Chapter 2: Doris’ Pastry Shop
1277 Words
When Alice first realized that this world had no magic, no martial arts energy, she couldn’t help but wonder, “Wait… isn’t this the kind of world you’re supposed to have magic in? Why isn’t there any!? I had planned to become a noble sorceress!”
But reality had other plans. Alice didn’t become a magician—she became the first true magician in this world…
“Wow! Amazing! Incredible! Diana, how did you do that?”
(Note: Westerners often have multiple names; here, Diana is another name Alice uses.)
In a small backyard of a commoner’s home, seven or eight children sat in a circle, eyes wide with excitement, watching Alice perform her magic.
“Thank you, thank you for the applause!” Alice said with a bow, her simple but slightly fancy commoner’s clothes fluttering as she smiled brightly.
Though she was technically over thirty by her mental age, Alice found a strange joy in playing with these young children from the commoner district. She had noble friends too, but these kids reminded her of her past life—a world where she had been ordinary, just like them.
“All right~ I’ve kept my promise. I even added an extra trick today, so Doris, you get to claim your ‘sister’ time with me!” Alice said as she packed away her props, looking at a quiet, sweet girl sitting nearby—the real Doris.
Doris had short, deep brown hair and matching brown eyes. She was quiet and gentle, and Alice thought her smile was the most heartwarming thing, like a little neighbor girl. One of Alice’s favorite pastimes was just letting Doris sit quietly and sketch her—it felt… special.
Alice and Doris’ first meeting was both cliché and thrilling.
The Noah Plains had a river called the Emerald River. Its name sounded lovely, but Alice thought it was a little overdone. The locals depended on it for water and revered it—older generations even called it the River of Life.
The Emerald River looked its best in summer. Not only was it perfect for swimming, but the water would turn a vivid green unique to that season. Legends said that a beautiful goddess sometimes appeared there in summer, sent by the heavens to cool the river. Alice, however, knew the truth: “No factories, no pollution. In summer, the underwater plants and algae grow like crazy. Of course it looks green from the shore…” She had muttered this quietly, a little smug at knowing something no one else did.
Despite dismissing the legends, Alice still loved visiting the river. At ten, she finally convinced her father, Duke Alberon, to let her go—though a number of castle guards followed her.
It was a cool summer morning. Alice chose the early hours because, by afternoon, many men would come swimming in the river, sometimes completely nude, and Alice had zero interest in seeing that.
Dressed in simple commoner clothes, she sat on the grass, gazing at the green water. The faint scent of grass filled the air. Leaves rustled in the warm-cool summer breeze, and children played along the shore. Alice smiled, feeling peaceful watching their innocent laughter.
“Doris! Grab the branch!” one little girl cried as she fell into the water. She couldn’t swim, and most of her friends were only five or six, so they ran to call for help. A boy reached out with a stick, panicking.
“Help! Someone fell in!”
“Splash!” Without thinking, Alice jumped in.
Even she didn’t understand why she acted so instinctively. Her past self would never have done something so reckless. Perhaps it was the kindness of this world—the warmth she felt that made everything feel perfect.
Alice could swim, but she was only ten. The girl in the water was roughly her size, panicking. It seemed almost impossible to save her. They both sank for a moment…
“Splash! Splash! Splash!” Several guards jumped in as well, trained and quick, pulling both girls to shore safely.
Alice was fine, just swallowed some water, but the girl looked pale and unresponsive.
“Miss, you need to step back! The Duke—” one soaked guard warned.
“No!” Alice interrupted, moving to the girl and starting CPR.
The others didn’t understand why she treated a “lifeless body” with such urgency.
“Step aside!” Alice snapped, never stopping her actions. Tears ran down Doris’ face, some of the other children crying softly nearby.
“Cough… cough…” The girl gasped, water pouring from her mouth. Alice’s smile lit up her soaked face, and everyone watching felt that this was the most beautiful smile in the world.
The girl’s eyes cleared. “Are… are you an angel?”
Alice chuckled. “What’s your name?”
“Doris… Doris Miller.”
Alice noticed the girl’s small, soft lips and recalled the moments when she had given her CPR… so soft…
“Diana, what are you thinking?”
Now the yard was empty except for Alice and Doris.
“I’m thinking… when I can take you to my house to play,” Alice said. She hadn’t told Doris that she was a duke’s daughter, only claiming to be a merchant’s child.
“My house? Me? Really?” Doris blinked in surprise.
Doris was astonished. Even though merchants were commoners too, her own family’s status was far lower. She couldn’t imagine Alice inviting her over, though she trusted Alice wouldn’t mind her background.
“Yep! Next time, I’ll take you there!”
Alice paused. I should probably tell her who I really am… But would she still be friends with me if she knew I’m a noble? Nobles and commoners have such a wide gap…
“Never mind that for now—today, I’m taking you somewhere!” Alice said, grabbing Doris’ hand and running.
“Wait… slow down…”
Noah City, the largest city in the southern empire, had seen centuries of warfare but had prospered since the Norman dynasty unified the continent. The streets bustled with life. Among the crowd, two tiny figures darted—Alice and Doris, laughing with joy, while the guards trailing behind silently suffered.
“Look, Doris!” Alice pulled her toward a shop, pointing to the sign.
“D-o-r-i-s… P-a-s-t-r-y… Shop??” Doris stammered, eyes wide. Alice grinned proudly.
“Doris, didn’t you always want your own pastry shop? I had my dad open this shop for you—Doris’ Pastry Shop!” Alice hugged the stunned girl gently.
“No… no… this is too much! This isn’t just a gift! Take it back, Diana!” Doris stammered, then became serious.
“Listen, Doris,” Alice said, holding her hand. “I’ve wanted a pastry shop for ages, but I was too young. Then I heard about your dream—making delicious pastries for everyone. Your mother bakes wonderfully, so I convinced my father to open this shop for her to manage. You’ll help her. She’s worked too hard at the mill, and you’re still growing. You can’t overwork yourself—this is about your health too.”
Doris’ heart softened, remembering her hardworking mother. Tears welled up. “Diana… th-thank you…”
“Decided?”
“Yes.” Doris wiped her tears.
“Good! Let’s go inside and try some treats. A great pastry chef is here, and you can learn from him too!”
“Thank you… so much…”
“No more thank yous! Hmph! When you earn money, you owe me a feast!”
Doris laughed, a radiant, beautiful smile.
- Writer
