The Villainess Princess Wants To Live In A Gingerbread House ​

“Alyosha is very busy too…”

<It seems inheriting a landowner’s position is no ordinary matter.>

“Right. But thankfully, he’s been getting good sleep these days. He’s gotten much closer with Fafnir, too.”

Asha, who thought so far, recalled Mariya and looked seriously troubled for a moment.

‘It’s going to be okay, right?’

<What are you thinking?>

Phoebe, who settled on Asha’s shoulder, asked.

“A bride for Alyosha…”

<Bride?>

“I mean, by this time, Alyosha would have had someone he liked.”

<The baby painter?>

“Mariya is older than me.”

<She’s younger than the adult artist, isn’t she?>

“Lady Meura is older than her, but…”

Mariya was almost under exclusive contract with Baroness Saratov as she lived in the Aylau home, drawing a new package and ad poster for Phoebe powder once every half year – the angel in the Phoebe powder ad poster also grew a little every year – and she was busy drawing posters for the products that Baroness Saratov imported from the south and occasionally drawing portraits and landscape paintings with Mura.

She heard that there were quite a few men who approached Mariya because they admired her, but she did not pay them any attention and they all left.

<You’re both busy doing what you want to do, why are you getting anxious in the middle?>

“Right, right. That’s it, right? But…”

<Didn’t you deliberately make them meet several times?>

“I did… that…”

Asha sighed deeply. She had tried to create a few opportunities for Mariya and Alexei to exchange a few words in private after the exhibition Mura held when Asha was ten, but there had been no significant response at all.

Mariya focused only on Asha, her benefactor and subject, and Alexei also focused only on Asha, his cousin, who was no different from his own sister. Asha was caught in the middle and stopped making them meet after a few meaningless struggles.

<If they liked each other, they would have met on their own.>

“They’re meeting?!”

<Don’t you see it? Where would the eldest grandson of the landowner have the time for that?>

“That’s… right…”

Asha said so, slumped on Alexei’s chair, and leaned over when she saw the document on the desk.

“Alyosha is even taking care of the boulevard’s tree problem in the royal palace one by one? No wonder Alyosha has a lot of work. Moreover, they’re spread out like this, asking for a decision.”

While complaining and flipping through a few documents, Asha had a brilliant idea and her eyes sparkled. Then she picked up a pen and started writing on a blank paper.

“Recommend apple trees for the royal palace boulevard. It’s very beautiful when the green tree bears fruit… Later, the fruit can be made into jam…”

Having written it all down in a mumble, Asha neatly cut the paper and slipped it among the documents as if it were recommended by an anonymous noble.

<Do you think the landowner’s eldest grandson wouldn’t know that you wrote it?>

“It’s okay if he doesn’t recognize it, and it’s okay if he does recognize it. It’s fun.”

Asha laughed placidly as she said this.

<Do you find it amusing to exchange such ridiculous things specifically written on paper?>

“…”

<D, Don’t come near me, you evil creature! You don’t write to me, even though you have me write letters and diaries and run errands for you!>

“Did you want my letters that much? We’re always together, after all.”

<I don’t want them that much! I just want a little!>

“Oh dear. Our cute Phoebe. Got it. I will write a letter to you, Phoebe!”

Asha said so, patting Phoebe’s forehead. Phoebe rolled over once behind her and then flew up with a squawk, but the embarrassed tint in her voice didn’t seem to carry much strength.

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

Lyudmila agonized a little when she really got a tea-time invitation from Princess Anastasia. If she visited the princess, it was not out of a pure intention, but to meet Karnov, who was likely to be with the princess.

She knew that it was not right to visit with this self-interest. However, there was no excuse to reject the princess’s invitation. On top of that, it became even more difficult because her parents were visibly happy to see Princess Anastasia’s invitation.

Marquis Oleg and his wife were worried about their daughter, who had no friends her age, only stopped by Marchioness Tataricha’s once even when they came to the capital.

‘Yes, the invitation was from Princess Anastasia!’

Lyudmila came to the palace after rationalizing it. Princess Anastasia must not have just invited her for a cup of tea, right?

“Oh, I sent a note saying to wear something comfortable…”

The time the princess called her was very early for tea time. It was time for a relaxed noble to still sleep.

“It’s comfortable clothes for me. Thank you for your concern.”

The invitation said to come in comfortable clothes, mentioning that there was a carefully cultivated rose greenhouse and to enjoy rose jam while admiring it.

Lyudmila gladly complied. When it came to looking at roses, she had chosen a dark green dress for harmonious coloring and comfortable shoes with gentle heels that wouldn’t be challenging to walk through the garden with.

“But Your…”

However, the princess, who invited her, was wearing really comfortable clothes. She was wearing comfortable pants and a shirt made of linen fabric that must have been sent from Lyudmila’s family. The clothes fit the frame of Princess Anastasia perfectly, making her look stylish, but they didn’t appear brand new. It looked like she had worn them a few times.

“Oh, do you recognize it? These were made from the fabric you sent.”

“I didn’t send it, it was sent from our family. I didn’t know…you’d…wear it…”

In fact, Lyudmila was a little startled. She did send the fabric, but she often thought it would just be disregarded as if it were hemp fabric.

“Something as pretty and comfortable as this? It’s so cool!”

Princess Anastasia, who was speaking with a smile, looked up at her with a young expression of concern.

“Well, do you want to change your clothes? To comfortable clothes. It’s my clothes, so it’s a little short for Lady Lyudmila, but…”

Lyudmila shook her head in amazement. It was unimaginable to change clothes in the royal palace, where she only met her twice.

“No! This dress is really comfortable. You don’t have to worry.”

“We have to pick a lot of roses. Are you sure you can do it?”

“What?”

“Tell me if you’re having a hard time. I’ll let you rest.”

“What?”

“You must say, ‘Yes!’ Lady Lyudmila.”

“…Yes?”

Princess Anastasia, based on her words alone, was continuing with seemingly undeniably sincere remarks. Then, with complete disregard for etiquette or formality, she abruptly took Lyudmila’s hand and led the way.

Lyudmila looked around in surprise, but the chambermaids just smiled, and nobody stopped them.

‘What, what is this. What is this!’

She wanted to cry out if this was acceptable, but her speech failed her as she was half led. Soon, Lyudmila came to realize that Princess Anastasia’s words about picking roses as they viewed them were not a joke.

Asha’s small glass greenhouse was very beautiful to see glittering in the sunlight, and the roses in it were rather rugged.

The two girls settled in the greenhouse. Asha sent out all the chambermaids because the greenhouse was small and it was crowded when there were many people, so only Lyudmila and Asha were inside.

“Like this, like this. Uh-huh.”

Asha held Lyudmila’s hand and moved the pruning shears. Asha’s hand was smaller, as if it was placed on top of Lyudmila’s.

Lyudmila didn’t seem to have ever held shears, but she didn’t seem to be able to say that she couldn’t because of her pride. After biting her lips tightly, as Asha told her, she tried to move the electrostatic scissors and pluck the flowers.

“What will you use all these plucked roses for?”

It was a small greenhouse, but when half of the greenhouse was harvested, a huge amount of flowers accumulated, and as it approached noon, sweat began to accumulate.

While Lyudmila regretted not changing when Asha said she would give her clothes to change, Asha moved her shoulders and stretched her back, wiping the sweat from her ears.

“We’re going to make jam now.”

“Are you saying that you’re going to make jam yourself? With roses? You said you wanted to taste it.”

“Yes, rose jam. Let’s go make it now!”

Asha smiled broadly and pulled Lyudmila’s hand, but this time Lyudmila stood still.

“Your Highness, I know it’s rude, but I have to say something.”

“Huh? Go ahead.”

“First of all, there are duties for a noble. Doesn’t Your Highness, who is of a much higher and nobler status than me, have a more important duty?”

“So what is it?”

By this point, Lyudmila had come to the firm conclusion that the princess was obviously doing all this to tease her. Meeting this early in the morning, doing the tasks of a gardener together, going into the kitchen to make jam – these weren’t things she could do just because she wanted to! The thought of this made her blood boil.

“It is not suitable for Your Highness… to be working in the kitchen.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Your Highness, it may seem insignificant to you for those who labor in the kitchen, but they also have their own duties and pride. Our presence there will only serve to hinder…”

“It’s my kitchen, so it’s okay.”

“I mean, those who work in that kitchen…”

“Ah~! You misunderstood? It’s really my kitchen. Only mine, my property. My grandfather… His Majesty made it for me. So there’s nobody else there!”

“…What?”

Saying this, Asha felt a bit sorry inside. After all, that kitchen was tailored to the height of ten-year-old Asha, so it was destined to be remodeled every year from the get-go.

She must be the only one in the empire to own such a busy kitchen. The emperor refurbished the kitchen counter and sink every time, so the kitchen still looked brand new.

“If my words displease you, Your Highness, you are welcome to slap me. But I must state my opinion.”

Lyudmila raised her head straight. There was no retreating here.

“Your Highness, a noble princess working in the kitchen cannot set a good example. Even now…”

“Oh, then I’ll just order it!”

Asha smiled and briskly picked up a basket full of roses to hand to Lyudmila, also picking up another one for herself. Lyudmila instinctively caught the basket and opened her eyes wide.

“…Yes?”

“I, Anastasia, the noble princess, will order you. Carry that and let’s go to the kitchen to make our rose jam.”

Just as Asha pointed outside the greenhouse with a wink, the greenhouse door opened automatically.

“Oh? Did I do some magic?”

“…”

“Ah. It was Karnov.”

“What… are you talking about, Your Highness?”

It was Karnov who opened the greenhouse door. He was so tall that he had to bend a little and cross the doorway.

“I heard you giving some orders, who is not listening to you, Your Highness?”