at the same table as the duke and the lady! My social standing does not permit it.”
“What are you talking about?” I pulled her hand so she stood before my father and I.
Was it so wrong to have meals together with your teacher? Was society always adamant to debase other professions that were beneath them? That was totally effed up. We are all human regardless of the social pyramid.
“Daddy, Miss Rizanne will have her meals with us,” I said not as a question, but as a statement. I didn’t want any leeway to rejection.
Father looked back at me, surprised. If he stuck to the rules of society, then the answer would be no. But did he really want to face his only daughter’s wrath? Although this could be a subject of future gossip in social circles, it wasn’t exactly anything that would be reviled too much.
“Of course,” father said permissively, stroking the top of my head.
I was elated, and I beamed at him.
“Daddy is the best!” I squealed and hugged his torso. This was the first time I actually hugged him like this since I got here, so he was rather startled. I was too. I didn’t expect his torso to be so hard! I thought I was hugging a brick wall!
“No. I really shouldn’t, your grace.” Miss Rizanne blushed again. “This will cause unnecessary gossip and may taint your good name.”
“Pssh!” I rolled my eyes, my face still sticking to my dad’s hard stomach. “Who cares about gossip? Let them talk! Those who truly matter to us won’t even care.”
Rizanne looked back at me with an emotion I could only describe as enlightened.
I let go of my father’s waist and tugged at Rizanne’s hand. “Follow me to the dining room, Miss Rizanne!”
“My lady, I can walk by myself!” she struggled, but my hand was latched on to hers, as I wanted to make sure she wouldn’t be able to escape. I felt like she was one of my shy juniors in the office, and I wanted her to feel welcome.
My father was trailing behind us with an amused expression on his face.
In the dining room, I made Rizanne sit across me, while father was (of course) seated at the head of the table.
I didn’t think my father was a good conversationalist when it came to topics that weren’t work-related, so I just said whatever was on the top of my head.
“Are you still single?” I asked Rizanne without batting an eye.
I thought she was going to spit out her soup in response.
“Pardon??” She dabbed a napkin on her lips hurriedly.
I giggled. “I’m just messing with you~”
“Elena.” My father’s voice was low and reproving.
I pursed my lips and continued ladling myself some soup.
The table was full of awkward silence. I raised my eyes to assess Rizanne’s own table etiquette, so I could mimic her. Her gloves were drawn off and placed on her lap under a spread napkin.When eating soup, she sipped inaudibly from the sides of the spoon and not the tips (compared to her, I was shoveling the small spoon straight into my mouth. Why was there a need to sip so sparingly?). Her posture was straight, never bending or lowering her head while partaking of the food.
I tried to mimic her posture, sitting ramrod straight in my chair instead of being a hunchback. I sipped the soup slowly from my spoon, only to lose patience after five spoonfuls and still unsated. I wanted to slurp everything from the bowl right away, but even that was considered poor manners.Roasted venison arrived after our soup bowls were taken. European food didn’t quite sit well with my palate, and I wished I could pair the venison with some rice. Without rice, I could never actually achieve the state of being satiated. Although rice was not uncommon in other areas, it wasn’t normal for the people in my household to eat rice. Everything was usually paired with bread or potatoes, and I wanted to cry. I missed rice! I missed kimchi!
“Excuse me, your grace,” Butler Hendrik entered the dining area and bowed before my father.
“Yes?”
“His Highness, Prince Arion, has arrived.”
“WHAT?!” I squawked. Why was Arion here again so fast?!
My father and Rizanne also looked startled.
“But the prince hasn’t sent a word of notice,” my father said worriedly.
“Yes, your grace, he has not…” Hendrik trailed off, his expression a mixture of both concern and excitement. “His Highness is bringing a gift for Lady Elena. He knows that the family is still currently dining. Shall I invite him to dine as well?”
“Of course! But wait.” Father looked at me, the cogwheels in his brain turning. “Elena! You should escort him here.”
“What? Why me?” I whined.
Why did father always want me to be the prince’s footman?!
“Elena.” Father nodded at me seriously. I could already tell what was on his mind. He obviously wanted me to get on Arion’s good side.
“Fine,” I griped.
Somehow, I still felt like I was back in my old world, and being forced by my parents to go on blind dates with men they chose (based on our neighbors’ recommendations which ultimately was just them selling off their sons with exaggerated marketing). Obviously, those dates weren’t very fruitful.
As much as I would love to be in love, I don’t think it’s something you just force your way into. It should transpire naturally. If it happens, then it happens.
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