Princess Mia and Her Loyal Devotees
“Haa… I’m really tired…”
Having returned to the imperial capital, Mia woke up sleepy in her fluffy bed. She rubbed her face against the fluffy nightclothes. These were the ones that she got from the Lulu village. She purred with pleasure.
“I still want to sleep…”
She had a long carriage journey from Belluga to Tearmoon, then to Newmoon District, from there to Viscount Berman’s domain, and also a stop by the Lulu tribe. As expected, Mia couldn’t hide her fatigue.
“It’s definitely not because of all that standing in the forest catching up to me. I am still a young woman of thirteen with a sound mind and body.” Mia justified to no one in particular. However, her mentality should be past twenty considering her time jump.
“Milady, I heard that breakfast is ready. Would you like to have some now?”
Mia turned to Anne who came to wake her up.
“Somehow, I feel like morning comes earlier and earlier every year.”
While saying something like that, Mia got up and stretched. She started walked towards the door while rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“Milady let’s change clothes first. I don’t think it is appropriate to go out with those clothes.”
Anne stopped Mia and skilfully took off her sleepwear. She quickly checks the quality of her exposed underwear and the condition of her skin, and when she determined that she did not sweat much, she immediately selects her dress for the day.
Anne predicted the temperature outside, the temperature inside the room, and Mia’s range of activities; then she selects a dress that will be comfortable for her throughout the day. She took out a gorgeous yellow dress. The loose-fitting indoor dress was tailored to fit comfortably without a corset. She made Mia wear it without much of Mia’s help. Politely and quickly as possible she did it, so as not to disturb Mia, who was just standing still.
That movement was exactly the skill of a veteran maid. Anne wasn’t particularly dexterous. These skills that she has acquired was gained from repeated practice.
Yes, it’s not just horse training. Not to mention training her maid skills, she was also studying at St. Noel’s, and also learning how to cook; all this she was doing to be useful to Mia. The slow accumulation of hard-earned skills had laid down a solid bedrock of expertise while paving the path to true master. None of this Mia noticed. But Anne preferred it this way. If her mistress could notice changes in her dressing technique – be it good or bad way – then that meant she still had a long way to go. For Anne, true maids do their jobs unnoticed.
“Mmm, I must say. You are spoiling me today, Anne. Thank you as always.”
Mia said with a yawn and watery sleepy eyes. This statement of appreciation caught Anne unguarded. It strummed her heartstrings with happiness. She didn’t think she deserved it. After all, she was just doing her job. Still, she couldn’t stop the happiness at being acknowledged.
“Yes, thank you, milady. I mean, you’re welcome, milady.” It was Anne who inadvertently returned an incomprehensible thank you.
Now that Mia had changed into a yellow dress, she headed for the dining room.
Ah, I want to sleep more, I want to laze around…
Shambling along, she finally reached the dining hall. In front of the large table, she sat on a chair and yawned again.
“Good morning, Your Highness Princess.”
“Good mworning…”
Mia turned her eyes to the head chef while rubbing tears on the corners of her eyes. The head chef wrinkled his eyebrows and said with a concerned look on his face.
“You look very tired.”
“That’s right. I’ve been busy with various things, such as visiting the princess’s town, so I’m a little tired. That’s why don’t you think you should be a bit generous to me today.”
“Generous… you say?”
“That’s right, like serving sweets instead of breakfast…”
After saying that, the head chef became silent. The head chef turned his heels silently as if he was astonished by Mia’s words. Seeing him walk away, Mia let out a sigh.
“Well, as expected, I can’t have sweets in the morning. The food here is delicious, but… if I can eat cookies and cakes in the morning, I’ll feel better… Well, that would never happen, but…”
Because she was saying something along those lines, Mia shrieked when she saw what the head chef put in front of her.
“By the moons! Is this a cake?!”
A yellow pastry sat on the plate. The sweet scent can be smelt. It was clearly just out of the oven. She made a gulping sound, which was uncharacteristic of a noble, but totally understandable.
“Are you sure it is okay to have this? So early in the morning?”
Mia stared at the chef with round eyes.
“Yes. Her Highness seemed to be tired, so… well, I made it for you.”
Mia was so happy that she became a little embarrassed… The bear-like head chef scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“But I’m sure you said before that if I only eat sweets, I’ll get sick?”
While asking that, Mia wrapped her arms around the cake. Just in case the head chef changed his mind.
The head chef gave Mia a soft smile.
“Ah, you did remember… Yes, that’s right. Eating too many sweets can hurt your body. Therefore…”
Then the head chef puffed out his chest a little and said,
“I tried a new menu. The cake is made of vegetables.”
“Wha-ha-ha, it’s vegetables!?”
Mia looked at the cake curiously. No matter how she looked at it, it looks just like a cake. There’s nothing vegetable about it. Mia grabbed the fork with a terrified look and poked it with its tip. Then she dared to put the small piece in her mouth…
“Wow…”
Her face melted with happiness.
“Sweet and very delicious… Oh, I can’t get enough of it.”
After letting out a happy sigh, Mia looked at the head chef.
“You’re a good joker, chef. This cake is very sweet, isn’t it? Are you saying this is made of vegetables?”
“Some vegetables are naturally sweet. This cake has a sweet and sour taste with yellow moon tomatoes, yellow moon carrots, and mini pumpkins.”
“Well, I can’t believe you can make such a delicious cake with such vegetables…”
Mia let out a sigh of admiration, but she couldn’t help but be moved by the head chef’s next words.
“Exactly. And because it’s made with vegetables, it’s good for your health.”
“Wha!? Well, that means that if it’s this cake, I can eat as much as I want!?”
It’s like a dream come true!? Mia turned her astonished gaze at the cake.
“Well, within reason. But it should be fine to have this cake for this morning.”
The head chef answered with a wry smile, but Mia had already stopped listening. With a quick movement, she cuts the cake into pieces and throws it into her mouth. For Mia, cake is a drink!
“Oh, wonderful… Great job, head chef. I have the utmost respect for your skill!”
Then, the hand holding the fork suddenly stopped.
“Could it be…head chef……did you come up with the recipe… just for me?”
“It is the duty of us, your loyal subjects, to take care and protect the health of His Majesty and Your Highness.”
Mia was moved by the head chef who quietly bowed his head!
“That was a lot of work. I would like to thank you again, head chef. I admire your cooking from the bottom of my heart. By the way… how many of these did you make?”
In that moment of appreciation and gratitude, Mia was able to engineer her admiration into getting another serving, and then a third serving of cake. And probably a fourth one as well, if only Anne did not stop them.
This and that were all part of Mia’s calm daily life.
