The Doll Princess Rose

第26話 Giant Octopus

"Good morning, Rose."

Rose woke up to the sound of Yanagi's voice. The sunlight comes in through her window and shines on her.

"Good morning. Um, the sun has already risen. Did I oversleep?"

Rose asked Yanagi.

"No. Prince Jatayu told me that it's okay to take it easy. You're still tired, so let's take it easy today."

"Umh, yeah."

"Are you okay?"

"Umh, I'm okay, nothing. I'll wake up."

Rose sat up on the bed. Yanagi opens the curtains and the bright morning sun warmly illuminates the room. After a while, Moi and two maids entered the room and brought warm water. Then, Yanagi went outside.

"Good morning, Miss Rose."

"Good morning, Moi."

The other maids also wished Rose their morning greetings. With practiced skill, the maids removed her nightgown and wiped her face and body with wet towels.

Rose said she could do it herself, but the maids were told by Jatayu to take care of her. This is because, after the battle in the Dragon God's capital, Rose slept for a week, and as soon as she woke up, she took a long flight of several hours and came to the Kingdom of Dwipa. 

Rose looked at Moi who was preparing her clothes. Today she is not wearing her maid's uniform, but an ordinary one-piece dress. The clothes she bought yesterday were elegant floral-patterned clothes. On this trip, Moi is here not as Rose's maid, but as Darga's fiancé. This is Miraiya's decision, so Rose and the others have no choice but to follow.

In other words, Rose must not order Moi, who is not her maid, without permission. If she needs help, she should use the proper word 'please'. Rose was sure this was an education for her to become independent. She has always been spoiled by Moi, and it may seem like she can't live on her own. In fact, without Moi's help, she would probably have a hard time surviving. However, she has recently grown taller, and not only has she been able to wash her own hair, but she has also learned how to use vines, so from now on, she can survive by herself. After that, she can live a perfect life if she learns to cook.

When Rose sees Moi illuminated by the sunlight, Moi looks sparkling and happy. She's been smiling ever since. What happened last night? Did she even talk about love with Darga? Well, it's a little weird for little Rose to hear that, so she'll just keep quiet and watch, Rose thought as she looked at Moi.

Rose is happy, but also feels lonely, thinking that Moi will soon leave Rose's side and she will start a happy family with her beloved Darga. Rose regretfully thinks that's because she won't be able to drink that flower's tea anymore. Now she must learn how to make it and have it.

"Miss Rose, you've been quiet for a while now. Are you okay? How are you doing?"

Moi looked at Rose and touched her forehead with her left hand to check her fever.

"Ah, no. I'm just thinking about something."

"What are you thinking?"

"Hmm, I wonder what Moi and Mr. Darga's children will look like? Will it be a child with a long tail like Mr. Darga, or a pretty child like Moi?"

"Well...!"

Moi's face turned bright red, and Rose thought it was cute. Her two maids also burst into laughter.

"Ahaha, I'm sorry, Moi. I'm not teasing you, I really want Moi's happiness from the bottom of my heart. Mr. Darga is clumsy when he faces love affairs like that, but I'm glad he and you got along so well."

"Thank you."

"Ah, but if Moi marries Mr. Darga-san, I won't be able to call you Moi anymore. That's because you will be my master's wife, so you'll become Mrs. Moi or Lady Moi."

"Miss Rose, it's fine. We haven't known each other for two or three days."

"So, when you get married, can I consider Moi a friend?"

"Yes, please do. I'm happy with it."

"We're friends, so you can call me by my name."

"No, I won't. In my mind, Miss Rose is Miss Rose."

"Hmm, that's sneaky."

"No, I'm not sneaky. Alright, let's get dressed now. Breakfast is ready."

Rose said with a wry smile that she had lost to Moi again. Moi finished changing Rose's clothes, cleaned her hair with a comb, removed the fallen flower petals, and tied her hair loosely. Today, she wore a red floral pattern outfit and tied her hair into twin tails with a pretty ribbon. To the maids, Rose may have been a dress-up doll. When Rose left the room, Yanagi and Darga were already waiting in front of the room.

"Good morning."

When Rose greeted Darga, Darga politely replied. His face is different from before, and he looks happy. Maybe something happened with Moi after all. Rose thought that if something good happened, she would be pleased.

Yanagi picked Rose up and placed her on his arm. Since she had recently grown taller, she thought she might be getting heavier soon. However, 1 meter tall for a two-year-old like her must be quite tall. In fact, the mystery of this growth is quite strange and she doesn't understand it. It might have something to do with magic and awakening, Rose thought again as she looked at herself.

"Did you all eat breakfast?"

"Not yet."

Yanagi answered.

"Miss Miraiya and Miss Rinka had breakfast with Prince Jatayu this morning, but we decided to wait for Miss Rose and eat together."

Darga also answered.

"You could eat first. Everyone must be hungry, right?"

"Whatever, it's okay. I think Miss Rose must be lonely if she eats alone."

"I...I'm fine. I'm sorry I overslept."

Rose looked down and she apologized.

"Don't overthink about it. We did this because we all love Rose."

Yanagi stroked Rose's head as he walked toward the dining room.

"Thank you."

"No problem at all."

Darga laughed and took Moi's hand as they entered the dining area.

All the meals prepared on the dining table look very delicious. Rose has eaten a lot of tasty food since yesterday, and she feels like turning to gain weight. Rose thought that she was getting fat and that she was going to turn into a ball. However, those foods look delicious, so she is grateful for them. Rose clasped her hands together happily.

"Let's eat!"

After a fun breakfast, Miraiya, Rinka, and Jatayu returned from a walk. They appeared in the courtyard where Rose and her friends were. Jatayu's hand is wrapped in a dressing cloth.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Rose. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you."

"That's good. I was worried because you suddenly fell asleep last night."

"Yes, I'm sorry for making you worry..."

"No, not at all. You're probably still tired, so don't push yourself too hard."

"Yes..."

Rose nodded. She looked at Jatayu for a while and tilted her head.

"Even though you are a prince, you speak like an ordinary person."

"Hahaha, is that normal? Good, that's it. I like an easy life. I think it's good to go out on the town every day, interact with ordinary people, and live a life. But... Those three Guards always come with me, so it's hard to do. But I'm happy when my friends come to visit me like this. Hahaha."

Jatayu laughed heartily.

"Well, this prince is always slacking off at work."

Miraiya pecked Jatayu's cheek with her finger. They were good friends, Rose thought.

"What kind of work do you do?"

"Well, there are a lot of things. For example, to escort a beautiful lady like Miraiya..."

Huh? Just as Rose was thinking this, Miraiya poked Jatayu's stomach with her finger. They're awesome friends, Rose thought.

"I see. That's an amazing job. Oh, can I ask you something?"

"Go on. I'll answer any questions from a beautiful woman."

This prince seemed like a very cheerful person, Rose couldn't help but laugh.

"What happened to that hand?"

"Ah, is this it? You noticed that well. Thank you for worrying about me."

"If it's a wound, I can heal it."

When Rose said this, Jatayu shook his head with a wry smile.

"It's fine, it's okay. It's just a scratch, so don't worry."

"That's the scar from Rinka's bite last night."

When Jatayu said this, Miraiya spoke in a small voice into Rose's ear. Rinka pretended not to hear her, looked in another direction, and walked towards the garden.

"Huh? Did you get bitten?"

"Ah, no, no, nothing."

Jatayu hurriedly shook his hand.

"By any chance, did you sneak into the teacher's room again?"

Jatayu froze in an instant.

"I just said, 'I didn't lock my room'. I didn't ask you to sneak in, Jatayu."

Hey, teacher. Doesn't that mean she invited him? Rose looked at the two in shock, wondering what these adults were thinking.

"Miraiya, wouldn’t it be bad to say that in front of the child?"

When Jatayu said that, Miraiya laughed.

"It's okay. Rose is just small. She's not small inside. Isn't it, Rose?"

"Um, well, what to say, huh?"

When Rose said that, Miraiya laughed again.

"Look, two-year-olds can't keep up with conversations like this."

"I see."

Yanagi, who has been listening to this conversation, looks at Rose.

"May I ask, Rose?"

Yanagi suddenly approached and asked Rose.

"What?"

"How old were you before you got reborn into this world?"

"Hmm, I don't really remember how old were I..."

"Really."

"But, I might not be all that different from Brother Yanagi. Maybe I'm a little younger, but I don't remember anything about that. I don't even remember what I looked like or what my face looked like. Only my name... It was Rose. That's all I remember."

Rose answered.

"I see, there are some strange things in the world."

Jatayu nodded.

"Yeah, but I don't know anything about this world. This world is not the one I know, so I'm anxious. And maybe because I'm small, I sometimes act like a small child. Sometimes I feel a sense of incongruity between what I think and what I do. In fact, I feel that the two-year-old me and the old me are not unified. That's why I feel anxious. I'm sorry for making you feel anxious from now on."

Rose apologizes and looks at them.

"It's okay. I'm going to understand you."

"Thank you, Brother. I'm full of anxiety, so for my own sake, I want to see more of this world. I want to study more. I want to know various things."

"I see. After we return to Alhatross, let's go on a journey, Rose. Come with me."

"Yeah."

Rose looked at Yanagi's face, and then at Jatayu's.

"But before that, I want to know more about Dwipa. I don't know when I'll be able to come here again, so I want to hang out and learn many things here. Can I, Prince Jatayu?"

"Of course. Since I have invited you as a guest of the second prince, you should stay until you heal yourself and are satisfied."

"Thank you. I feel like you are a prince now."

"Really? Thank you. You're cute, Rose. If you were older, you could be my queen..."

When Jatayu took Rose's hand and said the decisive line, Yanagi answered.

"Rejected."

At the same time, Miraiya also pinched Jatayu's stomach with her fingers. Rose couldn't help but laugh. He is a really cheerful person.

"It hurts, it hurts..."

Before noon, they left Jatayu's mansion, walked around town, and ate a lot. They agreed with Rose's suggestion to eat lunch at the food stalls, so the ten wandered around town again. The food stalls were interesting. There were so many foods Rose had never seen before, causing her to find it hard to decide which one to go for.

After finishing their meal, Rose and the others headed to the port. There was a medium-sized ship, with the second prince's emblem.

When Rose entered the ship, she saw several servants and maids, and Rose and her friends' belongings were neatly packed. When Rose and the others went up to the top floor, they arrived at the deck with a nice view. Moi can't help but let out a loud voice as she enjoys the scenery. Darga is also enjoying the scenery next to Moi. Rose thought it was like those two were on a honeymoon. The two are so in love, it's so easy to understand.

Rose sat on a bench on the deck with Yanagi. When the ship started moving, it was shaking a little. Looks like it's set sail. Rose is looking forward to seeing where it goes. Along the way, Rose saw Rinka walking alone and saw Darga's back with his hand scratching his head, and thought that everyone was enjoying the journey in their own way. Yanagi is still sitting next to Rose and holding her hand. He had big hands, she said, putting her hand over his. Yanagi's hands have hard skin, and Rose thinks these strong hands must have endured many hardships.

"What's wrong with my hand?"

"No. I just thought it was big."

It might be rude to say that it took a lot of effort.

"Rose's hands are just small."

"Yeah. But it's gotten a little bigger."

"That's right."

"I've gotten bigger and heavier, haven't I? You can't hold me in your arms anymore."

"Hahaha, you are light. Besides, I'll hold you with my hands when you get bigger, so it's okay."

Yanagi said with a smile and Rose pouted at him.

"Well, I don't want to do that because it's embarrassing. It's a bit like being a princess."

"I'm not embarrassed, so it's okay."

"I'm embarrassed."

"Don't worry about what other people think."

"That can't happen. I'd be in trouble if there were any strange rumors. It would make Father and Mother sad."

When Rose said that, Yanagi smiled and squeezed Rose's hand.

"I see...that's right."

"Yeah."

"Then we'll have to travel together. I hate rumors. I'll feel better if we go to a place where no one knows about us."

"Yeah."

"As long as I have you by my side, and something to fill my life, I'm satisfied. As for work, well, I guess I can find it. I'm a warrior, but I don't have any skills other than fighting. I think it will work out somehow."

"I'm a big eater, so if you don't have a decent income, you'll go bankrupt."

"Hahaha, I'll work to earn a decent income."

"Then, Brother will have to suffer alone..."

"If I can live and laugh with you, I don't think it's a hardship."

"Thank you, Brother."

"No problem at all."

When Yanagi said that, Rose pouted at him again.

"Hmm, you're imitating Mr. Darga."

"Hahaha, don’t I look alike?"

"Not at all."

"Really?"

Yanagi laughed and pinched Rose's nose. Rose also smiled and stared at Yanagi.

"Brother..."

"Yeah?"

"Let me hear the sound of your heart..."

Yanagi didn't say anything, he just took off his left hand that was holding Rose's hand, put it around her shoulder, and pulled her closer to him. Keeping her unspoken feelings deep within his heart, Rose decided to close her eyes and listen to the pounding of his heart.

Bang!

Suddenly, the ship shook violently. When they heard Moi's screams, Rose and the others hurried to Moi. Darga was seen there protecting Moi.

What was ahead was an indescribably giant octopus.

Rinka and Miraiya also rushed in. Jatayu and his bodyguards also appeared.

"Why is there a huge octopus in a place like this?"

"I don't know, it suddenly appeared from below and attacked the ship."

When Miraiya said this, Jatayu also shook his head.

"If this continues, the ship will sink!"

"It's an octopus. How do we defeat it?"

Rinka quickly slashed the calloused leg, but somehow cells appeared from the cut and repaired it. A creature with the ability to regenerate.

"If you cut it, it will regenerate. Physical attacks won't work on that."

"So, what should we do? Magic?"

"Even if I use magic if the octopus' legs don't move away from here, the whole ship will be engulfed."

Rinka and Miraiya looked troubled.

"Teacher, wouldn’t it be a good idea to channel the magic into that calloused leg and put it into its body?”

"I guess you had a hand in that. Thank you, Rose."

Miraiya cast a spell on her palm. Then she puts her hand on the calloused leg stuck to the ship, and the callus goes wild. The boat was rocking violently and their feet became unstable. Rose almost fell, but Yanagi caught her hand.

"Rose, would you like to do our first job as a pair?"

Yanagi suggested with a smile. She thought that this person was saying something stupid after all.

"That's good, but what's the strategy?"

"I'll inflict a wound on the head, and Rose will finish the wound with magic and defeat it."

"Okay!"

"Let's go!"

Yanagi pulled out his sword and had it enchanted with fire attribute magic, and then he stabbed the octopus. He jumped from the deck into the sea, aiming for the head of the octopus. Rose used ice magic to create a foothold for Yanagi, blocking the octopus' movements.

Yanagi moved to the ice platform and jumped high. Rose is confirming that Yanagi's sword sticks to the octopus's head...

"Brother, let go of your hand and step away!"

"Roger that!"

Rose sees the timing and casts a spell.

"Lightning!"

Bang!

The lightning-based magic passed through the sword and entered the octopus's body, making an electric sound as it was burnt by the lightning. A fragrant smell came out from the octopus' body. Yanagi put his arm around Rose's waist and grabbed her. And when he pulls out the sword from the octopus's head, he smells it.

"It smelled delicious. It was fragrant."

"Do you want to eat it?"

"I wonder."

Listened to Rose's answer, Yanagi laughed.

"Hey, guys, are you okay?"

Jatayu waved his hand from the deck.

"Yes! I'm going back to the ship now."

While Rose was thinking about how to get back on board, Yanagi took out his whip, hooked it to the sharp end of the ship, and single-handedly led Rose back onto the boat.

Moi was surprised by the giant octopus which seemed to knock her out, but she was uninjured. Due to Darga's quick judgment and movement, she fell to the floor and did not fall into the sea. The guards did their best to cut the calloused legs. If they don't cut it down, the weight of the steamed octopus will succumb to the boat and be dragged into the sea.

"You guys did something quite bold."

"No, I thought it was a pair training exercise. I'm glad it went well."

Rose said with a big smile, and Yanagi nodded and laughed.

"I believe in Rose, so I thought it would be okay."

"You worked together well. Well done!"

Darga nodded looked at the octopus and complimented him. He then supported Moi as he moved to a nearby bench and sat Moi down.

Rose sees the cut-off callus and asks Jatayu.

"What are we going to do with that octopus?"

"What do you mean? Do you want to eat?"

"No, I've never had it before, so I wonder what it tastes like."

When Rose asked, Miraiya shook her head.

"Rose, the pick-up-and-eat habit is a bad thing. Don't do that, okay?"

"Besides, this size octopus has a big taste and is not tasty. However, you can catch delicious fish by using it as bait. You can also catch delicious octopus, so let's catch it!"

Jatayu added to Miraiya's opinion.

"I agree."

Rinka also agreed to Jatayu's proposal. The servants and guards collected the cut-off calluses in buckets on the deck and cleaned the ship. The body of the octopus had already sunk into the sea.

The ship started moving again. While Yanagi cleans his sword with clean water, Rose watches the servants work downstairs. The servants said they would prepare the nets and move the ship to where they could catch many fish.

When they reached their destination, the servants cast their nets and threw the cut-up octopus legs into the sea. After a while, the sea surface moved and the fish gathered. Yanagi came to where Rose was and grabbed her shoulder to keep her from falling into the sea. When Rose raised the net, she was surprised to see so many fish. Of course, there were some octopuses of a decent size. She looked at the fish caught in the net with sparkling eyes, wondering what it would taste like. 

I'm looking forward to dinner tonight! Rose thought happily.