227 - Macarons and Norakamu
...Hmm, I can't tell if Aaron is amazing or if Giselle is hopeless!
When I said I wanted to get to know the detached palace, Aaron offered to show me around inside. Not only the four seasonal rooms, but every single guest room, the central hall, the library which the previous master apparently never even approached, not to mention the places within my range of activity, Aaron had a grasp of truly various locations including the laundry, the kitchen, the servants' passages and rest areas. When I asked why he knew so much about this detached palace, he answered with an expressionless face that since it would be his workplace, it was only natural to grasp the floor plan in advance.
...Certainly, if you are doing guard work, understanding the floor plan might be important, right? Whether fleeing in an emergency or holing up, grasping the connections between rooms would be important. Thinking conversely, you could also predict where assassins or intruders could hide. There appeared to be a trap door in the library floor, and when Aaron opened it as part of the tour, Giselle seemed not to have known about it and was surprised. Leonardo and Aaron were silent toward that Giselle, but I could vaguely tell what they were thinking. I think they were thinking that the White Knight was indeed incompetent. After hearing the results of Aaron's advance research, a guard who only investigated the visible floor plan is nothing but a source of anxiety.
"...Huh?"
Tilting my head, I looked at the room I was told was the summer room we would use from today. The details were different, but the overall atmosphere was in chocolate mint colors and closely resembled my room in Grenore.
"You will not feel much dissonance, will you? By Lord Alfred's orders, we have arranged it to resemble your room in Grenore."
When had she returned from the garden, Nadine was in the room. Urged to take a look, I surveyed the room and the atmosphere was so similar it was a little frightening. If there was a giant bear stuffed toy on the bed, it would be even more similar, but when a room is arranged this similarly, the differences are actually more calming.
...Lord Alfred, how does he know about the inside of my room? If there is a culprit, it can only be the person beside me. When I glanced up at Leonardo's face, he was smiling proudly, so bingo. Leonardo must have leaked the atmosphere of my room to Alfred.
...Leonyaldo-san, that is awkward! That is awkward, I say! Do not leak things about a girl's room outside the house!!
In a sense, this detached palace should become my 'home' too, but having the interior leaked to others without my knowledge is honestly awkward. Matching the wallpaper and furniture colors would not bother me, but having the same furniture sizes and arrangement feels a bit excessive. Perhaps it was consideration to avoid changing my environment too much, but having a different room atmosphere is natural since I am in a different place.
"What is that box?"
I spotted a beautifully decorated box on the low table set with the lounge chair. There should not have been a box like that among my luggage, so it must be something newly brought into this room.
"It is a gift from Lord Elvis."
"Speaking of Lord Elvis... He is Lord Alfred's eldest older brother, is he not."
I spread the current royal family tree I learned in Hermine's lessons in my mind and grasped the relationships. The prince Elvis is Alfred's older brother, but they have different mothers. In the sense that she was married first, she should be the first wife, but in terms of bloodline, she is one step below Alfred's mother, and is called a consort rather than a queen. This country's throne seems to use a unique selection method, but in a family that determines rank by bloodline, she would undoubtedly be placed below Alfred.
...From someone like that, a gift for me? What connection could there be to come up with the idea of 'a gift for me'? As I hesitated to take the box, not understanding, Nadine explained the connection between Elvis and me. When I heard it, it turned out to be nothing much. There was no need to think deeply about it.
"Lord Elvis is grateful to you, young lady, regarding Lord Dietfried."
"Lord Dietfried..."
Being told that, I finally realized. Speaking of Elvis, that is the name of Dietfried's father. When I hear 'prince', I first imagine Alfred, but Dietfried's father is also a prince, no less. I cannot help but imagine a radiant young man on a white horse, but whether in his thirties or fifties, as long as there is a king above him alive, a prince is a prince. He must have been fairly troubled by his child's upbringing.
"Lord Elvis is delighted that letters have started arriving from Lord Dietfried, however clumsily. According to Lord Ethelbert, you were the catalyst for Lord Dietfried to begin facing his studies."
As Nadine bowed deeply saying "I too would like to express my gratitude," I felt a sense of unease. According to Ethelbert, Dietfried grew up to be so selfish because of his nurse and the servants. If that is true, it feels a bit strange for Nadine to thank me, who suggested sending Dietfried to Mandez, which forcibly separated him from the nurses' hands. I would have expected something like being resented for taking Lord Dietfried away.
...Something is weird, is it not?
Though I felt something was off, I understood the reason for the gift. This is probably fine to accept. Just as I thought that and reached for the box, Leonardo stopped me.
"There should not be anything wrong with a gift from Lord Elvis, but first checking the contents is the guard's duty."
"Eh? Could it actually be a jack-in-the-box, or something like a 'razor letter'?"
"Razo...?"
Seeing Leonardo's momentarily puzzled face, I realized the term 'razor letter' did not get through to him. Razors themselves exist, but a classic girl's harassment tactic like hiding a razor in the edge of an envelope was probably something Leonardo never encountered. There is no way he would understand a term that was nearly dead even in my previous life.
I corrected myself, telling Leonardo it was nothing, and looked back at the two guards behind me. If it is a guard's duty, I should leave it to the knights assigned as guards.
"Could I ask you to do it?"
"Leave it to me."
Since I was unsure which one to entrust it to, I asked in a way that could be taken by either. Giselle had also reacted, but the one who took it on first was Aaron. Giselle was a step too late here as well.
In the end, there was no way a gift from the first prince would have a trap, and though a cursory inspection was done, it quickly returned to my hands. When I opened the gift box again, inside were colorful macarons.
"Whoa. They are cute."
I almost said "cute macarons" and covered it up. To my knowledge, they look like macarons, but I do not know if they are called 'macarons' in this country too. Realizing that, I also grew a little worried about whether a macaron was even recognizable as a confection at first glance.
"This is a confection called 'Norakamu' that is popular in the capital. I have received them before as well, and after a crispy bite, a fluffy sweetness comes, a delicious treat."
"'Norakamu,' is it. They look delicious."
As I wondered how to act, peering into the box from the right and from the left, Nadine seemed to have realized from my gestures that I was seeing them for the first time. She even told me the name and impressions of the taste, which was a huge help for me.
...Norakamu, Norakamu, right. Got it. Macarons are Norakamu.
I felt like looking at them a bit more since they looked cute, but I gently closed the lid. They were precious macarons, or rather Norakamu, but I had just had tea as a break after arriving. Any more sweets and I will become a pig.
"If you would like to eat them right away, I shall prepare tea."
"Eh?"
Though I closed the lid regretfully, it seemed Nadine had not expected any self-control from me from the start. Not expecting self-control is one thing, but being encouraged to have what seems like excessive snacking is a bit troublesome. My willpower is not that strong, you know.
...Is this the spoiling that raised Dietfried into a selfish tyrant...!?
Feeling like I had glimpsed the foundation on which Dietfried was raised, I straightened my spine only internally. I understood, whether I liked it or not, that I must not give in to this spoiling.
"I will not be able to eat dinner."
With my small stomach, any more snacking is dangerous. Or perhaps dinner is not served at the detached palace? When I asked about that, I was told that dinner was properly prepared as well.
"...Then, I will refrain from any more snacking after all."
"Young Lady Tina has been raised quite strictly, has she not."
"It is not strict at all. Leonardo Big Brother is incredibly soft on me."
My speech slipped a little, and Hermine's gaze grew sharp. When I immediately tightened my cheeks, she seemed to understand that her warning had gotten through. Hermine's expression returned to normal.
"Lord Dietfried was someone who ate as many sweets as he wanted whenever he wanted, so for a young lady smaller than Lord Dietfried to be able to restrain herself..."
"Boys and girls are different, are they not."
If I may add, that itself is a matter of upbringing. Few children dislike sweets. If in an environment where they could eat as much as they wanted, a child with immature self-control could not possibly reduce their sweets just because dinner was coming. And that should have been the job of the nurse entrusted with the child's upbringing. It was not that Dietfried lacked self-control from the start. It was the result of Nadine not scolding him properly because he was 'cute' and neglecting his discipline.
Though regretfully, I had the Norakamu put away and sat down on the lounge chair. It was a truly awkward time. At the mansion, I knew where everything was stored, so I could take things out whenever I liked, but today I had just arrived at the detached palace. The luggage seemed to have already been put away, but I did not know where anything was.
...But Leonyaldo-san and Hermine-sensei should probably call it a day early, right? Leonardo's luggage might have been put away by a maid or someone, but it was hard to imagine other servants unpacking Hermine's luggage, who was accompanying us as a tutor and maid. I thought they would probably want to wrap up early and arrange their rooms, but I also did not want to be left alone in my room surrounded by people I had just met.
...This is being torn between reason and desire...!
I did not want Leonardo and Hermine to leave, so in the end I did not want to suggest disbanding. In that case, I needed to naturally keep the two of them in my room.
"Leonardo Big Brother, what will you do until dinner?"
"It is more like I came to the capital to accompany Tina. I do not have any particular plans, and it seems there are not enough guards, so I will stay on as Tina's guard."
Honestly, I wanted him to stay by my side, but I thought Leonardo must have plans too. Thinking that, I asked Leonardo sitting beside me, but I got a surprisingly favorable response. It seemed Leonardo intended to basically spend his time in the capital with me.
...What is this. I am being treated better than in Grenore, am I not? He said he wanted to show his face at the Silver-White Knights' station once, but apparently had no real plans besides that. The treatment was completely different from the Grenore mansion where I was basically left alone. He also has no work as a fortress lord in the capital.
...I can have him play with me as much as I want...!
Naturally, both my hands stretched upward. There was no way it would be understood, but I could not help raising both hands in a cheer, and the next moment a chill ran down my spine and I quickly lowered my hands. Without a doubt, Hermine behind me must be making a stern face. Do not forget the conduct of a lady, she would say.
"...How should I spend my time?"
"Basically, it is no different from the mansion. You can spend your time as you like, Tina. If you say you want to see the town, I will take you sometime."
"If I do as I like, will you not be bored, Leonardo Big Brother?"
I am happy he will play with me, but I also like embroidery and bobbin lace. In the afternoons, Hermine gives me lessons. I cannot be doting on Leonardo all day either.
"I can just pass that off as part of my guard duty."
There are those who guard while showing themselves, and those who guard without ever showing themselves. Since he is visible, I cannot help but want to talk to him, but since a guard is precisely in the middle of work, it is better not to speak to them from the protected person's side. That itself would be a hindrance to their work.
"Tina, you can just relax here until Lord Christoph calls for you."
"I understand. ...Once I meet the King, can I return right away?"
I asked something I had somehow missed asking until now. I was afraid of being told I could not return, so I had not been able to bring it up until now.
"I cannot say if it will be right away, but... you should be able to return, so you can rest easy."
"...I do not want it to be long, okay?"
"Separate from the summons, right now I want you to stay away from the border area, Tina."
I felt like Alfred had mentioned something about trouble at the border. If that is the case, then insisting I want to return immediately might indeed cause trouble for Leonardo. If I could definitely return someday, then maybe steeling myself and staying in the capital was a good thing for now.
Nadine suggested that I gather the maids after dinner and have a tea party with the Norakamu, but Hermine rejected this. It was Nadine's consideration so that I could learn people's faces and names as quickly as possible in the detached palace full of unfamiliar people, but after a long journey by carriage, I always fall ill. Wary of that, Hermine suggested I rest first rather than meet unfamiliar people and build up stress.
...I wanted to go to bed early rather than have tea with strangers too, you know?
Even though it was arranged to resemble my room in Grenore, this was a completely unfamiliar room. Just because I lay down on the bed did not mean I could fall asleep right away.
...I must definitely be tired, but I cannot sleep at all.
The atmosphere is made similar, but the window size is completely different. A favorite sachet was placed beside the pillow, but on the ceiling I looked up to, there was no face of the bear stuffed toy that always looked down on me. I lay down in bed early by Hermine's arrangement, but the drowsiness assigned to me seemed to have gotten lost somewhere. In the carriage, both Leonardo and Hermine were nearby so I could sleep without issues, but at the detached palace, I did not seem able to sleep peacefully until I got used to the room itself.
...This has happened before too. I am sure that on the first night I came to the town of Grenore, I also could not fall asleep easily. Unable to sleep, I got out of bed, went inside the curtains, and was looking out the window when Leonardo came into the room without knocking. At that time, I thought a burglar or something had come in, and I was really scared.
...Let us sleep. I am not a child forever. Even in a new place, I can sleep properly.
Telling myself that, I tightly closed my eyelids. I stayed still without doing anything, but still, the drowsiness did not come.
...I-I cannot sleep.
It feels like I have been in bed for hours, but I do not think even an hour has actually passed. It is painful not being able to sleep, and it just makes the perceived time feel longer.
...Let us go to Leonyaldo-san's room.
Forgetting what I told myself just a little while ago, I heaved myself up. I shuffled out of bed and headed straight for the door. I had not fallen asleep, but having been in the darkness all this time, my eyes had adjusted. In the dark room, I could vaguely see the positions of the furniture.
"...Hyaa!?"
When I opened the door leading to the antechamber, a pair of eyes was visible through the gap in the door. As I caught my breath and froze, the owner of the eyes opened the door.
"...Aaron-san?"
Once the door was open, it was nothing at all. It looked like black eyes floating in the darkness, which surprised me, but they were the eyes of Aaron, who had been assigned as my guard starting today.
"'Aaron' is fine. I heard a noise. Where are you going?"
He briefly corrected my error and asked why I was at the door and what I needed. I was startled, but he was someone I felt more familiar with than Giselle, whom I had only met today. The tension in my shoulders eased just a little.
"I cannot sleep, so I was thinking of asking Leo to let me stay in his room."
"That is not a very good idea."
"It is something a child would do, so please overlook it."
Pointed out that eleven years old is not that much of a child, I tilted my head. Oh? Both Leonardo and I still thought of myself as a child, but it seemed different for Aaron. I thought I still had a few years until adulthood, but apparently from others' perspectives, I was not at an age to sleep with a guardian anymore. Certainly, thinking calmly, even in my previous life I do not think I was sleeping with my parents at eleven years old.
...Could it be that I have been indulging in Leonyaldo-san's treating me like a child and becoming more childish than my actual age?
That felt like it was definitely not good. I was already aware that I was clingy, but being too childish was a problem.
...No help for it. I will try a little harder.
When I reluctantly returned to the bed, Aaron closed the door for me. I had slept with Leonardo at the Mandez mansion and in the town of Lagarette too, but back then I was still in single digits. It has been over a year since I reached double digits, so I really need to learn to sleep alone soon.
I tried hard and stayed still in bed, but by the time I fell asleep, the sky was growing pale and bright. I think 'passed out' is more accurate than 'fell asleep.'
In the end, I could not sleep well, but strangely enough, I did not develop a fever and fall ill. Maybe I have become a little more resilient to changes in environment.
Finally, the first day in the capital is over.
Typos and omissions again another day. Fixed any typos and omissions I found.