The Villainess Princess Wants To Live In A Gingerbread House ​

Prince Nothea, who had intended to offer tea from the beginning, paused for a moment.

“You’re opening… a shop?”

Rather than explaining it in words, Asha decided to show him by letting him taste it.

“Try this. I made it. The blueberries were picked this morning.”

Despite Asha’s whimsical words, Prince Nothea silently took the bowl in his hand. The transparent syrup with its refreshing aroma, the fruits contained within, and the fruit jelly that shimmered like summer light all dazzled with brilliance. After taking a spoonful, Prince Nothea widened his eyes.

Asha smiled for a moment because she was blinded by the bright and transparent particles that burst out of Prince Nothea, and then extended a bowl to Lorenzo, who was next to the prince.

Lorenzo refused gently, but Asha’s insistence was so strong that he had no choice but to hold it. And not long after, Lorenzo had an expression similar to Prince Nothea. Asha looked at their faces with satisfaction and said again.

“So I’m going to open a shop. A dessert shop.”

“Are you going to run the store?”

“Run it, make things.”

Asha pointed to herself with her finger. Prince Nothea spoke with an expression of incomprehension.

“But you’re… a princess, aren’t you…?”

“I was lucky enough to be born like that.”

“But to become a pastry chef…?”

“Yes! I’ve been thinking about it since I was young.”

“Hasn’t the emperor said anything…?”

“Children always have a mind of their own.”

Asha smiled bashfully. It was awkward for a seventeen-year-old girl to spit out, but Prince Nothea never thought to point it out. He only looked at the bowl, which had already become empty, with slightly trembling eyes.

“This is… This is really good…”

“Would it sell well in stores?”

“Of course! Anyone…”

Prince Nothea, who was about to shout that anyone would definitely buy it, suddenly came to his senses and collected his breath.

“…Anyone will come to buy it…”

“Anyway, what you’re saying, Prince Nothea, sounds a bit challenging.”

“No, I also thought it would be difficult… Actually, what I wanted to ask was something else.”

“What is it?”

“What if I was the channel for communication between the empire and the kingdom?”

Asha scooped up a cold blueberry soaked in syrup and popped it into her mouth, rolling her eyes.

“That’s not up to me, it’s Aly… I think you need to talk to His Highness Alexei.”

“To be honest, I’ve already spoken to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but he doesn’t seem to be very interested.”

There’s no need for the empire to designate a single channel for communication with the kingdom. Moreover, he was not even the crown prince of the kingdom, but the second prince. It’s natural that Alexei wasn’t interested.

“My mother’s side is making a big fuss about it. Of course, Your Highness is the most favored in the palace…”

In simple terms, along with the request to change Alexei’s mind, there was also the offer of a bribe. Asha carefully poured just the right amount of syrup to accompany a single blueberry and put it into her mouth.

“Um, actually, I don’t need anything.”

“Do you know brocade velvet? The most beautiful pattern in the world…”

“It’s okay because there are a lot of people who make my clothes.”

“Well then, our jewelry shop has crafted a necklace using a unique emerald design. It looks like water flowing smoothly and elegantly…”

“If I open a shop, I won’t be able to wear much jewelry anyway, so it’s okay.”

This and that, Asha carefully listened to Prince Nothea’s suggestions, but she rejected them all. It wasn’t to tease Prince Nothea, but because she genuinely didn’t need anything. Prince Nothea knew that too.

“Well, do you happen to know about chaperano? It’s a fragrant substance produced in small quantities in the southwestern part of our kingdom.”

“Chaperano?”

Asha tilted her head. At that moment, Phoebe, who had been teasing other birds among the garden trees, fluttered onto Asha’s shoulder and whispered softly.

<He’s talking about saffron.>

‘Saffron? That’s a spice…’

Asha opened her eyes wide after realizing what Prince Nothea was talking about. It was a rare spice produced in the kingdom. As Prince Nothea stepped back, Lorenzo pulled out a small jar from his pocket and presented it.

“It’s the finest saffron. More valuable than gold of the same weight.”

“As far as I know, we haven’t exported any in recent years…”

So Asha had never used saffron before.

“So I specially stole just one jar. I’m going to give it to you, Your Highness.”

Phoebe flapped around the neatly wrapped jar excitedly. It was a hint that she wanted to taste it. Prince Nothea let Asha’s pet bird flutter around freely. Asha cautiously picked up the jar and examined it before setting it down again.

“Two hundred and forty-seven karats*? The jar weighs about thirty-three karats. Then…”

TN: For 247, 200, and 33, it uses 로소 but for 1500 it uses 카루스는. Previously we’ve been translating 카루스 as karousas as the currency. In this context, I can only assume that 로소 is a fictional weight measuring system they have there since saffron is typically measured by weight when talking about cost.

“Yes? How would you…?”

“Oh! It’s a feeling, a feeling.”

Asha shook her hand. Although Prince Nothea didn’t understand, he didn’t press further.

‘More than two hundred servings of saffron?’

Asha swallowed hard. If it was more valuable than gold, it would easily surpass 1,500 karousas. Moreover, since it wasn’t exported outside the kingdom, its value was practically immeasurable in terms of money.

Asha glanced back and forth between the spice jar and Prince Nothea, then pushed the jar back. This, too, was a refusal. Prince Nothea smiled somewhat deflatedly.

“It’s quite difficult to win Your Highness’s favor, it seems.”

Asha passed him another blueberry. Prince Nothea, who caught Asha’s eye, said quietly.

“My brother has already been crowned crown prince, so it is difficult to overturn unless a big flaw is found.”

Lorenzo, standing behind, quietly called him, “Your Highness.” It was a nervous glance at revealing such information to an imperial princess. Asha looked at Lorenzo and smiled faintly.

“That’s right. Unless there’s a major flaw, it’s hard to overturn a prince who’s already been appointed heir apparent.”

“It’s not as easy as it sounds.”

“But you don’t want to attack your brother’s weakness, so you’re looking for a different method, right? Trying to do at least one difficult thing.”

Prince Nothea pursed his lips. It was a slightly perplexed look as to what to respond. Asha put a blueberry in her mouth and set down her teaspoon.

“To His Highness Alexei, of course, it doesn’t have to be one person to talk to, but if there’s a more competent and communicative counterpart, wouldn’t they go through them?”

“…”

Prince Nothea was touching his glass with a bitter smile, perhaps because his mind was a little complicated. Asha held her chin up and stared up at Prince Nothea like that.

“And even if it’s just being a close contact with the empire, it doesn’t seem like it would be particularly meaningful help for Prince Nothea.”

“Why do you think so?”

“You are desperate enough to think about marrying me less than fifteen days after seeing me, and you believe that you don’t want to hurt your brother, you have the ability to choose what you want to bring to me, and loyal subjects who are willing to sacrifice their lives for you.”

Asha pointed out her fingers and said one by one. Prince Nothea, suddenly bombarded with compliments that weren’t really compliments, looked puzzled and glanced briefly at Lorenzo standing behind him. Asha propped her chin up, smiled faintly, and spoke slowly.

“Prince Nothea, people…”

━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━

The birthday party of Princess Anastasia was held in a big and grand manner. In the kitchen, they carried food busily and the band continued to play. The rows of chandeliers shone splendidly, and invited people from all over the place gathered.

The main character of this party, Princess Anastasia, stood out the most among them. The top of her dress, which got darker as it went down, seemed to be embroidered with diamonds and pearls like stars in the night sky, while the cream silk enveloping her upper body was more exquisite than heavenly satin.

Yet, more radiant than her dazzling dress was the princess’s smile. When her flowing, delicate pink hair brushed against her slender cheeks like angelic wings, and her emerald green eyes twinkled like crescent moons, those standing opposite her couldn’t help but smile along.

Having received countless congratulations and gifts, Princess Anastasia was the first to take the emperor’s hand and dance. As they swirled around, the emperor looked at his granddaughter, shaking his head a few times before reluctantly taking her hand and spinning around the hall. How tender and affectionate his gaze toward his granddaughter was, no one could tell.

Then the crown prince, followed by the Duke Sedvoyer along with her other cousins and now Natalya Bagration, elegantly dressed in trousers and a shirt, held Anastasia’s hand and danced with her.

“Did you hear?”

Prince Nothea stood out for his exotic appearance in the hall, but no one approached him thanks to Karnov, who was by his side. Karnov took his eyes off Princess Anastasia with a champagne glass in his hand. Prince Nothea smiled leisurely and spoke.

“I proposed to Princess Anastasia.”

Then Karnov slowly lowered his champagne glass and looked sideways. Prince Nothea’s eyes were on Princess Anastasia.

“Of course, the princess turned it down. I didn’t have high expectations either, but it was a pity. But do you know why she turned it down?”

Karnov frowned. Prince Nothea smiled.

“The princess said no, because she doesn’t know me very well, nor is she Kirelettian-proficient, and lastly, because she’s about to open a shop in the capital. I…”

Prince Nothea paused for a moment.

“I thought… Well, I thought she would say it’s because of the Duke Sedvoyer.”

A tremor ran through the edge of Karnov’s champagne glass. At that moment, Anastasia and Natalya finished their waltz. Prince Nothea made his way through the crowd and knelt before Anastasia, asking her for a dance.

After a series of waltzes, Anastasia, her cheeks flushed from the dance, glanced briefly at Karnov standing a little further away before accepting Prince Nothea’s request for a dance. When the two finished their waltz, Karnov had already disappeared from the hall.

“Huh? Where’s Karnov? Did he go out to the garden?”

Anastasia asked Prince Nothea, who was still holding her hand. Prince Nothea scratched his cheek and nodded that it seemed to be the case.

“Are you trying to find Duke Sedvoyer? Shall I accompany you?”

“Well, thank you. Karnov seemed a bit off for some reason…”

Princess Anastasia murmured in a worried voice, pushing the hair clinging to her cheeks behind her ears.

“You must be very worried about him.”

“Yes. Karnov and I have been friends since we were kids. We are childhood friends.”

Prince Nothea found her words quite amusing. Just as the two were about to step onto the stairs leading to the garden, Prince Nothea opened his mouth to speak again.

“Um, Princess Anastasia, about what I said earlier…”

“Hmm?”

Just as she was hurrying her steps, she suddenly stopped and turned her head toward the garden.

“…Princess Anastasia?”

“Huh? Oh, could it be…?”

A strong gust of wind suddenly blew between them, ruffling her hair, and a yellow bird flew over, chirping loudly.

“Oh my goodness… Now? Here?”

“Princess… Your Highness? Why are you suddenly…?”

Prince Nothea tried to reach out to support the swaying Asha, but she quickly straightened up and shook her head.

“I need to see Karnov right now. Your Highness, I’ll talk about what you wanted… tonight? No, tomorrow! I’m in a hurry!”

With eyes momentarily filled with overwhelming emotions, she spoke quickly and then turned around and ran off.

“Yes, yes? Your Highness? Your Highness! Do you know where Duke Sedvoyer is?”

“Yes! I know where Karnov is now!”

Prince Nothea took a few steps to follow her, but soon stopped, scratching his head in confusion. The sight of Princess Anastasia, holding a handful of daffodils and running toward Karnov, was no longer visible.