The Villainous Princess Wants to Live in a Gingerbread House - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Villainess Crown Princess Wants to Live in a Bakery
Chapter 16

“Ah, so… I was going to give this to Aleksei.”
Asha carefully placed the scone she’d brought on her palm and held it out toward him. Since she’d been bringing one every day for a week now, it felt oddly embarrassing to say it aloud.
“…Aleksei?”
But Aleksei merely gazed down at it in silence. Asha tilted her head, and a thought suddenly struck her—she bit her lip.
‘Oh… has the wrapping been too shabby all this time?’
A single scone wrapped in slightly crumpled paper and tied with twine.
The sight of Aleksei’s white shirt only strengthened that worry. The small cuffs bore perhaps ten delicate gold buttons, and the front placket was decorated with such refinement—truly, a silk shirt befitting royalty.
‘No, I thought this still looked rather nice, actually…’
If one were to speak in terms of her previous life, she would have called it excellent vintage-style wrapping.
Vintage…
‘If it’s vintage, then here it’s just local style, isn’t it?’
In other words, it was the kind of packaging one might see in an ordinary household. Not a gift presentation. Asha suddenly realized her mistake—she should rewrap it. Just as she tried to pull her hand back, Aleksei placed his hand over hers.
“Rather, Asha.”
‘Ahhhhh!’
Caught off guard as Aleksei took her hand, Asha’s mind leaped all the way to the ceiling. Outwardly, she merely startled slightly, her body trembling a little.
“Yes? Yes?”
“You always ask Kiril to deliver these. Yet I’ve arranged for my room to be nearby.”
“Oh? No, it’s just that Aleksei is always so busy. I didn’t want to disturb you…”
“Does Asha dislike me?”
Asha found herself utterly taken aback by his words. It wasn’t as though they’d had no conversation before. They had spoken—which is how Asha had become convinced that Aleksei’s heart had softened a little toward sweets. Yet now, why would he say such a thing?
In that instant, her mind sharpened.
‘Wait… is he trying to make me out to be the villain here?! Not a chance!’
“No, no! That’s not what I meant! I wasn’t trying to say that at all! I just… I only wanted Aleksei to find strength because you seemed so busy with your studies. I was worried I might get in the way.”
“How could you possibly be in the way?”
Aleksei’s reply came with a slight smile, but Asha couldn’t find an answer—and he noticed her doubt at once.
“Our little pea is quite the skeptic.”
“I’m not a pea. And I’m not skeptical!”
The pea was a nickname Aleksei had given her just a few days ago. Asha’s vehement protests had done nothing to stop him from using it.
“But it’s the truth. On the first day, I simply didn’t realize it was you knocking on my door, so I didn’t answer. Your coming to see me isn’t a disturbance at all.”
“No, I didn’t mean I wanted to play with you or anything…”
Asha caught herself mid-sentence and bit her tongue hard.
‘I shouldn’t have said that!’
A cool shadow of disappointment crossed Aleksei’s face, and Asha found herself thinking faster than ever before in her life.
“So—so what I wanted wasn’t for Aleksei to play with me. I just wanted Aleksei to… enjoy the scone… and find some strength… and maybe smile a little for me, that’s all…”
What would Aleksei really think of such an excuse? Even as she spoke, Asha couldn’t meet his eyes.
“…If it’s smiling you want, don’t I always smile when I see you?”
Aleksei’s voice seemed to waver slightly. It wasn’t a lie. He never failed to smile.
“No, that’s not what I meant. I mean a smile that comes from the heart…”
Asha wished she had no mouth at all, and quickly fell silent. An indescribable stillness settled between them.
“So… anyway, please eat this… and do your best with your studies! Um, I’m so sleepy—I really should get to bed…”
The artificial yawn sounded strange even to her own ears, but she couldn’t bear to stand there any longer. Asha pulled her hand from Aleksei’s grasp and hurried back to her room like she was fleeing. The scone remained behind.
‘Oh! How did things end up like this?’
Collapsed on her bed, consumed with self-reproach, a new embroidered figure suddenly popped out from behind the curtain.

‘That’s not… wait, what?’

‘Really? So is Aleksei going to kill me?’

Asha wanted to shout back at Pibi, who clearly didn’t understand any of this. But in the end, she didn’t manage that either.

Asha gazed down from the window of the Second Floor Corridor, watching Aleksei below as he carefully drew his bow again and again beneath the pale winter sun.
The awkward conversation from days before had become something neither of them acknowledged. Or more precisely, neither had found the time for a deeper discussion about it.
Aleksei spent his mornings training in swordplay and archery, his afternoons receiving instruction in the classics from scholars. Evenings were devoted to reviewing what he’d learned during the day, nights to Meditation for spiritual discipline, followed by five hours of sound sleep—then the cycle began again at dawn.
This murderous routine was Aleksei’s ordinary day. And at this moment, drawing his bow, it was probably the only time when he didn’t have to force that hollow smile.
“Your Highness Anastasia?”
Asha turned at the voice coming from behind her. It was Kiril—his sword hung at his hip, but his dress was far simpler than it would be at night.
“Oh? Kiril? What are you doing here? Aleksei is down there…”
“I oversee the Crown Prince’s protection only at night. During the day, such measures are unnecessary.”
“Unnecessary?”
“The Crown Prince’s spirit, Paphnir, commands the power of flame and sun. During daylight, he is stronger than any living soul on this earth. And when he reaches his majority, none shall dare approach him even in darkness.”
“Then there’s no need for archery practice either, is there? Strong enough in the day, and you protect him at night.”
“That is…”
Throughout her observation, Aleksei’s arrows had struck the target’s center with unwavering precision. It seemed unnecessary for him to practice daily until calluses formed anew upon his fingertips when he already possessed such skill.
“The Spirit King of Fire, Paphnir, is so immensely powerful that maintaining control requires constant discipline of body and mind. Moreover, since Paphnir lost his previous contractor, he remains unstable…”
Kiril stopped himself mid-sentence, having realized he’d spoken out of turn. Asha merely shrugged as though she hadn’t understood, then plunged her small hand into her dress pocket and withdrew something.
It was a compact bundle that filled her small palm, though it would be scarcely half that in Kiril’s. Wrapped in paper and tied with twine.
“Scones with dried fruit and almonds. I thought you might be hungry now. You have one, and give one to Aleksei.”
“…Where do you manage to procure these confections each time?”
“Hm? I made them.”
Asha jumped down from the window seat as she answered. Kiril looked taken aback.
“You made them yourself, Your Highness?”
“I like making confections.”
Asha’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.
“Back home we were poor, so I’d never seen so much butter or cream in my life. I’m so excited I’ve been trying everything.”
“…”
“Though I’d prefer to go home and see Mother and Father. But His Majesty won’t allow it.”
“…”
“So I thought—since I’m baking anyway—it would be nice to share with Aleksei.”
The practice of bringing him confections had proven effective in its own way. They’d grown closer than at first, certainly. And Aleksei’s demeanor had taken on a subtly mischievous quality, though she wasn’t sure whether that counted as becoming more genuine.
Kiril, who had been listening silently to her words, knelt on one knee to meet her gaze.
“Your Highness Anastasia—do you hold affection for the Crown Prince?”
Kiril’s eyes were serious. Asha made a small groaning sound and tilted her head. A ten-year-old girl wouldn’t bake scones for her cousin day after day if she didn’t care for him.
“…Well, but I’m not sure if Aleksei feels the same about me…”
“I wish to know Your Highness’s heart, not the Crown Prince’s.”
Asha clasped her own hands and fidgeted.
“Mother and Father can’t come. The only family I have here is Grandfather—His Majesty the Emperor—and Aleksei. And I can’t even see His Majesty.”
“…”
“So Aleksei is my only family. I don’t dislike him.”
“I see.”
“But what does it matter if only I feel that way?”
Asha pouted. Kiril looked slightly startled and waved his hand in denial.
“That is not so. For the Crown Prince as well, Your Highness is the only family he has close at hand. Even now, he smiles often when he sees you.”
“Do people actually believe that when you tell them? That Aleksei does that?”
“…”
“…”
Kiril gave a slight cough.
“Even so…within the Imperial Palace right now, the Crown Prince smiles at no one but you.”
“It’s probably just like when a bird brings a flower—he thinks it’s interesting and smiles because I keep bringing scones every time.”
In that instant, Kiril turned away and let out a stifled sound. His face bore the traces of a suppressed laugh as he barely managed to stifle a cough. Asha studied his expression for a moment, then reached back into her dress pocket and withdrew one more wrapped scone.
“You eat two. Aleksei only gets one.”
“It is…truly an honor.”
Feeling suddenly awkward, Asha hurriedly excused herself by claiming she had matters to attend to and turned to leave first. Behind her, she felt Kiril’s gaze lingering.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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