Sophia wondered if there was something wrong with her.

  A full adult, twenty-one years of age, reading children's books and actually enjoying them. Lounging ever so wondrously in one of the home’s vast studies: a glass of cold tea and half-eaten almond cookies on the small table beside her and a long evening with no more demands made of her.

  Illustrated with cutesy little animals, the text in that once esoteric alphabet was now somewhat legible to Sophia, a foreign princess giggling to herself with each turned page of half-understood text.

  No, it’s not our fault! The consciousness committee declares proudly. It’s not our fault all this media is so… captivating. Plus, this is all for our continued learning of the Tiancin alphabet.

  Yes, exactly!

  Sophia Elise couldn’t take the blame for the novelty of Dominion childhood culture, especially when Zai specifically had gone to pick these volumes up from the town bookstore.

  With their pared-down words and delicate illustrations of animals, these readings had all dug into her psyche in quite a cute way; turning this demure Fourth Princess back into a little girl sneaking some extra reading time in between lessons.

  Perhaps the novelty helped with the whole situation: these short stories weren’t anything like the Ensolian childhood fairy tales of brave warriors and grand romances. Her culture was one that valued the simple settings and plots; driven by questing adventures to save kidnapped princes and epic tales of slaying dragons (long extinct, at this point).

  On the other hand, these small stories in Tianci were much more animated, much more… wise.

  Cutesy anthropomorphic animals spewing out life lessons; with unnamed Dominion Lords and Ladies advised by random foxes and owls on adventures of their own through flooded towns and dead empires.

  In fact, the one she was reading was about a lazy, silver haired cat who, through sheer luck, became a King’s sole advisor.

  Sophia wasn’t sure if she should feel offended or inspired by that.

  Someone knocks on the door, with the Fourth Princess lazily speaking up instead of getting out of her chair, turning an entire 180 degrees to face the door, and walking the entire fifteen feet to open it. “Yes, what is it?”

  A doorknob turned with a snap, the huge carved redwood sheet brought open, and the individual steps in with barely audible footsteps on the varnished oak floors.

  The auditory cortex makes its analysis. It’s not your Impericutta, or any of the staff; they wear boots and shoes that sound like they’re dropping glass cups onto the ground every time they walk.

  And given the height profile that she could barely make out through the reflection in the transparent glass on the eastern wing, she makes her random guess with some level of education. “Guardsman?”

  Guardsman Fushimi makes a small click of her tongue to hide her surprise. “Hmmm, good guess Ma’am.”

  “How did you know I was here?” Sophia casually asks back, a part of her hoping that this Tiancin Guardian would just leave her alone for another couple of minutes.

  She scoffs at the silly question, pacing over to this wife of her Charge. “If your ceramic demon is in front of a room, I’d guess it’s where you’re at Ma’am.”

  Goddess that thing almost never left her alone, its presence becoming even more oppressive nearly every passing day.

  “Huh, another one?” The Guardsman’s voice drips with a slight judgment, her gaze peering over Sophia’s shoulder, squinting at the thin book in her hand. “New one gifted from Zai? He’s going through his weekly reading budget quite quickly for you~”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Sophia stiffens.

  “Zai did not give it to me,” She quickly denies, proudly pouting away. “I just... happened to borrow it.”

  The internal monologue groans at this self-sabotage. You just lied about the most obvious thing. What are you, seven? Pull it together, idiot!

  The Guardswoman isn’t entertained, a sly smile drawn on her cold features. “Riiight. Similar vein as to ‘borrowing’ the sweets he left you?” Mori glances to the small pile of crumbs and half-eaten cookies sitting beside her. She leans down, whispering from a few steps away as if to keep this moment a secret. “Girl to girl, he’s trying to make you into a proper Ensolian dumpling~”

  Those words catch even Sophia off guard. “W-what?!”

  “Oh come on you gotta see what he’s doing right?”

  Guardsman Fushimi did raise an important note with that observation.

  It seemed that this husband of Sophia’s was beginning to escalate in terms of teaching style. Where once was just a simple kettle of tea, he was now bringing some more experimental sweets that he so happened to cook in the empty day-to-day activities of his own personal life.

  From small fruit tarts to his Guardsman-approved almond cookies, each lesson that they spent together in the study room (they had, within the past two weeks, decidedly moved the sessions to a much more private locale) was also becoming a tasting session of the Dominion’s desert menu.

  Zai’s getting to know you too well… One of the more suspicious thought processes notes. Doesn’t that seem too strange?

  Another of her thoughts raises their hands up in falsified shock. Oh no, our husband is getting to know us better. How awful! How dare he!

  Sophia just lies to the Guardswoman, defaulting to the infallible pout of denial. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  There’s a long sigh from the Guardian, the woman turning to check for any listeners within the room before approaching this conversation once more. “Summer’s coming soon Sophia.”

  Yes it was about to be Summer, with Sophia pretending to ignore her and turning a page.

  “Your… contact in town has informed me that the Dance of the Glowfish Festival is going to be hosted in a few days.”

  The Fourth Princess scrunches her eyebrows at that strange word. “My contact?”

  Mori clears her throat, simplifying the word to just the title of the individual. “The Priestess, Priestess Elodie?”

  Oh, yes, her. The one who brings you donuts from town!

  “Yes, she has informed you of a Festival occurring in town?”

  “Yes she has.” Guardsman Fushimi nods.

  It’s so awkward, the silence letting through the ambience of creaking trees and the soft chirps of summer birds.

  Are we supposed to say something?

  Sophia, in her half interested brain, offers for this woman to continue. “What does this Festival entail?”

  “Supposedly each year a large flock of fish migrates through these waters. I’m told it's quite a sight, many people in town come to the docks and watch it happen.” There’s a moment where the Guardswoman turns to something behind her, at something waiting behind the door. “It’s a festival, in the most basic of senses.”

  People?! In one place?! The entire consciousness committee hisses at that word, at the implication of crowds. Not interested.

  Sophia lazily takes a bite of one of the half-eaten almond cookies, once again reading over the half-understood lines of text that were only barely stimulating to her empty brain.

  Guardsman Fushimi glances over towards the figure barely peeking through the door, at the ‘Priestess’ who was in the midst of putting a palm onto her own face.

  “Ma’am.” The Guardian continues. “It is, quite an important event in town. The last one before the holiday season starts proper. I’m certain you would enjoy it.”

  Sophia Elise the Eighth rolls her eyes, keeping her eyes on the page. “I would doubt that.”

  Goddess she was persistent. The thought processes all yawn. Is there anything we can do to make her leave us alone?

  And the other voice comes into being, a second set of footsteps entering the room alongside it. Priestess Elodie hides a bit of frustration behind her words, taking a long glance at this Tianci Guardsman. “Sophia, you don’t actually get around a lot do you?”

  This was getting out of hand, now there were two of them pressuring her into whatever this was going to be.

  “I don’t understand.” Sophia deadpan ignores her. “I’m busy, if there is nothing else then I require time to myself.”

  Elodie counters the royal, stopping her cold with the most direct statement possible. “You’re not gonna ask Zai out on a festival date?”