Who Could Have Loved the Monster Princess? - Chapter 27
‘Ah, Belienne! Have I gone crazy? What am I doing?’
I smacked my forehead with a thud, starting to peel off my wet clothes. It took a while because my clothes, specifically designed to be put on with the help of maids, was a bit challenging for me to take off alone.
My arms and legs were thicker and larger than the average, so I usually put on my clothes by draping them over my body first and then tightening the straps to create a snug fit. Once tightened, the attire resembled Imperial garments with a slightly unique strap design. It was one of Madame de Waal’s creations.
The shirt Ken gave me was loose enough that I didn’t have too much trouble putting it on. It reached down to my knees, much like the kind of tunics one wears for bed.
‘Should I take off my trousers too?’
I didn’t deliberate on it for too long. With my body covered in water and the chilly breeze, it was a bit cold in these damp clothes. The cold was enough to make me shiver. I swiftly discarded the things I had on and, after wringing out the water and shaking them off, spread them on a rock. Just as I finished, Ken arrived.
Ken seemed to hesitate for a moment when he saw me, but then he quickly cleared the ground and started a fire with a pile of branches and dry leaves.
He brought a branch shaped like a rake and placed it on the ground, then laid a long piece of wood over it to act as a makeshift clothesline for our garments.
“When did you learn this?”
“When I first joined Cal’s army.”
Dad enlisted Ken as a recruit from the very beginning. So when he wasn’t playing with me, Ken would be training with the soldiers.
‘He must have learned from back then.’
Of course, it was only natural that I hadn’t witnessed Ken in such a role. When we were together, Ken was treated as a friend of the Grand Magus’s daughter.
“The flowers…do you want to pick some now?”
I nodded eagerly.
The flower field was really close. A short walk up the valley and there were flowers all around. It seemed about ten times the size of the Imperial Palace garden’s flowerbed. The flowers Ken had picked earlier were probably from here, yet there was no sign of any disturbance in the field.
“It’s amazing. How did so many flowers bloom here?”
“I planted them.”
“What?”
“The flowers.”
“Who did?”
“I did.”
Of course. Who else would come here but him? I looked at Ken, unfazed like all this was no big deal to him, and decided not to comment on it any further.
Even when I knew he was like that, it always took me a little while to understand.
***
As I picked flowers to bring to Mom, memories from my childhood flooded back. Whenever there was a lull in the Demon King’s attacks, Dad would find a valley or a flower field so that I could play.
As a daughter of the Staedt family, I never got to try on dresses or play with my peers. However, the knights and soldiers were happy to play with me. Perhaps it was because of the pity they felt for me, born into a family entwined with the battlefield.
‘Because of my appearance, they couldn’t leave me with my grandparents in our ancestral home. Even your mother was against sending you away.’
Even now, I occasionally recalled the voice of my grandfather, who would inquire about my well-being through magical communication.
“Belienne, I’ve prepared a room for you in the mansion. Feel free to come anytime.”
At the same time, I wondered if I could have protected my grandfather if I had been there. Of course, Dad, noticing my contemplation, firmly stated that if I had been there, I would have faced the same danger.
My grandfather, who was quite a bit older than Dad, only had two grown sons so he treated me like a precious daughter. He was thoughtful, wise, and deeply loved his family.
‘Maybe it’s because of these white flowers…’
Thoughts of those we lost flooded my mind.
‘Maybe that’s why Mom likes white flowers…?’
Having lost everything—her country, family, and people—Mom chose white flowers to decorate, perhaps as a way to honor those who had departed.
Ken seemed to understand this, as he, too, was picking only white flowers. With a beautifully arranged bouquet in hand, we headed back down to the valley.
Ken disappeared to find dinner while I made sure the flowers didn’t get ruined. With the flowers tucked away, I checked how dry my clothes were.
‘Not quite dry enough to put on yet.’
Still, as I idly stood by the fire, contemplating a change of clothes, the sky was looking a little suspicious. Gray clouds were moving quickly across the sunset sky.
“Is it going to rain?”
“It’s just passing rain, no problem if it comes down.”
Ken had laid out quite a spread. Various edibles like mushrooms, wild leeks, wild strawberries, and finger-sized silvery fish.
“Fish!”
Ken skillfully cleaned the fish and other items with a small knife, skewering them neatly and placing them on a rock near the fire. The fish began to sizzle, making delightful sounds as they cooked. The savory aroma wafted, making my mouth water.
I swallowed and muttered, “I loved fish.”
Ken glanced at me and smirked. “You used to, but I didn’t think you’d still like them now.”
As Ken skillfully crafted the skewers, he flipped and evenly cooked the grilling fish, displaying the prowess of a skewer artisan.
It didn’t take long before I could bite into a crisply cooked skewer. The fish, rich in fat from living in cold water, melted in my mouth, breaking into a satisfying crispiness as I chewed. The combination of the savory and sweet flavors was complemented by the tenderly roasted mushrooms and plants. Even the unknown white root vegetable he cooked tasted like regular potatoes or yam.
“Delicious!”
“Eat as much as you want.”
Taking the skewers Ken cooked, I happily indulged.
“The salmon steaks from the mansion have a rich sauce. They’re tasty, but… the taste of nature is still the best.”
Ken, marveling at my enthusiasm, popped a raspberry into my admiring mouth. I was mesmerized by the fresh and sour smell and ate it without thinking.
‘Wait, didn’t Ken just naturally feed me?’
