At least once a month, sometimes once a week, Yua and Veena would meet.
Although she was nonplussed at the beginning before she knew it Yua was counting down the days until their next play date.
But inevitably, those peaceful days couldn’t go on uninterrupted forever.
You already know that this isn’t a story of a happy past.
On that day, they had promised to come by and play with Yua.
She sat at a table with a parasol in a beautiful corner of the garden and waited for those two girls to visit her. It was a common thing for girls of noble houses to do.
Feeling slightly uneasy, she glanced around. All she can see are people hustling and bustling around, looking very busy.
(Did something happen today?)
Yua wonders to herself. Just then, Leena’s face popped up from the other side of the table.
“Yooa, I chame..?”
Despite being the same age as Yua, this girl spoke with a slight lisp.
“Ah, welcome. Hm? What about Veena-sama?”
It was rare to see Leena go anywhere without Veena.
“Ah, um, she had to meet with shomeone called a fianshay today.”
“Fiansh… Oh, her fiancée… Veena-sama is already getting engaged? Who to?”
“Ahhnaight-sama!”
“…Excuse me?”
Yua couldn’t hide her surprise.
“But why does Ahhnaight-sama have to be Veena’s fianshay?”
Leena puffs out her cheeks. She must feel like her beloved big sister is being taken away, and she will be lonely from now on. Finding it cute, Yua starts patting Leena’s head, but that just made her even more grumpy.
“Jeez, Yooa! I’m your older sishter! Don’t treat me like a child!”
Yua and Leena are the same age. But, since Leena was born a few months earlier, she declared herself the older sister. However, for Yua it’s hard to see Leena as anything but the younger sister in this relationship.
“So, Veena-sama is engaged to second brother Arnight, huh…”
“Yeah, even though I told them not to do it…”
“…Hmm. But really, it is very noisy inside the castle today.”
Yua took a sip of tea.
“Even so, it’s surprising that Veena-sama is so taken with my brother Arnight.”
“Yup. No matter how much I told them to shtop, they just did it anywaysh. They’re sho mean.”
Jumping up on her chair, Leena reached across the table and took one of the cookies she had laid out for today. Comfort eating…?
“Oh! This is delishush!”
“Isn’t it just! My personal maid baked these, she’s really amazing at cooking!”
As Yua kept going with her eyes sparkling, Leena nodded with a “Y-yup” and kept eating. Once she was satisfied that Leena understood the greatness of the confectionary, Yua relaxed again.
“I’ve also been learning a little myself lately. Although I’m not very good yet.”
After taking another sip of tea, Yua puts it down and starts eating one of the cookies herself. The sweetness of the biscuit mixed with the milky fragrance of the tea, leaving her in bliss.
“Hmm, sho Yooa can make them too? I want to try yoursh next time.”
“No no, I’m far too much of a novice, what I make isn’t fit for anyone to eat just yet.”
Yua refused, her legs swinging under the table. It was then that a beautifully dressed Veena arrived in the garden, and joined the other two.
“Please pardon me for being late.”
With that greeting, Veena pulls up a chair and sits down. Then, after taking a deep breath.
“Welcome, Veena-sama. Please do have some tea.”
“Thank you very much.”
Veena gratefully pours herself a cup of tea and takes a second to appreciate the aroma before taking a sip. The warmth of the tea spreads through her.
“Yes, that’s delicious..”
Veena says softly, putting the cup back down. Yua offered her one of the baked cookies, but Veena refused.
“I have to refrain from snacking between meals.”
It’s not something you’d expect a child to say. Yua regretfully withdrew the box of biscuits and offered them to a hungry looking Leena. Just as she was about to take one, Veena warned her there would be trouble if she filled herself up before dinner, and she pouted.
After being joined by Veena, the three of them talked for a long time under that parasol.
Yua was having fun.
“You look a lot happier recently.”
That night, Yua’s mother told her as much as she combed her hair before bed.
“…Yup. I’m having lots of fun.”
Yua answers childishly. It is a side of herself that she only shows to her mother.
“It’s all thanks to Leena and Veena-sama.”
Her mother gave her head a loving pat and replied
“I see. Seeing Yua happy makes your mother feel very happy as well. You must have been lonely, right?”
“…Yeah.”
Yua nodded. She won’t sugarcoat it for her mother.
“But, you know, it’s okay.”
Being born into the royal family, she can’t expect to be treated like a normal child. She couldn’t allow herself to be indulged by her mother or father like a regular girl. Even as a young member of the royal house, she has to stand strong on her own, there isn’t any room for being doted on by parents in the political world. Even if she can spend time with her mother like this once in a while, it is not a regular thing. They can only sleep together when her mother doesn’t have her hands full with state affairs.
“What a wonderful child.”
Yua was hugged tightly. She was wrapped up in her mother’s warmth.
“That said, please be careful when it comes to those girls and magic.”
To her mother’s words, Yua nodded.
“Good girl. Well then, shall we go to bed?”
“Yup.”
Yua is carried by her mother to a luxurious bed with a canopy overhead. As soon as she lay down on the bed, Yua became incredibly drowsy and fell into a deep sleep almost straight away.
“Good night, Yua.”
Her mother watched Yua’s sleeping face for a while as she slept. Thus, the days began to roll by.
“Let’s go into the town.”
Veena, with Leena clinging to her arm, proposed that as soon as they had exchanged greetings.
“Into town… I wish you had said so before. It will be hard to get an escort ready for us on such short notice.”
A completely sound argument. But, Veena just shrugged.
“We don’t need any guards! If anyone bothers them, I’ll just KO them with magic!”
Yua was shocked.
“Veena-sama, you can use magic already!?”
“Fu fu~n, that’s right!”
Veena holds a hand to her chest and answers proudly. Normally, when only five or six years old, it’s impossible to already be able to use magic. Even if you’re mature beyond your years, your body shouldn’t be able to control magic this early.
“By the way, Leena is also able to use magic.”
“Fu fu~n, thatsh right!”
Leena imitated Veena, and also touched her chest. Leena being able to use magic was even more unbelievable. “Are you two genius sisters?” Yua muttered.
“Why do you want to go into the city?”
Back to the main subject.
“Father wants me to get close to my fiancée Arnight-sama. But, I don’t really know what to do, so I thought I would buy him a gift.”
Veena took one of the chocolates in the box she was holding and gave it to Leena.
“But… I don’t really know what Arnight-sama likes…so… I was hoping you would help me.”
“…So that’s the reason you wanted to go into town. I see.”
Yua takes one of the chocolates as well and eats it. It’s sweet.
“But, I don’t know how helpful I can be. I don’t talk much with Arnight myself, so I don’t really know much about him either.”
“That’s fine. Whatever you can tell me will be helpful.”
Having said that, Veena rests her cup of tea on the table.
“Well then, shall we go?”
Just like that, the day’s activity for the three girls was decided.
At least once a month, sometimes once a week, Yua and Veena would meet.
Although she was nonplussed at the beginning before she knew it Yua was counting down the days until their next play date.
But inevitably, those peaceful days couldn’t go on uninterrupted forever.
You already know that this isn’t a story of a happy past.
On that day, they had promised to come by and play with Yua.
She sat at a table with a parasol in a beautiful corner of the garden and waited for those two girls to visit her. It was a common thing for girls of noble houses to do.
Feeling slightly uneasy, she glanced around. All she can see are people hustling and bustling around, looking very busy.
(Did something happen today?)
Yua wonders to herself. Just then, Leena’s face popped up from the other side of the table.
“Yooa, I chame..?”
Despite being the same age as Yua, this girl spoke with a slight lisp.
“Ah, welcome. Hm? What about Veena-sama?”
It was rare to see Leena go anywhere without Veena.
“Ah, um, she had to meet with shomeone called a fianshay today.”
“Fiansh… Oh, her fiancée… Veena-sama is already getting engaged? Who to?”
“Ahhnaight-sama!”
“…Excuse me?”
Yua couldn’t hide her surprise.
“But why does Ahhnaight-sama have to be Veena’s fianshay?”
Leena puffs out her cheeks. She must feel like her beloved big sister is being taken away, and she will be lonely from now on. Finding it cute, Yua starts patting Leena’s head, but that just made her even more grumpy.
“Jeez, Yooa! I’m your older sishter! Don’t treat me like a child!”
Yua and Leena are the same age. But, since Leena was born a few months earlier, she declared herself the older sister. However, for Yua it’s hard to see Leena as anything but the younger sister in this relationship.
“So, Veena-sama is engaged to second brother Arnight, huh…”
“Yeah, even though I told them not to do it…”
“…Hmm. But really, it is very noisy inside the castle today.”
Yua took a sip of tea.
“Even so, it’s surprising that Veena-sama is so taken with my brother Arnight.”
“Yup. No matter how much I told them to shtop, they just did it anywaysh. They’re sho mean.”
Jumping up on her chair, Leena reached across the table and took one of the cookies she had laid out for today. Comfort eating…?
“Oh! This is delishush!”
“Isn’t it just! My personal maid baked these, she’s really amazing at cooking!”
As Yua kept going with her eyes sparkling, Leena nodded with a “Y-yup” and kept eating. Once she was satisfied that Leena understood the greatness of the confectionary, Yua relaxed again.
“I’ve also been learning a little myself lately. Although I’m not very good yet.”
After taking another sip of tea, Yua puts it down and starts eating one of the cookies herself. The sweetness of the biscuit mixed with the milky fragrance of the tea, leaving her in bliss.
“Hmm, sho Yooa can make them too? I want to try yoursh next time.”
“No no, I’m far too much of a novice, what I make isn’t fit for anyone to eat just yet.”
Yua refused, her legs swinging under the table. It was then that a beautifully dressed Veena arrived in the garden, and joined the other two.
“Please pardon me for being late.”
With that greeting, Veena pulls up a chair and sits down. Then, after taking a deep breath.
“Welcome, Veena-sama. Please do have some tea.”
“Thank you very much.”
Veena gratefully pours herself a cup of tea and takes a second to appreciate the aroma before taking a sip. The warmth of the tea spreads through her.
“Yes, that’s delicious..”
Veena says softly, putting the cup back down. Yua offered her one of the baked cookies, but Veena refused.
“I have to refrain from snacking between meals.”
It’s not something you’d expect a child to say. Yua regretfully withdrew the box of biscuits and offered them to a hungry looking Leena. Just as she was about to take one, Veena warned her there would be trouble if she filled herself up before dinner, and she pouted.
After being joined by Veena, the three of them talked for a long time under that parasol.
Yua was having fun.
“You look a lot happier recently.”
That night, Yua’s mother told her as much as she combed her hair before bed.
“…Yup. I’m having lots of fun.”
Yua answers childishly. It is a side of herself that she only shows to her mother.
“It’s all thanks to Leena and Veena-sama.”
Her mother gave her head a loving pat and replied
“I see. Seeing Yua happy makes your mother feel very happy as well. You must have been lonely, right?”
“…Yeah.”
Yua nodded. She won’t sugarcoat it for her mother.
“But, you know, it’s okay.”
Being born into the royal family, she can’t expect to be treated like a normal child. She couldn’t allow herself to be indulged by her mother or father like a regular girl. Even as a young member of the royal house, she has to stand strong on her own, there isn’t any room for being doted on by parents in the political world. Even if she can spend time with her mother like this once in a while, it is not a regular thing. They can only sleep together when her mother doesn’t have her hands full with state affairs.
“What a wonderful child.”
Yua was hugged tightly. She was wrapped up in her mother’s warmth.
“That said, please be careful when it comes to those girls and magic.”
To her mother’s words, Yua nodded.
“Good girl. Well then, shall we go to bed?”
“Yup.”
Yua is carried by her mother to a luxurious bed with a canopy overhead. As soon as she lay down on the bed, Yua became incredibly drowsy and fell into a deep sleep almost straight away.
“Good night, Yua.”
Her mother watched Yua’s sleeping face for a while as she slept. Thus, the days began to roll by.
“Let’s go into the town.”
Veena, with Leena clinging to her arm, proposed that as soon as they had exchanged greetings.
“Into town… I wish you had said so before. It will be hard to get an escort ready for us on such short notice.”
A completely sound argument. But, Veena just shrugged.
“We don’t need any guards! If anyone bothers them, I’ll just KO them with magic!”
Yua was shocked.
“Veena-sama, you can use magic already!?”
“Fu fu~n, that’s right!”
Veena holds a hand to her chest and answers proudly. Normally, when only five or six years old, it’s impossible to already be able to use magic. Even if you’re mature beyond your years, your body shouldn’t be able to control magic this early.
“By the way, Leena is also able to use magic.”
“Fu fu~n, thatsh right!”
Leena imitated Veena, and also touched her chest. Leena being able to use magic was even more unbelievable. “Are you two genius sisters?” Yua muttered.
“Why do you want to go into the city?”
Back to the main subject.
“Father wants me to get close to my fiancée Arnight-sama. But, I don’t really know what to do, so I thought I would buy him a gift.”
Veena took one of the chocolates in the box she was holding and gave it to Leena.
“But… I don’t really know what Arnight-sama likes…so… I was hoping you would help me.”
“…So that’s the reason you wanted to go into town. I see.”
Yua takes one of the chocolates as well and eats it. It’s sweet.
“But, I don’t know how helpful I can be. I don’t talk much with Arnight myself, so I don’t really know much about him either.”
“That’s fine. Whatever you can tell me will be helpful.”
Having said that, Veena rests her cup of tea on the table.
“Well then, shall we go?”
Just like that, the day’s activity for the three girls was decided.
