Chapter 49
As time passed, autumn drew to a close. From summer into autumn, I spent my days helping at home, teaching Martine, and occasionally attending tea parties.
Then the Townsend ducal household contacted us to say they would be leaving for the ducal territory in three days and asked me to come to the ducal household the day after tomorrow.
"Mom, Dad, I’m going to the ducal territory with everyone from the ducal household for a while starting the day after tomorrow, so I’ll be away from home."
"The ducal territory!? You mean you’re leaving the capital?"
"Yes, but... Didn’t I tell you?"
Huh? I might have forgotten because so many things had happened...
"You didn’t tell me! You need to tell me these things sooner!"
"So you’re going with everyone from the ducal household?"
"Yeah. I don’t know who else is going yet, but I’ll be traveling with everyone from the ducal household."
"Then I suppose there’s nothing to worry about... But tell us about these things sooner from now on."
"Sorry. It completely slipped my mind..."
I laughed awkwardly and somehow dodged Mom’s interrogation.
"But perhaps this is perfect timing."
"Is it? Did something happen?"
"We found someone to work at the diner. He’s going to start tomorrow."
"Really!? That’s wonderful!"
I was only worried that Marie would have a hard time without me.
"What kind of person is he?"
"He’s a fifteen-year-old boy who came of age this year. He’s interested in cooking and begged me to teach him in his spare time."
"He seemed motivated and was a kind, good boy."
That was good... Huh? Wait a minute.
He was a boy? And he wanted to become a cook...
Could that mean he wanted to take over our diner? Was Marie in danger!?
"Are you really hiring that boy?"
"Yes. Why are you asking? I’ve met him once, and he was a good boy."
"But won’t Marie be in danger if the new employee is a boy? Wouldn’t a girl who could become close friends with Marie be better?"
I desperately tried to explain that to Mom, but she refused to listen at all.
"There’s no danger, so don’t worry. Besides, it might be nice if he eventually married Marie and joined our family."
Why had the conversation turned into that!? I had been talking about the exact opposite!
"Roana, isn’t that a little premature?"
Yes! Come on, Dad!
"But if the two of them get along, perhaps it could work someday. I’d be happy if he took over this diner, too."
Dad!! You weren’t on my side after all!?
Well, if I didn’t take over, Marie would inherit the diner, and then he would have to marry into the family...
Fine! I would judge that boy myself!! If I found anything that made him a bad match for Marie, I would absolutely oppose it!!
With that resolve, I welcomed the next day. Today was the day that boy would come to work for the first time.
I stood glaring at the door with a stern expression until Marie told me I was in the way.
"Big Brother, you’re in the way standing there! Hurry up and help with the preparations!"
"Sorry, Marie. But first impressions are important with a new employee! I can’t let him look down on me from the very beginning!"
"What are you talking about!? Hurry up and help! Besides, everyone except you has already met him."
"What!? Marie, you’ve already met him too?"
When I frantically asked her that, Marie answered with a slightly displeased expression.
"Of course. He came to our house once. You weren’t home that day."
"Did he do anything to you? Did anything unpleasant happen?"
When I frantically asked her that, Marie seemed to get annoyed with me and made an almost angry face.
"He was a really nice person. He helped with the work that day and was very efficient, too. He might even be more reliable than you, Big Brother."
Marie said that in a low, quiet voice.
Gaaah... I couldn’t believe Marie had said that to me...
Had I been neglecting her because I had been going out so often lately? Was Marie entering her rebellious phase, too?
While I stood there in a daze thinking about that, the diner’s door opened, and a gentle-looking young man with brown hair and brown eyes entered.
"Hello."
"Oh! Ian-san!"
Marie ran over to the young man. Could he be the new employee?
"Big Brother is here today, so I’ll introduce you! This is my big brother."
"Nice to meet you. I’m Ian."
"Nice to meet you. I’m Marie’s big brother!! My name’s Leon."
When I deliberately emphasized that I was her brother, Marie glared at me. Why, Marie? Had she stopped liking her big brother?
I nearly cried as I desperately set about finding fault with this Ian fellow.
"Roana-san, Jean-san, I’ll do my best starting today!"
"All right, Ian. I’m counting on you."
"Ian, nice to have you. For now, could you learn the diner’s work alongside Marie?"
"Yes! Will you teach me, Marie-chan?"
"Sure! First, wipe the tables with this cloth..."
Marie began teaching Ian his duties, staying by his side. Ian listened intently, occasionally nodding.
He was serious...
He got to work, cleaning efficiently. He was quite thorough, and the place really did become clean.
He was good at working, too...
Mom and Dad called him over to taste today’s lunch menu. When he tried it, he broke into a broad smile and said it was delicious.
He was a good guy...
...There really wasn’t anything bad about him!
No, that was a good thing. It was a very good thing. Having a good employee working at our diner was something to celebrate.
But I felt strangely lonely, as though Marie had been taken from me.
I became a little dejected and trudged off to resume helping with the work.
Then Ian came over to me. What was going on? Did he have a complaint for me? Was he going to say that Marie belonged to him? As I spun all sorts of paranoid fantasies in my head, Ian spoke to me.
"Leon-kun, you’re incredibly talented, and you’re going to the Royal Academy, right? That’s amazing. I really respect you! I’ll work hard to protect this diner, so don’t worry about it and do your best at school, Leon-kun."
Ugh... What a wonderful guy!!
I had been giving such a good person hostile looks...! I’m sorry, Ian-kun! I admit defeat. I’ll accept you, since there’s nothing else I can do.
"Thank you, Ian-kun. I’m counting on you to take care of the diner and Marie."
"All right. Leave it to me."
Ian said that with a cheerful smile. Ugh... He was such a good guy that he made me feel like I was the one who wasn’t good enough...
I had to work hard, too!
From then on, I worked hard to help at the diner. I taught Ian the work as well, and I felt as though we had become friends.
Still, I was sad that Marie seemed to have moved on from her big brother. She had been talking to Ian more than me ever since.
It was sad, but there was nothing I could do. Yeah...
Wrestling with those complicated feelings, I somehow finished my work. It seemed Ian would be eating lunch with us from now on, and he would be learning how to cook after lunch.
For some reason, I didn’t feel like eating lunch with them today, so I said I had an errand and left the house.
As I began trudging aimlessly toward the square, Marie called out to me from behind.
"Big Brother!"
"Huh? What’s wrong, Marie?"
I asked in confusion, and Marie answered with a slightly worried expression.
"You seemed down after a while today, Big Brother, so I thought maybe you weren’t feeling well. Are you all right?"
Marie really did seem worried about me. She tilted her head slightly and looked up at me.
Ugh... Marie!! She had cared enough to notice that something was wrong with me...!
I was so happy that all my complicated feelings from earlier were swept away. I was simply overjoyed!
I hugged Marie tightly and spoke.
"Marie, you’re such a good girl. I’m proud to have you as my little sister. I’m so glad I’m your big brother."
"Why are you saying that all of a sudden?"
"No, I just mean that Big Brother loves you very much, Marie."
"Marie loves Big Brother too!"
Marie said that and smiled brightly.
If Ian was a good guy and would protect that smile of hers, I figured I could entrust Marie to him. That was what I thought.
I couldn’t protect her forever myself, after all. Well, I would keep protecting her as much as I could!!
"Are you going out again, Big Brother?"
"Hmm... Actually, I’ll go later. How about we eat lunch together at home?"
"Yes!!"
Marie and I went home together, getting along just fine.