The Crown Prince (Taegi AU)

Chapter 42

It was a random question that the waitress had asked because she saw the seaweed soup, but she didn't expect to get a positive response from the young woman. 

Lady Mirae nodded softly as she answered, "You're right. It is my birthday." 

The waitress seemed to be taken back as she heard this and she was pretty vocal about her shock as well, "Eh? Birthdays should be celebrated with your family. What are you doing here?" 

Lady Mirae chuckled but there was no sense of joy in her voice as she looked up at the waitress and responded, "My situation is quite different." 

The waitress was confused and for a minute she was silent before she finally decided to dig further into the topic, "Were you perhaps... Abandoned by your family?" 

Lady Mirae who had just picked up the spoon couldn't help but smile thinly as she heard this question, "Today's my father's death." 

"Eh?!" The waitress seemed to be even more shocked as she heard this. 

Lady Mirae sighed as she added, "I can't celebrate my birthday with my family at a funeral,

 now can I?" 

The waitress gulped as she bowed and apologized immediately, "Forgive me! I shouldn't have asked about such a sensitive topic! It must have been hard for you to have the same birthday as your father's death anniversary." 

"Death anniversary," Lady Mirae muttered as her muscles tensed up, "Next year, that would certainly be the case but... Not this time." 

The waitress frowned as she heard this. She had the urge to ask more questions but talking about death while eating was not exactly something normal or proper. It was rather offensive. 

However, Lady Mirae still continued, "It's his death today. He'll be going to hell today. Not his death anniversary but his funeral." 

The waitress gulped as she felt a cold sweat trail down her forehead. She immediately bowed and apologized over and over again. 

Lady Mirae took a deep breath in before she sighed and added, "You don't need to be sorry. I'd rather not accept your sympathy and pity." 

The waitress immediately stopped bowing and apologizing as she heard this. She stood still as if she had turned into a stone statue as she simply looked at Lady Mirae who didn't look to be sad nor looked to be happy. 

"Now that you have reminded me of his death..." Lady Mirae muttered as she looked up at the waitress and smiled thinly, "How about you bring me some boiled pork belly, rice wine, and some rice cakes with some dried fish and nuts? Don't forget the kimchi as well."

The waitress took a sharp breath in as she bowed and answered, "Noted." 

She looked at Lady Mirae with clear pity evident in her eyes. To order a birthday special and a funeral menu at the same time, of course, anyone would feel pity for this girl. 

She went away to bring all the freshly ordered things and Lady Mirae took this time to join her hands and pray before picking her spoon again and started drinking the delicious seaweed soup. 

"It tastes good..." She muttered to herself as she finished the whole thing by herself.

When the bowl was empty, she simply had her head bowed down as she looked at the empty bowl and just a few seconds later, tears started rolling down from her eyes and dripped down into the empty soup bowl. 

At this exact moment, the waitress came in with the other ordered dishes and witnessed this scene. She immediately placed everything down on the table and reached her hand out to pat Lady Mirae's head with sympathy, however, her hand paused in midair when Lady Mirae started laughing all of a sudden.