Side Story: The Reincarnated Princess and Her Sweets

Side Story: The Reincarnated Princess and Her Sweets

I was currently in the laboratory of Miss Irene von Altman, the sorcery teacher. This space was within a room in the tower on the southwestern side of the palace.

Atop the marble table was laboratory equipment—well, actually, cooking utensils. The ingredients were placed to the side of the utensils: milk in a glass pitcher, sugar, chicken eggs, and a separate pile of cake flour, butter, and nuts.

Lutz bore a stiff smile as he cast his suspicious gaze across the ingredients.

“You were being serious...” he murmured, his voice feeble.

“Of course I was.” I puffed out my chest with a hand on my hip and answered proudly.

I couldn’t care less that I was the only one excited. I was raring to go! I’d even swapped out my usual dress, afraid to get it dirty, for a simple aqua-blue one-piece and a white apron. Miss Irene had gladly provided me with clothes and somewhere to change when I’d asked her. I’d also braided my hair and tied it up in a bun.

I don’t think anybody’ll be mistaking me for a princess today.

Right, let’s get started, I thought, and rolled up my sleeves.

First comes the measuring.

As I pulled the scales over and removed the lid to the sugar pot, I felt Lutz staring at me from behind. I turned around, expecting him to help out, but he was watching me with a sullen look on his face.

“What is it?” I asked him.

“I’ll give in and say that I’m fine with Teo and me making sweets by ourselves. And we’ll make this ice cream or whatever it is that you want to eat. Honestly though, I don’t see why you need to sit in.”

“You two don’t know the method,” I asserted.

“We could do it if you told us how,” Lutz rebutted.

I raised one eyebrow high at his inexplicably frantic attempts to boot me out.

Oh, you could do it, could you? Let’s fix that misunderstanding.

“Making sweets is hard.” I looked at Lutz, my eyes ice-cold. “It requires a careful touch, as well as performing accurate measurements. You might look delicate on the outside, but internally, you’re all over the place. I can’t imagine you following all the steps in the right order.”

“I, uhh...can do it. I think,” said Lutz, sounding less assured than he had a moment ago.

“Yeah, very persuasive.” If you want me to believe you, then look me in the eye and speak with more confidence.

I let out a single sigh.

“Why don’t you want me here, anyway?” I asked Lutz, casting my eyes down sadly and dropping the corners of my eyebrows. “Am I in your way?”

“Of course not!” Lutz denied at once. A little bit of anger laced his tone.

Phew. If he’d hesitated or stumbled over his words, I’d be feeling pretty lousy right about now.

“So, that’s settled then?” I ditched the sulky attitude and replaced it with my sweetest smile.

Sorry Lutz, but I sealed the deal while you were still floundering.

Lutz’s head slumped.

Teo placed his hand on Lutz’s shoulder and let out a dry chuckle. “Give up, Lutz. We’ll never be able to beat her in an argument.”

“You have a point.”

They put on resigned smiles and consoled each other.

Hey, could you cut that out? You two are acting like I’m some sort of villain.

“You’re making me sound awful.” I puffed out my cheeks and glared at Teo.

Raising his hands as though surrendering, he walked up beside me. He scanned the line of ingredients with interest. “Princess, are we going to use all of these for the frozen dessert?”

“Not all of them,” I clarified. “I’ve collected the ingredients for some baked confectioneries too. I thought I’d have you help as well.”

“Gotcha. What should I do for now?” Teo rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt. The robe that he usually wore was folded up in the corner, out of the way.

“Okay, first, sieve the flour.” I handed him the fine mesh sieve and the cake flour I’d measured earlier.

He hadn’t used one before, so I gave him a simple explanation on how to separate clumps from the flour and dust it through the sieve. Teo came to grips with that task without any problems, so I figured that he could handle the next one too—I handed him some sugar and the butter that I’d left out at room temperature to soften.

“What about me?” Lutz asked with an intense gaze from my other side.

“Let’s see.” I paused for a little while, then asked him to do some measuring. “Could I get you to pour out the milk?” I added one stipulation to my request: “It has to be an exact measurement.”

“Got it.” Lutz took the milk from me, looking serious, then knelt down to align his eyeline with the rim of the measuring cup. I couldn’t help but grin at how wonderfully childish he looked while carefully pouring the milk with trembling hands.

Teo, on the other hand, was steadily progressing on his tasks. With an experienced touch, he mixed the ingredients that he’d transferred to the bowl.

“You seem well practiced,” I found myself whispering in admiration.

Teo fumbled, embarrassed. “I was at the orphanage longer than most, so I’ve gotten quite used to housework.”

Upon hearing him say that, the penny dropped.

“I never knew.”

He does manage everything with finesse, and he’s great at looking after people. I’ll bet he made an excellent older brother at the orphanage.

“Although, the priest and the older girls generally did the cooking—I only helped out,” he explained. “But the little ’uns would sometimes come crying to me that they were hungry, so I’d whip up some bread for them.” He narrowed his eyes fondly, as if reliving a gentle memory.

I watched his face from the side as he spoke about his childhood. His hands were still at work the whole time, and I was struck by how kind he looked. The relaxed atmosphere that he exuded, so uncharacteristic of other boys his age, enchanted me.

“I think you’ll make a fine husband, Teo.” I whispered my opinion in a quiet tone, and then, all of a sudden, I heard a loud crashing noise from beside me.

My eyes instinctively sought out the source of the disturbance. It seemed that Lutz had dropped the pitcher onto the table. Fortunately, it hadn’t broken, and the milk hadn’t spilled.

“Lutz, what happened?” I asked. “Are you all right?” I saw when I gazed at Lutz that he’d frozen in the stance where he’d dropped the pitcher.

“Wh-Wh-What did you just say...?” Lutz stuttered and stammered, his mouth flinging open, shut, and open again. For some reason, he’d blanched. “What do you mean, ‘husband’?!”

“Huh?” I asked, bewildered.

Sorry Lutz. I can see that you’re trying desperately to tell me something, but I don’t have a clue what you’re trying to communicate.

I tilted my head, and my expression was puzzled.

“Just now—you said that Teo would make a fine husband!”

“Uhh, yes. I did. Is something odd?” I asked him, doubt showing on my face. Lutz’s complexion grew even more dire.

What in the world is the matter?

“God, Lutz,” Teo said. “Desperate much?”

Upon hearing Teo’s half-stifled voice, I turned around. He was hunched over, both hands clutching the edge of the table. His shoulders were shaking.

He’s probably—no, definitely—laughing.

Affirming my suspicion, Lutz exclaimed, “Don’t laugh!”

“No can do. It’s just too funny,” Teo declared, raising his face back up and sporting a full smile. He wiped the corner of his eye with the back of his index finger to remove the faint traces of tears. “Like, the princess didn’t mean anything by it! And you’re getting all worked up by yourself.”

“Huh?” Lutz froze, looking a bit silly with his mouth half open. He remained still for several seconds like that, then rotated his head around spasmodically, like a robot that had run out of oil.

“...There wasn’t any deep meaning in what you said just then?” he asked, still looking flabbergasted.

“Yes, that’s right.” I nodded without hesitation. “I was speaking in general.”

I’d just been trying to say that kindhearted men who take care of other people (and who help out with the housework) rank pretty high on the husband scoreboard.

“R-Right,” Lutz said, heaving a heavy sigh.

“Your behavior’s been strange for a while now,” I remarked. “What’s wrong?”

First he went white, then he went red—just when I thought he’d gotten angry, he’s now smiling softly at me.

It was clear that Lutz was acting strange, and I began to feel concerned. However, he just shook his head from side to side.

“It’s nothing,” he remarked. “More importantly, the measuring’s all done. What should I do next?”

I wasn’t convinced with his dismissal, but it seemed that he didn’t want me to probe.

I guess I’ll drop this topic.

“Okay, then—time to beat these eggs,” I instructed. I pepped myself up, then took the milk from Lutz. In its place, I handed him a bowl filled with whole eggs.

While Lutz carefully whisked the eggs, I transferred the milk and the sugar to a pan.

“Princess, I’m done with mine.” Teo showed me his bowl. Inside, the mixture had become a single lump of dough.

“Thanks,” I said, switching gears. “Right then, we can let that rest for a minute. Can you give me a hand over here?”

I covered Teo’s bowl with a dampened dishcloth. Then, I mixed Lutz’s beaten eggs with the milk in the pan, and picked up a wooden spatula.

“Can do, Princess. What’s the new task?” Teo washed his hands in the bucket filled with water, wiped them with a towel, and then walked over to my side.

Now for the main event.

“Teo, I’d like you to heat this pan with a low flame,” I instructed.

Through this request, I conveyed the inference that it was time for their magic to debut. Both of their faces clearly grew stiff.

Ah, I thought this might be it, I muttered internally, after watching the color drain from their faces. The reason they wanted me to sit out while they made the sweets was to keep me from seeing them use magic.

I think they trust me, but they’re probably not ready for that level of faith yet. It makes sense—each time they’ve used their magic, they’ve been met with fear from onlookers.

Trauma doesn’t just vanish like that so easily.

“You don’t want to, do you?” I said. I looked at the two of them and coerced a smile from my lips. It might sound odd after forcing them to start this project, but I had no intention of making them perform magic against their wills.

If the two of them were adamant about not wanting me to encroach, then I planned to back down.

However, Teo shook his head after a little while of staring at my face. “It’s all right.”

The smile he dragged out looked a bit awkward. But nonetheless, he gripped the choker with his hands, like he’d resolved himself. The clasp was released with an audible click.

“I’m not sure how hot the flame needs to be,” he said warily, “so let me know.”

He laid his choker on the end of the table, out of the way. Teo picked up the thin sheet of paper that we’d used while measuring the sugar, and turned to face me.

He blinked once, slowly.

I watched intently, and couldn’t help but gasp.

When he reopened his eyes, the color had changed—it looked like honey had been dissolved into his gaze. I couldn’t conceal my surprise at his bright irises, which reflected light like a cat’s eyes peering in the darkness.

I was aware of this phenomenon. At least, I’d heard of it before. But I wasn’t prepared to see the color change so vividly.

I watched in stunned silence. Before me, Teo pinched the corners of the paper and brought his hands together. He looked down, perhaps to concentrate and draw on the well of his power. Unfortunately, this caused his pretty, golden eyes to leave my view, which I thought was a little disappointing.

Teo’s eyelids flickered, and as if on cue, the paper he’d pinched between his fingers instantaneously burst into flames.

He spread his hands apart. The burning paper crumbled and fell to the floor as black ash. But the fuel wasn’t gone.

Pale flames danced above Teo’s palms, fluttering like a mysterious creature. I was entranced by the bright, flickering flames of the small, shining fire, so much that I forgot to breathe.

“...Princess?” Teo called out to me, hesitantly.

I snapped out of my trance. When I looked up, I found that Teo’s troubled features were much closer than I’d expected. He must’ve sidled closer without me noticing.

I hurried a few steps back and apologized.

“S-Sorry!” I squeaked.

My cheeks were hot, but that wasn’t due to the lingering heat of the fire. It was my shame—I’d been staring in a way that bordered on sexual harassment. Half of me was intensely curious to see magic for the first time. But, more than that—

“I was mesmerized,” I admitted. “It was so pretty.”

When I revealed my honest feelings, Teo opened his eyes wide.

“Pretty?” Teo muttered, his voice hoarse, which was unusual given his regularly cheerful disposition.

What did I do to surprise him so much? I tilted my head with that doubt in my mind.

“Yes,” I answered. “It was very pretty. Also, your fire is kind of cute, like a little creature.”

It wasn’t just Teo now. Even Lutz was frozen to the spot, utterly stunned.

“Cute,” Lutz repeated.

What’s the matter with the both of them? I wondered, perplexed, and then I hit on a possibility.

Ah! I think I...offended them? Have I wounded their pride as sorcerers?

But it was too late for me to worry about that. I couldn’t recant the words I’d let slip.

“So it’s pretty and cute.” Teo let out a deep breath and slumped his shoulders. His imposing eyebrows furrowed, and his lips formed an arch. His face contorted as though he were about to cry and laugh at the same time.

“That’s the first time anyone’s ever said that to me.”

“Teo...” I started nervously, considering it best to apologize. But Teo grinned wider and shook his head, as though he’d seen the thought process whirring inside of my mind.

“Don’t apologize,” Teo said. “I was happy to hear you say that.”

Lutz smiled as well and nodded, expressing his agreement with Teo. “Just goes to show—we were dumb for expecting anything else from you, Princess,” Lutz said.

Is that a compliment, or a jab at me?

Unsure of the right response, I fell silent. My face held a weird expression.

But after a short amount of time watching Teo, who was having fun manipulating the fire, and Lutz, cheerfully removing his choker, I stopped caring about whether it’d been a compliment.

“Princess,” Teo said. “Let’s get started.”

“Okay,” I answered.

I’m sure that there’s more to magic than being cute or pretty. And my reaction was probably naive and silly to them.

But I couldn’t give a damn about that right now.

As long as the two of them were smiling, “pretty and cute” seemed like the right answer.