269 - The Capital's Harvest Festival
The bobbin lace I had promised to Basilia was finished, so I thought about how to deliver it. I considered sending it along with a letter, but Hermine set me the task of arranging a meeting and handing it over in person. It seems the failed tea party with my aunt is still having repercussions. The difficulty has been lowered from a tea party with a lady to a tea party with a lady-in-training, but it remains an assignment for me nonetheless. I dutifully wrote a letter inquiring after Basilia's well-being, and within a week, plans for a tea party were settled.
...Does Basilia-chan really have no other friends, I wonder.
Whenever I sent a letter, a reply came back immediately, and when I suggested a tea party, she said she would handle all the preparations herself and I only needed to come to the mansion. Things fell into place with remarkable speed. Hermine seemed to want me to handle the tea party preparations myself, but it ended up taking the form of an invitation from Basilia instead.
...Not that I'm complaining. It's easier for me this way.
And so, today I'm having a tea party with Basilia. When I handed over the lace ribbon, Basilia immediately called for her nursemaid and had the ribbon adorned in her hair. She seemed genuinely delighted by the ribbon. The fact that it matched mine appeared to be a particular point of joy for Basilia.
"I hear the Harvest Festival decorations have begun in the Inner City."
"Come to think of it, it's about that time of year, isn't it."
Since I've been mostly confined to the detached palace, I feel I've grown out of touch with seasonal events. The Recollection Festival was held within the royal castle, and originally I hadn't planned to spend even the Harvest Festival, let alone the winter, in the capital. Perhaps because I've ended up staying in the capital far longer than expected, I haven't been mindful of events that ought to be happening.
...At the Grenore residence, even without leaving the house, event plans and such would come to Leonyaldo-san's attention, so they'd register in my mind somehow.
Looking at the garden lets me see the changing seasons, but daily life at the detached palace doesn't change much. I've started picking up various rumors and information from the followers who attend Felicia's tea parties, but that's about it. Right now, the documents I needed to read have also been cleared, so I basically spend my time on bobbin lace and embroidery, with Hermine's lessons in the afternoon. It truly is a life of confinement in the detached palace.
...Yeah. No wonder my guardian (Leonardo) keeps reminding me to go out once in a while.
I reflected a little on my reclusive tendencies and brought the flower-scented tea to my lips. Right now, I'm at a tea party with Basilia. I know full well that if I let my guard down even a little, my true nature will slip out like the other day, so I pulled my wandering thoughts back to Basilia before me.
"What sort of things happen at the Harvest Festival in the capital? Do you know, Basilia-sama?"
"I have heard from my older sister that what takes place in the Inner City is not so different from the city of Lagarette."
Brides and grooms pray for children and hold their weddings on this day, and apparently this is common in the capital as well. The many weddings are the same in the Noble District, and keeping track of which houses are forming connections is apparently important. Also, since failing to attend one house's wedding while they attended yours can affect future social relations, it's apparently not uncommon for retired predecessors living in their territories to come to the capital during this season to increase the number of wedding attendees from their house.
"I hear the Wemishuvara Contest in the capital is held only in the Inner City."
"Only in the Inner City? I would think there are beautiful women in the Noble District as well..."
"If it were held in the Noble District, the results could hardly be called fair."
"...That's true."
I only know the Wemishuvara Contest as it was held in Grenore, but essentially it's a beauty contest. In Grenore, entrants were determined by nomination to ensure fairness, but once the contestants become noble daughters, the power of their house speaks louder than their personal appearance. Apparently the Wemishuvara Contest used to be held in the Noble District as well, but at some point a Staff Peerage who had cheated and a Flower Peerage who had a daughter of unsurpassed beauty came to blows with blades, and since then the contest has not been held in the Noble District.
"...If Felicia-sama had participated, that incident probably wouldn't have happened."
"I hear that woman won the Inner City's Wemishuvara Contest three years in a row, and now she's been barred from participating."
"Barred from participating...?"
I don't suppose she participated fully nude. For just a moment, that worry crossed my mind, but Felicia is, for all her eccentricity, a rational woman. She wouldn't go to a festival the common people enjoy and cause chaos by appearing nude. So then, why was she banned from participating? As I was wondering, Basilia gave me the answer.
"Because if Felicia-sama participates, the winner is decided from the start."
Of course she would participate while concealing her status, but still, Felicia is exceptionally beautiful. Too beautiful. Because her mere presence determines the outcome, other women are overshadowed. Even though they managed to enter the Wemishuvara Contest, a woman with goddess-level beauty kept snatching victory year after year, and it seemed a shame for those in their prime to miss their chance.
"I feel like Felicia-sama could easily win for about twenty years straight."
"Is she truly that beautiful? I wonder who is more beautiful, her or my mother?"
"When you say Basilia-sama's mother... that would be Yuria-sama, correct? I've heard her name from Jemian-sama before."
"Tina-sama, please, I ask that you simply call my mother 'Yuria.'"
Kept as a mistress in Jemian's main residence, Basilia's mother is a commoner, and Basilia herself was formally taken in by Jemian and is counted as a daughter of the Staff Peerage. Though mother and child by blood, they are separated by class as commoner and noble.
"Father always says that Mother is the most beautiful woman in Lagarette."
Apparently Jemian, who loves art, fell for Yuria's sculpture-like refined beauty and took her as his mistress. When Yuria became pregnant with Basilia and her figure changed, he supposedly lost interest for a time, but when he came to take Basilia in because her age matched Dietfried's, he apparently had a revelation about true beauty.
Basilia was telling me the story of their romance with a dreamy expression, but it's perfectly natural for a pregnant woman's figure to change. If he loved Yuria for her art-like perfection, he simply shouldn't have done the things that lead to pregnancy. Objectively speaking, I think it's a thoroughly appalling story of a man's selfishness, but it seems to be a beautiful tale in Basilia's eyes. When Jemian came to take Basilia in, he found himself captivated by his former mistress's figure, which had not returned to its previous state. Whether Jemian's strike zone had expanded over time or he had converted to a taste for more voluptuous figures, I don't know. But his love was rekindled, and Basilia was welcomed into the main residence along with Yuria.
"By the way, um... Tina-sama, do you have any plans for the Harvest Festival..."
Basilia fidgeted restlessly, playing with her fingers as she changed the subject. Perhaps she had come to her senses and realized that the romance story of her parents' mistress relationship wasn't the kind of thing to discuss so openly, married couple or not.
"I have no particular plans. My brother is not here this year, so I'm not in the mood to go out and see the festivities either."
"I-I see..."
I had spoken my thoughts as they were, but somehow Basilia drooped her head dejectedly. Did I say something wrong? The contrast with Basilia, who had been cheerfully talking about her parents' romance just moments before, was too stark, and I looked to Hermine for help. Meeting my eyes, Hermine gave a slight shake of her head.
...Ah, I definitely messed up somehow.
What was it, I wonder, what did I do wrong? I searched my memory for the answer. She asked about my plans for the Harvest Festival, and I simply answered. I didn't think it was anything that would make Basilia upset.
"Um, Basi..."
"Once in a while!"
I didn't know the answer, so I tried to ask her directly, but my words were cut off. She fixed me with a sharp, determined gaze, so I decided to hear her out for now. Whatever Basilia was about to say must be where I had gone wrong.
"Once in a while... I'd like you to... invite me!"
"Huh?"
"Once in a while" ... what did that mean? Thinking it over, I realized one thing.
...So, when she asked about my Harvest Festival plans earlier, that was an invitation to go to the Harvest Festival together.
And I, by saying "I'm not in the mood to go out since my brother isn't here," had effectively turned down the invitation before it could even be properly extended. That must have crushed Basilia.
"Um... how about sometime, to the detached palace..."
I started to invite her to visit the detached palace, then stopped myself. The detached palace is within the royal castle. For all I know, it might not be a place I can simply invite friends from outside the castle on my own authority.
"Hermine-sensei, may I invite 'my friend' to the detached palace?"
"I cannot say anyone and everyone would be acceptable, but I believe it would be fine as long as you consult with Nadine first."
Having received Hermine's assurance that Basilia, with her solid backing, would be no problem, I turned back to Basilia. Since she had witnessed the conversation, naturally Basilia was looking up at me with hopeful eyes.
"Well then, how about sometime? I'll ask Nadine first, and then invite you."
That was about all I could say right now. I had Hermine's assurance, but I hadn't obtained Nadine's consent. It wasn't settled, so I could only say "after I ask," but Basilia didn't seem to like this answer. She pouted and pressed further.
"'Sometime' when!?"
"Huh? Sometime is sometime? There's no need to rush..."
"If I leave the planning to you, I'll never be invited! Even with letters, if I don't send one first, you never reply!!"
"Ah..."
This is probably what Basilia really wanted to say. She might be anxious because I never send letters unless she sends one first. Come to think of it, this time when I unusually sent a letter first, the reply came back surprisingly quickly, and the tea party was arranged with unusual speed. I think, more than anything, she likes me. And because she gives that affection but I don't return it in equal measure, Basilia might be feeling insecure.
"...For now, I'm going to be busy once Alfred-sama returns, so I'll send you an invitation really soon."
Realizing I was perhaps being a rather poor friend, I tried to make plans on the spot. My schedule is essentially free except for afternoon lessons. Still, I do have things that will keep me busy, so it would be better to extend an invitation sooner rather than later. More to the point, if I don't consciously build it into my schedule, as Basilia said, I'll keep putting it off, and with me, there's a high chance I'd forget about it altogether. In fact, I'm rather confident that's the more likely outcome.
...Yeah, I'm a little too cold-hearted, aren't I.
I offered my pinky to Basilia, who was pressing me to pinky-swear, and as she vigorously shook my arm, I thought back to the faces of my friends in Grenore. This isn't a country with a postal system as developed as in my previous life, so I can't casually send letters, but perhaps on some occasion, I might send one.
On the way back, I had a debriefing and self-reflection session in the carriage. It seemed I had been correct in guessing that Basilia wanted to invite me to the Harvest Festival. Because I said I wasn't in the mood to go out using Leonardo's absence as an excuse, it became difficult for her to extend the invitation, Hermine explained. I had to think about it again before I could finally think, "Oh, was that it?" but to Hermine, apparently it came across as straightforward as that. Rather than Basilia being a tsundere and hard to read, it seems I'm simply too dense.
"It seems Basilia-sama is more advanced in her education than Tina-san."
Though I had been momentarily thrown off by Leonardo's absence, I had accomplished the original goal of securing the next meeting, Hermine said. Now that she mentioned it, it was true. I hadn't been invited to the Harvest Festival, but I had made a promise to meet again in person rather than by letter.
"Was it really alright to invite Basilia-chan to the detached palace?"
I voiced my lingering concerns about whether I could freely invite friends to a detached palace within the royal castle. Hermine corrected my wording slightly, emphasizing "Basilia-sama." It wasn't proper to keep calling her "Basilia-chan" like she was a commoner child.
...Maybe I should stop calling her "Basilia-chan" even in my head soon.
I suspect this is also why I can't quickly choose words befitting a lady. I can't stay a child forever, so I need to correct myself so my true nature doesn't slip out outside the home.
"As I mentioned earlier, as long as it is Basilia-sama, I believe permission would be granted for inviting her to the detached palace."
Of course, that doesn't mean just anyone can be invited. Basilia has clear backing as the daughter of a Staff Peerage, and she already has a relationship with me. Her father Jemian, of course, and also her older sister Shestin, who is Jemian's daughter, have been permitted entry to the royal castle. Except for the fact that she is a minor, sooner or later Basilia would be permitted entry to the royal castle as well.
"Basilia-sama will be an excellent learning resource for you, Tina-san. Let us use hosting Basilia-sama as practice for holding tea parties."
With that settled, the carriage arrived at the detached palace. As I was stepping down with Giselle's escort, Giselle asked in a small voice whether I wanted to go to the Harvest Festival.
"...It would be too much trouble for my escort if I went to the Inner City, so I'm fine."
If I were with Leonardo, I'd feel safe, but having Aaron guard me alone in the crowds that the Harvest Festival is sure to draw would be cruel. I technically have Giselle as a guard, but even my guardian has said she's not reliable in terms of combat ability.
...And even aside from combat, she does seem to be a bit of a laid-back person.
Perhaps my thoughts showed on my face, because Giselle's expression sharpened.
"I will protect you. Please entrust it to me."
"I don't particularly want to go to the Harvest Festival, so it's fine."
As you know, I'm not the type to go out much, I gently declined Giselle's offer. Going around a festival at ease with a close friend would be fun, but going around with Basilia would probably end up being viewed from inside a carriage, and going to a festival with an escort of guards seemed like it would be a nuisance to other visitors.
...If someone told me the Three Crows Tavern had snacks there, I might go out to play, though.
Unfortunately, this is the capital. I hear there's a main branch of the Three Crows Tavern in the port city of Tior, but there's no Three Crows Tavern in the capital. It didn't seem likely that my appetite would be the reason I'd go out to the Harvest Festival.
In the end, I had Nadine adjust the schedules of the servants to give them rotating days off for the Harvest Festival, so those who wanted to go could go. I told Giselle the same. If she wanted to go to the Harvest Festival, she could.
Giselle seemed a little hurt by these words. I didn't mean anything by it, but apparently she felt like she was being told she was inadequate as a guard.
...I really didn't mean it that way.
Giselle and I need to understand each other a little better. I truly felt that.