Chapter 180
* * *
“For ?”
“Will you et with ?”
And as if worried, he added an explanation he wasn’t even asked for.
“Of course, I’m proposing it with the purpose of courtship.”
“Ah, I know.”
lody stamred and barely answered. In case he thought she wouldn’t know.
“I’m glad you knew.”
He smiled just like usual, but to lody’s eyes, it sohow looked like he was teasing her.
“…In ten days.”
“What?”
“I an, the day Father leaves. The Hatfield family is holding a concert.”
“Hatfield, that Hatfield?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
lody had been invited to the music room of the Hatfield mansion before.
Although it wasn’t left as a pleasant mory, she still didn’t think badly of the young nobles she t at that ti.
“Yes. I was barely able to make ti that day.”
While the Duke was focusing on matters related to Prince Samuel, Claude had to fill his absence.
“It would be nice to have a al at a fancy place after enjoying the concert. If you happen to dislike crowded places.”
He slightly tilted his head and lightly smiled.
“We can also go to Jeremiah’s herb garden. As autumn approaches, the scenery has changed again, so you’ll like it too.”
His suggestion was very attractive. To the point where the usual lody would have imdiately nodded and made the promise.
But wouldn’t it be a bit dangerous to have a eting with Claude with the purpose of ‘courtship’?
Even now she was this confused, if she were to have such mories too, lody would definitely…
Moreover, in ten days. Isn’t that the sa day Isaiah ntioned a little while ago?
“Any answer is fine. Think about it slowly.”
“Young Master, you see. That kind of thing.”
lody clasped her hands together and barely opened her mouth.
“I’m sorry, lody.”
But he gently interrupted her words.
“What?”
“I feel like I just pretended to be relaxed a mont ago while bringing it up.”
“…”
He closed his eyes, then carefully lowered his head.
“Please slowly… please, generously think about it.”
Words of a whisper that trembled.
He must be desperately conveying all the sincerity left in him, scraping the bottom.
Without even bringing the usual composure or style he kept close by.
Faced with his vulnerable side she encountered for the first ti, lody couldn’t bring herself to say words of rejection.
So for now, she had no choice but to promise that she would slowly think with plenty of ti, as he wished.
“…I will.”
At her short answer, he finally raised his head.
The mont their eyes t again, lody sohow turned her head obliquely and ended up avoiding him.
Partly because her face had gotten hot… anyway, it was a bit embarrassing.
In the midst of that, she was worried he might resent her for turning her gaze away, asking why.
Fortunately, such words didn’t co.
Mustering a bit of courage and carefully lifting her head, Claude was also blankly staring at the curtain that had fallen beside them for no reason.
Without looking at each other or conversing.
They stood facing each other for quite a long ti.
* * *
It was when the mail carriage arrived that Claude returned to his room.
Finally left alone in the room, lody sprawled on the sofa.
‘What a strange day.’
She thought of the two n who had co to see her.
Isaiah and Claude.
They asked for her ti on the sa day. Each with their own reasons.
lody could shake her head at both their requests, but she couldn’t nod.
Especially since she vaguely realized their request wasn’t about the ‘eting’ itself.
‘But…’
lody groaned while resting her head on the fluffy cushion.
“It’s not the ti to be worrying about such things!”
It was a very important period for Loretta right now.
A period that would determine whether the male protagonist who would help her could be placed under the protection of the ducal family or not.
‘…Still, it keeps.’
That thought wouldn’t leave her head, so what should she do?
‘It’s frustrating.’
As she was groaning, there was another knocking sound.
It seed mail had arrived for lody.
Wanting to be alone a little longer, she spoke towards the door.
“I’m sorry, please leave the mail in front of the door.”
But contrary to her wish, the doorknob turned on its own, and soon the door opened.
“I don’t want to?”
And at the nasty voice she heard, lody sat up in despair.
“Ronny!”
“What’s with that ugly face?”
“That’s because you co in without permission. Even though we agreed not to do this.”
“As if I care. I’m so busy I could die.”
He walked in as he pleased and plopped down next to lody.
“You’re busy?”
“Yeah.”
He even fully reclined his body comfortably against the backrest and closed his eyes.
“Since Father and Brother can barely do outside activities, I’m attending a few events in their place.”
“Ah, I see.”
“It’s really annoying I could die.”
Even though he said that, he seed to be secretly boasting.
“That’s not all I have to do, I’ve also been looking for a painter who can draw realistic pictures lately.”
“Why realistic pictures?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Ah.”
lody suddenly recalled Ronny’s tendencies set by the original work. A ‘little sister fool.’
“It ans you’re looking for a painter who can express Loretta’s cuteness as it is, right?”
“Yeah, and I’ll have you drawn too while I’m at it.”
“I don’t want to be drawn realistically. I need to be beautified. Like other people.”
He opened his eyes for a mont and slightly glanced at lody.
“Ha, how much prettier can you get here…”
“It’s better to be pretty if possible. The cost of painting a portrait is expensive.”
“If you want to be that picky, you choose the person to paint your portrait!”
As if it worked out well, he sat up straight.
It seed he had a favor to ask.
“Several portrait painters will co with their works, do you want to see them together?”
“To the mansion?”
“Yeah, they’ll take turns showcasing their works one by one.”
“That sounds fun.”
As lody readily nodded, Ronny pulled his upper body forward and gave a very bright smile.
“Right? It’ll be fun!”
Actually, there was a purpose to Ronny visiting lody’s room.
Casually bringing up the topic of paintings was to invite lody to choose a painter.
After seeing all the paintings, they would surely have trouble deciding who would be good, and the two of them would spend several days discussing it together.
While taking walks and drinking tea.
If lucky, he might be able to monopolize lody’s ti until the day the painter was decided.
“So.”
He carefully started talking with an expectant expression.
“The painters will co in ten days…”
But the mont he said the word ‘ten days,’ lody’s face turned pale.
‘Huh.’
Thinking he might have seen wrong, he repeated the sa words for no reason.
“Ten days.”
Then this ti, she flinched in surprise, her shoulders trembling.
Of course, he couldn’t just let such an interesting phenonon pass, so Ronny said it one more ti.
“Ten days?”
Now lody’s brow furrowed. Her expression looked sowhat resentful, which was a bit funny.
“Ten days!”
“Stop it!”
Realizing he was teasing her, lody hit him hard with the cushion she was holding.
“No, no!”
Even as Ronny was hit on the shoulders with the cushion, his laughter only grew louder.
“Your face was funny! Every ti I said ten days, it looked like you were being dragged into hell!”
He started giggling while holding his stomach, and lody now hugged the cushion with a sullen face.
“That’s too much.”
“What’s too much is your face. I’m telling you it was really funny. If there’s a painter who can draw that expression as it is, I’d really pay a fortune.”
“Hmph.”
“So, what’s going on?”
He sat crookedly, resting his chin, and asked.
“…”
“Why are you acting like the world is ending in ten days?”
“I wasn’t doing that. First of all, you said the painters are coming in ten days, right?”
As lody seed to be trying to change the subject, Ronny quickly waved one hand dismissively.
“I’ll take care of that appropriately, so tell .”
“But.”
“Do you think I can’t even choose a painter to draw my sister?”
“That’s not it, but.”
“Then it’s fine.”
He forcibly took the cushion lody was holding and asked again.
“Tell . What’s going on?”
“…”
“Is Brother too busy to take you on a date?”
“What…?!”
“No, is it the opposite? Hmm, that must be it.”
lody couldn’t even say no and just stared at him with her mouth open.
“Ah, co to think of it.”
Ronny laughed as if sothing else ca to mind.
“Isaiah might have invited you to the blessing of his sword too.”
“H-How do you know that too?!”
“Is there anything I don’t know about the people in this mansion?”
He boasted and tapped lody’s forehead with his fingertips.
“So you were worrying about the two of them here?”
“N-No.”
“Don’t say no. You made a face where worries were pouring out just from
saying ten days.”
“I’m telling you, that’s.”
“Why don’t you just et both of them?”
At Ronny’s surprising conclusion, lody lost her words again.
“No, it’s like this. If you et Isaiah at the temple in the morning and et Brother in the afternoon… Hey, stop looking at people like that.”
“Wh-What?!”
lody touched her eyes with both hands. She hadn’t particularly frowned, so she wondered why he was saying that.
“You were giving a gaze as if misunderstanding soone as a playboy.”
And he hugged the cushion deep against his chest and grumbled in dissatisfaction. ‘It’s crazy how pure you are.’
However, such a small voice didn’t reach lody’s ears.
“I wasn’t looking at Ronny like that. I was just a bit surprised, that’s all.”
“Why? Because I know about you too accurately?”
lody pondered for a mont, but soon slowly nodded.
“What’s so difficult about that? Is there any man with eyes who doesn’t like you?”
“Th-There are many, right?”
“Then those bastards must have eyes in a weird place. Besides, I…”
Reviews
All reviews (0)