We had an unexpected encounter, but things proceeded normally afterward.
And we go directly to the castle's inner courtyard where the servants had prepared everything
In the midst of all this, Celes's mother, Queen Cecilia, suggested that we take a bath first.
Although my body secretes substances like sweat and other things, dust, dirt, and other things still accumulate on the way to the capital.
I had no reason to refuse.
And that led me to the situation I'm in now.
"Lucia has a well formed body and a splendid figure; I quite envy the bodies of demons who don't age. I couldn't see a single trace of wrinkles; her skin is so smooth that even I find it fascinating."
"You still look quite young, have more confidence, you are still an unparalleled beauty."
"Fufufu, thank you very much Lucia, but this old body of mine doesn't have much shine left."
"Hahaha"
I couldn't help but laugh bitterly because she really meant it.
Queen Cecilia is currently the mother of 7 children. Yes, 7 children! Thanks to the wonders of magic and the fact that the bodies of humans in this world are stronger, it is possible to conceive large numbers of offspring without repercussions, although there will be some consequences if the age limit is exceeded.
But in the case of the queen, it's outrageous; I can't see any stretch marks or wrinkles on her stomach, or any other indication that she's been pregnant.
Besides, I can't see any signs of aging, even though the queen is over 40. Seriously, at that age any woman would look old.
"Maria-san also looks very beautiful! Her proportions are perfect! And her pale white skin gives her an air of majesty."
"If a member of the royal family says that, then it must be true."
Meria seems quite pleased by the queen's praise; me too, of course! I did my best to create Maria's beautiful body that suited my tastes!
"Float"
"Gabriela, don't play with them, you're tickling me."
Gabriela, who is in front of me, plays with my two large spheres that float in the water, submerging them and releasing them so that they rise again.
At first she wanted to go in and play on her own, but she panicked when it started to sink.
I had forgotten that I haven't taught her to swim yet.
Therefore, I now hold her close to me so that it doesn't happen again.
"The water temperature is rising. Should I reduce the fire power of the magic tool?"
"Oh dear, you don't have to ask; as long as it's not excessive, you can do it."
"Thank you, Mother!"
Celes, the only person wearing a towel, got out of the enormous bathtub and approached a panel that resembled the controls of a gas stove.
She was wearing a towel because she was the only one who felt embarrassed about being naked in front of so many people.
She's young after all, although the towel doesn't cover much, to say the least.
I was able to fully appreciate the delicate figure hidden inside a dress before
Wide hips, a flat stomach, delicate arms, a tender bottom along with fleshy thighs that make you want to bite them, and what impressed me most was the abundant cleavage that threatened to spill out of the towel
Although it wasn't as big as mine or the queen's, it still stood out beautifully like two tender, juicy melons.
"Nnnnnn!"
As for the little princess, she has been looking in our direction for quite some time now with hostile eyes while hiding her entire body underwater.
"Ellis, what are you doing? Why don't you come here and let Mama rub your back?"
"I don't want to"
"look look"
Ellis, who seemed more upset, submerged herself completely in the water and was no longer seen.
"Is Ellis angry?"
Gabriela asked, tilting her head as if she didn't understand why Ellis was angry.
"Well, that girl is already that age, after all. She's increasingly worried about the fact that her breasts haven't grown much in recent years... what a troubled child."
The queen said that while holding one side of her face with her hand and having a slightly amused look on her face.
"I really don't understand why you worry so much about it. I've always had trouble carrying them because they're so heavy. Besides, sweat always accumulates under my breasts, and I always get strange looks from men every time I attend social gatherings... You think so too, don't you, Maria-san?"
"My bust isn't as big as Lucia-sama's, but I can still feel many unpleasant stares directed at my chest whenever I walk through the streets of the border town, even though I usually wear clothes that cover my whole body. And you, Lucia-sama?"
"You know very well that the first thing they see about me are my breasts. All the way through the capital, most of the men had their eyes fixed on that spot... I really made an effort to avoid wanting to rip their eyes out right then and there."
"There's no need for you to get your hands dirty over creatures like that, Lucia-sama... First we must crush their genitals and then gouge out their eyes."
"crush!!"
"....Stubborn one, do not do anything too violent that violates the law of the kingdom, Lucia-Saint Maria-Saint"
"..."
"..."
"Look at me as soon as I speak to you, please!"
"pppoaaaaaasss!!"
Suddenly, like a shark leaping out of the water to catch a flying pelican, Ellis reappeared from beneath the water.
"That's enough! I can hear them from underwater! They keep bragging about having big breasts!"
"Well, it's not like we're really bragging."
"I too will grow up and have such a fantastic figure that I'll make them all cry!"
"I don't think you need to rush, Gabriela isn't very big either."
I hit Gabriela, who was underwater, to show some sympathy towards Ellis, but that's where I made my mistake.
""...""
Gabriela is certainly small, as is normal for a child, but there is a difference between her and Ellis.
Ellis is a completely straight cliff, while Gabriela was a valley with small hills.
Upon seeing the difference between their bodies, Ellis froze in place.
But then
Gabriela struck a triumphant pose, demonstrating her superiority by raising her little cheeks; that's when the little princess's sanity broke.
"KKYYYYYYYYAAAAAA!!!"
Her scream could be heard throughout the castle.
...
Minutes passed, and now we were in the outdoor garden, enjoying a mass of coffee with various snacks and fragrant tea.
I must say that this was one of the few times I was grateful to be a woman; I could admire a beautiful landscape without worry, feel the warmth in my hands, among other things.
It was glorious.
It was a shame it ended, but now was not the time for lamenting! I planned to delight these beautiful ladies with the flavors of my homeland!
"You'll see! I'll surpass them all!"
"Look, look."
The little princess still hadn't recovered from her previous tantrum and was now being comforted on the queen's lap while she chewed on a handkerchief in frustration.
Girl, you're only 10 years old, have patience. Gabriela is just an exception.
"Let's leave her alone until she calms down; she'll be back to normal after a few sweets," Celes commented, looking at her sister with a somewhat tired expression.
I supposed this wasn't her first tantrum about this issue.
This was my chance.
"Well, in that case, I'll show you the sweets I mentioned before… here they are."
""Woo!""
They were all impressed by the range of colorful products I had left on the table.
See and weep at the culinary delight of years of traditional progress.
I had many types of sweets with me, most of them traditional from Mexico, and others more European or from other regions.
"What is this? It has a strange shape, and it's all white."
"That's a meringue. It's not from where I come from, but they eat it a lot there. It's quite sweet and addictive."
"...! Beautiful! This is delicious! The sweetness fills my mouth!"
The queen seemed to be the first to try it. She took a piece of the meringue, cut it with a fork, and put it to her mouth, giving her honest impression… she finished it quite quickly.
"What is this small brown bar?"
This time, it was Celes' turn to ask.
"Those are sweet glories, a small sweet made of burnt milk and walnuts."
"Burnt milk?"
"It's something that comes from combining milk and caramel, among other things. Come on, try it!"
"It's good… woo! It's pretty good. Not as sweet as some desserts I've had, but the flavor is balanced by the nut and the caramel; it tastes amazing."
Since it was a small sweet treat, she put the whole thing in her mouth and held her cheeks while slowly savoring the piece.
I supposed she was one of those who liked to enjoy things slowly.
"Wait, I want one too!"
The little princess, who had been throwing a tantrum until a little while ago, got up from the queen's lap and ran to the chair next to me.
"What are these?"
She stared for a while at the small circular object as if trying to remember if she had seen it before; then she gave up and asked me about it.
"Hehe, that's marzipan. It's made of almonds, sugar, and egg. Don't hold it too tightly because it crumbles easily."
"Ah! It broke! It's turning to dust!"
"I told you."
Before she cried, I gave her another marzipan, and this time she held it more carefully.
"That's delicious! It melts in your mouth! Does it really only have three ingredients?"
"Most of the sweets from my birthplace are simple to make but very good."
"Wow, I'd love to visit that place someday. Is it near the kingdom?"
It was the queen who asked that, and not knowing how to answer, I couldn't tell her she was in another world… Let's get on with it.
"Unfortunately, that place ceased to exist in this world more than 20,000 years ago, so I highly doubt they'll ever see it again."
"I'm sorry for that."
"Don't worry, many civilizations disappear over time; very rarely do they last more than 3,000 years."
It's no lie that in this world, there have been many catastrophes that have always left civilization in a state where almost everything is lost.
All they could do now was grieve from zero at those moments.
"What are these red balls?"
After finishing her marzipan and cooling her throat with some tea, the little princess pointed to the spicy sweets that Maria and I had been eating.
"This is not something you can handle, so I advise you not to eat it."
"Now it's something dangerous."
"They're mountain chili balls. I call them sweet, but the truth is they only have a little sugar; the rest is chili, nuts, and flour. It's my own invention."
"No, mountain chilies are known to burn the mouth of anyone who eats them, okay?"
"I have no problem with it. I'm used to it. Besides, they're very good, aren't they, Maria?"
"I don't have much of a taste for spicy things like Lucia-sama, but it's a good accompaniment to the tea, so it's enjoyable."
"..."
"..."
The queen and Celes were looking at us with quite amazement. I'd never really experienced the spiciness of these things before, so I didn't know how amazing it was. And Maria had incredible stamina, so something like spiciness wouldn't affect her.
"Mom, don't you have any cake? The ones on the table are too sweet and cloying."
Gabriela, who had been eating silently on my lap, asked, leaving the half finished piece of cake on the table.
It's rude, but I couldn't deny that the sweets and cakes the servants brought had an excessive amount of sugar, which made them very enjoyable.
"Is there something wrong with cakes? I've always eaten them, but now that I compare them to Lucia-san's sweets, they're harder to eat."
"Now that you mention it, I feel the same way. Why is that?"
"This is because of the amount of sugar they usually put in desserts in this country. I've tried them before coming here; the sweetness overpowers the other flavors that make up the dessert. Besides, it's not good for your health. Now that you know the difference between very sweet and sweet, it will be difficult to taste it the same as usual."
"Is that true? I've always eaten the same way since I was a child; I didn't know it was harmful."
"Noble people enjoy a lot of leisure time, so it's easy for them to take advantage of their access to resources. They tend to overindulge in the quantities they have available. Besides, sugar is mildly addictive; you don't know you're in danger until it's too late. It's the biggest cause of obesity among some members of the nobility."
"Really?! I used to eat tons of that all the time! Ellis, am I fat?!"
"This fat sister…"
"I knew it!"
"Ellis, don't play with your sister just out of spite."
"But mother! How else could she have such big breasts?"
"So am I fat too, Ellis?"
A threatening glare was directed at Ellis mercilessly, even though the queen was smiling. Her eyes were not; even I was getting scared.
"...no."
She timidly turned her face away as it turned blue and trembled with fear.
"I see, then it's okay."
Upon hearing her answer, she returned to her normal state, causing Celes and Ellis to sigh with relief.
"If you're interested, you can try this too."
From my bag, I took out a round, circular plate and placed it on the table. I removed the lid, and a fragrant, sweet smell spread everywhere. Even the servants, who had been motionless, leaned forward to taste the delicious aroma.
"Neapolitan cheese!"
Gabriela shouted with joy while raising her hands in applause.
This was the first dessert I made for her when I borrowed the kitchen at the inn in the border town… I wanted her to see Mom's glowing figure cooking.
In the end, she fell in love with this dessert.
"What a pleasant smell, and this amber color is so bright."
"It's called Neapolitan cheese. Is it some kind of cheese dessert? It doesn't seem like it."
"I want to try it!"
"hahaha"
I laughed heartily at their reaction, and without letting them wait, I cut several pieces and presented them to each one.
""!!""
The three royals opened their eyes to the wide range of flavors they had never experienced before.
It was soft; it slowly enveloped them with its flavor. It was very different from the cakes they had tasted before; more than an aggressive impact, it was the touch of a butterfly's wings.
It felt comforting.
"This is amazing, Lucia! Could you please give me the recipe for this dessert?"
Unexpectedly, the queen had ignored her manners and asked me for the recipe with a burning flame in her eyes.
The other two were the same.
Maria and Gabriela had eaten it before, so they weren't surprised, but their cutlery kept moving.
"Gabriela, if you eat like that, you're going to get all stiff on your face."
While cleaning Gabriela's face and warning her to eat carefully, I responded to the proposal.
"Of course, no problem, take it as a gift."
I gave them a sheet where I had written down the ingredients and procedures for making Neapolitan cheese. All the ingredients exist in this world and are easy to obtain.
"Hooray! Mom, now we can eat this fantastic dessert all the time!"
"That would be quite dangerous, Celes. Remember what Lucia said: 'We'll limit ourselves to just once a week.'"
"Buuu…"
I didn't think once a week was too much, but I wasn't going to say that; I didn't want to be the one to kill her enthusiasm.
We continued talking for a while after that.
At one point, the queen asked about my husband, which made me spit out all the tea I had drunk.
I quickly explained to her that I wasn't married and the implications regarding Gabriela's birth.
I could see Celes laughing next to me.
You'll pay me later.
We talked for quite a while until it got quite late, and it was time to leave, so we ended our meeting for now.
They accompanied us to the castle gates to say goodbye.
"Lucia-san, let me give you a tour of the royal capital tomorrow. I know many good places if you don't mind me accompanying you."
"If that's okay, we'll see each other then. Goodbye."
"Bye! bye!"
"Have a nice night."
After saying our goodbyes, we got into the carriage they had prepared for us. It was lucky they had a carriage big enough for me to fit in. They also made a reservation at an exclusive inn as an apology for keeping us for so long.
There was no need, but it was true that it would be more difficult to find an inn with available rooms at this time.
sigh "They're an interesting family."
"Normally royalty wouldn't be enthusiastic about interacting with commoners; I suppose they're a special case."
"It's good that they're a close knit family, by the way, Maria."
"Tell me."
"Were you able to place the device on the prince?"
Maria nodded with a serious expression upon hearing my question.
A via modified the communicators that Gudou had provided us and the caberte in trackers capable of transmitting audio and video to the receptive part of the device.
Although I could monitor their movements, clear evidence was needed to prevent their escape because I was sure they were plotting something with that guy. This was the most reliable option.
I had instructed her halfway through the castle corridor, while those men were still far from us, to place it on the prince as soon as she had the chance.
Once the device was in place, it camouflaged itself and became undetectable.
When I arrived at the inn, I would view what had been transmitted and discuss our plans with Maria.
For now, I would enjoy sightseeing in the royal capital.
I thought that while I stroked Gabriela's head as she slept in my lap.