The Crown Prince Thinks I'm a Guy

The First Step towards the Future

I wasn't too sure about what I had been expecting. But, their mild looks and gentle smiles definitely weren't on my list of expected reactions. I had just gone in the dining hall in my weird outfit, and all they said was...

"Well, what are you waiting for? Sit down and eat, child."

"That dress does suit you well, Princess Elly! I do have quite the taste, don't I, Janmira?"

"... I don't know about that, Lady Regina."

I edged a bit closer and got up on the tall chair, looking around the table quite anxiously. "Don't I... look weird?"

"Why ever would you look weird with the genes of that father of yours?" Regina asked.

I shook my head. "No, I mean... With my hair like this?"

Regina looked up at my short, dark curls. She frowned, "What about them?"

"I mean they're so short!" I shouted in exasperation. "I look weird wearing a dress with hair as short as this."

"... But there's nothing wrong with short hair?" Regina said to my disbelief. "I prefer mine even shorter in the summer heat whenever I visit the Desert Lands."

I got even more frustrated at her nonchalance. Then, before I could shout out any more, my mentor had called out to me gently, "Child, there are many customs around the world. Although Saule Kingdom wills their women to have long hair, other countries do not hold so much importance in the length of a person's hair."

"You mean to say," I started. "... that I don't look all that weird the way I am?"

"Definitely not," he said. "You look perfectly normal."

To my expectance, there was a shout of disagreement. However, it wasn't what I had expected at all. "She absolutely doesn't look normal, you old scrooge! She looks delightfully wonderful! Isn't that right, Janmira?"

"Un." The ghost unexpectedly nodded. "... You look beautiful, Elle."

Caught by surprise, I had to struggle for a coherent answer. "Um.. Ah! Tha-Thank you, Janmira."

Receiving a compliment from Janmira while she had that girl's face was quite a new experience, and although I fretted about it too much, I also felt a certain warmth.

"Now, let's all begin breaking our fast before it all gets cold." Regina clapped once and the table once again glowed before revealing an array of morning food. Bacon. Eggs. Assorted meat and bread. Cups of fresh juice. The delicious smell wafted into my nostrils, making my stomach grumble impatiently. I picked up some honeyed ham with a silver fork and bit into it. My mouth was filled with the sweet, juicy flavor, and I sighed in delight. I gorged myself up, now finding such well-made food to be a delicacy especially after those three months of rough travels. Even the food prepared on the Wyvern Clan couldn't compare to Regina's meals.

"Delishoush!" I spoke with food still in my mouth.

"Chew slowly, little one," Regina chided me with a smile. "There's plenty to go around."

After our lovely meal, we got ourselves ready to leave the flower house. Janmira cloaked herself as per usual, but I was surprised when even I was given a dark hooded cloak for myself.

"We'll need to be covered where we're going," Regina explained, fastening the cloak's buttons on my chest. Then, she brandished a shiny little thing. "And here, something for your hair."

She clipped on a blue-gem ornament at the side of my head, keeping the few stray strands of hair out of my face.

"There. Now, don't you look like the perfect, little girl?" I faced the mirror by the doorway, finding myself looking not so abnormal after all. My short hair still somewhat stood out in my eyes, but the shiny, elaborate pin on it did make me look like a baby girl, with hair still short from infancy. I giggled at the thought. It seems like I have been growing younger and younger ever since I had been brought back into time.