"Oh! This cookie tastes amazing! Is it a new product?" The white-haired maid exclaimed in surprise, covering her mouth. Her left hand's index finger and thumb still pinched a half piece.
"E-Ellia, don't eat while working," the head maid, Miss Mimi, reminded, as Miss Tiran, disguised as "Ellia" through transformation magic and makeup, walked upstairs with a tray.
However, even though Tiran was now working as a maid in name, Mimi, who knew her reasons and the truth, couldn't be strict with her. She could only allow some of her little rebellious acts—fortunately, Tiran herself understood the situation and would only misbehave a little when there were no other people around.
Like now, as they were serving afternoon tea together to Vivian.
"FBI open the door!" Mimi yelled something incomprehensible to her while unceremoniously pushing open the door and leading the way in with Tiran chin up high.
Upon entering, they saw Vivian reclining against the bedhead, cuddling a soft, floofy animal-eared girl while reading a thick picture book together.
Ah, this guest, though it looked like a cozy moment between a mother and daughter, in reality, according to their positions, they should be grandmother and granddaughter.
"Ellia... uh, to avoid confusion let's just call you Tiran, right?" Tiran smiled as she gently placed the tray aside on the table and turned to Mimi like a guide.
"Ah, Miss Ellia, this behavior doesn't seem to comply with the etiquette requirements of a maid, right?"
As the picture book closed, mom nestled Chirp in her lap, legs crossed on the bed, and said, "Hehe, did you know that touching a little girl without permission can lead to the death penalty?"
"Don't gossip about the mistress, and if I remember correctly, Miss Ellia is still in maid training, right?"
"Don't worry, besides Princess Vivian, I handle everything perfectly, and what do you mean by maid training, hey!"
Maid training, synonymous with cleaning, tidying, cooking, looking for lost things, taking care of children, rescuing cats, guiding tours, fighting enemies, suppressing rebellions, transforming into a Gundam, and everything else.
"So, bride training?" Vivian raised a finger, closed an eye, and smiled mischievously.
"W-What bride training! No way!"
Miss Tiran's true thoughts were exposed through her words, and she tried to resist in vain, but Vivian, who knew her daughter's mind too well, didn't give her a chance.
"'Although being punished for such things and working as a maid is unpleasant, I'm getting married to Aya soon... well, as a wife, wouldn't it be good to learn a bit during these times?' Let this be an opportunity to practice well!"
With her hands clasped in front in a shy, girlish manner, Vivian even imitated the tone and voice perfectly. One could say she was truly a motherly figure.
"Cut it out!" An exasperated Tiran threw the hot tea towards Vivian, the expertly controlled strength and Chi keeping the liquid in the cup as Vivian caught it effortlessly on the side, shaking her head in pity.
"Tiran, you need to control your emotions, you're not as calm as Brad."
"Enough, you're obviously provoking me on purpose!" Mimi, satisfied, tidied the coffee table, watching the scene before her. Seeing the princess's lovely and flustered state was truly... satisfying. One would probably get full from watching such a spectacle.
Chirp, sitting in Vivian's lap, also curiously watched Tiran. Although Chirp had never seen Tiran like this before, variously shaped forms didn't change the underlying scent and spiritual activity of "Dad" that Chirp was familiar with.
"Dad looks really nice like this."
The straightforward remark left Tiran momentarily unsure how to respond, finding the statement itself a bit odd.
"Why are you suddenly so relaxed? Weren't you always in the kitchen before?" Trying to change the subject, Tiran sighed, confused as to why her mom seemed more adept at lounging in her room than herself. This was her room, right? Why did her mom look more comfortable here than she did?
"Hmph, that's because the development of the birthday cake is already complete! Thanks to Chirp for the detailed plans!" Vivian happily rubbed Chirp's plush ears, remarking on the improvement in her technique of petting Chirp – after all the days, the queen's method was less resisted by Chirp now.
With the elimination of the odd taste from the mixed berry glaze, the sample had gained approval from the castle's pastry chefs, and all that was left was to make the freshest final product on Tiran's birthday.
"Ah, right, the birthday is almost here." Tiran paused, remembering something, "By the way, where's Aya? After coming back from Beacon City with Feizi, he seems to have disappeared, neglecting his maid duties."
Oddly enough, Mimi seemed to genuinely overlook Aya's sneaking away, a groundbreaking development. In the past, she would have punished Aya promptly without a second thought.
Something was off, very off.
"Aya is said to be in Beacon City these days. If I guess correctly, he's probably preparing a birthday present for you, right? After all, he promised to give you a surprise."
Vivian muffled a laugh with her hand. "I saw him looking quite troubled a few days ago. Seems like he's wracking his brain, trying to find the perfect gift for his future wife."
"Wife…?"
Tiran repeated the word dumbfounded, her cheeks instantly flushing red.
And Mimi, who had listened to the entire conversation, could only sigh in resignation. Honestly, hearing that word coming from Vivian's mouth had momentarily clenched her heart too, creating a sense of inner conflict that required more time to heal the rift she had caused herself.
Of course, the shy Tiran was undeniably the most adorable in the world, without a doubt.
"How do you feel? Like a deer caught in the headlights? Don't worry, Mom understands your feelings well. When Mom got married, I felt the same way back then~"
"P-Please, stop…"
Covering her face and slowly sinking to the ground, Tiran could feel the burning heat on her cheeks.
Really, why did Aya have to be absent at this time!
It wasn't about the gift, she didn't care much about that. What was important was that it was a gift from Aya, but there was a slight expectation on top of that.
