I told Alice that she could have the handkerchief. Carrie’s hobby is embroidery, so there are more than 100 handkerchiefs similar to that one piled up at home.

After Alice went back to her seat, she carefully stroked the present on her lap and bowed her head. I intentionally used a brighter voice.

“Um…… I have one last gift left. Excuse me, Your Highness?

“Yes.”

Nicholas, who was reading a book while maintaining a chic attitude alone when all the other children were surrounding me, answered immediately.

Although he was pretending not to be interested, he seemed to have been paying attention because his order didn’t come.

There were still two gifts in my hand, and I stuck out a bag with a red ribbon to Nicholas, just like the Princess’s. Nicholas took the bag lightly with his gaze fixed on the book.

“Thank you.”

“Yes, it’s not a big deal. Hehe.”

And the last one.

I turned away from His Highness and approached Mrs. Edmont with a brighter face than before.

She welcomed me with a flushed face.

“Oh my, Young Lady Saeron. Did you prepare a present for me?”

“Yes, of course. Will you accept my gift, Mrs. Edmont?”

Mrs. Edmont smiled happily and accepted the bag I gave her.

Now that’s done, I gave each one a bribe, no, a gift!

So now all I have to do is…… huh? Jay, why are you picking a fight with Jake again?

“Hey, Young Lord of Teon. Were you the only one who didn’t get a present?”

Suddenly, Cedric opened the bag and ate one of the caramel pieces in it, and approached Teon and asked in a teasing tone. Of course, Jake’s expression was relaxed, it’s not that he didn’t get a gift, but he got it first.

Cedric, who didn’t know, sighed, ‘Hmm,’ he looked through the bag as if he was doing a favor and picked the ugliest looking caramel and handed it to Jake.

“Here, take it. I’m giving it to you because I feel sorry for you!”

“……you feel sorry for me?”

Jake smiled and went back to his chair and took out the bag he had placed under it. The bag looked twice as big as the rest of the bags.

Jake grinned and shook the bag in front of Cedric.

“What does this look like?”

“……What, you. I thought you didn’t get one. Besides, why is yours so big?”

Cedric stumbled looking embarrassed. The other children were going back to their places to open their present, but the atmosphere between the two was particularly harsh.

Of course, it was all because of Cedric who argued first.

‘So why are you messing with Jake? He gets cold when he’s angry.’

Aside from rooting for Jake in my heart, fighting is bad.

Just in case there was a quarrel between the two children, I got up and tried to intervene. But before I got up, Jake replied in a calm voice, so I decided to wait and see.

Jake had a somber look on his face rather than his usually serene face.

Cedric’s mean tone while speaking was a bonus.

“I don’t know about the Young Grand Duke, but I’m very close to Emir. I’ve been close to her since I was born. We even call each other by nicknames. Right, Mir?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Jay.”

Jake looked at me and asked for confirmation. I nodded my head as I was watching in a daze. As soon as I answered, Jake raised his nose in vain. Cedric bit his lips with a look of resentment.

At that point, I had to ask a question.

Maybe Jake was the type of kid to show off his friendships……?

But I understood immediately.

Well, kids are pretty obsessed with friends at this age so that could be the reason.

Jake is also my only childhood friend and we have some family attachment…… I think it’s that kind of relationship.

“Tsk.”

In the end, Cedric went back to his seat placing all the caramel pieces in his mouth.

It’s nice that things seem to have worked out well without a fight, but I wonder how Jake and Cedric can turn back. What are you going to do if you creak like this from the beginning?

“My goal is to get along well.’

I think I just realize that achieving my goal won’t be an easy task.

……Can I do it well?

***