"I say, Miss Tiran, although I plan to give holiday gifts as an apology, do you really intend to browse through this huge place? You'll be exhausted!"

On the second floor of the shopping mall, Tiran and Aya followed behind Xiao Mo, casually glancing at the various items displayed behind the glass windows.

"It is a bit...," Tiran nodded in agreement. Although she had heard that women never get tired of shopping, as a homebody who loves reading manga novels at home, she had no desire to shop other than for comics and various merchandise.

"Leave it to me!" Xiao Mo confidently patted her chest and pointed to the directory sign, saying, "I have worked here for several days. I know where you can buy whatever you want."

Xiao Mo, so helpful.

"By the way, who do you plan to give gifts to?" While walking, Aya coughed twice and glanced at Tiran with a seemingly casual expression, her right hand anxiously pinching the fabric at her sleeve.

"Let me think... definitely Mom and Dad, and Mimi too, since she didn't attend the banquet but still caused trouble. Also, can't forget about little Chirp's holiday gift. Yeah, that's it! Four gifts!"

"Uh...oh..."

Relaxing her grip on her sleeve, Aya replied absentmindedly, feeling a slight sense of disappointment in her heart. Hey, wait a minute! Something doesn't seem right here! This person is the culprit who got me into this situation, why am I disappointed about not receiving a gift from her? Am I acting like a child?

Quickly shaking her head as if to shake off those strange thoughts, Aya changed the topic, "Well, although you have decided on the recipients of the gifts, have you thought about what to give?"

Princess Tiran's steps suddenly halted, as if lost in thought. After a moment of silence, she awkwardly looked up at Xiao Mo and Aya, "I still... haven't thought about that."

Of course, you never think things through completely! Or more accurately, you never fully consider important matters. After all, Princess Tiran's traps and schemes, one after another, showed that she had a brain, she just didn't want to use it.

Please, Princess Tiran, could you use some of that brainpower you use for pranks and tricks to think seriously about important things?

"It doesn't matter, right? Gifts are for loved ones, and as long as there is sincerity, even slightly ordinary things will make the gift recipients happy," Xiao Mo said as she turned around with the directory sign in her hands.

"That's true..." Tiran said, absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair with her fingers.

Damn it, Aya actually saw a shy expression on Tiran's face? Where did this lovestruck teenager come from?

This time, Aya didn't misunderstand. Tiran was indeed a little shy. It might be hard to understand, but before coming to this world, Princess Tiran was the epitome of "I have very few friends." Besides her normal studying and life, she spent the rest of her time alone.

Staying at home alone, watching movies alone, attending manga exhibitions alone... even playing games, she never had anyone to give gifts to. Is it strange for her to feel nervous about giving gifts to someone else for the first time?

Putting aside Dad for now, what do Mom, Mimi, and Chirp want? Will they like the gifts she randomly chooses?

Hmm, this is truly troublesome.

"Aya, can you investigate what they like?" Tiran turned around and eagerly held Aya's shoulder, expecting her to respond.

"Daga, koutuo walu!" Aya tried to resist.

"I refuse your refusal. Go back and investigate. Be back in an hour, or else I'll use the contract to force you into a beast girl outfit and collar and have you parade down the street."

Princess tilted her head back with satisfaction as she watched the white-haired maid sprint away. "Sorted. Now we just wait for our reliable little Aya to bring back the intel."

"The master who coerces their maid is despicable," Morimotto muttered while clutching the guide board.

"Ah, don't mind it," Tiran giggled as he leaned closer. "I haven't been to this shopping center since I returned to the capital. Can you recommend any interesting shops?"

"Actually, there is one," Morimotto's eyes lit up. "The manga library in Area 3 on the first floor. After paying the entrance fee, you can read as many mangas and enjoy free drinks and snacks until closing time. I used to stay there when I was broke... Plus, they have maids who offer knee pillows and cosplay services!"

"Oh, oh, oh! Fantastic! Morimotto, you're the best. Lead the way!"

"Well, Area 3 is quite far from here, and I'm still on duty. I can show you the way briefly, but going too far will get me caught and docked of my wages. It's not ideal," Morimotto hesitated while shaking the guide board.

"Oh, right! I still have Aya's Babylonian ancient coins," Tiran pulled a finely crafted and nostalgic-looking coin from his pocket.

"Done." Morimotto, whose eyes had turned into golden coins, flipped the guide board and took the coin, starting the navigation.

Confirming once again, the master who makes Aya work and spend her own money is despicable.

...

"How am I supposed to find out what they like as gifts?!"

Back outside the palace, Aya stood in a dim corner and rubbed her chin, observing the brightly lit castle inside the enclosed walls due to the festivities of the Holy Breath Day banquet.

I'll forget about Chirp, and if Mimi sees me, she might eat my heart... in the physical sense, of course. And King-sama is troublesome too, not to mention the queen who rarely shows up.

"Well, let's sneak in for now."

After much deliberation, Aya decided to enter the castle first. Who knows, maybe she'll accidentally overhear something? Tiran had mentioned that his luck was quite good, something about Lucky E... and there were rumors that there were twenty-six strange characters, with the fifth one being usable?

Hmm.

A second before Aya used the power of her scales to jump and bypass the high wall, she thought about this.

The next moment, a sharp and piercing alarm sounded.

"Who goes there?!" Within three seconds, footsteps of patrolling guards could be heard from two directions.

Oh right, when I was climbing over the wall earlier, the royal emblem on Tiran triggered the sensors, so there was no alarm. But now that I'm alone and don't have that...

"Damn it!"

To her left and front, less than fifty meters away, she could already see the shining Chi light on the sword blades of at least twenty people.

Hmph, they think they can catch me, Aya? This number of people isn't enough! Do they think anyone can be a dragon slayer? Even though I'm infiltrating, as long as I eliminate them all, no one will discover my presence!

With a clench of her fists, the collision of her scales caused a silent shockwave.

Five minutes later.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong. I won't do it again."

In the main banquet hall of the palace, dignitaries conversed while holding wine glasses, sharing the various interesting anecdotes and rumors that had occurred in the capital recently. The festive atmosphere was palpable.

However, in a small room upstairs in the banquet hall, Aya, who had just been beaten up on the ground, trembling in a corner.

Considering his strength, even without magic and Chi, he would have more than enough to deal with the elite soldiers of the palace. But he happened to encounter the passing maid leader, and didn't last long before being tied up with a silver whip and dragged upstairs.

"Just when I was thinking about where to find you, you came right to me."

Mimi leaned against the wall with one hand, looking down on Aya. The backlighting made it hard to see Mimi's expression, but it was evident that she was filled with anger.

The anger was understandable. The name Milania had a holy word in front of it, indicating the extent of the influence of the Temple Church in this country. The Holy Breath Festival, despite its change in nature among the people, was still a significant religious holiday. Even the Archbishop of the Temple Church, Heinrich, attended. Tiran skipping such an event was truly causing a headache for Mimi and the king.

But... anger aside, why did both Tiran and you have to act this way? Although it does give a strong sense of oppression, this angle is just terrible.

Aya swallowed. His face wasn't clear due to the backlighting, but the prominent curves of Mimi's chest, under the influence of gravity, presented a perfect drop-like shape... no intention to belittle the princess, but she's simply too endowed.

"Where's the prince? You two were supposed to go together." Mimi squinted her eyes and questioned.

"Um..." Aya hesitated for a moment whether to tell the truth or not, but seeing the look in Miss Mimi's eyes, he felt that if he didn't tell the truth, he might lose his life in the next second. So Aya decisively sold out his master.

"At the newly opened shopping center in the commercial district, he should be with Xiao Mo."

"The North Wind Assassin?" Mimi's hand holding the whip suddenly tightened, and Aya could clearly feel the whip around him constricting, making it hard to breathe.

"Don't worry! She's Tiran-sama, she won't get into trouble!"

"..."

Mimi didn't say anything and silently stared at Aya for a long time, making him feel uneasy.

Suddenly, she sighed, and the silver whip that was tightly bound around Aya loosened, as Mimi retrieved it in her hand.

She's letting me go? I thought I would be beaten again... remembering the previous experience of being forced to wear a maid outfit and being trained by Mimi as the maid leader, Aya couldn't help but shiver.

It's good that she let me go so easily, but there's still a subtle sense of unease.

"Get up first. After all, the clothes on you were made by me personally, don't get them dirty."

Her tone unexpectedly gentle, she even extended her hand to help Aya up? You're not Mimi! Tell me honestly, who are you? Aya stared at Mimi, patting the maid outfit on himself.

"Well, it's not entirely your fault. In the end, there aren't many people who can stop what the prince wants to do." Mimi seemed deflated, like a heartbroken little girl sitting on a chair beside her.

Oh my, you can actually understand? It seems like all those beatings I endured earlier were for nothing.

"But... I still feel dissatisfied." Mimi looked at Aya again. "Hey, Aya, have I ever told you about myself?"

Before Aya could speak, Mimi continued, "I was originally captured as a slave during a bounty hunter mission and brought to the Main Dimension."

"Then the princess bought you when she was feeling extravagant?" Aya guessed unconsciously.

"Has anyone ever told you that interrupting a girl is very impolite?" Mimi glanced at Aya.

Are you even considered a girl, Aya wanted to retort, but she knew it would probably get her killed, the kind of thorough kind.

"But you guessed wrong. The princess didn't pay, she just masked her face and robbed the caravan transporting me, knocking out all those bounty hunters one by one, just because she liked the color of my hair..."

"...That's definitely her style."

"At that moment, I was really... stupefied." Mimi's hands twisted together as a hint of shyness appeared on her cheeks. "A teenager in her early teens beating a group of bounty hunters to a pulp... It made me feel like I wasted all those years of my life."

Aya could relate, after all, she was also taken out with a single sword strike. Tiran's strength was simply outrageous.

"At first, I could be of help in battles by the princess's side, but as her strength grew, she never had to struggle against enemies after she turned fifteen."

"I once swore to follow the princess for life, so it was really frustrating to feel useless. That's why the princess brought you back, right? Because you are the Dragon, after the princess fully trusted you and released your seal, you could assist her much more than I could."

"Sorry, I was a bit naive about the princess."

Hey, hey, why does this atmosphere and tone feel strange? What is this? A conversation between the former and current? Mimi's jealousy does indeed resemble...

"But even if I was naive, I still want to ask one thing: Aya, will you do everything you can to protect the princess?"

"Isn't that already written in the master-servant contract?"

"It's a promise to me." Mimi demanded.

"...Of course, at least for this year."

"Good, I'll remember your promise. If you do anything harmful to the princess, even if I'm not as strong as you, I will find ways to kill you."

Despite the sweet smile, those were serious words, Mimi.

Aya looked at Mimi, who suddenly smiled, and silently thought.