ODEN 17

Chapter 17

“Your Highness! It’s me!”

Meburn came rushing in, carrying a box in his arms. He sprinted all the way to where we were and set the box down on the table.

“Huff…!”

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he grinned brightly.

“It’s finally here!”
“What is it?”

Meburn opened the lid of the box. Rubellin and I leaned forward to peek inside.

On top of two outfits lay a copy of the Snow White fairy tale.

“A Snow White storybook?”

With a smug look, Meburn wagged his index finger side to side like a metronome.

“Tsk, tsk. This is why one must broaden their horizons.”

Seriously, this guy—

Just as irritation surged in me, he pulled out the two costumes beneath the book.

“Now, behold! The ambitious masterpiece from Dreamland Boutique, famous for making even crying children stop instantly!”

One was a Snow White costume with puffed blue sleeves and a yellow balloon skirt. The other was a green dwarf costume with three large round buttons.

Meburn slyly approached me and whispered,

“The dwarf role should go to Instructor Lucina. I’ll graciously step aside.”

No thanks.

With a charitable expression, Meburn winked.

“This is my apology for being cold to you when you had a fever.”

I said no thanks.

“And also!”

Ignoring my opinion entirely, Meburn excitedly rummaged through the box.

Soon he held up a giant red ribbon headband and a droopy dwarf hat.

“Behold! Snow White’s ribbon and the dwarf hat!”

An icy wind seemed to sweep between us.

I cautiously glanced at Rubellin.

She stared at the costumes with lifeless eyes.

“Don’t need it. Take it away. Meburn can wear it too.”

At her cold response, Meburn drooped his head as though he might cry.

“T-To think Your Highness is still angry…”

Apparently, after scolding me while I was sick, Meburn had earned Rubellin’s disapproval.

For the past three days, he had desperately tried to win back her attention.

Feeling pity for his lonely struggle, I held the Snow White outfit up against Rubellin.

“Rubellin, this would look so cute on you. Want to try it on?”

Meburn’s ears perked up instantly. He subtly lifted his head to gauge her reaction, clearly hopeful.

“Umm…”

Rubellin still looked reluctant.

I was about to put the outfit down when she suddenly picked up the dwarf costume from the table.

“Then I’ll wear this, so Mama can be the princess!”
“What?”

As if delivering the finishing blow, Rubellin poked a finger at me.

“Mama is the princess!”

Then she pointed at herself.

“I’m the dwarf!”
“……”

At my age, she wanted me to cosplay as Snow White?

Hesitantly, I held the outfit against myself.

“…Rubellin, what should I do? The clothes are too small for me.”

It was the perfect excuse—the costume was genuinely only the size of my forearm.

“Let me see that!”

Meburn quickly snatched the dress away.

He pressed something hidden behind the collar.

Click.

The outfit suddenly expanded.

In an instant, it became adult-sized.

“What the…”

I stared wide-eyed at the bizarre sight.

Ignoring my shock, Meburn handed the costume back to me.

“It comes in two sizes! Now, put it on!”

His gleaming eyes revealed his fierce determination not to miss this chance to regain Rubellin’s favor.

And naturally, he also shoved the giant red ribbon headband into my hands.

I accepted the costume and headband with a stiff expression.

At my age, I had to wear a Snow White costume and a ridiculously huge ribbon?

Compared to the clothing of this world, it didn’t look too strange, but an adult wearing a fairy-tale princess outfit still required immense courage—and embarrassment.

“What are you waiting for?! Don’t keep Her Highness waiting!”

At Meburn’s urging, I pressed myself against the wall and desperately looked to Linnel and Ken for help.

The moment our eyes met, both immediately looked away.

“Mama! Hurry up!”

Rubellin was already at the door, waving impatiently.

“Yeah… I’m coming…”

In the end, I shuffled after her like a cow being dragged to slaughter.

Rubellin changed with Linnel’s assistance, while another maid helped me into my costume.

Having finished first, I headed alone to the classroom.

“I really don’t want to go in.”

After forcing myself forward several times, I finally arrived and hesitated for a long while before opening the door.

As a result, I came face-to-face with Ken, who was standing stiffly against the opposite wall.

A chilly silence filled the classroom.

Then—

“Pfft.”

Ken covered his mouth and trembled as he tried to suppress his laughter.

Wearing the enormous red ribbon on my head, I puffed out my cheeks.

“Ken, why don’t you just laugh properly?”

He desperately tried to compose himself and immediately straightened his expression.

“To laugh at Lady Lucina’s efforts would be unthinkable. I would never—pfft.”

His self-control didn’t last long.

At the sound of Ken laughing, Meburn—who had been pacing anxiously behind the sofa—noticed me and approached.

“Oh ho!”

Clap clap clap.

Meburn applauded repeatedly in admiration.

“It suits you wonderfully! Truly exemplary dedication as an instructor!”

If that was praise, why were your lips twitching too?!

Having given up, I trudged to the table in the center and collapsed onto the sofa.

Fine. Laugh all you want.

If Rubellin liked it, I could wear this as much as needed.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Linnel entered, wearing a protective robe enchanted with enhanced strength.

Usually expressionless to the point of seeming cold, she now wore a faint smile.

“Her Highness enters.”

As Linnel stepped aside, Rubellin walked in wearing the dwarf outfit and droopy hat.

“So cute…”

Every step she took practically made squeaky little chick noises in my imagination.

If Rubellin ever said, “Fold down a finger if you think I’m cute,” I felt even Calix would bend all the way at the waist.

Everyone seemed to share the same thought, smiling fondly as they watched her.

“You are magnificent, Your Highness!”

Meburn even applauded emotionally.

“Mama!”

Rubellin scanned the room, spotted me, and immediately hurled herself into my arms.

She looked up at me with sparkling crimson eyes.

“Mama, you’re so pretty! The prettiest in the whole world!”

And then she smiled brightly.

Holding the adorable Rubellin in my arms, I squeezed her tightly.

Ughhh—so cute!

“M-Mama… c-can’t breathe…”

Only when she let out a pained groan did I realize I was wringing her like laundry.

I quickly released her and lowered myself to her eye level.

“Sorry. Couldn’t breathe?”
“Mhm…”

Though her cheeks were flushed and she breathed heavily, she still shook her head.

Overwhelmed by how adorable she was, I hugged her once more before turning to Meburn.

“Meburn, then we’ll continue the lesson like this.”
“Yes, of course.”

Even while replying, Meburn kept glancing at Rubellin expectantly.

She steadfastly ignored him.

“…Then I’ll take my leave.”

His shoulders slumped instantly as he shuffled sadly toward the door.

Before he exited, I whispered to Rubellin,

“Rubellin, at least thank Meburn.”

“Mm…”

She clearly didn’t want to.

“Come on. Hurry.”

At my urging, she finally turned toward him.

She stared silently at his gloomy back before speaking.

“Meburn.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”

At the sound of her voice, Meburn spun around, eyes sparkling.

“Do you have another request? Shall I fetch the next new release too? Just say the word—”
“Thanks for the costumes.”
“…What?”

Meburn looked completely stunned.

“W-What did you just say—”
“Let’s go, Mama.”

Rubellin abruptly turned away and headed for the table.

Only then did Meburn regain his senses, his eyes brimming with tears.

“Y-Your Highness! This Meburn can die without regrets! To think I would receive words of gratitude from Your Highness…!”
“Mama, shouldn’t have said anything. He’s loud.”

Rubellin sighed deeply and shook her head.

I noticed the tips of her ears turning red beneath her hair and smiled.

Acting embarrassed for no reason.

Seeing her slowly open her heart to others made me feel proud, as though I was finally seeing the fruits of my teaching.

“Mama, hurry up!”

Rubellin waved me over from the table.

“Alright, alright.”

I walked over and picked up the Snow White storybook.

“This isn’t what we planned, but shall we read Snow White before The Little Mermaid today?”

Rubellin nodded.

The moment I casually opened the book, however, an intense white light flooded my vision.

“Ugh…!”

I shielded my eyes with my arm and dropped the book.

“Your Highness! Lady Lucina!”

After Ken’s urgent shout, the brilliance gradually faded away.

I slowly opened my eyes.

Only after blinking several times did my vision refocus.

Then I froze.

“What is this…?”

Letters were rising one by one out of the fallen storybook, undulating like waves.

The characters drifted through the air and slowly formed a single word.

“Activate…?”

The instant I read it aloud, the letters dissolved into sparkling dust.

“Your Highness! Lady Lucina!”

Linnel’s voice snapped me back to reality.

Ah, Rubellin!

The moment I thought of her, my heart pounded so violently it felt ready to burst from my chest.

I frantically looked around the table.

Ken was holding Rubellin inside a protective barrier.

Thank goodness.

I pressed a hand against my chest.

“Ken! Is Rubellin alright?”
“Yes, she’s unharmed.”

Ken helped Rubellin sit upright and dismissed the barrier.

Her hair was terribly disheveled, and she stared blankly into empty space.

I rushed over, knelt, and met her eyes.

“Rubellin, are you okay?”
“…….”
“Rubellin?”

…!

Suddenly, Rubellin shot to her feet and stared up at me.

Her pupils narrowed like a cat’s before returning to normal.

Then she spoke.

“Princess…?”
“…What?”

I wasn’t the only one shocked.

Everyone watching stood there with jaws dropped.

Ignoring us completely, Rubellin clasped her hands together and bowed deeply at the waist.

“Princess! Good morning! Did you cough well?”
“I-I did cough… because I had a cold two days ago…”

Her loud, energetic voice completely threw me off.

Unable to process the situation, I blinked blankly.

“Rubellin.”
“Yes!”
“Are we playing house?”
“What do you mean, Princess?”

Rubellin tilted her head in confusion.

Her glossy red eyes were perfectly clear.

In other words—

she was completely serious.

Panicking, I turned to Meburn.

“M-Meburn! What happened?!”
“I-I don’t know either!”

He looked even more horrified than I did.

Could this be some kind of prank?

I quickly turned toward Ken and Linnel.

Both had gone pale and could only shake their heads.

Click.

At that moment, the door opened.

The familiar sound sent chills down my spine and made every hair on my body stand on end.

Because I already knew who was about to walk in.