“…den, ka?”
Martina barely managed to whisper those words as she looked at Roland with a stunned expression. Roland widened his eyes, clearly revealing his surprise.
“Wait a second… You mean you didn’t know Lord Sophian is the Second Prince?”
“I didn’t know! Wait, that prince? As in, His Majesty’s son…?”
“That’s right.”
Seeing Roland nod in confirmation, Martina’s mind went into overdrive for a few seconds. Then, prioritizing her manners above all else, she quickly turned to Sophian.
With her usual bright smile, she bowed deeply and abruptly toward him.
“My deepest apologies! I’ve been so terribly rude. I assumed you were just a senior official…”
“Martina, please, lift your head. There’s no need to apologize.”
Hearing Sophian’s gentle voice, Martina cautiously raised her head.
“I purposely didn’t tell you because I thought you might not recognize the Second Prince. Very few people in this palace don’t know who I am, so I let a little mischief get the better of me,” Sophian explained, not with his usual composed smile but with a playful and delighted expression.
Feeling the tension leave her body at Sophian’s words, Martina sighed in relief.
“—If Your Highness found some enjoyment in it, then I’m glad. All those stares directed at us earlier, they make sense now…”
“Indeed. I don’t usually dine here, so I suppose it was something new for them to witness.”
As Sophian glanced around the room, those who had been secretly watching them suddenly jumped to their feet, startled.
Although the gap between nobles and commoners had lessened in this kingdom, royalty remained an exception.
“Everyone, I’m sorry for causing a stir. Please, don’t mind us and focus on your meals. It’d be a shame to let such fine food go cold.”
“Y-Yes, Your Highness!”
“Understood!”
Once the onlookers returned to their meals, Sophian shifted his gaze back to Martina, while Roland nervously broke the silence.
“Um, Second Prince… I must apologize for being the one to reveal your status to Martina. It was careless of me.”
Roland appeared regretful, knowing the prince had been enjoying the anonymity of their interaction. However, Sophian shook his head with a reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry about it. I was planning to tell her soon anyway. That’s precisely why I came to the dining hall today.”
“I see… If that’s the case, I’m relieved.”
“Are you Martina’s supervisor?”
“Yes, I serve as a civil official in the Ministry of Administration. My name is Roland.”
“Roland, is it? Then why don’t you join us? Bring your tray over here, and let’s share a meal together.”
“…Ah, thank you very much.”
Having ended up dining with the Second Prince, Roland’s face turned tense, but he quickly carried his tray from where he had been seated.
Then, by coincidence, Sophian noticed Nadia, who had been dining nearby, and waved at her with a smile.
“You should come as well. You’re Martina’s friend, right?”
Nadia, being called, stood up gracefully without showing any signs of surprise.
“Thank you. I’ll join you then.”
Once Roland and Nadia took their seats, the four of them resumed their meal. At first, everyone quietly moved their cutlery, but it was Martina who broke the silence.
“Nadia… did you know that Sophian-sama is the Second Prince?”
“Of course, I knew.”
“You should’ve told me…”
“I never thought you wouldn’t know. When he worked at the library as a librarian, it was an unspoken rule not to refer to him as ‘Your Highness.’ I assumed you were following that same understanding, Martina…”
“I see…”
Hearing their conversation, Sophian also smiled with amusement.
“I didn’t think Martina didn’t know my status at first. But I began to wonder if she might not know, so I casually brought up the topic of the Second Prince once, and when she didn’t react at all, I became certain.”
“I see… but, Your Highness, why is it that you only use honorifics with me?”
Martina asked hesitantly, and Sophian gently placed a hand on his chin, slightly furrowing his brow.
“Now that you mention it, why is that? I’ve somehow gotten used to addressing you this way.”
“If it’s alright, could you treat me the same as the others…?”
“I see… alright, I understand. Then from now on, let’s do that. But in return, Martina, you should call me Sophian.”
“…Understood. Then, Sophian-sama.”
At her words, Sophian smiled with satisfaction and resumed eating.
And from that point, the meal proceeded happily and peacefully, and the lunch, filled with surprise, came to an end.
