Sha Sha turned to look at Zhang Bo.
"Brother Zhang Bo."
Zhang Bo was about to remind the girl that the other person had apologized, so shouldn't she say it was all right—
"Hm?"
The sudden call caught Zhang Bo by surprise.
"What is it?"
He bent down.
"Am I an excellent princess?"
Sha Sha looked serious.
Zhang Bo: ...
What he'd said before was clearly...
"You'll become an excellent princess."
Zhang Bo nodded.
"As long as Sha Sha works hard."
Being a princess was every girl's dream.
But becoming an excellent princess wasn't actually all that easy.
A princess wasn't just about having a glamorous appearance.
What made a princess so admired was her uniquely exceptional poise and grace, setting her apart from ordinary people.
What was a princess?
A princess wasn't a model.
Nor was she a young lady.
A princess was a status.
And an honor.
Sha Sha pressed her lips together.
She was an excellent princess.
She would become an excellent princess.
"...Do princesses need to apologize?"
Sha Sha asked, voicing her confusion.
"Why wouldn't they?"
Zhang Bo was slightly taken aback.
This question...
"Princesses make mistakes, too."
"But a real princess doesn't run away from her mistakes."
"She bravely admits when she's wrong and does her best to make things right."
"That's what a truly excellent princess should do."
"Graceful."
"Someone people love and respect."
A few seconds later, Sha Sha looked away from Zhang Bo.
He didn't know how much of what he'd said had sunk in.
Or how much she'd understood.
Why had she suddenly asked him that?
Was it because of how the short-haired little girl had acted just now?
"...I'm sorry."
The girl tried to keep her expression natural.
But there was still a hint