āW-What is it, Princess?ā
Thoughts: I knew it. Is the cake too ugly?!
At the status window that popped up, Siervian saw that the cake Ellie brought her out of the blue. It was smaller and had simpler decorations than the cake she ate yesterday. But still, the thick chocolate cream on top of it looked delicious.
āAll the food Ellie brings me these days are delicious.ā
Siervian could feel Ellieās sincerity every time she took a bite. Her meals were now nutritious enough to help her young body to grow well.
Thanks to that, she couldnāt eat much because she was worrying about her weight. She felt sorry for not being able to eat much.
But she couldnāt believe it was happening again.
āPlease donāt cry. Whatās wrong, Princess?ā
Tears welled up in Siervianās eyes. She couldnāt see Ellieās beautiful face through her tears, and her shoulders kept shaking because of her sobs.
At this sight, Ellie quickly ran to the princessā side and hugged her. It was a pity that she was too small to even fill the maidās arms.
In Ellieās warm embrace, Siervian felt confused. Because whenever she cried, everyone would only look down at her with cold eyes.
Surprised of herself because she started crying, Siervian confessed about what happened the day before.
āI ate too many snacks yestewday.ā
āYesterday? Oh, did you eat a lot when you were with His Majesty?ā
As she hiccupped, Siervian nodded. She didnāt need to talk formally* because she was a princess, but it just kept coming out.
She was afraid that sheād lose this warmth forever.
āI made a mwistakeā¦ā
Her tears were still flowing profusely, but she could see the bright status window.
The favorability rose up just like that. Siervian looked at Ellie with wonder in her eyes. Even with the slightest movement of her gaze, her eyes were heavy with tears.
But Ellie still had a smile on even though Siervian confessed.
āPrincess. You werenāt wrong.ā
Thoughts: My poor princessā¦
Because of those words, Siervian was filled with a little courage. She raised her face and asked.
āBut, y-you said itās spwecialā¦ā
Ellieās warm hand touched Siervianās cheek, and her sorrow melted away little by little.
āBecause itās a snack. Our Princess didnāt eat much today, so I was worried.ā
āBecawse I didnāt eat well?ā
Ellie was telling her again to eat more.
She said it every mealtime, but Siervian couldnāt understand. Until just recently, she had been told that princesses should eat less and always watch their weight.
However, after seeing the Empressā status window, seeds of doubt had been sown. It was Sarah and the Empress who told Siervian to eat less. Why did they do that?
āYes, Your Highness. Iām sorry the food isnāt good enoughā¦ If it was delicious, you would have eaten moreā¦ā
Thoughts: The finances of the Princessā Palace are stillā¦
Even as she wondered if Ellie would notice that she could read her thoughts, Siervian quickly resolved the misunderstanding. Sarahās pepper soup couldnāt even compare to the meals Ellie gave her.
āAnd really different.ā
The meals were always warm, even though she couldnāt eat much. And most of all, Ellie had been catering to her taste.
She always took great care to note Siervianās likes and dislikes.
āThatās why you can also eat a lot of what His Majesty gives you.ā
Thoughts: You should eat better.
āOf course, Princess.ā
Ellieās strong support left Siervian lost in thought.
She thought about the Empressā negative favorability points and Ellieās rising points, showing who it was that truly cared for Siervian.
āReally? Oh my, thatās very good, our dear Princessā¦!ā
The words burst out of Ellieās lips.
These words denied all of the habits Siervian had in her previous life, but strangely, she answered easily.
āFwom now on, Iāll eat bweakfast and lunch well.ā
Ellie smiled widely as she looked at the princess, nodding enthusiastically. She hugged Siervian tighter because she was so lovely, then patted the childās black hair.
āI canāt breatheā¦ā
In the Princessā Palace, it was often suffocating even if she didnāt do anything. But now, she couldnāt breathe because Ellie was hugging her tightly. She wanted to break free, but she held it in.
Because being in someoneās embrace felt better than she thought.
āNow, shall we eat the cake?ā
Ellie quickly brought the tray to Siervian. The delicious smell of chocolate that had been passing by the tip of Siervianās nose since earlier was finally coming closer to her.
It really looked delicious.
It was brought here just at the right time too because she was starting to get hungry. She couldnāt eat anything when she was at the Empressā Palace.
āIt wonāt taste as good as the snacks you had yesterday. Iām sorry.ā
As Ellie said, there werenāt any magical forks or snowy cakes here.
But the chocolate cake was very delicious.
Thoughts: How pretty you are to look at when you eat well.
The small cake was gone in an instant.
Still, Siervian pretended that she wasnāt disappointed when she was finished eating and set the fork down. She decided to eat well from now on, so maybe she could eat cake again.
Thoughts: I guess you want to eat more.
How did she know? Didnāt she hide it?
In the next few days, Siervian ate and slept well at the Princessā Palace.
She still hesitated to the point of getting full, but that hesitation was gone the moment Ellie smiled at her and told her how prettily she ate.
One thing kept bothering her while she spent her days like this.
Why did āthatā incident happen?
āYes, Princess, would you like another snack?ā
And in the past few days, Ellie had been trying to feed Siervian something every time they made eye contact. It was getting a bit too much, so Siervian thought she should avoid Ellieās gaze a little bit.
No matter how important it was to eat well, a Princessā dignity isā¦
āYour Highness really doesnāt want to eat?ā
Thoughts: Today, I brought macarons that are just as cute as our Princess. Should I give them to you later?
It couldnāt be helped if it was macarons. Since that was the case, she quickly changed her mind.
āHereā¦ I got this from a friend who works at the Emperorās Palace. Iām sorry I can give Your Highness only a littleā¦ā
Thoughts: You like it so much, but Iām sorry I canāt give you a lot. Iād like to give you a heaping tray one day.
Ellie shyly gave Siervian two more macarons, and Siervian carefully took both and savored one of them.
After a brief thought, Siervian gave the remaining macaron to Ellie.
āOh my, Princess. Iām quite alright.ā
Siervian grabbed Ellieās hand and put the macaron on her palm. Ellie hesitated, but accepted it in the end when she saw the small hands holding hers.
āHow come our Princess is so kind-heartedā¦ā
The sight of Ellieās delighted face made Siervianās heart prickle a little. Actually, todayās purpose was to increase Ellieās favorability even just a smidge.
āOh, itās very sweet.ā
āYes, very much. Thank you, Your Highness.ā
Seeing Ellie happy made Siervian think that she should give her more next time. Even though she was receiving the macarons from Ellieā¦ Still.
āThatās good, Princess.ā
āCan I go outside today?ā
Ellie didnāt expect it, so her eyes were wide. Siervian was afraid sheād say no, so she hurriedly spoke again. She had to go out today.
āIāll be goodā¦ But if Eri is too busyā¦ maybe next twimeā¦ā
As Siervian finished speaking sullenly, Ellieās expression darkened.
Ellie had a stiff expression on as she called Siervian, who knew that itās easy to be hated no matter what she did, so she should be more careful.
āOf course Your Highness can go out.ā
But then Ellie said something unexpected.
Ellie knelt in front of Siervian and made eye contact with Siervian, whose head was down.
āPrincess, this is your palace. Your Highness may do whatever you want.ā
āEven going outside?ā
Siervian looked into Ellieās eyes to see if she was telling the truth.
Thoughts: I should have told you earlierā¦ Itās my mistake.
Ellie looked as if she was on the verge of tears.
Although it was frustrating to stay inside the palace, Siervian was happy whenever she was with Ellie, who she was looking at with wonder.
āGoodnessā¦ I should have paid more attention. I apologize.ā
āNo, Eriās beside me so Iām happy alweady.ā
Thoughts: Iām really glad to hear thatā¦
Ellie embraced Siervian with tears in her eyes.
Siervian meant what she said. These days, Siervian was neither hungry nor terrified by Sarahās shouting voice.
Before, it was Sarah who decided whether she could go out or not, so it was never easy to ask for permission.
āAnd itās only if someone calls me.ā
Unfortunately, Sarah never let Siervian out of her room on her own. Thatās why she thought she needed to ask for permission from Ellie first, but now she realized that she didnāt have to do that.
āThen, shall we get ready to go outside?ā
At Siervianās excited answer, Ellie moved quickly.
āHmmā¦ Your Highness hasnāt gone out that often lately, but why donāt you have much clothesā¦ā
Thoughts: When is the budget for Princessā Palace coming in? Thereās still a lot I have to changeā¦
Ellie was troubled when she looked at the closet.
One side was full of gloomy clothes. Ellie wanted to dispose of them right away, but she kept them there just in case.
And the other side had bright clothes that Ellie bought as soon as she became head maid.
At one glance, it was clear that there were only a few bright clothes.
āI wonder why there isnāt a budget in the Princessā Palace?ā
Siervian, who was standing beside Ellie, thought about it as she looked at the closet.
Then, she pointed to one dress. It was a pink frill dress that she wore when she went to see her father last time.
āIs this alright? Your Highness already wore this recently.ā
āYeah, itās fwine.ā
It didnāt matter if she wore the same clothes twice. Aristocrats didnāt like to do this, but she didnāt want to think the same way.
If she changed her clothes a lot, then sheād be criticized as a princess who wasted the peopleās money. It would be easier to hear if she was called fussy instead.
āBut thatās not the point here.ā
Rather, the matter of the palaceās budget was constantly raising questions. She was even more curious about it as she thought of āthatā incident over the past few days.
āWhere will Your Highness go today?ā
The first thing that made everyone in the Imperial Palace think of Siervian with a bad impression was the so-called [Princessā Palace Food Waste] case.
* The way Siervian said āyesā in Korean is considered to be more formal.