The Villainous Princess Wants to Live in a Gingerbread House - Chapter 78

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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 Villainous Princess Wants to Live in a Pastry Shop
78

Her coworker in the kitchen, Pavel Marka, came from a count’s family and held a noble title, while Lis, the maid who had received higher education, was of similar stock. Kalno was a direct line descendant of one of the few dukedoms in the empire, and the Emperor and Alexei—needless to say—were pure-blooded imperial family members born and raised within the Imperial Palace.
Their way of describing flavors was nothing short of elegant. Not that their expressions were false; she knew they were sincere. She’d never felt regret watching their graceful, refined movements and the measured way they wielded their forks. But watching them discover the tart’s flavor and wolf it down in unseemly haste, lamenting over the last remaining bite—that was an entirely different feeling.
Natalia, who had cleaned her plate, slumped back in her chair and cast a glance at the boys’ plates. To anyone watching, her eyes were clearly fixed on the tart, and both of them stiffened. Asha smiled broadly and drew her chair a little closer.
“Want to try mine?”
“Oh, um… is that really all right?”
“Ah, Miss.”
Natalia looked at Asha with an expression of barely contained longing. The maid whispered something from behind, but Asha promptly set her own plate in front of Natalia.
“I made it, so I’m happy to see you enjoy it.”
“…?”
This time, Natalia paused mid-bite, her hand holding the tart, and turned to look at Asha sitting beside her. The confusion in her face made it clear she didn’t understand Asha’s meaning, so Asha offered no lengthy explanation. Instead, Dmitri grumbled.
“Hmph. Still playing at being a maid in the kitchen, despite being imperial family.”
“I doubt anyone worries about my future quite like you do.”
“W-who’s worrying?”
“I’ll be sure to mention it to Grandfather.”
“…Grandfather?”
“Yes. I’ll tell him that Dmitri was so concerned about my future. And Grandfather—ah, right, you call him Your Majesty, don’t you? Yes, His Majesty will surely appreciate your kind heart in worrying about your cousin.”
“Who are you calling cousin?!”
Dmitri shouted indignantly, but his bluster quickly faded, and he limply stabbed his fork into the tart with noticeably less spirit than before. He thrust the piece into his mouth irritably and fell silent.
Munch… munch-munch.
“…!”
His mouth was pressed firmly shut, his brows knitted with effort, yet his fork hand quickened its pace. Even as he shot a look at Asha, his jaw worked steadily. And behind him, watching the sparks of light burst upward like fireworks, Asha had to bite back her laughter.
It was one thing to be happy when people who loved her enjoyed her desserts, but when a little boy who hated her with a passion couldn’t deny that the dessert was delicious—
“Is it good?”
“Tch… not really…”
“Grandfather said it was delicious.”
“……”
Dmitri’s expression right now looked as thrilling as if he’d been eating only health food his whole life and had just tasted a spicy street skewer for the first time.
Dmitri glared at her with an indignant pout, but his fork was honest. He cut a single bite-sized portion: strawberry, cream, and sponge cake layered together perfectly.
Asha finally couldn’t hold back her laughter and burst out laughing, but Dmitri said nothing and, wearing an expression of forced consumption, cleared his entire plate of tart—while behind him, brilliant sparks of light showered down in such dazzling profusion they might have been a halo.

* * *

By the time four plates of tart, four halved sandwiches, and a plate of cookies and fruit juice had all been finished, the mood in the garden had loosened considerably.
“You’re not having a tea party?”
Dmitri, who had grown considerably more docile, watched with tired eyes as Natalia kicked the ball around and Grisha chased after it, then answered Asha’s question.
“My father doesn’t like me doing that sort of thing. Says it’s all useless nonsense.”
“I see.”
Asha thought she understood. Dmitri’s father, Maxim, had contracted with the Spirit of Discernment. So he would know more clearly than anyone that neither he nor his son possessed the bearing to ever challenge the throne.
Asha decided to broach the subject carefully. Valery, too, had a child around Dmitri’s and Asha’s age.
“So does Ilya not hold tea parties either?”
“……”
Dmitri frowned and turned to look at Asha.
“Does that crybaby want me to attend his tea party?”
“He’s a good child, unlike you.”
“What? Am I a bad child?!”
“Yes. What did you say when I stayed in the Imperial Palace?”
“…!”
Dmitri’s face contorted. His cheeks flushed red, then went pale, then white.
“I-that idiot Ilya is the reason Uncle Valery won’t let him host one.”
“That’s not how it works. If Ilya wants to hold one, he’ll hold one. You just need to be nice about it. Get along with him.”
“I don’t want to!”
“Come on. I’ll make you another tart. It was good, wasn’t it?”
“……”
As Asha spoke in a coaxing tone, Dmitri’s face flushed as though it might burst. Then he kicked back from his seat and chased after the ball that Natalia had struck. Asha let out a laugh.
By now, Asha had come to understand the peculiar arrangement of today’s tea party reasonably well. The Marquis Silistria household seemed eager to strengthen ties with the Marquis Tatarcha family—who had only a daughter left—by sending their second son. And Maxim appeared bent on finding friends for his angular-natured boy, by whatever means.
And as for Natalia…
“I don’t make friends with people worse at kicking than me.”
“Ah.”
“But you’re the exception.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
Dmitri and Grisha, who were plainly worse at kicking than Natalia, had grown tired of the tedious game of chasing the ball she’d kicked far away, and were resting now.
Asha held Natalia’s offered hand in one palm while hoisting her dress hem high above her knees with the other, cradling it against her chest as she crossed the stepping stones over the stream.
The Marquis Estate Backyard held a beautiful, densely wooded forest that was meticulously maintained—and it was entirely Natalia’s playground. Moreover, Natalia had taken an enormous liking to Asha, who had prepared her a magnificent strawberry tart unlike anything she’d ever tasted before, and who had offered no remarks whatsoever about the way she ate.
In return, Natalia had offered to show her to her secret base. As Asha followed where Natalia led through the forest path, she came to perfectly understand the worries that lay in the Marquise’s dark-colored trousers.
Natalia was truly unrestrained. She paid no mind whatsoever to mud or brush, and seemed to regard the scratches from branches almost as badges of honor.
“Will you also marry soon?”
“Cough.”
Asha found herself letting out an involuntary cough. She had crossed the stepping stones just moments before; had she heard this question while crossing, she might well have tumbled into the stream. Still clutching her dress hem against her chest, Asha shook her head.
“No, no. I haven’t even thought about it. I’ve never wanted to. What about you?”
“I don’t like it either.”
“But who keeps telling you to do it?”
“I’m only ten years old. Nobody’s said anything to me.”
Natalia spoke with dignified composure. Asha suppressed her laughter and nodded.
“That’s true.”
“But I can still tell.”
“You can tell?”
“Yes—the Marquis Silistria wants me and Grisha to marry. That’s why Mother opened the tea party and sent me.”
“But you don’t want to?”
“No, because Grisha can’t do anything with his body.”
As she spoke, Natalia nimbly climbed a tree a few steps ahead and plucked down several dark purple berries. Asha watched the movement with an expression of wonder.
“That must be frustrating…”
Natalia wiped the surface of the small berry on her sleeve and held it out to Asha. Then she popped the remaining one straight into her own mouth. Asha accepted the berry, examined it from all angles, then carefully bit it in half.
“Oh? It’s sweet!”
Given its appearance and scent, which seemed quite tart, she had been bracing herself—yet the berry was sweeter than expected.
“Wow! This would make delicious fruit wine.”
“…Mother said the exact same thing.”
“Oh.”
Asha felt a little embarrassed and laughed awkwardly. Deep within the forest stood one rather haphazardly constructed cottage. Looking at it, Natalia’s face overflowed with pride.
“You made this yourself?”
“Well… the servants did help. Would you like to come inside?”
Natalia pushed open the creaking cottage door. Inside, though ramshackle, it had been furnished with various items. Small logs had been cut and arranged as a table; thick notebooks lined the shelves on the walls. An outdated, dust-covered carpet lay on the floor, and upon the carpet—
“Wow, that stove is…”
“Yes, Mother insisted on putting it in. The forest stays cold even after winter passes. She said she’d take this place away if I didn’t put one in, so I had no choice.”
A gleaming, remarkably refined and luxurious stove sat in place. It stood out glaringly in the cottage, which had been barely completed with only crude and worn things.
Natalia seemed deeply humiliated by the presence of such an obviously urban object in her cottage, but she pressed her lips shut—apparently considering continued excuses even more shameful than the stove itself.
However, when Asha pressed close to the stove and gazed with curious eyes at the magic stone flowing into it, Natalia’s expression quickly grew proud.
“I’m about to light it now, so it’s dangerous.”
Natalia’s voice carried dignified firmness. Asha stepped back one pace as Natalia instructed, and soon, with the sound of ignition, a gentle glow and warmth began to circulate.
“Wow, this is really warm.”
“Don’t they have things like this in the Imperial Palace?”
“In the Imperial Palace…”
Asha paused for a moment. To begin with, the Imperial Palace certainly had no portable stoves like this, and it had been ages since they’d used fireplace heaters.
“There probably… are some?”
“…You don’t have one in your room?”
“Oh, even without one in my room, it’s fine! It’s not that cold…”
Asha laughed sheepishly and waved her hand. As the warmth circulated through the small space, Natalia, who had fallen briefly silent, suddenly sprang to her feet and retrieved a notebook from the small bookshelf.
“Would you… like to see this?”
“Hmm? Yes! What is it?”

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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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