Louise Boyle sat with a face that steadfastly tried not to show boredom at her mother's story, which she told over and over again, loving to gossip about others. The sa light flickered across the faces of Mr. Boyle, Jas Boyle, and the gentleman who had started staying at this mansion a few days earlier. However, there was no doubt that this story had captured the guests' interest.
"So, you're saying that count really introduced her as his fiancée himself?"
"That's what I said! Louise, dear, you heard those words too, didn't you?"
"Yes, yes. Mother."
"See? Well, I don't know what kind of person that young lady called his fiancée is. She was just quite demure. I heard she's from the colonies, and she's pretty enough that the count seed quite fond of her. But seeing that he still hasn't made a proper introduction, there's sothing not quite right about it. Ah! That's right! Since she ca from Nine Holder, Lieutenant Doman, do you know anything about it?"
At the question asked with eyes shining like a hawk snatching up a story, the officer dressed smartly in uniform searched his mory. Before opening his mouth, he didn't forget to send a frivolous wink to Louise, the only unmarried lady present.
"I stayed at a mansion in Nine Holder for a few days before coming here, but there was no such talk in Nine Holder at all."
"Oh my, then we really were the first to know that fact!"
Mrs. Boyle, in a good mood, wrote a na on the ball invitation she had been debating whether to send to Glailly House. And just as she was about to put the invitation in the envelope, Lieutenant Doman clapped his hands as if he had just rembered sothing.
"Speaking of being from the colonies, I heard from my brother that Count Avondale has a ward from the colonies. I couldn't see her since I was at the barracks."
"A ward from the colonies? A lady?"
"Well, she must have been. My brother wouldn't have danced with a gentleman."
Everyone's gazes t. Except for the mysterious gentleman. There was no room for disagreent that the ward and the fiancée were the sa person. Though no one knew when or how the relationship had changed, when a gentleman and lady of marriageable age stay in the sa mansion, you never know what might happen.
Oh my, how scandalous.
Mrs. Boyle giggled behind her hand covering her mouth. But there was a more important problem remaining than Mrs. Boyle's scandalous thoughts.
"Then you're saying Count Avondale alone is the guarantor of that lady's identity?"
Soone blurted out what no one had been able to say. The words themselves were nothing. What was more frightening was what would co next. No one brought up the following words.
No matter how eccentric he was, he was still a count, one of the top two influential figures in this Riton region, and a recipient of the Order of the Rusted Sword. It was impossible with ordinary courage to put such a person's honor on the tip of one's tongue and speak about 'the possibility that Count Avondale had fabricated the lady's status.'
But it was also true that there were suspicions...
Though social circles were places where more diverse people ca and went than most people thought, 'ladies' formally introduced to Nine Holder's social circles were determined by very strict standards. The procedure where young ladies of honorable lineage, profession, or class would have an audience with the Queen and be recognized as mbers of society still remained, symbolically showing the conservatism of social circles. In fact, most ladies entered the marriage market without going through that formal procedure, but that made the standards for 'ladies' established in social circles all the more strict.
As the silence of mutual observation grew longer, Lieutenant Doman suddenly opened his mouth as if sothing had just occurred to him.
"Ah, co to think of it, the young lady at Avondale mansion who received a gift from His Grace Duke Galliston must have been that lady. I heard she later had the honor of an audience with Her Majesty the Queen."
"Oh my."
Why are you only saying this now! Louise, who had barely escaped the suffocating atmosphere, clicked her tongue and glanced at the man sitting nearby. The man in neat uniform, who didn't seem bundled up despite the chilly weather, was listening to the story with sunken eyes.
A mysterious gentleman of unknown identity who had suddenly co to stay at the mansion one day. He had completely captivated Mr. Boyle and Jas Boyle with his strange objects, and made Mrs. Boyle anxious with his neat appearance, wealthy attire, and sowhat indifferent attitude.
Even in Louise's eyes, he was an uncommon handso man, and though he was older than herself, she knew that if only his status were certain, he would make an excellent husband. One her parents would gladly bless. Perhaps that's why she beca more interested. Her gaze was drawn to his presence, which seed unable to settle and was wandering.
"I..."
The man looked up. But not in Louise's direction. He suddenly stood up, muttered sothing like 'Excuse ,' and rushed out of the mansion.
"Oh my, oh my."
"What's the matter?"
The people who had been talking about 'Count Avondale's fiancée' turned their heads in surprise. The gentleman was remarkably fast. The echo of his '...excuse ' hadn't even faded, but he was already out in the garden.
He suddenly pulled out a large telescope from thin air, as he always did when showing curious objects. The brass telescope clicked and turned. The man put his eye to it and looked at the sky for a long ti. Mrs. Boyle gently pushed Louise's back.
"Go and see, dear."
Louise reluctantly stood up from her seat. The officers inwardly showed their disappointnt, but Louise's steps gradually quickened.
"...sir!"
Another hoarse sound ca out as if his throat was blocked again. Louise stopped with her face bright red. The man slowly turned his head.
"You may call
Cyrus."
"Still, how can I do that?"
He had readily suggested using his na, but it was obviously just for convenience. He himself was consistently calling Louise 'Miss Boyle.'
"I was curious about what you were looking at."
The man smiled bitterly.
"I ntioned before that I ca to Riton looking for sothing. Do you rember?"
"Yes, of course. You also said you found it."
"I was looking at that."
Louise didn't understand what he ant. The thing he was looking for was in the sky? But didn't he say last ti that he found it in the shopping district? In the sky—a bird? Was he going around looking for so rare bird?
"I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you an."
"It's my personal matter, so Miss Boyle doesn't need to understand."
Though the words drawing a line were a bit disappointing, Louise wasn't the type to forcibly cross lines others had drawn.
"...I see."
Cyrus turned his gaze away from the dejected girl and raised the telescope again. The sky filled his vision through the lens. And in the middle of the sky was a woman floating in the air like a bird. Still a bit clumsy, but seeming to learn how to use her wings, becoming more skilled by the second. He watched that sight for a long ti as if srized.
'Did Avondale make it for her? Then the engagent too...'
Though he couldn't know the truth, Esperanza seed to be doing very well. Even though she must have fallen into this world knowing nothing. Even if everything had gone correctly, he didn't think better results would have co than now.
Cyrus lowered the telescope when his keen hearing caught the sound of light footsteps. A young servant was coming out of the mansion carrying Mrs. Boyle's invitation. The servant stood at the entrance looking around, then spotted Cyrus and quickly approached. However, when Cyrus lowered his telescope and stared at him, the servant just fidgeted with an intimidated face.
"I'm asking again this ti."
Cyrus handed the boy an envelope and dropped five or six coins into his hand. The boy grinned, showing his teeth.
"Don't worry!"
And when he made eye contact with Louise, who had been quietly watching, the gentleman simply placed his index finger on his lips. That alone made Louise unable to think of anything and she just nodded frantically like a fool.
??????°??☆????°??????
Cider Claiborne correctly answered exactly seven of the twenty-six improvents and then remained silent. It was an honorable defeat. Of course, when fixing the wings, he reflected all twenty-six improvents. Thanks to this, from the next day Esperanza was able to begin full-scale combat training. Except for rainy days.
Esperanza looked at the dark clouds filling the sky. Half snow, half rain. The weather was terrible. On such days, even going to the laboratory wasn't easy. Though there were few days left staying at the mansion, what she did wasn't much different from when she was at the laboratory.
The two people, sitting comfortably in the study, were absorbed in reading and board gas all day with hot milk on the table. Cider, who suddenly looked up from his book, asked.
"So, what is your wish?"
Wish? Ah, the bet. Esperanza belatedly rembered the bet's conditions and clapped her hands. Though she had been unreasonable, a win was a win. Moreover, this man had a talent for making even people who had no thoughts naturally get irritated.
"Do you know what I might ask for to be so nonchalant? I could make you do sothing extrely burdenso and difficult."
His answer was quite clear.
"Have I ever not listened to a request you made?"
...Was there none?
Then what should I ask for? As he said, Cider had granted all of Esperanza's requests. Whether he granted them readily or granted them after spouting a bunch of annoying words, the result was the sa. So this thing called a wish was a rather aningless prize for Esperanza.
"What is it that you don't listen to when I say it?"
"Where else can you find soone who listens as well as I do?"
"Ah, yes."
That's nonsense for now. Esperanza, who had been thinking hard, tapped her feet.
"Things you absolutely don't listen to
about. Um, going to bed early and waking up early?"
"Ah."
"Taking care of als?"
"Impressive."
Cider was sarcastic with all his might. But he would know too. That it's harder to keep than expected. Maybe he's acting like this more because he knows that.
When Esperanza glared at him, he turned his head away pretending not to know.
"Well, I'll try my best."
"I'll be watching."
Cider, who had completely closed his book, smiled at Esperanza.
"I'll be able to keep my promise tomorrow."
"Is it supposed to rain tomorrow too?"
There was nothing like weather forecasting in this era. But this mansion had reliable weather forecasters in Butler Coleman and Mrs. Denver. Butler Coleman's back pain and Mrs. Denver's amazing sense of sll were roughly as accurate as 21st-century weather forecasts.
"I don't know. But I won't go to the laboratory. A lawyer is supposed to co."
What lawyer? Esperanza tilted her head.
The only lawyer Esperanza had t in this world was the brass rabbit automaton that Cider Claiborne had made. The mad eyes of Lawyer Bronze seed to be right before her eyes. Thinking about that made her burst into laughter.
"Why get a human lawyer when you could have your amazing Lawyer Bronze do it?"
Cider, who looked at Esperanza holding the mug to her lips, said.
"The first reason is that I was too lazy to get the latest case law, so I didn't update it at all."
True, Cider had wanted to try making a lawyer, not actually use an automaton lawyer. Most of his inventions were like that. The act of making itself had aning. That's why he deliberately made inventions that destroyed practicality.
"The second is that I need qualifications, not the lawyer's ability."
"What for?"
Cider answered as if it were nothing significant.
"Notarizing a will."
The mug rattled in her hand. Milk splashed on her hand. Even though it was hot, she didn't feel the heat.
A will?
She mutely repeated those words. She thought she had misheard. A will?
"Are you going to die?"
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