What did Wolfgang Eisenhut do at my words?
His eyes widened in surprise and he was stunned.
(Oh, what? The reaction was different from what I expected.)
Transforming into a dragon that spews flames is just a visual image. I thought it was only natural that he would glare at me with hatred.
I tried to brace myself in case he made a move, but it turned out to be a complete waste of time.
I would compare his current situation to a cat encountering an unknown enemy. It’s a good thing that you’ve grown up in a way that his surprise outweighed his vigilance.
I guess he has never been insulted by someone his own age. Considering his status, even if the other person was an adult, they shouldn’t able to argue with him face to face.
His father, the Duke, is unlikely to tell his son that he is short.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
I think most people living in peaceful modern Japan would agree with this. I don’t want to be a victim, but I also don’t want to be a perpetrator.
Even if the other person becomes a yandere in the future. Now, imagine that you are a mentally weak child who would stop functioning if someone said something similar to what you said in return. What I said earlier is quite unpopular.
“Well, I apologize for being rude. I apologize. I’m sorry.”
My words seemed to melt the bonds, and blood rushed to Wolfgang’s face.
“You, I don’t forgive you!”
“Ha. Well, it’s okay if you don’t forgive me.”
“…!”
His face turned red like a ripe tomato. But since he’s young, I don’t think it’s going to put any strain on his blood vessels.
Even so, I wonder how much this boy is usually spoiled. He is surprised every time I talk back.
I thought Lord Ranankura was a nice gentleman, but I wonder if he’s a father who can’t scold his son. Although they do say that children who are made after getting older will be loved.
(…huh? Come to think of it)
I thought of a certain possibility.
“Umm, Duke Ranankura usually lives in the royal capital, right?”
“Are you planning on telling my father?”
I tried my best to smile amiably, thinking there was something cute about being afraid of his father being told.
“No. I won’t do that, so would you mind chatting with me for a while instead?”
In response to my suggestion, young Wolfgang glared at me with a cat-like face, his fur all over his body standing on end in alarm. It’s a lie that a smile has the effect of soothing the other person’s heart.
I tried to calm his guard down by saying more words.
“Because I’m interested in the parent-child situation of other families… My father works in diplomacy, so he’s not often in this country, let alone his territory, so I don’t get to see him very often. Hmm, since we live far apart, I don’t know what to say even when we do meet for the first time in a while. Duke Ranankura is also a busy person, so isn’t he usually in the capital?”
When I showed his what I was doing, it seemed to pique his interest a little. “It’s true that my father is usually in the capital. He only comes back here a few times a month. However, it’s surprising that you have trouble talking to Lord Lilia. He’s a talkative person.”
“Yes. Therefore, in our conversations, my father only opens his mouth one-sidedly. My father is a good talker, but I can’t have a pleasant conversation, so I end up just responding. But wouldn’t that make it a lonely family conversation?”
It was supposed to be a way to get the other person’s guard down, but after I said it, I realized that I ended up discussing my concerns more thoroughly than I expected.
However, perhaps it worked, as young Wolfgang opened his mouth with a slightly serious expression.
“…The examples of me and my father aren’t very helpful. Neither of us are very eloquent. My father praises me when I report on my study results, but that’s about it when it comes to conversation. A long time ago, when my mother was alive, things were different.”
(Doesn’t this person realize that the first person is changed from ‘ore’ to ‘boku’? ‘Boku’ feels more natural.)
“What was your mother like? In my case, my mother died before I could remember, so I don’t remember much of her.”
“I see. That’s right.” He mumbled, probably trying to show his condolences. No matter how mature a child is, it is difficult to come up with words to express condolences to someone. Because they don’t have much experience.
I lifted my skirt and bowed politely to show him that I understood him. He seemed to understand as well, and his expression relaxed.
“…My mother passed away four years ago. She wasn’t a very talkative person, and she rarely praised or scolded me. But I feel like she was watching over me no matter what. She was beautiful. She was such a kind person.”
After feeling nostalgic about the past, he suddenly said shyly, “It’s a common expression.” The expression on his face, which was not typical of a child, made me feel sad.
Although I remembered it clearly only yesterday, I have a past life. But he was born as an innocent baby and lived with his mother for only six years.
I couldn’t help but ask him, “Isn’t it lonely?” And he replied that he didn’t feel lonely because he had servants and tutors.
“What about your friends?”
“There are no children coming in or out of the mansion.”
“My place too.”
The two of us looked at each other and sighed. There was a feeling of empathy that it was inconvenient because we both have high status.
Although there are differences between men and women, it seems that there are similarities between his situation and mine.
Both lost our mothers at a young age. Our fathers are busy with work so we don’t get to see them often. We live surrounded by adults such as servants and tutors, and have no playmates of our own age.
I decided to change the topic from family to something else.
Starting with my progress in political science and history, interesting books I’ve read recently, and my horse riding skills.
I found out that he is also an avid reader, although our interests differ, and he is quite an interesting person to talk to.
The conversation got so exciting that I told him something I had kept secret even from my father.
It happened when I went out to explore the city by myself.
The be more precise, I selfishly accompanied one of the servants to town. I took advantage of the fact that he was engrossed in negotiations, so I left his side for a little while and walked down the street. No more than that.
Still, it was a great adventure for me. I couldn’t help but want to tell a child my own age this important secret that if I told an adult, they would probably scold me for my own safety.
Wolfgang met my expectations. He was surprised, and he gave me a little compliment.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but I guess I was getting a little excited.
Looking back, I think the way I addressed myself also became less formal, which I usually pay attention to when speaking. I can’t talk about anyone else.
It may seem like an excuse, but this is at least the first time in this life that I have met someone I feel comfortable talking to.
The grandmother is someone I can talk to about pretty much anything, and I think she cares about me more than her duties as a servant. Although she is as close to family as possible, she is still different from a friend.
This time was more fun than I expected, and the time flew by.
What brought us back to our senses was when both of our fathers came to call us, saying that dinner was ready with a strange look on their faces, as if they couldn’t help but smile.
By that time, we had become friends and called each other Wolf and Lycoris.
What will I do when we get along?
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!
