Chapter 91

Lina watched the water fill the newly built bathtub with a truly satisfied smile. Now she could fully enjoy a bath tonight. She couldn't stop grinning.

"You... really wanted this, didn't you?"

Seeing Lina's delighted smile, Prince Egiedilus chuckled.

"Ed, why don't you have one built for yourself? It will help you relax and you'll sleep better."

"…Yeah, maybe. It doesn't seem too difficult, so I might give it a try."

If he said that much, she thought he might actually do it.

"By the way, Ed."

Satisfied with the filling tub, she left the bathroom.

"Hmm?"

"Do you not go to school…?"

She voiced her question. There must be schools in this world, and perhaps even one for a prince to attend. Well, it was fun having him around, and she didn't mind, but she started to worry if he had duties as a prince.

"Ah, right now I'm on a break. There's not much to learn at school."

"Hmm…"

If there's nothing to learn, it means he's already excellent. So, it might be boring for him. However, relationships are also built in such places, so it's hard to say.

Since his older brothers haven't said anything, it's not her place to interfere, so she kept quiet.

"Besides, it's more fun being with you."

"Ah, right."

The last comment was unnecessary, wasn't it?

◇◇◇

"Ah! Lina, you're back."

When she returned to the palace kitchen, it was bustling. A crowd had gathered in front of the oven.

"What's going on?"

Even though the oven was covered with a towel, it seemed to be a point of interest.

"The potatoes are done boiling."

When she asked the crowd with a wry smile, Matheus replied. It seemed that after the potatoes were boiled, people had gathered to watch from different angles through the oven's glass window.

"Okay, then strain all of them in a colander."

"…All of them…"

The sheer amount of work seemed to shock him. Compared to the usual simple tasks of cutting, frying, and boiling, this might be quite a challenge.

"Divide them equally among the departments and strain them in a colander."

There were six large pots, two for each of the "military," "magic ministry," and "palace." The potatoes needed to be distributed among them. As long as it wasn't too careless, the taste shouldn't be affected. Most importantly, they needed to be strained properly to ensure a good texture.

"There's a lot to do."

The cook muttered this but seemed to be enjoying it. It might be a satisfying moment for a cook.

Looking around, everyone else seemed to be grumbling but had lively, happy expressions. Perhaps the prospect of delicious food and learning something new was making it enjoyable for them.