Praise
Lux’s Side
…The following early morning.
Siana, Florence-san, and I rode in the same carriage and returned to our country early in the morning. Then, when the carriage arrived in front of the Rodwell estate, Siana and I got off together and turned to face Florence-san, who was still inside the carriage.
“Florence-san, thank you so much for inviting us on this trip abroad! I’d never been to another country before, so I was feeling pretty anxious, but thanks to you, I had a really wonderful time!”
When I expressed my gratitude to Florence-san, she replied with a gentle and calm smile.
“No, I should be the one thanking you. I had such an enjoyable time. Truly, Lux-sama, I am grateful. Thank you so very much. Let’s meet again at the noble academy later.”
“Yes!”
When I responded like that, Florence-san turned to Siana and spoke next.
“Siana-san, thank you as well. I’ll be spending time with Lux-sama at the noble academy, so please don’t worry. Just keep doing your work as usual and do your best.”
“…Yes, thank you! After Master returns home from the academy, I’ll be here to support him, so please rest assured!”
“…”
“…”
The two of them shared those words, then looked at each other in silence for a while.
I didn’t really know why, but Florence-san smiled at me once more and then opened her mouth to speak.
“Well then, I shall take my leave.”
Leaving those words behind, the carriage carrying Florence-san departed from the Rodwell estate.
“That was such a fun trip, wasn’t it, Siana?”
“Yes!”
When I said that, Siana cheerfully agreed with me. I hoped that someday we could go on another trip together, the three of us.
As I thought about that, I entered the house with Siana and immediately began preparing for school.
Elizalina’s Side
“According to the intel, he should be coming out any minute now.”
About an hour after Lux had returned to the country, Elizalina was hiding in the shadows near the Rodwell estate, watching the gates.
She was waiting for the carriage that would take Lux to the noble academy.
“I could’ve waited until he finished his day at the academy, but no way! I can’t possibly miss a chance to see Lux!”
As Elizalina muttered to herself, the gates of the Rodwell estate opened, and the carriage that presumably held Lux emerged from within.
“There it is…!”
Elizalina had positioned herself at a point where the carriage would pass by two minutes later. Her plan was to wait until the moment Lux’s carriage came into view, then open the door and slip inside.
“Two more minutes… just a little more…”
Elizalina whispered in an excited tone, but then she sensed a presence behind her and began to turn around. However…
“Cease any meaningless resistance. State your affiliation and your purpose clearly.”
Before she could react, Elizalina’s neck was seized, her hands restrained, and her knees forced to bend. Her body was rendered completely immobile. The voice came from behind her.
“I see… So you’ve had Violet keeping an eye on Lux this whole time, huh… That makes things a lot trickier.”
“That voice… Is that you, Elizalina-sama?”
“Yup, it’s me. I’m wearing a hood, so it’s no wonder you didn’t recognize me right away. But at this distance, no matter how much I resist, I can’t beat Violet. So now that you know, could you please let me go?”
“…Understood.”
Upon hearing that, Violet, the one who had restrained Elizalina, released her.
“Now then, my affiliation and purpose, right? I’m the second princess of this country, and my purpose is to see Lux. I’ve answered both, so can I go now?”
“I’m sorry, but I cannot allow Elizalina-sama to approach Rodwell-sama.”
“You see, I’ve got an important meeting scheduled in about an hour. It involves three members of the duke families. If I don’t play my part and mediate things well, there’s a real chance they might end up at odds.”
This was a warning from Elizalina. If Violet were to interfere and prevent her from reaching Lux, she would withdraw from that meeting and allow conflict to break out among the noble houses. Elizalina understood this was not a decision Violet, Siana’s attendant, could make lightly.
Hearing that, Violet paused for a moment before replying.
“…I cannot allow you to take too much time.”
“You’re smart, Violet. It really helps that you’re quick to understand. Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning to stay long anyway.”
In response to Elizalina’s words, Violet said this.
“Elizalina-sama… If you cause any harm to Rodwell-sama, even in light of what you just said, I will not overlook it.”
“There’s no way I’d ever hurt Lux. I wouldn’t want to see him sad. And of course, I’d never force him to do anything either.”
“…I’m relieved to hear that.”
With just those words, Violet vanished from in front of Elizalina.
“So talented… I still really want Violet as one of my subordinates.”
Even as she muttered that, Elizalina knew full well that persuading Violet to defect was nearly impossible. Her words had simply been a form of praise.
Then, as the carriage carrying Lux drew near, Elizalina ran toward it, opened the door, and entered.
“Eh…!? Wh-what…?”
Lux was stunned by the sudden intrusion, and Elizalina, carried by the momentum of boarding the carriage, embraced him tightly.