Chapter 95 – Imperial Palace ~ Ball and Decision 3
When people came in through the folding screen and couldn’t see them, they maintained balance by ignoring each other outside, but in this place where a few people gathered, they started to become aware of their presence, and the atmosphere became very awkward.
“Thank you for coming even though I didn’t mention the reason why I invited you two in the invitation.”
“I wanted to hear the purpose if possible, but… You couldn’t always write important words in a letter asking users to make sure there are no problems in advance. “I understand.”
“Sir Avril has a kind heart.”
“… I think it would be better to only say things like that to people around you.”
Abril looked away as if she was embarrassed to be praised, but then made eye contact with Mariana, who was hesitant and unable to participate in the conversation. Mariana, caught off guard, turned her head in surprise, but her face turned red as it proved that she could not ignore the other person’s presence.
“Lord Mariana.”
“… Yes.”
“I heard that you often visited the lez village, but you never actually went to the extent of action. Was there anything that made you uncomfortable?”
“What. Was it an interrogation?”
When Mariana frowned in displeasure, wondering how she knew that, she shook her head slightly and looked straight at him.
“No. “As the head of a lez village, if there is something that customers are dissatisfied with, shouldn’t we improve it?”
“I think you’re asking about something too personal for something like that.”
“Excuse me. But, don’t you prefer to be blunt?”
“… “I wonder how far the information has leaked.”
Mariana clicked her tongue and muttered dissatisfiedly as she remembered her entourage. That’s right, everything about her, from the color of her favorite underwear to the fact that although she has a slightly chilly side, she has a personality that takes good care of those around her, her close associates made it known with happy expressions. There was no way I didn’t know anything.
“Lord Avril, she often visits Lez Village, but I heard she doesn’t visit for long and takes a rest.”
“… “
Avril did not answer right away, but it seemed like Mariana was thinking carefully about what she said.
“Sir Avril?”
“Yes, yes. No. There was no inconvenience. It was just because there was no one I felt that way about.”
After calling once again, he looked at Sir Avril, who answered a beat late, and smiled broadly.
“Okay. So why not take a moment to have some tea? For today, I have prepared good tea leaves that are only used in the imperial family.”
“Also. Was it true that you had connections to the imperial family?”
“Well. “I wouldn’t call it a connection.”
“It’s too much of a joke to offer up tea that only the immediate royal family drinks and then say it’s not related. “Chief.”
“… “
Was it something like that?
I just got some tea leaves that Fuyuki usually drinks?
I only said it was good tea leaves used by the imperial family, but I didn’t say that only the imperial family drinks it!
Barely hiding his embarrassment, he brewed the tea deliciously as Fuyuki and Natsuki had thoroughly taught him.
Mariana and Avril, who was looking down at the tea in the cup and feeling the scent, drank it while blowing slightly to avoid burning their tongues, and even at this time, they moved as if they were consciously trying to ignore each other. Because of this, Mariana’s elbow happened to touch Abril’s arm.
“Ah.”
“Ugh.”
Even if it was only slightly, there was no way I could ignore it. The two people flinched and looked at each other, their eyes wavered for a moment, and then they turned their heads.
“Hmm… “
You’ve been so influenced by your family that we’re not even allowed to be aware of each other. I’m half thinking about it. The other half thought that they looked like a perfect pair on the outside.
I didn’t want to make someone I hate fall in love, no matter how good it was for my own plans, so I planned to spend some time getting to know each other, even if only briefly.
“Two minutes. “I would like to make a suggestion.”
He didn’t answer verbally, perhaps because he said it was two people, but his expression clearly showed his curiosity.
“Why don’t we disguise ourselves and walk around the streets together?”
He lightly stroked the teacup and spoke in a very natural tone, as if he were just friends going out to play.
“Aren’t you frustrated? They are called close associates, but if you hang out with the same people at any time, you often end up missing out on interesting or interesting things.”
For example.
“Because the time slots for coming to Lez Village were adjusted so that they did not overlap, I felt uninterested because I only saw people I used to see doing activities. Or, he was interested in seeing how commoners lived, but was unable to look at them up close.”
Avril and Mariana both lowered their gaze slightly and looked like they were thinking. Gently, like a cat, I got up to not make any noise, stood behind the two people, and gently placed my hand on their shoulder.
“Aren’t you curious? What does the beautiful woman sitting next to you usually like? What does she hate? Maybe if we talk about it, we might have the same tastes. Have you ever thought about wanting to find out for yourself that way?”
“… “
When I tapped their shoulders lightly, the two of them made eye contact once again and then looked away. You seem interested, but are you worried that someone will see you the way you are now? In order to reassure the two people, he lowered his upper body and pulled his shoulders inward so that their ears were close to each other.
“Are you okay. “I can see you coming in here, but when you go out beyond the folding screen, all you have to do is show that you are oblivious to each other like usual, right?”
When I mentioned that there was an entrance to sneak out of here other than the seats on the first floor full of people, Avril and Mariana, who had been consciously avoiding it until now, met their gazes for a long time.
“… “I was curious.”
“… The development of mystery comes from curiosity.”
It was a good start.
“Yes. Yes. Because we don’t know each other, small misunderstandings and conflicts often arise. Ruler. Then follow me this way.”
When I moved the cloth decorated on one wall to the side and pressed the stone at a specific location, the door hidden in the wall opened without a sound. Let’s go inside first and look back. He lit up the slightly stepped part with a candle and said.
“There are steps so be careful.”
Mariana jumped lightly, but Abril stopped before jumping.
“What. You can’t jump something like this? Where has the pride of the snowy fields gone?”
“It’s different from someone like you, a wild horse running around in the meadows! “Wind!”
Abril made a cushion of wind at the expected landing point and jumped down, hiding the magic wand he had used inside his sleeve and pretending that nothing had happened.
“Joy. “I don’t like the idea of using magic even for things like this.”
“It’s all muscle. It’s power. “How about solving it?”
Seeing how they growled at each other as soon as they started talking, I didn’t think they would become friends right away.
The positive thing was that they did not attack each other’s personal aspects, but talked about things related to family and place of origin. It was fortunate that at least there were no ill feelings toward them individually.
“If you fight for love like that, I will leave you behind.”
“It’s not a love fight!”
“It’s a love fight!”
Hmm. As expected, my breathing is tight.
She put her finger to her lips and gestured for him to be quiet because she wouldn’t be able to go and change her clothes if he made that point. They must have realized then that they were too noisy, so they closed their mouths and walked quickly behind me.
After walking through a secret passage for a short period of time, I arrived at the changing room of the clerks who help run the secret tea shop. Here were Mariana and Avril’s clothes prepared in advance.
If I dressed plainly, some people might tease me, so to prevent that, I chose a casual dress that a wealthy merchant could wear.
I asked if I could help him change his clothes. Mariana answered that because she was training in swordsmanship at her training center, and because Abril was alone in magic research in the lab, she learned the basics so that she could live on her own even though she was a noble.
As if to prove that this was true, the two people changed their clothes without much help and finished preparing by casting a slight recognition-impairing spell on their faces to prevent people around them from noticing them.
“Then. Let’s go. It’s an exciting outing!”
She was told by Ain, Natsuki, Sophia, and Fuyuki not to go out, so she felt good about going out for the first time in a long time. Aiko, who was scolded for helping her get kidnapped, would secretly follow her as a watchdog, but it was a good thing.
I snuck out through the back door of the secret teahouse, taking the two hesitant women with me.