Chapter: 09
The young duchess, her expression noticeably softened, quietly nodded.
“A friendship contract… So if we become friends, we would define each other’s rights and responsibilities through a contract? That’s not a bad idea.”
“I tried to think of a way that would satisfy both you and me as much as possible.”
At my answer, the young duchess let out a faint chuckle.
“You seem quite confident. Isn’t it still uncertain whether I’ll choose to make Lady Ansi my friend?”
“Well, I’m confident that I can be loyal to you, Your Grace.”
I flashed her a bright smile.
“If you let me go, then you’ll also be losing the person who would become your most loyal friend in the future.”
“…”
Those deep blue eyes stared straight at me.
They were like a bottomless lake.
I couldn’t read what she was thinking at all.
So the only thing I could do was persuade her with everything I had.
“So… if you insist on rejecting me in the end… wouldn’t that be a loss for you as well?”
My mouth had gone dry from the tension.
Even so, I tried my best to maintain a calm demeanor.
“And of course, I wouldn’t get the chance to become friends with someone as wonderful as you. That would be a great loss for me too.”
As a finishing touch, I hurriedly added one last flattering remark.
The young duchess remained silent for quite some time.
Then—
“For once, you’re not being frustrating.”
“Huh?”
“Up until a moment ago, you were suddenly putting yourself down and acting so pathetic it was irritating just to watch.”
Your Grace… it really hurts when you state nothing but the truth…
Unfortunately, her merciless honesty showed no signs of stopping.
“You have no opinions of your own, you just trail after Lady Lopes everywhere, and Lady Lopes treated it like it was only natural for you to wait on her.”
The young duchess clicked her tongue loud enough for me to hear.
“How is that friendship? Even a maid wouldn’t be treated that poorly.”
“…”
Sharp as her words were, I couldn’t bring myself to deny them.
If I hadn’t suddenly remembered the original story… I’d probably still be living like that.
A bitter feeling welled up inside me.
At the same time, the young duchess nodded.
“Anyway, fine.”
“Huh?”
“You said you’d become my temporary friend, didn’t you?”
Crossing her arms, she added in a sulky voice,
“Fine.”
Whoa… Seriously?!
My eyes sparkled.
“Thank you so much! I’ll do my best! I’ll work as hard as I can so I won’t disappoint you…!”
“Enough with the empty words.”
“Hmph.”
The young duchess turned her head away.
But only for a moment.
Sneaking a sideways glance at me, she quietly spoke again.
“S-So…”
Before I noticed, both of her cheeks had turned a soft shade of pink.
“We’ve become friends now. Well… not real friends. Just temporary ones.”
After emphasizing several times that we were only temporary friends,
she asked me in an unusually shy voice.
“…So… what are we supposed to do now?”
For a moment, I froze.
What is with this person?
It might be disrespectful to think such a thing about the lady considered the noblest young noblewoman in the Empire…
She’s way too adorable!
How should I put it?
She was like an incredibly beautiful purebred cat.
Proud and aloof enough that she wouldn’t easily let people touch her,
yet…
It wasn’t that she disliked receiving attention.
“What is it? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
When I drifted off into thought for a moment, the young duchess shot me a pouty glare.
“You said you’d be my temporary friend. Don’t tell me you actually don’t want to spend time with me?”
“Of course not!”
Snapping back to my senses, I quickly answered.
“In that case, how about we start by getting to know each other?”
“What do you mean?”
“We agreed to become temporary friends, but we don’t actually know anything about each other, do we?”
Of course, I knew the basic information about her.
But that’s not the kind of information friends really needed.
“Your hobbies, your favorite foods… anything is fine.”
I smiled warmly.
“Would you mind telling me a little more about yourself, Your Grace?”
A carriage bearing the emblem of a sword and a rose came to a smooth stop in front of the ducal family’s townhouse.
Click.
The carriage door opened, and a strikingly handsome man stepped out.
The butler, who had been waiting after receiving advance notice, immediately bowed.
“Welcome home, Your Grace.”
Pale platinum-blond hair.
The icy blue eyes characteristic of House Claudius.
And a beauty that seemed as though the gods themselves had crafted it with the utmost care.
He was Dietrich von Claudius—
the current head of House Claudius and the sharpest sword of the Empire.
“I was surprised to see you return so early today.”
“Every now and then, it’s nice to have a day like this. The state council meeting ended earlier than expected.”
As he chatted with the butler while crossing the garden,
Dietrich suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“Ahaha! Is that really true?”
A clear, cheerful laugh drifted over from beyond the garden.
Dietrich looked slightly surprised.
“Eva?”
Beneath the shade of blooming roses,
his younger sister, Evangeline, was laughing brightly.
Across from her sat a young lady with long black hair cascading down her back.
Since she had her back turned toward him, he couldn’t see her face.
However, the way she sat was perfectly straight and graceful, clearly showing the refined upbringing of a noble household.
“It’s unusual to see Eva spending time with another lady.”
Although it was true that Dietrich adored Evangeline,
he was also capable of viewing his younger sister objectively.
Evangeline was naturally sensitive,
which made it difficult for her to socialize with others.
To smooth out her sharp personality, she needed to interact with more people.
The problem, however, was her status.
No one dared to criticize the only daughter of House Claudius.
As a result, rumors had recently begun spreading throughout high society that the young Duchess of Claudius was arrogant.
“Who exactly is that young lady?”
“She is a lady from House Ansi, Viscount Ansi’s family. Her name is Laritte Ansi.”
“…Lady Ansi. Quite remarkable.”
To think she could make his prickly little sister laugh like that.
Laritte Ansi.
Dietrich silently repeated the name to himself several times.
It was a pleasantly rare feeling.
As the sun slowly dipped toward the horizon,
the young duchess and I stood at the entrance of the townhouse, saying our goodbyes.
“It’s getting late. Would you like to stay for dinner? My older brother happened to come home early today as well.”
Though she looked genuinely reluctant to let me leave,
“It’s alright. Thank you just for offering.”
I adjusted the armful of roses I was carrying and quickly shook my head.
The young duchess alone was intimidating enough.
Having dinner with Duke Claudius himself?
I’d definitely end up with severe indigestion…
“Thank you so much for these roses as well. I’ll treasure them.”
I quickly expressed my gratitude to the young duchess, who somehow looked a little sulky.
Today, I had learned something new about her.
Her hobbies were flower arranging and gardening.
“Oh, so that’s why the roses were blooming so beautifully.”
I had commented absentmindedly.
“You like these roses? Then I’ll have some prepared for you before you leave.”
And just like that,
my arms ended up filled with an extravagant bouquet of the highest-quality roses—a rare variety enjoyed only by a select few nobles and the imperial family.
“By the way, Lady Ansi.”
Meanwhile, after giving me a long, scrutinizing look from head to toe, the young duchess suddenly dropped a bombshell.
“At this rate… you fail as my temporary friend.”
