Characters in this chapter:
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Sapphiras Perfectio, 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge
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Percival Belisario, 3rd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier
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Adeline, Margravine of Vanderwall, Percival’s mother
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Theodore Belisario, 1st son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier
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Curtis Belisario, 2nd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier
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Sandrion Timberlake, daughter of Earl Timberlake, Theodore’s fiancée
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Cristella, Curtis’ fiancée
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Susanna, servant in the Belisario household
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Anna, servant in the Belisario household
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Clarabelle, servant in the Belisario household
“Sapphiras-san, you’ve come a long way! Come on, have a seat! We were just about to have tea!”
Madam Adeline welcomed my sudden arrival without a hint of disapproval.
Freshly baked pies and tarts were neatly cut and placed in front of me, along with a cup of lemon tea.
I feel like I’ve returned home, perhaps because I’ve been in Vanderwall for the whole holiday.
“Oh, by the way, Sapphiras-san. Thank you for the very nice handkerchief. It was very nice of you to get one for Sandy and Cristella too.”
“Yes, thank you so much. Cristella was also happy.”
“I’m glad you liked them.”
I had sent Madam Adeline a handkerchief as a thank you for the lemon sweets.
Madam Adeline gave me not only sweets but also many other things, so I wanted to give her something in return. Naturally, I relied on Aurora. Because it would be meaningless if I sent something bad and it became a nuisance.
When I asked for advice on what to send, Aurora told me about a famous accessory shop in the royal capital.
“The Margravine of the Vanderwall is a sensible person, and I’m sure she won’t be comfortable to receive an item that you’ve overstretched yourself on. As a student, if you were to choose a suitable gift, a handkerchief would be a good choice. Preferably something simple and of good quality. You can use it as it is, or if you feel it’s not enough, you can have it embroidered to your liking, right?”
“I see!”
As expected of Aurora. A handkerchief isn’t that expensive, so I can afford it, and it’s not a hindrance to get one. If it’s something simple, taste doesn’t matter.
I immediately went to the shop I had been told about and bought three of the best silk handkerchiefs in the shop. They were for Madam Adeline and Percival’s two brother’s fiancées. The handkerchiefs are small but enchantingly smooth to the touch and are trimmed with discreet lace. The material is excellent, but the design is simple and not expensive for the material. I sent the handkerchief with a thank-you note to Madam Adeline, who seemed to like it.
“How are things at the academy these days?”
Madam Adeline asked me, and I told her about our magical performance the other day. When I told her that Percival and my class had won the Stella Award, she and Sandrion-san were very surprised. They said that no representative of two classes had ever been presented with stars at a magical performance before.
“Because of the Stella Award, I also had the opportunity to meet the Commander of the Order of Magicians.”
“Ara, I see. How was it meeting him?”
“Well, he was very different from the magician I had in mind……and his way of speaking was…… quite peculiar.”
“Ufufu……right. He’s a bit of a strange one, but he’s a very respectable man.”
It seems that the Commander of the Order of Magicians is from a family of knights, and he had a lot of trouble before he was recognised as a magician. There would have been a path to become a magic swordsman, but it seems that the Commander of the Order of Magicians single-mindedly pursued the path of a magician.
“That’s right, Sapphiras-san. It’s a good opportunity for you to have dinner here as well.”
“No, it’s a good opportunity, but I always have dinner with Percival……”
“It’s all right. He’s not a child, so if Sapphiras-san doesn’t come, I’m sure he’ll eat alone. I’ll prepare a souvenir for you, so you can bring it to Percy when you get home.”
“No, but……”
If he hasn’t seen me during the day and I don’t show up in the evening, Percival will be worried, won’t he?
“If Sapphiras-san is here, let’s change to good meat today. Susanna, go and tell the kitchen.”
“Yes, Madam.”
“Oh, and for dessert, use the new fruit we bought the other day.”
“No, um……I’m going back to the academy……”
“Right, there’s still time before dinner, so come and have Clarabelle and Anna polish you up for the first time in a while! I’ll call them right away.”
The conversation goes on and on, leaving me behind. Above all, it is a momentum where I cannot put a word of ‘I’m going back’ in. Sorry Percival! I’m in Vanderwall, so don’t worry! I apologise, clasping my hands together in my heart.
One of these days, I might have to invent a spell that allows me to pass on messages even when I’m far away.
“Speaking of which, what brings Sapphiras to Vanderwall? Did you have a fight with Percival, perhaps?”
Curtis asked me, and I stopped moving my knife.
After all, I’m eating with the Belisario family like this. Without Percival. What is this strange situation? And before I knew it, they’re calling me by name in a friendly way. I’m glad that Vanderwall seems to have accepted me.
“No, there’s nothing going on with Percival, actually……”
As expected, I couldn’t say that I was forcibly kissed because it is related to my dignity, but when I explained that I transferred here to Vanderwall when I involuntarily ran away from the guy who insisted on becoming my partner, for some reason, the atmosphere in the dining room became strange. Until now, everyone had been chatting calmly, but suddenly it became quiet as if water had been poured over it.
“……?”
“Sapphiras-san? Who is this persistent person who wants to be your partner?”
Madam Adeline was smiling, but her mood was scary……
I gently put my knife and fork back on the table. Did I say something wrong?
In the first place, even if someone asks me who it is, I don’t remember something like his name. I’ve always referred to him as red-haired.
“……Ermmm, his name…… I don’t really remember, but he has red hair and is the second son of a Marquess.”
“The same age as Percy and Sapphiras-san, the second son of a Marquess with red hair……?”
“If he has red hair, he’s probably the second son of the Marquess of Wagner’s family. Everyone in that family has red hair.”
As far as I know, the Margrave, who rarely speaks while eating except for giving feedback, opened his mouth unusually. Even though this land is far from the centre, the Margrave is also familiar with the nobility. In the event of a war, a single piece of information can change the course of the battle. He can’t defend this land without his eyes and ears wide open.
“Come to think of it, his eldest brother is the Commander of the Second Order of Knights. I’ve met him a few times.”
Has Theodore-san met the redhead’s older brother? The Second Order of Knights is in charge of guarding the royal capital, as I recall.
I somehow understood why the redhead was so obsessed with the swordsmanship competition. I don’t know if it’s because he admires his older brother or if the redhead is complicating things on his own, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to get other people involved in your own circumstances.
“Mother. Just to be clear, you can’t protest directly. Sapphiras is a dear friend of ours at Vanderwall, but we don’t have an official relationship with him.”
“Curty, I know that without you bothering to tell me. Listen, Sapphiras-san,”
“Ye-yes!”
I straighten up involuntarily.
“Be very careful with the second son of the Marquess of Wagner. No matter how talented Sapphiras-san is, if someone catches you off guard, you could end up in trouble. Don’t do things like being alone in a deserted place.”“Yes,”
……Though that possibility almost happened. It totally hurts my ear. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Adeline-sama, even though it’s a special meat dish, Sapphiras-sama’s hand has stopped.”
“Oh, dear. I’m sorry, Sapphiras-san. Now, don’t hesitate to eat a lot.”
At Sandrion-san’s words, Madam Adeline returned to her usual cheerful mood. I was relieved and picked up my fork and knife again.
Speaking of which, I kneed the red-haired man in the vital spot as hard as I could, but is he okay? It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, so I couldn’t control the force. But that guy is the second son and his brother has a fiancée, and he’s even trying to make me his partner, so there’s no problem at all if something happens.
melon: btw guys! The cover art for the book is out!
Now we finally have an image of what Sapphiras and Percival looks like. 😆
It seems like someone already updated the picture in NU too. I’ve also changed the author’s name since they don’t that previous pen-name anymore.
Another thing I want to mention is, although the romance is really slow, this novel is actually under the R18 section and the author has also previously mentioned that they intend for there to be R18 stuff in the 2nd half of the story. Not sure how that is gonna go, everything is so innocent up till now. 😂
As for when is it gonna be the 2nd half of the story? I’m not sure either but
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