Chapter 4
“All right, that's enough for today. Eli, well done.”
At Lorschua's bright smile, the piano music playing in the hall came to a stop...
The lady in the yellow dress carefully released the platinum-blonde girl she'd been holding close.
“Girls, why don't you bring some cool water and clean towels for our adorable young lady here?”
Lorschua said to the maids standing neatly beside the piano, stretching out her arms and legs.
The drawing room soon grew noisy with maids bustling about.
A little removed from the commotion, Eleonore was bent over, panting hard.
From the slow, sultry melodies...
To lively tunes with a fairly brisk tempo.
Even though she'd left everything to Viscountess Lorschua...
Her body, which had moved so vigorously for the first time in ages, was clamoring for fresh oxygen from every direction.
Compared to Eleonore, bent over and gasping for breath, Lorschua looked remarkably at ease.
Of course, beads of sweat had gathered on her plump forehead.
And beneath her dress, her ample breasts rose and fell with her steady breathing.
Even though she'd surely run twice as much as Eleonore, thanks to Eleonore's clumsy steps...
She elegantly dabbed the sweat from her forehead with the towel she'd been handed, radiating a grace that someone else sorely lacked.
“How was it, Eli? Just like I said, your body remembers, doesn't it?”
Straightening the hem at the backs of her thighs, Lorschua crouched down and met the gaze of Eleonore, who was bent over.
At the sight of violet eyes suddenly appearing through the curtain of her yellow hair hanging toward the floor, Eleonore jerked upright in surprise.
“Eek! I-I don't know. I can't even remember how I was moving….”
“Hmm. Is that so? Is that what happened?”
Lorschua drew out the end of her words suspiciously, then stuck out the tip of her tongue and ran it over her dry lips.
“Well, your steps were a little wobbly, but you followed along nicely today.”
“Milady, here's some cool water.”
Sophie came scurrying over with a glass, her voice slipping between the strangely sultry notes in Lorschua's.
Eleonore accepted the cold glass, beads of condensation on its surface, then jerked her head up and gulped down the cool water in one go.
“Ahhh. I feel alive again.”
At that utterly inelegant groan, Manuela, who had been watching the two of them from beside the piano, clicked her tongue.
Etiquette and all that wasn't important to Eleonore right now.
“Milady, let me wipe the sweat from your nape, too.”
“Oh, yeah. Thanks, Sophie.”
Normally, Eleonore would have recoiled and pushed Sophie's hand away, but...
She was so out of breath she'd lost her wits. Instead, she lifted her chin first and offered Sophie her snow-white nape.
Lorschua across from her was worlds apart from Eleonore.
It was clearly a plain, unadorned glass cup.
But thanks to the elegant way she lifted her head to replenish her fluids...
The glass in Lorschua's hand almost looked like a luxurious cup, carefully crafted by a master artisan.
“Mm-hmm. At this rate, with just a little practice, you'll soon be back to your old form.”
“R-really?”
Eleonore asked, brightening.
“Of course. Still, first we need to build up your stamina. Eli, have you been eating properly lately?”
“Ahaha. I'm trying. Hk-yah!”
A bizarre shriek, utterly unbecoming of a young lady, filled the space between the two women.
Without asking permission, Lorschua began feeling Eleonore's slim waist over her blouse.
Startled by her touch, Eleonore's slender legs trembled, and she promptly fell on her bottom.
“M-milady! Are you all right?”
“W-w-what are you doing?!”
Sophie's worried voice and Eleonore's flustered one tangled together.
Lorschua, however, didn't even bat an eyelash.
Instead, she climbed onto the fallen Eleonore's legs and continued feeling her soft lower belly.
“I'm checking you over. You looked fine from the outside, but hmm. You seem to have lost quite a bit of weight.”
“N-no! Still, that doesn't mean—wait! Wh-where are you going?!”
Ignoring Eleonore's frantic cries, Lorschua's hand passed her slender waist, glided down her smooth thighs, and began gently kneading her calves.
Though she was touching her through her skirt, not directly against her bare skin...
At Lorschua's touch kneading her plump calves, Eleonore gritted her teeth and glared at her.
“But Eli, even though you've lost your memory, why are you reacting so cutely today? Like a male virgin.”
“A-a male virgin? What are you talking about! More importantly, please take your hands off me!”
“Oh my. Are you afraid big sister might eat you up?”
“Big sister? In the first place, the age difference between us—”
“It's rude to bring up a lady's age in her presence. This won't do. Big sister will have to go over your manners one by one today!”
“D-don't! Eeeek!”
Unlike before, the scream she let out was decidedly feminine, but...
Manuela still didn't seem pleased. She put a hand to her throbbing head and simply shook it from side to side.
#.
Only after suffering for a long while through what was sexual harassment masquerading as a massage was Eleonore finally released by Lorschua.
“Still, that was too much.”
Eleonore grumbled, narrowing her eyes.
“Ahaha… I'm sorry. How should I put it? When I get moving, my masculine side comes out without me realizing it. Hehe.”
After the massage...
Lorschua and Eleonore each returned to their assigned rooms to straighten their disheveled clothes, then met again on the drawing-room sofa.
In that brief time...
A rather lavish tea spread had been laid out on the brown walnut tea table.
Across from her, Lorschua had changed from the deranged lesbian viscountess into her usual self, a cute older sister.
“Eleonore's only just gotten up, so after moving around like you did earlier, you need to loosen up your thighs and calves. Otherwise, those pretty leg lines will get all bumpy.”
Lorschua said, gracefully shoving a bite-sized piece of cake into her mouth with a fork.
Eleonore gazed in wonder at Lorschua, who was smiling brightly at the sweet dessert.
Does her personality really change back and forth like that? Is this some kind of magic, too?
“Oh, right. What are you going to do about your partner? I heard the young Duke of Vallatiere personally delivered a letter.”
Clink.
Eleonore answered as she set the teacup in her hand down on its saucer.
“Well... I'm going with our heir.”
“With Young Count Albris?”
“Yes. I'm not in the best shape, and I might mess up the steps halfway through.”
At Eleonore's words, Lorschua gently lifted the corners of her mouth.
“Hmm. Men around your age would just smile and let it go if you made a mistake, Eleonore. No, actually, they might even like having you step on their feet.”
This woman.
That's exactly why I'd forced myself to say that horrible word, big brother, honestly.
Eleonore smiled sheepishly on the outside, but inside she was boiling with rage.
“Well, Young Count Albris is a fine choice, too. He's quite handsome.”
Well, that guy's face is decent, at least.
Mm-hmm. Honestly, he could pass for the second male lead.
Eleonore was reaching for the cake on the table when a thought suddenly struck her, freezing her in place.
Hold on. If Albris really is the second male lead...
Then does that mean Albris has something going on with his younger sister's ex-husband's lover?
At the dizzying thought, Eleonore's expression stiffened coldly.
“Besides, quite a few young ladies have their family members escort them to their first debutante ball.”
Unlike Eleonore, Lorschua continued with a faint smile.
“Besides, a lot of young ladies have their eye on Young Count Albris.”
“Really? Our heir?”
Eleonore's stiff expression slowly softened, kindled by curiosity.
That guy who's only got his looks going for him... Young ladies have their eye on him?
“Of course! He's handsome, and love isn't everything. Not during the social season in the capital.”
Lorschua wore a wistful expression unlike any she'd shown so far as she picked up a few sugar cubes beside her teacup.
She dropped the sugar cubes in her hand into the reddish tea, stirred it with a spoon, and looked at Eleonore.
“After all, there are plenty of women here in the capital who care more about power than love.”
“Is that so?”
No, wait!
Wasn't this supposed to be a romance-fantasy novel?
“Yes. If a man is from House Béarn, women would hike their skirts and spread their legs even if he looked like a troll from the north.”
“S-spread their legs?”
Hold on. Is she talking about, well, that?
Do they not care about premarital chastity here?
“Oh my, was that a little too much for our innocent young lady?”
I don't know what to make of this woman. So spicy—married-woman talk!
Cradling her flushed face, Eleonore picked up the cold glass beside her instead of the hot teacup.
“Well, no matter what Albris does or who escorts you, Eleonore, what does it matter? There'll be a line of men asking you to dance that night.”
Ugh. I'll pass.
Just imagining it made her nauseous, so Eleonore popped a butter cookie from the four-tiered tray into her mouth.
In contrast, Lorschua across from her had been grinning ever since the tea was served.
Eleonore addressed Lorschua, who was grinning broadly after polishing off half the cake they'd set out, in a rather serious voice.
“Um... you see, ma'am. There's something I'd like to ask you.”
“What is it? Is it about what it means to spread your legs?”
“No, no, not that.”
Waving her hand dismissively, Eleonore glared at the mischievous Lorschua.
She finished chewing the cookie in her mouth, adjusted her posture, and began to speak.
“What kind of person is that young Duke of Vallatiere? Not his looks or anything. I mean his family, his abilities, or his reputation among those around him.”
At Eleonore, who had grown quite serious...
Lorschua leaned forward to meet her, too.
“Hehe. Has our Eleonore decided to wake up from playing the dreamy young lady with her head in the clouds?”