Chapter 20
We made it to the tea room—more or less safely—but Dorothea-san stood there looking displeased, glaring at the child's chair.
Though it was made for children, it was an elegant chair painted white. It even had a footrest and looked comfortable, so what was she unhappy about?
“...Onii-sama, won't you let me sit on your lap?”
I heard her murmur softly.
“I only do that for little children or ladies I cherish.
Dorothea, you're already a proper young lady, aren't you?”
In that case, which category did I fall into when he started putting me on his lap at every opportunity...? I stared into the distance a little.
(By the way, today I'm sitting all by myself!)
As I quietly puffed out my chest over this perfectly ordinary achievement, Dorothea-san reluctantly sat down, frowning.
Several kinds of mini cakes were laid out on the table, and the servants served us. I had them give me fruit cake and chocolate tart.
Julius-san chose cheesecake, while Dorothea-san chose fruit tart and cheesecake, and the tea party proceeded pleasantly...
“My, what dreadful table manners! This is no way to behave at a tea party in the ducal household!!”
“Ugh.”
It didn't proceed...!
At Dorothea-san's cold gaze, I looked back and forth between my plate and hers.
I thought tarts were supposed to crumble, but Dorothea-san's plate is so neat...!!
And she even holds her fork so elegantly! Her cutlery isn't clattering, either!
“Riko is still practicing.”
“I-I'll... do my best...”
Agnes-san, my maid, has been teaching me noble etiquette little by little, but maybe I should ask for lessons from a tutor as well...
“Hmph! Keeping someone like her in the ducal household will bring shame upon the Ashford family!!
Commoners should act like commoners, know their place, and stay shut away in their rooms...”
“Dorothea.”
At Julius-san's icy voice, Dorothea-san's small shoulders flinched.
“I won't allow you to say another word.”
“...But Mother said this woman doesn't know her place...!!”
What is Dorothea-san's mother saying to a seven-year-old? She can hear you, you know!
As Dorothea-san continued to press the point, Julius-san let out a deep sigh.
“...I thought the point of a tea party was to enjoy yourself, but perhaps you're still too young for one.”
(Eeeek!! Julius-san, your eyes! Your eyes are scary!!!)
Those honey-colored eyes that should've been warm were at absolute zero. Warm-colored, yet cold. Somehow even scarier!!!
“...Onii...!”
Tears suddenly welled in her big eyes, and then she sprang up with a loud scrape and ran out through the door.
The fork she'd dropped struck the floor with a high-pitched clink.
“D-Dorothea-san!?”
I hurried to go after her, but stopped myself.
I doubted my legs could catch up with her, and I had a feeling I'd get lost instead.
Besides, I was an unpleasant presence to her; I wouldn't be any comfort even if I went...
“I'm sorry I put you through that, Riko. I never imagined Dorothea would say something like that...
She came barging in unannounced, banking on our being relatives, but I'll handle things differently next time.”
“No... But, Julius-san, you seem a little sterner than usual... It looked like you were deliberately pushing Dorothea-san away...”
“Ah... yeah. I guess it was to make the Count's family give up on me once and for all. Show them I'm not an option.”
Julius-san said, rolling his shoulders as if weary.
“The Count and Countess want Dorothea to marry me.
It would be cruel to keep treating her kindly and give her hope when she doesn't have feelings for me.”
“But she seemed to look up to you, Julius-san...”
I remembered how Dorothea-san had wanted him to escort her and let her sit on his lap, and how she looked like she wanted to be spoiled.
Though perhaps those were just the cute feelings a girl has for a kind older brother...
“Ah... I think she was thinking of someone else.
It wasn't me who always escorted Dorothea when she came to visit and sat her on my lap. It was Nicholas... my younger brother.”
“Huh? You have a younger brother?”
Come to think of it, I remembered seeing a portrait of another boy with black hair in the corridor.
Back then, with all the emotions swirling around—kisses, the pet category, and everything else—I might not have really listened to the butler's explanation and let it slip right past me...
“...I think Dorothea likes Nicholas, not me. He's twelve, so they're a good match age-wise, too.”
If she liked the younger brother, but her parents expected her to marry the older one, how must Dorothea-san have felt...?
Remembering Dorothea-san with tears spilling from her eyes made my heart ache.
“...I'll go look for Dorothea-san.”
When I said that, Julius-san smiled gently.
“I think she's hiding in the hollow of the big tree near the gazebo. She used to play there with Nicholas all the time.”
“I understand.”
“And one more thing...”
Julius-san caught my hand as I was about to set off.
I looked up to see what was wrong, and Julius-san, looking a little awkward, told me bashfully:
“Could you tell her I'm sorry for acting so immaturely?
I got angry when she spoke badly about you, Riko...”
“That's a rare expression...”
“Huh?”
“I-it's nothing! Understood!”
I hurriedly answered and dashed out of the room with my maid, heading for the garden gazebo.
Good thing I have a maid to show me the way, or I'd get lost!!