บท 12: HAVING A PICNIC

The soft rays of the morning sun shone lightly on the figures lying on the bed as one of the figures stirred. She groaned while turning the other way, backing the sunlight streaming in from the window.

"Did I forget to pull the curtains close again?" She muttered, not quite fully awake. The little girl yawned loudly and turned to lie on her back again, stretched her body, and then relaxed her body.

She spoke even before she opened her eyes, "Ah, it's a new day. Glad to be back. Now, it's time to get me some sandwiches." She opened her eyes and then blinked rapidly, staring at the unfamiliar yet familiar ceiling.

She rubbed her eyes and blinked again, only to see the same ceiling. She closed her eyes again and this time, she refused to open them.

"Nope, no way am I getting off this bed until I see my ceiling." She murmured.

She paused when she felt someone stir beside her. Turning around, she found Alaric yawning. [What a cute child.] She pinched his cheek softly. It seemed like this really was her reality.

"Good morning Al."

"Good morning Tia." Just as Alaric said that, the door opened and Adeline and Cassandra walked in, some maids following behind carrying pails of water and walking to the bathroom.

"Good morning Princess, Prince." They all greeted.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Aristia hopped off the bed. Waving at Alaric, Aristia made her way to the bathroom and was about to walk in when she heard Alaric say defiantly,

"No! I'll take a bath with Tia. I won't take a bath if I don't bath with Tia."

Cassandra had wanted to carry him to his room to have his bath, but was startled to hear him make such an absurd request. She turned to Aristia with widened eyes and a conflicted look on her face.

Aristia turned around to stare at Alaric whose eyes had turned red and whose mouth was trembling as if he was about to cry, speechless at his resolve and reminding herself that he was just a three year old child.

She clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, steeled her resolve, and forced out a sentence. "Let him be. He can take a bath with me."

Alaric, who looked like he was about to cry, smiled widely.

[Damn it! Who taught you such tricks?] Aristia thought in disbelief.

"Princess!" Adeline called out in horror, but Aristia had already started heading into the bathroom, while chanting like a mantra, in a low, almost inaudible voice, "He's just a child, I'm in the body of a child, he's my younger brother."

Yep. She had accepted the fact that she was staying in whatever world she was in until who-knows-how-long and so Alaric was her younger brother and his parents, her substitute parents.

***

News had already spread around the mansion that the princess and prince had taken a bath together.

Aristia shook her head when she heard this. [They're making a big deal out of nothing. I'm supposed to be a kid.] She rolled her eyes, ignoring how she had reacted when Alaric made the statement.

Her reaction was understandable since she was an adult mentally, but from the perspective of the maids, she was a little girl so it shouldn't have been shocking to see two little children, specifically siblings, bathing together.

"Is everything alright Princess?" Adeline asked when she noticed Aristia staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror. She was done with helping her brush her hair but Aristia hadn't made any movement.

"Oh. Nothing," Aristia replied. "What about my classes?" It was some few minutes past seven o'clock and no one had come to prepare her, either for breakfast or her classes.

"The Master and Madam wanted you to rest properly since you seemed tired." It was true, she was indeed tired. "Your classes have been canceled." Adeline informed as Aristia climbed down the chair.

She called Alaric who was sitting on the bed to come with her. He had insisted that he dress up with Aristia as well and she agreed, after all, they had already taken a bath together.

When they got to the dining room, they greeted their parents as usual and sat on their seats. They ate in silence until Alaric spoke up.

"Mama, Papa, I went with Tia to a Kingdom filled with wisdom and knowledge."

Aristia was a little startled when her name was mentioned out of the blue. She stopped eating and turned to Alaric to listen to what he had to say when what he said earlier sank in.

Wilson looked amused as he asked Alaric, "Is that so? Where is this kingdom filled with wisdom and knowledge?"

Alaric replied his father, "It is the Kingdom of books— the library. Tia said so." He said and Aristia nodded. After all, she did say so.

"I did." She replied curtly.

"And she also taught me to read." Alaric continued excitedly and Aristia affirmed with a nod.

She wanted to laugh at how cute he sounded until she heard him say, "I took a bath with Tia."

"...!"

Her smile faded and she wished the ground would open up and swallow her. Her cheeks dyed red with embarrassment and she prayed none of them would notice.

But it was clear that wouldn't be the case when Catherine spoke in a teasing manner. "Tia, why are your cheeks red?" She giggled, making Wilson notice it too and he laughed out loud. The only exception was Alaric who didn't understand what they were laughing at.

Aristia stared at her mother in disbelief, then grumbled and went back to eating her food. She suddenly recalled that she needed to use the kitchen.

She looked at Catherine, "Mama? Will you use the kitchen again?" She asked. "To cook." She added when Catherine looked like she didn't understand.

"Maybe during lunchtime." Catherine smiled. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I would like to use the kitchen too, there's something I want to make." Aristia said, surprising both Wilson and Catherine. They didn't expect her to make such a request.

Nevertheless, they both nodded with the thought that she was probably just curious and wanted to try what her mother did.

"You have to allow the maids to do it. You're still little and might get hurt." Catherine said.

After all, it would be Aristia's first time in the kitchen.

Aristia nodded so that they wouldn't change their minds. After a while, she spoke up. "I'd also like to ask that none of you have anything for lunch during lunchtime. Could you ask the servants to not make us anything for lunch, Mama?"

Catherine agreed with a nod.

Wilson asked, "Why do you need that?"

"Oh." Aristia smiled. "We're gonna have a family picnic." She declared and sighed softly when she saw the confusion written all over the faces of Catherine and Wilson.

"A family... picnic?" Catherine asked in confusion.

[How could I forget that these guys don't know what a picnic is? They probably have a different name for it, if they do.]

"To have a picnic means to eat a meal outside." She explained simply.

"Oh, like eating outside in the garden?" Catherine asked.

Aristia shook her head. She knew that Catherine was referring to the meals they would have in the tables set in the garden.

"No. You'll see what I mean when the time comes. Everyone is going to contribute something to the cooking. That includes mama, papa, Al and I." Aristia replied, looking at each one of them in the eye as she mentioned their names, ignoring the look of shock on their faces and continuing with her breakfast.

Catherine, and even Wilson, couldn't hide the shock they felt on hearing her request. It was the work of a maid to work in the kitchen. Noblewomen didn't even use the kitchen, so it was even more absurd for a man to do so.

"Aristia," Catherine scolded when she finally recovered from the shock caused by Aristia's words. "Do not speak to your father like that."

Aristia was startled, "Huh? Speak to my father like... Wait. Isn't it just cooking? What's wrong with cooking?" Aristia asked, sounding innocently confused.

[Take it easy, will ya? Even my dad used the kitchen. No need to make a big deal out of it.] She held back from rolling her eyes.

Catherine opened her mouth to speak, but Wilson beat her to it. "Alright. If that is what you want."

Catherine stared at him in surprise and Wilson smiled at her reassuringly.

What Catherine didn't know was that even though Wilson only supported her decision to learn to cook, he would also have agreed to join her if she asked, just to spend time with her. He loved her that much and was willing to do anything to make his family happy.

[I wonder if they'll agree with my business venture. Oh well, even if they don't.]