“I know that.”
The moment I saw Rena with a question mark floating above her head, I was at a loss for words.
Ah, right. She said she remembers everything.
The gap between those who suddenly regain their memories and those, like me, who have always had them—that’s what this is. It’s me, who never found anything strange in the first place, realizing it now.
Therefore, it’s only natural that Rena can recall that I went back in time at the café to eat every type of parfait.
“……”
Um, so… yeah, honestly, it’s a pretty light thing compared to what Rena told me. Saying I like sweet food is nothing against the gifts from a father who rarely sees his daughter.
But I couldn’t just backtrack on my words. I had already lost that ability.
So, I needed to stretch my words as much as possible to sound convincing.
“I spent my childhood without parents.”
Right, even if someone knows I can turn back time, very few would know about that time in my life. Besides, I only figured out how to turn back time after I got beaten up, so my time in the orphanage was one of the very few periods I spent in this world.
In other words, it was a past I could talk about honestly without any lies.
Rena inhaled sharply at my words.
It felt a bit awkward, like I was bragging about misfortune, but I thought I’d feel too guilty if I didn’t at least share this much, so I continued my story.
I moved my legs while holding the doll and sat down on the chair in Rena’s room.
“I realized it while I was at the orphanage. It’s kind of obvious. If my existence came from the goddess, then I obviously couldn’t have any biological parents.”
As I spoke, Rena cautiously came to sit in front of me.
She looked at me seriously.
“The food at the orphanage is not something you could even call tasty in passing. But at that time, I thought it was delicious.”
That was only half true. The food itself was garbage. Cold oatmeal with no seasoning had the worst texture and taste.
But even such food can seem edible when it goes into a hungry stomach. It might be trash when I think back on it later, but forced into my mouth for survival, I could still taste the slight nuttiness from the small bits of nuts floating around in the grim broth.
And I shared most of that with the younger kids and ate only a tiny portion myself.
It wasn’t because I was some kind of saint. I just couldn’t bring myself to finish my share while seeing the kids starving in front of me. Besides, there was no need to make them suffer more when they were already destined for a miserable future.
In a way, it was self-destructive. I thought that neither the kids nor I had any hope of salvation. I may have been thinking like a vet euthanizing stray dogs. Proud, of course.
“Then after finally leaving the orphanage, I only got to eat real food after becoming a Crown Princess.”
People say British food is bad, but palace food isn’t bad at all. I mean, bread and meat combined can’t possibly taste bad. It’s not like there wasn’t food that didn’t suit my taste, but still, most of it was quite delicious. I’m pretty sure it would be classified as high-end food back in the place I used to live.
Especially in the early days after leaving the orphanage, that food tasted even better.
And among those, the ones I particularly liked were…
“I especially loved sweet desserts.”
Well, that’s it.
The parfait I had at that café was especially delicious. I probably had a face full of joy as I devoured it.
I couldn’t pinpoint why I like sweet food so much. Even in my past life, I liked sweets, but only as much as others did. I’m sure I never liked them enough to eat every type of parfait out there.
“Maybe the reason developed due to those times I couldn’t eat such foods.”
It felt like how the sweet food you eat at the end of military training is so much better.
Perhaps it was a primal instinct to enjoy while I could, not knowing when I would die. After having gone through a past like that.
“……”
After a brief silence, Rena gathered her thoughts and cautiously opened her mouth.
“Actually, I never imagined this. I… I grew up in a happy family.”
Rena’s demeanor and tone of voice had to do with her father’s presence. It wasn’t so much that he forced her to be a soldier; it was more likely that she admired her soldier father and followed his path. Honestly, dual-wielding pistols is a bit awkward in a military, after all. Maybe Rena’s father is also someone with a unique fighting style like Jennifer.
“Anyway, since everyone lives differently, you don’t need to feel sorry just because you heard my story.”
Claire was wholeheartedly accepted as a daughter despite not sharing blood, while Alice, who shared blood, was neglected by her father. Rena could indeed say her family was notably harmonious, despite her busy father.
Just because someone was unhappy doesn’t mean someone else has to feel guilty about being happy. After all, everyone’s way of living is different.
…It’s a lesson that we shouldn’t force a single definition of ‘happiness’ onto everyone.
“The Crown Princess of the Empire liking sweet food just because of poverty—surprising, right?”
“Ah, no.”
When I said this playfully, Rena was taken aback.
I decided to drive the point in deeper.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t share this story with others.”
In truth, Alice and Claire definitely knew, and Leo would have probably heard about it too.
But still, I was sincere about keeping it a secret.
Charlotte looked a bit pityingly when she saw me joyfully enjoying ‘Imperial’ parfait. To someone from Velbur, known for its cuisine, it might seem tragic to be that happy over such average parfait.
What would Charlotte react if she fully understood my past?
…Even I have some pride. No, my pride is why I’ve hidden my true nature until now.
I want to be on equal footing with my friends. Not as someone they pity or look down on.
“I understand.”
I wasn’t sure how much Rena grasped my intention, but seeing her nod seriously made me feel I wouldn’t have to worry about this story spreading from her.
“Then, we’re sharing secrets now.”
When I said that, Rena’s cheeks turned slightly red.
Honestly, I felt a twinge of jealousy again. No matter how much I practiced and turned back time, I could never match her naturalness. Rena’s actions were genuine and not an act.
“Ah… could you wait a moment?”
Suddenly, as if she thought of something, Rena stood up.
She walked to the desk, opened a drawer, and rummaged around for something.
“…Here it is.”
Coming back towards me with a small item, Rena carefully opened her hands to show me.
It was a small version of ‘Digger Dog.’
This little doll, about the size of a finger joint, was made of a ceramic-like material. A pin was firmly fixed to its head, and it had a round ring attached to that pin. This wasn’t stainless steel like in my previous world. It looked like metal, employing a somewhat primitive method of bending to open and close.
However, given the era, we had to take that into consideration. Keys were not yet widely used throughout the world, and material science was still developing.
I picked up the object silently. Then I quietly looked at Rena.
“I’ll give this to you.”
Rena averted her gaze as she spoke.
“Are you sure it’s okay? This must be something your father gave you, right?”
“That’s exactly why I’m giving it to you. I know a Crown Princess wouldn’t handle it carelessly.”
“……”
I briefly looked at the small puppy keychain on my hand, which had just been in Rena’s hand, and squeezed it slightly. Thanks to her having held it a moment ago, it felt a bit warm.
“Then I’ll gratefully accept it. Can I think of this as a token of our friendship?”
I said with a slight smile on my face, but Rena didn’t see my expression.
Her head was bowed, her ears flushing red.
…Didn’t she have peers back home? It piqued my curiosity, but I decided against asking.
Even very close friends have secrets they don’t share.
Let’s stop prying into others’ secrets around here.
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