It was five minutes before the appointed time, so I knocked on the dining room door and entered, only to find Commander Savis there.
As a result, I couldn't help but look around the room.
The Commander didn't say that there would be anyone else present, but based on my past experience that "There are no sweet stories among the knights," I assumed that if the door was opened, Captain Cyril or Captain Desmond would come rushing out, so I prepared myself.
Oh, it really is just the two of us, I thought, turning my head and looking over to where the commander was standing in front of the mantelpiece and wearing casual clothes.
"Wow, Commander Savis has clothes other than his knight uniform!" (Fia)
I was surprised to see the Commander in plain clothes for the first time, so I asked him, and he nodded with a serious expression.
"Exactly. You might be surprised, but I also have a nightgown to sleep in." (Savis)
Hearing those calm words, I regained my common sense.
Of course, Commander Savis was right. I'd only ever met the Commander on business, so I'd only ever seen him in knight uniform, but I was sure he had other clothes as well.
"Shh, excuse me! I just wanted to say that Commander Savis looks amazing in a knight uniform!!" (Fia)
In an attempt to make up for my mistake, I clasped my hands together and praises him lavishly.
Then, as I was looking at Commander to specifically compliment him on his clothing, I exclaimed, "Wow, it really suits you."
Commander Savis just wore a dark jacket over a collared shirt, but he looked really cool.
Perhaps because the colors were subdued, even though he was wearing expensive-looking clothes, he didn't look pretentious or ostentatious, and he clearly looked more manly.
"As expected of you, Commander! With muscles well-trained by the Knights, you look great in any outfit!" (Fia)
My sincere compliment seemed to have touched Commander's heart, as he quirked up the corners of his lips in a funny manner.
"That's a novel compliment. I see, so the reason I can wear clothes well is all thanks to my muscles." (Savis)
Hmm, that wasn't what I wanted to praise him for, I thought to myself, but before I could come up with an answer, Commander urged me to take a seat.
At that moment, I glanced at the wall and saw that there were only a few maids waiting, but not a single knight.
Considering Commander Savis's status, he would likely have knights from the First Order guarding him at all times, so they must have left him alone so I could enjoy my meal at leisure.
As I excitedly waited for the food, I was first asked what type of drink I would like.
"Do you want someting to drink?" (Savis)
So I thought deeply.
Usually, when you are asked what drink you wanted, you were given a list and choose from it, but being able to freely choose what you like from nothing was truly impressive, as expected from the royal palace.
The problem was...I didn't really know much about the types and brands of alcohol.
"I want to drink Commander Savis's favorite thing!" (Fia)
So, as I sat across from Commander, looking up at him across the table, I answered gleefully:
Since I didn't really understand it, I thought it would be best to leave it to someone who did know more.
The meal began immediately afterwards, and just as had been announced beforehand, there was as much cutlery on the table as there were fingers on both hands and toes combined.
Wow, that's great. That meant I could eat so many different dishes that I'd use all of this cutlery!
And the reason I was able to get into this wonderful situation was because I said something like, "I want to eat food that requires more cutlery than the number of fingers." As expected of me!
After praising my past self, I gleefully stabbed my fork into the food.
And after one bite, you'd understand.
The food made by the royal castle's chefs was delicious.
That's true. It's made by a top chef using top-quality ingredients. There's no way it won't be delicious.
If you thought about it objectively, the food at the royal castle was bound to be more delicious than any other restaurant.
So, I guessed I'd hit the jackpot by being able to enjoy the royal castle's cuisine without having to partake in a crappy restaurant.
"Oh, it's delicious! I'll probably never get to eat food made by the chefs of the royal castle again, so I have to eat until my stomach almost bursts!!" (Fia)
It's amazing. I used to think that meat and cake were the best, but vegetables, mushrooms, fish, everything was the best.
Or rather, in my previous life I ate such delicious food every day.
Commander Savis's mouth quirked up in amusement as he watched me take one dish after another.
"Looking at how much you eat makes me wonder if you're as big as me." (Savis)
I answered fluently, sipping on my drink between meals and conversation.
"Hahaha, you're not far off the mark! I plan on growing very tall in the future, so these meals are an investment in my future self!" (Fia)
When Commander heard what I said, he looked at me intently.
"...How old are you?" (Savis)
"I'm 15 years old!" (Fia)
"...My memory wasn't wrong. Physical appearance is important for a knight, but it's not everything." (Savis)
"Yes?" (Fia)
Hmm, am I being comforted in some way? While I was tilting my head, Commander made an even more generous proposal.
"If there's something you like, don't hesitate to tell me. I'll bring you the same thing." (Savis)
Wow, what a great boss!
I was impressed, but with so much cutlery laid out on the table, I realized that if I asked for a second serving, I wouldn't be able to finish all the new dishes that came out next.
Thinking like this, I, being wise, decide not to ask for a second helping, no matter how delicious the next dish, and just move on to the next one.
As we continued eating the dishes that were brought out one after the other, it soon became our turn for the meat dishes.
As I waited with my hands clasped together, one of the maids brought a large plate in front of me.
And on the plate were three different kinds of meat.
Wow, how gorgeous!
The problem was the taste, but it was a meat dish from the royal castle so I had high hopes for it, I thought excitedly. When I put it in my mouth, to my incredible surprise, it melted on my tongue.
"Wow, meat can melt?! I can't believe it! I've lived for 15 years and there are still things I don't know!" (Fia)
I looked up at Commander Savis in surprise, and he laughed at me.
"That's an amazing thing. In my 27 years of life, I've never experienced meat melting in my mouth." (Savis)
"Well, then, in just fifteen years I've gained more experience than commander!" (Fia)
I laughed, delighted at the amazing experience, while a server standing behind me refilled my glass with more wine.
"Hmm, you've been pouring drinks at such great timing! When the wine is about a third full, you start pouring immediately. Thanks to you, I've been able to drink more today than ever before."
I ate everything that was served, so by the time the ice cream and cake were served I only had room left for dessert.
Or rather, I thought I was already full and couldn't eat anything else, but as soon as I saw the dessert, I found space in my stomach for it, and I experienced the wonders of the human body.
"Oh my, I may be a storage genius because I stuff my stomach with food without leaving even a millimeter of space!" (Fia)
As I discovered my new talent, Commander Savis arched an eyebrow mockingly.
"What's with your appetite? I figured you'd leave half of it, but you ate it all. It's a complete mystery where all that food and alcohol ended up in your body." (Savis)
"Ehehehe, this is truly an investment in my future! It means that I will grow taller in the future." (Fia)
When I replied, quoting from our previous conversation, Commander Savis shook the empty wine bottle and tilted his head in surprise.
Then he put the bottle on the table and stared at me.
That's why I tilted my head in confusion.
"Uh-huh, Commander, is something wrong?" (Fia)
Maybe he's staring at me? or maybe I had sauce on my face?
...Hmm, unfortunately it was probably the latter, I thought, running my hands over my face, when Commander suddenly asked me about Cerulean.
"Fia, is Cerulean a burden to you?" (Savis)
"Huh?" (Fia)
I looked at Commander, unsure of what he meant, and he looked back at me with a straight face.
"Ceruleans are naturally sociable, and they never get the sense of distance or balance wrong with others. But ever since he was young, that has always been the case whenever Colette was involved." (Savis)
Oh no, it seems like we're having an important discussion.
Realizing this, I straightened up.
I had had a lot to drink tonight, so there's a good chance I wouldn't be able to understand what he's saying, I thought to myself, and took a sip of my drink to calm myself down.
Immediately, the server standing behind me poured me more alcohol, so I thought to myself, "I have to drink it if it's poured," and took another sip.
"It seems like Cerulean sees potential in you and is clinging to you, but this is a matter that should have been handled by him and Dory. You just need to approach it with a sense of pride, knowing that you're helping out. Whatever the outcome, it's the fault of those who bet on you." (Savis)
My eyes welled up when I heard Commander's words.
"Well, Commander Savis was worried that I would be upset if I failed, so you tried to follow up in advance! What a kind Commander of the Knights!!" (Fia)
I clutched my chest, moved by Commander's kindness, and he narrowed his eyes as if thinking.
"Fia, for the last moment, you've been saying all your thoughts out loud." (Savis)
Of course I was. I had had that feeling for a while now.
"In front of the noble Commander of the Knights, I have no shady thoughts! Therefore, even if all my thoughts are spoken out loud, there is no need to worry!!" (Fia)
"Yes," he replied defiantly, arms outstretched, but Commander tilted his head in disbelief.
"...I see. As long as you don't regret it tomorrow morning, then that's fine." (Savis)
I smiled brightly at Commander for saying such kind words to me.
"I definitely won't regret it! I drank too much today! So tomorrow I definitely won't remember anything from tonight, so I won't regret it!!" (Fia)
When Commander heard my response, he looked frightened for a moment, but then he quickly regained his composure and nodded.
"That's... a very healthy way of thinking." (Savis)
Author's Note
...