episode_0060

[Episode 60] – My first friend (1)

The road to the forest where the hunting competition is held.

I was busy suppressing motion sickness while reading the documents I had organized in the shaking carriage. What is written in the document is the details of the ‘wife’ who invited the hunting competition and her family. First of all, this information was essential because I was planning to stay at my wife’s mansion for a day before the hunting competition.

Countess Serena.

One of the five wives who attended the princess’s first tea party, and the wife who invited the princess to the ‘hunting competition’. Also, she was the mother of a young girl who cried and hugged a girl named Emily after seeing a wolf at a tea party.

‘The husband, the count, died in an accident the year before last… The count’s property was inherited by his wife, but the count’s younger sister, who is currently unmarried, has inherited the count and is leading the family like the countess… The current count’s family What we are most concerned about is our joint venture with Mrs. Sergio…’

When I first read the part about the count’s ‘younger sister’ taking over the family line, I was honestly a little surprised, but when I thought about it again, it wasn’t really impossible in this world.

To begin with, this country was once a country where a ‘queen’ held the title. It was not surprising since there were even two women in ministerial positions.

It would be difficult to make a mistake when meeting the countess, so it was convenient to memorize things that could become landmines in advance. I frowned, thinking I had it all memorized, then turned my head to look at the princess.

The princess must have been surprised to be outside the castle for the first time in her life, and after getting into the carriage, she was busy looking out the window. How amazing would it be to see things you had only learned in books and classes appear before your eyes? Although the royal castle was not a narrow place, it was still an infinitely narrow place compared to the outside.

‘Well… this is my first time coming out of the royal castle, too.’

It was probably my first time outside the royal castle, but I wasn’t as impressed as the princess. I just thought, ‘Oh, this is what it feels like.’ All I can think about is Like a princess, she didn’t exclaim in admiration for every single thing she passed by. Isn’t it just a difference in perspectives between children and adults?

The princess couldn’t even close her mouth and was too busy asking Einsel about every single thing she passed by. A windmill spinning in the middle of a village, grains ripening golden on a wide field, even a bird resting for a moment on a tree.

The curiosity of the princess who first came out into the world was unstoppable. The princess’s endless questions were so difficult for Ainsel that he cried out to me for help. Ainsel, who came up to my earrings after a long time, whispered to me in a tired voice.

-Vivian… It’s already been 10 hours… Can you take the princess’s questions for me for a moment…?

“why me?”

-yes…? Why me…?

“Now you don’t even care about me and only come to me when you need me? Do I look that easy? ‘Mirror Fairy’, who didn’t even sign a contract with me?”

-Oh no, are you still upset?! I apologized, right?!

Hearing Ainsel’s voice shouting in bewilderment, I hummed and snorted softly. I hated Ainsel to death, who no longer came to the main body in my room, but lived in the princess’s necklace and only came to me when needed.

Although I said I would forgive Ainsel for not saying anything to me or coming to see me during the princess’s ‘runaway incident’, it was still difficult for me to forgive him easily. How absurd it was when I fell asleep and said, ‘I don’t remember.’

“Ah~ Maybe it’s because Ainsel is a fairy, but he doesn’t really know how people feel~ Do you think my feelings will be eased that easily after he just apologized?”

-You said you would forgive me!!

“Is it because you fell asleep that you don’t remember?”

-ah!

After letting out a short sigh, Ainsel finally let out a tearful sound. When I heard that sound, I started laughing without knowing, tapped my knee, and called out to the princess who was looking out from the window. Then the curious creature jumped onto my lap and smiled brightly.

“Titania, is it so amazing outside?”

“yes! It’s fun because there are so many things I’m seeing for the first time! It’s interesting because there are so many things that are a little different from what I’ve only seen in books. And the bird called a swan in the lake we passed by earlier was also mentioned in the book-”

So Ainsel asked me for help? The sight of the princess constantly showing off her knowledge just made me laugh. Seeing them chatting so excitedly, I thought to myself, ‘Should I have gone out of the castle a little earlier?’ and I felt somewhat sorry.

When I glanced at the window, the driver escorting us outside the window made eye contact with me and nodded. It was a signal that they would soon arrive at their destination, the Count’s house. I interrupted the princess’s conversation while stroking her head as she chattered non-stop like a chick on my lap.

“It’s good to be amazed, but I guess we’ll get there soon.”

“yes? “Already?”

“Already? “Didn’t you leave early in the morning and arrive late at night?”

The sun had set outside the carriage and it was already dark. When the princess also looked out the window, she opened her eyes wide and looked outside, as if amazed at how much time had already passed. As time passed, the speed of the carriage gradually decreased, and then it completely slowed down and stopped.

“Her Royal Highness, we have arrived at Count Serina’s house.”

The escort knight knocked on the carriage and announced that he had arrived at the count’s house. When I glanced outside through the window, I noticed that the count’s maids and servants had gathered in front of the front door and were busy bowing to greet us, as if they had already known that we were arriving.

The door opened, and when I got out of the carriage, I saw a familiar face among the crowd of people and smiled. Then he held the princess’s hand and walked out to where there was a familiar face. To the side of Lady Serena, who invited me to a hunting competition.

“Madam Serena.”

“Welcome to Count Serena. Her Royal Highness Queen Vivian. And, Princess Titania.”

Countess Serena, who had bowed her head, raised her head and introduced the woman standing next to her. Even compared to Countess Serena, she has a younger face and a delicate face that looks like she is still in her early twenties. The woman who greeted me hesitantly, probably because she was very nervous, bowed her head and introduced herself.

“My name is Yvette Serena, and I am currently the head of the Serena Countess family.”

“My name is Hailey Serena, wife of former Count Serena.”

After the two women introduced themselves, a very nervous young lady came into view next to Lady Serena. The young lady cried while looking at the wolf, then fell to the floor and cried. The young lady was very nervous, bowed her head, and greeted me in a voice so loud that it almost pierced my ears.

“Ba, ba, Viola Serena! It is said! A visit from Her Majesty the Queen and the Princess, sincerely! welcome! That, and this, I made this myself…!”

Viola took out two cute little flower bouquets that she had hidden on her back, came out at a quick pace, walked over to the princess, and handed her the bouquets. When the princess smiled brightly after receiving the bouquet, Viola seemed to have relaxed a little and smiled too.

I stroked Viola’s head and handed her a cute little bouquet, a cute little bouquet of silver bells. When I looked at the bouquet, which felt like it had been made by a child with a lot of thought, without any help from adults, I couldn’t hide the laughter that came out.

“Hehe, I’m glad you welcomed me like this, Viola. Please take good care of me while I stay here.”

“Yes, yes!”

*

When we arrived at the count’s house, we first took a short rest, and then we were led by Viola’s hand and moved to the restaurant. When we arrived at the restaurant, the food seemed to have been prepared with more care than usual. It’s okay if it doesn’t go this far…

“Si, do you like the meal…?”

“…don’t be so nervous. “It’s a great dinner.”

Well, it wasn’t that I couldn’t understand the feelings of the count and wife. No matter how bad the rumors are, how nervous will it be that the ‘Queen’ and ‘Princess’ of this country are staying in the Count’s house? Although the wife didn’t know, the young count clearly looked nervous the entire time he was dining with me.

After the dinner, where it was unclear whether the food went into the nose or the mouth, the princess began to doze off in front of the table, perhaps feeling tired from the constant chatter in the carriage. I’ve just finished dinner and it’s still too early to go to my room, so I’m thinking about what to do…

“Princess, wouldn’t you like to tour the mansion with Viola? “It is a shabbier and narrower mansion than the royal castle, but the garden viewed from the terrace is really beautiful.”

“Huh?”

Lady Serena suggested the princess take a look at the mansion. The princess, who was bobbing her head back and forth like a Ottogi doll, was startled by the voice calling her and wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth. The princess glanced up at me with sleepy eyes, as if trying to figure out what was going on.

“…Would you like to come play with Viola for a while?”

The princess blinked sleepily, covered her mouth with her hand, yawned loudly, and nodded. The princess, who must have been very bored because she couldn’t even talk to Ainsel even though she was here, jumped down from the chair and approached Viola. Then he turned his head again and looked at me-

“Hmm. “Where do you sleep at night…?”

“Ask me to show you to my room where I rested earlier. “Weren’t we going to sleep together anyway?”

The princess nods lightly.

The princess, who must have woken up a little, is about to walk out of the restaurant with Viola. At that moment, Ainsel, smiling brightly at the princess’s necklace, caught my eye. Just before the princess went out, I snapped my finger and motioned for Ainsel to return to my earring.

-why…?

Why, why are you joining the children playing?

Normally, I would have sent Ainsel to the princess’s side, but I decided to keep Ainsel by my side because I thought there was no need for him to follow the princess around here, where there were no particular dangers. If we do well, the princess may have her first human friend other than a fairy.

He looked sullen and said, ‘Hmph.’ I left the noisy Ainsel behind and sipped from a glass filled with wine. Lady Serena and the Count made eye contact and then looked at me with a smile. I raised my eyes and looked at the two, wondering if I had said something strange-

“Do you usually sleep with the princess?”

“…Is it strange?”

The two people giggled even more at my answer. When I tilted my head, Lady Serena smiled with the corner of her eyes curved and responded as if she was jealous.

“No, it’s not strange at all. Viola is now ten years old, but since last year she said she was embarrassed to sleep with me. So, stop feeling envious… hehe.”

The moment I heard that story, my heart sank without me knowing. What if the princess said she was embarrassed to sleep with me? Even though I only imagined it, my heart ached as if I had been hurt. Will there come a day when puberty hits and says, like Viola, ‘I don’t want to sleep with my mom!’

Even though I could only imagine what a princess would look like in puberty, my mouth got sore, so I just sipped the wine. As I was doing so, Lady Serena took out a bottle of wine from the tray and showed it to me. A wine bottle that looks so expensive that you can tell at a glance that it is a high-end wine.

The wife may have been a little drunk, but she kept smiling at me. The corners of the eyes were nicely curved like a crescent moon, and the lips drew a soft arc.

“There’s a lot of alcohol left… the night is still long… If it’s okay with you, Her Majesty the Queen, why don’t you go into your room and have a drink with us? “I’m sure it will be fun.”

“hmm? By going into the room? “If it’s a story, even in a restaurant…”

“What’s the point of just talking at a restaurant? It’s been a while since the children’s attention has disappeared, so why not have a time where parents can get together and share stories? “Parents rarely have time like this, right?”

Between parents. Attracted by those words, I sipped my glass and thought for a moment.

‘…isn’t it okay?’

As Mrs. Serena said, it was a situation where only ‘parents’ gathered together for the first time in a while. The Count is not a parent, but he is an adult after all. And certainly, this has rarely been the case. I also wanted to hear Mrs. Serena’s story about ‘raising’ children. and…

‘Even though she is the queen, Vivian has such nasty rumors that it is difficult for her to enter the social world. Wouldn’t it be a good thing if a rumor spreads that the current Vivian is not the ‘old Vivian’ by becoming close to the wives? And what, is there anything wrong with it? It’s a place for women to have a drink together. Isn’t this one of the few places in the social world?’

After completing the calculations in my head, I put down the wine glass on the table and looked at the two of them with a grin, just like my wife. The lady and the count also saw my smile and smiled even brighter.

“Go now!”

I never fell for alcohol when I first saw it. Because this is just an extension of the social world.