251 - A Letter from Lady Shestin
A few days after the martial arts tournament, the effect of Leonardo carelessly becoming the strongest knight in the country manifested. The number of love letters sent to me decreased noticeably. This was a welcome bonus effect.
"It's gone down quite a bit. Refreshing."
Good, good, I thought as I looked at the three envelopes from the brave ones that had still been sent. If these three would just give up, Leonardo's operation to sweep away the bad bugs approaching his little sister should end.
"I sent them a reply adding that the first condition for Tina's marriage is 'a man stronger than me.'"
"Well then, no one in this country can propose to me anymore."
Rather than just returning the love letters, it seems Leonardo dutifully added a note. Looking at the results, I think my big brother did a good job. Since he defeated the commander of the Silver-White Knights, it seems Leonardo is being pressed to return to the capital and assume the position of knight commander, but I haven't heard many detailed stories about that. According to what Felicia briefly told me, Christoph is apparently protecting Leonardo, saying that it's difficult to pry him away from the fortress easily and that his participation in this year's tournament was a special circumstance. It seems Christoph also approved when Leonardo said he wanted to protect the people as a Black Knight, so Christoph must be lenient with Leonardo.
"Will you be my bride, Tina?"
"I'll pass on that, since Leonyaldo Big Brother probably wants children of his own."
Ethelbert told me that if I wanted to bear them, I could, but I won't tell Leonardo that. If I carelessly told him, knowing Leonardo, he'd wait until I became an adult. I'm scheduled to become an adult nine years from now. Leonardo will be thirty-three in nine years. Having one's own children put on hold until that age is more than just a little pitiable. If Leonardo has no lover or wife in nine years, I might consider it, but deciding it now when I'm eleven would be pitiable in another sense too.
"As for children, there is the option of adopting."
"If you make me your fiancee, then using brothels counts as cheating."
Since he seemed to be seriously considering adopting, I thought I'd confront him with a slightly cruel reality. Even for a couple with no physical relations planned, cheating is still cheating. Whether before marriage or after, I have no intention of allowing my lover or husband to use prostitutes.
If you're prepared to never avail yourself of prostitutes from today onward for the rest of your life, then let's get engaged, I said as I looked up at him with my best smile, and Leonardo quietly averted his eyes. It seems my big brother will continue to avail himself of the services of the lady prostitutes.
"...It seems a few more love letters are coming."
"Are you changing the subject?"
Well, that's fine, I thought as I went along with the topic change. The issue of my marriage is a topic too pitiable for Leonardo if I press him on it.
"This letter is full of flattery, and seems to be under the mistaken impression that if they make me fall for them, the conditions will be withdrawn."
I was impressed in a different sense at how one could praise someone they've never met to this extent. If there were a textbook filled with superficial compliments, I think these love letters would be it. The words lined up are pretty, but they're all surface-level phrases that would work even if not directed at me. It would be foolish to take them seriously.
...I'm not even thinking about marriage yet, and being seen as a romantic interest by men I don't know is terrifying, and sending love letters to me when I'm only eleven. No matter how you look at it, that's lolicon behavior.
In any case, it's a refusal, I concluded as I put the envelopes away in a small box. The persistent love letters that were still delivered even after being returned once. I'll hoard them like this, and someday use them as leverage. It's one of the social techniques Alfred taught me.
...No, this definitely isn't social though.
I thought that, but I looked down at the small box containing the unappealing love letters and quietly closed the lid. I prayed that they would never be used as weapons, and would become something that could be burned as a funny story instead.
The number of love letter senders who wouldn't give up recovered to five, but several days passed generally peacefully. There's almost nothing I can do until Alfred brings back research materials on the saint Yuuta Hiraga from Grenore, but there are still a few things I can do. Writing a letter to Barbara, who seems to have moved to the Sedovara Church in the capital, is one of them.
The content includes my recent news, thanks for sending Aurelia's belongings, and a suggestion that I might need her help soon. It's still at the stage of being not even a plan but a rough draft, so it's frustrating that I can't write clearly. I need to include various vague expressions, so I consult with Hermine and have her correct it.
"Young lady, a letter has arrived from Lady Shestin of the Markov family, but..."
I tilted my head slightly, thinking that was an uncharacteristically hesitant way of speaking for Valerier. In her usual work as a maid, Valerier doesn't leave lingering echoes at the end of her words. In this case, she should have clearly said, "A letter has arrived."
Thinking something was odd, I dropped my gaze to the envelope that had been brought. The envelope was already opened, having been checked.
...A letter that a lady's maid needs to check before handing it to me?
Feeling somewhat reluctant to take it, I looked back and forth between Valerier and Leonardo. The fact that the sender was someone I didn't know made me a little wary.
...Huh? Someone I don't know? Do I really not know them?
I recalled the name I'd just heard and realized that my memory had a slight hook. It wasn't someone I could recall immediately, but when I thought about it, I felt like I'd heard the name before.
"Lady Shestin is the one who will become the next head of the Staff Peerage house. Her letter was about wanting to invite you to a very private tea party, young lady."
"A very private tea party? I don't recall being worthy of such an invitation..."
To me, who was hesitating to reach out, Valerier summarized the contents of the letter. She even told me the peerage title, but it felt like the memory I was about to recall drifted further away.
"...Young lady, aren't you friends with Lady Shestin's younger sister? That's what the letter said."
"A friend from the Staff Peerage family..."
Before I could say "I don't have one," Leonardo recalled from beside me. I didn't recognize it because they mentioned both the title and the sender's name. If it was just Markov, even I might have noticed.
"I think 'Shestin' was the name of Jemian-dono's eldest daughter."
"Jemian-sama's eldest daughter's younger sister... that would be Basilia-chan."
Once I arrived at Basilia's name, the dots connected quickly after that. Even in the city of Lagarette, Ethelbert and Sukebei had been worried about me contacting Jemian. Leonardo, who is the lord of the fortress positioned to surround Lagarette, is probably like a thorn in Jemian's side, they said. And they didn't know what actions Jemian might take toward Leonardo's little sister.
...Actually, he was quite helpful to me, and I think we have a good relationship now thanks to the embroidery paintings, though?
Probably, similar concerns led them to be wary of letters from the Markov family. That's why the contents had been checked.
"Ummm...?"
Once I knew who the other party was, the wariness inside me disappeared. I took the envelope I'd been hesitating to reach for moments before and confirmed the contents of the letter with my own eyes.
It began with a polite greeting, followed by apologies for the trouble caused by getting caught up in the kidnapping incident in her territory of Lagarette. Then it moved on to how her younger sister Basilia had come to the capital, and contained an invitation to a tea party where friends of similar age could meet and talk for the first time in a while.
"...In other words, she wants me to keep Basilia-chan company?"
"Tina-san, your language."
A candid impression slipped out of my mouth, and I was immediately scolded by Hermine. While rephrasing it in more ladylike language, I considered my schedule going forward.
...Once the research materials arrive, I'll be busy, so maybe I should meet her now while I can?
In spring, in the city of Lagarette, I had canceled an overnight stay at the last minute. That was because I had been startled by the Eighth Princess and lost my composure, but if Basilia had been looking forward to the overnight stay, I might have done something wrong. Our first meeting was of a selfish and arrogant girl, but Basilia's personality in letters was that of a slightly clingy and lonely girl. I could tell that she had come all the way to the capital to see me, so I decided to accept this invitation.
The HDD red problem recurred within a day, so today's is short. Found the culprit for the HDD, planning to resolve it soon.
Typos and omissions again another day. Fixed any typos and omissions I found.