420 - Carlotta's Perspective The Doll Princess in the Birdcage 2
"Oh my, what lovely lace. Is it Aurelian lace, I wonder? Did Edgar buy it for you?"
"...he... I, myself, ma... made it."
Finding the bobbin lace ribbon in Christina's hair, I involuntarily reached out to touch it, then immediately lowered my hand. The iron bars were in the way, no matter what. I wondered if I could urge Christina to come out of the birdcage.
"Come to think of it, guidebooks for bobbin lace have been on sale for a little while now, haven't they? Lady Sistina, you can already weave so beautifully. That's wonderful."
When I asked if she would show me how she actually weaves bobbin lace, Christina nodded quietly. Holding the puppy plush toy in one hand, she reached her free hand toward mine, but Christina too was blocked by the iron bars.
...The report said she had lost her heart, didn't it?
When called to, Christina responds. At first I thought it might just be a reflex, but she gives proper answers to what she's asked, so it seems she's capable of thought as well.
It seems Christina too found the iron bars inconvenient. Furrowing her brow slightly with a "hmm," she pushed at the bars two or three times.
...I don't think pushing them will do anything, though?
Now then, what course of action would Christina take? As I watched with interest, Christina moved to the front of the birdcage's door.
...As I thought, it seems "losing her heart" is different.
Christina is clearly thinking and acting on her own. She's able to reconsider her actions, thinking that if the bars won't let her through, she can just go through the door. If we return her to her family, she should eventually recover her physical and mental health.
A clattering sound rang out as Christina pushed at the door. I knew from the report that it was locked, but surely it would be more unnatural not to point this out. The "setup" about "Sistina" that I'd just heard from Edgar didn't match the current situation of the birdcage being locked.
"...Didn't you just say earlier that you put her in the birdcage to reassure Lady Sistina, and that you were waiting for her to open the door and come out on her own?"
"Don't you think so, Edgar?" I said, turning only my face toward Edgar, who had been in a state of surprise this whole time. Edgar had said he didn't lock Christina in the tasteless birdcage, but rather prepared it to reassure Sistina. The fact that the birdcage had a lock that couldn't be opened from the inside didn't quite add up.
"Surely you saw that yourself just now, Lady Carlotta? There have been many visitors coming to see Sistina lately, so I locked it from the outside for safety."
"Move away a little, I'll open it now," Edgar said, and Christina obediently moved away from the door. It was just that simple action, but Edgar made an indescribably complicated face. Normally, even this much of a reaction probably wasn't returned by Christina.
With a click, the lock opened, and Christina leaned out of the birdcage to take my hand. Led by her into the cage, I found it was a cramped cage for an adult. Christina, whose build was smaller than her stated age, could probably stay here without issue, but if told to spend a day in this birdcage, I myself might start thrashing from the suffocation.
"...th... this. I roll, roll... the bobbin."
Picking up the pillow with the patterned paper fixed to it, Christina demonstrated bobbin lace weaving for me. Inside the birdcage, which was only designed for Christina to stay in alone, there was no chair for me to sit on. Christina, not noticing such things, sat in what seemed to be her usual chair and rolled the bobbins. The brand-new bobbins were probably something Edgar had made recently. They had gaudy decorations to Edgar's taste, far too ornate for mere bobbins.
"Lady Sistina, you're so deft with your hands. What a lovely rolling sound."
"...not yet. Aurelia-san makes a better sound."
Christina was rolling the bobbins without lifting her face, but Aurelia's name suddenly popped out, surprising me instead. I had wanted to meet and talk with her, since she was a child Aurelia had cherished dearly, but I never expected my wish to be granted so suddenly.
It was undoubtedly an unexpected stroke of luck, but I couldn't talk about Aurelia here. If Edgar learned that there was a connection between Aurelia and me, he would only become more cautious. When the time came to take Christina out of here, if I were under suspicion, I might end up holding Jin Boss and the others back.
...I'll save talking with Christina-san about the wise woman for after I've invited her to my castle, at a leisurely pace.
For now, I was maintaining the pretense of having simply come out of interest in the rumors of a beautiful girl like a spirit. I couldn't afford to have him suspect I had connections with the people who had come to retrieve Christina.
"Lady Sistina is such an obedient and adorable child. I had heard she was a prim and proper spirit princess, or a doll-like princess, but she really is just a lovely human girl."
"If I stay too long, I'll want to take her home even though the preparations aren't ready," I said, stroking Christina's head before leaving the birdcage. Edgar was waiting beyond the door with a face tinged with irritation, but his expression soon shifted to surprise.
"...Oh, Lady Sistina."
"..."
Feeling something at my waist, I looked down to find Christina's hand there. She hadn't lifted her face at all since starting to weave the bobbin lace, but when it was time for me to leave, she had apparently thrown down the bobbins and chased after me. The fact that she'd tossed aside the bobbins but still clung to the puppy plush was also rather endearing.
...I want to take her home just like this.
I felt that, earnestly.
"...I don't suppose I could take her home with me?"
The honest feeling I'd meant to keep to myself slipped out of my mouth. Naturally, this earnest plea was rejected by Edgar.
Christina clinging to me as if to say "I don't want you to go" was adorable, but the preparations after securing Christina weren't yet complete. Even if I could take her home, I would likely end up having to deliver her back to Edgar's residence.
...If that happened, Jin Boss would have a hard time, wouldn't he.
He would have to return the sister he'd unexpectedly recovered through a stroke of luck back to her kidnapper. Despite his fierce face, he seemed capable of calm judgment, but in the worst case, he might attempt a reckless escape with Christina. From what I'd seen of Christina up close, I couldn't recommend that. No matter where she was returning to, Christina didn't seem to have the stamina to endure travel. If this were within Augun territory, I could get away with some recklessness, but unfortunately this was the Imperial capital, where various nobles from throughout the Empire gathered. The power structure was complexly intertwined, and no noble could act as recklessly as they did in their own territory. The only one who could get away with reckless behavior in the Imperial capital was probably Emperor Edeltroute herself.
Edgar placed a hand on Christina's shoulder to stop her, as she had followed me all the way to the carriage waiting at the entrance. As if thinking that if she couldn't follow, she should just catch hold of me, Christina's hand reached out, but I couldn't let myself be caught just yet.
"Lady Sistina, next time I come, I'll bring a bigger plush toy."
"..."
I told her that was why we had to part ways today, but Christina said nothing. She had been talking quietly about various things while weaving bobbin lace in the birdcage, but it seemed she had taken offense. The way she stared up at me with her blue eyes was so adorable that I couldn't help but think it over and over.
"I don't suppose I could take her home?"
"No."
Edgar quickly cut in over my honest words, which had slipped out again. It seemed that visitors who swarmed Christina were troublesome, but visitors who managed to win Christina over, like myself, were also troublesome.
...Well, I suppose that's how it is. If a beautiful girl to Edgar's liking had taken such a liking to me, it would hardly be pleasant for Edgar.
Just Christina returning a greeting had surprised Edgar. Normally, Christina probably spent her days without emotion and without expression, as the report had stated. Her features were so refined they were almost mystical, with a doll-like lack of expression. If she just sat still, she was fine as the usual "Sistina," but Edgar had learned something today. Christina could properly return greetings and was capable of conversation. And she didn't show him these actions but performed them for me, whom she had only just met. He might be remembering now that he was a kidnapper. That there was no way Christina would like him, that he was the kind of person she wouldn't even want to return a greeting to.
"...ne... next, when? Tomorrow?"
"I'm a bit busy, so I might not be able to come right away."
Asked when I would come next, in a way that reminded me of what my granddaughter used to say when she was young, I thought for a moment. I could change my tea party plans as much as I wanted, but what would make me busy from now on was preparing to take Christina back and let her recuperate at the mansion until she regained strength for travel. This wasn't something to postpone, but rather a plan I wanted to push forward.
"Since it seems difficult for me to come soon, perhaps Lady Sistina could come visit me instead?"
"...I'll... go."
The answer came back immediately, so it seemed her mood had improved somewhat. Christina's expression brightened, or so I thought, when her face twisted slightly. It was a subtle change that I almost overlooked, but I noticed because I was looking directly at Christina. Edgar had tightened his grip on Christina's shoulder, so it must have hurt.
"Lady Carlotta, Sistina is not in a condition to go outside yet."
"Oh, what's wrong with it? She seems to have taken a liking to me, so think of it as practice for going outside."
"If you're worried, you can come along too," I said, the words flowing naturally from my mouth, and I smiled at what a good idea this was. As a "good idea" directed at Edgar, it was perfectly reasonable since we were relatives, I could overlook it if Christina made a small mistake. It would be better for her to practice at my house once than to make a mistake when invited to someone else's home.
The "good idea" I couldn't direct at Edgar, I would tell Jin Boss and Chuck about once I returned to the mansion.
"I've invited Christina-san to 'come play,' so let's make arrangements to snatch her away then."
I had heard she was an adorable girl, but the real thing was even more adorable than the rumors. When I let slip my impressions of actually meeting Christina, Jin Boss made a face full of such hatred and anguish that it would make Edgar seem cute by comparison. He wanted even a little information about Christina, but it was frustrating that he himself could only watch from afar with opera glasses, I suppose. It seemed cruel to torment Jin Boss, whose sister had been kidnapped, so I honestly told him in detail just how lovely Christina had been. I thought it might console him a little, but it might have only been rubbing salt in the wound. He smiled warmly at Christina's gestures and the part about her being delighted by the puppy plush, but then he'd fall silent with a face that looked like he could kill a bear with his bare hands. He was jealous of me for having interacted with Christina, and even though such jealousy was pointless. Rather, he was probably aware that it was misplaced jealousy and falling into self-loathing.
...Edgar truly did a terrible thing, didn't he.
From a man who cared so much for his sister, he stole that very sister. He ought to receive a suitable punishment.
"If the snow makes it difficult to infiltrate, we can just lure her outside the mansion. If Christina-san comes to visit alone, we can have her stay at my house just as she is."
It's unthinkable that Christina would come on foot, so we can just make it look like the carriage was attacked by bandits on the way to visit or on the way back, and she was taken away. The same applies if Edgar accompanies Christina. On the way back, we can have bandits attack the carriage and take Christina. This way, my involvement wouldn't be suspected, and we could separate Christina from Edgar. After that, we hide Christina at the mansion until things cool down, and once she's regained some strength, move to Augun territory. Fortunately, Jin Boss has seventy bandit underlings he can mobilize immediately, and it's Edgar who's hiring people with money. The pharmacist accomplice who seems to be at Edgar's residence doesn't have the power to hire and move people. If we can just immobilize Edgar, we should be able to take Christina back.
Under normal circumstances, one would think having bandits attack a young relative, but Jin Boss's subordinates are righteous thieves. Since they're people who wouldn't commit unnecessary murder to begin with, I don't need to worry about the attack. After taking Christina, they'll remove the carriage wheels or lock Edgar inside it to buy themselves time to escape, all while working to minimize casualties.
...It'll be a good lesson for Edgar.
Since it's a continuation from last time, it's shorter.
Will fix typos and errors at a later date.