"What’s wrong with you, Jenny? You’ve been acting weird. Why are you slacking off? You’re usually good at cooking and everything else! But now—look at this disaster!" the head butler barked, glaring down at Lyra, who was fumbling with eggs like they were weapons about to explode.
"Uh... I... I’m working on it..." Lyra muttered, trying to flip something that was supposed to be an omelette but looked more like a battlefield.
"You don’t usually get whipped, but today..." CRACK! The whip landed across her back.
"AHHHH! What the hell was that for?!" Lyra yelped, hopping around the kitchen. CRACK! Another lash.
"Ahhh! Stop, stop, stop! It’s just eggs, not a war crime!"
"Make it right, or you’ll get more!" the butler barked.
Lyra clenched her fists, tears streaming down her face. "This is UNACCEPTABLE! I can’t take this anymore!"
Just then, the princess walked in. The butler straightened so fast his back cracked. "Y–Your Highness! You shouldn’t be here—"
"It’s fine," the princess said sweetly. "I just came to fetch something. Don’t trouble yourselves."
Lyra froze, then smirked. Wow. She’s actually well-behaved. Perfect disguise target.
She snapped her fingers dramatically. Everyone in the kitchen collapsed like dominoes. Lyra dragged their limp bodies with telekinesis and stuffed them behind a giant cooler like dirty laundry.
"Perfect!" She yanked off her butler rags, tossed them aside, and slid into the princess’s gown and tiara. Spinning once, she grinned. "Now THIS is fashion. Time for food!"
She strutted out of the kitchen. Two maids bowed low. "Your Highness, please ."
Lyra waved like royalty. "Yes, yes, lead the way, peasants!"
They guided her into the princess’s chambers. Lyra clapped her hands. "Alright, bring me the most delicious thing you’ve got—chicken, parfait, ice cream, the works!"
"Yes, Your Highness." They hurried off and returned moments later... with a tray of raw vegetables.
Lyra blinked. "What... what is this?"
"Your regular meal," a maid replied.
Lyra picked up an onion, sniffed it, then bit it like an apple. Instantly, her face contorted. "BLEH! It’s raw! This isn’t food, this is punishment!" She spat it out and pounded the bed. "I asked for tasty! Something fancy! Not... leaves!"
"The king wishes for you to lose weight, Your Highness," the maid said, bowing. Fresh chapters posted on novｅlfire.net
Lyra froze, wide-eyed. "Wait... so the real princess is on a DIET?!"
Lyra clutched the tiara, dropped to her knees, and screamed at the ceiling, "NOOOOOOOOO!"
Meanwhile, the contestants were each assigned a butler to escort them to their rooms in the mansion. When Nolan stepped into his, the butler shut the door behind him.
"Wow... this is MASSIVE!" Nolan shouted, spinning in place with wide eyes. "So THIS is what it feels like to be royalty!" His voice bounced against the high ceiling.
He darted straight for the bed and threw himself onto it, sinking into the sheets. "Ahhh... look at how soft this is! It feels like I’m sleeping on a cloud!" He rolled over, laughing, then sprang up again.
From the balcony, he gazed out over the garden. "What a view... This is insane. The flowers, the fountains, even the lights... It’s like something out of a dream."
He leaned against the railing, staring at the night sky, then shook his head with a grin. "Maybe if I win this tournament, I should buy a place ... I already have a duke’s mansion. Maybe a king’s palace next?"
Then his smile faded. "No, no, no. That’s a waste. In my old world, money was blood and sweat. Here, I’m earning it too easily. I won’t throw it away on vanity. The house I have is enough. Better to use money for business... something lasting."
Nolan returned inside, set his sword carefully against the wall, and collapsed onto the bed again. "Still... this is gorgeous..."
A knock came at the door. "Come in," Nolan said.
The door opened, and Celia and Linda hurried in together, their faces bright with excitement.
"Master, this place is beautiful!" Celia said, almost skipping to the center of the room.
"Yes, Master, it’s incredible," Linda agreed, her eyes shining.
Nolan sat up, staring at them, momentarily distracted. "Wow... You two are absolutely beautiful..."
Both of them flushed. "M-Master!"
Nolan quickly laughed it off. "I mean the room! The room is beautiful! ...Well, you too, but... anyway!" He gestured toward the massive wardrobe and side table. "Look at that wine just sitting there. And the bed... don’t even get me started."
"Yes, Master. And the horses outside—they’ve just been washed. It looks like the stable hands are drying them," Celia pointed out.
"Master, let’s go take a stroll in the garden!" Celia suggested eagerly.
Nolan smiled but shook his head. "Sorry, I’ll have to pass. My thoughts are somewhere else. I wonder how Lyra is doing right now... Probably in the kitchen, eating everything in sight."
Linda chuckled softly. "That does sound like her."
"And if Celia really did cook for us," Nolan added, folding his arms, "Lyra’s probably eating everyone’s share. She’s a foodie through and through."
"Well, it doesn’t matter," Linda said, leaning back on the bed. "Since we’ll be leaving soon, I’m sure Lyra will be glad she got to eat her fill. And us... we’re enjoying pure luxury too."
"Yes, we are," Celia agreed brightly. "This is actually going to be a fun experience."
Nolan smiled faintly. "You’re right. There’s no need to worry... but I can’t help it. She keeps crossing my mind."
Linda tilted her head. "Master, why do you want to go back to Sindra so badly?"
"Oh..." Nolan scratched the back of his neck. "I never really told you, did I? It’s not something big. But... there’s still money back there. Quite a lot, actually. Some of it’s still at the guild, with the guildmaster. We had an agreement, and he hasn’t paid me yet. And then... what if someone breaks into my house and steals what I’ve left behind?"
Celia gasped dramatically. "Wow, Master. So it’s really true... you do have a thing for money. You actually love money!"