Chapter 232

Chapter 19 I’m Hungry After Waking Up!

Morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a glow on the edge of the large bed. A small bump under the silk covers wriggled slightly, and then half of a small head wrapped in raven-black hair emerged.

“Mmm~”

After a soft, muffled moan, I opened one eye half-lidded.

The room was dimly lit. Many strands of hair blocked my vision, but through the gaps, I could vaguely see the thin gauze curtains illuminated by the sunlight, appearing somewhat pale.

Daybreak…

But I simply couldn’t wake up.

Last night, tossing and turning in bed, I didn’t know when I finally fell asleep. At this moment, I was still so drowsy that my consciousness was hazy. My upper and lower eyelids felt like a couple in love, unwilling to part from each other.

Just a little longer, before Mother comes to tickle me awake…

“Ah—Yawn!”

I yawned, stretched luxuriously, and turned over with a侥幸的心态 (lucky hope), finding a comfortable position and staying still.

Ah, it seems I’m not at Santor堡…

Gradually sinking back into dreamland.

In a daze, it seemed I had another dream.

In the dream, there was an ugly old witch with wrinkled face, laughing menacingly while pinching my cheeks and even slapping my bottom, which made me furious. My emotions exploded, and I punched her nose, but it wasn’t enough to vent my anger. Like a little tiger, I lunged forward and kicked her, but unexpectedly, she dared to resist! This made me even angrier, and I shouted “Thief Bird” and struck her, turning her into Captain Gray.

I frowned deeply, hesitating—

Sniff.

My little nose sniffed slightly as I leaned closer.

…The scent seemed different from what I remembered, but it still smelled quite nice. So, I cautiously poked my head out and took a small bite, savoring it slowly in my mouth.

It was a bit sweet.

Unable to hold back, I opened my mouth wanting to take another bite, but instead, I found myself empty-handed. Captain Gray had vanished, and I heard Victoria’s voice coming from somewhere.

“Even if you can’t wake up, you still remember to eat.”

“Pffft—” came a stifled laugh from an unknown woman, “No, this is too interesting…”

“Where did Her Holiness find the interest? She almost broke my nose.”

“It must have been a dream.”

“Idiot.”

?

I opened my eyes full of confusion.

What I saw was a huge piece of custard tart… or perhaps some other pastry. Drowsy from sleep, I didn’t quite make it out clearly, but the thing was right in front of my nose. Before my mind could react, my head instinctively moved forward, opening my mouth to bite it, only for the pastry to suddenly move away as if it had legs.

I froze, then saw Victoria sitting on the edge of the bed with her legs crossed, her expression calm but her nose slightly red. She held the custard tart in her hand, her beautiful golden eyes staring directly at me.

“Uh!”

I was startled, my still somewhat dazed brain suddenly clearing. I quickly pulled the blanket over myself, exposing only my head, and looked at her in confusion.

In the next moment, the sensations in my body surged to my consciousness.

There were half-chewed bits in my mouth… and a tingling pain in my left buttock…

“Chew chew chew… gulp.” Victoria! What did you do to me?

“Trying to wake you up,” Victoria said calmly. “Do you know what time it is?”

What time is it?

I turned my head toward the window.

I didn’t know when the curtains had been drawn open, and the window was half-open. Warm sunlight poured in, a bit blinding.

“It’s noon?” I said, frowning, then immediately widened my eyes, stretching my arm out of the blanket to point at Victoria. “You’re the Queen! You actually climbed through the window!”

“Who told you I climbed through the window?”

Trying to deceive me?!

“Then how did you—”

Before I could finish, Victoria interrupted.

“You think about where the key is.”

…Where is the key?

I furrowed my brows and blinked rapidly.

When I left earlier, I hid the key in the flower bed. I remember taking it out yesterday to open the door, then entering the house with Victoria and going up to the terrace. After that…after that, I don’t seem to have thought about the key anymore; I can’t recall.

Then Victoria pointed with her delicate hand towards a nearby desk. I looked closely—there was the key on top of it.

“It’s right on the door. You forgot to take it off yourself, silly.”

“…”

She stood up, and only then did I notice Margaret, who had been standing behind her, beaming with joy.

Oh, she’s here too!

What’s this? Playing a wake-up game?

I felt a bit annoyed.

I was sleeping so well, and they just had to force me awake…for what, really! I’m sleepy and just want to sleep.

Seeing my unfriendly gaze, Margaret retracted her smile and lowered her head apologetically.

“Miss Silvija, I apologize for barging in uninvited. There are some urgent matters we need to discuss with you.”

“Uh…”

Her words suppressed the rising anger to get up, leaving me somewhat frustrated but unable to express it at the moment. I knew that given their status, them coming to see me together must mean something very important.

So I turned to look at Victoria. After getting up from my bed, she walked straight to the vanity table, expressionless as she touched her nose and looked in the mirror.

What is she doing?

Seeming to sense my gaze, Victoria spoke calmly, “I told you yesterday that you would come to the mansion early today, but you slept in.”

“Oh!”

I let out a soft cry. Suddenly remembering, after the funeral ceremony ended, Victoria indeed told me that.

I forgot…

No wonder she came directly. Seeing me like that last night, maybe she was worried something happened when she didn’t see me today.

“I’m sorry.”

Realizing this, I apologized obediently.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Victoria asked, clearly worried.

I immediately replied, “I’m fine, I just didn’t—”

“Then get down from the bed.”

It seemed she finished looking in the mirror, stood up, and waved the bite-sized custard tart in her hand at me. Without saying a word, she headed toward the door.

My eyes were fixed on her hand, unable to look away. My stomach growled, and saliva flooded my mouth, which I swallowed. I was dazed for a moment before suddenly snapping back to reality.

I realized I wanted to eat again.

My appetite is back! I feel like I could eat an entire cow.

How happy!

“Haha.”

I couldn’t help laughing.

After Margaret left as well, I threw off the covers, got out of bed, drew the curtains, and changed out of my crumpled nightgown into a brand new floral dress. I hastily washed up and ran downstairs with a clatter.

In the living room, I saw both women sitting on the sofa.

Victoria was breathtakingly beautiful, sitting with her legs crossed in a composed manner, like a proud golden lotus that was impossible to approach. Compared to her, Margaret next to her appeared much more gentle. Today, she wasn’t wearing her nun’s habit but instead a comfortable-looking light yellow velvet knee-length skirt, with her wavy blue hair just reaching her shoulders. She had her hands resting on her lower abdomen, looking demure and obedient, yet there was an air of resilience about her that was hard to ignore.

But at this moment, these two stunning beauties, despite their contrasting styles, were far less attractive to me than the large pieces of custard tart on the plate in front of me.