The Princess in the Chicken Coop - Chapter 2.14
Unaware of this, Soria happily greeted Mabeline who was waiting for her.
Though the greeting consisted of nothing more than falling into Mabeline’s outstretched arms.
Mabeline looked at the seemingly satisfied Soria with a complex expression.
There were circumstances behind inviting Soria to the tea party that she couldn’t tell either Lenok or Diowell.
Initially, Mabeline’s plan had been simple. Having heard from Diowell about their poor relationship, and knowing there were private reasons they needed to be together, she had planned to observe the situation. However, after exchanging just a few words, she sensed it.
This wouldn’t work. At this rate, they would end up worse than a political marriage, let alone a fated love.
Mabeline completely revised her plan.
“Of course, it would be best if you could break the curse quickly and return to your homeland, Princess, but it’s been nearly two weeks since you arrived in the Crotia Empire, hasn’t it?”
[That’s right.]
Megan, with a slightly worried expression, conveyed Soria’s weak voice.
“The Princess says ‘That’s right.'”
“So I thought it might be time to try different methods.”
[Different methods?]
Mabeline’s smile deepened.
“Princess. May I confirm just one thing first? You want to break this curse by any means necessary, correct?”
[Of course. I’m prepared to do anything if it means breaking the curse.]
Even as Megan relayed these words exactly, she felt a slight unease.
‘By any means necessary.’
Though she thought it unlikely, she looked at Mabeline with concern.
Among the knights, stories were still circulating about Princess Soria’s attack on the knights’ order. Though it had spread as a rumor about an unknown person who bit lips and ran away.
This gap existed because no one had understood Soria’s apology at the time. Regardless, one was a princess from a small country and a genius magician, while the other was the center of social society. What would happen if these two joined forces?
As if to ease Megan’s anxiety, Mabeline smiled gently and said.
“Then I’ll tell you frankly. If the condition for breaking the curse is ‘true love,’ it seems unlikely to break the curse in the current situation.”
[Why do you think that?]
To Soria’s question, Mabeline answered with an apologetic expression.
“Princess, right now you completely lack charm as a woman.”
The bomb was dropped before Megan could intervene.
Her knight Megan, an Aura user who somehow kept getting assigned tasks completely unrelated to Aura, turned away only to be more shocked by Soria’s shocked expression.
Could it be that the Princess thought her chicken form was attractive? But that was only from Megan’s perspective.
While Soria was well aware of being cursed, she sometimes forgot about it. It couldn’t be helped. It wasn’t just a year or two, but after a hundred years, one becomes accustomed to their cursed state whether they want to or not.
Moreover, having lived alone all this time, there hadn’t been many situations to constantly remind her of her condition.
[That’s right. …I’m a chicken, so that’s natural.]
She was somewhat shocked.
She had been so fixated on the goal of fated love that she hadn’t properly considered the intermediate steps. She had been so focused on how terrible Lenok was that she hadn’t even imagined the reverse situation.
Soria cried out to Megan with a shocked expression.
[Dame! Normal people don’t fall in love with chickens, right?!]
Megan was flustered. So flustered that she made the biggest blunder of her life.
“His Majesty isn’t someone who falls in love based on appearances!!”
[But being human versus being a chicken is a completely different issue!]
“That’s not true, Princess! His Majesty, His Majesty… is a great person who loves even the lowliest creatures in the empire!!”
[Not that kind of love, I mean e****c love! Has His Majesty ever kissed a lowly creature?!]
“T-that… kissing… ero-e****c…”
Megan’s face turned bright red. Mabeline quietly looked back and forth between them.
Though she couldn’t understand the clucking sounds, seeing Megan’s sudden outburst, she could make a good guess.
Still, isn’t there quite a difference between just looking at appearance and being of a different species altogether?
Mabeline muttered to herself words she couldn’t bring herself to say to Soria.
“Now, now. Let’s continue the rest of our conversation over tea, Princess.”
Mabeline skillfully led Soria and Megan to the garden. Everyone else had already arrived.
As they had been waiting for Soria’s arrival, all eyes focused on them as soon as the door opened.
Mabeline introduced them with a radiant smile.
“Princess, these are my dear friends who will spare no effort to help you. Deilia of the Marquis Tio family and Jenny of the Marquis Hicksia family.”
The two ladies, who had been friends with Mabeline since childhood, warmly welcomed Soria. In many novels, noble ladies were busy tearing each other apart with jealousy and envy, but the reality was quite different.
Deilia and Jenny were proof of that.
Children who grew up receiving love, attention, focus, and affection naturally became women capable of sharing these with others.
Already knowing that Soria was cursed into a chicken’s form, they deliberately avoided mentioning it.
It felt natural to guide Soria to the seat of honor.
They sat around the large table and began their conversation while offering each other the cakes that were being served.
“After receiving Mabeline’s message, I looked into it urgently.”
Deilia’s eyes were filled with determination.
She gently pushed aside a plate full of shortcakes, lightly struck the table with both hands and exclaimed.
“His Majesty has zero experience!”
[Ah, I already knew that.]
“Oh? You knew? Then this will go faster. Right, Jenny?”
“Indeed. It’s better that His Majesty doesn’t have anyone. Don’t you agree, Princess?”
Deilia and Jenny exchanged glances.
Mabeline nodded with a somewhat proud expression while sipping her tea, and Megan, unlike her previous resigned state, now had eyes burning with passion.
And Soria very seriously considered their opinions.
Her tail feathers swayed back and forth in the breeze.
When the steam from the tea had subsided somewhat, Soria spoke.
[Alright. Let’s do it. Let’s make His Majesty fall for me!]
