Chapter 517: Golden Omens
A princess’s duties were never finished.
Sadly, the same couldn’t be said of tea and cake.
The Summer Solstice Festival was many things, and being demanding on my brothers and sisters’ time was foremost amongst them.
However, despite our official balcony function being over, I knew there would be an opportunity to enjoy another quiet gathering together … especially as quiet hadn’t been one of the things on the menu.
Yes, nothing was quite as loud as the smiles of my dear siblings as they delicately waited for me to explain who the insane elven woman was. Something that would never happen as I officially had never met her once in my life. Even as she was feeding me shortcake.
This was a problem.
My brothers and sisters were tactful, patient and understanding. But since they were also my brothers and sisters, it meant they would eventually start asking questions where others would naturally befall amnesia.
Of course, the greatest issue was the Snow Dancer, whose optimism was undamaged even when I informed her that it would take more than a few strawberry shortcakes to earn my acknowledgement … which wasn’t to suggest there wasn’t a number.
Rather, it merely needed to be large enough to patch the holes in Reitzlake Castle. A thing so obviously impossible that it filled me with nothing but concern when she’d instantly shooed me away from her tiny borrowed kitchen to get to work.
Yes.
My princess senses were already tingling. Or rather, they were furiously trembling.
… Fortunately, I had a solution for everything!
Indeed! I was not a princess without means … and since this included a gluttonous horse and a clockwork doll, it meant ensuring they had enough energy to ferry me away when the time inevitably came to flee for my tower!
The Royal Botanical Gardens
Fragaria Coronata / Crowned Strawberry
Notice: These strawberries are for conservation and research. Do not eat.
Hrumph.
Thus, Apple snorted in joy … all the while circling continuously, hooves squishing entire patches of immaculate strawberries even as he dipped his head in all directions to gobble them by the mouthful.
“Omnomnommnomnomnom~”
He wasn’t alone in this task.
Locked in competition beside him was a crouching clockwork doll.
Together ensuring the only losers would be the fainting gardeners, Coppelia and Apple indulged in the wonders of a royal strawberry orchard–which despite the wooden sign was dedicated solely to diluting the pain whenever I was forced to visit Reitzlake.
… And that was fine!
Indeed, nothing was more important than the joy of my retainers!
They were responsible for ensuring I could swiftly return to my bedroom tower.
That my body was shaking as I watched the fragile strawberries desecrated like hoodlums shovelling the brown stew I still hadn’t entirely forgotten? … That was perfectly natural!
In fact, I was delighted!
Why, the mess meant more nutrients returning to the soil! Each spilled strawberry was destined to grow again! … And perhaps even as something more fragrant than they already were!
Here in Reitzlake’s most famed public garden, not a single troll existed to give off the fumes of opportunism. Instead, it was an aroma of unmatched sweetness, boasting snippets of flora from all four corners of the kingdom.
However, for all the violet roses and poisonous wisterias, it was the strawberry orchard that drew the most fines from tourists as they reached to pinch away a single fruit. Each had been tended to with as much care as I did the apples in my orchard.
… And now they were being gobbled up.
Yes. I absolutely wasn’t regretting bringing them here. Not in the slightest.
“My, how lovely!” I clapped my hands in joy … all the while standing before a lone corner of the strawberries I hoped to protect. “It appears the strawberries that have been carefully nurtured over an entire year are quite agreeable! How wonderful! I was concerned over the quality as I don’t personally attend to these gardens. Are they to your liking?”
Coppelia looked up with stars shining in her eyes.
“Itschnsochogoodidwonfwanfhtoweave.”
I tilted my head, my smile slightly quivering.
Eventually, Coppelia gulped down whatever was bulging her cheeks like a squirrel’s.
“10 Coppelias out of 10,” she declared, nodding enthusiastically. “This is great! If I knew the strawberries here were this good, I would have emptied it without telling you ages ago!”
I let out a tiny groan, wondering if the orchard would ever recover.
“Yes, well, I’m delighted you preserved your appetite … despite the fact I was hoping you were already filled with strawberries from the shortcakes.”
“Strawberry shortcakes are one thing. Fresh strawberries are another. As long as they’re classified as different food types, they’ll enter different parts of the stomach. That means there’s room to eat as many strawberries as I want as though I haven’t eaten any at all!”
I let out a gasp.
Why, I had no idea Coppelia’s tummy worked in the same way mine did!
Could it be that she secretly possessed a small amount of princess ancestry in her as well … ?
In that case, it was no wonder she was always so peckish! It wasn’t enough that I fed her constant amounts of cakes, crêpes and pastries! Those only classified as light snacks! She still needed ample amounts of everything else too!
“... Very well!” I said with a renewed smile. “In that case, please feel free to partake to your heart’s content! These were grown for my benefit, after all. It’s only right that you’re able to enjoy them.”
Coppelia clenched her fists to her chest, her nod confidently declaring she’d do just that.
Which was good.
So long as she was focused on the strawberries, she wouldn’t notice the highly poisonous and dangerous flowers that made up half of the royal botanical gardens.
Granted, I wasn’t certain what would happen to her if she started eating them … but I knew I didn’t want her taking them back to grow in her orchard patch in the Royal Villa once she did.
… With that said, some restraint was still needed.
“We’ll just need to preserve a few strawberries for the week ahead,” I said, as the tip of my shoes began marking the protected corner. “There’ll be plenty of picnics and we’ll need to prepare accordingly. I’m also thinking of an entire day spent teaching you how to make jam. Doesn’t that sound thrilling?”
Coppelia paused at once. As did Apple.
For a moment, I was overjoyed, believing my words were enough to stop even their gluttony.
Instead, it was for another reason … for as Coppelia slowly lifted up a small creature shining with a golden lustre, I realised they weren’t the only ones to enjoy devouring my strawberries.
As connoisseurs of sweet treats, they recognised an apex predator.
A golden fruit slime.
I gasped at once.
“C-Coppelia! Look at what you’ve found … !”
My loyal handmaiden blinked at the fruit slime in her palms, its regal shade of gold at odds with the common colours found upon the ones who only ate rotting apple cores.
A moment later, she raised it in joy.
“Woooooo! I found a golden strawberry!”
“Coppelia, that isn’t a strawberry.”
“... Are you sure? Because it definitely consists of at least 99% strawberries.”
“Yes, and none of it is suitable for use as jam. That’s a golden fruit slime.”
Coppelia lowered the fruit slime.
Her eyes were doubtful. As was appropriate.
After all … it was normally me or my siblings who found it first!
Why, to think that the most rare of summer catches had managed to evade us this long!
Even so, it had clearly journeyed past danger and drunken hoodlums to arrive here, knowing that compared to finding itself at the mercy of a group of alley cats, the delicate nature of my loyal handmaiden was a far worthier fate!
“My, how wonderful!” I clapped my hands in delight. “You’ve successfully found the golden fruit slime! This is an omen of good fortune!”
“Really? How much does it sell for?”
“Not as much as whatever the grand prize for redeeming it is. Or at least that should be the case. As the relevant stall is owned by my family, I’m certain it will be valuable!”
Coppelia hummed as she studied the golden fruit slime.
Then, she turned to me with a wide smile.
“In that case, can I get the prize from you instead?”
“Oh? Well, that’s slightly unorthodox … but no matter! Naturally, if there’s anything you’d like, I shall be happy to oblige!”
“Great! I want the fruit slime!”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s so shiny! I bet I can definitely make use of this!”
I widened my mouth in horror.
“Coppelia! A golden fruit slime is not a smoothie ingredient!”
“I wouldn’t put it in a smoothie! That’s just a waste. I’ll put it in my tower instead.”
“Your tower?”
“Yeah! I’ll put it on a throne at the very top for the intruders to meet as the final villain. But before that, I’ll feed it loads of apples everyday until it becomes huge. I can definitely see the potential here. It’s going to be so fun! From now on, I’m going to call this fruit slime … The Emperor.”
I was absolutely horrified.
“Wha–! … You cannot name a fruit slime The Emperor!”
“Eh? Why not? If it’s going to be the final boss, it needs a final boss name.”
“That’s the problem! You cannot refer to a fruit slime with such a regal title! Why, people would think it bears a higher standing than my parents!”
“Oh, that’s the problem.”
“Indeed it is! That means if you wish to raise a fruit slime into a weapon of destruction, it needs to be with a name that doesn’t suggest it will legitimately one day have a claim over the kingdom.”
“… Sooooooo, what about The Grand Duchess (Fruit Slime)?”
I let out a gasp.
“That is both incredibly childish and insulting. When the Grand Duchess catches wind of that, she’ll be tutting so loud her tongue will dry out and wither. It is perfect.”
Coppelia stood up, raising The Grand Duchess (Fruit Slime) high into the air.
“Heheh~ isn’t that great?” She energetically twirled on the spot, golden hair flying behind her. “You’re going to defeat so many dumb humans! The amount of loot they’ll leave behind when they run from you is going to be amazing!”
I was so moved.
Why, not only was she planning to sow chaos in Granholtz with a rival to the Grand Duchess, but she’d finally given a hint of what her large scale infrastructure project was finally about!
All this time, I thought her tower that was most definitely a dungeon was just for her amusement. Which it probably was. Yet I had no idea it was also to help secure our finances further!
Naturally, I was delighted!
Coppelia was only ever considering how best to entice my smile, even if it never involved pouring tea no matter how many displeased princess noises I made!
Regardless, her thoughtfulness was a balm to cure any dreary day, guaranteeing the horizon would always remain bright–helped slightly by the fact it was still the height of summer!
A curious thing, then.
Because it was definitely becoming darker.
Indeed … despite the fact I had Coppelia, a pleasant afternoon and Apple’s content snorts, all the daylight seemed to be receding as a shadow claimed the strawberry orchard instead, wiping away the warmth.
A shadow which only grew bigger … and bigger … and bigger.
I pursed my lips.
Yes, my finely honed princess senses were tingling.
The last time this had happened, it was because a St. Liane piano was about to fall on me … and yet as I cautiously looked up, I spied the only thing that could possibly be worse.
There was, in fact, only a single similarity to be seen.
All falling objects seemed to come from Ouzelia.
PWOOOOOOOOOOOMPH.