episode_0013

After her defeat in the duel,

Princess Flora had shut herself in her room.

At first, the servants didn’t take it too seriously.

“She must be upset about losing to a child younger than her.”

“It was a pretty overwhelming loss, though.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen Her Highness lose to someone her age.”

“Right? That young lady is something else.”

A truly astonishing upset.

That was the extent of the servants’ reactions to the duel’s outcome.

Of course, if word of this reached His Majesty the Emperor, there would likely be repercussions from the imperial family—but since that wasn’t an immediate concern, they didn’t worry too much.

After all, fretting over the affairs of those above you in advance was rarely useful—a wisdom born from experience.

“Her Highness hasn’t come out of her room… Is she alright?”

“Ah, she’ll probably come out soon.”

“Well, maybe by evening?”

“Hmm. But she’s so proud… Maybe tomorrow?”

“Gasp. But she’s only ten.”

“Hey, do you still not know Her Highness? She’s no ordinary ten-year-old girl.”

“That’s true.”

Everyone expected her to emerge by evening at the earliest, or by the next day at the latest.

However.

A day passed,

then two,

then three.

Flora’s door remained firmly shut.

By this point, sensing this was no ordinary matter, the servants sprang into action.

—Knock, knock.

“Um, Your Highness? It’s time for your meal~.”

“Your Highness. I’ve left your meal outside, so please eat it later~.”

“Your Highness. May I come in to clean?”

“Your Highness~. There’s dessert too~.”

The servants tried everything they could think of.

Preparing Her Highness’s favorite dishes and wafting the aroma into her room,

wailing dramatically to appeal to her sympathy,

even threatening to contact His Majesty if this continued.

Yet the princess’s door remained unmoved.

And so, with all the servants attending the princess in the Magical Tower on high alert, they held an emergency meeting to discuss countermeasures.

“What in the world should we do?”

“Should we really report this to His Majesty?”

“But then Her Highness might get scolded…”

“That would be heartbreaking. She’s still just a ten-year-old girl, after all.”

“Ugh… Isn’t there some brilliant solution?”

“At this point, we’ve tried almost everything.”

“Ugh……”

But no brilliant solution presented itself,

and time continued to slip away mercilessly.

Now, with Flora’s health at risk,

the servants had no choice but to make a decision.

“This can’t go on. At this rate, Her Highness will collapse!”

“You’re right. Even if we get scolded, we have to do something!”

“Let’s get the key from the Magical Tower and open the door.”

“Agreed.”

“Prepare a meal that’s easy to eat, with plenty of nutrients!”

In the end, they resolved to enter the princess’s quarters without permission and began bustling about with preparations.

A short while later,

they stood before the princess’s door, key from the Magical Tower in hand.

—Gulp.

The head maid, her hands and voice trembling, spoke.

“Um… are we really doing this…?”

“W-we’re counting on you, Head Maid.”

“W-we all agreed on this together!”

“Ahem.”

“Ahem.”

“Y-you traitors…!”

Though the head maid’s face twisted in betrayal(?), there was no turning back now.

“Ugh…”

Clutching the key in her shaking hand once more,

she knocked on the door one last time.

—Knock, knock.

“Your Highness. It’s the head maid.”

Of course, there was still no response.

Finally, the head maid steeled herself and spoke her last warning.

“…Your Highness. Due to concerns for your well-being, we will be entering your quarters without permission.”

—Please, forgive us.

Her trembling hands fumbled,

causing the key to slip out of the keyhole repeatedly.

—Fumble.

The unintended mistakes continued, drawing sharp glares from the other servants behind her.

—Glare, glare.

‘What are you doing, Head Maid?!’

‘Hurry up and open it!!’

‘Ugh, I know!!’

This time, she managed to fit the key properly into the hole.

—Click.

“Phew…”

With one final deep breath,

she prayed.

‘Please, let Her Highness be safe…!’

And in that moment—

—Tap, tap.

A faint sound of footsteps.

It caught the attention of everyone gathered outside Flora’s door.

Drawn by an inexplicable pull, they all turned their heads—

and the owner of the footsteps came into view.

“Lady Lielle?”

At this moment, the appearance of Lady Lielle—the one who had defeated the princess in their duel—could not have been a coincidence.

A tiny sprout of hope blossomed in the hearts of all the servants.

‘Could it be…?’

If she had bested the princess,

perhaps she could resolve this situation as well?

Whether she sensed their expectations or not,

Serena, appearing in her usual pristine white,

stood before the princess’s door with an unreadable expression.

—Tap, tap, clack.

The moment all eyes were fixed on her,

“Princess.”

Serena’s small lips parted.

In her usual beautiful yet resolute voice, she spoke.

“As the victor, I have come to exercise my rightful privilege.”

Her word choice and confidence were startling for a seven-year-old,

but what came next was even more surprising.

—”…Speak.”

From behind the door—where not a single sound had been heard for days—came a reply.

Though the voice lacked strength, some servants sighed in relief upon confirming the princess was unharmed.

But Serena’s next words froze them all in place.

“Is this the proper attitude of the defeated toward the victor exercising their rightful privilege? Speaking only from behind a door?”

Her sharp tone was something no one in the Magical Tower had heard from her in months.

And given that her opponent was the princess herself,

the shock was enough to make them all faint on the spot.

—……

Flora, too, seemed taken aback, falling silent for a moment.

After what felt like an eternity,

—Creeeak.

The door—which had seemed like it would never open—

swung open with surprising ease.

The princess, revealing herself for the first time in days.

Having refused food and drink for so long, she looked noticeably gaunt,

her hair disheveled and dark circles under her eyes from sleepless nights.

Though her voice lacked strength, Flora forced herself to speak firmly.

“…Speak. Your wish.”

“What I demand is—”

Serena, unfazed by the princess’s glare, replied in a dignified tone.

“Your Highness’s entire day today.”

“…My day?”

“Yes. For the entire day, no matter what I ask, you will comply.”

A rather peculiar request.

Of course, it depended on what Serena would ask,

but it felt like a waste to use the privilege of demanding anything from an imperial princess on something like this.

Many servants exchanged curious glances but refrained from voicing their doubts.

After a brief silence, Flora answered.

“Fine. I’ll do as you say.”

“Good. Then—”

Serena turned to the servants and said,

“Could you prepare a meal?”

“I don’t need—”

“Today.”

As Flora showed signs of refusal,

“Today. You agreed to follow my instructions, didn’t you?”

Serena shut her down

in a tone that brooked no argument.

Blinking, Flora had no choice but to nod.

“Alright. Then let’s go to the dining hall.”

A short while later,

they arrived at the dining hall and were served the prepared meal.

The moment she saw the food, Serena exclaimed in an excited voice,

“Wow! This looks so delicious!”

—Let’s eat~.

She began eating at an astonishing speed.

Her very seven-year-old demeanor left Flora momentarily stunned.

“Mmmf, mmf (Come eat).”

With her mouth stuffed full, Serena looked nothing like the genius girl who had defeated the princess.

—Nom, nom.

Flora stared at her meal for a long moment before hesitantly taking a bite.

—Slurp.

‘It’s good…’

As she took one, then two bites of the lovingly prepared food—

—Drip.

Tears welled up in her eyes for no discernible reason.

‘How foolish.’

Flora hurriedly glanced at Serena, but—

—Nom, nom.

Fortunately, she was still engrossed in her meal.

Wiping her tears quickly, the princess finished her food.

—Slurp. Munch, munch.

—Nom, nom.

After the meal,

“Next, let’s go eat dessert!”

Serena suggested they have dessert next.

Realizing she couldn’t refuse anyway, Flora quietly followed.

From then on, Serena continued making strange(?) requests.

“Your Highness, let’s go see the flowers!”

“Let’s go clothes shopping! I’ll pick out pretty outfits for you!”

“There’s a play worth watching right now!”

Dizzyingly dragged along by Serena’s demands,

before she knew it, the sun had begun to set.

Flora spoke in a concerned voice.

“Lady Lielle. I think it’s time to head back.”

However.

“No.”

Serena shook her head.

“There’s still one more place we need to go.”

“But it’s getting late.”

As Flora hesitated,

—Squeeze.

“Just one.”

Serena gripped her hand tightly.

“Just. One. More. Place.”

Faced with the smiling, doe-eyed beauty,

even the princess was powerless to resist.

“…This really is the last one.”

“Hehe, good!”

Beaming, Serena took Flora’s hand and led her along.

“Let’s hurry!”

‘How foolish…’

How could this child be so endearing?

Even now, Serena could have simply dragged her along under the pretense of her “right,”

but she chose to persuade her instead.

‘Compared to that, I…’

Flora reflected on her behavior over the past few days.

She had challenged a girl three years her junior to a duel out of nowhere.

Despite her reckless provocation, she had been utterly, humiliatingly outmatched.

And then, in shock, she had shut herself in her room.

Worrying countless servants in the process.

Even when Serena came to claim her victor’s privilege, she had made a disgraceful scene.

‘Looking at it all together, really.’

—Pathetic beyond words.

And the truly laughable part?

After spending the day wandering around with Serena,

she had found unexpected comfort in her heart.

‘I’ve been defeated—not just in the duel, but as a person.’

As a deep sense of defeat, helplessness, and self-loathing seeped into her bones—

“Your Highness.”

A clear voice reached her ears.

“Would you look ahead?”

Raising her head, she saw

a breathtaking sight unfolding before her.

A lakeshore so vast it seemed to stretch endlessly.

A noble crescent moon illuminating the dark night sky.

And its twin, reflected on the lake’s surface.

“Wow…”

Flora reacted like any ordinary ten-year-old girl seeing something beautiful.

‘It’s pretty…’

And now,

another beautiful sight was about to unfold.

Under the moonlight, blue magical energy swirled around Serena by the lakeshore,

gradually taking shape.

—Shimmer…

After a brief moment,

the form became clearer.

It was something Flora recognized.

Yes, without a doubt—

“A piano?”

Seated before the piano of blue magic, Serena placed her hands on the keys and spoke.

“Please listen, and share your thoughts afterward. Your Highness.”

—It’s my first time using this spell.

With those words,

Serena’s performance began.