Ch.2Guest

“Huh? Who are you guys?”

“Hello, mister!”

The next morning, Chloe energetically bowed her head to the gatekeeper at the city gate, and I awkwardly followed suit.

No matter how much they told her not to go, if she was going to go anyway, she came up with the idea of getting permission to go together… Chloe must be only 11 years old, but how can she be so clever?

“Um… I was told to show you this…”

“Don’t come here, this place is not for you—mmph!!”

*Click*

“…?”

The gatekeepers looked at the entry pass Chloe handed them—she had taken it from me, saying I would obviously go alone if I had it—and suddenly lifted their heads slightly and began to stand at attention.

Actually, rather than standing at attention, would “panicking” be the right word? Anyway, watching people who had been lazily doing their duties suddenly straighten their legs and backs all at once is quite an amusing sight.

“U-um…”

Seeing others treat her this way for the first time, Chloe, who had been acting so mature until just now, was now behaving exactly as one would expect of someone her age.

She became timid and hesitant when the soldiers, who had been acting like normal humans, suddenly showed cold, mechanical responses.

“Chloe, don’t worry. We just need to wait.”

“O-op—I mean, y-yes… young master.”

I reassured Chloe as I watched several soldiers run inside. Judging by those soldiers, it seems everything had been arranged in advance.

“…Come in.”

“Yes.”

As expected, not long after, an elderly man dressed in a neat butler’s uniform came out to greet us.

Seeing the two soldiers standing at attention behind him with their swords at the ready, he must be someone of quite high position.

However, it’s a bit uncomfortable how clearly his expression, tone, and actions show that he’s somewhat wary of us—he’s not even trying to hide it.

It’s so blatant that even Chloe, who’s sticking close to my back, notices the hostility and is a little scared.

……….

“Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah…”

After living in an ordinary house for 12 years, coming to such a clean and luxurious place feels very unfamiliar.

If I feel this way, how much more so for Chloe? Having never experienced a past life, Chloe is excessively intimidated by the lavish reception room.

*Thud*

“…Thank you.”

The expressionless maid, without making eye contact, served a glass of grape juice to both Chloe and me as we sat in our chairs.

With such coldness, it would be impossible to even start a conversation. Or is that cold attitude deliberately maintained to discourage talking? Well, I suppose all nobles would dislike chatty maids.

“Drink this at least.”

“Okay…”

Chloe holds the grape juice I handed her in her mouth, smiling slightly as if it would be a waste to gulp it down right away.

Until just now, she was a bit anxious, but now she’s regained some of her usual self. Sweet things really are the best for kids.

“Why did you insist on coming along anyway…”

“Uuu… but…”

“Anyway, when this is over—”

*Clunk*

The sound of the door opening cut my words short. Or more accurately, I stopped talking when I heard that sound.

‘…Hmm.’

Three maids, each holding different implements, entered and stood by the wall or held the doorknob while bowing their heads. Behind them appeared a middle-aged man. He was wearing clothes that gave off an elegant impression despite lacking any patterns or decorations.

The man’s eyes were slightly blue, and he had a distinctive beard around his mouth. He doesn’t just resemble the face I saw under the hood yesterday—he’s the exact same person.

“…Hello.”

“Haha, nice to meet you. Claude, we’ve met before, right?”

“Yes.”

Yesterday he was exuding such a gloomy atmosphere that I was reluctant to approach him, but today he’s giving off an aura that suggests getting involved with him would be troublesome. The conclusion is the same—he’s someone to keep at a distance.

Still, it’s somewhat of a plus that he’s not enforcing strict etiquette for our sake and is wearing a full smile on his face.

“Hmm, you seem to have already figured it out. Where should I begin… Right, Mari and I—”

“Excuse me…”

“Yes?”

“The other people…”

“It’s fine, they all know anyway.”

When he started to talk about my bloodline despite the maids being in the room, I hastily interrupted him, but the man before me—no, the Duke—dismissively answered as if it were nothing important. His attitude suggested, “Why make a fuss about such a trivial matter?”

…This is infuriating.

They all know? Then why did you cast out my mother? Why did you make her live alone? I can still hear my mother’s voice praising and speaking fondly of you—

*Grip*

“Ah, um…”

“Hmm…”

Chloe instantly noticed my anger, her face filling with panic as she grabbed the hem of my clothes. The Duke before us also seems to have noticed my anger, probably due to his experience with many people.

The relaxed atmosphere the Duke had created with his smile quickly became tense, and even the maids slightly furrowed their brows and glared at me.

‘Sigh…’

Those eyes from the maids aren’t the eyes of someone serving guests.

With subtle hostility mixed with contempt, they really do know everything.

“…Well, let’s get straight to the point. Here.”

Perhaps thinking that trying to calm me down would backfire, or maybe feeling his dignity was at stake, the Duke seems to have decided to ignore my anger.

Sitting in his chair, the Duke placed his hands on the table, leaned forward, and looked over Chloe and me before slowly opening his mouth.

“I am Charles, the head of the Bourgogne family and its rightful ruler. Claude, I offer you the honor of becoming a chamberlain of the Bourgogne family.”

“…”

“Ugh…”

This was unexpected. Not a servant, but a chamberlain.

Both are treated as the hands and feet of nobles, but the treatment of the latter is incomparably better.

The former literally handles all kinds of work, but the latter does more sophisticated tasks, and if you’re a chamberlain to a high noble like a Duke, no one would object even if you received a lower noble title.

I had promised Chloe to refuse any offer to work at the castle, but if it’s to be a chamberlain… hmm…

“Y-young master…”

“…Chloe.”

Knowing very well that I’m contemplating the offer, Chloe’s face is literally becoming deathly pale.

Even in this oppressive atmosphere, she’s trying her best to dissuade me by twisting her body ever so slightly so as not to offend the Duke.

‘Tsk, as if I would.’

*Swish*

“…!”

As we had agreed beforehand, I made the gesture of rubbing the bridge of my nose once, signaling rejection of the other party’s offer, and only then did Chloe calm down.

The noble title is somewhat tempting, but it’s crystal clear what kind of treatment I’d receive in a place full of people consumed by elitism. Just look at those maids’ eyes. I really want to poke them with my finger.

Above all, I’m confident I can ensure that Chloe and I can live comfortably without having to be someone’s chamberlain.

“You’re refusing?”

“…Yes.”

What? How did he notice… Ah, it must be because of Chloe.

Of course, it would be easy to guess something happened when Chloe, who was on the verge of tears, suddenly became calm.

“Can’t be helped. Then I’ll treat you as guests, so at least have a meal before you leave.”

“…Alright.”

His tone, which had been stiff until just now, instantly softened.

Only natural-born psychopaths would wear masks to hide their personality even from children, but this person doesn’t seem to be that type. This seems to be his true nature.

Hmm… I suppose it would be too much to refuse even the offer of a meal?

“I’ll have you eat separately, so don’t worry.”

So we can’t share a table with others.

I can’t tell if this is a kindness or isolation… but my instinct says it’s both.

“And why does this young lady call you ‘young master’? I was under the impression you had an adoptive sibling relationship.”

“Uh… who knows? She used to call me ‘big brother’ just fine, but suddenly started calling me ‘young master’ a few years ago.”

I don’t know the reason either. No matter how much I asked, she would only give evasive answers, constantly talking in circles.

Chloe, who always used to cling to me calling me “big brother,” suddenly started keeping a subtle distance and calling me “young master” about two or three years ago, which made me a bit sad.

Now, well, I’ve come to think of “young master” as just another nickname for “big brother.” The emotion and tone in her voice haven’t changed at all.

Oh, and occasionally, like just now when emotions run high, she clings to me, reverting to her old self, which is very cute. I wish she was always like that.

“…Hmm. Well, I understand. Prepare the meal.”

“Yes.”

The Duke looked down at Chloe, who was watching nervously, let out a slight breath through his nose, and then nodded, ordering the maid beside him to bring us a meal.

The maid who received the order immediately bowed deeply and then backed out of the room.

“After you finish your meal, I’d like to ask a few questions, if that’s alright?”

“Yeeees…”

“That’s fine.”

The Duke, who had been conversing only with me until now, is now addressing Chloe as well.

Chloe slowly nods in agreement to the Duke’s question, and I also agree, saying it’s fine with me.

“Good, I’ll be going now, so enjoy your meal, you two. About the chamberlain position, feel free to let me know if you change your mind. Everyone, follow me.”

As if he didn’t need to hear our response, the Duke turned around toward the reception room door, and left through the door that the waiting maids had opened for him.

The reception room, which had been full of maids until just now, now has only Chloe and me.

This luxury still feels a bit awkward, but it’s a little better now that it’s just the two of us.

Chloe seems to feel the same way; I can clearly see her stiff body becoming relaxed as the tension dissipates.