Side Chapter: Fireworks, to convey my love for you (I).

"Hurry! Be in haste! The festival is tomorrow! Everyone brings in the decorations and the planned ingredients for the festival's after-ball!"

The castle was booming with activities, every servant was going through the halls holding festival decorations.

It was the day before the festival, the royal family had planned to host a very fancy ball for the nobles that had been invited to attend after watching the [Mistral Dance] at the church.historical

"Hurry now! Don't forget the princess' dresses to be ironed and their shoes! Goodness me! We must not make the same mistake as last time!"

Everyone is in a rush, making public appearances for the people is a must after all. Especially one maid.. who was stumped with carrying plates in her hands, she wanted so badly to teleport away and just relax with the first princess and tend to her worries.

"Kazari! What are you doing, dearie!? Hurry! Take those fine plates into the kitchen and clean up!"

Kazari, ever the timid maid when it comes to other people, has come back to her senses with the kind head maid's instructions and immediately made haste to go to the direction of the kitchen, trying to balance it in front of her while the other servants avoided her letting her pass.

No matter how much desire she wishes to be with the princess, perhaps work would come first.

"T-Thank you!" She motions to the other servants who paved her way to the kitchen and they waved a little winking.

"Be careful now! Her highness would have a heart attack if she saw you fall!"

The other servants were not beating around the bush, half of them knew that something was going on.

"..." (Kazari) was a bit speechless but still thankful for their words, she kept going with the first princess' smiling face in her mind. The faster she cleans up and prepares her duty in the castle, the sooner they can hang out.

The other servants watched her figure go, all sighing in relief.

"Oh young love.."

"I was shipping them for so long."

"They make the cutest couple, I tell you."

"Every time Kazari was summoned to the princess' chambers, oh I do hope they're bonding well."

I mean- how can it be not obvious to see a maid x princess story going on inside the castle?!

One maid who was holding the broom took out a copy of a popular book series that depicted the same plot of what's happening for the couple. "Oh by the light goddess! This is just like this book I found at the library! [The princess' maid lover book I]!"

"Ugh! Book II isn't even out yet!"

"You should see the knight x princess one!" A butler then took out his copy of the book and handed it to the maid and happily talked about the awesome story points of yuri!

Some of the servants were fans of smuggled Yuri books from [Sprivanto].

Due to the third light princess, Catherine Goldheart misplacing them in the library. While the other servants would clean up, they would stumble upon them and intrigued their curiosity to read the forbidden book.

The church taught, that one should be punished if someone loves another who's not their opposite sex.

However! Why is that they felt so happy reading romance bloom between two people who wanted nothing but to love one another.

The pure relationship between two girls was precious after all!

Especially something with a forbidden love between a maid and a princess would enhance the thrill of their story!

And the other reason why the servants, instead of disrespecting the first princess and Kazari's relationship with one another or why they can't really report it to anyone- and have the first princess in trouble or even badmouth about it.

The last time someone did- rumors were said..

Princess Cecilia gave no mercy upon the servant, fired, bankrupt, she made sure that the servant's family knew pain. The connections of the girl were as respectable, huge, like a huge web of a spider.

If she was queen, the things she would've done in this country would be unthinkable!

"Speaking of which.. How do you think the first princess is faring?"

"Not well.. Just last week she complained of how the wheelchair was hurting her body and that she needed to stay in bed for most of her hours."

"The only time she uses the wheelchair now is when Kazari would have time to push her in the gardens right?"

The scene looked so beautiful, a maid always caring and swearing loyalty for only the princess- her master.

The head maid saw some of the servants gawking and gossiping, she crossed her arms taking the broom from the servant roughly getting them by surprise, shooing them to work.

"You rascals dare to talk about her royal highness while at work!" the head maid shouted and the other servants grimaced for getting caught by the old lady.

"Oh! Sorry!"

"Yes, apologies!"

"We'll be best moving now!"

The servants left the gossiping circle to do their work, all walking awkwardly embarrassed for getting scolded.

On the other hand..

Kazari looked so determined in finishing her work that she cheated a little bit by teleporting magic. She takes the plates in her hand, before casting teleportation magic over them, they teleported inside the cupboard ones that were hard to reach. "[Teleporte]."

She chanted until all the plates were gone and safely distributed inside the cupboard. When it was time to clean the kitchen, all the other servants were out today so she had the chance to cheat once more and cleaned the hard to reach places by teleporting.

Getting the nook and cranny of the place, everything would look so spotless right after. "Whew, that should be enough." she wiped her forehead that was beading of sweat and looked at the ground that she moped.

It sparkled, her reflection was even reflecting. So the head maid won't be able to scold her for not doing a good job.

Unfortunately, due to many servants going in and out their shoes were full of mud and dirt the cleanliness of the kitchen would soon be gone but that's another problem for another time.

"Everything seems clean, I can visit her highness now-" (Kazari) excitedly muttered to herself with a smile but not before taking a few sweets for the princess to eat.

After all.. the girl had a sweet tooth that usually you can't satisfy so easily.

Kazari would then go on to the pantry to see if she can bake some simple cookies that won't take her over an hour to make. From two cups of flour, some baking powder- that accidentally went through her nose she quickly made sure to turn away and sneeze. "Achoo!"

Oh! If the first princess ever saw the scene her heart would melt of how cute that sneeze was. "Ugh.. someone must be talking about me." (Kazari) complained before taking the other ingredients and putting it inside the mixing bowl.

"Brown sugar, sea salt, baking soda.. oil, vanilla extract and chocolate chips.." (Kazari) tries to recall the recipe and stir all the ingredients together. Taking a piece of parchment paper, lining two baking sheets, and pouring the mixture and scooping the dough.

The oven wasn't occupied so she had the place to herself, she takes the baking sheet and places it inside the hot oven for fourteen minutes before letting it cool. "The princess' tea.. right I must prepare it as well."

While the cookies were taking their time to cool, she prepared the girl's favorite drink and tea set. The fragrant mixture of the finest earl gray was oddly relaxing, everything that the princess loves.. Kazari also grew to understand and love it.

"Back then.. I thought tea was awfully bitter."

That was because- as a descendant of a hero she was not used to brewing teas or even cleaning. It was all done for her at home, in [Sprivanto] where the people worshiped the heroes who saved their country.

It was a legend where the hero who didn't wish to come back, someone from Japan decided to just have a family- a harem of women- on the island given as a gift for the hero.

Harem, polygamy was allowed on the kingdom.

The charm of the hero was something to fear, he had so many women that his concubines would go on to over fifty and produced over a hundred children, when he died due to old age however- the whole hero bloodline was scattered.

Everyone fought to be the head of the family- making their children fight for such a title, Kazari's mother decided to make her daughter flee for another country and work as a maid.

The descendants were born with power, different kinds of mixed special magic like Kazari's and now- even human traffickers have heard of the tale of the Hero's bloodline descendants.

The rumor of having one to procreate- to mix magics and selling them at a high price to be adopted into high classy families as some sort of show pony became a trend, thankfully the family knew of what was happening and decided to separate themselves from [Sprivanto].

Using one of the children's magic, they seemed to have made a barrier that no one would be able to come inside unless you have the mark of a descendant.

Becoming a sole island of their own, only coming back to the mainland if they wanted a new bride or groom to add into the mess of a family.

Kazari's mother was right to escape with her daughter, as long as they were in there- and with so many bloodthirsty people stabbing each other even if they called each other family.

It was too much.

Being born with teleportation magic, she was placed with one of the largest targets to be taken out.

By now.. Kazari has mostly tried to forget her past.

"Thank goodness, her highness introduced me to cinnamon and honey." she smiles, pouring the tea in a cup before checking on the cookies left a little warm now.

"Perfect."

Just like how her highness likes it.

Taking a serving cart, she places the cookies inside a decorative plate and sets aside the tea kettle just in case the princess would like to have a refill.

Off she went happily pushing the cart, really.. wanting the princess to see her soon.