Elina’s Visit
“Elina-san!? I-it’s been a while!”
“Yeah! Long time no see! There were way more stalls than I expected at the noble academy’s commerce practicum, so it took longer than I thought to find you!”
I hadn’t expected Elina-san to come, so my greeting came out mixed with surprise. Elina-san returned it with a cheerful smile.
Watching our exchange with curiosity, Florence-san spoke.
“Lux-sama, who is this person?”
“This person is someone I know, named Elina-san…”
“Hey, Lux! Saying ‘someone I know’ sounds distant. We’re friends, right?”
“…! Y-yes! Elina-san is my friend!”
I answered while feeling both happy and a little embarrassed.
Hearing that, Elina-san let out a small laugh.
Florence-san then turned toward her and asked,
“So you are called Elina-san. However, there is one thing I’d like to ask, if that’s all right?”
“Yeah, what is it?”
“Is this our first time meeting?”
“I think it is? I’m wearing a hood, so you probably can’t see my face much, but why ask?”
“It’s not your appearance. I simply felt that your presence seemed familiar somehow.”
After a brief pause she continued,
“It seems I was mistaken. I apologize if I offended you.”
“Mistaken impressions happen to anyone. I’m not going to get upset over something like that, so don’t worry.”
“Thank you.”
Florence-san responded with a gentle smile.
Without missing a beat, Elina-san leaned forward with excitement.
“Hey hey, Lux! Out of all these flowers, do you have any recommendations?”
“I do! For example, I think this pink one would suit Elina-san.”
“It would suit me? You think so?”
“Yes!”
“Then I’ll buy it! What else?”
“Also, this red one is a similar color, and I think it’d suit you too.”
“I’ll buy it, I’ll buy it! What else? What else?”
“Um, besides that…”
Because Elina-san kept asking for recommendations, I continued suggesting flowers. In total, I recommended about ten.
I thought she might not buy at least one, but she said she’d buy everything, and now…
“Elina-san! Thank you so much for buying so many!”
She held a bouquet of ten flowers.
Then Elina-san whispered quietly,
“I get to see such a cute, bright smile from Lux just by buying these? Then I want to buy a hundred more… though that would be too much.”
Looking calmer than before, Elina-san faced me and spoke brightly.
“Lux, thanks for recommending so many. It’d feel weird to leave right away, so do you mind if I stay with you two for a little while and watch?”
“Yes! Of course, I’m fine with that!”
“I don’t mind either.”
“Thanks! Then I’ll watch you both from a little behind.”
With that, Elina-san moved around the stall and stopped diagonally behind me.
“But if it’s just for a short while, there’s a chance no customers will come, and it’ll just be the three of us talking.”
I muttered that without much thought, but Elina-san shook her head.
“No, they’ll come soon. Rumors spread, after all.”
Right after she said that, footsteps approached from all directions.
“Excuse me!”
“Please give me one flower!”
“I need flowers to place in front of my shop!”
A crowd rushed toward our stall.
“Eh!? Wh-why is this happening all of a sudden?”
“It’s probably the rumor that Lux provides great service and that Florence knows a lot about flowers. And if people see students in noble academy uniforms running a stall, they’ll know it’s part of the practicum, so nobody wants to miss the opportunity today.”
“I see…”
For now, we just have to work hard and serve customers.
After asking everyone to line up, Florence-san and I began selling flowers one after another.
Elizalina’s Side
“Uh, um, next is…”
As they continued selling flowers rapidly, Lux seemed extremely flustered, probably because he didn’t want anyone waiting.
Elizalina spoke to him in a gentle voice.
“Lux, take it slow, slow.”
“Yes!”
Lux nodded energetically, and his anxiety faded as he returned to calm movements.
Ah, Lux was so honest and cute, and watching him work so hard made him look incredibly cool.
As Elizalina admired him…
“Hey!”
A man, probably twice their age, suddenly yelled at Lux.
“Y-yes! What is it?”
“That’s my line. What is this low-quality flower? You intend to take money for it?”
“W-what…? Low-quality? That isn’t…”
“What? A mere count’s son intends to talk back to me, a duke?”
Seeing the scene, Elizalina’s eyes went dull, and she muttered coldly in her heart.
So you finally came.
This situation was something she had anticipated.
That was why she’d stayed behind, saying she’d observe, so she could act when the person she expected showed up.