Volume 7, Chapter 68 – A Moment of Peace in the Storm

“First, pour hot water into the teacup. After letting the cup warm up for a moment, pour the water out, then put in the tea leaves and add fresh hot water. However, since it’s flower tea, ‘tea leaves’ here should be replaced with flower petals.”

As she spoke, Anastasia took out a sealed paper bag, carefully counted out four dried flowers that had shriveled into clumps, and handed them to Fia. Fia then followed Anastasia’s instructions.

The process wasn’t different from the traditional tea brewing she knew. Perhaps this culture was also brought by a Holy Son.

Noticing Fia’s skilled technique, Anastasia was slightly taken aback.

“Your Highness said you couldn’t brew tea. I thought you would ask why we need to warm the cup with hot water first.”

“Such basic knowledge I do know. But it was slightly eye-opening. I thought people in this world were the type to use tea bags.”

“Making tea into bags to toss into cups is the practice of those heretics in the Alfrieg Kingdom. We in Silvar are fundamentalists, the faction that uses loose leaves directly.”

Speaking of her area of expertise, Anastasia seemed quite spirited, her tone even lightening up.

“Though we say that, we haven’t been completely uninfluenced. For example, adding milk or honey to tea was learned from the Alfrieg Kingdom. But that’s fine for casual consumption; if served at a noble banquet, other nobles would laugh at the lack of taste.”

“How troublesome.”

“Noble etiquette is just such a thing,” Anastasia said with a laugh. “But you’ve always been the quiet type, rejecting all noble invitations. So if you were to invite noble ladies or accept their invitations, even if you served flower tea with milk and honey, those ladies would be overwhelmed by the favor.”

“I have no interest. If I hadn’t woken up in this body, I would have long become an adventurer or a student at a magic academy—or both simultaneously. So then? What next?”

“Then just wait quietly for the flowers to steep. Ah, right. If you prefer a sweeter taste, you can add milk or honey as mentioned. But personally, I like to take a sip of the plain flower tea first, then add honey.”

“Then let’s add honey.”

In the past, Anastasia always added honey for her.

Now, the strong aroma of the tea was already detectable.

“Then I’ll add the honey for Your Highness~ Being the first to drink tea brewed by you since your birth, that would surely be me. Pity the body tasting this flavor belongs to the other me. She really gets the best of the bargain.”

“Even if this world’s Anastasia wakes up, she won’t be able to savor this flavor.”

Fia couldn’t help but find Anastasia’s childishly competitive thought amusing.

Anastasia puffed out her cheeks in mock anger, as if the mature, tolerant-filled maid wasn’t sitting here, but a charming, lovely young girl in her youth.

“Even so, it’s this body drinking the tea. Thinking that after teaching you how to brew tea, the other me can enjoy tea made by you every day… it makes my teeth itch with envy.”

These resigned words darkened Fia’s eyes briefly, but she quickly recovered. She pushed the teacup on the table slightly and moved to sit opposite Anastasia.

“There’s still Claire working on your body. It’s too early to conclude. Is this considered brewed?”

“Mmm… I don’t know how hot the water you used was, so I’m not sure either. The essence of tea brewing lies in water temperature and steeping time. That said, most people can’t tell the difference in taste, thinking, ‘It’s all tea, does the flavor differ?’ Ah, it should be about done. Let me taste… Mmm, passable. Very good for a first attempt.”

Anastasia, having taken a small sip, licked her lips. Unlike the clear orange-yellow flower tea Anastasia usually served, the one Fia brewed was more pale yellow. Visually, it felt like it lacked some aftertaste.

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“After finally learning to brew tea, praise me a bit more. It’s just a matter of saying it’s good or bad anyway.”

“That won’t do. Good is good, bad is bad.”

“Craftsman’s persistence?”

“Not exactly? It’s because it’s for you, I want to tease a little.”

“You only bully good people.”

“Good people don’t call themselves good people.”

Saying this, Anastasia happily blew on her tea, ripples forming on the surface.

Only the sound of raindrops hitting leaves outside the window remained in the room.

Fia watched Anastasia eat. Perhaps due to lack of appetite from the fever, or because of physical weakness, Anastasia kept eating but only took tiny bites. Over time, she hadn’t even finished half a sandwich. The bacon was only bitten once and then left untouched.

For someone who hadn’t eaten for twenty hours, this was highly abnormal.

Will she fall asleep again?

After the brief warmth came even greater unease. Fia clenched her hands resting on her lap, leaning forward slightly.

“Claire said her magic is about to conclude.”

“Mmm… I hope when I next wake up, I’ll be in a new body.”

“Next wake up?”

Catching the implication, Fia tensed.

While eating, Anastasia explained as cheerfully as she could.

“Though I’d like to accompany you out for a walk… my stamina doesn’t allow it. If I went out, I’d probably have to sleep again upon returning. But just sitting and talking should be fine. I feel quite good today. Not only do I have an appetite, I can even get out of bed and walk on my own, unlike yesterday when I needed your support even to walk.”

“Then do you want to rest in bed for a while? Lying down is more comfortable than sitting.”

Sitting consumed more energy than lying down. Fia thought this might let Anastasia stay with her a bit longer. She stood up, ready to assist Anastasia.

However, Anastasia declined.

“I’ve laid down long enough. Besides, I don’t like the feeling of lying in bed like a patient when I’m not injured, as if I’m very weak.”

Having finished eating, Anastasia put down her cutlery, looking around.

“But just staying in the room, there doesn’t seem to be much to do…”

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Actually, Anastasia also wanted to say, “ If it were my own body, I could do some unspeakable things with you. ” But saying that would only cast a shadow, so she kept it to herself.

“Then shall I call Liti and the others up? Hearing you’re awake, Liti and Milu would be very happy. They’d surely make the room lively.”

“If Her Highness Liti and Euphimilu saw me like this, they’d only worry. It’s fine with just you and me here.”

I think so too.

Fia sighed inwardly with relief. This wasn’t favoritism, but a desire to have more solitary time with Anastasia.

“By the way, want to play Old Maid?” Anastasia suggested. “I saw you playing with Liti and Milu in the living room before. Honestly, that was the first time I’d seen you play a game to pass time with someone.”

For some reason, Fia detected a hint of jealousy in Anastasia’s voice. She curved her lips into a faint smile.

“Jealous?”

“Hmph, even if I’m not a child, I want to play with you too. We’re lovers, yet we’ve hardly done lover-like things. If it were the old you, I wouldn’t dare imagine… That said, I think if the old you played Old Maid with me, I’d feel extremely uncomfortable instead.”

“Because the Crown Princess was quiet and expressionless?”

Just like playing with Milu, the expressionless face was hell mode. And the Crown Princess came with an aura of aloofness and authority—hell mode within hell mode.

“You understand quite well. Ah, I have cards prepared.”

“So it was premeditated…”

Under Fia’s wry teasing, the cards were quickly shuffled and held in their hands. Also, since when playing Old Maid with Liti and Milu before, everyone sat casually on the floor for coolness, Anastasia also chose to kneel on the carpet with Fia.

As for the rules of Old Maid: one card from the deck is the ‘Old Maid’ card. The deck is divided between two players. They take turns drawing one card from the other’s hand. When a matching pair is drawn, that pair is discarded. Once all cards are paired and discarded, whoever holds the Old Maid card loses. The rules adjust slightly for two players, but that’s the gist.

Simpler rules couldn’t be found.

If Fia were to say, she didn’t think now was the time for games. Anastasia should be honestly and properly resting in bed. Yet, besides accompanying Anastasia in play, there was nothing else to do. Even time that would have felt boring in the past is now exceptionally precious.

“Then I’ll start?”

“Mhm.”

Fia nodded gently. Anastasia reached out her hand. However, perhaps the movement was too large, Anastasia’s hand stopped mid-air, and a look of strain appeared on her face.

“Are you okay? Maybe you should go back to bed.”

“It’s fine.”

Despite her words, Anastasia’s complexion shifted from its previous rosy hue to pale.

Perhaps her condition isn’t as good as she claims.

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As Fia thought this, Anastasia had already drawn a card from Fia’s hand, paired it with one of her own, and discarded the pair.

“Got one right away. If you keep being distracted, the victor will be me.”

“Don’t underestimate me.”

Peaceful time flowed slowly. Besides the sound of rain on leaves outside, the room now held the playful banter of Anastasia and Fia over the game. Since the loser in Old Maid gets paper strips stuck on their face by the winner, soon both had scattered paper strips on their faces.

Until a certain moment. When it was Anastasia’s turn to draw from Fia’s hand, she suddenly froze, motionless.

It was that soulless, vacant-eyed look.

So it’s coming after all?

Fia tried waving a hand in front of Anastasia’s eyes, but it didn’t wake her.

Now is the best time to peek at her hand. Though she thought this, Fia didn’t act. Not because it wasn’t the time for cheating, but because doing so would feel like admitting Anastasia was currently spacing out. Even though that was the fact, Fia held a hope inside, as if by not peeking, Anastasia would wake up soon.

Wait patiently.

A full five minutes passed.

This episode of spacing out was longer than any before. Even after ten minutes, Anastasia showed no sign of waking. The duration was so long Fia even worried for Anastasia’s safety. She touched Anastasia’s forehead and hand; her heartbeat and breathing were slow and steady, like a sleeping person.

No telling when she’ll wake.

Should put her back to bed…

But for Anastasia, one moment playing cards, the next back in bed—aside from the panic of memory loss, upon regaining awareness, there would be deep loss and self-blame. Fia didn’t want to see that gloomy expression on Anastasia.

Just maintain this position until she wakes. If noticed quickly, she won’t realize she was out for long.

Maintaining the pose of holding her cards, waiting for Anastasia to reach over and draw, Fia remained motionless.

Outside, the heavy rain turned to a pitter-patter drizzle. Then sunlight pierced the clouds. The gloomy sky seemed to burn, shrouded in the orange-red of sunset seeping through the window into the room, making one squint.

From morning to evening.

Anastasia still showed no sign of waking.

As if the soul had left the body.

When night falls, even maintaining the same pose loses meaning, right?

Fia thought, her arms aching from holding the same position for so long.

Yet, as if sensing Fia’s thoughts, the originally dazed Anastasia suddenly blinked. Her shoulders gave a slight tremble.

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Fia hurriedly composed herself, pretending nothing happened, and shook her hand of cards towards Anastasia.

“Your turn.”

“Ah…”

Instinctively, Anastasia reached for Fia’s cards. But halfway through the motion, she gave a bitter smile. The emotion in her clear blue eyes held more guilt and melancholy than joy.

“It’s already this late… You were waiting for me to wake the whole time? I was out for so long this time… you should have put me to bed…”

Found out in an instant.

Blame this damn sunset.

“Since you weren’t asleep, who knew when you’d wake up?”

“Ordinary people can’t hold the same pose for so long. If not for the sun coming through the window, I wouldn’t have noticed.”

“I’m not ordinary, so it’s fine.”

Faced with Fia’s stubbornness, Anastasia could only offer a deeper bitter smile, unsure how else to react.

Fia shook her hand holding the few remaining cards again, urging.

“Shall we continue?”

In response, Anastasia merely lowered both hands. The few remaining cards were laid face down on the carpet. Her face, pale as a burnt-out candle, showed slight beads of sweat, but more than that, helplessness and guilt.

“I… could we continue next time? I seem to have… little strength left. The cards can stay here.”

Going to sleep again…

Something felt stifled in her heart, but Fia still placed her cards down on the carpet, replying with the best smile she could muster.

“Mhm, we’ll continue next time. Let me help you back to bed.”

“Then… I’d like Your Highness to carry me. Like… like yesterday… Would that be okay?”

Under the sunset glow, Anastasia’s pale face gained much more blush—a sign of shyness.

Translator Note

my heart… cant handle this…