The Evil Queen's Beautiful Principles - 7

 

The Princess and the Apprentice Maid 5

---

It's been almost three months since Alicia arrived.

...I still can't hear Alicia's 'heart's voice’.

The outside is much colder, and because of the draft that brings such air, the inside of the tower is especially cold.

"It's c-cold..."

I don't like the cold, so I shiver stiffly in front of the fireplace that Alicia has lit.

“Oh, I’m so glad that you came, Alicia. I can't even go and get firewood in this cold weather."

“Princess Luxeria, you're so weak to the cold... What did you do every winter?"

“I just put on heavy clothes and stayed in front of the fireplace."

How many layers of clothing did I wear every year?

I've been like that since my previous life, so my sensitivity to the cold must be extreme.

"Heh, heh..."

“...But if we're going to live here, I can't be like this, can I? Anyway, let's move our bodies to warm up."

Even though Alicia is here, it was just us two living here.

We have a lot of work to do, and we can't let the cold get to us.

“Ah, Princess Luxeria. If you're going to move your body anyway, there's something I'd like to do."

Then she took me outside.

"Hey, hey... Alicia. As a person imprisoned in the tower, I think it's not a good idea to go outside... More than anything, it's colder and more painful outside..."

"Princess Luxeria. Your true feelings spilled out at the end..."

"I... I won't deny it."

Shivering and shaking, I move my body lightly for now.

"So? What do you want to do, Alicia?"

"Play the Black Witch game!"

"...The black witch game?"

I tilted my head at the unfamiliar words and asked for her to continue.

"Yes. One person plays the role of the ‘Black Witch’ and runs to catch the others. The person who plays the role of the Black Witch wins if she catches everyone. The person who doesn't play the role of the Black Witch wins if she can escape. It's a game like that.”

So it's like playing tag.

Everywhere in the world, there is the same kind of game... I was strangely impressed.

"The... Doesn't that game require more than three players? Because if there's only two of us, there's only one person who can escape, so if that person gets caught, it'll be over so soon.”

“That's true, but… But I wanted to try it out once, because I saw the kids in town playing it."

Seeing the way her eyes sparkled and shined, I couldn't say no.

“...I understand. However, you can only escape from this tower to the forest behind it. You can't go near the palace. And don't go indoors either. That's the rule."

“All right! ...Now, Princess Luxeria."

With a clink, she flicked the coin.

She then caught it with the back of her hand after it had spun in the air.

"Heads? Tails?"

“Heads.”

“Too bad, it’s tails. …So I'll be playing the black witch!"

"What, you won and yet you’re still supposed to be the demon?"

“I've always wanted to play a black witch!"

"Well... Well, that's fine then. Okay, Alicia. Count to ten and then chase after me."

Immediately, I ran towards the forest.

Alicia, who seemed to have finished counting to ten, followed after me.

...She was fast.

While inwardly clicking my tongue at her expected speed, I increased my speed even more.

Having done so, and having widened the gap, we entered the forest.

I then hid behind a tree, and observed Alicia's actions.

“Huh? Princess Luxeria, where are you?"

Alicia, too, came into the forest.

She scurries around and seems to be looking for me.

"Princess Luxeria?"

I sneak around in the shadows and run, being careful not to make a sound.

With tag, the person who ran away had to hide, right?. Well, I don't know the rules of playing Black Witch, and Alicia didn't mention that point in particular when explaining the rules earlier, so it's fine.

Silently, I looked at Alicia again from the shadows.

It was the same when she suggested playing black witch earlier, but now that we are playing the game, her eyes are shining brightly.

She is eight years old, and her childishness can be glimpsed at such times... She is so excited.

Yes, she's only eight years old, just like me.

But she's so sharp and perceptive, that it's hard to believe she's eight years old.

I wondered if she was a reincarnated person like me. I thought that she might be, but she didn't respond when I mixed in words and keywords into our conversations.

... Well, perhaps she’s hiding it for a reason?

Or...it's an outlandish idea, but is her brain enhanced by magic?

What if she is unconsciously strengthening her brain with magical power in the same way we strengthen our physical abilities? ...That would explain why she has such a good memory.

But as long as I’m in the tower, there's no way to verify it, so I'm just guessing.

"Princess Luxeria, I see you!"

Not good... I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't realize she was approaching.

I tried my best to escape, but she caught me in the end.

“Ha-ha-ha-ha... Let’s take a break…!”

Thanks to the fact that I hadn't run as fast as I could in a while, I was breathing hard.

After wiping the sweat from my forehead, I lay down on the spot.

...It's not very well-mannered of me, but it's okay because no one is watching.

Alicia, too, lays down beside me as if falling.

“Princess Luxeria, are you warmed up now?”

“Yes, I am. Thanks to you, I’m hot actually hot now…”

Phew… I take a big breath in and out.

When I was finally able to catch my breath, I suddenly burst out laughing.

At the same time, Alicia is also laughing while holding her stomach.

"Ha... That was fun."

“Yes! Very much! Princess Luxeria, you are very fast. I couldn't catch you at all, I was in such a hurry."

“You were fast, too, if you ask me. You were fast, and then you started acting like a demon, and it was scary."

“Hey! That's because you were hiding there. I finally found you! I was so desperate."

While arguing like this, the game we were just playing earlier comes to my mind on its own.

...Yes, it was fun.

The thought made me laugh again.

Alicia was the same way, laughing out loud with joy.

"...Actually, it was the first time I'd ever played it."

She muttered this when the laughter subsided.

It's a really small voice that I can barely hear because she was lying right next to me.

"I have a lot of magic in me, don't I? I was born with it, and people have always been afraid of me. That's especially true since I wasn't surrounded by anyone with magical powers."

The number of people with magical powers is roughly one in three hundred.

This country is famous for having a higher rate of magic holders than other countries, but it's still that rate.

It's not uncommon for people to be surrounded by people who don't have magical powers.

So there must be a good number of people who were in the same situation as Alicia.

"...On top of that, I have had a magic outburst. Unlike in your case, Princess Luxeria, I injured many people. So, the country put me in custody... That's why."

"I see..."

It's not that I hadn't imagined it.

Her amount of magic power is also higher than average.

With that kind of magic power, it would be a miracle if it didn't go out of control.

“Do you have more control now?"

“Yes… After that one time."

Alicia smiled bitterly as she said that.

What lies behind that expression is probably regret and remorse.

"I see..."

I read that and that's why I didn't pry any further.

"I know this is off topic, but... That's why I've never played with kids my own age."

"Hehe... Me, too. I've never played with Black Witch before. In fact, I've never even played with a child my own age... We're the same.”

"...That’s true."

"Ah… But still, it's frustrating. To be caught by you, Alicia. Next time, I won't lose!"

Next time, I won't lose.

Let's play again.

...Alicia laughed, as if she understood what I meant.

“I'm not going to lose either!”

We looked at each other and laughed again.

And so, that night... Alicia and I both caught colds in spectacular fashion.

It was no wonder... As we were sweating profusely and chatting leisurely outside... There was no way that we wouldn’t catch a cold,

As soon as we finish playing, we must go back to the tower... It was because of such a painful experience that such a rule was made among us.

Next Chapter