Rosie's Games

Chapter 182: Carion Cake

"The Crown Princess?" Rosalind lifted an eyebrow when she heard the maid's words. She had just came out of the Count's room and after checking the man's condition, she decided to go back to her room to sleep. She wanted to take this opportunity to enjoy the bed while the Duke was still having his conversation with the Count.

Moreover, she believed that their conversation had nothing to do with her, so she quickly excused herself.

"Yes, the Crown Princess and the Countess are inviting you for tea."

"Oh," Rosalind nodded. She thought of the arrogant princess the other night, Crown Princess Freda was it? "Alright, please guide me to the crown princess."

The maid nodded and soon guided her to what looked like a drawing room. She found the Countess and the Crown Princess at a circular table that was full of various snacks.

"Ah, here she is," the Countess smiled a smile that immediately made Rosalind uncomfortable.

"What a lovely dress," the Countess got up. "I know this might sound strange, after all, we have not really talked to each other since our initial meeting, but let me introduce myself; I am Countess Marchiana, the Count's wife, and this is a dear friend of mine, the Crown Princess of Lonyth, Princess Freda."

Rosalind introduced herself as Rosie before she curtsied. After a few seconds, she made herself comfortable on the only vacant chair around the table. The table in front of her was full of pastries that she have never seen before and she knew that this must be the food that was unique to Lonyth.

Now that she thought about it, she also wanted to travel and try the food from the various kingdoms and empires. It would be lovely to actually taste different delicacies and specialties that were unique to certain places.

"Would you like some sweet or bitter tea?" the Countess asked while the Princess just stared at Rosie, observing her actions. Almost immediately, Rosalind felt like someone dangerous was watching her. Was it because of the Duke's words the other day?

Clearly, the things that the Duke said were very embarrassing for the Princess.

Was she trying to get back at the 'Duke's Lover?'

"A bitter tea would be nice."

"Wonderful!" the Countess then gestured to her maid to pour Rosalind some tea.

"Am I making you uncomfortable Lady Rosie?" the Princess suddenly asked.

"No, Your Highness, I am merely thinking about food."

"You are thinking about food in front of me?"

"Your Highness," Rosalind smiled. "We are in front of food that I have never seen or tasted before."

"Hah" the Princess gulped down a glass of tea. "What callous ways to speak to a princess."

Rosalind frowned. Was she supposed to think about the princess when she was in front of colorful pastries that looked like flowers and animals? She thought she spotted a pastry that looked like a pig and it was, somehow, cute. Wasn't it better to think about food than the arrogant princess?

"I am sure that she simply does not know the rules, Your Highness," the Countess smiled. "Please be magnanimous and do not touch the child."

Child?

Rosalind almost laughed.

"Still, as someone who has relations to the Duke, you should start learning about the rules in the North," the crown princess said. Upon hearing this, Rosalind immediately understood.

They wanted to find out if she had a relationship with the Duke. They were simply pretending to disagree in front of her, thinking it would put pressure on her. First, they wanted her to owe the Countess for protecting her from the arrogant princess, then once she opened herself to the Countess, they would find other ways to make her tell them what they wanted to know.

"Since this is the first time you have seen the pastries, why don't you try them? Here, might I suggest this blue carion cake? It is made from the blue carion flowers that only grow in the North. It is a very small flower and it can only be found on certain trees. We cannot plant it in our gardens as it would not survive outside of its natural habitat. To find it, we needed to pay people to harvest the flowers in the forest, which can be dangerous considering that this is the North."

Rosalind looked at the blue pastry that the maid carefully put on her plate. It wasn't exactly large, but it looked like real flowers with five small petals.

"We then preserved it in the snow for a month to maintain its freshness before we could use it to make some special goods like cakes or even perfumes." The Countess also asked her maid to give the Princess one. "This is one of the crown princess's favorites."

"Is that so," Rosalind absentmindedly said, her eyes already on the cake. When she was standing next to Dorothy in her past life she was able to eat good food, but all of them were from the South. She had never tried the food from the North. She smiled at the thought of it.

"Try it,' the Countess offered. This time, she did not hesitate and tried the pastry. She wasn't worried that they might have added something to it as she was now powerful enough to be immune to everything that could possibly harm her body including drugs and poison.

"This is good," Rosalind said. It was sweet and sour and yet somehow, soft and fragrant. How was it possible?

"Well, Wugari doesn't exactly have much food because they are nearest to the barrier." The Princess continued. "So, you should take this time to enjoy some delicacies. Once you start living in Wugari, you will see nothing but war. Wugari is such a dark miserable place."

Rosalind nodded. "You are right, Your Highness, Wugari is indeed a very miserable place."

"What?" the Princess paused as if surprised by her calm reaction.

Rosalind blinked at the Princess in response. Then she took another pastry and stuffed it in her mouth.