300 - Tea Party with a Cousin 1
When I consulted Mikaela about wanting to bring Basilia along to the tea party, it was originally a tea party for a meeting with my aunt and cousin, but the conversation developed a bit further.
Since three children would be coming anyway, it was decided to hold a small tea party that would also include acquaintances' children, and what was supposed to be a family-only tea party expanded in scale before anyone could stop it.
I wondered if a large-scale tea party would be alright for Sofiya, who seems to have a delicate constitution, but considering children would be coming, it was also somewhat convenient.
If Basilia gained friends and acquaintances through this opportunity, her interest in me should weaken.
Besides, a tea party on a scale just slightly larger than the private ones I'd experienced before would be good practice for me as well.
Above all, since it was a gathering where children would be present, it should be a place where small mistakes would be forgiven.
...It's like Halloween, isn't it.
As a gimmick for the tea party, even though it's a bit early for the Divine King Festival, it was decided that we would do costumes.
I thought my usual cat ears would be fine, but Felicia handed me a newly completed owl costume.
Dressing from head to toe in the costume I was given would be going too far even for a festival enthusiast, so I decided to wear only the jacket modeled after an owl.
For the Divine King Festival, I plan to wear a fluffy fur one-piece and knee-length pumpkin pants to recreate an owl's round body.
The owl's surprisingly thin, sharp legs were to be expressed with warm tights, a costume Felicia put great care into.
...Even just as a jacket, it's warm and cute.
I put on the hood with eyes and a beak, and checked my reflection in the mirror.
Wings are attached to the sleeves, so spreading both arms makes the owl wings spread out, it's fun.
If I undo the buttons, the sleeves and wings separate, so it doesn't get in the way of actions like drinking tea.
When I checked my back view in the mirror, even the back had a beautiful pattern modeled after an owl's back, crafted with no shortcuts taken.
I'm a little worried I might drag them on the ground, but the tail feathers are properly attached too.
...Oh no, it's cute.
This "cute" is not a comment on my face in this life, but on the owl jacket.
Feeling special from wearing such a cute costume, I spun around in front of the mirror on the spot.
What I wore under the owl jacket wasn't made to match the costume, but Kalisa chose it to suit today's outfit.
It didn't clash with the jacket at all, and the colors matched perfectly.
"...Tina-sama, it seems Aaron's preparations are complete."
"That should be quite a sight."
Giselle has been doing something akin to undercover investigation lately under Ulrika's guidance.
Therefore, the only guard for this tea party is Aaron.
With two dogs present, there's no problem in terms of guard strength, but since Aaron was assigned to stick close and guard me this time, Aaron was also forced into an animal costume.
"...Shall I put a matching collar on you to go with Kokumaro?"
Aaron, standing in front of my room's door, had dog ears attached to the top of his short black hair.
The dog ears and tail were black to match his hair color, which made them the same color as the dogs I was keeping.
I wanted to take it a step further and put a collar on him. Even if I felt that way, it couldn't be helped, could it.
"A collar is really..."
"By the way, Kokumaro's collar has Leonyaldo Big Brother's crest on it."
The charm on Kokumaro's collar bears Leonyaldo's crest.
More precisely, it's not "Leonyaldo's crest" but rather all the symbols of the knight order under his command, lavishly stamped onto it.
This matches the clasp of Leonyaldo's cloak, while the charm on my purse only has Cerberus, the symbol of the Grenore Knights.
It's a special specification that not even I, his sister, get to use.
"...Tina, I think putting a collar on a human is a bit much."
"When I jokingly suggested it, he unexpectedly latched onto the idea, so I adopted it as is."
Alfred, who accompanied me as my guardian and escort, frowned at the collar on Aaron following behind me.
If I said the charm would match Alf's, Alfred himself would probably jump at the suggestion, but he was surprisingly sensible about other people.
"As soon as I told him Kokumaro's collar has Leonyaldo Big Brother's crest on it, he decided on the spot."
"Ah... Aaron became a Silver-White Knight out of admiration for Leonyaldo, after all."
"Come to think of it, I feel like I've heard something like that before."
"Don't lie. You remembered and said it on purpose, didn't you."
Called out for exactly that, I stuck out my tongue slightly.
I had considered that Aaron would latch onto anything involving Leonyaldo, and then brought up his name.
Aaron with dog ears and a red collar seemed to be surprisingly well-received by Petrona.
Normally she keeps her distance as if she's afraid of Aaron, but with dog-eared Aaron, she actively approached and took care of him attentively.
...It was like watching a large dog being groomed by a kitten. A feast for the eyes.
And Alfred, who was escorting me, was dressed as a sheep.
If I may add, the costume was a hand-me-down butler's livery.
However, even if it was a hand-me-down, it was a hand-me-down 'costume.'
It was worthy of a prince's attire, made from the highest quality fabric.
"By the way, Alfred-sama, is it alright for you to only escort me around?"
I could feel glances from young ladies of marriageable age who seemed to be attending the tea party, but Alfred coolly ignored them all.
The looks of adoration directed at Alfred the prince, and the jealous looks at me whom he was escorting, were harsh.
I think there's no need to be jealous of an eleven-year-old child, but the age of adulthood in this country is fifteen.
Considering that, I suppose I really could become their romantic rival.
"Having you around helps reduce the troublesome marriage talks people try to push on me. Besides, if they misunderstand you as my fiancee candidate, the love letters decrease too."
"That's a wonderful suggestion."
I clasped my hands together, thinking I had to take this deal.
If it meant getting rid of love letters from people whose faces I didn't even know, rumors that were nothing but a misunderstanding with Alfred were more than welcome.
More than welcome is what I thought, but Aunt Sofiya shrank at the appearance of Alfred the prince.
It was supposed to be a small gathering of just family, but before anyone knew it, it had become a tea party on a scale where even neighborhood families were attending, not just relatives.
I found it refreshing to see so many children in the noble district, but for Sofiya, who started all this, she might have been beside herself.
After bowing deeply and greeting Alfred, she immediately withdrew to another room.
"Why aren't you a cat today!?"
The moment we arrived at Siegwald's residence, the Black Dog (Oscar) vanished somewhere, and Basilia, who joined us in the entrance hall as if replacing him, was shocked that I wasn't in my usual cat-eared form, hastily covering her mouth.
Since there were people I didn't know at today's tea party, I couldn't go with my usual style.
"...Why aren't you a cat?"
On Basilia's head, who looked up at me with resentful eyes in a lowered voice, cat ears matching her hair color were attached.
Considering Basilia's tsundere personality, she might have been trying to compete with the two cat-eared maids currently at the detached palace.
Or perhaps she was purely aiming to match with me. Feeling a little guilty, I decided to escort Basilia today.
...If I don't release Alfred-sama soon, the older ladies' stares are going to be painful.
In a voice that could be heard by the young ladies aiming to approach Alfred, I childishly asked for his permission. If it was alright for me to go with Basilia.
Alfred, who had been using me as a woman-shield, made a sour face, but a young lady seized the opportunity to cut in, smiling at Alfred with a knowing look, saying that children should be with children.
The young lady smiled beautifully at Alfred, but toward me and Basilia, she moved her hands as if shooing away kittens.
The young lady who drove me and Basilia away gained the upper hand for only a moment.
Once we left, as if to say there was no need for restraint anymore, the young ladies swarmed Alfred all at once.
...Alfred-sama, you're so popular.
I knew I was being used as a woman-shield, but I had my own goals, so I excused myself from the scene.
Staying by Alfred's side would avoid various small troubles, but it was completely unsuitable for making new friends and acquaintances.
I didn't feel the need to increase my friends or acquaintances at all, but Basilia was different.
I thought Basilia would do well to make two or three more friends besides me.
...If she made other friends, she'd stop following me in her carriage, right.
With such ulterior motives, I tried talking to the children attending the tea party along with Basilia.
Among the participants, I recognized some of the adults. They were Felicia's followers, introduced to me when I was invited to Felicia's tea party.
...Wasn't this tea party supposed to be for Mikaela-sama's friends and acquaintances and their families?
Judging by the faces, they were likely so-called powerful nobles. Many Staff Peerages and almost no Flower Peerages.
I thought I'd practice with a tea party just slightly larger than a family-only one, but it seemed to have become a larger-scale affair than I'd imagined.
No wonder Sofiya was worrying.
...And the fact that Basilia-chan, who's a tsundere and a bit of a mess in front of me, is actually a proper lady when she puts on her act is quietly shocking.
I thought she could take her time growing up, but it seems Basilia is a capable girl when she tries.
She wore a perfect lady's mask and handled conversations with young noblemen. I thought I should take some notes from her.
"...Basilia-sama, you're fine with Kokumaro, aren't you."
After introducing myself to some children, I played with them using the Saik and Reversi that had been prepared.
I left the table to take a break when I was a little tired, and Basilia followed me.
She kept her distance from the Black Dog, but she didn't react much to the black Shiba (Kokumaro) nestled at my feet.
It seemed she wasn't afraid of all dogs, just the Black Dog.
"The Absolk has such a gentle-looking face, you see. It's different from that other dog."
Since she seemed to like the black Shiba, I talked about how adorable he was as a puppy.
In my previous life I was more of a cat person, but of course I like dogs too.
"Oh my, there's a child with a dog over there too."
"Huh? Where?"
Prompted by Basilia, I turned my gaze to the tea party venue. Scanning the area, I spotted a boy with a large white dog.
He was probably around Nils's age. A little older than us.
His hair was gold, and I couldn't tell his eye color from this distance.
The boy seemed interested in the table where games were being played, but he didn't seem to have the courage to join the circle.
He peered at the table from a distance, occasionally petting the back of the white dog that stayed close to him.
"I'll go talk to him a bit."
"I'll come too!"
I had a feeling we could become friends, so I decided to do something rare for me and initiate a conversation.
When I told Basilia and left, she immediately followed behind me.
I had hoped Basilia would make new friends, but it seemed that would take a while longer.
"Hello."
"Huh? Oh, hello."
When Basilia and I approached the boy together, he seemed a little surprised.
After widening his purple eyes in surprise, he returned the greeting in a small voice.
"You have a dog too, don't you. Is this one also a guard dog?"
"This one's more of a caretaker for me than a guard dog, I suppose. I get sick easily, but this one notices before I do and helps me."
The large white dog, upon closer inspection, had the same gentle atmosphere as the boy.
As Basilia reached out without caution, the dog neither fled nor threatened, simply letting itself be petted.
...Hmm? Gets sick easily?
I had been the one to speak first, but Basilia and the boy seemed to get along, starting a cheerful conversation about dogs.
As for me, while listening to their conversation, I felt a strange premonition that made the back of my neck tingle.
"What a gentle, well-behaved dog. So different from Christina-sama's Black Dog."
"Oscar is excellent as a guard dog in his own way, you know."
I put in a defense for the Black Dog's honor, but at the mention of the Black Dog's name, the boy turned to me with a strange look on his face.
This seemed to be a 'hit.'
"...If I may ask, could you be 'Christina'?"
Asked uncertainly by the boy, I felt like playing dumb, but I decided to answer honestly. I, who am foolishly honest at my core, am weak to honest people.
"That's right. Without a doubt, are you my cousin?"
When I asked in return, the boy straightened his posture and gave a gentleman's bow.
Caught up in it, I returned with a lady's curtsey.
"Nice to meet you, Christina. I am your cousin, Aristalf."
[Author's Note]
Time is up. And so, this is chapter 300. For the 300 chapter commemoration, I'll be taking the usual one week break. Adieu. Next update scheduled for September 6th.
Will fix typos and errors at a later date.