Tanya was doing her best to keep it down, she really was. But her voice had a way of carrying.
“Holy crap, what is this stuff?! It’s so good!”
“Shhhh! Tanya, keep your voice down or they’ll find us!”
Their anticlimactic escape out of the dungeon had led them to—
“I’m sorry, but this food is divine!”
“The roast pork is simply scrumptious, isn’t it? 300 years later, they’re still using the same great recipe.”
“Yeah... Really wish I had some ice-cold beer to go with it, though!”
—the kitchens.
It was the middle of the night, so naturally the place was deserted. Except for Tanya and Laplace, of course, who found themselves rooting through the “refrigerator,” a magical appliance powered by Ice Magic that was used to keep food fresh. What were they doing, you ask? Sampling the castle’s royal leftovers and having themselves a feast fit for an emperor. Seriously, ladies, save some for the rest of us.
“Tanya, you’ve got a little something on your lip there.”
“Mmmn? Oh, you do, too. Let me get that for you.”
“Mm!”
Laplace obediently leaned forward, and Tanya wiped her mouth for her. “There, got it.”
“Merci!”
“You’re welcome. Okay, my turn!” She leaned forward, just as Laplace had.
But Laplace tilted her head, puzzled. “Hmm? What’s this about? Wait... Are you waiting for a kiss?!”
“Wh...?! I’m waiting for you to wipe my mouth, obviously! Otherwise it’s kinda backwards, don’t you think?! Er... I’m not sure how it’s backwards, exactly, but yeah!”
Meanwhile, as the two women kept digging—“Can’t get revenge on an empty stomach, after all!”—someone quietly approached them from behind.
“What the... Lady Tanya?! And Lady Stone Cold Stunner?!” exclaimed a clear, beautiful voice.
“AAAHH!”
They whirled around to find a single figure standing there in the oversized kitchen.
Long silver hair. Violet eyes.
It was the girl they’d met on the balcony at the soirée... Arianora, the Crown Princess of Pajan.
“Well now, if it isn’t little Ari!”
“So it is you! Wh... What are you doing here...?!”
This time Her Highness was wearing a loose white nightgown, no constricting corset to be seen. This, too, was made of silk, with the imperial flower crest embroidered neatly onto it. Just then, her eyes lit up.
“Say, um... would you maybe want to come back with me to my room?!”
Tanya and Laplace exchanged a glance. An invitation to the Princess’s royal bedchamber was more than they ever could have hoped for.
✦ ✦ ✦
And so a very giddy Arianora led them all the way to the top of the Western Tower, where her bedroom was located. Truth be told, they were fortunate enough that she hadn’t alerted the authorities straight away, but Laplace in particular was feeling antsy. She wanted to find Maxwell as soon as possible.
Together, they slipped past the stationed guards... but when they entered Arianora’s room, Laplace was stunned.
“I can’t believe it...”
As it turned out, she recognized it. Long, long ago, this was the very room where Laplace was confined for the entirety of her childhood. Unable to speak, she simply stared at the stone walls. It was just as she remembered it, too. Fate works in mysterious ways, it seems.
“Come on in! It’s a bit cramped, but feel free to have a seat wherever you like!” Arianora announced gleefully.
“Oh, um... thank you,” Tanya replied quietly, scanning the room.
While Her Highness called it “cramped,” it was easily more than twice the size of Lilium’s hotel room... and yet it was intended for only one person. Must be nice to be royalty, Tanya thought to herself, impressed. She plopped down on the sofa to find it pillowy soft, like a big marshmallow.
“Listen, um... Please don’t tell anyone I went to the kitchen for a midnight snack, okay?” said Arianora.
“D’accord, d’accord... As long as you don’t tell anyone about our little impromptu visit,” Laplace replied as she joined Tanya on the couch.
Arianora giggled mischievously. She really did seem like an ordinary girl in every way.
Reminds me of my little sisters back home, Tanya thought. “Say, Your Highness?”
“Lady Tanya, as I’ve asked you before, please... call me Arianora.”
“Okay, um... Princess Arianora? Why were you in the kitchen so late at night?”
Granted, she could understand the desire for a midnight snack, but what was a girl her age doing awake at this hour? Plus, eating late at night wasn’t a healthy habit in general. Wasn’t she worried about acne? Or weight gain?
“Come now, Tanya, we can’t criticize her for that. We were doing the same thing, were we not? The only thing worse than a hypocrite is an unhealthy hypocrite.”
“Gah...”
“That said... the roast pork was heavenly, wasn’t it?”
“Gah!”
Tanya winced. That one really stung. Meanwhile, Arianora gazed at them rapturously.
“Tell me, have you been hired to serve at the castle? Will I be able to see you every day?!”
“Uhhhh...”
Laplace averted her eyes. This was no time to kick back and relax; after all, they had to take into consideration the possibility that this was all a trap. She took a deep breath, exhaled... and cleared her throat. She was done beating around the bush.
“You know what, Ari? I’m just going to ask you flat-out.”
“What is it?”
“We’re looking for someone—Maxwell, the Court Grand Mage. Do you know where he is?”
At this, Arianora tilted her head with a frown.
“What do you mean? Lord Maxwell is right behind you.”