At a round tea table, a number and variety of snacks could be seen on top of it, and in front of each chair, a teacup set with warm tea in it could be seen, and finally, a person who was just finishing on pouring tea in the last teacup could be seen, and that person was none other than Edward, who noticed the girls approaching and showed them his usual gentle smile.
"Lysette-sama, Nanako, Princess Atsuko, it is good to see you all in good health"
"*Nods* It is good to see you too, Sir Edward"
Atsuko was the only one who spoke back to Edward, since Lysette and Nanako didn't feel the need to speak, and simply nodded to Edward's words... And also because they knew that, Edward could end up saying flattering words back to them, which they already had enough of daily.
"I see, that you have prepared a small tea party here for us, Sir Edward"
"Yes, I saw you all training some time ago, so I thought that you all would like something to eat afterward"
"That is very nice of you, sir Edward. I am thankful for your thoughtfulness"
"Do not worry about it, Princess Atsuko. Now, here. Please take a seat"
"Ara, thank very you much, Sir Edward"
Edward pulled a chair for Atsuko, as he said and gestured for her to sit down, which she did so without any qualms, then he went on to each chair to do the same thing to Lysette and Nanako, before sitting down as well in the last remaining chair. As for their positions, Lysette was sitting right across the table in front of Edward, with Nanako to his right, and Atsuko to his left.
Once everyone had sat down, the girls began their small tea party by drinking the tea.
"! Oh my... This tea is delightful"
"Really? I am glad that you liked it, Princess Atsuko"
"... Hm? Sir Edward, did you by any chance make this tea yourself?"
"Yes, that is right, Princess Atsuko"
"Hoh?... If it is not too much, can I ask you why did you make it yourself?"
"Of course, and I brewed the tea myself because I like doing so, and I also have some confidence in my tea-making skills"
"Fufu, I can see why you are so confident about it. This is one of the best teas, I had so far, Sir Edward"
"Ahaha... You will make me blush like this, Princess Atsuko"
" "..." "
At Atsuko and Edward had a friendly conversation, Lysette, and Nanako both remained quiet as they looked at the two talking, but neither of them showed any signs of jealousy, instead... They appeared quite relieved to see the two talking, as that meant that Edward wouldn't start bombarding the two with praises and sweet words, which always caused the two to feel really embarrassed, even more so since he never showed a single drop of shame whenever he did so.
Seeing Edward having to pay attention to another person aside from them, did cause Nanako and Lysette to feel that they really needed to get a third fiancée for Edward, just so that they could get some breathing room between the many times Edward flirted with the two of them.
But there was also another reason for why Lysette and Nanako were keeping themselves silent, and that was one that particularly hurt them the most...
"..." <Why does Edward-sama keep getting better with his cuisine!?>
"..." <Why does everything that I cook either get completely burned or turned into charcoal!?>
And that was the fact that, between the three of them Edward was the best cook.
Nanako knew how to cook thanks to the many cooking lessons she got from Camilla, both as part of her training and privately from wanting to help Edward in the kitchen, but no matter how much she improved... She couldn't help but always find the meals that Edward made to be much better than anything that she made for him.
Lysette on the other hand, still had a whole lot to learn. She was still in the part about learning how not to burn the food, and when she looked and ate the meals that Edward would often make for her whenever she visited him, she always felt guilty for not being able to repay him in kind by giving Edward her homemade meal.
So alongside their silence, all that the two could do right now was bury their cooking sorrows by eating the snacks and sweets made by Edward. Then as the two became distracted from enjoying the food, Atsuko also picked one of the snacks and took a small bite out of it, without breaking her refined appearance.
"... ! *Nods*"
As Atsuko munched the food in her mouth, she began nodding, then she picked a sweet and ate it all well, causing her to show the same reaction as before, something that she kept repeating at each new snack and sweet she tried. After having a go at all of the options on the table, Atsuko then turned to look at Edward again
"Sir Edward, these snacks and sweets are very delicious"
"I am happy that they are to your taste, Princess Atsuko"
"Mm! *Nods* Also, please give my thanks to the chef for his exceptional work"
"Ah! Thank you for your praise, Princess Atsuko"
"... ... ... Hm?"
Hearing Edward's response, Atsuko became confused, after all, she had asked him to send her thanks to the cook who had made the meal she and the others were eating, but he answered as if it was for him. But then, she quickly reached a possible answer to that matter, that she needed to confirm with Edward to be sure of it.
"... Hm... Sir Edward, did you perhaps make all these snacks and sweets by yourself as well?"
"That is correct, Princess Atsuko. This is just something that I like to do for Lysette-sama and Nanako when we have our private tea parties"
"I-I see, t-then you must have surely thought about Lady Lysette and Nanako-san while making these, r-right?"
Different from before, Atsuko's tone was less confident, and that was because of her flustered feelings from finding out that the food she had just eaten was made by Edward who was sitting next to her. Even though all of the meals she had before were always made by other people, those same people cooked as a profession, and even though they did it with passion, they did it because they liked the activity of cooking.
But in this case, Atsuko could feel that the meals in front of her weren't just delicious because Edward liked cooking, but also because he was thinking about the people he was making them for. And though it would mostly be about Lysette and Nanako, it would also include herself as well in this particular situation.
So, as such thoughts ran through Atsuko's mind, she attempted to calm herself by asking such a question, by trying to have Edward say that she was out of the equation in that regard.
"Yes, you are right. I was thinking a lot about Lysette-sama and Nanako while I was cooking"
" "Kuh!" "
Hearing his words both Lysette and Nanako made pained expressions as they blushed from hearing Edward say such a thing without any hint of embarrassment or dishonesty.
"I see, that must be nice"
After saying so, Atsuko closed her eyes and sighed, due to the relief she felt from hearing Edward say the exact words she wanted to hear. However, Edward on the other hand, saw her reaction with a different meaning.
"... ... ..." < Ah! Did Princess Atsuko take what I said as rude!? Oh god, oh no! She must be thinking that I was rude by only thinking of my fiancées and forgetting about the guests. Oh no, she's definitely going to complain about me to that guard, who's going to pass to her father, and then he's going to do something horrible to me!? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! I don't want that! I don't want that! What do I do!?... ... ... *Mental gasp* That's right!>
In his desperation, Edward put his brain into overdrive only to find a rather simple answer to his imaginary predicament.
"Ah! B-But, I also made sure to think a lot about you as well, Princess Atsuko!"
". . . EH!?"
Caught completely by surprise, Atsuko's perfectly and well-crafted calm demeanor was immediately broken by Edward's words, and just like Lysette and Nanako, she also started blushing at hearing such a thing all of a sudden by Edward. And to make matters even worse, Atsuko couldn't see any lies or second intentions in Edward's words, which only made her feel even more bashful at his words.
Of course, this was not the first time that Atsuko heard or read something similar, but all those other times, she could sense that whoever said that had second intentions, only said so in an attempt to get a connection to the Royal family. But in Edward's case, all she could see was that he simply wanted to get closer to her, something that she never confronted before.
So again, in a flustered manner, Atsuko hurriedly searched for a way to calm herself down, but due to the confusion caused by the overwhelming feeling of embarrassment, all that she could think of was either Edward's words just now or her previous conversation with Lysette, mainly the one about her clothes. So in her desperation, she ended up saying it.
"S-Sir Edward, I-I heard t-that y-you are q-quite fond o-of m-maid u-uniforms, I-is that right?"
"!?"
" "!?" " *Freezes*
This time it was Edward, Lysette, and Nanako's turn to become confused, and in the case of the last two, they also froze on the spot at hearing Atsuko make such a question out of nowhere.
"Ah... Erm... W-Well, Princess Atsuko, I am indeed quite fond of maid uniforms... ... ... Especially when Lysette-sama and Nanako wear them... B-but, I also must that I also like the oriental style of clothes from your home country as well!"
"R-Really?"
"Yes!"
"I-I see, well... Even though it is coming from me, I do think that my country's clothing does have a certain charm when compared to other regions"
"I agree, Princess Atsuko. Akeshi's clothes do have a unique charm, and they are also very pretty to look at"
"Is that so?... Erm, is there anything else you want to say?"
"Hmm... No?"
"I see..."
Again Atsuko closed her eyes and sighed in relief after calming herself down somewhat, but to Edward who was still on the edge, he again interpreted her reaction and words in the same way as before.
"..." <Ah... P-Princess A-Atsuko i-is definitely d-disappointed... No, rather... I'm sure she's angry... by her reaction, she's definitely thinking something like 'So you are saying that you only like the clothes I wear because they look good, but I don't'... ... ... I messed up again! Think me! Think! What do I say to improve her mood!... Ah! I know!!!>
This time, because the topic was about clothes, Edward was able to come up with an answer rather quickly yet again.
"Princess Atsuko, there is something more I want to say, would you still like to hear it?"
"Of course, Sir Edward"
"Thank you, so I want to add that I really like how pretty your clothes look on you, Princess Atsuko"
"... ... ... Wha!?"
For a second time, Atsuko is caught by surprise by Edward's words, which further causes her blush to become redder and go from ear to ear, due to her increasing embarrassment.
<W-W-W-What does he mean by all that!? F-F-First he says that he was thinking about me! T-T-T-Then he goes to say that my clothes look pretty on me!?... ... ... M-M-Maybe h-he's j-j-just t-t-trying t-to c-cheer m-me up... Y-Y-Yeah, t-t-that m-must b-b-be it!... But..."
Atsuko had correctly assumed Edward's intentions, however, she shifted her gaze to the side away from Edward and towards Lysette and Nanako, who were both Edward's fiancées, who he showed to be quite affectionate to both of them equally. Because of the two, Atsuko couldn't help but doubt her first assumption and believe that... Edward liked her as well.
<No, no, no, no... T-t-There's no w-way f-f-for S-sir E-E-E-Edward t-t-to s-s-start l-l-l-liking m-me j-j-just l-l-like that... ... ...>
Unable to keep her worries from consuming her, Atsuko, for a third time, tried to hear the answer that she wanted to hear... That Edward didn't like her, in a romantic way, so for the third time, she asked him.
"S-Sir E-Edward, y-y-you're s-saying t-that you only l-l-like h-how p-p-pretty m-my c-c-clothes l-look a-a-and n-not m-me, r-right?"
"..."
Different from the other two times where Edward answered almost immediately, this time he kept silent for a few seconds, after all...
"..." <Don't worry, Princess Atsuko, this time I'll answer you properly, and say the right answers! Because as they say!... The third time the charm!>
He was keen on not treading with his luck anymore, so he would give Atsuko the answer that would please her the most (according to his personal opinion).
"No, Princess Atsuko..."
"Eh?"
"I think that you are very beautiful yourself and that your clothes make you look even prettier in my eyes..."
"!!!"
Just those words alone were enough to cause Atsuko's embarrassment to fly through the roof, but Edward still had one final ace in his sleeve...
"Oh, and I also want to say that I just don't like your clothes, but that I also quite like you (as a person) as well, Princess Atsuko"
"!?!?!?" <S-S-S-Sir E-E-E-E-Edward l-l-l-l-likes me a-a-as a love interest!? How!? Huh? D-Did h-h-he p-perhaps f-f-fell i-in l-l-l-love w-with m-me a-at f-f-first sight? Eh?... Eh!?... FUEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH!?!?!?>
With the final attack by Edward, Atsuko became utterly unable to hold herself back anymore, her face was bright red, her eyes were spinning, and it even appeared that steam was coming out of her head. So in her last ditch attempt to hide her embarrassment, even though it was too late already, Atsuko opened her paper fan that she still had on hand, and covered her face with it, at least in Edward's direction.
"!?!?!?"
Her actions were enough to confuse Edward, as he firmly believed that he hadn't committed a mistake with his answer this time, but Atsuko's reaction said otherwise.
"Ah... Erm... Hmm... S-S-Sir E-E-E-Edward!"
"Y-Yes!?"
"I-I-I a-a-apologize f-f-for m-m-my r-r-rudeness, b-b-but I-I-I s-s-shall t-t-take m-m-my l-l-leave n-now!"
Atsuko said so as she got up in quite a hurry, causing Edward to stutter a little.
"Ah! I-Is that so? W-Well, h-have a nice day then"
"T-Thank you..."
Atsuko took a few steps away from the tea table, before stopping and lowering her paper fan, just enough to reveal her eyes as she looked back at Edward.
"... A-And E-Edward-sama... I-I a-appreciate y-y-your k-k-kind words a-as well"
"... ! I-I am glad that you liked them"
"..."
Edward responded to Atsuko with a gentle smile, but she didn't say anything, rather, her already bright red face appeared to become even redder somehow as she quickly turned her gaze away from him, and hurriedly left the area.
Thus leaving only Edward, Lysette, and Nanako at the tea table. Edward slumped his body a little from the feeling of relief from finding out that Atsuko wasn't angry at him, but the two girls on the other hand, remained silent, as they looked at the fleeing Atsuko.
" "..." "
After all, neither of them had to utter a single word to know what the other was thinking... That being that Edward had created a big misunderstanding with Atsuko, which was that he made her believe that he had fallen in love with her at first sight. They both felt like wanting to clear that misunderstanding but at the same time...
Seeing how much breathing room they got from Edward having to pay attention to Atsuko, and how pure and innocent she looked at thinking she was just confessed to, both Lysette and Nanako wanted to have Atsuko as Edward's third fiancée. As they thought such things, they unconsciously ended up looking at Edward, who noticed their gazes rather quickly.
"?... !" <Those eyes, and that silence... Lysette-sama and Nanako are definitely jealous of seeing me ignore them all this time to talk with another girl! It's not my fault that Princess Atsuko is a royal!>
Just like with Atsuko, Edward screamed inside his mind, but different from her, he was rather calm, after all, he already knew what to do when it came to calming down either Lysette or Nanako...
"Lysette-sama! Nanako! Even though I said that I like Princess Atsuko (as a person) and that she looks beautiful. I only love you two from the bottom of my heart, and I believe that you two are the most beautiful and prettiest girls in existence!"
" "This is too much, Edward-sama!" "
And that was overly praising, pampering, and flirting with them until they ran away! Which was already showing immediate results as the faces of the two girls turned bright red.
"Lysette-sama, Nanako, I'll try to make up for all the time I kept talking with Princess Atsuko!"
"Eh? T-There's no need to, Edward-sama!"
"Y-Yes, w-we're fine!"
"Please, I insist. It would be unsightly of me to pay attention to another woman other than my fiancées, and not give you two the proper attention you two deserve"
" "... O-Okay..." "
Unable to turn him down, Lysette and Nanako both relented in letting Edward shower them with attention, but that also caused them to become even more sure that they really needed to have Atsuko become Edward's third fiancée, and fast, or else they would have to endure more and more of such tempting backlash.