Right now, the grand hall was bathed in the soft glow of candlelight, wrapping everything in a subtle, delicate atmosphere.
Princess Moria sat upright at the head of the long table. She wore a gown made from the finest silk, and as she sipped her wine, her gaze drifted now and then toward Sista Anderson.
King Steyat sat beside her, his face seemingly stern, but in truth, he was simply focused on the food before him, eating quietly to himself.
Moria and Sista Anderson were seated on either side of the king and queen. Moria wore a gentle expression on her face, while Sista Anderson was the complete opposite, her eyes cold and sharp, her entire presence exuding a chilling aura.
Every servant who passed by and caught sight of Sista Anderson instinctively lowered their heads and quickened their pace, a shiver running down their spines.
Only Su Ling, who had been standing by Sista Anderson’s side the entire time, was unaffected.
She knew the reason behind Sista Anderson’s expression must have something to do with Moria. As she quietly drizzled sauce over the egg dish in front of Sista Anderson, Su Ling glanced sidelong at Moria.
She had already heard the nobles talking about Moria at the last banquet. As had been mentioned before, King Steyat had little interest in governing. As his successor, the affairs of the kingdom should have fallen to Moria to manage. However, due to the conflict with the Witches, Moria had volunteered to lead the kingdom’s cavalry to war in order to rally the troops. The position of handling state affairs was thus temporarily handed over to Sista Anderson.
In other words, the Sista Anderson everyone had seen previously was merely an acting executor of power. Once Moria returned, Sista Anderson would have to hand back all authority and retreat to her original position, becoming a mere ornamental princess of the kingdom.
Thinking this way, perhaps it explained why Sista Anderson seemed so averse to Moria. Yet Su Ling couldn’t shake the feeling that things weren’t quite so simple.
Though she didn’t know Sista Anderson very well, Su Ling clearly remembered how, when facing nobles or that particular countess, Sista Anderson always wore an expression of calm confidence, tinged with a hint of irony.
But right now, Sista Anderson seemed dispirited in front of Moria. Had something happened between them? At the dining table, the servants continued to bustle about, bringing out an array of exquisite dishes.
These were the finest delicacies within the entire kingdom of Ansels. The lamb chops were roasted to a golden crisp on the outside, tender and juicy within, and accompanied by seasonal vegetables like roasted pumpkin and steamed broccoli. The salad platter was piled high with fresh greens, ruby tomatoes, golden corn kernels, and glistening purple grapes, all topped with a special lemon-olive oil dressing.
Yet at this moment, the table was unusually quiet. Everyone focused solely on the food on their own plates. All around, there was no conversation, only the occasional clink of cutlery and the soft, hushed footsteps of servants.
The warm, faintly welcoming atmosphere that had filled the air just moments before now felt subtly changed by Sista Anderson’s presence.
—
Just then, Pom appeared, clutching a silver tray tightly in both hands, her steps hurried. When she finally reached the table and was about to set the dessert down, she suddenly froze in place, her eyes widening, lips slightly parted, as if time itself had stopped for a moment.
“Why is it… a fruit tart?” She looked down at the dessert in her hands, then glanced up at the unfinished main courses on the table, a wave of panic rising inside her. It was Duli who first noticed something was amiss. She quickly made her way through the crowd to Pom’s side.
“What are you doing?” Duli frowned.
Pom replied nervously, “It’s the fruit tart… I accidentally brought out the dessert before the main course was finished.” Duli didn’t say much, just swiftly took the tray from Pom’s hands and quietly removed the dessert from the table.
At the same time, she signaled with her eyes for Pom to step aside, so as not to draw any more attention. Even so, despite Duli’s best efforts to cover up, the others at the table still noticed this little mishap.
“No need to be so nervous,” Moria noticed Pom’s panic and said gently, “It’s just a dish served out of order. Just bring the correct one.”
“Y-yes! I’m sorry, Your Highness!”
“What’s your name?” “I’m… Po..!” Pom was still flustered.
“Your Highness… will I be punished?” Moria regarded her anxious expression with approval and nodded.
“As a servant of the bloodline, making such a basic mistake is indeed wrong. But your attitude in reflecting on it is very sincere. I won’t punish you, in fact, I’ll reward you with a gold coin when you return. In the future, do your best to serve the bloodline loyally.” With that, Moria gently patted Pom’s shoulder.
All the servants’ eyes turned toward her. They even paused their work, unable to help but stare at Pom.
What a kind princess! They all thought the same thing. Completely different from Sista Anderson’s coldness and decisiveness, this was a true princess who cared for her people! Pom was clearly moved as well.
She looked up at Moria, tears of gratitude glimmering in her eyes, then bowed deeply to express her thanks. “Let’s forget this little unpleasantness,” Moria clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention back, and gestured for the servants to bring out the main course.
“Dear Sista Anderson, when I saw you arrive, I specially asked the chef to prepare a fresh dragon steak with black truffle for you. Please, have a taste.” At those words, Su Ling felt a psychological shadow stir within her, images from the banquet, where Sista Anderson had nearly been framed, flashed through her mind. She quickly turned to look at the main course. The dragon meat was seared to a mouthwatering golden brown, a perfect blend of rich fat and tender flesh, with freshly sliced black truffles scattered atop like black pearls.
The aroma was intense, but there were no suspicious spices meant to make things difficult for Sista Anderson, nor anything else unusual. Moria still smiled, her expression free of any malice. Sista Anderson hesitated for a moment, then took a small bite.
“Mm, not bad. This is a flavor I’ve never tasted before.”
“Is it? I’m glad you like it.” With Moria’s words, the atmosphere in the hall gradually grew warmer. King Steyat joined in the conversation, asking Moria about life at the border. Moria enthusiastically shared her experiences and amusing stories with her family.
Su Ling felt that Moria and Sista Anderson were truly very different. She hadn’t read much about Moria in the original novel—just that she was an extremely ruthless woman.
But the Moria before her now, at least on the surface, seemed gentle and courteous, showing no hostility toward Sista Anderson. Even when she had said those strange things to Su Ling in the garden, her kindness toward the servants was sincere and real. Had she remembered it wrong?