Emotion
Lux’s Side
“Lux, is it good?”
As I was eating the pasta we had ordered, Elina-san watched me eat and asked with a gentle expression.
I gave a firm nod in response.
“Yes, it’s delicious! I’ve hardly ever had pasta before, since it’s such a luxury, but this is easy to eat and totally suits my taste. It’s really good!”
“I’m glad it suits your palate, Lux.”
Saying that, Elina-san smiled happily.
Then Elina-san continued.
“You’re the son of a count’s family, right, Lux? What’s your home like? Is there anything troubling you?”
“I don’t have any particular problems. Thankfully, I’m living a very comfortable life.”
“That’s good to hear. But if anything does ever trouble you, let me know, okay? If it’s for you, Lux, I’ll take care of absolutely anything!”
“T-Thank you very much.”
Her words conveyed such warmth and kindness, but at the same time, they reminded me of a question I’d been holding onto in the back of my mind. So, I decided to ask Elina-san directly.
“Elina-san… you mentioned knowing noble fashion trends and being familiar with places like this high-end restaurant. Are you, by any chance, a noble yourself?”
“Yeah, I think I’m actually kind of high-ranking.”
“I-I see. So that’s how it is.”
I hadn’t been intentionally trying to act overly casual with her, but now I wondered if maybe I should have been more formal. As I was thinking that, Elina-san looked at my face and spoke.
“Just so you know, even if I am someone important, you don’t have to be all stiff and formal with me, okay?”
“Eh…!? H-How did you know what I was thinking even though I didn’t say anything…?”
“I’ve got a good eye for people. Well, I think anyone could have figured that one out.”
“I-I see…”
“You seem a little down, but it’s not a bad thing for your emotions to show on your face, you know? It just means you’re honest. Though with you, Lux, it’s like you’re so honest it actually makes you hard to predict in unexpected ways.”
As she said that, Elina-san smiled with a soft, somewhat amused expression.
…I didn’t really understand what she meant, but it was very clear that Elina-san genuinely enjoyed spending time with me.
Still smiling brightly, she asked me another question.
“How old are you now, Lux?”
“Fifteen.”
“So you’re two years younger than me. Are you going to school? Or are you already managing your territory?”
“I attend noble academy.”
“…Noble academy, huh.”
Elina-san murmured those words without changing her expression.
…I wondered if something about that struck a chord with her.
“…Is something wrong?”
When I asked, Elina-san responded with a cheerier expression.
“No, it’s nothing! It’s just… Noble academy is full of nobles, right? So there are bound to be people in there that you couldn’t even imagine being bad. I just get worried thinking you might get caught up with someone like that.”
“You’re very kind, Elina-san, to worry about me so much and think things through that far.”
“R-Really? You’re actually the first person to call me kind just for saying what I’m thinking out loud.”
Elina-san is a kind person, so much so that it wouldn’t be strange if she heard it all the time.
Thinking that, I spoke up to keep her from worrying.
“But there’s no need to worry about me. I’ve hardly had any trouble, no one’s targeted me or caused any problems, and I’m able to lead a pretty normal school life now.”
“…Hardly?”
Elina-san repeated that word back to me.
…I didn’t want to cause unnecessary worry. If I didn’t mention anything, she’d probably never hear about the two incidents that had happened. So I shook my head and said.
“That was poor wording. There hasn’t been anything. I’m sorry for making you worry.”
“…Okay! Then I’m glad.”
Saying that, Elina-san gave me a bright, reassuring smile.
After we paid the bill and before leaving the restaurant, I started walking alongside Elina-san, who had pulled up her red hood.
“Thank you again for today, Elina-san! If you let me know the cost later, that would be fine.”
“You don’t need to worry about that! …But in exchange for the meal, there’s just one thing I’d like to ask.”
“What is it?”
When I asked, Elina-san turned her face toward me so only I could see it, wearing an expression full of anticipation.
“Did you have fun today?”
I answered honestly, exactly as I felt.
“Yes! I had a great time!”
Hearing that, Elina-san smiled with a satisfied expression and said.
“Let’s hang out again, Lux. Next time, maybe we can go have some cake together?”
“That sounds great! Do you have somewhere in mind?”
“There’s this place I went to recently that was really, really good.”
We talked about where to go next as we walked to the front of the carriage. When we arrived, I boarded the carriage and returned home.
Siana’s Side
After Lux returned to the Rodwell family estate, where numerous guards guaranteed his safety, Violet, now relieved, went to the royal castle to meet Siana, who was there performing her duties as Felisiana.
By then, Siana had already finished the official work she needed to complete at the castle, so she and Violet began walking down the hallway on their way out.
Then Violet spoke.
“Ojou-sama, Rodwell-sama encountered the woman in the red hood we discussed previously today.”
“The red hood… Oh, you mean that gender-ambiguous person he supposedly ran into at the clothing store?”
“Yes. Judging by physique, I believe she is a woman, but the hood obscured her features, so I can’t say for certain. In any case, she and Rodwell-sama had a meal together today, and just the two of them.”
Hit by the sudden shock of those words, Siana involuntarily froze in her tracks, stunned.