𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟏: 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐥𝐝
“Hey. . .Princess, wake up. Hey, time to get up.”
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“Mmmm. . .Sleepy. . .Just a little longer.”
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“No, you can’t. You regretted saying that yesterday too.”
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“Kyle’s being mean. . .”
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“Is it alright? We have potato potage for breakfast today, you know?
Don’t be sad that you won’t have time for seconds again, okay?”
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“. . . . . .I’ll get up.”
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Reluctantly getting out of bed, I see Kyle’s relieved face.
Probably, Lisa and Yuna tried to wake me up but failed, so it was Kyle’s turn.
Normally, an escort knight wouldn’t come to the bedside to wake me up.
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I feel bad, but. . . Maybe it’s a growth spurt, but I’m so sleepy.
I’ve been eating three meals and sleeping at night,
Ever since I started using magic, I suddenly began to grow.
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Maybe my magic was stopping my physical activity,
That’s what Renkin-sensei said when he examined me.
I was not getting enough nutrition, so I didn’t grow to keep from dying.
I didn’t realize I was being pushed that far, but
I was convinced by the rapid growth afterward.
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Rapid growth requires sleep, so because of that, getting up in the morning is really tough.
If nothing else, I want to sleep all the time because I’m so sleepy.
But, since I’m in a growth phase, I get really hungry.
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I’m hungry, so everything tastes delicious,
But I especially love the potato soup served at breakfast,
I like it so much that I want to have thirds.
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There is a set time for the princess education,
So I have to get ready quickly and eat if I want seconds.
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When I enter the dining room in my private room, Kyle also sits down with me.
Either Kyle or Chris is always with me so I don’t eat alone.
Having someone to eat with is another reason why the food tastes good, I think.
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“Come on, eat it while it’s hot.”
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“Yeah! Oh, today’s bread is a croissant! I’m happy.”
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You’re supposed to tear the bread into small pieces with your hands,
But with a croissant, I just bite it. Crunch. Mmm! It’s crispy and delicious!
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“Princess, don’t make a fuss. I know it’s tasty.”
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“Yeah, sorry. I’ll eat calmly.”
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I guess I looked pretty undignified, and Kyle scolds me.
Although Kyle and Chris are called escort knights, I won’t be going out on official business for two more years.
Until then, they don’t feel like knights since I hardly move around the palace.
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I asked them to be like older cousins. . .
But somehow Kyle feels like a father and Chris like a mother.
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A worrying father and a nagging but caring mother.
I won’t say it because Chris would probably get angry if I did.
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“Good morning, Princess. Finished breakfast?”
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“C, Chris, good morning. Is it time to go?”
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“Yeah, get ready soon.”
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“Okay.”
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I head to the main palace’s reception room with Kyle and Chris.
Today’s lesson is in Kokodia language. Kokodia is the country where Okaa-sama was born.
And it was also a country we were at war with until the previous king’s era.
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My grandfather became king, and the war ended, and they formed an alliance.
As a sign of friendship, Okaa-sama was married to the crown prince, Otou-sama.
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Still, it’s a country we were at war with just over a decade ago.
Things didn’t go well, and the marital relationship didn’t either.
Otou-sama lives in the eastern palace where the crown prince’s office is,
Okaa-sama is still living in the detached palace built for childbirth.
Even though they both have private rooms in the main palace, I’ve never seen them return.
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The fact that both of my parents didn’t even notice I was in the western palace until I was seven,
I thought that’s how things were, but I’m living without much interaction with them.
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When learning a language, you spend the whole day using only that language.
So, including lunch and tea time, you also learn the manners of that country.
Classes continue until afternoon tea time ends, and I’m finally free in the evening.
I don’t hate studying, and I think learning languages is important.
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But it doesn’t feel as fun as magic lessons.
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“Hey, can we go to the edge of the courtyard and practice magic for a little bit?”
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“You said ‘a little bit,’ but last time you didn’t want to go home.”
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“I’ll go back on time today.”
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“. . .Keep your promise, okay?”
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Despite his complaints, the lenient Chris allows me, and the three of us head to the back of the courtyard.
If I practice in a conspicuous place, my magic power might be exposed.
So I’ve been practicing in quiet places.
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“. . .!!”
“!!. . . . .!””. . . Let go!!”
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I thought I heard something, and then I heard a woman’s screaming voice.
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