Chapter 50 - Chapter 50
"I wonder if your family might worry if you go out suddenly and return late?"
"Oh, I live in the dorms, so don't you worry about that!"
"...I see. But our main stop is the bookstore."
"Ah! I actually had a book I wanted to buy! Perfect!"
Despite my subtle attempts to dissuade her, Anna-san remained smiling and showed no sign of backing down. Finally, Abbott-san knit her brows and spoke up.
"Miss Carroll, I'm sorry, but this was originally a plan between Miss Marcel and me. ...Would you mind giving us some space?"
When she said it so clearly, Anna-san's smile vanished, replaced by a sorrowful expression that looked as if she were about to burst into tears.
"Oh, I'm sorry... It's just... this is the first time I've made girl friends since coming to the capital. I just got a little too excited."
"Oh..."
"I was being a nuisance, wasn't I? I'm so sorry."
She curled her small frame even further, looking so dejected that Abbott-san and I exchanged a glance.
I feel like we're doing something very cruel.
Seeing her like that, Abbott-san gave a strained smile and relented. "If Miss Marcel is okay with it... then I suppose it's fine."
The three of us traveled in my family's carriage to the bookstore to find the books we were looking for. Abbott-san and I recommended books to each other, and I think the three volumes I chose were a very satisfying purchase. Anna-san, who had claimed she had something specific to buy, ended up buying nothing, saying, "Ah, I might have gotten the release date wrong." She didn't seem particularly interested in the bookstore; she didn't even browse, simply watching us shop from behind.
However, once we arrived at the cafe...
"This is it! This is where I wanted to come!"
Her eyes sparkled with genuine joy as she stared at the parfait.
"You certainly have a sweet tooth."
"I do! I love anything sweet!"
The cafe's menu was filled with delicious-looking parfaits, cakes, and puddings, making it hard to choose. But Anna-san insisted that the parfaits were the specialty here. Following her lead, both Abbott-san and I ordered the seasonal parfait and tea set.
When the parfaits arrived, piled high with colorful seasonal fruits, even my heart skipped a beat with excitement.
"This is delicious!"
Anna-san took a bite and squinted her eyes, acting as giddy as a child. It was a heartwarming sight. She must have really wanted to come here.
Abbott-san watched her with a look of exasperation, but she still handed her a napkin. "Honestly, you have cream on your face."
Anna-san blushed and thanked her as she wiped her mouth.
"By the way, Rachel-san, you're quite close with His Highness, aren't you?"
"Pardon?"
"Well, when I saw you before, you two had such a lovey-dovey atmosphere."
"...Do you think so?"
"I do! I mean, he always has that smile, but it's like a mask. The face he shows to you is much gentler..."
It was true that I had been flustered by His Highness's recent demeanor. His calm, charming smile had always been lovely, but lately, I often felt a heated, direct gaze from him. Once caught in that gaze, I felt as if I couldn't move, as if I were caught in a fever. I still wasn't used to him calling my name so sweetly.
The memory of him made my cheeks flush.
"That's the face that's supposed to be turned toward me, though."
The words Anna-san muttered were so quiet they didn't reach my ears, as I was lost in my own thoughts.
"Sorry?"
"Oh, it's nothing!"
When I asked her to repeat herself, Anna-san shook her head and took another bite of her parfait. Then, she looked up as if remembering something.
"Oh! That's right, Rachel-san, you're having your debutante ball soon, aren't you?"
"Yes, since I couldn't attend last year."
The debutante ball at the royal palace is held every year. Noble daughters aged fifteen and older make their social debut at this ball. They are granted an audience with His Majesty and are officially recognized by society. At the ball, the debutantes wear white dresses with floral headpieces and dance.
It's a once-in-a-lifetime event, and I had longed for it since I was a child.
"Me too. I was supposed to go last year, but my parents told me to wait a year."
"Oh, I see."
Anna-san stared at me intently before adding, "Um..."
"Can you dance with His Highness at the debutante ball?"
"Well... yes. Members of the Royal Family usually dance with a few people every year, but not everyone."
Many people our age already have fiancés, but for those who don't, this ball is crucial for making a good match. To celebrate their social debut, members of the Royal Family dance with several debutantes. It's not predetermined, but they often dance with those whose relatives have requested it as a way to showcase them.
"Great! So it's following the story properly."
"Story?"
"N-No, nothing. Oh, what about you, Abbott-san?"
"I finished mine last year. But I'm not very good at evening parties. The thought of having to attend several more this year is depressing."
Abbott-san let out a sigh. She had finished her parfait and was now enjoying her tea.
"Abbott-san, you have a fiancé, don't you?"
"Yes, so he was my escort for my debutante ball."
She had told me recently that her fiancé joined the Order of Mages last year.
"Wait! Then, is His Highness going to be your escort, Rachel-san?"
"No, His Highness will be busy during the debutante ball. My father is planning to escort me."
At my words, Anna-san's face, which had been watching me anxiously, brightened instantly.
"Oh, thank goodness. Right, otherwise we wouldn't be able to dance."
Abbott-san immediately questioned her on that.
"Miss Carroll, do you want to dance with His Highness?"
"Eh? Of course. It's an important event, after all."
Event?
I suppose she means the important debutante ball is... an event.
Well, it is a significant occasion for a girl. And many people admire His Highness. It's only natural to want to dance with him at your debutante ball. Even if it's not her, I'm sure everyone holds that hope somewhere in their hearts.
Even at the last debutante ball, His Highness danced not only with me but also with Katrina-sama and others. Back then, I was jealous, but I also arrogantly felt a sense of superiority, thinking I was 'lending' my fiancé to them.
I won't think like that this time. For him, as the Crown Prince, socializing is extremely important. I know it's wrong to interfere with that or to feel jealous. And I myself need to interact with various people.
So, I understand why Anna-san would want to dance with him, and if necessary, he will dance with her.
...But what is this? Why does the fact that Anna-san is so looking forward to dancing with him make my chest feel so tight?
After that, Anna-san asked many more questions about His Highness's tastes and personality. When I gave vague, smiling answers, she turned her questions toward me and my past year. After I told her only what I could, she said, "I have somewhere else to stop by, so I'll take my leave now," and left quite abruptly.
It felt like a storm had passed. Abbott-san and I could only watch her go in a daze.
"What a strange girl. And she was so persistent about trying to dig up information on His Highness and you, Miss Marcel."
"You... felt that way too?"
"Of course. I'm not one to talk, but you might want to reconsider your association with her."
As Abbott-san knit her brows in clear discomfort, I felt that same sense of wrongness as before.
The Saint and Anna-san are supposed to be the same person, yet somehow they don't match up.
In my previous life, I believe Abbott-san was close to the Saint. But the current Abbott-san has no good feelings toward Anna-san.
What could this mean?
Perhaps...
It was the moment a small suspicion was born within me.
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