Chapter: 38
After leaving the house like that.
We rode in a carriage and made a full circuit around the Ansi Viscountcy.
“Oh my, it’s so beautiful…….”
As she gazed at the brilliantly blue sea, the young lady looked completely enchanted.
“Lady Ansi! The sand is so soft! It tickles my feet!”
“Be careful. You’ll fall if you keep running like that!”
Walking barefoot across the white sand that sank beneath our feet, the young lady and I burst into loud laughter side by side.
On top of that, we didn’t forget to go around the shopping district and buy all sorts of souvenirs in huge quantities.
“Lady, what on earth are you planning to do with that shell necklace……?”
“Do I have to buy something only if it’s useful? There are things in this world that have value simply because they’re beautiful, even if they’re useless.”
The young lady spouted that ridiculous argument without even batting an eyelash.
And I just…… well, I let it go.
It wasn’t as if this was the first or second time the young lady had come up with some absurd argument.
“Ah, today was really fun.”
At last, the young lady muttered with a satisfied expression, looking like a cat with a full belly.
“My lady, you’re tired, aren’t you?”
At the same time, I brought out the secret weapon I had been saving.
“Shall we have some snacks and rest for a while?”
“Snacks? Sounds good.”
Among the current hot spots in the Ansi Viscountcy, there was one place that the young lady would especially like.
That place was……
“Wow.”
The young lady looked around with a blissful expression.
The place I had brought her to was a coffeehouse famous even within the Ansi Viscountcy for its beautiful garden.
The spacious garden attached to the coffeehouse was filled with summer roses blooming in every color.
The rich fragrance of roses tickled the tip of my nose.
After gazing around at the scenery as though spellbound, the young lady suddenly turned around, her eyes sparkling.
“How on earth did you find a place like this? You’re amazing!”
“I promised you, didn’t I? That I would become your personal tour guide.”
I smiled with my eyes.
“I put some effort into it.”
Well, even so, I was the young lady of Ansi.
I knew all the famous tourist attractions and shops in the viscountcy like the back of my hand.
Besides, my experience of accompanying Seraphina and going all over the place had also been a great help……
For some reason, my mouth suddenly tasted bitter, so I deliberately spoke in a more cheerful voice.
“When we were in the capital, you took me to that famous brunch restaurant, remember?”
“Hm?”
The young lady blinked.
The day I first visited Madam Kristansen’s clothing store and the brunch restaurant with the young lady.
That day was still vividly etched in my mind.
The day I first felt as though I were the protagonist of my own life.
“So, could you stop talking nonsense and move aside? I want to eat in peace.”
Those were the words the young lady had snapped at Gregory when he had picked a fight with me over some ridiculous nonsense.
A friend my own age who had taken my side.
A time when I wasn’t serving someone, but could sit across from someone and laugh together with them.
……I had been so happy during those times.
Feeling my face grow hot for no reason, I lowered my gaze to the ground.
“So I thought that, if I ever got the chance, I wanted to make some good memories for you too, my lady.”
“Lady Ansi.”
“Back then…… I really had such a good time.”
I awkwardly added,
“Of course, it probably wasn’t anything special to you.”
Even so, I had wanted to tell her at least once someday.
How much strength the small kindness she had shown me had given me.
How special she was to me.
But then.
The young lady suddenly grabbed my hand.
“Me too!”
Her eyes, bluer than the southern sea we had seen today, looked straight into mine without wavering.
“I had so much fun playing with you too, Lady Ansi!”
The young lady raised her voice again.
“So! That means you don’t have to think about repaying me or anything like that!”
“What?”
“I just like being friends with you, Lady Ansi…… Ah, I mean, of course, it’s a contract, but still!”
As she rambled on, the young lady’s face gradually turned as red as a ripe tomato.
I stared blankly at her.
So, the young lady was…….
‘Is she embarrassed right now?’
The young lady bit her lips tightly before abruptly turning around.
“I’m going to go look at the roses for a bit!”
“M-My lady?”
“Go inside and sit down first! Order everything you want to eat, okay?”
After shouting that, the young lady hurriedly ran toward a place where roses were blooming in clusters.
I stared blankly at her retreating back before letting out a hollow laugh.
‘Now I understand why the Duke cherishes her so much.’
At first, I had only intended to become friendly with the young lady partly to get back at Seraphina.
I had thought our relationship was nothing more than a calculated one, to the point that we had even written up a friendship contract……
‘How could anyone not like someone that adorable?’
Something tickled deep inside my chest.
……I felt incredibly happy.
Grinning from ear to ear, I headed into the coffeehouse.
Until then, I had been in the best mood imaginable.
So much so that I thought it was a perfect day.
But.
“Oh my, Lari!”
The moment I stepped into the coffeehouse, a lively voice called out to me.
Wait, this sense of déjà vu…… What the hell is this?
My shoulders stiffened in a flinch.
‘Don’t tell me, that voice is!’
I had a bad feeling that my mood was about to plunge straight into the gutter.
With a sour expression, I turned around and saw a group of ladies occupying a large table.
Among those ladies, one was leaning back in her chair as though she were their queen.
Wavy light-green hair, deep green eyes resembling lush greenery.
And that elegant smile lingering around her lips……
“……”
I was rendered speechless.
‘Seraphina?!’
No, why is she here?
Wasn’t she supposed to be staying in the County of Gusto?
“Long time no see, Lari.”
Seraphina smiled brightly at me.
“Fancy seeing you here again. Lari, it looks like you’ve been having a wonderful time with the young lady lately?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
I replied bluntly.
For a moment, Seraphina’s brows furrowed ever so slightly.
Was her pride hurt because I, who had always been meek and submissive, was now brazenly standing up to her?
But the moment our eyes met, Seraphina lowered the corners of her eyes and skillfully concealed her displeasure.
Meanwhile, I……
‘Why does she keep poking at me like that?’
I had come here with the young lady, of all people, so I didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble.
But I didn’t even bother hiding my irritation as I stared back at Seraphina.
Seraphina seemed slightly intimidated by my indifferent attitude, but—
“Come to think of it, I heard that the young lady came down to the Ansi Viscountcy. Did she perhaps come with you?”
Perhaps she thought she couldn’t let herself be intimidated by me, because she continued speaking with a bright smile.
“If so, why don’t you join us? I’m just so happy to see you again.”
Seraphina added sweetly,
“I’ll buy the tea, okay?”
If this had been in the past, I probably would have been deeply moved by such a kind gesture from Seraphina.
I might even have fawned over her and tried to please her like a complete pushover.
……Even if it meant driving a nail into the heart of someone who cherished me.
But now.
“I’ll pass.”
At my firm response, a fine crack appeared across Seraphina’s smiling face.
“For one thing, I’m not particularly happy to see you, and I don’t see any reason why I should sit beside you with the young lady.”
I continued indifferently.
At that, the ladies sitting beside Seraphina rose like a swarm of bees.
