Who Made Me a Princess

“Miss Margaret, do you want to go hang out outside?”

“What?”

She questioned me back, surprised. She didn’t look like she had understood what I just said.

I watched her pupils expand.

Her lips started to move as she began to understand what I offered. It was like magic that her face brightened up like a thousand flowers blooming simultaneously.

Smiling, I reached my hand out. Then, Jennette grabbed it with an innocent smile.

“…Sure!”

She replied without hesitation. As if she would follow me anywhere if that’s where I would go.

So I willingly became her Peter Pan, then snapped my finger.

* * *

Hubbub, hubbub.

“Oh my gosh! Princess, it’s really the outside!”

I teleported to an empty alley I already had looked into a few days ago. Around us were filthy boxes that smelled mildly foul, but Jennette nevertheless kept looking around as if even those were impressive enough for her.

I tried to catch my breath, leaning against a wall.

Augh! I did maintain some of my postures but it was pretty sketchy teleporting with someone else!

I was scared if I had left one of her legs behind or something. Sob. I think all the balls I’ve grown were to say ‘Whatever’ to situations.

“Hurry, Princess! Let’s go over there!”

“Ugh, hold on.”

She dragged my arm, filled with excitement. I hadn’t seen her so happy before. Maybe she really likes being outside.

I summoned a cloak of some sort while looking at her happy-as-can-be face.

“Here, get this on.”

Her clothes still do have some bling but with the cloak, I think she’ll be alright. From my recollections at Alpheus’ mansion, nobody came to meet her except for mealtimes, so I think a small stroll wouldn’t hurt.

I think Roger wanted to leave her alone especially after her aunt’s death. Umm… I’ll first have to rework my face.

Ta-da! Welcome to Athy’s Quick-and-Easy Cosmetic Surgery!

“Huh? Your face…!”

She gasped as I put some magic into my face.

“Don’t worry, it’s only temporary. I just don’t want people to recognize me based on the video stones.”

“Your hair and eye colors changed too.”

My face should’ve gotten a lot more flatter like the practice morphs I’ve tried in front of a mirror.

I could say I’ve become one of the usual girls from being cough—as pretty as Diana—cough.

It doesn’t change the actual shape of the bones or the muscles, all it does is flatten my facial features with one similar to the invisibility charm.

I’ve heard you can actually change your face for real with higher magic though…

But I shuddered at the mere thought of my skull grinding while twisting and turning.

“Then shall we go?”

“Yes!!”

Jennette stared at me for a while, fascinated at what I’ve become but replied to me almost immediately, smiling. Right then I could see a flowering hallucination around her.

…I—I think it’s more important that I morph Jennette’s face than mine. Ah—I really hope people don’t try to flirt with her as we walk along!

I think random people are gonna swarm her because of her comparative prettiness! Should I tell her not to smile too beautifully? Sob, that’s weird too!

“Come on Princess, let’s go!”

Jennette pulled my hand, not knowing what I’m going through thinking of all this. I eventually gave in and stepped into the crowded street.

* * *

This street was crowded when I came here with Lucas and when I visited here a few days ago, but with the Founding Celebration going on, there wasn’t even room to breathe.

Then I went on an epicurean adventure with Jennette, holding hands to stay with the company.

“Can I get ten skewers, please? By the way, can you give me two more for free? I’m a regular here! Please?”

“Two cotton candies, please! Can I have them rainbow swirled?”

“Hey, wait a minute! The left one feels like it’s lighter! You skimped out on this one, didn’t you?”

“I’ll have two Honey-Honey four-stacker Combo cones with chocolate sprinkles please!”

Everything seemed to be new to her, especially the crowded streets.

I took her to all the famous street food carts I’ve cherry-picked beforehand.

“Whoa! How do you know so many places?”

Amazed, she asked me while we were making our way through the stalls.

Hehe. I’ve poked around in the streets back then when I left the palace. Not that I entirely wanted out of the palace though. Sob.

나는 닭 꼬치를 후후 불어가며 먹는 제니트를 향해 아까부터 생각하던 것을 넌지시 말했다.

I spat out a question to Jennette which I’ve been wanting to ask for some time now.

“So, Miss Margret. Don’t you think you need to do something to my title?

“Oh.”

She covered her mouth and looked around, having realized she had been calling me ‘Princess’ the entire time out here in public.

Fortunately, the people around us didn’t seem to care about what we were talking about. All they did seem to care, however, was the dazzling Jennette holding a chicken skewer. Hmm, I think we need to move somewhere less crowded.

She followed me, holding hands like the first time a kid’s been out with their mother.

Then I finally brought up my “outside” name for the first time in days.

“From now on, call me ‘Athy.’

“Uh, how would I dare to—”

She muttered in awe but I held my index finger against her lips and told her firmly.

“And from now on, I’m going to call you ‘Jettie.’”

Ahh, finally I get to call her that! The name of the sweet, magical chocolate powder on the tip of my tongue whenever I saw her. Choke, the nostalgia!

[TL Notes: For context, Jetty(제티) is a Korean chocolate-flavored drink.]

If someone in my world were to hear that, they would have laughed at my terrible naming sense. But who cares? There ain’t no Jetty here in this world. And isn’t it sorta cute? It goes along with Athy too.

Jeanette liked her new “outside” name, too. She actually murmured with pink cheeks as if she were shy of the name.

“I’m kind of embarrassed, it sounds like a nickname.”

“Everything’s awkward at the beginning. So Jettie! Try and call me by the name.”

“Then… A—Athy…”

Her shy, trailing voice showed some immense strength. Gosh, even her shyness is so adorable!

Having gotten over the nickname problem in a breeze, we went on to enjoy the celebration in incessant laughter.

There weren’t any major events since today was only Day 1 of the celebration. All there was stuff to eat, buy and win prizes from.

But from what I know, the royal street parade was tomorrow afternoon and at the night of the final day, there was going to be a firework festival in place.

Since Claude was the only royal in the palace, he was going to be the only one attending the parade.

“Here, this is for you.”

I gave her a bracelet made from lots of strands of string.

“Isn’t this…?”

“Your dreams may come true with this.”

It was what I bought at the deck when Jennette lost herself in the chinchillas for sale at one of the corners. Supposedly it was a wish bracelet of some kind.

[TL Notes: chinchilla – A rodent slightly bigger than a squirrel. They are home to the Andes in South America.]

It’s not much but hey, it’s what festivals like this are for. Choke. I bought it in compulsion from the thought of Jennette giving me the ribbon the other day… I hope she likes it.

“Thank you so much. I’ll make sure to wear it every day.”

Jennette held the bracelet I bought her firmly with a touching face. No… don’t make me feel that bad…!

“I had a blast today.”

Time passed quickly.

With the sun setting behind us, we walked shoulder to shoulder with huge cotton candy in each of our hands.

Not knowing how to eat all this, Jennette just held it in her hands while I nibbled on it, knowing I won’t be able to get through all of the candy.

“It’s a bummer we have to leave this early.”

“But Jettie, you did say that you had to be back by dinnertime to pull this perfect crime off, right?”

I joked about it to make her feel better. The nickname thing hadn’t really stuck yet, but we decided to call one another by them until she got back home.

“We can do this again next time only if we do pull this off, you know.”

Her pupils trembled a bit as I told her.

“Is… Is there going to be a ‘next time?’”

“Don’t you want to see the fireworks? I’ve never seen it outside the palace too but I don’t have anyone to see it with.

I kept talking to her, standing still.

“If it’s okay with you, will you go to see the fireworks with me?”

You could say this is my first time asking someone out, and it happened to be Jennette!

Kek. But what’s the big deal? We had so much fun together and my ego doesn’t allow me to end her outing without even letting her see the fireworks!

“I’d be glad to. Really.”

I wiped underneath my nose, feeling awkward seeing her display the most beautiful smile I’ve seen today.

We took a shortcut—an empty alleyway—to get back to Alpheus’ mansion on time.

“Heyyy, ladies!”

Oh—is it some bullcrap I’m hearing?

And did you really have to drench your revolting voice in oil?

“Whistle-! Don’t you want to hang out with us?”

Even their whistle was smeared with butter. I squinted at them standing at the alley entrance, thinking about what they possibly could be. Then, I slapped my lap in a sudden realization.

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