Chapter 54: The Arrogant Princess (3)

Upon reaching the main palace gates, Lucoco happened to run into the guards during their shift change.

Amidst a flurry of laughter and chatter, the guards finishing their duty shared the treats Lucoco had brought.

Since the path from the guard’s canteen to Lucoco’s residence overlapped, she overheard several things that had recently occurred within the palace.

For instance, a certain guard had been executed for negligence after falling asleep while on duty.

Or how a subordinate of a particular noble turned out to be a spy for the Chaos Faction.

There was also gossip about the kingdom’s young princess, Amy, being granted permission to leave the palace under the protection of secret guards to observe the lives of the common people.

Lucoco found this last bit of gossip quite interesting. Since entering the palace, she had met many noble daughters and sons—she had even been fortunate enough to use her **[Personality Correction Punch]** once. She saw the prince every day and was already bored of him, but she had never once laid eyes on the princess.

After bidding the guards farewell, Lucoco made a special trip to the library.

There, she found a weary Adrian, looking miserable as he waited for his evening lessons.

She left him half of her nightly snacks before heading toward her own quarters.

**[System Notification: Adrian’s Favorability has increased by ♥x10. Current Favorability: 50%. Excess Favorability has been converted into Trust.]**

**[When Trust reaches 50%, the next phase of the mission will be unlocked.]**

A few days ago, around the second time Lucoco had visited the alchemy shop, Adrian’s Favorability had stalled at 50% and hadn’t budged since.

Therefore, Lucoco decided to continue playing the role of the “confiding older sister” to raise his Trust first.

***

Finally, Lucoco returned to her floor.

The rays of the setting sun filtered through the windows, splashing across the walls.

At one end of the long corridor, Lucoco stood frozen, clutching her bag of leftovers.

In the middle of the hallway, Princess Amy was lying on the ground like an old lady trying to stage a fake accident, staring blankly at the wall.

At the far end of the corridor, several sneaky figures were peeking around the corner, watching intently.

Lucoco narrowed her eyes, thinking hard.

‘Why is such a delicate little girl lying in front of my door like she’s posing for a photo? This is very suspicious!’

‘Did I just walk into some kind of otherworldly scam?’

‘Or is this one of Adrian’s little fan-girls who’s upset that I “occupy” the prince every day and wants to frame me?’

‘It couldn’t possibly be one of those “Oh, look everyone, I found a kitten and she wants to follow me home!” tropes, could it?’

‘No way! Absolutely impossible!’

Thus, Lucoco immediately prepared her secret technique: ‘Time to bolt!’

However, the moment she turned around—

**[System Notification: “Friend of the Self-Proclaimed Light Messenger” quest progress updated.]**

✧

The Light Messenger is currently collapsed at your doorstep.

Please choose an option:

1: Playful Tease: “Oh my~ Whose little kitten is this? Do you want to come home with Big Sister?” (Favorability ♥x5)

2: Gentle Concern: “Little sister, are you all right? Do you need help?” (Favorability ♥x3)

3: Cold Observation: “Miss, is this some kind of new performance art? I don’t see an artist anywhere.” (Favorability ♥x-2)

✧

Lucoco, who had already turned halfway around, froze in place.

She craned her head back toward the quest target.

She suddenly noticed a display hovering over the little girl’s head: **[Target: Amy (Little Princess of the Kingdom), Current Favorability: 20%]**.

At that moment, Amy also sluggishly turned her head.

When she saw Lucoco, her eyes immediately lit up.

As the sunlight hit her face, a faint mist of tears could be seen in the corners of her eyes.

At the end of the corridor, the peeking figures hurriedly nodded at Lucoco.

One maid even used magic to write two words in the air: “She’s hungry!”

Lucoco understood the situation.

At the very least, she could determine that this wasn’t a plot to mess with her.

She quickly switched from her guarded state to her usual “sweet and pure” persona.

Clutching her bag, Lucoco walked over with a beaming smile.

Amy smiled too, staring blankly as Lucoco approached step by step, looking like a kitten that had finally waited for its owner to come home.

“Oh my~ Is this—”

Lucoco was just about to deliver the dialogue for Option One.

“Waaaah!”

Amy, who had looked wilted just a second ago, suddenly “exploded.”

Like a kitten with its fur standing on end, she lunged forward with her arms swinging.

Startled, Lucoco instinctively stepped back and hit the wall behind her.

She slid down against the wall until she was sitting with one leg propped up.

Before she could react, her vision went dark.

Amy, who was a head shorter than Lucoco, aggressively extended her small hand and slammed it against the wall, “wall-pinning” Lucoco!

Her little face was puffed up like a bun, her eyes were red, and she glared at Lucoco.

“Woman! You have caught this princess’s attention!”

She spoke with a fierce, milky voice that carried a hint of a sob.

Her purple eyes were watery, and her “wall-pinning” posture was wobbly and crooked. She was so serious that it was…

Actually quite cute.

The maids at the other end of the hallway let out squeals of excitement upon seeing this.

“Whoo-hoo!”

“My god, the Princess actually did it!”

“The Memory Stone! Where’s the Memory Stone?!”

“Move over! Let me take the shot!”

***

Lucoco was equally stunned.

She never expected that the day would come when she would be the one getting wall-pinned.

Looking at Amy’s serious little face, a smile reached her eyes.

Her lips curled upward, and her voice became syrupy sweet.

“Princess Sister~ Hello there~”

Although a half-demon’s age was practically irrelevant, Lucoco felt there was no problem with calling this little princess “Sister.”

“…Huh?”

Amy short-circuited.

Her little brain couldn’t process the situation.

This was the first time!

The first time someone had called her “Sister,” and with such genuine feeling.

An indescribable emotion surged through her young heart, and her cheeks began to flush deep red.

Her mind went blank for a long time before she finally squeezed out a few words.

She jerked her head away.

“Hmph! Who are you calling your sister!”

Despite her words, her eyes betrayed her, drifting back toward Lucoco again and again.

A flash of regret for her bluntness flickered across her small face.

**[System Notification: Princess Amy’s Favorability has increased by ♥x15.]**

**[System Notification: Princess Amy is feeling regretful. Please give her a way to save face.]**

Lucoco’s smile grew even brighter.

She simply sat cross-legged on the carpet in a “duck sit” position.

She opened her cloth bag, took out a package wrapped in oil paper, and held it out with both hands.

“Sister, do you want some? It’s delicious~”

“This princess isn’t even hungry…!”

Amy tried to keep up her tough act.

*Grumble… Grumble…*

Her little stomach betrayed her with a loud protest.

Maintaining her friendly smile, Lucoco gently unwrapped the paper to reveal a golden-brown, crispy fried chicken leg.

The aroma wafted through the air.

“Here~ It smells so good.”

*Grumble…*

The tempting scent battered Amy’s starving taste buds.

“Hmph~”

Amy resisted!

She stood up straight, tilted her little head up, and quietly swallowed.

Then, she waved her hand.

Lucoco was confused until the maids from the end of the hallway arrived, carrying large cloth bags and piling them in front of her.

When the bags were opened, they were filled with Equinox Flowers, Rebirth Grass, Magic Crystals, and medicinal vials—every single material needed to craft the **[Spirit-Covering Potion]**.

By a rough estimate, there were at least 200 portions.

Looking at these materials, Lucoco recalled her “performances” at the shop over the past few days.

Amy’s face grew even redder.

She suddenly struck a “menacing” pose with her hands on her hips, huffing indignantly.

“You… you never looked at me whenever you came by! This princess bought so many things just to… to… Hmph! A princess doesn’t hold a grudge against a little sister!”

As she spoke, her eyes turned red again, and tears welled up.

She raised a small hand and pointed at the bags, speaking with a “domineering” tone that brooked no refusal.

“I’m giving all of these to you! You must… you must… you must be this princess’s friend! Otherwise… this princess will cry right here!”

*Mwah.*

Before she could finish, Lucoco suddenly leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

It was unexpected and tender.

Amy froze instantly.

Her purple eyes went wide, her pupils dilating and contracting.

The rest of her words died in her throat.

Her neck turned toward Lucoco like a rusted machine, meeting a sweet smile that seemed warm enough to drown her.

“Morning Light is very happy to be friends with Sister Amy~”

Boom!

Her brain went completely blank.

Amy turned as red as a cooked shrimp from her face down to her neck.

Faint steam seemed to rise from the top of her head.

Her small hand trembled as she pointed.

“You, you, you… you… I… Ugh…”

Her body began to sway.

Whether it was from embarrassment or hunger, her eyes rolled back, and she “fainted,” slumped into a maid’s arms.

“Miss Morning Light~”

A maid leaned in and whispered in Lucoco’s ear, gesturing toward the oil paper package in her hand with a wink.

Lucoco seemed to understand.

She handed over all of her evening snacks to the maid.

Ultimately, Amy was carried away by the maid while still in her “fainted” state.

**[System Notification: Princess Amy’s Favorability has increased by ♥x30.]**

‘She’s a top-tier tsundere!’

Lucoco silently labeled the little princess.

The princess got the friend she wanted while “saving face,” Lucoco got her materials, and the maids got precious footage and gossip fodder.

Everyone won!