Casual Heroing, Chapter 241

SHIFTING POINTS OF VIEW!?! 😎😎😎

Next chapter comes out on February 19th!

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Chapter 241 - [Princess] Catering

As they headed toward the Valeria estate, Lucinda's thoughts wandered to Joey and his ex, Irene. They were caught up in the excitement of the Day of Blooming celebration, but Lucinda was feeling uneasy. She couldn't stop thinking about what Joey and Irene's current situation might be like or if they even had one.

For a moment, Lucinda allowed herself to compare herself to Irene, thinking, 'I'm definitely more beautiful than Irene,' but almost immediately, another thought crept in, 'Irene seemed to have it together, even though she was really jealous of Joey.' And then, a more troubling consideration emerged, 'Well, maybe she was right about being jealous, considering how things went down between them.'

All these thoughts made Lucinda question what went wrong in Joey and Irene's relationship, but she couldn't find an easy answer. She realized both she and Irene hadn't added much to Joey's life, while Joey had made a big impact on theirs. He had inspired Irene to start a new career with his gift of chocolate, and he taught Lucinda a new way to use magic, making her feel even more grateful to him than Irene.

Feeling insecure about not being able to offer Joey something of equal value, Lucinda felt out of balance in their relationship. And this unease overshadowed her enjoyment of the evening.

Trying to clear her mind, Lucinda cautiously asked Joey, "Have you ever heard back from Irene?" Unbeknown to her, he had been thinking about the same problem.

...

As we walk around the room, I can’t help but let my thoughts wander to Irene.

She’s not coming here, is she?

It would be hard for her to get an invitation to this party anyway. But at the same time, there’s a magic to how things seem to be going wrong for me today. And not even a nice celebration can distract me from these worries.

What happened to her? The curiosity gnaws at me. Is she still doing the chocolate thing?

“Have you ever heard back from Irene?” Lucinda asks, a hint of hesitation in her voice.

I pause, taken aback by her question.

“Huh?” I ask.

“Irene, Joey,” Lucinda says.

“Irene? Irene who?” I try a joke, but Lucinda doesn’t smile back.

I haven’t really had the time to think about Irene much today, not with everything that’s been going on. Between trying to organize somethingtoday on top of getting ready and picking up the clothes for the party, my mind has been elsewhere.

“I don’t really know,” I admit with a sigh. “I lost a week's worth of memories, and I’ve had to deal with some other stuff on top of everything else.”

Lucinda’s expression shifts to one of concern. “What other stuff? Is that what you were telling Stan about before?”

I give her a wry smile, not wanting to delve too deeply into the mess that’s been my life recently. “You’ll see, or hopefully not—but probably yes,” I wink at her, trying to lighten the mood.

“I hear that [Captain] Drusillus has been arranging the [Guards] on the Western Wall where the Dungeon is located. The timer is about to go off in a few hours. He suspects it will lead to a spill. He’s roped in a few Gold-Ranked Adventurers as well,” I suddenly hear Chrysantus’s voice. Truffles’s father is talking to his wife, his son, and Flavia, Truffles’s date for the evening, about the Dungeon.

Right, that’s another problem, I say.

“Hopefully, we won’t need to help them,” he smiles lightly, probably joking. However, as he says that to his wife and the other two, I feel a chill run down my spine.

Help?

What if I actually had to help but couldn’t because my magic seems to be gone?

Heh, there are enough Adventurers, [Guards], and who knows what in Amorium that can take care of this. They don’t need me.

My mind, however, is still partially on Irene and the unresolved questions surrounding our past.

Jesus Christ, I need to get a grip and find out what the hell happened to Magister Mulligan. I probably need to apologize to Irene as well.

“Should we go say hi to Laurealia?” I ask, changing the subject.

As we make our way through the crowd, I can’t shake off the feeling of unease.

…

Laurealia was in the bustling kitchen, busy amidst all the food about to go out. For someone of her stature, the responsibility of organizing the catering for the Day of Blooming celebration was indeed an unusual one. Yet, there she was, overseeing the preparation of an elaborate feast that would soon grace the tables of the Gens Valeria's grand estate. The staff from Happy Bakery, however, under her directives, skills, and the help she had received from her Ancestor, moved with uncanny precision.

The air was filled with the rich aromas of baking bread, simmering meats, and the earthy scent of vegetables freshly picked from Amorium's Green Stretches. The Royal Guard’s imposing presence lined the walls, their eyes scanning the room, ensuring the safety of the food and the efficiency of the staff. Laurealia's attention was on everything and everyone, her gaze sharp, missing nothing.

As the time to serve the first half of the food approached, Laurealia addressed the staff with a firm but encouraging tone. "Make sure the presentation of the buffet food and the platters is up to the mark," she instructed, her voice carrying the weight of her authority. "And be extremely careful not to waste any food. We have six hundred guests to cater to, not the five hundred we initially planned for."

Her words were met with nods of understanding. The staff, aware of the importance of the event, doubled their efforts, checking and rechecking each dish that was to be served. Laurealia's mention of the unexpected increase in guests, courtesy of Cornelia’s last-minute decision, brought a ripple of concern into the room. The stakes were high, and the margin for error was nonexistent.

If she messed up, she, the [Princess] would lose face.

As Laurealia prepared to make another round of checks, ensuring that everything was in perfect order, she turned and found herself face-to-face with her Royal Uncle, [Prince] Brutus. The room was suddenly enveloped in an invisible pressure that made everyone pause.

Her uncle stood with a smile on his face as he crossed his gaze with hers. The kitchen was still for several moments as the [Prince]'s eyes swept over the room, his eyes eventually landing back on [Princess] Laurealia.

“Resume your work,” Laurealia snapped at once, and everyone obeyed. “Uncle, turn off your aura.”

“My bad,” the man smiled.

...

Caelius, the [Captain] of the Royal Guard, watched from a distance, standing tall and serious. When [Prince] Brutus entered unexpectedly, the room tensed up. The [Princess], surprised at first, quickly smiled and welcomed him, "Hello again, Uncle Brutus. Why are you in the kitchen?"

But before [Prince] Brutus could reply, Caelius came forward respectfully and knelt, saying, "Your Highness," with a voice full of loyalty. The other guards also knelt, showing their discipline and commitment. "Rise, Caelius, and all of you," Brutus ordered, his voice strong.

Caelius had quickly become the [Captain] because of his great skill in fighting and strategy. He had outshone his peers in tests and missions, making him well-known and respected in the Royal Guard.

Being the bodyguard to the [Princess] was a big honor for Caelius, earned by his hard work and success. However, he had mixed feelings about this situation. He greatly respected [Prince] Brutus for his smart political moves that often prevented a war with the Humans. And while Caelius considered the [Princess] a great warrior, albeit rash with her youth, he didn't think highly of her interest in Joey Luciani, a Human.

Instead, the [Captain] admired Brutus's dedication to Laurealia's safety and the Kingdom's peace. He saw Brutus's intelligence and foresight as second only to [King] Tarquinius himself.

Caelius believed Laurealia's fascination with Joey was just a temporary crush that could end badly, possibly resulting in making her view Humans negatively. But he trusted that Brutus would help her learn and grow from whatever could have happened.

After Caelius stood up, Brutus turned to Laurealia with a serious look. "Would you come with me, [Princess]?" he asked urgently, hinting at a serious discussion to be had. "I know you're busy, but there's something important we need to talk about."