episode_0177

“Kkeueung…”

Receiving a birthday gift from the Young Master is definitely a good thing, but it has left me with one difficult problem.

That was, ‘What on earth is the meaning of the gift the Young Master gave me?’

As it is a birthday gift, it is natural that it contains the meaning of celebration.

However, did the Young Master put only congratulations in it?

Until last year, it would have been very bitter, but I would have thought that the Young Master had chosen the gift without any thought.

Until last year, he would openly ask me what I wanted, and he would give me something that seemed to be popular that year, so I didn’t attach much meaning to it either.

But this year?

This year was a bit different.

He never asked me what I wanted, and he prepared a gift in secret.

It was the first time he made it himself and gave it to me, and it was also the first time that the gift deviated from the trend and contained a specific theme.

It also seemed like it was the first time in a while that I saw him looking anxious about how I would react while he was handing me the gift.

And the most decisive thing was the books on the desk.

A ‘special’ person.

The word made it impossible for me not to have vain thoughts, as it reminded me of the meaningful words the Young Master said to me a few months ago when he gave me the necklace.

What is the special person written in the book?

Why did the Young Master even look up the euphemism ‘flower language’ and look for combinations of flowers?

And what is the meaning of the combination of a comb, a mirror, and a hair tie?

These questions came belatedly and drove me crazy.

It would be solved quickly if I asked the Young Master, but looking at the atmosphere, I didn’t think he would tell me honestly even if I asked.

If he was going to answer if I asked, he would have told me a long time ago.

The moment the Young Master brings the meaning he has inside out of his mouth will surely be when he drags it out until the very last moment, just when he is about to finish.

So, I have to figure out the meaning of these things myself, but that wasn’t easy.

Even though I assist the Young Master, I am fundamentally a commoner.

The range of aristocratic culture that I learn by overhearing is limited.

And the aristocratic culture that I learn by the Young Master’s side… cannot be said to be wide, no matter how much I exaggerate.

Then I have to get help from someone else, but there is no one else I can visit.

The Count and the Young Count are not people I can visit privately, and the Madam, who I have a reason to visit, happens to be in the territory because of the Young Countess’s convalescence.

If this is the situation for the people of the family I serve, it would be even more difficult for other people.

But it’s a difficult situation where I have to get help.

After much deliberation, I left the workshop and walked to the room where the other servants were waiting. I closed my eyes tightly and, risking rudeness, approached the person I thought I could approach privately.

“Lady Sera.”

“Emily? What’s wrong?”

Lady Sera looked surprised and met my eyes when I, who rarely visited this room unless there was something special, approached hesitantly and called her with a nervous face.

“It’s not that there’s a problem… I have something I’m personally curious about… Is it okay if I ask you a few questions…?”

“I see, what is it? I’ll do anything I can answer.”

“Does Lady Sera know a lot about flower language?”

“Flower language? Ah… are you talking about the culture that is popular in the Romaion Kingdom?”

“Um…”

I frowned and tried to remember.

Romaion…

I’m not sure, but I think I saw a similar name in the book on the Young Master’s desk.

“If it’s about giving special meaning to flowers, then that’s right.”

“I know a little about that.”

“Then, I’d like you to tell me about flower language.”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

I smiled with relief and bowed deeply to Lady Sera.

Flowers are so diverse that I can’t know them all, but knowing and guessing about some of them is as different as heaven and earth from guessing without knowing anything.

Moreover, I was even more relieved because there was no one else I could ask if I couldn’t get help from Lady Sera.

“But Emily, why are you suddenly interested in flower language?”

“That is… I received a gift from the Young Master and I’m curious about what meaning it contains…”

“Heuheung~”

Lady Sera, who let out a nasal sound, stretched her lips long and looked at me with meaningful eyes.

“There are many people here… Shall we move to the lounge and talk?”

“Um… yes…”

Facing Lady Sera’s playful expression, I suddenly regret it.

When I think about it, this person showed mischievous aspects even to Her Highness the Princess she serves…

“gulp…”

Anxiety strikes and my mouth dries up.

Did I… choose the right counselor…?

_

“Now, can you tell me what kind of gift you received from Duke Howard?”

“Please wait a moment.”

As soon as Lady Sera arrived at the lounge and sat down, she looked at me intently with a face that couldn’t hide her excitement and immediately went straight to the point.

I wondered if this was something to be so excited about, but I couldn’t dare to point out the person who was helping me, so I calmed Lady Sera down, took off the string tied to my hair, and took out the mirror and comb from my pocket and placed them on the table.

“These are the gifts I received this morning, this is a scrunchie.”

“You were already wearing the hair tie? You must have liked it?”

“There’s that too, but… I felt awkward taking it off right away because the Young Master put it on for me.”

“You two are getting along very well from the morning, it’s irritating to see…”

“Ha, haha…”

Lady Sera’s eyes changed very sharply for a moment.

I avoided Lady Sera’s gaze and let out an awkward laugh, and Lady Sera crossed her arms and pursed her lips slightly and opened her mouth.

“But why do you want to take off the hair tie? It suits you well, there’s no reason to take it off, is there?”

“It’s a little too precious to wear right away…”

“Well, if there’s only one, it can be precious.”

“There are two more hair ties.”

“You’re also seriously ill~”

“……”

I think so too.

Others say that too, so embarrassment rises and my ears become hot.

“What reason did he give you the gift for, that you’re being so fussy?”

“Today is my birthday, so the Young Master took care of it for me.”

“Oh my, congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s rare for a noble to take care of a maid’s birthday… Did he always take care of it without fail before?”

“Yes, he always took care of it even if I told him it was okay.”

“Hmm~”

Lady Sera’s eyes narrowed.

And she gently raised her right hand and placed it lightly on her cheek, then tapped her cheek with her finger and fell into thought.

“… Emily, can I take a closer look at the gift you received?”

“Yes, feel free to look at it, you can touch it directly.”

“Thank you.”

Lady Sera, who asked for my understanding, carefully picked up the gift and looked at it carefully, turning it over and over.

She especially checked the hair tie very carefully, and when she looked at the hair tie, Lady Sera made various expressions from time to time and tilted her head from side to side.

“Tsk…”

Lady Sera, who lightly clicked her tongue and put down the hair tie, frowned and met my eyes.

“It’s a bit… interesting.”

“Interesting, what do you mean?”

“The comb and mirror here are off-the-shelf products, so they don’t have much meaning. It’s a big deal to give a comb as a gift across the sea, but… it’s not a common custom here, and I think he prepared it to match the theme because he was giving a hair tie as a gift.”

“I see.”

“Then the hair tie has a lot of meaning…”

“gulp…”

Tension gradually rises at Lady Sera’s appearance of hesitating while blurring the end of her words.

I licked my lips with my tongue, swallowed, and stared intently at Lady Sera’s lips, waiting for those lips to flutter.

“I don’t know.”

“!”

I don’t know!

Such a shocking meaning…

“… Yes?”

I understood the meaning of the words one beat late and stretched my head forward like a turtle with a blank face.

“I don’t know what meaning it has, or… should I say it’s ambiguous?”

“…?”

“If I interpret it within my knowledge, it’s one of two things.”

Lady Sera spread two fingers and then immediately folded one and said.

“I just picked pretty flowers.”

“Hmm…”

“There’s no basis, but considering Duke Howard’s personality, it’s not impossible that he would have thought lightly in this part, but it’s not very high either.”

I wondered if he would do that even though he looked up the flower language, but it was difficult to deny that it wasn’t.

He’s a person who is deep and shallow in thought…

“Then… what is the other one?”

“Confession? A pretty ardent love confession too.”

“……”

Suddenly, I feel breathless.

As I was gaping and looking for something to say, Lady Sera pointed at the hair tie and continued.

“Looking at the flowers used in the embroidery, lavender has the meaning of waiting or confession, Scabiosa atropurpurea has the meaning of unrequited love, freesia has the meaning of friendship or gratitude, hydrangea has the meaning of fickleness or unrequited love, and rose has the meaning of love or beauty.”

“Ah…”

“Freesia is a bit out of place, but the rest is definitely consistent, right?”

“Y, yes.”

The corners of my mouth twitch.

It seems like a bit of an overinterpretation, but thinking about the time of the necklace, it seems like this is the correct interpretation.

No, I hope this is the correct interpretation.

The Young Master keeps giving me room, so I think it’s okay for me to have some expectations.

“Oh my, Emily, aren’t you liking it too much? I didn’t know you two were so sticky in places I can’t see.”

Lady Sera, as if to receive the price of interpretation, threw away her serious attitude and began to tease me with all her heart.

“That’s not it…!”

I was embarrassed and denied it by waving my hand, but Lady Sera rested her chin and looked at me with deep eyes as if she wouldn’t let go once she bit.

“If that’s not it, what is it?”

“Th, that’s… well…”

I wanted to refute something, but Emily, the greedy person in my heart, kept blocking my throat, telling me not to deny it, so I couldn’t come up with an excuse.

Lady Sera, who was watching the scene, raised her eyebrows and nodded, then waved her hand lightly with a generous smile as if she understood.

“It’s okay, I think I know even if you don’t say it.”

“No, that’s…!”

“Haa~ Our Princess must also work hard, it seems that the big gap is getting bigger, I’m worried that something might happen someday.”

“D, don’t tease me.”

“Emily, you look honest and meticulous, but are you more of a fox than I thought?”

“Ugh…!”

Lady Sera, who has properly caught fire.

Not the Princess or the Young Master, there was no way for me to stop this.

“Please give Her Highness a lecture on fox behavior later.”

“Ah, it’s not like that…!”

I can only turn my face red, tremble in shame, and wait for Lady Sera to be satisfied.