Royals. (Prince! Komaeda Nagito x Fem! Reader x Prince! Hajime Hinata)

8. The Kitchen.

The next morning, I immediately noticed it.

Something was off. As I sat down for breakfast, my place still far away from the head of the table, I noticed our dining group was smaller than usual.

Sure enough, the table had been set for 32, including both the princes and us girls. But 3 seats remained empty, sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the other chairs.

I immediately knew that prince Komaeda had eliminated the three girls from the day before from the spouse search. But still, as I ate, I had a weird feeling in my stomach. Based on our conversation yesterday, I wouldn't have put it past him to have done something worse. I felt guilt well up in my stomach, so I decided that I would try to talk to him once the meal ended.

After being excused from the table, I made my way out of the dining room to find prince Komaeda. Unfortunately, he was surrounded by a few of the other girls, who were engrossed in a cheerful conversation with him. Well, so much for that, I thought, walking past them without a word.

I still couldn't help but feel guilty, knowing that their elimination was directly my fault. And although Prince Komaeda told me he would take care of it, what if one of them chose to seek retaliation and revenge? My mind immediately went to my mother, and our bakery, and my heart sank in my chest at the thought of them being harmed.

Since we were free to do what we wanted today, and no one else seemed to be around, I took the liberty of wandering around the castle. Surprisingly, no one gave me a second look as I strolled, admiring the glossy marble flooring beneath my feet.

Eventually, I found myself in front of two massive double doors. I stood in front of them for a moment, feeling compelled to open them. But before I could, one of them swung open, revealing a familiar face I had come to know all too well.

"Oh, hello, Lady (y/n)," Prince Hajime exclaimed, a small blush forming on his cheeks as he spoke. "I-I didn't see you there... what are you doing at the kitchen?"

"Kitchen?" I echoed, eyes widening in confusion. "My apolgies, your majesty. I was simply exploring the castle. Please forgive my carelessness..."

The prince shook his head, a kind smile forming on his face. "Now, now, lady (y/n). There's no need to apologize! I was simply making arrangements with the head chef for an upcoming event, hence why I was here. But now, since you're here, I just had an idea."

"What is it, your majesty?" I asked curiously.

"Well, lady (y/n), you are a baker, correct?" He questioned, to which I nodded in response. "Well, I was wondering... would you want to bake something? I would love to watch you bake."

My eyes widened at his request, feeling my heart practically leap out of my chest. Since my time at the castle, I had yearned for the ability to bake again, and go back to doing what I loved. So, I practically jumped at the prince's offer. "Yes, please! I would be delighted to!"

After a few moments, and a short conversation between prince Hajime and the head chef, the kitchen staff had cleared out of the area, leaving the entire place to ourselves. I let out a gasp as I admired the expansive palace kitchen, basking in the sight of it.

"Do you like it?" The brunette asked me, his lips quirked up in a small smile.

"It's so beautiful..." I replied, thought I shook my head and regained my composure after a moment. "Alright, it's time for me to get started, then. Where are the ingredients?"

The prince led me to an even larger pantry in the corner of the room, with shelves of ingredients as far as the eye could see. I tried not to get too hung up on the fact that there was enough to supply the bakery hundreds of times over, and I instead opted to begin gathering ingredients.