I Awoke as an Imprisoned Villainess-Chapter 5 - Eating together

  Eating together

Before I knew it, it’s been a week since I was imprisoned in this tower.

After I read that short letter emitting hidden queenly aura, I guessed this body is probably Lady Violet’s body.

Drawing a conclusion like that, I told the knight that we might have switched bodies, just once while swallowing my tears. (TL, because she loves the life in the tower.)

I’m not sure if it’s fortunate or not, but he didn’t believe me as expected.

He sighed coldly, “So that’s how it is.” then proceeded to look at me like I was disillusioned; I didn’t know whether to feel happy or sad. If I have to choose one, happiness wins.

I don’t know if I will stay in this body forever, or if I will go back to my body in three months.

Nevertheless, I wish these days of happiness, getting a meal at the same time every day, will continue forever, although it’s inappropriate to think so.

~~~~~

“Good morning! I am happy to see you!”

I greet the suspicious knight with a smile today as well. The tray he holds in his hold is a feast as usual.

However, today’s soup is a thick and creamy soup which I’ve never seen.

Illuminated by the clear morning sunlight, the steam of the soup is shimmering like a soft dreamy haze. It can’t be helped that I look forward to what kind of taste it would have before I even try it.

Then, the knight’s voice fell on me who was deeply in thought.

“The one you’re happy to see isn’t even me but the food, isn’t it?”

“N-no, no, it’s not like tha-ah, no, you’re right. I-instead of looking at your face, it’s much better to look at that fluffy bread.”

“Stop^Acting like an innocent lady who wanted to deny after hitting the bullseye, then remembered she has to act like a villainess and clumsily acts^.”

I become slightly sad after being told to stop acting strangely even though I worked hard at it.

The knight’s stinging words are followed by the sound an unfamiliar voice saying, “Wow”, and a man with a face so beautiful that he could be mistaken for a woman, peeks out from behind the knight. This man seems to be a knight as well.

“What’s going on here?”

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He said while shaking his charming black hair which is cut at the jawline. His line of sight was on the planters which I use to cultivate medicinal herbs and flowers, placed all over the room.

The other day, me who was told to mention if there’s anything I want, requested the knight for a set of medicinal herbs and tools indispensable for making medicine.

Of course, he was skeptical and rejected anything even slightly harmful to a human body, but he did allow safe medicinal herbs and prepared many things like this.

What a blessing! I’m not tormented by hunger, and although the ingredients are limited, I could devote myself to making medicine all day long in the warmth of my room.

I want to thank Lady Violet, but I thought to myself it’s inappropriate to do as a victim.

“W-what is this creepy weed…?”

The new knight muttered. The plant he’s staring at with a look of dismay, is shaped like a person’s lips. It wiggles in a zig-zag pattern, and it’s a rare type of insectivorous plant.

“It’s an insectivorous plant called Ripon. The lip-like part is the so called flower part, and when the leaves are boiled and compressed, it can be a good medicine for external wounds.”

“What? Insectivorous plants? Eh, is it okay?”

“Ah, are you worried that there are no insects here for it to eat? Don’t worry! Even though insectivorous plants prey on insects, they can get sufficient nutrients just from water and sunlight. There are many theories about this, but it is commonly thought that insectivorous plants are driven out of nutrient-rich soil because of the competition from other plants, and they feed on insects to obtain nourishment. Another theory I find very interesting is that the plants evolved to escape from the insects which damage leaves and fruits-”

The new knight listened to me with a lukewarm smile as I rambled on, and shot the knight a look.

“What does it really mean?”

“Don’t know.”

“Claude. Come on, you always boast that you know Duke Elford’s daughter thoroughly.”

“The way you say sounds bad!”

I learned from their conversation that the knight’s name is Claude.

While I was thinking it’s a lovely name, the new knight turned to me with a smile, and bowed, saying, “I apologize for a delay in greeting you.”

“My name is Neil Harvey, a Deputy Commander of the first order of knights under the direct command of His Royal Highness.”

“Neil sama! Nice to meet you!”

“Likewise. If it’s all right with you, would you like to have to dinner with us as a sign of our acquaintance?”

Claude sama have a bitter look on his face but doesn’t say anything so he has probably agreed to this.

Neil sama is smiling calmly, but there is a hint of curiosity and caution in his eyes.

Though I think he probably want to prob, my head goes pure blank at the first ever invitation in my life.

“E-eat together..?”

To the wide-eyed me, Neil sama narrowed his eyes and tried to apologize, “If you don’t like it-“.

“No way! No, not at all! Let’s eat together!”

~~~~~

I haven’t had a meal with anyone in 12 years.

I stopped the two who was about to prepare, and I hurriedly arrange the food and cutlery on the table which a frightened maid brought to the front door.

“Young lady Elford is arranging a meal by herself…?”

“Seriously, what is she up to…”

I puff my chest out as the two of them whisper in astonishment.

“This room is for my exclusive use. In other words, I am the host here, and I must show my guests hospitality. …Ah! I should decorate with flowers too.”

“First of all, take your hands off that insectivorous plant..”

We take our seats while having such a conversation.

Before the meal, the three of us prayed to god.

I put a spoonful of the soup in my mouth first; a mellow and gentle taste spread inside my mouth. It’s too delicious. Is it okay to eat such delicious food in prison? It feels kind of wrong.

Neil sama is so good at holding a conversation that I couldn’t help laughing out loud a few times.

Every time I laughed, Claude sama would look at me with suspicion, as if he was examining a rotten meat if it was really rotten, but it was too funny so I couldn’t help it.

The meal is drawing to a close, and the conversation is beginning to settle down.

I couldn’t help but laugh as I thought.

“—Eating together with someone like this… it’s really, really fun.”

Although there were servants who would give me food and be kind to me behind my step mother and Julia’s backs, no one would eat together with me. I think they were afraid to be caught, so they would reject even when I invited them.

That’s why it’s been a long time since I had a meal like this where I could laugh with someone without any worries. It filled my heart with warmth more than it filled my stomach.

“Thank you for having dinner with me.”

When I thanked them like that, the two of them looked at me as if they couldn’t say anything.