CH 466

Esmeralda, Lover of Good Looks; and Mia, Lover of Good Food.

How should I proceed…?

Mia thought about what she could do. She needed to know more about Echard’s reasons, but she didn’t know how to do that. Asking him if he hates Sion or if he plans to put poison in someone’s drink soon was probably not going to work. While she thought, Esmeralda, the self-appointed leader of the Tearmoon team, had already started to make her first move.

“My, Prince Echard, don’t you like those mushrooms?”

The fear that had made her face pale had gone away. Even better than usual, it seemed.

Oh? Has Esmeralda finally picked up herself again?

Mia was happy and felt better. She was proud to say that Esmeralda was her friend, even though she knew that this deal with Sunkland was probably a sign that her family was trying to get the throne. That was enough for Mia to believe her, and after a moment of thought, she decided to leave everything up to her. Esmeralda wasn’t always steady, but the most important things had to be taken care of. For example, this food wouldn’t stay hot for ever. Eating it should come first.

—

Even though Mia didn’t think much of Esmeralda, she was actually pretty good with people. She was educated as a noble, so she could use a lot of wit in her talks. She wasn’t as good at dancing as Mia, but she could do a few spins without making a fool of herself. On top of that, she had experience with men, which was another tool she could use. Boys, more so. Growing up with little brothers gave her an unconsciously easy way to make friends with young boys. She looked at them with the skill of a master artist when she judged them, and she used that skill to the fullest. Within seconds, she found a way in: the mushrooms that were sitting on the edge of his plate, untouched.

Strange-tasting mushrooms are hard for a lot of kids to eat. The same is true of my little brothers. What spoiled brats…

If anyone is asking, Mia would have said, “Oh, what a waste,” if she had been the one to notice. I’ll eat them for you right here.” That’s all.

Esmeralda would start by asking him why he didn’t like a certain food. Then she would talk about foods he did like, which she would use as a springboard to talk about other things. Talking about seafood could be turned into an interesting story about swimming in the ocean. If you talk about red meat, you might talk about exotic foods from other countries.

As a house of diplomats, the Greenmoons knew firsthand how important knowledge was. They thought that there was no such thing as useless information and that even useless facts could be used to spice up a conversation and make it more interesting. By talking about both known and unfamiliar things, they made themselves great communicators, and Esmeralda was a master at this skill.

Her opener, on the other hand, didn’t quite get the response she was hoping for. Echard gave Sion a quick look before shaking his head in answer to her question.

“No, everything is fine… I don’t mind them too much,” he said as he put one in his mouth.

Oh? How strange. Did I get him wrong? Esmeralda frowned. He might have been the type to save the best for last. But, no… Hmm…

She believed her eyes, and she knew that they had seen hesitation in his eyes. What was happening?

—

Mia was the type to eat her favorite food first, in case anyone was still asking. Then, when she was done eating everything else on her plate, she would ask for more. In other words, she began with her favorite and finished with it. That’s what Mia did.

Thank you for reading this completely pointless paragraph that only showed how hungry she was. On with the story.

—

Echard’s cheeks bobbed up and down. Probably chewing. This went on for a while, and he finally got it down with a hard gulp. This made Esmeralda even more sure of what she thought. The boy didn’t like mushrooms at all.

She asked, “So, what do you like to eat?”

“I have no preference. We should and will eat everything that our farmers put their hearts and souls into growing and that the earth blessed.”

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The way he said this was so indifferent that it shocked her. Most royal children were spoiled as kids, which made them very self-centered as adults. The worst signs of this were often fixed when the child was a teenager, but being picky about what they ate was not seen as a big deal and was often left alone. Echard’s answer was about the furthest thing you could get from being self-centered. She was surprised by this strange sign of growth. Andfound it  adorable.

I think I understand what’s going on here. He wants to look like a grown-up. Oh, that’s so cute.

She kept thinking about the young prince more and more.

—

What Mia thought about the conversation was…

Well, I’m glad Esmeralda calmed down, but I’m starting to worry that she’s becoming too much like herself. I hope she remembers why we’re here. I don’t mind that she likes cute boys and stuff, but she shouldn’t let that get in the way of things that are more important –  Oh moons, this is so good… Mmm… What was I thinking again?

They were both lovers of different things, but they are of same nature.