Chapter 52: Princess Mia... Feels Her Heart Flutter!

Two days before the swordsmanship tournament, Mia paid Abel a visit to explain her plans to him. She caught him just as he was about to head to the lakeshore for some sword practice, so they decided to head there together.

"I see. Homemade lunchboxes, huh..." he said as they walked.

Lunchboxes like these would normally be ordered from a specialty store. Mia, however, was offering to personally make them with her friends, none of whom had any experience. This should have been a pretty scary proposition. However...

I think my cooking might actually be pretty good.

...Mia was harboring the kinds of delusions that would cause Keithwood to pop a blood vessel. Nevertheless, she at least had enough sense to know that her cooking stood no chance against the work of professionals in a store. Therefore, figuring some preemptive damage control would do her well if things went awry, she came to lower Abel's expectations.

"I'm terribly sorry, Prince Abel. I know that, normally, I should be ordering it from a store of the highest quality..."

In other words, don't get too upset if it doesn't taste so great.

"It's fine. I don't mind. I'm actually sort of glad, to be honest."

"Glad? Why?"

"It reminds me of the lunches that Mother would make for me from time to time."

The social standing of women — whether noble-born or common — in the Kingdom of Remno was rather low. This did, however, mean that they had more in common with regular people, often doing the same menial tasks performed by servants in other countries. Unlike in other kingdoms, it wasn't rare for noble women in Remno to cook for their husband and children.

"While they might not have been as flavorful as the meals prepared by the head chef, my mother and sisters put their hearts into making them, and that alone made them special."

Then, he turned to Mia and, with a gentle smile, told her that he was looking forward to her lunch. This caught her off guard, and she realized that the bar for the quality of her lunchbox had just been raised.

Uh oh, I never knew Prince Abel had been eating homemade lunches all the time! Now I can't tell him that mine might not taste good because it's homemade... Hm, this calls for a change of plans. Maybe I should make something more complicated...

Before Mia had time to fully work out what was definitely a very bad idea, the shoreline came into view.

"Wow..."

The lake stretched out before her eyes against a background of unbroken blue. Sunlight, like golden glitters, danced across its unblemished surface while gentle waves brushed rhythmically against the beautiful white sand. There was almost no one else there. It was pristine, quiet, and utterly breathtaking.

"I had no idea such a wonderful place existed..."

Even in the previous timeline, she'd never been here before.

"I'm glad you like it. It's a good place," said Abel. Then, in one smooth motion, he stepped down onto the beach, swung around, and offered her his hand. "Here. Watch your step."

The gesture was courteous and elegant, and the way he did it felt so natural. In that moment, he seemed like the perfect gentleman, and Mia felt the slightest flutter in her heart.

R-Relax. This is nothing special. It's what's expected of boys.

She took his hand. There was a rugged firmness to his palm that surprised her. Again, her heart fluttered.

Ahh, to think that I'd have the chance to walk along such a beautiful lakeshore with a gentleman at my side...

Back when she was in the dungeon, she never imagined such a thing would ever be possible. And now, it was more than possible; it was happening. She was living it. A profound sense of bliss welled up inside her. Slowly, she drew a deep breath and looked around, trying to take in all the sights, sounds, and smells of this idyllic moment.

"There is one thing though, that I find to be a shame..." said Abel in a soft voice.

Mia turned to him with a quizzical look.

"Hm? What might that be?"

"The fact that I can't be the only one getting a lunchbox from you..." he said with a playful grin.

His sudden confession sent her heart wildly aflutter.

Wh-Wh-What is the matter with him?! You can't just say that! You...You just can't!

In the suffocating darkness of those moonless nights when the loneliness in the dungeon was almost palpable, she'd forced her mind away from the coldness of the floor and the hunger in her stomach, imagining time and again that she was somewhere else. She'd dream up scenes of herself enjoying a stroll along the shoreline with the man of her dreams... and indulge in fleeting visions of their sweet nothings...

And now she was smack dab in the middle of one! She was not ready for this.

I-I need to calm down! Okay, deep breath. Deep... Breath... Deep. Breath. Deep breath deep breath deep breath...

Her flustered mind failed to follow even its own instructions, and her breaths turned into panicked gasps for air. Abel stopped and looked at her reddened face with concern, which only made it redder.

"Hm? Are you okay? You seem a little tired."

"What? Oh. I, uh, maybe. Maybe I am."

Abel took her to a part of the beach where some trees provided shade. Then he promptly took off his coat and laid it down on the sand.

"Here, sit down and rest for a while. You can watch, but it's going to be pretty boring. Once you feel better, feel free to head back."

After helping Mia to the ground, he began to methodically practice his sword swings.

"My, how diligent of you. You're really taking this very seriously, aren't you?"

She recalled the firmness of his palm. It was a testament to the amount of time he spent practicing with the sword.

"Haha, more desperate than serious, I'd say. I think I've spent more time with swords in the past month than I have in my entire life. After all, now there's someone I want to fight... and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to win." He paused, as if remembering something. Then he said, "Which reminds me, about the lunchbox... you know how I said it was a shame? In a way, I'm glad about it too."

"...Huh?"

"This way, it's fair and square. Otherwise, when I beat Prince Sion, people might say it's only because he didn't get to eat your homemade lunch."

With that, he returned to his practice, but not before showing her a bright smile full of confidence and resolve. It left Mia dazzled, and a long time passed before the burning sensation in her lungs reminded her to take a breath.