Chapter 39: I Think, Therefore I Am
“What an extraordinary peach that was!”
The head chef was amazed. You didn’t even need a knife—it split on its own, the skin peeled away effortlessly, no juice spilled, and despite being perfectly ripe, it didn’t turn mushy. It was like a miracle.
Today’s snack, made by the head chef using the Princess’s gifted peach, now rested in bowls held by me and Regulus. It was a sorbet made by blending that peach with rich Daigo yogurt and freezing it. There was so much of it, we were able to share it with everyone working in the estate.
“Young Master, I heard Genzo-san’s grandson came by to deliver lunch…”
“Please, go ahead and give them some too.”
“Yes. Rottenmeier-san said that’s what you’d want, so even though Genzo-san tried to decline, I served it to him anyway.”
“Thank you for that.”
“My apologies for acting before asking.”
“No problem at all. Cold things should be eaten cold or they lose their charm. I don’t mind after-the-fact decisions in such cases.”
The chef nodded and left the dining hall.
As always, the place was huge, but it was just me, Regulus, and Utsunomiya-san seated there. She was feeding Regulus little spoonfuls of sorbet and taking small, dreamy bites herself.
“Ahh… this is pure bliss.”
“Yeah, the sorbet is really good.”
“Sweet and yummy!”
“Yummy indeed~”
Waving his little arms and legs with a big, beaming grin, Regulus begged for another spoonful. Utsunomiya-san obliged, carefully feeding him. The whole scene was like a baby bird being fed by its mother—adorable and heartwarming.
“This is so good! Especially the peach—it’s sweet and rich!”
“I’ve had it before, and yeah, it’s just amazing.”
“Really? Whoever your supplier is, they must be top-tier. You can’t get peaches like this even in the Imperial Capital.”
“Oh, we didn’t get it from a merchant.”
“Eh?”
Utsunomiya-san froze, eyes wide.
Then, for some reason, Regulus puffed up proudly.
“Got it from the princess!”
“The… princess?”
“Yup! It’s the same one as before… I think it was called ‘Divine Peach’ or something.”
“…Huh?”
Utsunomiya-san made a face that really shouldn’t appear on a refined lady—pure shock. Interestingly, when we related the same story to Romonov-sensei and offered him sorbet, he responded with the same expression.
—
The next few days passed peacefully. Between walks with Regulus, tending the garden and animals, watching his sword practice with Genzo-san, and training with the princess in song and magic, I filled the time with crafting.
I had taken the fabric given by the princess and carefully cut it into various square sizes for making tsumami-zaiku (traditional fabric flower crafts). If I was going to make something for her, it had to be worthy—no half-hearted work allowed.
“Hmm… what a dilemma.”
The princess is just so beautiful. Her eyes sparkle like stars, her skin is snowy white, and her lips glimmer more brilliantly than any rose could match. How does one do that justice?
Still, she made a promise that stunned me: even if I died, she would show me our shared dream once it came true. That had to mean she saw me as at least a somewhat capable retainer.
With warmth in my heart, I worked my way through square after square of fabric, turning them into layered flower petals—sharp, round, doubled. The princess’s flower was, of course, the peony. A bold, opulent bloom for a noble spirit.
Layer by layer, petal by petal, I created one grand flower for the centerpiece. Then I crafted five smaller flowers in a gradient and paired them with a silk cord I bought in the capital to complete the hair ornament. I had a few scraps left—enough to make a small hairpin, perhaps.
Since I had extra sorbet, maybe I’d give some to Viktor-san as a gift too. And while I was at it, I could craft a small hair accessory for Maria-san to thank her for the invitation to the National Theatre.
As I mulled all this over, Regulus stirred and whimpered in his sleep.
Apparently, since moving here, he hadn’t wet the bed once. According to Utsunomiya-san, it was a different story back at his mother’s family home. There, he was pressured heavily as the only heir and cherished relic of their deceased daughter. They were even the ones pushing Father to bring Regulus here for the opportunity to be taught by someone like Romonov-sensei.
Quite the contrast with me.
My parents basically ignored me—not abusive, not financially cruel, just emotionally absent. But in a way, that’s… better. At least they didn’t mistreat me physically. And they were clear that they didn’t love me, so I never wasted time hoping otherwise.
…Well, I did misread that once and got burned.
But as long as we keep our distance and avoid harming one another, maybe we can coexist reasonably.
Except for the whole pushing-Regulus-down-the-stairs thing. That I will never forgive.
As I worked on the last few petals, a thought floated up:
“Well, that’s how it is. Parents don’t get to choose their kids, and kids don’t get to choose their parents.”
But I got to choose to keep Regulus by my side. That’s a blessing.
The golden strands of his hair glowed in the gentle autumn light as evening slowly crept in.
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