When my eyes snapped open, I found myself surrounded by total darkness. I looked up to see my reflection in the fogged-up window, identical to how I’d looked before I’d fallen asleep. My hair was dark at the roots, and its mysterious gradient led it to turn silver at the ends. That was something I’d gotten from my late mother. My deep violet eyes, the same color as the sky at predawn and before sunset, were inherited from my father. Looking at myself like this, the colors that made up my features were the only proof I had that I was child to both of them—because the way I had always been treated was anything but.
I sighed as my reflection’s shoulders drooped. Her gaze fell to the floor.
No... I cannot be this gutless!
“I almost feel as though I have been reborn.”
I probably had the encounter with the “me” from my dream to thank for that. Nevertheless, the refreshing sensation I felt was very much real.
“Useless” was the last word I would ever use to describe myself!
I sat down on my hard bed again. “‘Ordering’... What an interesting skill.”
In front of me was a black square—similar to the devices they called “tablets” in the world my previous self had inhabited. For convenience’s sake, I decided to call her “Teiren.” Anyway, the details of my skill were written on this square. It was almost impossible to believe that just yesterday, this text had been completely baffling to me. Now, not only could I read it at a decent pace, but I could even understand it. To sum it up, I could exchange money or precious metals for “points,” and I could “order” food and related items from another world.
I suppose there’s no time like the present...
I was wearing a ring on my little finger. It was a gift Theodore had sent with a letter full of canned phrases for some occasion or another, and I wasn’t especially eager to wear it anymore. I took it off and brought it closer to the tablet, which absorbed it.
Your accessory has been exchanged for 10,000 points. You can check your point balance at any time via your account page.
“My, that was easier than I expected.”
The message on the center of the screen was accompanied by a loud burst of fanfare and exploding pink petals. The ring had been converted into points, which I could now trade for other things. The ring had been a simple one without any stones, so I hadn’t expected it to be worth so much... That said, it had been a ring prepared by the third prince for his fiancée, so perhaps it shouldn’t have been all that surprising. I decided to take it as a positive sign of things to come.
“It appears that I am able to exchange these points for food, drink, and...kitchenware, but nothing else.”
I swiped my finger across the tablet screen to browse the possibilities that were being presented to me in rows. There seemed to be four categories from which I could choose: “food,” which included fresh and processed goods; “drink,” which included alcoholic beverages; “cookware” such as pots, knives, and frying pans; and “dinnerware,” which seemed to mean items such as plates and cutlery.
I was blessed with Teiren’s memories, meaning I recognized the food and drink I was looking at. I also knew how to use the cookware listed. However, there was hardly anything on the screen that I could recall having seen in this world.
Now then, there’s no use just looking. Exchanging something for points has proven to be a success, so why not take it one step further?
I had just caught sight of some “ice cream,” which looked delicious, so I decided to try ordering it.
A generous array of sparkling fruit tops this vanilla ice cream, made from the freshest milk and eggs. The sweet, silky vanilla and the punchy, refreshing fruit are a match made in heaven. Why miss out?
Would you like to order this item?
“I suppose I’m meant to press the Yes option... Very well!”
Ignoring the No button, I pressed firmly on the other option. The very next second, I felt the mild impact of something landing on my legs. I didn’t even have time to blink: a package of “ice cream,” identical to what I had seen on the screen, had literally fallen into my lap. The top of the object was flat, and it was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. Its packaging depicted various balls of light, sparkling like jewels set against a dark backdrop. It was eye-catching despite its simplicity.
But there it was: ice cream. Proof that I had used my skill for the first time.
“It really worked!” I gingerly picked it up and found that it was slightly cool to the touch.
Incidentally, it had cost me 230 points to order this ice cream. I wasn’t sure if that was expensive or not, but Teiren’s memories seemed to suggest that it was about right. Suddenly realizing I had no spoon, I used my points to order one. Apparently, the spoon was made of a thermally conductive material that transferred the heat from the holder’s hand to the ice cream, softening it and making it easier to eat. As for the color, I chose blue—my favorite. Theodore’s tastes meant I had mountains of clothes and accessories in various shades of pink, but I had always preferred blue.
The spoon appeared the moment I pressed Yes. Taking it in one hand, I pulled open the tub of ice cream. Inside, a mass of white was dyed pink by the generous fragments of rich, red strawberries scattered on top of it.
I suppose the white substance is this so-called “ice cream”...
“Why, it’s so pretty!”
When I pushed the spoon into the ice cream, it began to melt before my very eyes, allowing me to scoop some up with ease. The product was making good on its promise. I brought the spoon to my mouth and was immediately hit by a mind-numbing coldness that gradually gave way to a subtle sweetness that spread over my tongue. It was a wholly different taste from the sorbet I had experienced just once in my life at the palace’s banquet. This was smoother, like silk on my tongue.
“A match made in heaven,” the advertising had claimed, and I could well believe it. The strawberry pieces weren’t just scattered on top but were also frozen throughout the dessert itself. They were crisp and crunchy between my teeth. My tongue was accustomed to the ice cream’s sweetness by now, and it seemed to shrivel at the smattering bursts of sourness. At the end of it all came a soft, lingering sugariness that made it feel near impossible not to take another bite.
“It’s so sweet...”
I suddenly realized that tears were streaming uncontrollably from my eyes.
Branded as useless for my entire life, I had tried so hard to be the good girl everyone had wanted me to be. And now, for the first time, I had made a decision based on what I had wanted. My mouth was filled with refreshing strawberries and rich vanilla. The subtle sweetness of the milk and the sugar was the taste of happiness, the taste of my newfound freedom. This nourishing dessert was gradually filling the cracks in my dried, ragged heart, and with it came a rush of strength.
I couldn’t just sit here letting the tears fall, and I certainly wasn’t about to cry myself to sleep! I was Francheska Vaielindt, eldest daughter of the proud House of Vaielindt! I carried the blood of my grandfather, a warrior whose might famously rivaled that of a lion! They would deeply regret enraging me and awakening the lioness who had been forced to slumber instead of voicing her own opinions. This jumble of emotions welling up from deep in my belly must have taken me over—I heard a crunching noise come from my hand, and when I looked, it turned out that I had crushed the empty ice cream container. It was a shame because the tub was so lovely that I had been considering washing it and keeping it.
However, this wouldn’t do. I had just lost control and let my emotions take over. As a participant in high society, I had been trained to quash all sentiments and carefully craft my gestures and expressions. This was no time to forget all that. Though...perhaps the passion that had been brewing within me was so great that it had overridden said training.
“I dunno whether to apologize for taking so long to wake up or for sticking around in the first place.”
“You needn’t apologize at all! You haven’t done anything wrong, Teiren.”
“But if I wasn’t here, you would’ve mastered your skill way quicker, and you would’ve been treated better.”
I could all but picture her dejected frown in the corner of my mind. She really did feel responsible for my misfortune. But, like I had told her, she hadn’t done anything wrong. I wished that she wouldn’t let it affect her so much.
Her low mood had my shoulders drooping now. I set the paper tub in my grip aflame and let it burn into nothingness. Magic was a remarkably convenient thing. As long as one took care to control it, there was no risk of getting burned.
“On the contrary,” I said. “I suspect that my skill would have been thoroughly taken advantage of had I learned to use it earlier. In fact, I’m glad that I am only discovering its purpose now!”