The Villainous Princess Wants to Live in a Gingerbread House - Chapter 65

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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 Princess Wants to Live in a Patisserie
65

“Of course I’ll accept whichever territory you grant me.”
“Is that so? Don’t you need to consult with the other person first?”
“Duke Oleg? He didn’t even fight in the war directly. Once I choose, he’ll take what’s left.”
“So have you decided where Kalno will request?”
As Asha’s eyes gleamed noticeably bright with curiosity, Kalno narrowed his gaze and regarded her with visible suspicion.
“What are you getting at?”
“Oh, I’m just curious…….”
“What are you trying to do, Your Highness?”
“Well, one of those two places is Lumen Basiliche.”
“That’s right.”
“I was wondering if you’d take Lumen Basiliche.”
“I understand.”
“Because that place is…… wait?”
Asha’s eyes widened as she stared at Kalno. He was leisurely pushing the last slice of Picnic Cake into his mouth.
“You…… understand?”
“Yes. You’re asking me to request Lumen Basiliche from His Majesty. I understand.”
“But still…… is that alright?”
Without even hearing the reason, he simply understood? As Asha faltered with her reply, Kalno unscrewed the cap of his water bottle before answering.
“Well, at least two people will be happy with it.”
“Two people?”
“Yes. Duke Oleg and you.”
“……Why would Duke Oleg be?”
“If I say I’m taking that barren wasteland you call a Basin first, he’ll probably bow and scrape before me.”
“A wasteland……!”
Asha bit and twisted her lips together, swallowing back the urge to shout, ‘That place has a diamond mine!’
‘If only I could have explained where the information came from!’
The fact that she conversed with spirits remained a secret within the Imperial Palace alone.
“There will come a day when you thank me. This too, you understand? I’m telling you because Kalno saves people, yes?”
“When that day comes where I may express my gratitude to Your Highness, I shall repay the debt.”
Asha shot him a look of utter annoyance. Kalno shook the water bottle gently and rose from his seat.
“Well then, I’ll go find that person.”
“That water bottle is mine!”
“I’m finding you a person, after all.”
“And I told you which territory you should request!”
“I’ll compensate you with a better bottle.”
“You’d better keep your promise.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I won’t bake you that cake again.”
“…….”
“…….”

* * *

Transparent violet-blue liquid swayed gently within a crystal vessel, violet petals drifting through it like suspended swimmers. Kalno gazed upon it while reclined against the carriage seat until, at last, they reached their destination and his eyes finally drew away.
The carriage stopped before a narrow alley where modest, dilapidated houses were barely visible in the distance. The alley was too cramped for the carriage to enter. Kalno simply gave the apologetic coachman a nod of reassurance before proceeding into the alley. He knocked lightly at the front door, but the dented wood grain forced him to cease his knocking.
“Sofia? ……Are you here?”
As Kalno stood frowning in thought before the silent, aged dwelling, someone suddenly poked their head out from the backyard.
“Who…… Commander?”
It was a thin, sharp-featured woman, cradling an armful of firewood against her chest.
The moment she caught sight of Kalno, shock swept across her face, and she soon gathered herself before hurrying toward him.
“Sofia. It’s been a long time.”
Though nearly double her in age, Kalno’s considerable height and broad frame, paired with her gaunt appearance, made him seem the elder of the two.
“Oh…… What brings you here?”
“I need to talk to you. Can we go inside and speak?”
“Oh, yes, well, just a moment…….”
Sofia’s home was shabby and worn, yet meticulously kept. She brought plain water in a thin porcelain cup, apologizing that she had no tea leaves.
“……Hmm. It’s been a long time. Have you been well? I was caught off guard just now…….”
Kalno shook his head briefly, acknowledging that the fault was his for arriving without notice. Sofia smiled faintly at the gesture. She was well accustomed to Kalno’s way of not elaborating on his actions.
“Small talk doesn’t suit either of us. Let’s get to the point.”
“Yes.”
This too was familiar. Sofia nodded. She began to guess what Kalno meant to say, then thought better of it. Even back when he was in the military, Kalno had always said things she never would have imagined.
“Sofia, I’ve come to propose a job to you.”
“……Yes?”
And yet again, she heard something she never could have imagined.

* * *

“I didn’t think you could find someone so quickly.”
“The Imperial Heir was the one who hinted that it was urgent.”
At Kalno’s casual remark, Asha shot him a look.
“You don’t listen to hints either, it seems.”
Yet the edge in Asha’s eyes softened almost at once.
That Kalno could find someone in mere days was beyond her wildest expectations. If the work progressed quickly, Baron Sarato would be freed from his stress, and the patisserie would open without incident.
“Then have her come in.”
Kalno had entered the palace today to introduce Sofia to Asha—a sort of informal interview. Rather than leave it to an attendant, Kalno opened the Kitchen door himself.
“Come in.”
At Kalno’s gesture toward the interior, the woman who had been standing outside followed him in. Seeing this, Asha jumped from her chair and hurried toward her.
“Sofia Schweik?”
“Ah…… Yes. I…… I greet you, Anastasha, Imperial Heir.”
The woman was tall and lean, and seemed somewhat nervous in Asha’s presence. But she composed herself and completed the greeting by taking Asha’s hand and pressing it to her forehead.
“Sofia, did you hear what work you’ll be doing? Did Kalno explain it?”
At Asha’s words, Sofia looked up sharply, turning her gaze between Asha and Kalno in turn. Then, seeming to realize her rudeness, she lowered her head again.
“I was told I would be working in the Imperial Heir’s shop……. If I’m not the right fit, I can leave even now.”
“No, it’s not about being a fit. Goodness. Kalno, didn’t you explain properly?”
Asha leaned forward and spoke in an undertone. Kalno lifted a piece of cake on a fork and slipped it into her mouth.
“I wouldn’t presume to interfere with the Imperial Heir’s authority.”
“Mmph! Kalno!”
Asha glared at Kalno as she swallowed the cake she had made, then turned her attention back to Sofia.
“Sofia, to be precise, it’s not my shop. It’s a shop where we’ll bake and sell cakes made from my recipe. I’m looking for someone to make them……, do you understand?”
“Ah…….”
“So, well, I’d like us to try making cakes together! This work might not suit you, so let’s see. Is the timing all right?”
“The timing is fine, but as for me…….”
“Then let’s make some!”
“Your, Your Highness.”
Sofia seemed flustered. Her lips moved as if to protest, but then, as if making a decision, she nodded.

Sofia and Asha tied on aprons side by side, and Asha headed first to the sink.
“We need to wash our hands first.”
Asha’s gaze turned to Sofia’s gloved hands. Sofia hesitated for a moment, then slowly removed the glove from her right hand. Beneath it was a wooden hand—a prosthetic hand that looked like a doll’s hand, carved meticulously joint by joint.
“Here’s the soap.”
Asha worked up a good lather and handed it to Sofia. Sofia hesitated briefly, then took the soap in her non-prosthetic hand, lathered both hands, and rinsed them clean.
Then she handed Sofia a towel and had her dry her hands before pulling out a pair of thin gloves.
“These gloves are……?”
“They’re gloves coated with a mixture of Tainin tree sap and sulfur. You’ll need to wear them whenever you cook at the shop.”
It was acceptable to go barehand when eating alone or sharing with those close by, but not for products meant for sale. That was why, ever since hearing about the patisserie from Baron Sarato, Asha had been seeking these Tainin Gloves.
Cotton gloves treated with Tainin tree sap mixed with sulfur—they were waterproof, stretchy, and could be washed and reused.
Sofia looked at the gloves with an indescribable expression before putting them on.
“Today we’re making butter cookies shaped like wheels.”
Asha handed Sofia a bowl containing butter that had been left at room temperature to soften. Sticking out of it was a whisk—a bundle of twigs that made Asha shudder just to look at.
“First, you work the butter with that, like this. Just gently, swaying motions. Don’t overwork it.”
Sofia followed Asha’s instructions easily. When a considerable amount of butter had been lightened, Asha picked up a white, fine powder.
“This is powdered sugar. Now you add it and mix until the flour is just incorporated. There, there. Like that. Next is the egg. You’ll crack it in half and separate the white from the yolk. We’re only using the white.”
Asha reached for a basket of eggs with an authoritative air. Sofia managed to crack the egg with her left hand, but she broke the yolk completely and failed to separate it from the white.
“Aha, I’m not great at cracking eggs either. You can’t use too much force—just be gentle. Let’s try again, shall we?”
“Oh… even so, it’s fine… I suppose.”
“Right, we have plenty of eggs, and the broken ones can go toward another cake.”
Asha rose on her toes to sweep away the yolk-shattered egg, then pulled a fresh bowl closer. Sofia did crack three more yolks in the process, but afterward, her movements grew delicate—separating white from yolk with practiced precision.
The whites were whisked in several passes with the butter she’d creamed until glossy, then the flour was sifted in, folded together with a spatula in sweeping motions, and transferred into the piping bag.
Sofia had shown clumsy control in other tasks, yet here—mixing butter and flour—her hands moved with surprising dexterity. She even compensated for the places where Asha’s weaker strength had left the mixture insufficiently combined.
“I’m going to… I’m going to exercise.”
“That’s not lack of exercise—that’s lack of growth.”

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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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