“Let’s have afternoon tea here. And please tell Caro I said thank you—and I’m sorry I don’t have time to play with her right now.” Elina said apologetically.
“Of course. I’ll pass along your message, Your Highness.” Eve set the afternoon tea on the table and spoke respectfully.
“All right. I’ll get back to my reading, then.” Elina said.
“Of course. If you need anything later, just call my name, Princess Elina. I’ll be waiting outside the door.” Eve nodded and left the library.
After Eve left, Elina looked at the afternoon tea on the table. There were two little strawberry cakes and a cup of milk tea, all presented so delicately and looking so delicious that she couldn’t help picking up a cake and popping it into her mouth.
“Nom nom~ Meow~”
The sweet cream mingled with the strawberries’ tangy sweetness, bursting across her tongue in a feast for the senses. The light, fluffy cake balanced it perfectly, so it wasn’t too rich. This chef was pretty good—maybe even on par with a Michelin-starred chef. Though, to be fair, she’d never actually eaten food made by one.
Sigh, she really was living the good life. At least she hadn’t been reborn into some poor, miserable family. She wondered where the protagonist would show up. She was so curious, meow~
Still, he probably couldn’t be a prince of the Legendary Kingdom. That kind of background just didn’t suit a protagonist.
Whatever. Why bother thinking about him? The protagonist would rise to prominence sooner or later, and then she’d find out. He’d definitely be the best at playing the fool before revealing his strength. The usual plot went something like this: at school, a prince from another country thinks way too highly of himself and pursues the heroine. Then the protagonist steps in, drives him off, and wins the heroine’s favor.
Right. If something like that happened, she’d probably know who the protagonist was.
For now, she’d stop thinking about him and get back to reading and learning.
Elina folded her arms and nodded confidently. She felt like she was absolutely amazing.
……
Evening soon arrived. Frank Imperial City, so lively that afternoon, had grown somewhat quieter. Only a group of adventurers were still celebrating their afternoon’s haul, drinking beer and eating big mouthfuls of meat.
Elina finally stopped reading. She yawned, rubbed her aching eyes, and, with her cat ears drooping, went to the dining room to have dinner with Alaya.
So reading for too long really does wear you out, meow~
That’s enough for today. She’d read just about as much as she could, and it was time for bed. Aside from those all-nighters she used to pull while grinding away at games, she’d never been this tired. Maybe it was because she had a child’s body now. It got tired so easily.
Elina lay sprawled face-down on the bed, her cat tail drooping as she prepared to drift into a sweet dream. But Alaya came up behind her and grabbed her fluffy tail, giving it a firm stroke from the base upward.
A tingling sensation shot through her tail, jolting Elina’s drowsy mind wide awake. Embarrassed and indignant, she clutched her tail and tucked it behind her, eyeing Alaya warily with her big, pale-blue eyes. “Mom, what are you doing?!” she snapped.
“Oh, my dear daughter~” Alaya gently rubbed Elina’s little head and said softly, “You haven’t had your bath yet. As a princess, you have to take responsibility for your own hygiene.”
Elina pouted. Seeing the determination in Alaya’s eyes, she knew she couldn’t refuse. She used to go several days without bathing, but now she had to bathe every day. Well, she’d just have to get used to it. She’d accepted all the perks of being a princess, after all, so she had to accept the parts she didn’t like, too. Nothing in life was perfect.
“All right. I’ll go take a bath.” Elina sighed.
Eve, who had been waiting nearby, spoke up. “Princess Elina, I’ve prepared your nightgown and underclothes. You just need to take your bath and put them on afterward.”
“Okay.” Elina nodded and went into the bathroom right beside them. In front of the mirror, she took off her clothes.
Looking at her own delicate, lovely body, she felt neither shy nor lustful. This was her body now, after all. She just couldn’t feel that way about her own body. It seemed she’d have to get used to a princess’s life.
Elina touched her angelic face. A trace of helplessness flickered in her pale-blue eyes. A beautiful girl could cause a stir in any world. She just hoped she wouldn’t have too much trouble.
But all that would come after the main story began. For now, she’d take a nice, relaxing bath and then go to sleep. Tomorrow, she’d get up early and keep reading. There weren’t any electronic devices in this world, so reading was the only way she could pass the lonely hours.
Elina shook her little head and hopped into the warm, comfortable bath. The water washed over her tender skin, leaving it glistening. She could feel the chill in her body fading beneath the warm current.
As a cat, she wasn’t exactly fond of baths, but she had to admit that soaking in a tub during the cold winter was one of life’s great pleasures, meow~
Elina submerged her head, leaving only her slightly narrowed, pale-blue eyes above the water. She felt like her whole cat-self could just drown in this hot water~
……
