Chapter 9 – Valenberg Tea Party

&R;eàｄ ​ȯn​ KatR̃​εâdi&n;g​Ｃ&a;ｆe

 

On a sunny afternoon, I sipped tea while admiring the scenery passing by outside the window.

I was currently on a train heading to Valenberg.

Two weeks ago, Frederica of Valenberg had sent me an invitation to a tea party.

The Valenberg barony was an old noble family in the southeastern part of Prussia, with connections to many other noble houses.

The Auerich-Wesermünde family had also been close to Valenberg for a long time, so receiving invitations to tea parties wasn’t uncommon.

Of course, the distance wasn’t short, so meeting frequently was difficult, but I received invitations like this a few times a year.

Above all, Frederica, the daughter of the Valenberg baron, and I were friends.

We were around the same age, so we often met at tea parties as noble ladies.

 

I examined the invitation from Valenberg.

The envelope, dyed a deep green, contained the invitation.

The letter, adorned with gold leaf, bore the emblem of Valenberg—a clove tree and a pinecone.

In the last loop, I had been quite close to Frederica.

However, in that loop, I had kept a certain distance from everyone.

I had built friendly relationships with everyone while hiding my true nature and preparing for my plans.

This time, I hoped to maintain a close friendship with Frederica.

After all, from my perspective, we had been friends for a long time.

 

The distance from Zeitlitz to Readinge, Valenberg, was about two and a half hours by train.

It was close enough for a day trip, but I decided to leave a day early and stay at a hotel to give myself some leeway.

I planned to attend the Valenberg tea party on the second day of my three-day trip.

After spending another night at the hotel, I would return to Auerich-Wesermünde the following afternoon.

There was no need to rush back, and I wanted to enjoy a leisurely trip for once.

Readinge, Valenberg, was famous as a tourist destination, so it was a good excuse.

Of course, my purpose wasn’t tourism.

I had visited the place several times in previous loops, so I had no desire to sightsee again.

Instead, I genuinely wanted to enjoy Valenberg’s local cuisine at a relaxed pace.

I was particularly looking forward to the dinner buffet at the hotel I had booked.

Honestly, there were few places in Prussia I hadn’t visited by now.

So, my main purpose for traveling was food.

After all, food never gets boring, no matter how many times you try it.

 

The sight of the city at the end of the railway snapped me out of my thoughts.

Lost in thought, I hadn’t realized we had already arrived at our destination.

The train, passing through the city and entering the station, gradually slowed down with the screeching sound of brakes.

Once the train came to a complete stop, I got up and stepped outside.

Isabel had taken care of the luggage, so I only needed to step out empty-handed.

I took out my pocket watch and checked the time.

It was 2:30 PM, as scheduled, and the hotel carriage I had arranged was waiting.

The era of this world was roughly the mid-19th century—steam locomotives existed, but cars did not.

Of course, some inventor somewhere was probably working on a horseless carriage, but it wasn’t available on the market yet.

 

As I walked out of the station and onto the main street, I spotted a black carriage with the emblem of the Sheraton Vinos Hotel.

The coachman, recognizing me, tipped his hat and bowed.

“Shall we head straight to the hotel?”

“Yes, please.”

I answered the coachman’s question and quickly took my seat.

I had eaten lunch on the train and planned to have dinner at the hotel’s buffet.

I had no intention of sightseeing or shopping, so I decided to head straight to the hotel.

 

“We’ve been expecting you, Fräulein Lieselotte.”

Upon arriving at the hotel, a man in a black suit greeted me.

He was a tall Aryan with impressive horns—the hotel’s concierge.

As a VIP guest who had booked the most expensive executive suite on the top floor, and as the young lady of the influential Auerich-Wesermünde family, this treatment was only natural.

The concierge, who introduced himself as Viktor Ebe, guided me to my room.

“Would you like help with your luggage?”

The hotel bellman asked if I needed assistance with my bags, but I quietly shook my head.

Normally, he would handle the guest’s luggage, but in my case, Isabel was with me.

As my lady’s maid, she managed all my personal belongings.

The hotel staff, aware of this, quickly stepped back when I declined.

 

Taking the elevator to the top floor, I soon arrived at the door to my suite.

There were only two doors on this floor—the executive suites, of which there were only two in the entire hotel.

At 1,850 marks per night (approximately 2.5 million KRW), it was a luxurious room.

(tl:1700$~1750$)

Honestly, I would have been fine with a 300-mark room as long as I could sleep.

But for nobles, appearances were extremely important.

The daughter of the Auerich-Wesermünde family staying in a shabby hotel or a cheap room? Unthinkable.

Moreover, with the tea party tomorrow, rumors would spread quickly.

So, regardless of my preferences, I had to stay at the most expensive hotel.

Of course, I didn’t particularly dislike it.

Our family wasn’t short on money, and I had considerable personal assets, so this wasn’t a waste.

It just felt strange to have such a large space all to myself.

 

“If you need anything, please ring the bell.”

After finishing the tour, Viktor left with those words.

As soon as he left, Isabel began unpacking and organizing the room.

The female knight who had accompanied me as my escort stood motionless by the door.

She would be guarding me for the next three days during this trip.

Antonia Hertha Rudel, a Germanic woman with striking red eyes.

She wore the black uniform and red shoulder cape that symbolized a knight of Auerich-Wesermünde.

Her weapons included a cavalry saber and a pistol at her waist.

I noticed Antonia’s ears twitching as she caught my gaze.

Though she showed no outward reaction, she seemed a bit nervous.

Not wanting to disturb her duty, I averted my gaze.

As soon as I looked away, I heard Antonia let out a small sigh.

It was a quiet sigh, meant to go unnoticed, but unfortunately, my hearing was quite sharp.

Though she had been recognized for her skills and selected as my escort at a young age, she was still relatively new.

Her lack of experience showed in moments like this.

I pretended not to hear her sigh and turned away.

 

“Isabel, I’m going to change.”

At my words, Isabel opened one of the luggage bags and brought out my indoor clothes.

With Isabel’s help, I changed into a light dress and sat on the sofa in the living room, opening a book I had brought.

I began reading a novel to pass the time.

I planned to spend the evening reading until dinner.

 

“Miss, it’s dinner time.”

It seemed time had flown by.

After thanking Isabel for letting me know, I closed the book.

It wasn’t as interesting as I had hoped, so I didn’t bother bookmarking it.

I probably wouldn’t read it again.

It was just one of the books I had brought to kill time.

After changing from my indoor clothes to a simple outfit, I headed to the dining room.

 

Taking the elevator down to the basement, I entered a spacious hall.

In the center was a fountain with a mermaid statue, surrounded by tables arranged in a circle.

The interior was beautiful, reminiscent of an underwater city.

After finding a seat, I headed to the food stations.

My first stop was the salad section.

Fresh vegetables were cut into bite-sized pieces, with various fruits and dressings prepared nearby.

I filled my plate with lettuce, tomatoes, and olives, seasoning them only with salt and olive oil before returning to my seat.

I wasn’t on a diet—I just didn’t like dressings, even in my previous life.

…Well, Lieselotte’s body didn’t gain weight no matter what she ate.

After finishing the salad, I got up again.

It was finally time for the main course.

I grabbed a plate and headed to the seafood section.

Yes, this was what I had been looking forward to.

As a port city, Readinge was known for its delicious seafood.

Especially the fresh seafood caught that morning—just the sight of it made my mouth water.

Auerich-Wesermünde was located inland, so unfortunately, we didn’t have a port.

Of course, thanks to the trains, fresh seafood was delivered to Zeitlitz, but it wasn’t the same as eating seafood caught that very day.

 

I first approached the chef stationed at the grill and ordered a lobster.

The chef quickly retrieved a lobster from the tank and began preparing it.

He separated the tail and claw meat, grilling them with butter before plating them.

The aroma of butter and the sight of the succulent lobster made my mouth water.

I added some grilled vegetables to my plate and returned to my seat.

As I cut into the lobster tail, I could feel its springy texture.

Taking a bite, the rich buttery flavor filled my mouth.

The firm, juicy meat had a flavor somewhere between shrimp and crab, but with its own unique richness.

I savored it slowly, taking a sip of sparkling water to cleanse my palate before getting up again.

 

True to its reputation as a port city, Readinge also offered sashimi.

While Westerners might not seem like the type to eat raw fish, there were actually quite a few Western dishes that featured raw ingredients.

Italy’s carpaccio was a prime example, and I had heard that salmon was often eaten raw in the West as well.

In fact, one of Prussia’s dishes involved grinding raw pork into a paste and spreading it on bread like jam.

Honestly, I had been horrified when I first saw it, but now I found it quite tasty.

Seasoned with pepper and salt, mixed with chopped herbs, and spread on bread, it was surprisingly good.

Anyway, since I had come all the way to Readinge, I planned to enjoy the seafood to my heart’s content.

I busily moved around, filling my plate with various dishes.

(tl:i got hungry while translating it ;-;)