DDSWTB 37

Chapter 37

“Milady! It’s morning! Please wake up!”
I heard Lucy’s voice.

Huh? Morning already? I’m pretty sure I went to town with Gilbert, got tired, and fell asleep… What happened after that again?

“Ah!”

As soon as I heard Lucy’s voice, my sleepiness vanished in an instant, and I sat up quickly.
Looking out the window, I saw that the sun was already high in the sky.
But just a moment ago, it had still been sunset.

Did I walk back home myself yesterday? I can’t remember. Judging by how things feel, maybe Gilbert brought me back?
But perhaps it was Lucy, Mariana, or maybe Rose who helped me home. Yeah, that’s probably it!

“R-Rose? I, um, fell asleep in the carriage yesterday—who carried me back?”

I asked nervously.

“Why, of course it was Lord Gilbert,” Rose said proudly.

“M-My brother did!?”

“Yes. When you were peacefully asleep, I offered to escort you myself, but Lord Gilbert said he would personally see to it. So I left it in his capable hands,” Mariana explained.

“I… I see.”

So he said he’d do it himself. That must mean I wasn’t a bother, right?
Good, I can relax then.

Once I’m ready, I’ll go give that accessory to my sister.

I arrived in front of Ellie’s room.

Knock knock.

“Yes?”

“It’s Tiana.”

“Come in!”

The moment she realized it was me, Ellie’s voice brightened instantly.

“Tia, I’m so glad you came! I’ll have them bring some sweets and juice.”

Her maid, Dalia, served us juice along with cookies, macarons, and other treats.

“Thank you.”

It’s been so long since I’ve seen sweets that look this delicious. Time to dig in!

Crunch.

Huh? It’s… too sweet? Maybe they put in too much sugar? And the dough feels kind of crumbly. Hmm.
It’s the first dessert I’ve had since coming here, but maybe I’m just too used to modern sweets. I can’t tell if I’m satisfied or not—it’s kind of… ambiguous.

Anyway!
I came here to give my sister her present!

“I went to town yesterday, and I bought this accessory because I thought it would suit you.”

Tiana handed the box she’d been carrying to Ellie.

“Can I open it?”

“Yes.”

I hope she likes it.

“Wow! A red ribbon! It goes perfectly with my hair color. Thank you—I’ll treasure it!”

“Yay!”

I’m so glad my sister’s happy.
She really is like a heroine from a novel—no matter what she does, she’s adorable.
Thank you, author, for creating such a cute girl.

“Oh, by the way, this morning I received an invitation. It says, ‘Would you like to come to the Count’s estate and chat together?’ A tea party for young nobles around our age will be held there in a week. Would you like to come with me, Tiana?”

“Eh—me!?”

I never thought I would be invited.
Even if I go, I don’t have any friends, so there won’t be anyone to talk to.

Besides, I’d probably just become a target.
No one would go out of their way to invite someone with a bad reputation like me.

But still… I do kind of want to see with my own eyes how people perceive me.
And maybe talk with others my age—even just a little.

What should I do? If I go, would it cause trouble for my sister?

After thinking it over for a bit, I decided I wanted to go.

“I’d like to join too!”

When I told my sister that, she looked truly happy.

“Then let’s go together!”

“Yeah!”

I’m a little scared, but deep down, I’m also kind of excited.

What kind of things will they say to me there?
Will there be anyone I can get along with?