Chapter 10

The carrot-shaped scarlet cake also tasted sweet.

I was cautious in the end, fearing that the shape might collapse. It wasn’t just cakes for dessert. There were many interesting things I saw for the first time in my life.

“Have a good meal, Princess.”

Sarina smiled softly. The chef who looked at me from afar looked similar.

‘That face, I saw it somewhere.’

As I groped my memory, I ate a yellow square bread with a fork.

“It’s called Castella, and it tastes good with milk.”

Sarina said gracefully, pouring milk into a glass. I took a sip of milk after eating the bread just like what Sarina said. The bread wrapped around my tongue like it was melting down in my mouth. It’s such a sweet, soft bread.

I’m happy. Perhaps both of my cheeks were red now.

‘Oh, I remember.’

I remembered where I saw that look.

There were a lot of people dying because of the war. However, I once saw an impressive scene on the street. It was the scene of a big-hearted parent who smiled while watching their children eat. How much love they have to smile so gleefully, even if they must be hungry too, I really envied that memory.

“….Delicious.”

In my words, everyone looked like the parent at that time. Chopin and Rogue, who were escorting me, seemed to smile a little.

“What is this cute and square thing?”

“It’s called marshmallow. You can eat this with your hands, Princess.”

The white cookies were covered in colorful colors. When I held it with my hand, it was soft and fluffy.

‘It’s like a pillow that’s well dried in the sun.’

It was sweet when I put it in my mouth. I mumbled and finished a marshmallow. The light yet heavy texture was unique.

I looked up at Sarina and asked, “What about this?”

“It’s a cake called Madeleine, a traditional confectionery in the city of Commercy, Ozzu.”

I’ve never heard of that geographical name, but….

‘Madeleine?’

The cake name was the same as my friend’s name. I suddenly missed the orphanage. The feeling of being happy dropped calmly.

‘How is Madeleine doing?’

On the first day, I thought I’d see Madeleine soon. But now I felt dizzy.

It would make me sad to return to the orphanage after being abandoned by the Duke. However, if I can’t see Madeleine because I’m still a Princess, it’ll be painful.

I put a madeleine in my mouth. It was a soft bread. I only ate for a bite, but it was delicious.

‘I miss you.’

My longing suddenly rose.

“…It’s amazing.”

“What is it, Princess?”

My laughter was muted with Sarina’s voice.

I spoke slowly, “Madeleine is the same name as my friend’s name.”

“…Ah, yes, it is. The one who taught you about the Royal Peace Academy.”

“Yes … and marshmallow.”

I hesitated to speak.

“It looks like Sarina.”

“….? Me?”

Sarina made a confused expression. Indeed, itt does not match the splendor of red hair and her gentle eloquence. Still, I expressed it poorly.

“When I talk to Sarina, I feel … ticklish, soft and light.”

“…?”

“At first, I thought it was like cotton candy, but it was different.”

It’s different from light cotton candy. Cotton candy alone doesn’t express a feeling of numbness.

I said it with Sarina’s eyes in line.

“You look like a marshmallow.”

“….”

Sarina looked like a person who was suddenly struck by her face.

When she was deeply moved, Chopin secretly whispered to Rogue.

“Is that a diss for Sarina’s face?”

“That’s the way it is.”

“She said the marshmallows were square.”

“”It must be that the virtue is angular.”

“You two. I can hear you both.”

Sarina cut their words. She looked like she was dealing with immature younger brothers. She gave them a pathetic stare.

But when she looked at me again, her gaze was warm like the spring breeze.

“Don’t mind them, Princess. They often play with each other like that.”

“They….?”

“They were treated like that.”

Chopin and Rogue’s voices were blunt and full of laughter.

Sarina’s expression also seemed not to hate it. Come to think of it, there must be another life for them. I have heard that the maid of honor is also from a noble family.

‘I want to be close to Sarina, too.‘

Sarina glared at the escorts. Chopin shrugged his shoulders.

Sarina looked at me again and said, “Princess, I’m … umh … Now that I hear that … it looks like marshmallow suits me.”

“Wow, pretentious.”

Even though she was shy, Sarina courageously said that, and Rogue was impressed. Of course, Chopin automatically blocked his mouth after that.

I didn’t care. Sarina kept staring at me.

“I’m happy.”

“….”

Sarina, who had been in edge for some time, soon smiled at my constant eyes and her face was loosened. She blushed, which was a rare sight.

Sarina spoke awkwardly, sweeping her head over her ears like scratching her cheek with her index finger.

“Please eat more, Princess.”

I ate a dessert to my heart’s content. Sarina’s touch became more courteous, and Rogue and Chopin glanced at Sarina as if they were curious about something.

The chef was greatly pleased.

“To enjoy my hard-working dishes that much, the Princess is my new joy.”

Even though it wasn’t a big deal, everyone responded well. Especially, when I returned to my room, the expression of the adults was strange when I said goodbye with waving my hands.

“Good night, everyone.”

I was buried under the blanket and whispered.

Sarina, Chopin and Rogue’s faces froze for a moment, as if they had received an unexpected gift.

“Have a good night, too, Princess.”

“Don’t have a nightmare!”

“Please sleep peacefully.”

In turn, it was Sarina, Chopin, and Rogue. Chopin and Rogue went out first after setting an example.

Sarina helped me change into my pajamas. This time, I did not refuse either.

As I lay in bed, I fell asleep. Sarina carefully covered me with blanket and arranged my hair. I felt a shaky hand pat my head, and the whole world was dark in the next moment.

“Sweet child….”

Sarina seemed to have a complicated mind. There was something strange about her voice.

I just fell asleep.

***

“Princess, we have an outdoor class today.”

When I woke up in the morning, Sarina said that.

“How about the Duke?”

When I asked that question with my eyes wide open, Sarina paused for a moment then answered, “Today, the Duke has no plans to return home. And please speak comfortably, Princess.”

“Ah. Eung.”

I can’t meet my daddy today. Something has become gloomy.

Belatedly, I could see the maids in the room was busily moving. One of them drew the curtains (my eyes were dazzled by the sun),  and the other brought a bunch of clothes through the open door.

I could have stayed still.  They brought warm water and I put my hands in it and wiped my face.

“Here you are, Princess.”

The maid offered a towel as if she had waited. The towel was thick. It was softer than the blanket I had covered in the orphanage.

‘What is an outdoor class?’

I thought as I wiped the water off my face with a towel. Sarina took me to sit in front of a large mirror.

A woman with sharp eyes approached and combed my hair.

“Should the hat be this low?”

“It’s too narrow. The sunshine might burn the Princess’ skin.”

“It’s her first time though … since she can’t get hurt, wouldn’t it be better for the hat to be firm? Like this one.”

“It’s a very rugged design.”

The maid agonized over the hats. This morning’s escorts were Michael and Fabian. However, it was not a crisis to acknowledge. They were staring at the floor with their heads fully bowed. Like a person who must not see me.

I looked up at Sarina with a hint. For me, Sarina was the only person with a sense of humor.

Meanwhile, the maid standing behind me was tying my hair.

“Because the Princess shouldn’t get hurt, let’s choose the safest one.”

Sarina said casually. With that, the maids finished their worries and brought a small black hat. The hat was firm on the outside, but the inside was soft and smooth.

Sarina carefully stamped my hat on my tied head. The hat even covered my eyebrows. Sarina wrapped it all the way to my chin with a shiny silver string from the hat and tied it slowly.

“What is an … outdoor class?”

I almost spoke in honorifics. Sarina answered with her head down.

“It’s a class outside. You’ll be riding an animal today. Since you have to ride the Shinsu on the day of the trial … I heard this from Mr. Ehin … this is the most important class.” said Sarina, carefully tying the knot in my hat.

‘Shinsu?’

It was the word the Duke said yesterday. He said there was a Shinsu above the Emperor. I don’t know exactly what Shinsu is yet.

‘Animal?’

It’s certainly an animal.

I was visibly nervous. Because I was afraid of animals. I’m scared to get close to it, but now I have to ride it myself….

Animals grazed before my eyes eating dead bodies.

‘I saw it myself.’

War doesn’t just overwhelm people.

From small birds like crows, eagles, dogs and wolves, they stopped to find easy prey. Perhaps, for animals, corpses were good food.

Not all those who die in the war are properly buried. In particular, there were cases where the corpses of the homeless were left intact on the streets.

I trembled in fear.

On the day of the trial, I’ll learn that this feeling was called “trauma.”

“Because I didn’t have time to take the measurements, I brought all of the young noble lady clothes around here.”

“I’ve taken out all the girl’s clothes from every salon that I visited. Ms. Noel allowed me to buy everything because we have a big budget.”

“Good job.”

Sarina spoke chicly.

I stiffened my shoulders. The animals were all scary, small or big.

Now, the escort changes three times a day to protect me, but before coming here, I had to always try my best to survive.

I still have the same fear as the one I felt when I saw a child caught on an eagle’s claws and when a friend in the orphanage returned home with a large bite of a dog.

The maids began to worry about the clothes.

“I guess she’ll have to wear it in the standard way.”

“To suit the dignity of a Princess.”

“White clothes are a little impractical. Shall I make the pants white?”

“That’s too inconvenient to move.”

“Wait, everybody be quiet.”

Sarina raised her hand and stopped the talk calmly. The room suddenly became quiet.

My body was shaking.

Sarina was surprised and asked with her knees in front of me.

“Are you all right, Princess?”

Sarina’s eyes were filled with concern.  I could only feel the sincerity.

The next moment, I hugged Sarina.

No, I almost threw myself to hold her desperately.

“Big sister….”

Castella, Marshmallow, and Madeleine.