Charlotte Katakuri was a...complicated man. Yuna had gotten an inkling of that from the first time they'd met in Big Mom's throne room, and then again when he'd arrived to escort her to their wedding ceremony. But the extent of that complexity hadn't become clear until after they'd officially wed. In the days following, the former Princess began to learn he had many rigid rules that made him who he was. Most didn't make sense at all. Well, from Yuna's perspective at least.
He was a man who refused to show his face to anyone, including his own siblings and now not even her, his wife. The times they happened to cross paths in the week after their wedding-such occasions were few and far between, as the 2nd son of Big Mom worked relentlessly at his Minister and Sweet Commander duties-he was never seen without that peculiar scarf. His scarlet hair and piercing eyes were all she could ever see of his face, and they always seemed to dismiss her before she'd even gotten a word out in greeting.
She wasn't too concerned about what he may look like underneath the fluffy accessory. It was more a curiosity than a fear. Yuna would be hypocritical if something as superficial as appearance could sway her opinion of him. But, really, the scarf was more than just a cover for his face. She chose to view it as the divide of trust between them. A reminder that he viewed her as nothing more than a stranger, if even begrudgingly, his wife by law. They knew so little about each other. A week wasn't nearly enough time to really get to know someone on an intimate level, but Yuna at the very least was willing to try bridging that gap and making this partnership something more.
Katakuri? Well, she didn't truly know what he felt about such an idea.
He was aloof, distant, and barely gave her the time of day in the moments he happened to be around. Never sticking around long, gone as quick as he had come, and stating he was a busy man that didn't have time to dawdle. But she sensed an honor, a patience, and something more underneath that icy exterior. Daigon might have called it 'seeing the good in things that didn't deserve it.' Regardless, Yuna had promised that she'd make this work somehow, and she had no intention of breaking that vow. She'd made it this far. No going back now.
His peculiar creed of never sleeping on his back still held true and astounded her the most out of all of his baffling rules. In fact, other than their wedding night, Katakuri hadn't retired to their room by the time Yuna went to bed. Even when she tried her damndest to stay awake waiting up on him, she could not manage to ward off sleep long enough to see him come back. And by morning, there was never any evidence of him having returned at all. If he was taking the time to rest, it was elsewhere. How uncomfortable and unnecessary. What was he hoping to prove?
A former Princess, she understood that as the Minister of Flour there was rarely a moment when something did not require his attention or approval. Assisting her father back home in running the country and making important decisions, she was no stranger to hard work and could recognize a good leader when she saw one. His absence itself wasn't the issue. In fact, she had quickly grown to admire his drive and dedication. Perhaps he wasn't as warm and friendly on the surface as her father had been, but he still cared enough to take his responsibilities seriously and commit the necessary time and effort to do them right. Such a trait appealed to Yuna a great deal.
Still, he had to sleep at some point or another, right? Yet she had been left to sleep alone in the bedroom every night since the wedding.
On top of all that, she'd been introduced to the concept of a 'merienda' the day after when their private chefs prevented her from entering the study that afternoon.
"Our sincerest apologies, Yuna-sama." The head chef had said with a deep bow, standing beside his two compatriots to block the doorway she intended to enter. "Katakuri-sama is currently attending to his Merienda and cannot be disturbed."
She'd frowned, unfamiliar with the term. "Merienda?"
"You have not been told about the meriendas?" One of them questioned, and her head shook. "The Minister sets times aside each day to meditate and partake of his snacks and tea in peace. He cannot have his dignified mealtime sullied by anyone."
"I'm his wife." Was her incredulous response.
"Katakuri-sama insists upon it, no exceptions. Even for you."
"It is an incredibly important part of his day that cannot be disturbed. You'll be able to speak with him once he has finished his mealtime. We will let him know you came asking for him." Another chimed in seriously, and based on their collective expressions, no amount of asking or reasoning would change their minds. They were loyal to a fault to their Minister, and despite marrying into this life, she had yet to do anything to earn their undying loyalty. They would not budge. Yuna was powerless here.
With a sigh, she'd left to find something else to do. In the end, he hadn't even bothered to come find her to ask what she'd needed. Or perhaps the chefs had decided she wasn't important enough to mention to him after all.
Overall the first week of being married to Katakuri was more challenging than she had thought it would be; learning about and accepting all of his strange quirks, his strange rules, barely seeing him at all, and feeling less useful than a broken mirror. She'd anticipated differences of opinion, perhaps personality traits that would put her off a bit, not entire parts of himself that he refused to allow her to see.
Yuna was still trying to figure out where in the grand scheme of Totto Land she fit. It was obvious that Katakuri believed he had no need or desire for a wife. His avoidance of her thus far couldn't have made that clearer. The longest conversation she could remember having with him was the morning after their wedding, when he explained that she was not confined to the home and was free to explore the island as she saw fit. She was welcome to ask their home's staff for assistance should she need anything, but that she should be careful not to get herself into trouble or cause problems with the citizens in town, as he didn't have time to keep watch on her, given his responsibilities.
She'd nodded without much of a reply, blindsided by the blunt admission. At the very least, it was nice not to be confined to her room. Komugi Island was rather large, and the promise of exploring and meeting her people was a welcome one. Given she had nothing else to do, no responsibilities or jobs to complete, it would also relieve some of her boredom. And with luck, it would distract her from the mountain of a challenge that her husband was proving to be.
"I think I'll give Hakuriki Town a visit today." Yuna told Juno, one of the maids, one afternoon later that week. She stepped up beside the blue-haired maid as she neared the home's entrance. "I've only gotten to explore it a little, and there is nothing for me to do here at home. But I should return before dinner is served."
The short-haired bluenette looked up from her sweeping and flashed her a smile that barely reached her eyes. "Enjoy yourself, Yuna-sama." She dipped into a courteous bow, then continued on with her chore.
The former Princess sighed to herself, watching Juno work for a moment. As expected. Polite, but short, and straight back to work. Everyone here-the maids, the chefs, even the groundskeepers-seemed so intent to keep their distance from her. It was maddening! Back home, she'd had such a good relationship with all of the castle staff, being told when they married or had children, and met their families and knew many of them by name.
Here, talk was stilted. Formal and superficial. And while she no longer retained the title of Princess, Yuna had never been surrounded by such strict behavior than she did as a Minister's wife. She supposed a ridiculous degree of decorum was better than open hostility, but it left her feeling isolated. Lonely. Desperate for someone to talk to on a personal level.
Just one more thing she'd have to fight for: friends.
"I've heard the bakery in the town square is having a sale today. That's what a few of the chefs said, at least." Yuna mentioned with cheer, adjusting her dress sleeves to ensure that nothing peeked out from underneath. "They say they have the most delicious lemon tarts. Have you tried them before?"
"No, I'm sorry. With my duties, I don't have much time to visit the town." Juno's eyes stayed firmly glued on her broom as she continued sweeping the hallway. "But I'm sure if they say so, it must be true."
"Perhaps." Disappointment colored her tone. Juno still remained so aloof. No luck in getting her to open up. The shorter woman went about her cleaning, still listening intently but making it clear that she expected no other acknowledgement from her taller superior. Yuna's hand reached for the handle of the door, but it took a moment's pause before she fully pushed out into the open air.
No need to rush, or feel frustrated from a lack of progress so soon, Yuna told herself. One week was a remarkably short period of time in retrospect-considering she would be here the rest of her life it was a tiny blip, really-and Yuna couldn't expect everyone to immediately want to get to know her, despite her own enthusiasm to get to know them. Totto Land was not Seiiki, no matter how much she wished it to be. Maybe it was necessary to slow down, to let them become used to her presence on Komugi Island first before pursuing friendships. Yes, that sounded like a good idea. Slow and steady won the race, and this was no different.
Shaking off her dismay, she began walking the path towards the city's main street, enjoying the morning sun and turning her thoughts to her surroundings.
Yuna had long past gotten used to the sugary air that permeated everywhere in Totto Land. Even indoors, it somehow seeped through the cracks in the stones, or through the tiny space available in an almost-shut window. But here on Komugi Island, the ever-present smell of baked pastries overpowered even that.
At the height of morning when the bakers in town started fresh batches of their various pastries, Yuna liked to be outside or nearby a window to experience the aroma in full. It reached even Katakuri's home on the top of the hill from the city below. And as she headed down the path to town, her nose was immediately filled with the heavenly scent, and with the accompaniment of the sun's warm rays from the sky overhead, her disappointment from moments ago eased even further.
The path was lined with pastel-colored trees, their trunks twisted and fantasy-like. Seiiki was predominantly covered with thick maples and oaks, their leaves large and heavy. The leaves here were small but grew in excess, shielding her from the worst of the sun with their delicate green leaves and blanketing the ground in something of a carpet. Yuna was no longer surprised that even to the smallest details, Totto Land strove to be a picture of paradise, a fantasy land. Quite extraordinary.
The path wound gently around the base of the hill, until it deposited her at the very end of the main street leading to the town square. The well-maintained stone pathway that lead up to her home became much more ornate as she entered the town, the bricks arranged in such a way to create patterns and beautiful mosaics underfoot. One would expect them to be painted, but they all retained their natural reddish-tan coloring.
Her eyes finally rose to the town itself, the many buildings created from pastry- or bread-related foods. It had taken awhile to get used to the concept of using food or food-related substances as building material. Katakuri's home was made of wood and stone as any normal building would, though it's decor and style was still designed with food in mind. But as for the town itself, many buildings were literally edible. They looked and smelled delicious enough to eat, of course, but Yuna had quickly learned that consumption of the buildings was a strictly enforced law punishable by fines and even jail time for repeat offenses. Mama-she would have to get used to referring to the Yonko as such-was wholly intolerant of such crimes.
Those citizens she passed took notice of her arrival into Hakuriki. It was hard not to notice her, to be fair. Though she still stood several feet above the rest of the townspeople, it didn't affect the way they treated her in the slightest. Her height was as much a non-issue as the color of her dress or the cut of her hair. It was one of the things she liked about Totto Land over her own country.
Many sent her quiet, respectful nods. Or even the very occasional muttering of 'Yuna-sama' as she walked by. It was a general courtesy at best. Their faces lacked the excitement and joy so prevalent when she went out to greet the people of Seiiki. All they knew about her was that she was the wife of their Minister, and that alone granted her certain respect. Any goodwill past that, she would need to earn herself. A task she was more than willing to take up. Garnering favor was as second nature to her as breathing. It wouldn't take her long to view them as much her people as the former slaves of Seiiki had been.
Each greeting, no matter how stiff or superficial, she met with a bright smile and a bit of polite conversation. It wasn't even forced, as there were so many unusual and unique people that she was excited to know more about.
Eventually making her way to the bakery in question, she noticed a long line extending outside the shop. Dozens of people stood patiently waiting, chatting amongst themselves. Occasionally someone would exit the doorway with a bag of their goodies in hand, smiles marking their faces. News of the sale had spread far and wide.
Yuna's eyes followed the line of people until she finally saw the end further on, trailing off towards a few boutique stores several buildings down the street. She quickened her steps to hurry to get in line, knowing that the wait would be quite awhile already. No need to make it any longer by standing there gawking.
Reaching the very end, she stepped into place behind the last person in line. From the distance, the bakery was hard to make out. Ah, well. That was alright. She didn't have anything else to do that day and being among the citizens for awhile would surely do her some good.
The man standing in front of her, an orange-toned eel-like fishman from the looks of it, glanced back at her with surprise. He turned and tilted his head up to properly look at her, which garnered her attention.
"Yuna-sama...was there something you needed of me?"
The question made her frown, confusion evident in her expression. "I'm sorry?"
"You're standing there, so I figured...you must've needed to speak with me." The man gestured to her with a scaly hand. "I'm not sure what I might be able to do for you, but...Did you have a question?"
"Oh, no, I'm waiting in line for the bakery as well." Yuna pointed towards the front of the line further down the way. He turned to look where she had indicated, then gave her a shake of his head.
"But why?"
"Why?" Yuna couldn't quite understand his question, looking around quizically. "I don't know what you mean. This is the end of the line, isn't it? Am I in the wrong place?"
"No, you're not mistaken. It's just...There's no need for you to wait. You can go into the shop and get something whenever you wish. Those in Mama's family are very busy, and it would be demeaning for them to have to wait alongside us." He explained uncomfortably, gesturing back towards where the entrance to the shop was. "Why don't you go inside and get yourself something?"
"Hmm..." Her head tilted, looking ahead at the long line. They'd managed to move a few feet ahead, but it was still a slow go. No matter. Yuna looked back down to the fishman and gave a soft smile. "That's alright. I don't mind standing in line. Besides, food tastes so much better after you've waited for it, right?"
Her response made him frown even further, and even a few people ahead of him had now turned to see what the commotion was. "But..."
A tap on her dress-covered leg made her turn, and she spotted a round-shaped woman looking just as distraught as the fishman had been. She carried a bag of goodies from the bakery they were all waiting for.
"Here, Yuna-sama. Why don't you take my things?" She held the bag up for the seafoam-haired woman to grab. "A member of Mama's family and Katakuri-sama's wife should not be made to wait."
Her willingness to give away the things she'd just purchased was truthfully a bit alarming. Why were they so concerned about this? Yuna's hands reached out to the bag, but instead of taking it as the woman intended, she pushed it back towards her gently. "I cannot. You purchased these for yourself."
"They can be bought again."
"It is too much. It must have cost you a lot of beli."
The woman grew more adamant, pushing back against her gently rejection. "I insist, really."
"And I refuse."
Yuna's arms crossed over themselves and she held up her head. If this was their expectation of her, she would put it to rest immediately. "I am no different than you, Minister's wife or not. And I do not wish to be treated like rules don't apply to me. I'll gladly wait in line and enjoy this sunny day with the rest of you, and purchase my own treats. It is only fair, and it would make me happiest not to be given such special treatment."
A silence fell over those closest to her who had heard her speak. Most looked at her with shock or disbelief. Oh dear. Here she was, causing a scene. Katakuri had warned her not to, but this just wasn't something she felt right sitting back and allowing. If this was the precedent that she set, letting them treat her as if she were above them all, Yuna would never manage to make friends in her time here. She didn't want servants, she wanted companions.
A tinge of worry fell over her features. Perhaps her words had come across a little harsh. She softened her posture and twisted her fingers together in front of her.
"I don't want you all to be so stiff or afraid around me. It's already intimidating enough to be in a land that isn't my home country. Everything is all so different. Please, treat me as you would any of your neighbors, and we can all get along. Is that alright?"
Another few seconds of silence passed, until heads began nodding in reluctant agreement. Clearly they weren't sure how not to treat the wife of their island's Minister with deference. If it was her direct request, they would try, but the idea must have been extraordinarily alien. At least she had managed to ease the tension and calm them down. Surely Katakuri would be hearing about it either way, but she had handled it for now.
The woman who had offered her items finally relented, and hugged the bag closer to her body. Then, she gave a small smile up to the former Princess. "If that is what you would like."
"Thank you."
"Be sure to try the lemon tarts. This bakery sells the best ones you can find on the island." And with that, she turned and began walking down one of the smaller side streets. Presumably towards her home.
Slowly, the crowd began to turn away now that the spectacle had passed. Things had calmed down, and the line moved ahead several feet. The fishman standing in front of her, however, turned to regard her again when they could step no further.
"If it's alright for me to say...you're a strange person, Yuna-sama."
She smiled, making it clear that she wasn't offended in the slightest. "Am I?"
He nodded. "You were a Princess before coming here, right?"
"Yes, I was."
"Did your people treat you that way too? Like...a friend?"
"For the most part, they did." She explained, delighted that she was having an actual conversation with someone. The eel fishman actually looked her in the eyes, listening carefully. "There were some who refused to. Our Captain of the Navy always insisted he treat me in accordance with my title, but he liked to lecture me like he was my father sometimes too. He was very protective."
Her face took on a rueful smile, thinking of the salty seaman in particular. She let slip a small sigh. "I miss him. And everyone In Seiiki, of course. But I'm sure they are doing much better now that they are under Big M-...Mama's protection."
That was her hope, at least. She hadn't received any communication from them at all. Being a week after the wedding, Yuna had anticipated some sort of message from the king or her brothers. They would surely swear to find some way to rescue her or some other ridiculous promise.
Denji especially. He hadn't been pleased the last time they'd spoken, when she'd been departing with Daigon to leave for Totto Land. He'd made his negative opinion on Yuna's acceptance of the arranged marriage plain and clear. At least her father was there to keep their dissatisfaction in check and prevent them from doing something stupid.
"Well...I hope you come to like Totto Land enough that you don't regret leaving your country. This place is a paradise, in it's own way." The fishman said, offering a slanted smile. His teeth were short and sharpened as an eel's would be. "You seem nice...if a little odd."
Yuna laughed.
"Thank you. I appreciate the honesty, and the concern." She looked over the many people and the fantastical town once again, taking in the delicious scent of pastries heavy in the air. "I wouldn't worry, though. I have a feeling I'll grow to love this place."
Her newly-purchased pastries in hand, Yuna wandered further into Hakuriki Town towards a section she hadn't yet explored. Being Komugi Island's capital city, it was large and spread over a vast portion of the southern coast. It would take her weeks to fully learn the ins and outs of the place, and so figured a walk around the unexplored parts every day or so was a good idea.
The shopping district surrounding the main plaza slowly morphed into a residential zone the further she went, dango houses and bread loaf apartments lining the streets. They came in all sizes, some big enough for even her to walk through the door. Others so small she feared stepping on them by accident. What sort of race were as tiny as mice? None that Yuna had ever heard of. Remarkable.
Her bag of treats tucked under one arm, she rounded a bend in the street and noticed that the space opened up to reveal a beautiful lake, the water blue and crystalline. It wasn't large by any standard. One could see it in its entirety from where she stood on the path, but it was big enough to encourage people of all ages to play in it.
Yuna smiled, seeing parents sitting on the shore as they watched children splash around in the shallow waters, while teens and adults swam out where it was deeper. A few donut-shaped boats and tubes floated on the water, occasionally flipping over as people leaned too far over the edge to look below them, sending them cascading into the water with a mighty splash.
Spotting a nearby bench, Yuna went over and sat with her goodies, content to observe and enjoy the sunny day among the others. So caught up in their fun, most didn't even notice her presence nearby. Good. She didn't want to disturb the fun.
Setting her bag on the bench beside her, she reached in and took out of the the lemon tarts that she'd purchased from the store. It smelled light and sweet and sour all at once, and looked absolutely divine. Eager to have a taste of the so well-known pastry, Yuna leaned in and took a solid bite.
Just as delicious as it looked, the pastry itself was light and fluffy, perfectly balanced with the tartness of the lemon, but a dusting of powdered sugar on top made the sourness not too overwhelming. One bite turned into two. And then suddenly the whole thing was gone before she knew it. Oh, but each bite had been worth every minute of the long wait it had taken to acquire them.
Unable to help herself, she reached into the bag and grabbed the second tart that she had planned on saving for later. That one too followed the first, gone in just a few bites and just as delicious. Yuna hummed her delight, savoring the last mouthful before being forced to swallow it. Without having had any other lemon tart on the island of Komugi, she could confidently say that was definitely the best around. She couldn't imagine anything tasting better than that one had.
Yuna looked into the bag again, and saw the last tart she'd bought. The desire to bring it back for Juno to try dampened her desire for a third tart, but she did take a moment to seriously think otherwise. No, no. This one was for Juno. An olive branch and perhaps something they could both bond over as a first step towards friendship.
"Jeez, you eat like a pig."
Yuna swung her gaze up at the harsh remark, seeing two teenaged girls approaching her bench. Clad in pink dresses and horizontal striped tights, both looked so remarkably similar in more ways than one. There was no way the two brunettes weren't related, their near-matching outfits aside.
"Did you get lost or something?" The one with the poofed ponytail sneered in amusement, hands on her hips in a chastising gesture. She pointed behind her shoulder with a thumb. "You live that direction, in case you forgot."
"Poor Big Bro. His wife isn't just weak, she's dumb too." The other chimed in with a sad shake of her head. "Do you think Mama would let him divorce her?"
The blatant mocking and hostility took Yuna aback. Neither female looked familiar, and she was certain nothing she'd done had offended or hurt anyone in the week she'd resided in Totto Land. Recovering enough from her initial surprise, she blinked a few times but finally picked up on what they said after a moment.
"You must be Katakuri's siblings." It made sense, however who these two were was still a mystery. Yuna held her hands up in apology. "You'll have to forgive me, I don't quite remember your names."
The brunette who's dress sported a skull gave a disgusted scoff. "How rude!"
"I knew she wouldn't care enough to bother memorize them." The second one crossed her arms and gave a typical teenaged pout. Her expression made it clear that Yuna was no more important than the dirt beneath her feet. "What does she care? We're just here to protect her tiny little country."
"Actually, I hope to know all your names, soon enough. 85 names is a lot to remember in only a week." Yuna admitted, hoping her sincerity would calm just a bit of their annoyance. It would have been a vain hope to think that everyone-or anyone at all-would readily accept her as Katakuri's wife. And with how large and dangerous most of his family was, the odds were even lower that she would be seen in a positive light.
Of course, no one really anticipated having so many in-laws, but this was the life she had ahead of her.
The one with the heart on her dress and poofy ponytail gave a disappointed sigh and tilted her head. "Maybe, but now that you're part of the family-"
"Barely." The other interjected.
"-you have to know that sort of thing. And honestly, if you're really that dumb, it's an insult to Big Bro Katakuri."
"We can't have you tarnishing his perfect reputation."
They nodded in unison, and Yuna decided to let them lecture her as they saw fit. She needed to make a good first impression, and seeing as they were teens at most, shutting down their claims of her stupidity-telling them they were wrong-would only backfire in the end. Teens were ruthless when they didn't like you. Better not to give them another reason to dislike her.
"I'm Akimeg." The skull-adorned dressed one introduced. Her rolled eyes made it clear that she felt it was a waste of breath. "And this is Allmeg."
"Akimeg and Allmeg. It's nice to officially meet both of you." She said, making sure she smiled in a way that wouldn't seem forced but repeating their names in her head a few times for good measure. While she understood their suspicion of her, the insults were a bit extreme. It wasn't easy to just let that go when it came unprovoked. "I'm Yuna. I'll make sure to remember your names for next time."
Allmeg gave another scoff. "Yeah, duh. We know who you are. We aren't dumb like you."
"You're not even who we're looking for." Akimeg threw a hand dismissively to the side. "It's just a freak coincidence that we ended up in the same place. Anyway...have you seen Big Bro Katakuri? We need to tell him something."
That explained why they were out here on his island. Whether it was due to their irritation in not finding their brother or simply her presence here, the continued ridicule stung. But now wasn't the time to say all she wanted to. Pick your battles, as Daigon would always say.
Pushing down her pride, Yuna shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure where he is. He didn't tell me where he would be for the day."
"Hmph. Figures."
"No use wasting our time with you, then. We'll find him ourselves."
"Not like we needed your help anyway."
"We'd better call the fan club. Maybe Pudding or Joconde have seen him."
Neither female bothered glancing Yuna's direction again as they turned and walked the way they had come. The former Princess watched them go, needing a few seconds to wrap her head around the entire conversation that had just occurred. Well, it had much less been a conversation than a one-sided lambasting.
Akimeg and Allmeg were one of many siblings Yuna would have to contend with, and if this was the average attitude they would have towards her...she was in for a hell of a time winning favor from her husband's family.
She turned back to observe the lake. Try as she might to still feel some enjoyment from the people playing in the waters, the whole experience from moments ago had stolen some of her enthusiasm away. Even the hint of the lemon tart's taste in her mouth had been sullied by their venomous and intentionally hurtful words.
With a heavy sigh, Yuna closed the pastry bag and stood from the bench, wandering off to return home.
"Welcome back, Yuna-sama." Juno greeted with the appropriate amount of cheer expected of her. Her broom was gone, replaced by a mop and bucket. "I hope your outing was enjoyable."
"It was." She replied automatically, deciding not to mention her run-in with Katakuri's sisters. She closed the door behind her and relished the cooler air of the interior of the home. After hours in the sun, the pleasant temperature had veered a bit on the hotter side. "I tried the lemon tarts everyone was talking about. They are just as delicious as they say."
"Oh?"
"Yes. In fact," Yuna held up the bag she had carried with her all the way here, "I brought you one so you could try it too."
As she predicted, Juno's eyes widened and she waved one hand in front of her in denial. "That is unnecessary, Yuna-sama. I'm not-"
"Come on, I'm sure you're just as curious to taste it as I was. I promise you, they're delicious." The bag was pushed closer to her open hand. Yuna tossed in a charming smile for good measure. "It would make me happy to have someone to share these treats with, and you have been doing such a wonderful job with upkeep of our home. Consider it a thank you."
Her composure in total disarray, Juno's expression was torn between slight horror and bewilderment. The lady of the house offering her a snack...was it really such a strange concept? Did Totto Land not reward their valuable workers? If not, Yuna hoped to change such a policy now that she was here. And if Katakuri disapproved...well, the former Princess wouldn't back down.
"But I..." Juno went on, however she never finished her sentence. The blue-haired woman finally glanced down at the offered treat, the fight in her posture easing as she delicately took the bag from Yuna's fingers. Adjusting the mop handle to settle in the crook of her elbow and free her other hand, she looked inside of the pastry bag to see the tart in question. "If you're sure..."
Yuna nodded once. "I am."
After a glance up at the lady of the house, Juno reached in and took out the lemon tart. She gave it an experimental sniff, before biting into it. Yuna could tell the moment her tastebuds fully translated the flavor, eyebrows shooting up in surprise and delight. Her hesitation momentarily forgotten, the maid bit off another piece, then another. Her pastry was gone in a flash.
"It's good, isn't it?"
"That's..." To her surprise and delight, she saw a timid smile lift the corners of her mouth. And this one was much more genuine than the ones she typically sent Yuna's direction. "I guess they were right. That was the best thing I've ever tasted."
Then, the fear returned to her gaze. "Oh, dear. I scarfed it down so quickly, I'm sorry for the poor manners. How rude of me..."
Yuna let out an amused laugh, taking the now-empty pastry bag from the maid. "Oh, don't worry. You should have seen me earlier! I couldn't help but stuff my face with two of them, right in the middle of the town. I imagine I looked like quite ridiculous."
She laughed again, imagining the expressions her face much have pulled while partaking of her own lemon tarts, and wondered if that had been Akimeg's and Allmeg's first impressions of her. No wonder they thought her a pig. It was a little easier to think about, now that she had time to dwell on the moment.
Her own laughter made Juno's small smile return, even giving off a quiet chuckle of her own. Her hands had returned to the handle of her mop, but the stiffness in her shoulders had eased a large degree.
"Thank you for the lemon tart, Yuna-sama. I appreciate that you thought of me while in town."
"Of course. If I see something particularly tasty, I'll be sure to bring you some to try." She promised, flashing a pleasant smile. With a light heart and the promise of being able to make a friend or two in the coming weeks, Yuna headed further into the home.477Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLAUzDmZU2
