The Villainous Princess Wants to Live in a Gingerbread House - Chapter 79

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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 Heir Wishes to Live in a Confectionery
79

“Leaves and seeds I collected in the forest……”
When she opened the notebook, the left page was covered with pressed leaves, twigs, flower petals, and seeds, while the right page bore neat, careful handwriting detailing the date, weather, and precisely where each specimen had been found.
“Wow!”
“……”
“Did you do all this yourself?”
Careful to avoid crumbling the dried leaves as she turned the pages, Asha asked the question, and Natalya answered with a silent nod, her lips pressed firmly shut.
“That’s amazing. Do you have other notebooks with collections too?”
Nod, nod.
“Can I look at them?”
Nod, nod.
“Oh! This is what we ate earlier, isn’t it? If we planted these seeds, would the fruit grow again?”
Nod, nod……
As Asha flipped through the notebook with exclamations of wonder, she eventually noticed how quiet Natalya had become and looked up—only to find her eyes widening in surprise.
The girl who had been so confidently composed until now had turned bright red at the ears. She was clearly trying hard to look indifferent, but Asha had to bury her face in the notebook to stifle her laughter.
“Did I… look through too much?”
“Oh, no. No, it’s not that. I’ve just never shown it to anyone before! So……”
The cabin no longer felt cold—not because of the stove, but because of the warmth radiating from the girl beside her.
“How could you hide something this incredible?”
“……”
Natalya didn’t answer, but Asha could read the meaning in her silence. This spirited, bold girl shared her secret treasure map—her little palace—only with those she truly cared for. Asha drew a gentle smile across her face.
“You know, Natalya? When you collect something new, will you show me again? I’ll bake you another Strawberry Tart.”

* * *

Marquess Tataricha’s Wife stood with arms crossed, looking down at her sleeping daughter.
“Goodness, she fell asleep right next to the Imperial Heir.”
The servants fidgeted at their mistress’s sigh. When the Marquess’s ten-year-old only child announced she would take a forest walk alone with the Imperial Heir, the servants made a show of withdrawing, of course—but the household staff naturally trailed at a distance.
When the two girls entered that tiny, shabby cabin, the servants had naturally followed them too, but after some time, the door opened quietly.
A small hand emerged from within, gesturing—not to summon them. The young lady was always quick to rage whenever she noticed servants following, so the servants cautiously approached and found Natalya asleep with her head resting on the Imperial Heir’s lap at the door.
The Imperial Heir, having evidently anticipated that the servants would follow, gestured for them to carry the sleeping Natalya back to the manor. Marquess Tataricha’s Wife sighed heavily and pressed a hand to her forehead.
“It’s my fault, really.”
The Marquess’s Wife had been deeply anxious that her spirited daughter might impose on the Imperial Heir if she attended that unwanted tea party.
So she had kept the restless girl from playing properly for a full week, and only yesterday had finally let her run freely—thinking that if she were tired enough, she might at least be somewhat more demure. But how could she possibly become just tired enough to be dragged deep into the forest by the Imperial Heir and fall asleep inside a cabin?
“Thank heavens the Imperial Heir did not fault her for the rudeness.”
Marquess Tataricha’s Wife recalled the girl with lovely pink hair and her expression grew peculiar. It was said that the Imperial Heir had not only lent her knee as a pillow but had removed her own coat and draped it over the girl’s shoulders. Without reproaching the servants, the Imperial Heir had emerged from the forest alongside them and conveyed to Marquess Tataricha’s Wife that she had something to discuss.

– I was so happy to hear you enjoyed the cake.

It took the Marquess’s Wife a moment to understand what the girl was saying. Ah—she meant the cake from the patisserie that she had tasted and praised at the party. It had even been called Asha’s Chocolate Cake!
The girl smiled shyly and nodded. It was then that Marquess Tataricha’s Wife understood why Anastasia, the Imperial Heir, had accepted only her invitation to tea while declining all others.
The girl continued speaking softly with a gentle smile. There had been some unfortunate incident at the beginning, she said, but she was grateful for the kind word, and had come to offer her thanks. And she added that making a friend of Natalya in the process had been a wonderful thing as well.
“Who all has entered Natalya’s cabin?”
“Do you mean the servant who brought in the stove, ma’am?”
“No one else?”
The maidservant, understanding what the Marquess’s Wife was implying, offered an awkward, measured smile.
“Young Master Grisha could not cross the stream the last time he visited, and His Highness Dmitri saw it just before the cabin was completed, but he took such fright then that……”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Marquess Tataricha’s Wife smoothed her daughter’s brow once and left the room.
“But about her saying she made it herself……. Is that truly the case?”
The maidservant who followed spoke with curiosity—she was asking about the tart the Imperial Heir had brought today.
“Then who would have made it for her?”
“And yet that……”
The maidservant’s voice trailed off. The sound of someone swallowing could be heard from beside her.
Marquess Tataricha’s Wife had gladly shared the leftover tart with the servants after distributing it among the children.
The maids, recalling that taste, swallowed hard one after another.
“You’ve never tasted a tart quite like this, have you?”
“It might have been made by a pastry chef whose name hasn’t become well known yet?”
“There’s a pastry chef in Jedo that I don’t know about?”
One of the maids swallowed again and nodded in agreement with the Marquess’s wife.
Yet their suspicion persisted, for the tart was so extraordinarily delicious that neither the Marquess’s wife—who had sampled every dessert in Jedo—nor her maids had ever tasted anything quite like it. The notion that the Young Princess, who was the same age as Natalya and had only just arrived in Jedo this year, could have created something so exquisite simply didn’t ring true.
“There may well be a skilled pastry chef I don’t know of, but I find it hard to believe the Young Princess—who’s only been in Jedo since this year—possesses that degree of skill.”
The maids nodded in understanding, one by one.
“And even if one were to deceive people and pretend some skill were one’s own, why would the Young Princess bother to claim mastery of pastry-making, of all things?”
There was no reason to deceive anyone into thinking she possessed “the deft hands of a kitchen hand,” a skill that would only draw mockery, as Dmitri had once scoffed.
“In any case, I gather there was some unpleasant business at that shop. I should look into it.”
“Yes, madam.”
“And while you’re at it, buy some of that chocolate cake as well.”

* * *

Inside the returning carriage, Asha opened the box the Marquess’s wife had given her as a gift. Within the pink box tied with a pale blue ribbon lay cookies neatly arranged in their wrappers.
“Should we each have one of these?”
Asha took out cookies one by one and pressed one into the hands of Bedelnik, Anne, and Lis.
“Th-thank you.”
“……Thank you.”
“Oh! One of these is for Iven.”
Asha picked up another cookie envelope and handed it to Anne, who nodded willingly. Asha then gazed at the three remaining cookies in the box, frowned in concentration for a long moment, and finally picked up one more.
“This one’s……for Nelin.”
“……!”
“……!”
Bedelnik remained composed, but Lis and Anne’s eyes widened simultaneously. Asha cleared her throat and hastily changed the subject.
“These were made at a place called Lemerrotil Confectionery. They served them at the tea party, and they were really delicious. I wonder how they’re made? Is the ingredient selection different?”
“If you’re pleased with this establishment, shall we summon its pastry chef to the palace?”
“Ah, no. Not that.”
Asha waved her hand urgently. She’d recently begun to notice Lis had rather extreme tendencies. While Asha chattered with the others inside the carriage, the Coachman, who had been focused solely on driving, brought the carriage to a halt and knocked toward the interior.
“What is it?”
As Lis rolled down the carriage window and asked toward the outside, the Coachman, bowing deeply, spoke in a trembling voice.
“That is……we’ve stopped at the crossroads for a moment……and…… Kalno Neustettor wishes to pay his respects to Your Highness.”
“Kalno?”
Everyone in the carriage’s expression shifted slightly. Lis turned to Asha with a somewhat flustered look at the unexpected name. Asha tilted her head quizzically.
“Kalno said he had to pick up Grandmother today. I guess he finished early.”
“Ah……yes, I see.”
“I’ll just greet him quickly and come back.”
Asha said this and was about to descend from the carriage when she stopped short, opened the Lemerrotil Confectionery’s cookie box, and tucked one cookie envelope into her hand. Lis moved to step down first to help Asha out, but Asha stopped her. Then the knights tried to follow, and she stopped them too.
“Kalno’s there—it’s fine.”

“Kalno!”
Kalno, who had been mounted, looked slightly flustered before quickly dismounting.
“Your Highness. ……I didn’t expect you to step down from the carriage.”
Kalno’s trailing words were whispered, barely audible.
“What are you talking about? You’re the one I called out to.”
“I was thinking of offering just a brief greeting through the carriage window. I never imagined you’d actually step out like this.”
“I’m getting in. I’m staying in the carriage.”
As Asha’s mouth worked soundlessly, Kalno moved faster still, positioning himself before her.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry. My apologies, Your Highness.”
Asha stood with her arms crossed, looking up at Kalno.
“Lately it feels like you’re trying to smooth everything over with nothing but ‘I’m sorry.'”
“You’ve caught me.”
“Then you don’t get this.”
Asha suddenly thrust forward the cookie envelope she’d been holding. Kalno blinked.
“What’s that?”
“An incredibly delicious cookie.”
“Did you bake it yourself?”
“Well… no, that’s not it. I went to a tea party today, and the Marquess’s Wife gave it to me as a gift…….”
Asha suddenly launched into an explanation as if making an excuse, then narrowed her eyes and let out a thin laugh.
“What is it, Kalno? Do you only like the cookies I bake myself?”
“You’ve said a thousand times you have no taste for sweets.”
“But you’ve come to like them recently, haven’t you?”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I can tell by looking at your face.”
“…….”
Kalno wore an expression of stubborn refusal to admit it, yet in the end he quietly accepted the bag of cookies Asha held out to him.
“Did you do well fetching Grandmother? What brings you out here?”
“I brought Grandmother back, and then I came out for a walk.”
At the mention of a walk, Asha blinked and looked past Kalno at the horse behind him. The glossy black stallion merely whinnied once at the sight of Asha before settling back into calm.

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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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