The Villainous Princess Wants to Live in a Gingerbread House - Chapter 83

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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 Villain’s Imperial Heir Wants to Live in a Pastry Shop
Chapter 83

The early summer garden blazed with verdant beauty. Elegant boys and girls bedecked in finery clustered in twos and threes around tables, their chatter filling the air. Their ages ranged from early teens to late adolescence.
‘Wow. This is on an entirely different scale from Nataliya’s.’
The tea party held at the Tatarecha Marquess House had only four guests, befitting the intimate name; this gathering felt far more like a children’s ball.
‘I heard Valery’s uncle lost a fortune on some venture. Is it really all right to call so many people?’
<There are foolish beasts that, when wounded, thrash about all the more in their desperation to hide the hurt.>
More than a dozen children stirred at the sound of footsteps, turned, recognized Asha, and fell respectfully silent. Just as Asha was about to greet them, a voice broke through.
“Your Highness!”
A delighted cry called out to her. Asha’s eyes widened at the sight. A girl with short brown hair, dressed in fine breeches and boots with a thin shirt wrapping her throat—Nataliya.
“Nataliya? What brings you here?”
Asha stared at her in confusion. She had been thinking of Nataliya just moments before—or rather, of the Marquess House’s tea party—but never expected to see her here. Hadn’t Nataliya seemed bored out of her mind at the party she herself had hosted?
“Mother sent me, so I had no choice. At first I said no, but then they mentioned the Carom Game, so I just came along.”
Nataliya wore an air of reluctance, yet her face shone with life as she looked at Asha. The other children dared not speak to the Imperial Heir, held captive by the Marquess’s only daughter.
“Does Your Highness enjoy the Carom Game?”
When Asha first learned of the Carom Game in this place, she’d marveled anew that human nature was everywhere the same. The game resembled billiards, which she already knew. The only difference was that here, the Carom Game was a basic accomplishment expected of nobility.
All Asha could think about the Carom Game—that is, billiards—was gratitude. Whenever she’d needed quick money, it had been her salvation.
“Well, I’m not particularly… Do you enjoy it?”
“Yes! Then let me teach you.”
Iliya laughed shyly beside them, content merely with so many people gathered, while Dmitri, who’d been about to speak, was overwhelmed by Nataliya’s momentum and could only scowl at Iliya instead. In the meantime, Nataliya laughed brightly, seized Asha’s hand, and pulled her toward the large table set out in the garden.
“Which color would Your Highness prefer?”
The children playing with cues at the table nervously retreated at Nataliya’s glance, yet could not tear their eyes from the two of them.
Atop the large table, draped in smart green felt, sat one white ball and one yellow ball, with two red balls positioned nearby.
“White?”
“Then I’ll take yellow.”
Nataliya said as much, then prepared a child-sized cue, placed it in Asha’s hands, and explained the rules.
“Let me show you first.”
Nataliya, resting the cue on her left forefinger, leaned over the table’s edge with barely concealed confidence.
Crack!
The yellow ball struck one red ball with a crisp sound and narrowly missed the other.
The watching children gasped in admiration.
“Nataliya, you really are good at anything with a ball.”
“Ahem, well, I’m not that skilled. I was supposed to hit both red balls simultaneously, but I made a mistake. Will Your Highness try?”
Asha held the cue and grinned.
“Don’t tease me, Nataliya.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it!”
‘I didn’t mention I once lived off hustle billiards, did I?’

Crack-crack-crack! Tap, tap.
Tap-tap! Tap.
Tap-crack, tap, tap!
Crack-crack-crack! Tap… tap.
Crack-crack! Tap.
Asha watched as the red ball glided smoothly past her white ball, narrowly missing it, and smiled with satisfaction.
‘My game’s gotten better somehow. Must be thanks to Pibi?’
<Of course it’s thanks to me!>
Though the child-sized cue was light and the balls smaller, she adapted without difficulty.
‘It’s so much fun when you just enjoy it.’
“Nataliya, now… oh.”
Thinking she’d struck too many shots in a row and should yield her turn, Asha looked up and saw children clustered around her like clouds, her eyes merely blinking.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
“…How… how did you just do that?”
Dmitri finally found his voice among the stunned children. Asha glanced back at the table. Two red balls clustered together, one white ball nearby, the yellow ball a little distance away.
“Tap, click, crack?”
Asha answered awkwardly, then turned to look at Nataliya. In Nataliya’s green eyes swirled a mixture of embarrassment at having pretended to know about the Carom Game, and a fierce competitive desire to beat Asha.
“It’s…… my turn now.”
“Go on!”
Nataliya gripped the cue with grim determination and leaned her body against the table.
Tap-tap! Click.
Crack-crack-crack! Tap, tap.
Tap-click! Crack-crack!
Click-click-click!
“V…… victory is yours.”
A servant waiting beside the Carom Game table to tend to the noble children’s recreation announced Asha’s win in a dazed voice.
After Nataliya fell to Asha, Dmitri and other young nobles had taken up the cue, but none of them defeated her. Nataliya, who had lost first, had merely managed the smallest margin of defeat among them all.
“Why are you tormenting the others?”
As everyone’s attention remained fixed on the table, none of them noticed a guest arriving rather late. Startled by a voice reaching her ears, Asha spun around.
“Kalno?”
In that same instant, the silence’s atmosphere shifted dramatically. Everyone withdrew in fearful hesitation.
“Oh, Kalno. What brings you here?”
“The Imperial Heir Iliya sent me an invitation as well. My response confirming my attendance seems to have arrived somewhat late.”
At Kalno’s casual reply, Asha’s brows drew together. After handing the cue to the frozen-stiff Dmitri, she glanced around before taking Kalno’s hand and heading toward a corner of the Garden.
“Seriously, how did you get here? You never come to things like this, Kalno.”
“I can attend if I choose to.”
“Did Alexei say something to you?”
“That you seemed to have developed an interest in the Carom Game.”
Asha let out a heavy sigh. So Alexei had indeed given Kalno a private hint.
“I never realized you were so skilled at it, though.”
“I’m playing for the first time here.”
Since it truly was her first time, Asha murmured this to herself and sighed again.
“The one tormenting everyone isn’t me—it’s you, Kalno. Look how discouraged the children have become.”
Kalno paid no heed to her words whatsoever.
“The rest don’t concern me.”
Asha gave him a sullen look before taking his hand once more and approaching the table where they’d been playing Carom just moments before. The children there dispersed like a receding tide.
Yet a few remained stubbornly in place—Dmitri, who seemed to be bearing his fear through sheer willfulness, and Nataliya, whose lips were pressed firmly shut. Asha took a shallow breath and introduced Kalno to the pair.
“Kalno, this is Nataliya Bagration, my friend. And Dmitri is my cousin. Dmitri, Nataliya, this is the Imperial Heir’s friend and…… Vice Commander of the Imperial Army…….”
The disparity in weight between the titles made the introduction feel awkward. Just as Asha was clearing her throat to cut the introduction short, Kalno interjected flatly.
“If you wish to state whose friend I am, you might say I’m Anastasia’s friend.”
“Kalno…….”
Asha was about to swat his waist for his impertinence when a hand suddenly wedged itself between them.
“I…… I’m Nataliya, Bagration…….”
It was Nataliya, her voice trembling slightly. At the sight of that hand, clearly extended to shake Kalno’s, Asha’s eyes widened. Though she had introduced Kalno to them, she hadn’t expected any response.
“If you’re the Young Princess’s friend, then you’re my friend too.”
Nataliya spoke with steady composure, her voice firm even as her hand shook slightly—yet she did not withdraw it. Asha froze for a moment, then quickly gestured urgently to Kalno to accept the handshake so the girl wouldn’t feel mortified.
Kalno too showed a flicker of surprise as he grasped her hand and shook it lightly before releasing. At that moment, Dmitri broke in with a voice strained by tension.
“D-Dmitri, my name is Dmitri.”
Embarrassed by his cracking voice, Dmitri’s face flushed crimson, but he stood trembling yet resolute, looking up at Kalno. Kalno regarded this turn of events thoughtfully for a moment before nodding gracefully.
“I am honored to meet you, Imperial Heir Dmitri.”
“Th…… thank you for your service in the war.”
A ten-year-old boy, straining to solemnly commend someone far taller than himself!
Asha turned her head away, her shoulders shaking. She was afraid laughter would burst out from the embarrassment of witnessing it.
“Well, since it’s come to this, let’s all play Carom together.”
“I won’t lose this time!”
At the mention of Carom, Nataliya cried out with fierce determination. Asha stifled her laughter and shoved Kalno forward.
“Then try playing against Kalno.”
“V…… very well.”
“Your Highness.”
Kalno narrowed his eyes as he looked back at Asha. Asha herself placed the cue directly into Kalno’s hand.

* * *

‘Where could Uncle Valery be?’
While Nataliya suffered successive defeats to Kalno, Asha stood at a distance, pretending to watch their game while scanning the surroundings.
Asha had pestered Dmitri relentlessly to arrange this gathering through Iliya, all to catch a glimpse of Valery’s Plastir as quickly as possible—but when she arrived, Valery was nowhere to be found.
“……did you?”
That was when Asha missed what Dmitri beside her was muttering, his face drawn into a pronounced sulk.
“Hmm?”
“……today…… tart…… or not.”
Dmitri’s ventriloquism was abysmal. Asha could barely make out anything he was mumbling, his lips barely moving.
“Dmitri? What are you saying?”
“Didn’t you bake the Strawberry Tart today!”
Dmitri spoke in a hushed voice, his expression and intensity as if he were shouting, yet the words still came out as barely a whisper.
“The Tart……?”
“Iliya said you’d bake a Tart if she arranged this gathering for us.”
Dmitri fixed her with a serious look, his eyes narrowing. Asha felt momentarily flustered and touched her cheek.

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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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