Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The 1st Imperial Princess's Sickbed Visit (6)
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Lea tied her radiant golden hair back.
She stood in the kitchen, the picture of a mature woman.
With gentle hands, she took out four eggs.
She cracked them lightly into a bowl, separating only the whites.
She had thought she would eat only meals prepared by chefs her whole life.
Yet she whisked the separated whites with expert ease.
"Ah."
But midway through whisking, a small eggshell caught her eye.
The princess glanced at me, then quietly removed it.
Then, she licked her moistened fingertip.
As if nothing had happened, she poured in the melted ice cream.
Next, she fetched her wand from the bedroom.
A renowned artisan's work, crafted from a branch of the World Tree.
Lea boldly aimed it at the egg mixture.
'That precious thing...!'
She cast a wind spell next, stirring the eggs and ice cream.
I couldn't help but admire her precise mana control.
Magic is easy to release, but handling it delicately is hard.
Just watching her, I could tell she was a high-level mage.
The whisked egg whites and melted vanilla ice cream blended perfectly.
Then Lea conjured a small flame at the wand's tip to heat the mixture.
But...
The trouble came with the freezing spell.
Trying to chill the dish, she shot cold air from her fingertip.
She failed to control the power and froze it solid.
I approached her quietly.
Leaning in close, I asked,
"Were you planning to refreeze the ice cream?"
At my question, the princess flinched, shoulders jumping.
Like a clumsy cook caught by her father.
"No, I was trying something far more sophisticated."
Her flinch had slipped the white blouse slightly off one shoulder.
She tugged the collar up to hide the black strap and continued,
"But the surface is too frozen now. Can't eat it."
She admitted her mistake with a wry expression.
Seems she's still clumsy with ice magic.
"Isn't there one left? Try again."
I laughed heartily and pointed to the untouched cream.
"You have exceptional magical talent, like His Majesty."
The princess nodded; she knew her own strength well.
"However, His Majesty is male, with strong yang energy. He's especially gifted in fire magic."
"Yes, Father's magic was truly remarkable."
"Indeed. But women are born with yin energy, so you have tremendous potential in ice magic."
The princess gazed steadily at me as I analyzed her.
She could have taken offense, but as a strategist, she appreciated my approach instead.
"You're right. My ice magic was stronger than my peers'. Maybe my yin energy is potent, as you say."
That explained her outwardly kind demeanor but icy gaze.
"Impressive talent."
"Hah, flattery. Power without mastery is no different from an incompetent ruler."
I nodded in agreement.
Grinning like a sycophant, I said,
"That's why I'm here to help a little."
The princess looked puzzled, wondering if I knew magic too.
"I may not know spells, but I understand mana operation principles."
Explaining theory would be dull and unconvincing.
So I sidled right up to Lea.
Perhaps from our closeness, she swallowed hard, realizing our height difference.
But it didn't end there.
"...!"
I gently wrapped both my hands around hers holding the wand.
"Don't waver when casting magic."
She shot me a look that said she knew why she was wavering.
But she soon focused on my lesson.
"For ice magic, don't just think of expelling mana."
I pressed lightly on her hand.
Lea parted her lips in flustered surprise.
"Wait a moment."
I pressed her finger firmly, and it began to chill.
"Now, release mana like this, and you can use it as easily as fire magic."
The princess covered her lips with one sleeve.
She exhaled shallowly and released mana through the wand tip.
Soon, a misty cold seeped into the egg mixture.
It coagulated to the perfect chill.
Perfect control.
"As expected of the 1st Imperial Princess. You master it after one lesson."
I stroked her hand in praise as we held it.
But at that moment...
Her once-cold hand began to warm.
"That's enough. This'll do."
Lea shook off my hand in a hurry.
Rubbing where we'd touched, she said,
"Well, it was easy to grasp. As expected from a battlefield veteran."
"You're too kind."
I smiled and shook my head.
Gazing together at the chilled mixture, I asked,
"Now, is it finished?"
"No, a bit more to go."
Buoyed by confidence, Lea smiled faintly.
She rolled up her loose white blouse sleeve, saying she'd handle the rest.
"Wait just a moment."
The princess scooped a spoonful of sugar.
She sprinkled it delicately over the chilled eggs, blanketing it like fresh snow.
She raised her wand again.
Using the mana technique I'd taught, she controlled the flame even more delicately.
The sugar on top caramelized to a lovely golden brown.
Soon, a warm, bread-like sugar crust formed.
"Here, try it. Crème brûlée."
The dainty dish held just enough for two.
Yet the princess slid the plate toward me.
With a small teaspoon.
"I'll dig in."
I picked up the teaspoon.
Staring at this unfamiliar dish, I tilted my head.
"You idiot. Tap the surface with the spoon and eat it."
Lea covered her lips with her sleeve, amused.
She chuckled with mature eyes.
"I have to break food made by the princess?"
"Yeah. That's how you eat it."
I tapped the sugar crust lightly with the teaspoon.
It cracked like glass.
"Ooh..."
With childlike wonder, I scooped some up.
Cautiously, I savored the golden dessert.
"..."
Lea sat beside me.
Propping her chin, she asked,
"How is it?"
I chewed slowly.
Then answered with a straight face.
"It's good."
Just three words.
For food she'd made herself, my curt reply made her furrow her brow.
"That's all?"
"Yes, it's good."
The princess snorted in disbelief.
She took my teaspoon and said,
"That's men for you."
Lea dipped the spoon—still bearing my bite marks—into the cream.
She added some broken crust.
"Can't even appreciate something special."
The princess swept her tousled hair aside.
Half-closing her eyes, she savored the crème brûlée.
"Mm."
Her lips curved in satisfaction.
They say women turn girlish with sweets...
Seeing her, it rang true.
But the surprises didn't end there.
"Strange. It was perfect."
I'd expected her pride to sting and blame me.
Instead, she analyzed herself as the cause.
"Maybe an error in the heating."
I watched her fondly.
"Still, it was different from any sweet I've had."
The princess was quietly analyzing the taste.
She paused her spoon at my words.
"It was smooth, and above all, full of care and human warmth. That's what made it good."
I bowed my head in thanks.
"Truly, thank you. Your Highness."
As I looked up...
"Say that sort of thing sooner."
The princess held the spoon near my lips and said,
"Don't make me misunderstand by holding back."
With a feminine smile, she urged me.
"Come on, have more. I whipped it to the golden ratio."
I carefully took the spoon.
Savored another bite.
"Thank you."
We shared the tiny dessert.
Meanwhile, the pouring rain had stopped.
"The rain's stopped already."
"Yes, so it has."
Clouds parted, revealing a red horizon.
We gazed at it together.
"It's about time for you to go."
"Yes, I can feel my subordinates' mana."
I sensed the knights outside faintly.
In response, the princess rose.
She picked up her white uniform draped on the sofa.
"It still looks damp."
I eyed the dripping fabric and said so.
Lea glanced back at me.
"Is it?"
She smiled leisurely.
Tapping her wand to the uniform...
The soaked moisture drained out, forming a huge droplet.
I stared blankly as she flung the droplet to the kitchen.
Ice magic might be clumsy, but her other spells were masterful.
"What, too shocked to speak?"
Lea straightened proudly, confident in her skill.
"No. If you could dry it yourself, why..."
The princess spun around, hands behind her back.
Tilting her head, she said,
"Well, someone drained all my mana, leaving me exhausted."
"Pardon...?"
As I asked again, Lea approached slowly, her sensual figure swaying.
She poked my left chest with her wand and said,
"You took all my mana."
"Me?"
"Yes. You were dying in pain, so I pitied you and gave it."
That explained waking refreshed.
I'd unwittingly incurred a huge debt.
"I'm truly sorry."
"It's fine. Your cooking helped me recover most of it."
The princess took her uniform and entered my room.
Minutes later, she returned as the charismatic 1st Imperial Princess.
"I'll go alone, so don't follow."
Meaning, leaving together might spark rumors.
Understanding, I bowed. "Understood."
"..."
I heard her footsteps on the stairs.
I stepped onto the balcony and looked down at her leaving the building.
Knights of Light in the distance.
But Lea didn't head straight to them.
Instead, she went to the bookstore across from my place.
"What is she up to?"
Soon, she emerged with a chess manual and tactics book.
She met her unit as if nothing happened.
"Your Highness, where on earth were you?!"
The knights asked urgently.
Lea elegantly tossed back her golden hair and said,
"The rain got heavy, so I ducked into the bookstore."
She held up the book bag firmly.
Her subordinates nodded, convinced.
"We thought you'd been kidnapped."
"By whom? Me?"
The princess fixed them with a ruler's cold gaze.
The knights flinched in fear.
"Well, as long as nothing happened."
They couldn't retort to Lea.
They just nodded.
"I should be the one scolding you. If I'd really been kidnapped, you still wouldn't have found me?"
Turning the tables masterfully, the princess seized the advantage.
I admired her rhetoric.
"We're sorry..."
The knights bowed hastily.
Lea waved it off magnanimously.
"Fine. I had some good experiences thanks to it."
Lea tipped up her imperial cap slightly.
She looked up steadily at me on the balcony.
I bowed to match her gaze.
She turned away indifferently.
As if nothing had happened that day, she rode off in the carriage with her knights.
"Whew..."
Once her presence fully faded, I straightened.
Finally alone, I took a deep breath.
Back in my room, I flopped onto the bed.
*'How many times did I bow today...?'*
My gaze drifted to the open wardrobe.
I frowned at the oddly empty shelf of white blouses.
*"Feels like one's missing."*