Chapter 460: Mirror, Mirror

“Ohohoho! Behold, Coppelia! … My bedroom!”“Gasp … are we finally here?”

Covering her mouth in feigned shock, Coppelia eyed the rarest gift I could offer.

The sight of my bedroom … and also an impromptu ballet display.

That’s right!

Current princess task–spinning in delight!

I pirouetted on my heels again and again, all the while my smile filled up Coppelia’s vision until she needed to lean to the side just to admire the same surroundings as me.

It was … wonderful!

The gentle, pastel coloured walls! The open windows with the fluttering curtains! The carpets as soft as my cheeks! The bookshelves gleaming with embossed spines! The wardrobes bulging with all the immaculate dresses now several days out of season and therefore was only good as kindling!

And nowhere did I see a single loose sock!

“Ohohohoho! We’re … we’re finally here! After all this time … I’ve finally returned!”

I spun around several more times, stopping only when I started seeing multiple Coppelias also spinning around me. 

She efficiently took in every detail. 

Particularly the area beneath my bed.

… To my delight, there were no socks there either!

Everything was just as clean, tidy and organised as I remembered!

I didn’t expect very many changes, of course. Even the slightest nudge of a flower pot needed my permission. But that still didn’t change my joy at seeing the proof that I’d defeated every explosion. 

Indeed, while my soul hadn’t come away unscathed, my room was perfectly pristine.

In fact, there was only one notable difference.

“Roll, roll, roll~”

Yes.

A certain clockwork doll immediately doing what she was clearly going to do everywhere.

“E-Excuse me! Please do not roll on my bed!”

“It’s soooooooooooooooooo soft! I’m trying to climb out and I can’t! This is amazing!”

“Coppelia!!”

It mattered little whether it was the Winter Queen’s bed or my own. 

She showed as little mercy for the dignity of both.

While squishing the pillows that would now need to be replaced, Coppelia went from spinning to rolling. Like a loose sack on a ship, she lurched to and fro, testing even the impossible sturdiness of the duvet tucked beneath the edges of the mattress.  

Against such vandalism, I did what any princess would do.

“The same rules apply,” I declared, as I mysteriously found myself lightly rolling beside her. “This is my side. That is yours. The dividing line cannot be breached.”

“Heheheh … so soft and fluffy … it’s like I’m being swallowed up by a cloud of swans again …”

On one hand, I was appalled. Only I was allowed to dishevel my bed. 

On the other, I was pleased she was so overjoyed that she’d begun hallucinating things which never happened. Probably.

“10/10,” I said with a nod, confirming what I’d already known. “Better than the Winter Queen’s bed.”

Ohohohoho!

Indeed! 

Mine might not have self-regulating temperature control, the permanent fragrance of a spring meadow or the unyielding texture of snow … but it was still better!

It was a bed chosen by myself, and its warmth was one where I could fall asleep as easily as I could read, write or flop around in the long hours of the night.

I smiled as I caught a glimpse of the balcony.

The last time I was here, I’d been pacing between the wardrobe and the mirror while the moonlight had flooded inside. Now it was the warmth of the afternoon instead, flowing past the curtains while also bathing the gnarled oak tree outside.

A gnarled oak tree … which also seemed to be sprouting oranges.

Hmmmmmmm.

My smile dipped slightly as I tilted my head in confusion. After all, I knew enough about trees to know that oaks couldn’t grow oranges.

For a moment, I considered this puzzling and somewhat worrying development.

And then–

Nothing.

I tossed the thought out of my mind.

Ohohohohoho!

Indeed, there was time to fill my head with worries later! 

For now, all I had to do was bask in the moment!

There were still things to do, of course. And all of them to do with visiting Clarise. I had no doubt she’d suffered as the only princess in my absence. I needed to offer my gratitude for all the mandatory tea parties she had avoided on my behalf.

Achoo.

… However, given that I could practically hear her sneezing from her observatory, I needed to ensure I didn’t make her feel any worse than she already was.

Thus, all traces of mud needed to be removed!

Rolling to my side, I peeked at a door deliberately left slightly ajar. A gentle waft of steam was teasing its way past, accompanied by the faint scent of lavender and eucalyptus. 

My smile brightened even further.

While the standards of the new hires had clearly gone downhill, the ability of the veteran maids to prepare for my return had not.

I rolled to face Coppelia. She could no longer be seen amidst a crushing mountain of pillows.

“Coppelia,” I said, my brows knitted in seriousness. “I hope you know what needs to be done next.”

She thought for a moment, then lifted her head just enough to glance over me.

“Is it time?” she asked, eyes blinking.

“It’s time.”

She sat up and nodded.

A few minutes later–

Pwoooosh.

The sound of a princess sized bathtub being disturbed echoed throughout the Royal Villa.

As the fragrant water imbued with an unbreakable layer of bubbles welcomed us into its warmth, I instantly relaxed as all the memories of the things I didn’t do hurried away. 

“Ahhhhh …”

Somewhere, the heavens were raising their fists in envy.

Here in a bathtub large enough to swim in, there were no caves, dungeons, mines or receptionists to haunt my nightmares. 

I took in a deep breath and let out an even deeper sigh. 

Then, I adjusted myself to begin floating, all the while the bubbles barely moved around me.

“Blub blub blub blub blub~”

This was despite Coppelia enjoying herself to the fullest.

Like a duck experiencing her very first pond, she paddled from end to end, spinning, tumbling and at several moments looking as if she might be drowning. 

However, after several seconds where only the top of her golden hair could be seen, she suddenly rose again, a bright smile upon her reddened face.

“Oooh … this is great~! I didn’t expect to feel so nostalgic … !”

“Hmm?” I idly lifted a foot, unable to stop myself from floating away. “What’s nostalgic?”

“Well, I figured that every time you talked about how big your bath was, it was only big in the normal way. But this is like being back in the workshop.”

“The workshop … oh, yes, it’s also a bathhouse, isn’t it?”

“Mmh. It’s sort of like this. But even bigger.”

I was shocked.

“Excuse me? … Do you mean to say that you’re accustomed to swimming and frolicking in even more decadent pools of water than this one?”

“Yup. This is still a 10/10. But the workshop is an 11/10. You should definitely visit and hope it hasn’t relocated again. You’ll love it. There are even automated scent dispensers.”

“Automated what now?”

“Yup. Herbs and flowers and salts just come sprinkling down from the ceiling. You can even mix and match your own with these giant levers. Once you’re done, you can pull another lever and it all drains away. It’s really convenient.”

I gasped.

Why, to think that such an advanced bathing apparatus was available in Ouzelia! And that I had just barely managed to miss it while I was there!

“H-How appalling! Had I known such a magical contraption existed, I would have gone to greater efforts to find this mysterious workshop while I still had a dragon to abuse!”

“Ahahaha~ well, it’s not really something you find. It’s more something you come across.”

“That is terrible! How will I ever copy your bathhouse inventions if it’s hidden in such a way? Is the design something you can replicate? Perhaps … Perhaps using the library budget?”

“Nope, it’s a mystery even to me. But I’m sure you’ll get a chance to see it. If you ask nicely, the old guy might tell you how it all works, too. You just need to bribe him with his favourite coffee beans.”

“I … I shall make it happen!”

“A looooot of coffee beans. He’s in demand, so it takes a bunch to get his attention.”

I wiped the bubbles from my face to show my earnestness.

“This is a matter of national significance. I’ll begin stockpiling coffee beans at once.”

Coppelia giggled as she swirled like a mermaid. 

I didn’t join her. This was serious. As someone who intended to create the largest public bathhouse on the continent, I needed the most advanced infrastructure to facilitate it as well.

But like all things … that could also wait until tomorrow. And maybe the day after as well.

Today, I’d be doing nothing but relaxing!

Knock knock.

Especially since this was my sanctuary. 

And that meant  not even a polite set of knocking on the door could trouble me.

“I am busy,” I said towards the disturbance. “Please return later.” 

My mind clearing immediately, I smiled as I sunk the back of my head into the cradling waters.

Knock knock.

… Just not enough to drown out the sound of the gentle rapping.

Once was normal. Twice was a firing.

“Yes … ?” I called out. “What is it? I’m currently preoccupied for the next decade. If there’s an urgent problem only I can deal with, please inform a steward.”

Knock knock.

I was bewildered.

Twice was ghastly. But a third time was unprecedented.

Nobody knocked three times. Not even the harbinger of doom. And she couldn’t possibly have found her way into my own home. That was absurd.

… Right?

I pursed my lips.

All of a sudden, the temperature of the bath started to increase as my sweat added to it.

It only lowered again as the door parted and a smiling maid peeked inside.

“Oh? My apologies for the disturbance, Your Highness. I couldn’t hear very well through the door. I have fresh tea and carrot cake from the kitchens. Shall I leave it beside the bed?”

The maid blinked against a cloud of steam.

However, despite the haze obscuring her face, her smile still shone like the sunlight. 

This was curious.

Up until now, the harbinger’s smile was the only one that had ever given me any reason to pause … and yet it turned out there was one even more deserving of my attention.

Not because it was frightening. 

But rather, it was the most beautiful I had ever seen.

Radiant and dazzling, here was the smile of a fair maiden who had never known the sight of an unflattering reflection.

After all–

It was the same smile as mine.