Chapter 7: Sapphias Screams...

Talks went smoothly. After some choice words from Keithwood, Sion readily gave his consent. Abel too threw his name in, and with no small amount of enthusiasm. With the two princes on board, it was officially decided that the picnic sandwiches would be made by the boys of the student council.

Hnnngh... This was the perfect chance to show off my marriageability too. How did I let myself get talked into giving it up? Ugh, I wish I could give my past self a good smack to the noggin.

Now regretting her misstep, Mia made her way to the kitchen in the morning. They’d reserved it, turning it into a private cookhouse for the student council’s male members to make their sandwiches.

“Gosh, Mia. You’re certainly here early,” greeted an already-uniformed Rafina as she entered.

Citrina had explained to them that while their mushroom hunting trip would take them into the forest, they would be staying in the sparser periphery. It would, according to her, be no different from a mild hike, so their school uniforms would suffice as protective attire. Consequently, the group decided that they’d all wear their uniforms today.

“Hello, Miss Rafina. You’re no late riser yourself, it seems. Keithwood and the others haven’t even shown up yet.”

“Mmm, I suppose I did come a little too early. I just couldn’t wait to see what everyone is making though. After all, I didn’t get to participate last time. I felt a little left out, you know?”

“Oh my. Were you looking forward to making sandwiches then?”

“Well, of course. I thought I’d finally have the chance to enjoy cooking with you and the girls...”

To Mia’s horror, Rafina’s shoulders sagged slightly in disappointment.

“O-Oh no. I’m so terribly sorry,” she said, hands waving in panicked apology. “This is all because I let Sapphias talk me into changing the plan...”

Rafina looked at her and giggled.

“Oh, I’m just joking, Mia. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to join you, but I’m not mad about it.”

Reassured, Mia put a hand to her chest and was just about to let out a breath of relief when...

“But hm... Sapphias, you say... I see.”

...Rafina quietly murmured those words in a voice that seemed to lack its prior humor. Mia couldn’t help but feel that she’d just inadvertently dragged Sapphias into...something. Before she could figure out what, several figures stepped into the kitchen, so she stopped thinking about it and turned her attention toward them.

“My!” she cried, marveling at the sight of the boys before her.

Standing at the front was Sapphias, whom her eyes promptly skipped over to appreciate the other three behind him. Next was Keithwood. Draped over his usual black butler outfit was a white apron. The lady-killer aura he always radiated was...not muted but somehow transformed by the presence of the apron, imbuing him with a curious new appeal. If she had to pick a word for it, it would probably be...hubbiness.

Third in line was Sion, who’d also donned an apron over his uniform. Normally, blazers did not go with aprons, but such rules of fashion were powerless before the Sunkland prince, whose sheer charisma refused to be bound by such concepts as “aesthetics” and “coordination.” He somehow pulled off the apron-on-blazer look and looked damned fine doing it, proving to an awestruck Mia that Sion was simply incapable of looking undignified no matter what he wore.

Ugh, he looks so good in everything that it’s actually upsetting. If Bel saw him right now, she’d be screaming in delight. It’s a good thing the girl’s such a sleepyhead, thought Mia, belittling her granddaughter’s tendency to sleep in like a true hypocrite.

Finally, her eyes shifted toward the final member.

“Hey, Mia. Are you here to spectate too?”

Abel waved at her with an easy smile. Like Sion, he was also sporting the aproned uniform getup. One look at him, however, and Mia froze on the spot. This in turn unsettled Abel, who frowned at her and asked, “Uh, what’s the matter? Do I look weird? I’ve never worn something like this before, so if there’s something that looks off, I’d appreciate it if you told me.”

He scratched his cheek, which had gained a mild rosy hue. Mia, faced with the endearingly bashful gesture of her charming sweetheart, managed only a “Can’t...handle...” followed by a tiny, delighted squeal before her vocal cords tapped out.

“M-Mia?”

Abel’s bewilderment deepened into concern. She hastily shook her head and forced her voice to work again.

“I-I’m fine. You, uh... You look really good in that. Oh, but...”

A dangling strand poking out from behind Abel caught her attention. One of the strings of his apron had come undone. Figuring she’d fix it for him, she walked over. As she was about to go behind him, however, she paused. Then, she stepped in front of him instead and reached around him in an impromptu hug to tie the strings behind him.

“There you go. All fixed. Now you look perfect,” she said, smiling affectionately as she glanced up at him.

Such shameless flirting! The Great Seductress of the Empire clearly lives up to her name!

Mia easily succumbed to surprise displays of affection when she was on the receiving end. When she was the one dishing them out though, she did so with the composure of adulthood, relishing the experience of toying with the delicate sensibilities of the young boy before her. Paragon of dignified womanhood, she was not!

“Th-Thanks, Mia. I’ll...try my best to make something good for you,” said Abel.

Seeing his embarrassed smile, she realized that, as a matter of fact, she quite liked the current arrangement.

Oooooh, he’s so cute! I can’t get enough of this! Mmm, good going, past me!

So, having decided that her past self had indeed made the right choice, she proceeded to savor the morning’s activities.

...Sapphias, meanwhile, was also wearing an apron over his uniform. Though Mia had paid him no attention, someone else had.

“Gosh, Sapphias.” Rafina put her hand to her mouth and let out a short, humorless giggle. “You look lovely in an apron too. By the way, I heard from Mia that you were the one who came up with the idea of having the boys do the cooking today. Not that it matters, of course. It’s not like I was looking forward to cooking or anything. I simply found it...intriguing.”

“E-Eeeeeeek!”

Sapphias might have let out a terrified scream in the kitchen that day. Not that it matters, of course.