Chapter 69

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: A New Lady-in-Waiting
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“…Lady Cocoche?”

It was Marquess Rutherford's daughter, whom she had introduced sometime ago—Cocoche Rutherford. As Lucy murmured the name, a bright smile spread across Cocoche's face.

“You remembered! It's an honor, Your Majesty.”

Her smile made her front teeth seem more prominent. When Lucy awkwardly spread her arms, Cocoche paused for a moment with a look of overwhelming gratitude before carefully embracing her.

“A belated congratulations on your coronation! I so wanted to attend the ceremony, but I was terribly disappointed to hear that only the heads of families could be present for the grand rite. Have you been well? You've become even more beautiful since I last saw you.”

Her rapid-fire, chattering voice was quite pleasant to listen to. Lucy looked down at Cocoche, unsure whether to smile or not. Then it suddenly dawned on her why the young lady was in the drawing room.

“Don't tell me you're the one who applied for the lady-in-waiting position?”

“Yes. I heard that other ladies had applied but none of them lasted long, so I gathered my courage and put my name forward.”

“Aren't you the heir to the Rutherford family? There's no need for you to go through the trouble of serving me.”

Heirs, as future lords, were typically busy assisting their parents and rarely came to the palace outside of the social season. It was usually the children who were not in the direct line of succession who applied to be ladies-in-waiting or attendants, which was why Lucy regarded her with a curious gaze.

But instead of answering, Cocoche pursed her lips and fidgeted with her hands, looking slightly abashed.

The one who cleared up the mystery was Walter, who had just entered the drawing room. In a voice low enough that Cocoche wouldn't hear, he whispered into Lucy's ear.

“At the coronation, you mentioned that no one would volunteer to be your lady-in-waiting, Your Majesty. Lady Cocoche suddenly came to mind. When I extended the offer, she was absolutely delighted.”

“But... to bother someone so busy...”

“Since Lady Cocoche volunteered so enthusiastically for this position, I believe it would be best to graciously accept her.”

Lucy glanced back and forth between Walter and Cocoche, then rubbed the back of her neck. She then extended her hand toward Cocoche.

“Um... Lady Cocoche. It is I who am honored to have an intellectual like you as my lady-in-waiting. I may be a master with many shortcomings, but I hope you will bear with me.”

As she spoke politely and offered a handshake, Cocoche covered her mouth and gave a coy smile. After a shy laugh, she grasped Lucy's hand and shook it vigorously up and down.

“Please, feel free to call me Cocoche, Your Majesty. To be able to serve you so closely is an honor for my family. My mother has given her permission, calling it part of my training as an heir, so please, work me as you see fit.”

Cocoche pulled Lucy by the hand and sat her down. She glanced at a stack of papers on the table with a deliberate eye, then, in a very natural manner, called for the maids to bring tea, refreshments, and a bowl of water for washing hands.

Lucy awkwardly washed her hands in the water the maids brought and waited for the tea to steep. In the meantime, Cocoche continued to nag the maids, telling them to use fewer tea leaves or to replace the towel with a fluffier cloth.

And soon, the target of her nagging shifted to Lucy.

“Your Majesty, when you hold a teacup, you should lightly grasp the end of the handle. Holding it like you are now, clutching it, looks rather undignified, don't you think?”

“Ah... I see.”

“And when you eat a cookie, you should use only your fingertips, lightly... If you stab it with a fork like that, it will crumble, which is quite troublesome.”

“Right, right. Can't I just eat it like this?”

“No! You mustn't bring it to your mouth so hastily. You must eat with an elegant posture. When you eat, lower your head slightly so the inside of your mouth isn't visible... No, don't bow your head so deeply, just a little. At this angle... No, ah, yes. Just like that.”

Not even ten minutes into her tea, Lucy realized that Walter's meddling, which she had always considered nagging, didn't even come close to the real thing.

Cocoche showered her with nonstop nagging, as if to demonstrate, 'This is how court etiquette is done!' But since not a single word she said was wrong, Lucy could only purse her lips and quietly do as she was told.

Was drinking a single cup of tea always this complicated?

She muttered inwardly, glancing at Cocoche. In the midst of it all, Cocoche had stood up and was now hounding the maids, declaring that she would be responsible for Her Majesty's schedule and keeping her surroundings in order from now on.

Just a moment ago, she had thought of the royal palace as her own home, but watching Cocoche, she keenly felt the meaning of the phrase 'the tables have turned'.

However, faced with such a forceful attitude, Lucy couldn't find anything to say and just kept sipping her innocent tea.

“Cocoche. What's that?”

Lucy, who had been drinking her tea with the stiff posture of a wooden doll, pointed to the stack of papers in Cocoche's hand and asked.

Cocoche quickly erased the expression of an angry, scolding squirrel and put on a friendly smile.

“I've written down Your Majesty's schedule and information on important upcoming events. The Chancellor repeatedly stressed that since you are not well-versed in court etiquette, I should review your schedule and teach you the proper etiquette in advance.”

“Etiquette? Chancellor Kill?”

“It's embarrassing to say, but I have experience giving etiquette lessons to the children of other noble families. I am confident that I can be of great help to you as well, Your Majesty!”

*No, there's really no need for that...*

But Cocoche's face was far too bright and innocent for Lucy to voice her inner thoughts.

Lucy forced a benevolent smile and said she was in her care, while inwardly cursing Kill for giving such an order.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

A week later, the advance party for the border inspection departed from the capital.

The plan was for an infantry unit, led by Walter and Zen, to go to the Southern Command first and complete their itinerary, after which Lucy and the Raphi squad members would join them.

Before they left, Zen had raised Lucy's expectations by rattling off a list of southern specialties and local dishes, and Lucy, excited at the thought of eating all the food she had never tried, couldn't sleep.

And so, on the first day of her arrival in the south, full of anticipation.

“Is it true that in the south, they serve pickled plums with every meal?”

Lucy, who had been staring at the distant Southern Command, stealthily shifted her gaze and spoke to Whees.

Her white uniform and high-ponytail, swaying in the wind, gave her a lively appearance. Whees smoothed out a stray feather, then gathered some large ones to spread over a rock before seating the queen on it.

“I've never really been down to the southern region myself, other than flying over it for reconnaissance, so I'm not sure... but I've heard as much.”

“I'll have to see if it's true. I heard the steamed rice with rabbit meat is exquisite. They say the rice, soaked in broth, is incredibly delicious.”

“Rabbit...”

“Ah! Sorry... you don't like meat, do you, Whees?”

“There's nothing to be sorry for. Everyone has different tastes.”

Though her displeased expression didn't change, Whees brushed off the comment with a mature attitude, saying something about how tastes should be respected. Sensing her consideration, Lucy watched her carefully and quietly shut her mouth.

It had been Walter's order not to come to the command headquarters, but to wait.

His reasoning was that the Southern Command was already tense over the Grand General's visit, and the Queen's presence would only heighten that tension. Lucy acknowledged the validity of his point and agreed to wait at a nearby villa.

“He said he'd be done by noon, but it's taking quite a while.”

After about ten more minutes of waiting with her chin in her hand, Lucy saw a Lycan in the distance, running toward them with its jet-black fur flying. She slowly rose to her feet.

“Have you been waiting long, Your Majesty!”

Zen greeted Lucy with a rare, beaming smile and a wave. Behind him, a crowd of people drew closer, and eventually, Walter came into view.

“Greetings, Your Majesty. Thank you for coming all this way.”

Zen was surprisingly well-dressed, but Walter was even more so.

His formal attire, similar to what he wore on official duty but more solemn, was adorned with epaulets, insignia, and medals, all proclaiming the authority of the Grand General.

Indeed, they say clothes make the man. His already handsome features seemed to shine even brighter thanks to his attire.

Lucy kept stealing glances at him, a slow smile spreading across her lips.

“Your Majesty. Are you alright?”

Finding Lucy's proud, silent smile strange, Walter waved a hand in front of her face. Lucy replied that it was nothing and quickly changed the subject.

“Ah, I'm fine. You said it's not far to the border, so let's leave right away.”

“You've only just arrived. Are you sure you're alright to set out immediately?”

“We need to go and come back quickly. Zen said he already made dinner reservations.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zen wagged his tail and winked at her. Without losing her composure, Lucy winked back.

Walter, looking back and forth between the two, realized a beat too late what was going on.

While they were on official business, Zen had been making incomprehensible comments about rabbit meat being the best and how he was going to feast today. It seemed he and Lucy had made dinner plans in advance.

“If that is what you wish, then very well. We'll be pressed for time to get back to the city, so we should hurry.”

He wasn't fond of rabbit meat, but not wanting to spoil her mood, Walter readily agreed to Lucy's suggestion.

When he said they would have to walk instead of fly, since it was broad daylight and most of the lookouts near the border were archers, Lucy pouted.

Instead of scolding her for being childish, Walter ordered Zen to carry her on his back. And so, the group of about twenty people began to move toward the border.