III
The Audience Chamber at Leticia Castle, the Kingdom of Fernest
It was the day following Olivia’s return to Fernest after refusing Sofitia’s offer.
“—And did Lady Sofitia speak of me at all?”
“No, Your Majesty.”
“Surely not. Not, say, of the king of a great nation?”
“No, Your Majesty.”
“Perhaps you weren’t listening to her properly, Olivia? Her beauty really is something else, after all. I’m sure she at least mentioned thinking fondly of me?”
“No, she didn’t say anything like that.”
Alfonse moaned in disbelief. “Something trivial will do! There must have been something, anything!”
“There was nothing trivial either.”
While the royal guards looked on nervously, Alfonse and Olivia went through the same exchange over and over again, not getting anywhere at all.
Olivia had scarcely set foot back in Fis when orders had arrived that she was to report to the castle, summoned by none other than King Alfonse himself. Olivia had gone along cheerfully, thinking he might have another towering cake for her. When she arrived, however, there was no cake awaiting her—only Alfonse, desperate to question her about Sofitia. Cornelius stood beside him, but when Olivia glanced over at him, he only shook his head helplessly. This conversation wasn’t going to end anytime soon, Olivia concluded with a heavy sigh.
But when it does end, there’s got to be cake. I just have to hold out ’til then.
Struggling as hard as she could to suppress a yawn, she waited patiently for Alfonse to finish.
“Hmm. All you have told us shows Lady Sofitia to be a woman of graceful reserve. Yes, quite. Thank you, Olivia.”
Olivia had no idea where he had gotten “graceful reserve” from. They hadn’t even managed to have a proper conversation. Still, it was over, and so Olivia seized her chance.
“Okay, I’d like my tower cake now, please.”
“Eh? Your...your tower cake?”
“Yes. My tower cake.”
Alfonse’s face tinged with confusion. “I have no idea what you refer to, but I suggest you be on your way without delay. As a general now, I’m sure you have much to do. The Twin Lions at Dawn offensive is imminent, after all.”
With the thing itself she had hoped for failing to materialize, Olivia’s shoulders sagged dramatically. Even after she’d become a general, Claudia dealt with the majority of her work for her, so she wasn’t busy at all—but she wasn’t concerned with that right now. Now that she understood she wasn’t getting any cake, she had no reason to remain in such a tedious place, even without Alfonse telling her.
“By your leave, Your Majesty.” Olivia gave a perfunctory salute, then made a quick exit from the audience chamber. As Alfonse began to rhapsodize about Sofitia’s character, Cornelius listened, wincing.
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