episode_0125

For those of us who don’t have a job in particular—no, considering we’re not old enough to get a job yet—it’s better to say school rather than work.

So, even at that school, all we had to do was go to class on weekday afternoons and take classes for a few hours, so we had a lot of time.

Isn’t that what aristocrats originally were? Of course, real aristocrats often lived much busier lives than we did. They went to balls and banquets with a little more energy, and devoted themselves to aristocratic hobbies. In fact, after class, most of the other children went to their own homes. I leave to find something to do.

But Amelia and I are not like that.

To be honest, to some extent, it was close to playing and eating based on the name of ‘great nobleman’. There were many ways to bring in money even if you didn’t have to go to banquets. In the first place, gold and iron came from the territory.

Even if we didn’t go to the ball and become friends, everyone knew us. We were a grand duchy with royal blood.

In many cases, the grand dukedom even married into the royal family for several generations, so the blood does not fade with time.

And I was the daughter of a vassal family who inherited the blood of the Grand Duke, and my role was to guard the Grand Duchess.

If Amelia didn’t do anything, I usually didn’t do anything around the house either. That was okay.

In fact, Amelia’s uncle, who lived here before Amelia, said that he liked quiet and calm places rather than the noisy city, so he did not bother to be active except for acquaintances who often visited the mansion.

If there is important information, he quickly organizes it and sends it to the estate, and even to the extent of providing an explanation by attending on behalf of the lord where he must attend, he is doing his duty as a member of the family dispatched here.

Thanks to this, even though we stayed quiet like this, there was no need to compare us to the person who was there before.

However, this does not mean that there is no set routine.

The most important thing we do after class is, of course, to visit Adele’s house.

“Hehe, how do you feel?”

While Adele was holding a teacup and making an annoyed expression, Diane was smiling with her mouth covered by a fan.

“Aren’t these wonderful tea leaves? They were obtained directly by sending someone to the East. They are tea leaves with a completely different flavor than those that were simply oxidized during the transportation process. Rather, we can say that they are ‘tea’ in the true sense, properly made in the home of the tea tree.◦# ◦

From what I heard, it is said to be high-quality tea leaves brought by a wizard who used magic to preserve them as much as possible.

I don’t know how much it costs locally, but in any case, it will be much more expensive than regular tea leaves.

“Well, well… … That’s a really nice leaf. I’m just thankful that you prepared such a leaf.”

Adele spoke through gritted teeth, but finally regained her senses and answered with her usual expression, but her hands were shaking a little.

The surface of the tea cup filled with tea was vibrating slightly.

Wouldn’t that make the teacup break? It didn’t hit anything in particular, but didn’t they say that there are cases like that? When vibration of a certain frequency is transmitted to something like glass, it trembles and then breaks.

That’s not Yuri, but it’s me.

… … Anyway, the reason why we, who normally receive tea made by Adele, are drinking the high-quality tea leaves that Diane brought,

“Ohhohohoho! Poor Carlins, it must be burdensome to keep ordering tea leaves to the guests, right? So, let me help you a little!”

This was because he took out the tea leaf container he had brought with him.

To put it bluntly, it’s something like, ‘I’m sorry I always get it, so I’ll buy it today.’

The problem is that you said that in a rude way.

Of course, Adele was not so shallow that she could not understand the true meaning of words. Still, it had been a while since she and Diane had been involved in this way, and they almost always saw each other face to face on weekday evenings.

In fact, when the kids around Diane said really bad things to Adele the last time they ran into each other at Ma Tower, Diane was embarrassed.

Although they would never admit it, these two would definitely fall into the category of ‘friends’ that they shared with Adele in the carriage today.

“Of course. These tea leaves are very difficult for ordinary nobles to taste. Please be grateful.”

But still, being pissed is being pissed.

Of course, I’m not saying I’m angry, because these words weren’t directed at us in the first place.

And, honestly, if you think about it in terms of money, the Countess probably doesn’t have more money than the Grand Duchy, which has a deposit mine. If the people of the Grand Duchy don’t do something and live frugally, it’s not that they ‘can’t do it’, it’s that they ‘don’t do it’. Because there is no need.

“… … .”

“Anyway.”

Diane, who was in a good mood after giving Adele a one-sided deal for the first time in a long time, looked up at the ceiling of the house as she let go.

“Still, it is a house that is well-maintained for a poor person. Of course, the exterior has some flaws, but it looks like someone is really cleaning the interior. There is not a single speck of dust… … There won’t be a maid, so maybe the lady herself?”

“… … .”

Adele’s expression went beyond irritation and seemed to have reached the point of liberation. Or rather, it should be said that it was the height of nothingness.

If you’re good at it, you have a face that looks like you could cut off Diane’s head with your fingernails.

I think we need to look at today’s training with a little more caution. If we think we’re going to cross the line, we’ll have to stop it.

“And that thing over there is a stuffed animal… … No way!?”

Diane was horrified to realize that the eagle owl she was looking at was not stuffed.

Of course, he was keeping an eye on Diane with his yellow eyes.

Eagle Owl—Alexander immediately spread his wings left and right. The wings were wide enough to comfortably hug a person’s head.

“Aaaah!?”

And so it flew, Diane’s—

—I sat down on the perch in front of me.

It caught my eye when I came in today, and it looked like it had been brought there for Alexander to sit on. In addition to that perch, there was also a perch near the ceiling where Alexander was sitting earlier.

Of course, if the eagle owl’s claws were to scratch the furniture, the interior would become a complete mess. The Carlins family was already a financially poor place, so even if the furniture got damaged, it would not be easy to replace it.

“Boo.”

“Hi, Ah, Alexander, it’s been a while. How have you been?”

Diane greeted Alexander very politely as he stared at Diane’s face with his yellow eyes wide open.

“Tweet.”

“Oh, no, Ulysses! If you come out now, you might get eaten!”

“Heh.”

Adele smiled when she looked up from inside Diane’s arms and saw Ulysses looking out.

“What, what is that smile!? Are we laughing at Ulysses? After all, we were laughing at Ulysses because he was smaller than Alexander!? How barbaric it is to find the value of a living thing in its size… … !”

Diane turned around, hugging Ulysses preciously with both hands as if she wanted to protect him from Alexander.

“No, I just laughed because Ulysses looked up from within Diane’s arms and thought it was cute.”

Adele said that in a soft voice.

The anger that had been rising a little while ago seemed to have subsided a little after seeing Diane freak out at Alexander.

“… … .”

Diane looked at Adele warily,

“Heh, hum.”

I slowly lowered my hand, unable to stop the smile that was blooming on my lips.

“Tweet.”

Ulysses jumped out of Diane’s arms and landed on the table, flapping his cute wings.

“It is true that our Ulysses is cute.”

“Tweet.”

Following Diane’s words as she puffed out her chest and spoke with pride, Ulysses also jumped up in his seat and cried.

It’s cute. It’s cute.

“… … Shall we bring Pori next time?”

“But I think it will be okay. I observed Alexander, and he didn’t do anything I told him not to do.”

Certainly, the wolves I raised did not do anything I told them not to do.

If I couldn’t control it, I wouldn’t have been able to show these two children to those wolves.

“Tweet.”

“Ah, Ulysses!”

Diane, seeing Ulysses moving, was once again frightened and stood up.

But Ulysses didn’t care much and jumped up on the table and climbed onto Adele’s lap.

And then I looked up at Adele.

“Tweet.”

“Oh my.”

Adele put down the teacup and carefully lifted Ulysses with both hands.

“Ugh, I see.Do you like me as Ulysses?”

“What do you mean!?”

“If you like me, would you just live here with me? I’ll treat you well.”

“Ulysses! Don’t be fooled by such flattery! Don’t go to such a barbaric woman! Come back! I’ll teach you what aristocratic things are!”

“Is it okay to do such a cruel thing to a child like this?”

“Ugh… … Please put it out quickly!”

For some reason, he seems even more scared than when Alexander ran into him.

uh… … Is it worth freaking out about? In many ways?

what… … .

“Ulysses, what should I do, do you want to live with me?”

“Tweet.”

“Ulysses!What do you mean!?”

… … .

No matter how you look at those two, it seems like they just get along well.

Of course, if I said something like that, we would both be scared, so Amelia and I just sat quietly drinking the remaining tea.