Special
“…Siana? Um… is something wrong?”
I asked Siana, who was puffing out her cheeks and looking sulky.
Her voice carried such obvious sullenness that it was clear from her tone alone, so unlike her usual lively manner.
“…Master, are you looking forward to drinking lots of Florence-sama’s tea?”
“Eh? Um… yes, I suppose so. I am looking forward to drinking the tea Florence-san brews.”
I had no idea why Siana was asking me something like this.
Which meant I also didn’t know what the “right” answer would be, so I answered honestly as best I could.
“Then, between the tea I brew and the tea Florence-sama brews, which would you be more excited about, Master?”
“E-Eh!?”
Hearing that question from Siana, her expression and tone tinged with unease, I was so shocked I moved past confusion into astonishment.
I thought about which I would be more excited for. Tea brewed by Siana or tea brewed by Florence-san. Both of their teas were truly delicious, and both of them treated me with great kindness.
“Sorry if this isn’t the answer you were hoping for, Siana… but I honestly feel that I’m equally excited about both the tea you brew and the tea Florence-san brews… However, Siana…”
I didn’t know what her reason was for asking this, but if she was feeling anxious about something, I wanted to dispel that anxiety by telling her my feelings directly.
Thinking that, I stepped closer to her and spoke.
“It’s not so much that I’m looking forward to your tea itself, Siana. It’s that I’m happy you brewed it for me… Of course, that’s the same with anyone else’s tea, but… after all, you’re the one who’s always by my side more than anyone else, so I think you’re very special to me.”
“…!”
When I told her that, Siana looked delighted and wrapped her arms around me.
“S-Siana?”
“If Master calls me special… then I… already…”
She started to say something more, but stopped mid-sentence.
“Siana, if there’s something you want to say, you can tell me without holding back, you know?”
“I-I’m not holding back from Master! But… it’s something I can’t tell you just yet…”
If she couldn’t tell me now, that meant she would be able to tell me someday when the time came. In that case…
I placed my hands on her shoulders and said,
“Someday, tell me the rest of what you were about to say just now… I think it’s fine to have one or two secrets or things you keep to yourself, but if you ever feel you want to tell me something, no matter what it is, I want to hear it.”
“…! Master…!”
Siana tightened her embrace around me even more, then said,
“Understood…! Someday, I… Siana, will tell you the rest of those words!!”
“Yeah, thank you.”
As she continued to hold me, I watched her, feeling as always that she was adorable and my pride as my attendant.
Violet’s Side
Once Violet had confirmed that Lux and Siana had finished spending time together, she returned to her room so as not to be seen. Shortly afterward, Siana came back and spoke to her.
“Violet, did you hear my conversation with Lux-kun just now?”
In response, Violet nodded.
“Yes. From the moment you entered Rodwell-sama’s room, I heard the entire conversation, including when Rodwell-sama said, ‘If I can drink lots of the tea Florence-san brews for me, I’m really looking forward to it!’ and you became jealous upon hearing that.”
“You didn’t need to remember that! More importantly, Violet, if you heard that conversation, then you also understand that the current situation is bad, don’t you?”
“Yes. I believe that Florence-sama coming to this mansion every day after the swordsmanship tournament would not be favorable for you, Ojou-sama.”
Normally, Siana could only spend time with Lux from the evening until night after his noble academy classes ended. If Floria were to be at the Rodwell residence during the evenings, that would effectively cut Siana’s time with Lux in half.
Regarding that situation, Siana spoke in exasperation.
“Honestly, if you had just held back your competitive streak and not brought up tea to Florence, this wouldn’t have happened, you know?”
The reason Florence had said she wanted to come to the Rodwell residence every day was because Violet had indirectly let her know that her tea was considered more delicious by Lux, prompting Floria to devote herself to creating tea that suited his tastes even better.
“I am sorry. I simply wanted to show Florence-sama, who harbors the same romantic feelings toward Rodwell-sama as I do, that at least in the area of tea, which is my specialty, I am not inferior to her. In every other respect, there is nothing in which I surpass Florence-sama, aside from combat skills, which are not a trait generally sought after in a romantic partner.”
Violet said this with a tone tinged with sadness and resignation.
Hearing those words, Siana widened her eyes, placed her hands firmly on Violet’s shoulders, looked straight into her eyes, and said strongly,
“…That’s not true. You are without a doubt a very attractive person.”
Having been by Siana’s side longer than anyone else, Violet could clearly see there was not a shred of falsehood in those words, and they resonated deeply in her heart.