Volume 3 - CH 29

I was currently at Imperial Princess Charlotte’s holiday house which was located in the Flamefield Empire. While gazing at the water horizon visible from the terrace, I sensed someone approaching from behind. I could tell that it was Lady Sophia just from the sound of her footsteps and her presence even without having to look. So, when I turned around and saw the young girl standing before me, my breath caught in my lungs. My Lady was wearing western-style town-girl clothing1.

“Cyril, I am initiating a date. Prepare yourself,”  the cute young girl boldly declared these adorable words.

“…Lady Sophia. Are you using some kind of battle jargon while speaking about a date…?”

“What are you saying, Cyril?”

Apparently not self-aware at all, Lady Sophia tilted her head in puzzlement.

“Ah, you just seem quite enthusiastic.”

“That’s because I want to go on a date. We wouldn’t be able to have a date if I looked like I always do when we go out, right? Moreover, Her Highness Charlotte’s party is taking place tomorrow as well.”

“…I see.”

We were in another country. Both the mansion and private beach belong to Imperial Princess Charlotte so, we were pretty much allowed to do whatever we wanted, but in the unlikely event that something happens to us, it would grow into an international problem. Even if there was actually just a one-in-ten-thousand chance of danger, we couldn’t just ignore the guards.

Therefore, even if we got permission to go out, we had to be heavily guarded, escorted by guards or attendants. It seemed that Lady Sophia wanted to avoid this and had thought of a way to do it.

“But, Lady Sophia, didn’t they find out that you’re going out when you changed into these clothes?”

“I had Rouché distract everyone and I— I made this dress myself.”

“Huh?!”

Involuntarily, I turned my gaze to the western style dress Lady Sophia was donning, and stared. It was a thin, off-shoulder dress that suited the Flamefield Empire’s hot climate. The design was in the commoner style of clothing, and the material certainly wasn’t of high quality either, but the stitching was top grade. I thought that Lady Sophia had ordered the tailors working for the Rosenberg Marquis household to make a dress a commoner would wear….but to think that she made it herself! 

“I knew that you do embroidery, my Lady, but I didn’t know that you excelled in sewing as well. Could it be a secret hobby of yours?”

“I did my best to learn for this occasion.”

“…I see. So, you were able to learn because you gave it your all.”

Since early childhood, Lady Sophia had always been hardworking, but recently, she was refining this ability of hers more and more. It was most likely that by learning various skills, she became able to quickly master techniques that share some common traits. It seemed that in this case, she was heavily influenced by her embroidery skills.

It was still objectionable to go out with Lady Sophia without any guards. It was objectionable but…I looked at Lady Sophia once more. Although the design adhered to commoner fashion, the western style dress was made with lots of love. No matter how blessed Lady Sophia was with her talents, there were some limits to her abilities. I was sure that in order to make the dress for today, she must have worked really hard on it.

And so—

“I will go get ready, so would you wait for me for a short while?” I asked, and like a flower in bloom, a smile unfurled on Lady Sophia’s lips.

Afterwards, Lady Sophia and I successfully sneaked out of the holiday house. That being said, it wasn’t like we were able to slip past the villa guards in the true sense of the word. Royalty and young Ladies from high-ranking noble backgrounds were staying in the villa, and so the guards who were guarding the villa were very strict. We were being rigorously examined during the check one had to go through when leaving the villa to go outside.

We were able to sneak out—or more precisely, we were given permission to sneak out. This was because I made a deal with Imperial Princess Charlotte, who was set to arrive tomorrow, as I thought that something like this might happen.

I made use of this deal, and Lady Sophia and I sneaked out of the mansion.

And so, we walked next to each other down a street in the land of everlasting summer. Lady Sophia was the daughter of a Marquis and I was her exclusive butler. Although I bore the title of her marriage candidate, there were extremely few opportunities for the two of us to walk side by side. Having gotten the chance to do so, Lady Sophia was in a very good mood. She bumped our shoulders together and smiled innocently.

“Say, Cyril, can I walk beside you?”

I thought about it a little and decided that there was no way that her words were literal. If that was the case, then she must have meant ‘mentally’. Nevertheless, my answer wouldn’t change either way.

“Of course. You have already caught up to me a long time ago, Lady Sophia. If anything, I am desperate not to be left behind.”

Lady Sophia smiled broadly.  My Lady—who gave off a cold, perhaps even harsh impression—was smiling; with a soft expression on her face.

“Thank you. But, the one who is desperate not to be left behind is me.”

‘That’s not true,’ I didn’t say. 

Even if I said that it can’t be helped since I’m experienced due to my memories of the previous world, it wouldn’t do any good to my Lady’s growth. Thus, I flashed her a small smile.

“Even if I were to walk a bit ahead, I wouldn’t leave you behind, Lady Sophia.”

“The same goes for me. Even if I am to walk ahead of you, I won’t leave you behind, Cyril.”

Lady Sophia and I both continued, speaking at the same time:

“However–”

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“–I will work diligently so that I can become worthy of you.”

As our words overlapped perfectly, we looked at each other, laughing.

“Yes, that’s true. It would be pointless to compare myself to the current you, Cyril. Just as I will grow up, you too will grow more and more from now on.”

“Yes. I wouldn’t be deemed acceptable if I didn’t.”

Although I didn’t say who I wouldn’t be deemed acceptable as, it was obvious that I meant ‘as Lady Sophia’s fiancé’. Certainly, at the moment, Lady Sophia’s father, Marquis Rosenberg did approve of me. But that was because he approved of me as a thirteen-year-old child, nothing more. 

If I became an adult without growing up any further, he’d be disappointed.

…In that sense, there were more obstacles in my way than in Lady Sophia’s. Lady Sophia was a hardworking girl blessed with talent, but I was nothing more than a child raised to the standards of my previous world. 

‘A so-called prodigy at ten, a genius at fifteen and a regular person by twenty.’ 

It was possible for this to become my reality. 

I mean, I was still being told that my expressions were easy to read.

“Cyril, are you anxious about something?”

“No, I’m not. More importantly, where do you want to go, my Lady?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t know commoner towns that well. If you don’t mind, can you show me around, Cyril?”

“…Ah, that’s right. Well then, I shall show you around.”

I grabbed Lady Sophia’s hand. The basics of escorting a noble were established as the woman taking hold of the hand or arm the man offered. Lady Sophia was a little surprised that I had skipped past that step and directly took her hand—but then, her face lit up with a smile.

“Well, then, lead the way, please.”

In compliance with Lady Sophia’s request, I began to show her around the city. That being said, I wasn’t too familiar with this town either. I started with making my way to a hat shop I spotted.

“Welcome! Are you looking for something in particular?”

“I’m looking for a hat that would suit her.”

“Certainly! Let’s see…how about this one?”

The shop clerk took out a carefully woven straw hat. Although it was just made from wheat, it was truly carefully woven and it didn’t feel uncomfortable to the touch.

“What do you think, Lady Sophia?”

“…Hm, does it suit me?”

She accepted the hat from me and put it on a little shyly.

Dressed in a thin dress, my platinum-blonde Lady was wearing a straw hat. She looked just like a common young Lady. It made me think of my previous world.

“It suits you very well. You have an innate elegance in you, my Lady. So, even as a commoner, I can’t see you as anything else but a Lady with good upbringing. You look very lovely.”  

“Th–thank you, Cyril. Then, I want this hat, please. You don’t need to wrap it.”

“As you wish.”

“By the way,” I said as I paid the bill, asking the shop clerk if he could recommend any sight-seeing spots to me.

“Let’s see…A sight-seeing spot, that would be the hill from which you can get an uninterrupted view of the sea.” 

“Is it the spot on the top of the hill at the shore?”

“No, that one is located in a private beach of the Royalty, so it’s forbidden to go there. But that hill over there became a tourist attraction and I can recommend it.”

“…I see, thank you very much. One more thing, there’s a big mansion on the way here, whose mansion is it?”

The moment I asked about it, the shop clerk frowned. He then lowered his voice and told me that the feudal lord that was managing this land lived in the mansion.

But that was information I already had. Although there was a private beach belonging to the Royalty in this region, the one who managed this land was a certain Count household. The previous generations of this household were splendid people, but there were some problems with the current head who had taken over. That was what I had heard from Imperial Princess Charlotte. 

She asked me to check if there was any truth behind the unsettling rumors circulating about the current head of the household. Normally, this wasn’t something you’d ask of someone from another country—not to mention a butler—but it seemed that she had some motives of her own to do so. This was the reason why we were able to leave the villa.

That being the case, I asked the shop clerk if I could get some more details. However, perhaps because he was on his guard too, he didn’t tell me much besides warning me not to get too close. I couldn’t say any careless things in front of Lady Sophia either. Hence, I played it off like it wasn’t anything important and Lady Sophia and I left the shop together.

“So, let’s go to that hill now?”

“Of course.”

She offered her hand without prompting, so I took her hand and made our way to the tourist attraction we were informed of, the one where we could get an uninterrupted view of the sea. We gazed at the sea together and then ate a frozen dessert made with the help of magic at a café near the viewing spot.

Of course, whichever shop we went to, I would ask about the feudal lord without Lady Sophia’s knowledge. At the first shop, I asked whose mansion it was, and at the next shop, I said: ‘So I was told not to get close to that mansion, but…’ and each time we went to a different shop, I would advance the conversation further and gather more information.

It seemed that the feudal lord wasn’t the type to be involved in corruption—or at the very least, not blatantly—but he seemed to be a very elitist person. 

…Well, among the nobles, a lot of people followed this ideology.

However, this feudal lord, despite being an elitist, went to the town for business. And so, he would sometimes cause problems with the commoners. 

For Imperial Princess Charlotte, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this information brought shame to the Imperial family. I believe that since she had me specially research him, she knew at least this much already…

So why did she want me to investigate him?

I can’t believe this side story is almost done! There’s only two more chapters in total to post, wowie.

Thank you so much for reading and for all the support!