“...And then what happened?!” Arianora asked gleefully.
“You should’ve seen it! Stone Cold Stunner got completely carried away.”
“Excusez-moi? Only because you were behaving recklessly in the first place!”
As they recounted the various jobs Lilium had undertaken, Arianora listened rapturously, her eyes gleaming. Her title of Princess had originally thrown Tanya for a loop, but now she could see that Her Highness was no different from any other girl.
Arianora Aweigkorrt, the Crown Princess of Pajan. The Emperor and Empress had been childless for many, many years until Arianora was born thirteen summers prior. At the time Tanya was still a child, living in a rural region far to the north, but even she could remember the joy and festivity that followed the birth of the princess.
Likewise, she also remembered the years and years’ worth of cruel comments people had made about the Empress, who hailed from another country. At the time, young Tanya was flabbergasted that they would refer to such a beautiful and wise woman as a “barren hag” just because she hadn’t produced any children.
But now that baby princess had grown up into a precious little girl! For some reason, Tanya couldn’t help but feel sentimental; if only Her Majesty could see her now, she thought. But the Empress had died a few years prior in a carriage crash on her way to a distant region.
Tanya could only imagine how Arianora must have felt, living each day without her mother... I hope the world never takes your smile away.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Whew... I feel much better now. Thank you.”
After a long chat, Arianora finally got to her feet, and Tanya followed suit—
“Aaagh!”
“Oh heavens! Are you alright, Lady Tanya?!”
“Y-Yeah, I’m okay! My feet hurt, that’s all.”
They were so blistered, they looked like they might start bleeding at any moment. In other words, they hurt like hell. Nothing she couldn’t tolerate, of course, but more than that, she didn’t want to worry anyone, least of all a child half her age.
Just then, she heard a snap—
“Well now, Tanya, perhaps it’s about time for a costume change!”
“What? You’re going to change my—whoa!”
“Wow! This... This is incredible!”
Arianora gasped in awe. Mana flowed from Laplace like a gentle breeze as Tanya’s rosy dress transformed into a gallant white tailcoat with leather shoes.
“Oh, I’m just getting started!”
“Uh, Lap—I mean, Stone Cold Stunner?!”
Snap, snap, snap. Her tailcoat turned into a jaunty tuxedo-style dress, then a blue military uniform, then an exotic traditional Court Mage robe. Each of them were flattering in their own ways, but most notable of all—
“Rrrgh... The footwear is so comfortable, I wanna punch something!!!”
She balled her hands into fists. Each of the outfits was designed to be paired with combat boots for maximum comfort.
In the end, Laplace settled on the white tailcoat, fashioning it into a dress. Amazingly enough, the shoes she’d chosen to go with this outfit were both aesthetically beautiful and so comfortable they were practically made for Tanya’s feet. As a result, the pain had faded considerably. I guess nothing’s impossible for a Great Sorceress.
“How did you like that little fashion show I put on?” Laplace smirked playfully. “Actually... on second thought, that was inconsiderate of me. How about it, little princess? Care to try on one of Stone Cold Stunner’s latest custom designs?”
“Huh? Me?! Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly...”
“The lady doth protest too much! You have jealousy written all over your face!” Laplace grinned.
After a moment, Arianora looked up, determination burning in her eyes. “O-Okay then... I want to wear something gallant, too! Something I can breathe in!”
“Très bien! Leave it to me!”
But right before she snapped her fingers—a deep, icy voice echoed across the balcony.
“Princess Arianora, what on earth are you doing out here?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Arianora’s face froze. All emotion melted away until nothing remained but a blank slate. Then she silently got to her feet and retreated behind the man who had joined them on the balcony.
“As your assigned babysitter, I must say, I am less than pleased.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
The man was wearing an elaborate mask, befitting of a royal soirée. A handful of male attendants stood just behind him.
At his insistence, Arianora left the balcony, shooting Tanya and Laplace just one final parting glance before she disappeared. The masked man followed after her, taking large, self-important strides, almost like he was monitoring the Princess’s every move.
Panicked, one of the attendants called after him—
“Wait! Lord Maxwell!”
It was a name both Tanya and Laplace recognized—a name they were all too familiar with.
This was Maxwell, the man who was said to have achieved immortality, who had served as the Court Grand Mage of Pajan for the past 300 years.
Beside her, Tanya felt Laplace’s cheer and warmth turn to stone.
“Wait, so that was—uh, Laplace, are you—?”
Tanya stopped short and inhaled sharply.
“Max...well...?”
Laplace stared into space, cold, distant, unseeing.
Almost like she was a different person altogether.
Tanya couldn’t remember much of what happened after that. All she remembered was feeling like Laplace might up and vanish the second she took her eyes off her—so she held Laplace’s hand all night long, the golden ring gleaming on her finger.
But the very next morning, Laplace the Great Sorceress had disappeared.