49. A Little Tea Party Just for the Princesses (2)
49. A Little Tea Party Just for the Princesses (2)
[Episode 49] - A Little Tea Party for Princesses Only (2)
To be honest, the feeling Titania felt while looking at Princess Fiona was 'discomfort'. Even though they had only met four days ago, she felt uncomfortable with Princess Fiona, who stuck to her side all day long and chirped like a lark.
It was the second time she had felt such discomfort toward a person, the first being the mischievous Fran. Not only that, but for some reason, she didn't feel good whenever she was with Princess Fiona.
Even at ten years old, Titania knew she shouldn't show it, so she just didn't say anything. In her honest heart, she wanted to get away from Princess Fiona's side right this instant.
"Queen Vivian-nim has prepared some really good tea. I should go and thank her later."
"Mother-nim will surely be pleased..."
Hororok, Princess Fiona took a sip of black tea, cupped her cheeks as if it were delicious, and smiled brightly. Watching her, Titania also smiled awkwardly and sipped her milk tea, which was mixed with milk and sugar.
A small tea party held in a corner of the spacious garden. Rather than a tea party, it was just two princesses sharing snacks and tea while chatting, but Princess Fiona insisted on calling it a tea party.
She claimed that whenever young ladies drank tea together, it was always a tea party, and she generously showed off the snacks she had brought from her country. From apple pie freshly made by the chef included in the delegation, to chocolates sold in the Silverword Kingdom.
Thanks to Princess Fiona, who had laid out so many snacks that the narrow table was completely full, Titania's eyes widened. Was it because she had been refraining from snacks lately? The snacks looked even more delicious to Titania's eyes.
"You can eat as much as you want. What I recommend is this chocolate, which is popular among young ladies in our kingdom's capital these days; to buy it once, you have to wait in a line—"
'It would be better if she ate a little more quietly...' With that bad thought, Titania shook her head and took a bite of the rose-shaped chocolate that Princess Fiona had handed her.
It was the most delicious chocolate she had ever tasted, and Titania's eyes went round. The sweetness on her tongue wasn't entirely just from the chocolate. It was a sweetness mixed with the tartness of cranberries.
A flavor that was bitter, sweet, and even tart spread throughout Titania's mouth. And with the scent of roses brushing against the tip of her nose, she naturally popped the half-bitten chocolate into her mouth.
"I'm glad you seem to like it."
"...It's really delicious."
Princess Fiona's lips curled up on their own as she watched Titania slowly melt and eat the chocolate as if she were happy. She even took out a handkerchief to wipe the chocolate from the corner of Titania's mouth.
Titania covered her mouth with both hands, feeling shy at the sight of Princess Fiona taking care of her to the point where she wondered, 'Is this what it feels like to have an eonni?'
That was why she couldn't understand it even more. Why did she feel a 'sense of discomfort' toward someone who treated her so well? Titania tilted her head slightly and sipped her milk tea.
As she was sipping tea and eating the snacks Princess Fiona had prepared, Princess Fiona rested her chin on the table and looked at Titania with a gentle smile.
As soon as Titania thought, 'Resting one's chin on the table must be impolite...', Princess Fiona smiled brightly and answered as if she had read Titania's mind.
"It's just the two of us anyway, isn't it? I've dismissed the maids, so why would we need to worry about what others think? Our etiquette is something we keep for others to see, so if there's no one to watch, there's no need to keep it."
"I, is that so?"
"If I didn't do at least this, I couldn't stand living as a princess. Even if you're a princess, sometimes you need time to put everything down and rest. Look, I've already kicked off my shoes!"
When Titania looked under the table in surprise, she saw Princess Fiona's feet wiggling their toes as if to say hello. Her shoes were indeed lying scattered on the floor.
"Don't you ever think you want to put everything down sometimes, Princess Titania? Living every day worrying about other people's gazes isn't a normal life, either."
As Titania stared blankly at the wiggling toes below due to Princess Fiona's sudden behavior, Princess Fiona, who had been kideuk-kideuk giggling, tapped Titania on the forehead.
"Haven't you found it hard to keep up etiquette even in front of the Queen-nim?"
"In front of Mother-nim...?"
Titania immediately shook her head. Saying that had never happened, Titania, who had never once been scolded for etiquette issues in front of Mother-nim, shook her head vigorously to deny it.
"Hmm... is that so? Come to think of it, you call the Queen-nim 'Mother-nim', don't you? I'm surprised because it's a little different from the rumors I heard."
"Rumors...?"
Princess Fiona, who had swallowed the chocolate in one bite while resting her chin on the table, narrowed her eyes and looked at Titania. She licked the chocolate off her finger with her tongue, then continued with a gentle smile.
"It's quite famous in our kingdom, too. The story of Queen Vivian-nim. There's a rumor that she's a 'Witch', and her beautiful appearance is quite famous as well. And the most common rumor is... is it perhaps a 'personality' issue?"
"......"
"That her personality is eccentric... or that she bullies the maids despite her beautiful appearance... or bad rumors like that? Ah, they're just rumors, so don't glare at me like that. I also realized that they were all false rumors after meeting the Queen-nim in person this time."
Princess Fiona, who noticed Titania glaring at her during the conversation, waved her hands and added that they were false rumors, but Titania puffed up her cheeks even more and glared at Princess Fiona.
"Please don't be too angry and just listen. Rumors don't just appear for no reason, right? Since I came over from another country, I had no choice but to listen to such rumors."
"Those are completely false rumors! Unlike those rumors, Mother-nim is kind... and nice... and she plays with me..."
"Is that so? For someone who says that, you were saying you hated the Queen-nim earlier..."
"Th, that is...!"
Titania jumped up from her chair and tried to say she didn't mean it, but when she saw Princess Fiona sitting on the other side kideuk-kideuk giggling, she was left speechless.
"Ah, I'm not teasing you. I also grew up in a 'similar' situation to you. My mother, the first queen, died, and I grew up in the hands of my stepmother, the second queen. So, I can't help but see my past overlapping with you. That's why I'm saying this..."
Tok, tok. As if recalling her past, Princess Fiona tapped the table with her fingers and frowned. Then, she lifted only her eyes to glance at Titania, who was huffing and puffing in anger.
"Do you really think that your stepmother, the second queen, can truly love you, a daughter with whom she shares no blood? Even though you aren't a child she gave birth to?"
"Yes...? What are you saying all of a sudden..."
"So, I'm saying, wouldn't she hate you on the inside, even though she's been treating you well on the outside? The 'second queen' who raised me was like that. She hated and loathed me. She even tried to assassinate me because she hated me so much."
Titania clenched her fists tightly and glared at Princess Fiona. She felt that just by not splashing the milk tea on the table onto her, she was doing a good job of holding back.
"Unlike the person who raised you, my Mother-nim is not like that. Because she truly cherishes and loves me."
"Is that so? Are you sure it's not just your misunderstanding?"
"Grrr...!"
As if she were about to throw them right away, Titania picked up a few chocolates from the table and made a motion to throw them. She managed to hold back somehow, but she was full of the intention to throw them if she said one more strange thing.
However, despite Titania's threat, Princess Fiona smiled gently and looked at Titania. Titania couldn't understand it at all. Why that woman was acting like that all of a sudden.
"Please don't be too angry. It's just that looking at you makes me feel strange, like I'm looking at myself when I was young. No, you're exactly the same as I was when I was young. Just a child starving for affection, unable to even distinguish whether that affection is genuine or fake."
The chocolate she was gripping tightly melted stickily, making her feel unpleasant. As she kept listening to that voice, she even felt a strange sense of nausea.
"I'm 'advising' you because I don't want you to suffer the same fate as me. Princess Titania Snow White. You won't be able to avoid a bad end if you stay with her."
"What do you know...! Mother-nim truly...!"
Ah.
Titania finally felt like she knew why she felt uncomfortable with Princess Fiona. She never stopped smiling when dealing with her or the other maids, but it was different when she talked about her mother.
'This person... her eyes aren't smiling when she talks about Mother-nim.'
Neat attitude, kind tone, soft smile, polite gestures, considerate reactions. Nothing was lacking, but Princess Fiona's eyes were different.
She was just trying to hide it with exaggerated gestures and hand movements. Every time she talked about her mother, Princess Fiona tried to hide the 'loathing' that leaked out.
"...Think carefully about what I said. The love and affection you are receiving, whether it's all just your misunderstanding or not."
"......"
"It might have seemed like I was just badmouthing Queen Vivian-nim... but I am truly advising you for your own sake. Princess Snow White."
Princess Fiona smiled bitterly and looked up at Titania. Because that expression looked truly worried, Titania couldn't say anything and just quietly looked at Princess Fiona's face.
"Because I hope you don't end up like me."