Chapter 18: Deliverance
I cool my head off from the intense tension by washing my face in the bathroom. I then go back to the restaurant and try to forget the conversation I had with the crown prince.
[AT THE RESTAURANT]
Princess Alicia was worried when she sees me coming out from the guestroom. She then encourages herself to ask me a question.
"Do you really dislike our company so much that you become upset?", Alicia asked with a worried expression.
" No, It an honor for you to choose this restaurant. Its nothing for you to worry about", I smiled at her while replying to her question.
"Do you have problems with any aristocrat? You can stay quiet if you don't want to talk about it", Alicia restrains her question and didn't want to go any further to calm me down.
"...", I choose to stay silent because I didn't want to let out my unsightly miserable side in front of her.
" Actually I knew that you're not Rose Bennett since she already died. I knew from the start that my brother and the Queen tried to stop me from blaming myself because of the death of my friend", Alicia said to me with a depressing face.
Her sad expression is heartbreaking for me to watch, I couldn't stand to see her suffer any further by blaming herself so I decided to calm her.
"If you want to consider me as your friend, will you stop blaming yourself about something that you didn't commit?", I asked her with energetic energy.
" Yeah! You didn't deserve the blame since you're also a victim you know", the crown prince also tries to ease the princess.
"But... But... If only I wake up early from my injury, it wouldn't turn out like this!", she cries and still blaming herself for her friend's death.
The crown prince sighed heavily and looked at me while giving a body language saying to me to calm her down. In this situation, the crown prince is very useless since he didn't even present at that time.
" I'm sure if Lady Rose sees you like this, she will be sad and have a hard time in the afterlife", I try to ease her by reminding her of me.
"Hic, you're really similar like her no matter what I see. Does doppelganger really share the same trait?", she sniffed while making a joke because I remind her of Rose Bennett.
I tried to laugh but somehow it sounds like I'm giving her a dry laugh since I'm really freaked out that I thought she know my real identity.
" Did you calm down now?", the crown prince asked.
"Yes, I'm sorry for showing something unsightly to you", Alicia answered the crown prince and me for being worried about her.
" Now, let try to move on and forget about the past. I want to try to something new for the menu so you guys will be the judge for it", I bring a new subject for us to move on.
[AFTER A WHILE]
"What's this?", the crown prince and the princess asked with curiosity and glowing eyes.
" It's what I called a pudding", I reply with a happy smile by introducing the name of the dessert.
Pudding consists of sugar, milk, and a thickening agent such as cornstarch, gelatin, eggs, rice, or tapioca to create a sweet, creamy dessert. These puddings are made either by simmering on top of the stove in a saucepan or double boiler or by baking in an oven, often in a bain-marie.
"It's so jiggly!", Alicia said with her angelic smile.
When both of them took the first bite, both of them seems to be emitting a heavenly light of pleasantness. The princess keeps eating it non-stop while the crown prince was left speechless by the texture, taste, and appearance.
That day went smoothly and they went back to the palace after finishing the pudding and thanking me for it.