The Doll Princess Rose

第2話 Walking Around

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

She was called out to by the maid of this mansion. She looked young, probably around 20, Rose thought. Her hair is black and neatly tied up in a ponytail. A beautiful crimson ribbon stuck to her eye.

"Yeah. Good morning. Oh, it's a beautiful red ribbon."

Rose said as she got up.

"Ribbon? Ah, this is called a hairstring. Madam Frey gave me this. It's beautiful and my proudest treasure, Miss Bara."

She said with a big smile.

"Please call me Rose. Father permitted me to use that name."

"Ah, is that so? I understand, Miss Rose. My name is Moi, and I will care of Miss Rose from now on."

Moi said with a smile.

"Thank you very much, Miss Moi."

"Just Moi is fine, Miss Rose."

"Then I would like you to call me just Rose."

"No, I won't. Miss Rose is the Lord's daughter and the princess of this village. If someone like me were to call you without adding 'Miss', I would be scolded by the head maid."

Moi shook her head and refused.

"Hmm. I guess I can't help it. But I'm not used to it. What do I say? I feel itchy."

"You'll get used to the timing. After all, Miss Rose just woke up. You have been asleep for a year and only woke up yesterday."

One year!

Rose couldn't hide her surprise. She can't believe how long she's been sleeping for so long. But now that she thinks about it, she is curious about what her "father" said yesterday. Dalgodas said her "body" was created by her mother. Even if she was told, she didn't understand what it meant. However, she feels somewhat uncomfortable about that. Because in her memories of Rose, she was a normal-sized high school girl.

However, Rose's memory of her is fragmented and she is unsure.

She is looking at her hand and notices she is small after all. It's almost as small as a kindergartener's hand or might be smaller. Rose realized she was small compared to the size of this bed. She ended up wondering how tall she was.

From what she saw, it was about 40 or 50 centimeters tall.

So small, indeed.

She was so confused yesterday that she didn't notice her body. After she came face to face with Dalgodas, she fell asleep again. And the next thing she knew, it was this morning. She sighed again.

Come to think of it, Rose remembered that Yanagi had told her yesterday that the thorns on her body were prickly.

"Moi, does my body tingle? Does it have thorns?"

Rose asked Moi as she was horrified.

"Huh? Miss Rose is the Lady of the Rose Tree, so it wouldn't be strange for you to have thorns. However, they usually don't appear. I have cared for you for a year, so I know you well."

Moi said with a smile.

"You seemed quite nervous yesterday, so I think the thorns came out. Here, take a look. No thorns are coming out now, right?"

Moi answered simply with a smile. She was the Lady of the Rose Tree... Rose blinked, unsure if this was normal.

"Okay, I'm going to get up. Moi, please show me the shower room. I want to wash my body. I also want to change my clothes."

Rose tried to get off her bed.

"I'm not sure what a shower is, but I've prepared a bathtub in the next room. I will bathe you, so let's take off your nightgown now."

While saying that, Moi tried to touch the button of Rose's nightgown. But, Rose hurriedly got up from the bed and moved away from her.

"What... what are you going to do?!"

Moi looked at Rose with a troubled face when she heard Rose scream.

"So, I'm getting you ready for the bath..."

"No, no, I can do it myself. This much..."

Rose panicked and ran into the room next to her. The bathroom next to her bedroom is a beautiful room. There are two golden faucets on the wall and choose between hot or cold water. It's a simple system that allows hot water to flow when open the lid. The bathtub is made of beautiful white and yellow stone. There are red decorations on the white walls, and it looks gorgeous. There was also something like a lamp attached to the wall, illuminating the room with just the right amount of brightness. Rose thought it was fire, but it wasn't. Something like a glowing ball was floating in the glass, and shining. Rose doesn't know how it lights up and thinks it is weird.

"Miss Rose, I have prepared cleaning oil for you to wash your body. Please feel free to use it."

Behind Rose, who had seen such a bath for the first time, Moi placed several small bottles nearby. Wondering if it was liquid soap or shampoo, Rose took one and sniffed it. It had a very nice floral scent.

"Yes, thank you. Well, I'll bathe now, so please wait for me in the next room."

"Are you sure, it would be okay?"

"It's okay! I think it'll work out somehow..."

"Really? I'm in the next room, so if you need anything, please call me."

While saying that, Moi left the room with a worried look.

It's time to take a bath, Rose said happily as she touched the hot water again. Then she took off her clothes and started wetting her body. She wet her body with just warm water and wet her hair. After wetting it with hot water, she tried applying liquid soap called cleaning oil to her head.

Oh?!

My hands are too short...they can't reach my head, Rose thought in tears.

"Mo, Moi?"

"Yes, Miss Rose?"

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Yes, gladly!"

Moi's voice sounded very happy. In the end, that day, she had Moi wash her body and get ready.

After her morning bath, Rose felt refreshed. Not only that but she was dressed in cute clothes. It's embarrassing to wear this frilly, frilly outfit, Rose thought. However, she was embarrassed because her maid told her she was lovely.

She leaves the room and finds a garden on the way to the dining room. The morning sun illuminates the courtyard and it is a beautiful garden. Moi, who is guiding her, sometimes looks at her with concern. Even though Rose is told this is her home, she doesn't get it. Rather, the scale of this house is large. Everything is big.

The doors, the size of the rooms, the hallways, and the height of the walls were two to three times larger than the features of the building that Rose remembered. It looked like a palace where the king of some country lived, Rose thought as she looked around. However, she doesn't remember clearly. However, her current memory is questionable. The memories disappear in bits and pieces, and there are many parts of her that she doesn't remember or remember, and to be honest, she can't trust her memory to the point where it's scary.

In that case, she thought, from now on, she should make it a new memory for herself.

Moi walked with little Rose, keeping an eye on her. However, Rose thinks that this mansion is spacious. It's too wide, especially for her. Rose felt she walked for ten minutes to get from her room to the dining room. However, she is not sure if 10 minutes have passed or not. She still doesn't understand the flow of time.

Because this is not Earth.

"Yes, we're here, Miss Rose."

They stopped in front of a large door. Two maids were standing before the door, and they opened it without saying a word. Then, Moi took Rose's hand and went inside.

It was a very spacious place, just like a school gymnasium. The white walls had brightly colored decorations and several large red pillars. Overall, the space is wonderful, with tall pillars that go to the ceiling, and lights attached to the pillars. It's a mysterious light that isn't fire or electricity. There was a very soft, thick red carpet on the floor. There are also several low tables placed on it. There are many silver-colored plates lined up at the back of the room.

Moi headed for the door on the right and opened it. There is another dining room-like room in that room. The room has chairs and tables, making it an elegant space. But it's still a big room. Even if Rose were to sit in that chair, she might not be able to reach the plate on the table. In this world, it might be inconvenient for a mini-sized Rose. However, Rose gave up. She could think nothing of if she had to be reborn like this.

"Miss Rose, please sit on this high chair."

Moi guided her to a chair with a higher pedestal than the other chairs.

Seriously! Rose couldn't believe her eyes for a moment. In her memory, it was called a "children's chair." A chair is commonly used in restaurants for small children.

Somewhere in her heart, her pride wouldn't allow it.

“Does it have to be here?”

"What?"

"Meal."

Moi looked at Rose with a troubled expression.

"This is the dining room, used by the Lord's family and guests."

"Eh, the front room is better."

“Is that the room with the carpet from earlier? That is the dining room that Lord Dalgodas and others usually use. The food is brought to that desk, and they all sit on the carpet and eat together..."

"Then I'd like to eat there, too."

She decided to try begging anyway. In any case, Rose thinks that the children's chair is a no-no.

"Hmm. What should we do..."

Moi thought for a while.

"Moi, you can talk to my mother later."

They look back when they hear voices. What appeared was Yanagi.

"Hello, Rose, good morning. Do you want breakfast?"

Yanagi called out. He came in through the other door of the dining room. There are three doors to the dining room: one from inside the mansion, one from the kitchen, and one from the front garden. Yanagi had come in through the door from the front garden.

“Good morning, Yanagi-big brother.”

"Good morning. Do you want to eat?"

"Yes, we're going to have breakfast..."

Rose said, tilting her head.

"Rose is small, so it's easier for her to eat sitting on the carpet."

"Yes, that's what I thought, so I asked..."

“But, to be honest, eating there is not elegant. But I prefer it there, just like my father, hahaha.”

Yanagi explained with a laugh.

"Miss Rose is the daughter of the Dalgodas family, so if she doesn't learn proper etiquette, I'll be scolded by the head maid."

Moi objected.

"Well, it's my first time eating here today, so I guess it's okay, Moi. I'll explain it to my mother later, so don't worry."

Yanagi nodded and took Rose's hand.

"Rose, would you like to have breakfast with me?"

"Yes, I would love to!"

Yanagi smiled widely and took her hand. He popped into the kitchen and spoke to the head chef. Then he took a plate from the silver plates lined up against the wall and showed it to Rose.

"Here, each plate has a name engraved on it. This is my plate. Can you find yours?"

"My plate? What it looks like?"

What kind of characters is it written in? I don't understand the characters in this world. I need to study this, thought Rose.

"Oh, there it is! This is it. It's a rose plate. Look, it's decorated with a beautiful rose pattern."

Yanagi laughed and took out a plate. The rose pattern is beautifully engraved, so she can't go wrong with it.

"Wow, beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, let's sit down. The food will be brought out in a little while."

Rose and Yanagi went to a nearby table and sat around it. Moi helped in the kitchen and brought the food. Dishes were brought in: fragrant soup, egg dishes, meat, and vegetables. Everything looked so delicious that Rose couldn't help but hear embarrassing sounds from her stomach.

"Hahaha, Rose is hungry. Well, let's eat! I'll take it!"

"Let's eat!" 

Is this the etiquette of this world before eating? It's like something my mother used to say...

What?

Mom?

She seemed to be from a country called Japan. However, she couldn't remember where Japan was. Rose couldn't even remember her face or name.

"Rose? What's wrong? You were dazed..."

Yanagi called out to Rose who was deep in thought.

"Ah, no. I'm just wondering where to start eating."

Rose hurriedly grabbed a plate, and a spoon, and picked up the nearby egg dish. When Rose took a bite of her egg dish, her world changed instantly. She was shocked to find out what it tasted like.

This is delicious! 　

It was the first time she had tasted food and she was speechless. It has a very creamy taste and is very soft and silky smooth. Just the right amount of salty and delicious! This is so delicious! 

"What do you think, Rose? Father often praises the head chef's cooking as the best in the world. I think so, too. Isn't it delicious?"

Yanagi looked at Rose and smiled happily.

"Yes. It's very delicious. Can I have another refill?"

"Of course. You can eat it all. You'll get better and bigger, Rose."

"Yeah!"

Whether her body will grow or not, this dish is delicious. Rose is interested in other dishes and will try them. However, as a maiden, it seems so greedy. However, she doesn't care about that now.

She was so absorbed in her meal that, without her noticing, several onlookers had gathered around her. There are people from the kitchen, the maids, several guards, and some people whose positions she doesn't understand.

"Wow, she ate it all!"

“Is it delicious, young lady?”

“Where did it disappear into that small body?”

"Wow! What a lot of food!"

They are talking freely one after another.

"Hey! You can't be rude to the young lady!"

She heard Moi's voice warning them. However, Yanagi just laughed like them.

"Ah, I ate everything. Even Yanagi's big brother's portion...I'm sorry."

She feels a little embarrassed as it looks like she sees something so rare. Rose bowed her head and apologized. But more than that, she gave in to her appetite and ate her brother's food.

"Don't worry. Being able to eat delicious food is a good thing. Rose will grow well soon with this. We'll be relieved, too. Hey, everyone?"

When Yanagi said this, everyone present nodded.

"That's right. Good for you, young lady."

"Hahaha, you're right!"

People who surrounded her laughed. Rose thought it was somehow a relief. She seemed a little relieved, and she laughed, too.

"By the way, are you all going to eat now?"

Rose asked, and then Yanagi shook his head and laughed.

"Breakfast time has already finished. We eat together twice, once when the sun rises and once when the sun sets. At other times, due to work schedules, some people just can't come at the set times. So if you say a word to the head chef, he will prepare your meal. There are names on the plates, right? If you haven't eaten here yet, he'll know just by looking at the name on the plate. Everyone has their plate."

Yanagi explained clearly.

"Huh, is that so? Then, father and mother too?"

"No. The Lord and his wife are special people. We also have a maid, so if you ask us anything about meals, we will prepare everything for you."

In answer to Rose's question, a big man appeared. He seems very similar to Dalgodas, Rose's "father".

"This is Seti, the head chef, Rose."

Once Yanagi introduced him to Rose, Seti bowed his head and greeted her politely. Rose stood and bowed her head, imitating Seti.

"I'm Rose. Thank you very much."

The head chef was surprised by her behavior. And he flashed a big smile.

"Here we are. Hahaha, what a well-behaved young lady. Nice to meet you, young lady."

"Me, too! Afterward, the chef's cooking was extremely delicious! Thank you very much!"

"Hohoho, you said something nice. I'm so happy for you."

Chef Seti laughed and returned to the kitchen with her plate. His subordinates also cleaned up their dishes and returned to the kitchen. One by one, the other onlookers returned to their posts. Silence returned to the dining room, with only Rose, Yanagi, and Moi left.

"Okay, Rose, shall we go?"

"Huh? Where?"

"I'll show you around the village. I got permission from my father, so it's okay. Moi doesn't have to go with us. I'll take Rose home later, so don't worry. I'll ask my mother about the food. I'll talk to her later, so please tell the head maid about this!"

Yanagi said.

"Understood"

Moi nodded. Then, Yanagi stood and reached out her hand to Rose. Rose takes his hand and they walk towards the front garden.

"Have a nice walk then!"

Moi bowed her head and saw them off.

The front garden outside the dining room was spacious. However, it is a space without much decoration. This is a space for those working in this mansion, with access to the dining room, a waiting area for the guards, and a rest area. There are guards everywhere, and there seems to be a certain amount of security.

After walking for a while, Yanagi showed her the side courtyard. It also includes a medical building, lower staff dormitory building, upper management dormitory building, and storehouses. Yanagi also explained the gates in the side courtyard. They through which employees enter and exit.

"Every morning, the children gather here before the sun rises."

Yanagi gestured to the area near the pond in the side courtyard.

"Huh? Morning? What are they doing?"

"Run. Level 0 kids are always run every morning."

"Why? Even on a rainy day?"

"It's to build up the stamina. Rainy days are exempt, though."

"How far will you run?"

"It runs around the outside wall."

"Gah! That's quite a distance."

"Starting tomorrow, you will run, too."

"Oh no!"

Seriously, she thought. Even though this mansion is spacious, she had to run around it, she said.

“We are a warriors tribe, so building our physical strength is important.”

Yanagi said as he nodded.

"A warriors tribe?"

"Yup."

He nodded again.

"From the moment a child can walk, training to build physical strength begins. First, they run every day. Then, once they have gained strength, they begin basic training for Level 0. If they pass, they can become Level 1."

"I don’t understand that."

"Well, it's just the level of education. In this village, it seems like you raise your level based on your ability, regardless of age."

So it's like school, Rose thought. But the dimension is so different. She was curious about what they learned.

“What level is Yanagi big brother now?”

"I'm Level 3. So today, with special permission, I can guide Rose to the outer wall of the village."

"Is it possible to go out if your level is low?"

"No. That is because it's dangerous outside, so people with low levels will struggle to manage it. Levels 0 and 1 will only be around the mansion or inside the village. Level 2 can go as a pair to the inside of the outer wall. Level 3, you can hunt and patrol the surrounding forests in pairs or with higher-level people. Once you reach level 5 or higher, you can go anywhere you want, become a subjugator, a mercenary, get married, or become an official soldier or executive of the country.''

"I see. But aren't there some people who are unfit for battle? What should they do then?"

Rose asked him, tilting her head to the side.

"There is a lot of production, knowledge, and things to do to support our lives, such as the production department and medical care. The production department is important because it produces daily necessities, weapons, parts, and food. Of course, each department has its level. It also has a well-equipped educational building."

"I see..."

Rose nodded after listening to his explanation. 

"Okay, let's go see him."

"Who are we going to meet?"

"My younger brother, your older brother, Keyaki."

While saying that, Yanagi held Rose in his arms. Then, he happily walked outside the mansion.