Chapter 417: A Meal Invitation
Chapter 417: A Meal Invitation
"Toot..."
With a loud and prolonged horn blast, two sets of massive winches, emitting white steam, worked in unison to open the night lock of the Capital City Canal. Dozens of cargo ships from the outer rivers sailed into the port of the capital, alongside the morning's sunrise.
As the sun rose, breaking through the morning glow and soaring above the ground, its unstoppable radiance completely dispersed the lingering dark night sky. Finally, the capital city, where a million nightmare corpses lay beneath, slowly awakened after a night's slumber.
"Hmm..."
As the sunlight crossed the canal's tower bridge, passed over the Clock Tower's spire, and penetrated the royal palace's windows, the woman lying on the desk trembled slightly, gently awakened from her dreams by the warm sunlight.
Did I... fall asleep?
Princess Veronica, rousing from her slumber, stretched her slightly stiff body, then sat cross-legged on the large chair, gazing absentmindly at the desk before her.
She recalled that before last night's darkness fell, she had gathered the tax reform implementation documents, the proposal for expanding citizen suffrage, and the military department's officer replacement order for the third-level junior officers, and brought them all back to her bedroom, intending to work through the night.
But just as she had crossed out the stall tax for small handicraft workers and was about to write two refuting opinions, a strange wave of drowsiness suddenly flooded her mind. And then, she knew nothing more...
Well... maybe not completely nothing.
Rubbing her slightly sleepy cheeks, she recalled the strange dream she had after falling asleep last night, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of the princess's mouth.
In her dream, she had finished reviewing all the documents, and then, a few days later in the parliament, her words were as sharp as knives, cutting deep. She scolded the Chancellor of Finance so severely that he fainted on the spot, and the Ministry of Finance was handed over without a fight.
Seizing the opportunity, she won over the parliament, smoothed over the old nobility's attempts to cause trouble, and in one breath, she took control of all seventeen major departments of the kingdom. She began to implement sweeping reforms.
After that, the kingdom gradually grew stronger, and in her dream, she inherited the throne, married Joshua off to a monkey across the sea, made Lyon a prince, and gave birth to an entire football team... Cough... In any case, it was a pretty good dream.
Taking a sip of the now-cold coffee, Princess Veronica, feeling refreshed, rose from her seat and picked up her coffee cup, walking to the bedroom window to bask in the sunlight streaming through.
Although she had unintentionally fallen asleep and failed to promptly address the documents, the outcome didn't seem too bad. For someone plagued by constant nightmares, this carefree dream, even if it was a bit absurd, was a rare experience.
"Princess Veronica!"
Just as the princess was basking in the warm morning sun and enjoying her rare leisure time, there was a sudden knock on her bedroom door, and the voice of the night watchwoman, Lily, sounded a bit flustered from outside.
"I'm Lily, the night watchwoman from last night. I'm sorry, Your Highness, I... I think I fell asleep as soon as it got dark yesterday..."
"It's alright."
After finishing the bitter black coffee in her cup, Princess Veronica set it down and stretched lazily, speaking calmly:
"I also went to bed early last night. If there was something important, I would have come to wake you up. But remember, next time it's your turn to be on night duty, make sure to get some rest during the day."
"Thank you, Your Highness. I'll remember that."
Hearing that she hadn't delayed the princess's work, the lady-in-waiting outside couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief. Then, with eagerness, she reported:
"Your Highness, according to the original schedule, after breakfast, you are scheduled to meet with the president of the Capital City Chamber of Commerce. If you can finish the meeting within two hours, you'll then meet with the newly elected members of parliament from several constituencies. After lunch, there's also the envoy from the Black Forest Kingdom... Do you need me to call for a maid to help you freshen up?"
"..."
What a pity, a rare moment of leisure... But there are more pressing matters at hand. In a few days, the Parliament will convene again, so now is not the time for personal relaxation.
After hearing the female officer's anxious inquiry, the Princess couldn't help but sigh softly. She then rubbed her forehead and said, "A little later... How about this afternoon? How is the afternoon schedule arranged? What's the earliest time I can be free this afternoon?"
"This... I'm afraid it's not possible this afternoon."
The female officer outside the door cautiously reminded her, "Your Highness, your schedule today is quite packed. It's been planned until 8 p.m., and even dinner will have to be pushed back to after 9:30 p.m... But if you really need some free time, I can try to rearrange it for you and postpone the meeting with the Minister of Defense until tomorrow afternoon."
Postponing it until tomorrow afternoon... Then, tomorrow's matters will have to be rescheduled again, won't they?
Moreover, it's not good to delay the military officer's replacement. After all, Lyon has always wanted to break off their engagement. To be safe, it's best to do everything possible while this marriage alliance is still stable, to avoid any further complications.
"Never mind, let's stick to the original schedule!"
After weighing the situation, Princess Veronica frowned and pondered for a moment, then spoke up.
"In that case, I'll skip dinner and keep the time after 9 p.m. free."
"Your Highness, I'll rearrange your schedule. Your stomach issue hasn't been resolved, and it's really not suitable..." The female officer outside the door suggested with a worried expression, interrupting the Princess's words.
"You misunderstood."
Interrupting the female officer, the Princess smiled and said, "I'm not hungry. I just want to skip dinner, that's all. You can invite... invite Leo... invite him to have dinner with me.
As for the location, it's best if he chooses. If he has no preference, then let's pick one of the two restaurants I frequent, whichever has more available seats, and make sure it's by the river."
"Alright, I'll go and make the arrangements!"
"Go ahead."
After the female officer left to follow the instructions, the Princess returned to her desk and resumed her work. Behind her, on the shelf, a tin doll with a broken cheek quietly blinked its emerald glass eyes.
---
The sun rose and set, marking the passage of another day.
The morning sun, brilliant and radiant, circled the capital city shrouded in mist before sinking back below the horizon.
Soon after, the towering street lamps along the roads lit up, piercing the dim night with a sliver of light. A plain carriage without any markings emerged from the night, eventually stopping in front of a restaurant on Joy Street in the canal district.
"Your Highness, we've arrived."
The female officer with chestnut-colored short hair bowed slightly and opened the carriage door, then smiled at Leo, "You can go straight to private room number 7. Princess Veronica's meeting with the Prime Minister has just ended, and she'll be here within 15 minutes at most. Please wait a moment."
(End of Chapter)
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