The Two Babies Changing the Original Story Chapter 11

Princess Ellia’s first invited guest was decided to be Cleus.

“Whoever you choose to invite is entirely up to you, Your Highness.”

When Ellie worried whether it would be okay to invite him before the others who had lined up, Madam Laval laughed lightly and resolved her concern.

“Thank goodness!”

Ever since they parted like that last time, Ellie had been thinking only about how to ease Cleus’s heart.

Inviting him for a meal seemed like a good idea.

Since everyone supposedly loved dining at the palace, maybe bringing Duke Berndt to the palace and giving him delicious food would improve his mood a little?

Of course, she also planned to apologize several more times and give him nice gifts.

“Then how shall we prepare the meal?”

“Oh!”

She had only thought about sitting down to eat.

But hosting a guest required much more than that.

Ellie began thinking carefully.

When she looked out the window, the sunlight was bright just like yesterday. The indoors were still chilly, requiring a thick shawl, but outside she could probably wear something thin and pretty.

“We’ll have tea in the garden, and take a walk while we talk!”

Ellie made plans from first to last.

Outdoors, they could keep others far enough away so conversations wouldn’t be overheard.

Walking would also reduce the number of awkward face-to-face moments.

“That’s a wonderful plan! My goodness, to think you can already plan a party. Our princess must really be a genius!”

Madam Laval clapped her hands in praise. It was an over-the-top reaction.

Ever since Ellie had read the list, Madam Laval’s mind had solidified the equation: ‘Our princess = genius.’

‘I mean, I am a genius, but this is embarrassing!’

She had never been praised in such a dramatic way before.

Her brother would either admire her with a simple, “You really are a genius,” or offer advice like, “Even a genius needs effort to build skill.”

She hadn’t known that being a genius was something to be fussed over like this.

It felt good to hear… but she didn’t know how to react.

Part of her felt proud, part of her felt embarrassed. It was complicated.

Unlike Ellie’s heavy, tangled feelings, Madam Laval was light as fluff.

“Then we must choose a dress suitable for taking tea in the garden and walking comfortably.”

She gestured this way and that to the maids, as if she were hosting the party herself.

Following Madam Laval’s direction, the maids moved quickly.

Thanks to their swift work, several light dresses for teatime were soon laid out before Ellie.

Every single one was the kind of flowy dress befitting a true princess.

They were completely different from the black dress she had worn at the funeral.

And very different from the simple, practical clothes she had worn while living with her brother.

Before her, the dresses sparkled like something out of a fairy tale—exactly what a princess or a fairy in a storybook would wear.

“They’re so pretty!”

Ellie cried out, instantly smitten.

“Even without your memories, your love for dresses hasn’t changed at all,” Madam Laval said with a soft laugh.

Despite being the same age, Ellie and Princess Ellia had many differences because of their different upbringings.

For example, Princess Ellia would scream and run away even at a leaf that looked vaguely like a grasshopper, while Ellie would excitedly try to catch one.

Princess Ellia would put down bread the moment it cooled even a little, whereas Ellie liked dipping hardened bread into soup.

But their love for extravagant dresses was the same. It was quite the coincidence.

Ellie happily changed into one of the dresses and spun once in front of the mirror.

Even to her own eyes, she looked adorable. She really looked like a princess now.

Feeling pleased, she imitated a princess by lifting her chin and striking a haughty expression.

“Hmm, very well. Do I appear princess-like to thee?”

“Yes, Your Hiiighness. …Pfft.”

The maids bit their lips to hold in their laughter.

Today, Princess Ellia was adorably childish for the first time in a while.

Princess Ellia used to be delicate and sensitive.

If her ribbon was even slightly crooked, she couldn’t stand it—she would get irritated and rip it off, and if her dress didn’t spread out exactly as she imagined, she would cry and roll around on the floor.

It was childish behavior, but because she was a princess, they couldn’t treat her completely like a child.

Since no flaws were allowed to show, the maids always had to stay tense.

But lately, Princess Ellia had become completely different.

No one knew whether the talk about her losing her memory was true, but she had definitely become much easier to deal with.

“But you know….”

At that moment, Ellie made a serious face.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Ah, here it begins.

“You know…” had appeared. Nothing good ever came after those words.

That she was especially cute today must have been a bad sign.

But they couldn’t show that. The maids steeled themselves and forced polite smiles.

Ellie studied her reflection seriously and stated her opinion.

“I want to put ribbons here on my hair, and here too.”

“…Pardon? Ri…bbons? T-two of them?”

Ellie’s hair was already styled with the sides braided and decorated with a small ribbon.

“Wh… what about this?”

A maid offered a flower-shaped jewel piece to pin above the ribbon.

But Ellie’s mind was already set.

“No! Ribbons!”

“Ah… but you already have one, and on top of that you want more?”

“Yeah, right up here! As big as possible!”

It was a different kind of stubbornness than before.

The maids exchanged looks.

It reminded them of their nieces and nephews—those incomprehensible fashion choices only children could make, like wearing a nightgown over a petticoat or insisting on sandals in the middle of winter.

Their princess, who had been picky, temperamental, and yet oddly stylish—why was she suddenly like this?

Should they stop her for the dignity of the princess?
Or obey without question out of loyalty?

They wrestled with the dilemma, minds spinning.

Madam Laval!

The maids quickly turned hopeful eyes toward Lady Laval for help.

But Madam Laval shook her head.

Since when has our princess ever stopped just because someone tried to stop her?

Madam Laval silently supported Ellie’s choice.

From her experience over the past few days, she knew that although the princess had become more easygoing, her stubbornness had only gotten stronger. Once Ellie decided to do something, no one could stop her.

Abandoned by their last hope, the maids gave up and followed Ellie’s request.

“L-like this?”

In the end, Ellie attached huge, puffy ribbons to both sides of her head just as she wanted.

“Yep! I like it! Um, but…”

It didn’t end there.

Children’s desires were endless.

Rather than harmony between accessories, they believed more was better—piling them on made it prettier in their eyes.

Ellie ended up in a messy yet flashy princess outfit covered in decorations.

To a child, it was the height of beauty. To adults, it was the height of clutter.

Oh dear…

The maids squeezed their eyes shut at the disaster that had unfolded first thing in the morning.

But Ellie stared at her reflection as if the mirror were sucking her in.

“It’s so pretty!”

“Y-yes…”

The maids, possessing normal adult taste and sense, could only answer vaguely.

Ellie was already too enchanted with her own appearance to hear anything.

“I really look like a princess.”

“You are the real princess, Your Highness.”

Ellie looked at her reflection and strengthened her resolve.

She was a fake, yes—but until her brother came to rescue her, she had to live as though she were real.

If she felt like a real princess, she would look like one.

Ellie lifted her chin like a true princess.

“Excuse me a moment.”

Just then, Court Physician Girian arrived.

“Girian!”

“I hope you slept well.”

Even after seeing Ellie’s outfit, Girian didn’t react at all.

Ellie looked disappointed.

“…Mm.”

“?”

Girian turned toward the maids, puzzled by Ellie’s deflated reaction.

What? What did I do wrong?

Her hair! Her hair!

The dress! The dress!

The maids mouthed words and gestured frantically, trying to give him hints.

Only then did Girian realize what he had forgotten.

“…Ah. Your outfit is… more splendid than usual today.”

At last—he noticed!

Ellie lifted her head and beamed.

“Yeah! Later I’m going to walk in the garden and eat there too, so I dressed to match a garden walk!”

“…Well, garden walks aren’t exactly suited for—”

Girian began speaking honestly, but the maids’ wild gestures made him snap his mouth shut.

Sparkly! Sparkly!

Pretty! Pretty!

They insisted that if he said his true thoughts, it would hurt the princess’s feelings.

Girian had no idea what they were doing, but their fierce eyes were terrifying enough to make him cooperate.

“…Anyway, what does it matter? As long as you like it. So, do you like your outfit today?”

“Yep!”

“If Your Highness likes it, then I like it too.”

“Thanks!”

Ellie smiled brightly again.

Only then did the maids nod in approval.

Girian stared at them with cold, exhausted eyes.

Truly… making a living was difficult.