The Villainous Princess Wants to Live in a Gingerbread House - Chapter 25

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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 Imperial Princess Wants to Live in a Gingerbread House
25

“Nervous?”
“A little, yes.”
Aleksei looked down at her quietly, then turned his gaze forward again.
“For me, it’s less a Triumph Ceremony and more… well, a chance to see an old friend after so long.”
…….
An old friend—it could only be Kalno Neustadt!
“If he is my friend, he will be yours too. Think of it that way.”
“No, I really…….”
Kalno, my friend? That’s the sort of thing that’d haunt my nightmares…….
As Asha finished her murmur, the Emperor seated on the throne tilted his head and regarded the two Imperial Grandchildren beside him.
‘……Aliosha?’
Asha seized the perfect opportunity to change the subject and forced a bright smile.
“Yes, Your Majesty! Aliosha said he doesn’t like being called the Crown Prince, or brother, or by his given name either.”
“Hmm.”
“He said he only likes his pet name. Isn’t that right, Aliosha?”
“……Hmm.”
…….
Aleksei said nothing. Asha simply felt relieved that the air around him remained calm and unruffled, and decided to press her advantage.
“Aliosha, I’m Anastasha, so I’m Asha.”
…….
“Asha.”
…….
“It’s Asha.”
Beginnings are always the hardest! You have to understand!
Asha glanced at Aleksei with anxious eyes. It was a small trick—he wouldn’t reject his cousin while the Emperor was watching.

‘……That’s how you knock someone unconscious, not awake them.’
After a brief silence, Aleksei tilted his head and opened his mouth.
“……Asha.”
“……!”
For the first time since arriving at the Imperial Palace, she heard her pet name spoken aloud.
Asha’s heart thrilled despite herself, and she found herself gazing at Aleksei with watery eyes.
‘For the first time since coming here…….’
For the first time since being dragged into the Imperial Palace! Not Anastasha, not Imperial Granddaughter—but Asha, her true name, spoken for the first time.
‘Why am I so moved by this…….’

…….

‘Be quiet, you.’

The moment Pibi began pouting, the stamping feet and cheers vanished, and silence fell in an instant. Only a distant, echoing roar could be heard from far away.
In that silence, a metallic clang rang out. The synchronized footsteps of armored knights layered over it, and the figures at the fore came into view.
One was a middle-aged man with a somewhat rough but confident face—he seemed to be the Commander-in-Chief. The other appeared to be around fifteen, standing on the border between boyhood and young manhood.
‘Kalno……Neustadt.’
Hair so black it gleamed like silver rippled in the wind, and between those strands, sharp violet eyes peeked through.
Below a slightly sharp jawline, the blue lining of a Cloak draped over the shoulders fluttered like wings, dizzying to watch.
‘……!’
Their eyes met.
Her breath caught in her throat. But unlike her sudden tension, Kalno merely glanced at her in passing.

‘Finally?’
Asha tilted her head at Pibi’s murmur, but the spirit said nothing more. And without incident, the Emperor began quietly offering praise for their achievements.
Asha shifted her body quietly behind Aleksei, looking as far away as possible. As she glanced around, she spotted a familiar face in the distance—Pavel, yawning with an expression of utter boredom on his face.
Perhaps because she’d only ever seen him in the kitchen, his aristocratic finery struck her as oddly foreign. But when their eyes met, Asha grinned and gave a little wave—and Pavel’s jaw dropped.
‘The old man really did get a shock.’

The embossed bird on the button grew steadily sharper in focus. Pibi’s voice carried a note of genuine concern.
‘I should go find him later.’
With that thought, Asha turned her gaze forward again. What was being praised, what was commendable, what was magnificent—
Kalno seemed utterly indifferent to it all, his eyes downcast. Just then, a middle-aged man standing nearby dropped to one knee with practiced grace and addressed the Emperor.
“The greater share of this victory belongs to Vice-Commander Kalno Terenti Noyshteteer. I humbly ask that you recognize his contributions, Your Majesty.”
……
Kalno’s stony silence spoke volumes—a tacit agreement with the Commander-in-Chief’s words.
‘Normally wouldn’t a man at least offer some modest denial……’
The Emperor seemed to find it amusing. If that was what the Commander-in-Chief said, then so be it—and he bestowed various honors upon Kalno.
“How does Ekaterina fare? It must be a decade since I last saw her face.”
At that, Kalno—whose expression had remained unmoved throughout the ceremony—finally shifted, his features settling into something subtly more austere.
“My grandmother is in good health. Had she not been present during this war, matters would have been far more difficult.”
“Still spirited, then? Has she no message for me?”
……
“I needn’t hear it to know.”
As Kalno closed his briefly opened mouth, the Emperor let out a rich chuckle and rose from his seat. Even so simple a motion caused his Cloak to billow with such magnificent grandeur that anyone watching would gasp in wonder.
“A long war—you have all borne it admirably! Upon you heroes shall the blessing of all spirits shine in the days to come!”
His voice rang out as though the entire Imperial Palace itself resounded with it. As the words faded, thunderous applause and cheers erupted, and the Emperor turned and departed the hall.
Now, as the war’s principal actors filed out, the Imperial Household’s obligation too was fulfilled. The Commander-in-Chief turned first, followed by Vice-Commander Kalno, who rose to his feet.
Aleksei and he exchanged what seemed to be a wordless acknowledgment. Asha was careful to turn away without intruding—
“Oh!”
Her shoes were slightly too large, and in that instant, her feet tangled.
Watching the floor rush toward her, Asha squeezed her eyes shut.
‘Wha—’
But she didn’t fall. Her outstretched arms still grasped at empty air. Only then did she realize someone had caught her from behind. Cold sweat poured down her spine.
“Oh dear, the shoes don’t fit properly, do they?”
……!
Aleksei, who had caught her, lifted her effortlessly and swept her into his arms. The world tilted vertiginously, and Asha clutched desperately at his neck.
With one arm, he held her; with the other, he slipped the shoe from her foot and handed it to an attendant trailing behind them. Her body went rigid at his tender touch.
Lis came running and reached to take her, but Aleksei shook his head.
“She’s hurt. I’ll carry her to the Palace.”
“No, really, I’m fine—”
As Asha tried earnestly to dissuade him, another man approached.
“I greet the Crown Prince. It has been quite some time. My duties during the Spirit Ceremony prevented me from offering proper respects.”
The man bowed with courtesy, yet his tone carried an easy familiarity.
‘Who is this……’
“Marquess Shapirokin—it has been long indeed.”
‘Ah.’
Until a few days ago, when Aleksei had recovered from his illness, Asha had believed—or at least pretended to believe—that he treated her with cool distance. Or else that he was calculating, wary of her intentions. But now she understood: there was someone else toward whom he truly reserved his cruelty.
Without thinking, Asha shrank closer and tightened her grip on his collar. Aleksei’s eyes alone seemed capable of freezing solid and shattering the man before them.
Around him, a current of emotion sharp as a blade rose taut and tangible, pressing almost to the Marquess’s face. Though none would ever know it.
“Has Your Highness been well? And please, address me simply—we are uncle and nephew, after all.”
“Precisely because we are kin, I must show proper respect. Thanks to your attentions, I have fared well. And my dear Asha has been a fine friend to me as well.”
Asha swallowed hard. The way Aleksei deliberately marked the uncle-nephew distinction suggested this man was her uncle too—but she felt no desire to acknowledge the relationship. After all, she didn’t even know who he was……
“Ah, Anastasia. So we meet face to face at last. I am Valery, your father Yuriye’s elder brother. I heard from the Spirit Ceremony how composed you were. My own son, Ilya, wouldn’t stop going on about it. Why, His Majesty might well decide to keep you at court.”
At that moment, her spine prickled with dread. Asha swallowed dryly.
‘Valery……? That Valery, the Marquess Shapirokin?’
How could the Imperial Granddaughter have raced down the highway of perdition in the original story? Someone had fed her the fuel to do so. That someone was Yuriye’s third elder brother—Valery.
“Ah…… How do you do, Uncle? And how is Ilya?”
‘Who was Ilya again? That sickly-looking boy?’
“He is well enough. Regrettably, his health prevented him from attending the Triumph Ceremony today.”
“What a shame—he could have played with Aleksei. Is Ilya often ill?”
“……Not particularly. Though—did you say ‘Aleksei’?”
Valery’s affable expression faltered. Asha beamed and nodded brightly.
“Yes! Though Aleksei is quite busy, so we can’t play for long.”
“Aleksei—the Crown Prince—are you calling him by his familiar name? You two seem quite close. But Anastasia, Imperial blood though you carry, you are not all equal in that regard. For an Imperial Granddaughter to breach the protocols of the court and indulge in such petulance……”
In that moment, Asha felt as though lightning had split the sky above her. From the arms holding her, waves of thorns and blades rose and fell in chaotic succession like a storm.
Held as she was in his arms, she couldn’t see Aleksei’s face, which made it all the more terrifying.

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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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