Ellie slowly woke up from sleep at the soft touch brushing against her body.
“Mm….”
“Oh my, I think I woke you.”
It was Madam Laval’s voice.
“!”
She snapped awake.
This was the world inside the book. She herself was Princess Ellia.
Ellie’s eyes flew open, and she shot up to sit.
“Oh my!”
Madam Laval was so startled she let out a scream.
“What’s going on!”
Hearing her cry, Rilkea burst through the door with a loud bang.
Ellie had just woken up, and the sudden chaos terrified her.
“Waaah!”
“Your Highness!”
Rilkea leapt onto the bed and hugged Ellie tightly.
She already had her sword drawn.
Rilkea’s rough panting scattered over Ellie’s head.
“…Where’s the enemy?”
“…There is none, Captain.”
Madam Laval, who had fallen to the floor in shock beside the bed, managed to answer.
Rilkea looked down at Ellie, whom she was still awkwardly holding.
Tension, embarrassment, and relief were all mixed in her eyes, and Ellie couldn’t help but smile.
“Heh…”
“Haha…”
Rilkea also laughed reflexively.
“I woke up suddenly and jumped up, and Madam Laval got scared and screamed.”
“Ah, so that’s what it was. Why did you wake up so startled?”
“It felt like something touched me…”
Her brother had never touched Ellie while she was asleep. Even normally, he barely made physical contact. A goodnight kiss on the forehead—things like that only happened in books.
So Ellie had grown up unaccustomed to anyone touching her. Of course she would be startled by a touch while she slept.
“I only meant to change you into your nightgown…”
Hearing Madam Laval’s words, Ellie looked down at herself—she was still wearing the black dress from earlier.
“You slept without eating dinner, Princess. Aren’t you hungry?”
“I’m hungry…”
“Then since it’s late, how about eating something light?”
“Mm!”
Even though she had just woken up, her stomach immediately growled from not eating for so long.
“I’ll prepare something right away.”
Rilkea wasn’t the only one who had come running because of the commotion.
Two guards on duty, the steward, and two maids had all jerked awake from dozing and rushed in as if it were morning.
Soon the steward brought in a cart loaded with food.
“Since it’s late, we prepared what could be made quickly.”
But the feast laid out in front of her bed did not match the word “quickly” at all.
“Wow! Are we having a party together?!”
“…Pardon?”
Everyone gasped at Ellie’s excited shout.
“This was prepared just for you, Princess.”
Madam Laval explained each dish with a smile.
“This is a sweet pumpkin soup to warm your stomach, this is a refreshing strawberry salad, this is chewy, nutty white bread, this is…”
Which meant Ellie was supposed to eat all of this by herself.
But the problem wasn’t just the variety—the amount was enormous.
Her brother had always said wasting food meant being punished. So she always took only as much as she could finish.
“Did I used to eat this much?”
“You don’t have to eat it all. Just eat what you want, and however much you want.”
“Then what about the leftovers?”
“The kitchen staff or others will eat the rest. Don’t worry.”
“Why would they eat leftovers? They can just eat with me now.”
It was something no princess should ever say.
Madam Laval nearly fainted.
Their princess had lost her memory, but had she lost her basic understanding of common sense too? She didn’t even know where to begin explaining.
“No one can casually join a princess’s meal. Do you remember how people wanted to dine with you earlier?”
“Mm…”
“They asked first, but you refused.”
“They don’t live in this house.”
Madam Laval was stunned for the second time.
“Princess, you… because you are a princess… you can only dine with people of matching status.”
Her explanation was awkward and hesitant.
Differences in status and the etiquette that followed were things one learned naturally while growing up, not easy things to explain in words.
“But they all went home already.”
Memory-lost Ellie was bold.
“…If we call them back, they’ll all come running with joy.”
Ellie suddenly remembered Cleas’s parents.
They said they died because the late king and queen had summoned them like this in the middle of the night.
She could not repeat such a thing.
Ellie vigorously shook her head.
“No, I don’t want that. Everyone eat together.”
Ellie firmly placed a fork into Rilkea’s hand.
“Y-Your Highness.”
“And Madam Laval.”
She placed a spoon into Madam Laval’s hand.
“Here.”
And she handed half a loaf of bread to the steward.
Since it was handed to them by the princess, no one could put it down.
Everyone exchanged awkward looks.
“If you don’t eat, then I’m not eating either!”
Ellie threatened the frozen group.
“W-We can’t let the princess go hungry.”
Madam Laval was the first to gather courage. She took a big spoonful of soup and looked to Ellie as if asking permission.
Ellie nodded with a smile.
Good. Approved.
At the steward’s signal, a maid brought additional tableware.
Even the maid who brought them ended up holding a set and joining the table.
“This one is so good!”
“T-Th-Thank you, Your Highness…”
The maids ate the food Ellie offered with trembling hands.
No matter how young or innocent the princess was, she was still royalty—and soon to be queen.
Sharing a meal with the monarch was a glory. A commoner would need to perform a deed worthy of saving the kingdom to receive such honor.
“How is it?”
“It’s… delicious… Huh?”
A maid stuffing food into her mouth without knowing if it was going into her nose or mouth suddenly came back to her senses at Ellie’s question.
“…Wow, it really is good!”
“Of course! Do you know how much care I put into making this? Matching the princess’s refined taste is incredibly hard!”
The chef puffed out his chest with pride.
“It’s delicious! Thank you!”
Ellie thanked him with both cheeks puffed up like a hamster.
“T-The princess is thanking me…!”
This had never happened before.
A princess never had anything to feel grateful for.
The world revolved around the princess, and it was natural to serve her with everything one could offer.
And the ones offering those things never expected thanks. Receiving her acceptance was thanks enough.
“Because you made such yummy food late at night, um, a lot of it, just for me!”
“Y-Your Highness…! I’ll make something even tastier tomorrow! And more of it!”
“There’s no need to make more…”
Ellie mumbled, but the chef didn’t hear her.
“The princess praised my cooking…! Did you hear that? You heard it, right? Try this too! Is it good?!”
He looked so happy that Ellie couldn’t bring herself to stop him.
Everyone else smiled and finished their food happily.
Even the maids joined in, licking the plates clean.
“Thanks for the food!”
“Thanks to Your Highness, we enjoyed a wonderful late-night meal.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Even after everything was cleared away, the pleasant feeling of eating something delicious together lingered, warm and full—like their full stomachs.
“Eating together with everyone was fun.”
“I’m glad tonight’s meal satisfied you, Your Highness.”
Madam Laval smiled as she straightened the bedding.
After changing into her nightgown and finishing brushing her teeth and washing up, Ellie burrowed into her blankets.
Madam Laval gently rubbed her belly to help her sleep.
“If you enjoyed eating with others, how about inviting people for tomorrow’s meal? It was too late to invite them tonight.”
Today she had been scared because everyone crowded her so eagerly.
She was in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar people—of course she was scared.
But if they truly wanted to eat with her that much… was there any reason to avoid it?
“Okay.”
Maybe because her stomach was full, she felt more relaxed.
Madam Laval’s gentle touch felt warm and soothing.
“Then I’ll prepare the list of nobles for tomorrow.”
“Mm…”
“Please get a good night’s sleep.”
“You too, Madam Laval…”
“Yes.”
And Ellie drifted back to sleep.
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