The Villainous Princess Wants to Live in a Gingerbread House - Chapter 77

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

The Villainous Princess Wants to Live in a Pastry Shop
77

If she herself were the eternal snow of the northern lands that never melted, then her grandson had always seemed like the north wind that would preserve it forever. But now, looking at him, it felt as though a warm spring breeze had mixed itself into that wind.
“……Getting along with those half-baked Jedo people can’t have been much fun. Are you managing well enough?”
“Well… it’s not like there are only boring ones around.”
“Just a look from you would have them weeping like fools.”
Kalno let out a thin laugh, and Yekaterina grew even more startled while carefully composing herself.
“More importantly, Your Majesty has asked after you several times.”
“That damned old fool just won’t die.”
Yekaterina spoke with disrespect, but Kalno said nothing. Only the servants grew pale.
“My old bones ache terribly from the journey from the Northern Territory to here. I should pay respects to His Majesty tomorrow.”
“Yes, I will escort you myself.”
When her grandson offered so readily, Yekaterina was about to nod in agreement, but before she could respond, she noticed a gentle light softening his face.
She didn’t press her grandson about whether he’d made a new friend. There would be enough time for him to spend in Jedo. Yekaterina resolved to learn of her grandson’s changes slowly, and spoke in her measured way.

* * *

Asha’s Strawberry Tart was quite elegant. The tart shell, sweetened with a blend of almond flour, was baked with beautiful crimped edges, and filled generously with rich almond cream. Once the almond cream cooled slightly after baking, a fluffy layer of custard cream was spread across it like a soft blanket, and strawberries were piled on top in such abundance that they nearly spilled over the edges.
Lis carried the tart securely wrapped so not a thing was out of place, and the carriage for their outing held a coachman, a servant, and two knights. Anne and Bedelnik.
“Did you say that you made that tart yourself, my lady?”
Anne, who had boarded the carriage with them, opened her eyes wide in surprise, and soon, as if remembering something, clapped her hands together.
“Ah, yes. I heard you’re quite good at making pastries.”
“Did Pavel tell you? I wouldn’t say I’m good at it so much as that I enjoy making them.”
At the mention of Pavel, Anne’s face stiffened for a moment before returning to its usual composure.
“No… that is, I was recalling that when the Nocti Elves visited, you were the one who made the banquet cake. That’s what reminded me to ask.”
“Ah! That Carrot Cake.”
“Rumor had it that that one cake alone made the elves absolutely melt.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, that’s how I knew.”
Asha tilted her head slightly. Anne’s tone had been so definitive.
“Anne, are you not getting along well with Pavel?”
“Pffft.”
It was Bedelnik, who had been wearing a bored expression the whole time, who let out a hollow laugh. Anne shot him a look, then turned back to Asha with a gentle smile.
“My lady is close with Alexei, so you may not understand, but in the capital, people tend to keep some distance from the children of their parents’ contemporaries.”
Asha held back her laughter. She wanted to say she understood well enough, but if she did, it would probably stir up unnecessary confusion.
When a natural pause settled between them, Anne carefully broached the subject.
“You went out for a brief trip not long ago, didn’t you?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes, I did.”
“His Majesty told you to bring knights with you then, so why did you go alone?”
Anne’s voice was cautious enough that it didn’t feel like she was pressing the issue, but even so, Lis quietly interjected with “Lady Marla,” cautioning her, and Asha stopped Lis.
“It was just a quick look around outside—Grandfather… His Majesty was being fussy about it. I didn’t want to bother the knights, and besides, Kalno said he had time, so we went together.”
“But attending to you is the knights’ duty. They wouldn’t find that bothersome.”
“Bedelnik seems to find it bothersome though.”
“Ahem.”
Bedelnik, who had been leaning back on the sofa with his arms crossed and his eyes lowered, let out a low cough. Anne’s expression grew even more awkward.
But before Anne could make an excuse for Bedelnik, or before she could make an excuse for Thales, which was what she’d actually wanted to discuss, the carriage arrived at the Tataricha Marquis Family Residence.

* * *

“……!”
“……!”
Though the family’s elders must have had a hand in the invitation to the Duchess’s Tea Party, it was officially presented as a gathering hosted directly by Nataliya, the Marquis family’s eldest daughter. So Asha had expected there might be children her own age whom she didn’t know.
‘Expected… but…….’
In the tea party venue that the Duchess had carefully arranged for her daughter and their guests, there were children who had arrived before her. Three of them, no less. Lis, thinking Asha might not recognize them, quietly whispered from behind her.
“The one with deep auburn hair and green eyes is the Marquis family’s eldest daughter, Nataliya Bagration, and the one beside her with orange hair and brown eyes is the heir of the Silistria Marquis Family, Grisha Buli. And…….”
Lis couldn’t bring herself to speak of one last person. Asha let out a long sigh.
“Oh, dear…….”
“Why…… Why! What is it! Why!”
A boy who had been slouching carelessly in his chair suddenly sprang to his feet, unable to ignore Asha any longer.
Maksim’s son—the very boy Asha had forced to eat a Brownie.
Dmitri.
Dmitri burst out at Asha’s sigh, but when her gaze found him, he stiffened in embarrassment. Nataliya, who had been wearing nothing but an exasperated expression all along, suddenly showed a flicker of interest.
But before sparks could truly ignite between them, the Duchess of Tataricha appeared—she had guided Asha to the Tea Party venue and stepped into the Kitchen briefly before returning.
“Nataliya! You’re still sitting? You must go and pay your respects at once.”
Behind the Duchess came a maid carrying an expertly sliced Strawberry Tart. It was the tart Asha had brought as a gift.
Nataliya had dark brown hair with a fine texture, cut short enough to expose her nape and ears, and she wore dark trousers that suited her well.
“It is an honor to meet you. I am Nataliya Bagration.”
Nataliya appeared to be held there reluctant by her mother, but she rose and offered a proper greeting, though her lips jutted out in protest.
The boy with carrot-colored hair quickly followed with a bow toward her.
“I……I am blessed to behold the radiant star of the Empire. I am Grisha Buliy.”
“…….”
Dmitri merely huffed and kept his head turned away, saying nothing. Asha ignored him and greeted the other two.
“It’s lovely to meet you both. Nataliya, Grisha—you can just call me Asha.”
“How dare we…….”
“Asha?”
“Nataliya!”
It took barely a second—Nataliya called out “Asha” with sparkling eyes, and the Duchess immediately cried her daughter’s name in response. While Nataliya made a sulky pout, the Duchess of Tataricha turned back to Asha with a gentle laugh.
“Forgive her, Your Highness. The child wore herself out yesterday playing ball games far too strenuously, so she’s a bit out of sorts.”
“Oh……no, I don’t mind at all.”
It was I who told her to call me Asha, after all…….
And so, amid this awkward atmosphere, an unexpected Tea Party began.

Since it was meant to be a gathering of peers, the Duchess of Tataricha distributed one slice of Asha’s tart to each of their four plates and excused herself.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
Grisha was quiet, lacking in confidence. Dmitri wore a sullen expression. And Nataliya yawned widely before catching herself and shutting her mouth in a panic when her eyes met Asha’s. There seemed to be no way to pierce through this suffocating silence. Asha decided to speak to the one person she had some familiarity with.
“Dmitri, what are you doing here?”
Dmitri, who had never expected Asha to address him, started in surprise, then felt a wave of shame at having been startled and shot her a glare.
“Well, what about you…….”
“The Duchess said she knows excellent desserts, so I came. But why are you here? You don’t even like sweet things.”
“I do too!”
“Then why aren’t you eating the Strawberry Tart?”
“I…… I was just about to.”
Listening to the exchange between Dmitri and Asha, Nataliya and Grisha turned their attention to the tarts on their plates. As both boys picked up their knives to cut their portions, Nataliya wiped her hands with a napkin and then grabbed her tart with both hands.
“Ah, Miss!”
“Miss Nataliya!”
The maids standing behind called out in alarm, but Nataliya paid them no mind and bit into the tart. Both boys and Asha could only stare at her with wide eyes.
“…….”
“…….”
Crunch, munch-munch-munch…….
After taking a bite and swallowing, Nataliya froze for a moment. The maids tried desperately to retrieve the tart from her hands and return it to the plate, but failed.
Nataliya had suddenly jumped to her feet.
“Wow! This is incredibly delicious! Yay!”
“Really?”
Asha found herself half-buried in the cascade of joyful particles that poured forth with Nataliya’s cry.
“My mother loves sweets too, so much…….”
Nataliya added something more—though what she was saying wasn’t quite audible, it was something about the tart tasting better than the sweets her mother had chosen—and took another bite.
Asha swam briefly through the storm of light pouring from Nataliya before managing to gather her senses. Nataliya was wholly absorbed in the tart, cream smeared across her mouth. When only one bite remained, she ate it with an expression full of regret.
She chewed it thoroughly, savoring every morsel, then sucked the cream from her fingers. The maids standing behind called out in distress, but she didn’t even pretend to hear them.
And Asha found herself thoroughly charmed.

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