Before we truly left the alley, Hime-sama once again amazed me with what she did to her hair for the second time.
After changing its color to black, she now made her hair, which had originally reached down to her waist, become no longer than her shoulders.
When I asked her how such a thing was possible, she simply answered that it was an illusion technique meant to make her disguise appear even more convincing.
—
"Hime-sama, where will you take me?" I asked while walking behind her.
She did not turn to look at me and only gave a brief answer. "There is a large park nearby. I think I can tell you there."
We walked along the side of the main road, which was wide enough for four horse-drawn carriages to line up side by side at the same time. The lanterns hanging at several corners had not yet been lit because the sun was still high in the sky.
Even though we had already left the market district, the bustle of this place still could not disappear as long as we remained in this city.
Some people wore elegant clothes, while others dressed plainly, and there were even some whose clothing looked worn out.
All of that was clearly visible in every corner of the large shops and narrow alleys that I passed by.
A short while later, I finally arrived at the place Hime-sama had told me about.
It was an area paved with stones that had been arranged into patterns of colors that connected with one another amid the stretching grass.
There was only one tree there.
A large tree stood firmly in the middle of the park, its enormous branches providing comfort to anyone beneath them.
The leaves of that tree were light brown in color; perhaps before long, they would fall and cover the path.
Many small stalls were scattered around the edges of the park, and people visited each of them to buy whatever goods or food they desired.
Children were playing with a ball beneath the great tree, enjoying themselves with their friends amidst the cool air provided by its shade.
I noticed a long wooden bench that was still vacant right beneath the tree. No one had taken it yet.
I made a suggestion to her. "Hime-sama, how about we sit over there?" I asked.
"But before that... May I buy some snacks first?" she said.
... I would feel bad if we ended up having to sit somewhere under the scorching sun later, and I also felt reluctant to let her go shopping alone.
To solve that problem, I asked her to wait there while I bought whatever snack she wanted to eat.
She handed me several bronze coins that looked unfamiliar to me. It was the first time I had seen currency in this world, and somehow those coins felt valuable.
"Over there," she said while pointing at the stall I was supposed to visit.
I quickly walked over to it, a small stall shaped like a pushcart that seemed to have very few customers.
The vendor was a young man who was perhaps even younger than I was. He looked remarkably patient as he waited for someone to buy his goods.
"Excuse me, may I place an order?" I called out.
I heard the sound of something falling inside the cart before he stood up to greet me.
"W-welcome! As it happens, we're having a discount right now. If you'd like to buy three, I'll give you one more for free. Are you interested?" the boy asked.
To make the most of this opportunity, I decided not to place my order right away without first learning a few things about this world and what it had to offer. (If I could.)
"By the way, what exactly are you selling?" I asked.
"I sell sweet pastries... Umm... They're round, like little balls. I can assure you that the sugar inside tastes delicious if you eat them in small bites," he replied.
"How much do they cost?" I asked again.
"For three of them, two bronze coins will be enough."
I handed him all the money Hime-sama had given me. Judging from the numbers engraved on each coin, the amount I gave him was roughly seven bronze coins.
—
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Hime-sama. Here's your order," I said as I handed the plastic bag to her.
She accepted it with a smile, then took one of the pastries and swallowed it with a delighted expression.
"A-ah... I can't deny that these pastries really are that delicious. Since we're already here, why don't you try one as well?" she offered.
"If you insist, then I have no reason to refuse."
I took one from the bag she was holding and bit into it slowly, just as the boy had suggested.
The inside was soft, and I could taste honey as the dough touched my tongue. The sweetness was also quite moderate; I didn't feel my teeth trembling after eating it.
"How does your first meal in this world taste?" Hime-sama asked.
I nodded. "It's very delicious. I don't think I'll ever forget this sensation."
While waiting for her to begin the conversation, I watched all the people we could see from where we sat.
From young couples walking hand in hand to married couples playing with their children nearby.
Besides them, there were also many people who had come here alone simply to enjoy the atmosphere.
Hime-sama gathered her courage before speaking to me again.
"Before I ask something of you, what is your impression of my guard, Charlotte, Yukito-san?"
"Charlotte-san?" I murmured.
That was the name she had used to refer to the woman who had approached us during our first meeting.
So she really was Hime-sama's guard, huh?
"I've only seen her once... Perhaps I feel that she carries out her duties well? The two of you also seem to be quite close, even though you argued earlier," I replied.
Once again, she smiled upon hearing my answer. Perhaps she was not disappointed by it.
She then turned her gaze forward, toward the rows of tall buildings that stood beyond the road connected to the edge of the park. More precisely, she looked up at the blue sky stretching above us.
"I... have been coming here with Charlotte since long ago, a very long time ago. In fact, I could say that our relationship was not originally that of a princess and her guard."
"...You don't mind me taking up your time so that you can listen to me, do you?"
"Of course not, Hime-sama. Please continue," I said.
——
Ever since I was little, Charlotte had always been there to keep me company. Her family had served as guards and attendants to my family for generations, spanning several decades.
Since we were the same age, Charlotte was allowed to meet me and play with me every day. Back then, I truly enjoyed spending time with her.
Although she tried to keep her distance from me because of the difference in our status, I was the one who forced her to become closer to me—both physically and emotionally.
Whenever we played together, I would always hold her hand or hug her whenever I wanted to. At the same time, I wanted her to be happy about spending time with me as well.
Thanks to my persistence, she eventually gathered the courage to call me "Hime-chan," the first time anyone had ever addressed me so intimately.
I no longer cared about the obvious difference between us, and in return, I gave her the nickname "Char" as a sign of our closeness.
However, my uncle, Father's younger brother who worked in the palace as his secretary, did not approve of it.
One day, he caught Charlotte calling me as she usually did and immediately regarded it as an act of insolence.
Because of that incident, he informed Father that the daughter of one of his loyal servants had behaved disrespectfully toward one of the princesses.
Following his orders, Uncle reprimanded Charlotte after she left my room once we had finished playing.
From behind the door, all I could do was listen to Uncle's angry voice as he scolded Charlotte. Even though I heard no sound of blows, his voice alone was enough to frighten me.
The next day, Charlotte stopped coming to my room to play. Even when I visited her room, she completely ignored me.
She always tried to avoid me whenever I invited her to play. Even when I called her "Char," she would only pause for a moment before walking away again.
After what had happened, she devoted herself more seriously to her duties in the palace, including taking care of me so that she could become more capable in the future.
Even while she continued to visit my room, I no longer remember when I stopped calling her by the nickname I had given her. I deliberately allowed our relationship to drift apart until quite recently.
Then, when I heard that Father was going to perform the Hero Summoning Ritual, I became very excited.
By then, Charlotte had already stopped working as a maid. She chose instead to become a member of the special guard unit that protected me wherever I went.
I hoped that the Hero who would come to this world for the very first time would help me.
——
"So that's why you asked for my help instead of Kuro's?" I asked.
Hime-sama turned her face away.
"Y-Yeah... I feel that Kuro-sama probably wouldn't listen to me. That's why I asked you instead," she said in a quiet voice.
"In other words, you want me to help the two of you reconcile like before?" I asked.
She nodded.
"Actually, the reason why I couldn't find Charlotte after I left you earlier... was because I saw her wearing ordinary clothes and standing in front of the palace gate with a bag," she continued.
"A bag?" I asked quickly.
"From the clothes she wore and the packed bag she carried, I could tell that she had been temporarily expelled from the palace. And because she belonged to the palace's special guard unit, she lost her job as well."
"I still don't know the reason why. But perhaps it is Father's way of threatening you so that you'll bring me back there," she added.
"Then, how exactly am I supposed to help the two of you make up?"
"We simply need to travel to Charlotte's hometown. Her family lives in one of the cities north of Necvalion. If you take me there, I'll speak to her again," Hime-sama said, looking at me with hopeful eyes.
Since I had registered as an adventurer, wasn't this a perfect opportunity for me? By going there, perhaps I could gain valuable experience hunting monsters or completing requests from the guild.
Besides, I had no equipment whatsoever, and more importantly... I had no money. I couldn't act as freely as I wanted right now.
After giving it some serious thought beneath the vast open sky, I accepted her request.
"With pleasure, I'll do it. I'll do my best until the very end, even if I may not be of much use."
Hime-sama shook her head.
"No, no. Thank you very much, Yukito-san. At first, I thought you would refuse."
She then sprang up from the bench and stood before me, urging me to head toward our next destination.
"Rather than wasting time here, let's hurry to the guild," she said, asking me to stand up.
...Being able to help someone after arriving in this world, perhaps I was rather fortunate after all.
"Very well, but before that, please finish your pastry first. Are you planning to carry that bag all the way there?" I asked as I slowly stood up and followed her.
Hime-sama merely laughed and handed me the remaining pastries. She wanted me to finish them so that I could be satisfied with the food of this world.
But... the truth was that she was simply full already, wasn't she?