A Secret
Lux’s Side
As I quietly sipped my tea, waiting for Siana and Florence-san to return to the guest room, the door finally opened, and the two of them came back in.
“Thank you for waiting, Lux-sama.”
“Please, think nothing of it! Did the two of you have a fun conversation?”
When I asked that, Florence-san smiled and replied.
“Yes, I had the chance to hear something very intriguing and unfamiliar.”
“Something unfamiliar… What kind of conversation could that have been?”
Wondering what sort of topic would be unfamiliar even to someone like Florence-san, I asked, but she raised her index finger to her lips and said,
“That is a secret between women… isn’t that right, Siana-san?”
“…Yes!”
After a short pause, Siana answered that way.
I wanted to know what the two of them had talked about, but the fact that they now had something they could share only between themselves was a sign that they had grown closer, and it wouldn’t be right for me to force myself into that. So, I gave a nod of understanding and accepted it.
“That aside, Lux-sama, how was the tea I prepared?”
“Ah, it’s delicious! Your brewing technique is excellent, Florence-san, but since the tea leaves differ from those at my home, I’ve been enjoying a unique flavor.”
“I’m so glad it pleased you… If you like, shall I brew another pot for us here and now?”
“Would that be alright?”
“Of course. This time, let’s talk while we enjoy the tea together.”
With a cheerful expression at the thought, Florence-san reached for the teapot on a nearby shelf, but just then Siana took it first and picked up the tea leaves beside it as well.
Then, Siana came over to me, drew my nearly empty cup toward her, and spoke.
“Since I, the maid, am present here, it would be unthinkable to have Florence-sama go to the trouble of brewing the tea. So I will prepare tea for all three of us this time!”
When I looked at it from Siana’s perspective, her reasoning made perfect sense… or so I thought, but then Florence-san said,
“No, Siana-san… Allow me to brew the tea. There’s no need for you to trouble yourself.”
“I’m not troubling myself. I’m simply doing what I should as a maid.”
“…Very well, but would it be alright if I at least brewed the tea for Lux-sama?”
“No, Florence-sama, you don’t need to concern yourself either. Please, relax and take a seat on the sofa.”
“I’m not concerned at all. Lux-sama said my tea was delicious, and I simply thought I’d like him to enjoy it again… Besides, from what Lux-sama said, these tea leaves are different from those used at the Rodwell mansion. Siana-san, you might find it difficult to brew them just as you usually would.”
“No need to worry. I regularly practice brewing tea using all kinds of leaves.”
Siana and Florence-san were having a bit of a back-and-forth… Do they both have strong feelings when it comes to tea, I wonder?
It’s rare to see either Siana or Florence-san argue about anything, so the whole exchange felt a little strange, but if this meant they had grown close enough to do so, perhaps it was something to be happy about.
In the end, it was settled that Siana would prepare tea for the three of us, and we each took a sip.
“It’s delicious, Siana!”
“Thank you very much!”
When I said that honestly, Siana beamed with joy.
Then Florence-san spoke next.
“…It is delicious, indeed.”
It seemed that Florence-san also found it to her liking.
As the three of us spent time together, enjoying our tea and having a pleasant conversation, Florence-san suddenly spoke in a serious tone.
“Lux-sama… Actually, there is something I would like to ask of you today.”
“A request… for me? What is it?”
When I asked that, Florence-san continued in the same serious tone.
“Would you… dance with me?”