Free Web NovelChapter 260: A Meal and a Question
Chapter 259: A Meal and a Question
Lyria’s POV
Pippa and Debbie finally picked themselves up from the floor, dusting their skirts hurriedly before rushing to Bridget with a flurry of praise.
"You were brilliant," Pippa said breathlessly. "Absolutely brilliant!"
Debbie nodded in agreement, her eyes still wide with lingering disbelief. "I did not think he would actually leave so quickly. You handled him so well."
Bridget only smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as though she had merely corrected a minor inconvenience rather than driven away a Marquess.
Elara, however, did not look impressed.
"That was rather reckless," she said evenly. "You challenged a Marquess directly. It may have worked this time, but it may not work next time."
Bridget inclined her head slightly.
"I shall do better next time," she replied simply.
Pippa, still buzzing with excitement, bounced on her heels as if she might explode if she stood still any longer.
Then Margery spoke.
"Rather than being so focused on Bridget’s good deeds," she said, glancing toward Pippa, "shouldn’t a certain someone attend to Her Highness’s needs? The day is already progressing."
Pippa froze.
Her eyes widened in horror as though she had just remembered the entire purpose of her existence.
"Oh—oh yes!" she exclaimed. "Her Highness!"
Without another word, she curtsied so quickly she nearly lost her balance, then rushed out of the chamber in a blur of skirts and panic.
Elara shook her head.
"That girl is such a scatterbrain," she murmured.
A soft ripple of laughter passed through the room. Even I found my lips twitching slightly, though I quickly pressed them back into composure.
Margery had already begun sorting through the gowns laid out for me, her fingers brushing over the fabrics with quiet precision.
Then she turned toward Kathryn.
"Do you think Her Highness will be able to attend the competition this evening?" she asked.
Kathryn, who had been quiet, looked up thoughtfully.
"From a medical perspective, yes," she said calmly. "But the question is not for me to answer."
She looked toward me directly.
"It is for Her Highness to decide, not I."
All eyes turned to me.
"I th-think..." I began slowly, "I think I-I can a-attend."
Kathryn nodded at once.
"Very well," she said, closing her case. "Then I shall return in the evening before the competition to examine you once more."
She turned to the maids then.
"If Her Highness feels even the slightest pain, if there is anything amiss at all, I expect to be informed immediately."
Her gaze sharpened.
"And she must eat properly. Balanced meals only. No exceptions."
Elara gave a small nod.
"I shall ensure it," she said.
Kathryn inclined her head.
"Then I leave Her Highness in your care."
I gave her a small bow of my head.
"T-thank you."
She hesitated for a moment, then softened slightly.
"I should be the one thanking you, Your Highness," she said quietly, though she did not linger on the sentiment. With a final respectful nod, she left the chamber.
The door closed behind her with a soft click.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then I turned my attention to the others.
"W-what... is t-the competition t-this time?" I asked carefully.
A collective sigh passed through the room as though the question itself carried exhaustion.
Debbie was the one who answered.
"It is to compose a musical piece, Your Highness," she said. "That is all anyone knows for certain. Whether it will be piano, violin, cello, or something more, we will only be alerted this evening."
I blinked.
"I... w-was not expecting that," I admitted softly. "Since the first c-competition involved poetry a-and writing, I t-thought the second might be s-something different."
Elara exhaled through her nose.
"That is what most of the kingdom is saying as well," she replied.
Debbie added, "Some people believe the royal family is doing it deliberately. That there is some hidden purpose behind the structure of the competitions. But no one can say for certain."
Margery gave a quiet scoff.
"There is always truth in gossip," she said.
Elara immediately shot her a look.
"Mind your tongue," she warned gently.
Margery said nothing more, though her expression suggested she had plenty more to say if permitted.
Elara turned back to me, her tone softening.
"After you have eaten, would you like to attempt a few steps around the chamber?" she asked. "Just slowly. So your legs remember what it feels like to walk again."
I gave a small, breathless laugh at her words.
"I w-will t-try," I said.
Elara smiled at that.
"You have a pleasant laugh, Your Highness," she said simply.
I paused at that, unsure how to respond.
But before I could say anything in reply, the door opened again.
Pippa entered first, followed by a kitchen maid pushing a small trolley carefully into the chamber.
The trolley was modest but neatly arranged: a deep covered bowl of soup, polished cutlery wrapped in cloth, a small pot of tea, sliced bread arranged on a plate, and a selection of fruit laid out carefully.
Pippa gestured briskly.
"Leave it here," she told the maid.
The kitchen maid obeyed at once, curtsying before retreating from the room.
Pippa immediately moved to the trolley and began adjusting it with determination, detaching a side panel and transforming it into a small tray table.
Debbie hurried forward to help me sit up better, suggesting it would help the food digest properly.
Once I was upright enough to her satisfaction, the tray was positioned carefully across my lap.
The warmth of the chamber shifted slightly as the scent of soup reached me—rich, soothing, faintly herbal.
Pippa lifted the lid from the bowl, and the steam rose gently.
Debbie handed me a cup of water, another way to aid digestion, she suggested. I accepted it with both hands, drinking slowly as instructed. The water was cool.
"I could have brought more," Pippa said, almost complaining, "but since Your Highness is still recovering, I chose a convalescent meal plan. Nothing too heavy. Nothing too rich. Just what your body can handle."
She looked mildly offended by the idea of anything less than perfect care.
I stared at her for a moment, then smiled softly.
"I am... g-grateful," I said.
She paused, then beamed.
"Eat up, Your Highness."
