“We have four days to have fun. Let’s grab Lina and do something.”
Vionette was seated sideways on Noa’s lap like a spoiled cat who had successfully conquered her favorite cushion. Her legs stretched over the chair's armrest while her back was braced by Noa’s arm. In her hand, she held a glass full of Moonlit Berry Cream—the very dessert Rose had brought in a moment ago—its pale violet sheen catching the office light.
She slowly raised a spoon with her other hand and fed him, her eyes behind her glasses never wavering from his face.
“Speaking of Lina, we have to enroll her in an academy in three years,” she said, watching him swallow the sweet cream.
While he supported Vionette's weight with one arm, Noa held a document in his free hand, his eyes moving line by line in dignified silence. If anyone were to walk in at that moment, they would easily assume he was deciphering the dark fate of kingdoms.
In truth, however, he understood almost nothing that was written on the page. He simply needed an excuse for her to stay right where she was.
And Vionette, brilliant strategist that she was, had handed him those papers for the exact same reason. If he was 'busy,' then she had the justification to 'help' him by feeding him dessert.
“…Really?” Noa asked after swallowing the spoonful, lifting his gaze toward her with a slow blink.
“Really,” she replied with a small nod, closing her eyes as if the matter had already been decided by fate. “Kids normally enter an academy at the age of seventeen. I mean, it’s totally fine for her to stay here in the castle forever too… but I think she’ll actually enjoy it more.”
Another spoonful of cream was fed to him, gently pressing against his lips until he accepted it. The rich sweetness melted instantly on his tongue, but it was nothing compared to the warmth resting comfortably in his arms.
“Mmm… yeah, I think so too,” he said thoughtfully. “Lately, I haven’t been able to spend much time with her. It’ll be better if she can go out and make some friends. I don’t want her childhood to be like mine.”
For a moment, the office felt like a quiet, domestic sanctuary carved out of pure chaos. Outside, the rest of the world was actively sharpening its swords. Inside, a princess casually fed her partner dessert as if time itself had no claim over them.
Then, the sudden sound of the wooden door sliding against polished stone below cut through the quiet atmosphere like a blade.
Again.
Vionette’s left eyebrow gave an annoyed twitch. Seriously, does no one in this castle know how to knock—
The irritation died instantly in her throat the moment she turned toward the entrance.
“Eeeek!?”
Her voice came out as a panicked, high-pitched squeak. Her eyes snapped wide as she slammed herself against Noa’s chest, trying desperately to burrow deeper into his space to hide.
Standing in the doorway was her greatest fear in this entire world.
Seliora, her older sister.
Seliora stood still in the frame, a hand resting on her hip. Her expression was blank—not angry, not amused, just completely unreadable. To Vionette, that clinical silence was worse than a screaming lecture.
The elder sister took in the spectacular sight before her: a queen sitting sideways on a man’s lap, tenderly feeding him like a bride practicing her wedding vows.
“…What is this?” she asked in a neutral tone, slightly tilting her head.
…
Seliora was sitting in Vionette’s chair like a magistrate presiding over a case of treason. Her arms were folded, and her legs were crossed with elegant authority. Vionette’s sheathed sword—Crimson Night—leaned against the desk beside her, its presence lingering like an unspoken threat.
Before her, the two defendants were kneeling on the floor.
They were down on their heels in a submissive seiza posture—their backs straight, their hands placed obediently on their thighs, and their eyes lowered in submission. The transition from relaxed lovers to highly disciplined prisoners had occurred in under ten seconds.
Seliora rhythmically tapped a finger against her folded arm, the soft click echoing ominously in the silent room.
“Sister of mine,” she began, lifting her chin up slightly as she locked her gaze onto Vionette. “Did you run away from me last time, or not?”
Vionette flinched, looking as though doused in freezing water. “Y-yes—I mean, no—!”
“You didn’t?” Seliora raised a sharp eyebrow.
“I did—wait, no, I didn’t! It was… uh, urgent business!”
“Oh? How so?”
Vionette scrambled to reclaim her lost dignity the way a cat claws for footing after slipping from a high windowsill.
“W-well, you see, there was a massive human trafficking ring going on around Valric's dukedom—yea! So the second I heard the news, I had to rush out personally to handle the situation.” She quickly extended a finger, pointing accusingly at Noa right beside her. “He was there too, so I had to hurry up before he caused an incident!”
Noa’s head turned slowly toward her, pure disbelief radiating silently from his face.
<Why am I in on this too?!> he transmitted aggressively through their shared skill.
<Well, because we ran away from her> Vionette shot back, keeping her eyes glued to the floor, already entirely resigned to her fate.
<What the hell do you mean ‘we’? I didn’t do nothing!>
Seliora released a long, heavy sigh that seemed to carry the accumulated weight of years of elder-sister exhaustion.
“Look,” her voice softened slightly, “I understand that you need to enjoy yourself, just like you told me before. I actually prefer the way you act now compared to that robotic, emotionless version of you from the past.” Her eyes warmed as she stared down at Vionette. “But as the ruler of this kingdom, you need to take certain matters more seriously.”
There was no irritation or authority in her voice; it was genuine care. And Vionette understood that better than anyone else.
“I’ll let that off the hook for now,” Seliora continued smoothly.
Vionette’s lips parted slightly in relief, hope blooming like a fragile flower in her chest as she slowly began to lift her chin.
“Onto the next.”
The fragile flower died instantly, and Vionette's gaze slammed right back down to the floor after a twitch.
<We might be cooked.>
<Dawg, can we like separate ‘you’ from ‘me’? Why is it always ‘we’?!> Noa protested in her head.
Seliora’s gaze sharpened, her eyes locked onto both of them now. “What are these rumors I’ve been hearing about a princess—who is technically a queen—frequenting hot springs alone with a man?”
Noa’s soul momentarily evaporated from his physical body. <Yea, we defenitely are cooked.>
“Who did you go to the hot springs with?” Seliora demanded, staring at Vionette’s frozen figure.
Then, slowly and with hesitation, Noa raised a trembling hand into the air like a guilty student confessing to breaking school property. Seliora followed the movement, tracing it back to his face.
“…”
Seliora’s head tilted slightly, but a smile broke across her face. “Oh. It was him? Then it’s fine.”
Noa and Vionette looked up in synchronization, confusion written all over their faces.
“Huh?!”
“What…?”
“I was just curious to see who you went there with,” Seliora explained with a gentle chuckle, leaning down from the chair to softly pat Vionette’s head. “If it’s the person you call your partner, then I have no issue with it. I have no right to interfere in your little love stories. I was simply hoping he would turn out to be someone decent.”
“…Big sis. Sniff!” Dramatic, imaginary tears poured from Noa’s eyes, looking like a man who had just received formal blessings from his girlfriend’s parents.
“BIG SIIISSS!” Vionette lunged forward, wrapping both of her arms tightly around Seliora’s leg, shouting at the top of her lungs.
“GET OFF OF ME!” Seliora began shaking her leg in pure irritation, trying to shake off the clinging princess as if removing an overly affectionate barnacle.
***
Moments later,
Vionette stood before Lina’s room, a bright energy dancing in her eyes that hadn't faded since the interrogation.
“Lina~” she sang softly as she pushed the door open.
The room had completely transformed from its original state. What was once a plain white chamber now sported vivid pink walls accented with black patterns. Warm sunlight slipped through curtains, brushing across a small wooden desk cluttered with storybooks and glass ink bottles. A massive plush toy sat on top of the large white bed, while two whole cupboards filled with custom clothes lined the walls.
Lina had ordered the castle servants to customize the space however she wanted.
Hearing Vionette’s voice, Lina popped up from the mattress where she had been flipping a magic book.
“Big sis~!” Her pink skirt fluttered as she leaped off the bed and jumped toward Vionette with a bright smile, wrapping her arms around her waist. “Wow… that outfit looks amazing. Is that your office look?”
“Haha—thanks, sweetie. You guessed it right.” Vionette laughed softly, playfully pinching Lina’s cheek.
“Why are you studying magic? Didn’t you learn swordsmanship from me?” Noa asked, stepping behind Vionette.
“Hum!” Lina pouted at him, burying her face into Vionette’s chest for protection. “Why? I'm just going to use both!”
“…Sure.” Noa’s mouth hung open slightly.
“Lina, we’re heading out somewhere today. Do you want to tag along?” Vionette asked, placing her hands gently on the girl’s shoulders.
Lina looked up, a sly, knowing smirk playing on her lips that was far too clever for a kid her age. “If it’s something private, I won’t meddle.”
Both adults froze in place.
This little—
“…It’s not.” Noa said, stepping forward to pinch her other cheeks until she squirmed. “So, are you coming with us or not, you brat?”
“Okay, okay, let’s go then!” Lina giggled, breaking free and already walking out of the room with a confident stride.
Noa and Vionette exchanged a brief smile before quickly hurrying after her down the hall.
I guess she really was getting bored out here alone.
“Hey, where’s Mom?” Noa asked, looking down at the back of Lina's head.
Lina placed a finger beneath her chin and looked up at the ceiling. “Mmm… I think she’s in the kitchen right now.”
“The kitchen?” Noa repeated, an eye narrowing in confusion.
“Yeah.” Lina pointed a hand toward the left wing of the castle. “Apparently, her cooking was so good that the royal chefs had begged her to teach them.”
Noa placed his hands behind his head, closing his eyes as a smile spread across his face. He remembered the very first meal he had eaten in this world four long years ago—simple, yet warm and unforgettable.
Can’t deny it. Her cooking really is the best.
***
A while later,
They arrived in Veylith, the capital of the Eryndor Kingdom, through the teleportation circle. The air here felt lighter and more vibrant than the calmness in Crimvane.
Lina skipped ahead in front, while Noa and Vionette walked a few paces behind her. Their fingers were interlocked, forming a small bridge of warmth between them as they navigated the bustling streets.
“Hey,” Noa started, casting a brief side-glance at Vionette before shifting his attention back to the pink-haired girl ahead. “Lina, do you want to go to an academy?”
She looked back at him as she walked, a look of confusion lingering on her face. “An academy…?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
The word seemed to echo inside her mind like a bell rung in a sacred hall.
“Yes! Yes, absolutely!” Her eyes instantly sparkled with excitement.
Watching her reaction, Noa felt a tight sensation grip his chest. It reminded him that a commoner girl from her background would have never dreamed of such a path before.
That’s right. I’m not a hope-maker, He glanced sideways toward Vionette, his grip on her hand tightening by a little. But a hope-maker better than any god is beside me.
“And we’re here,” Vionette announced, breaking his train of thought.
Noa looked up to find them standing before the same high-end tailor shop where their outfits had been made before. The sign made of gold plates looked back at them as though welcoming old conspirators.
The bell above the entrance chimed brightly as they stepped inside, and every single worker in the lobby turned in unison. The moment their eyes locked onto the pink-haired child standing near the doorway, recognition spread like wildfire.
“Oh my gosh, it’s that cute child again!”
“Oh, wow~! We just got a shipment of brand-new outfits!”
Within seconds, the employees completely abandoned their stations mid-task. The surrounding customers were left staring in disbelief as their personal assistants suddenly vanished, rushing in a frantic stampede toward the entrance.
“W-what the hell?”
“Hey—!”
Even Noa and Vionette could only blink in surprise at the sudden commotion they had caused.
“Cut it out, you guys,” a firm, commanding voice rang out across the floor. Nymira appeared through the crowding staff like a veteran general effortlessly restoring order to a broken line. “Get back to your work right now!”
The light drained from the workers' faces as they reluctantly dispersed, grumbling under their breath.
Ignoring their dramatic groans, Nymira approached the trio with her usual composed elegance, her hands folded properly in front of her. Her golden-brown eyes held more than enough confidence to meet the gaze of a princess without a shred of hesitation.
“Princess Vionette, you’re visiting my shop again?” she said, a professional smile playing on her lips. “What kind of request do you have today?”
Vionette and Noa smiled back at her in unison, but their expressions were far from warm. They were scheming fox smiles.
“Well, you see…”
“We want to place a custom order.”
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