Another Place
“Yes, ever since that day we ate together, Lux-kun.”
“Y-yes… but why has Felisiana-sama come here?”
Feeling it was rare for royalty to visit the street stall area, I asked that. Felisiana-sama answered.
“Of course, I came to see you, Lux-kun.”
“Eh!? Y-you came all the way here just to see me!?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
She leaned forward and brought her face slightly closer to mine.
“If the boy I proposed to is working hard at his shop, then visiting him should be obvious, shouldn’t it?”
“Uh… m-maybe that’s true…!”
The word propose coming from Felisiana-sama was still far too heavy for me. While feeling many emotions, I somehow replied.
Felisiana-sama smiled, stopped leaning in, then turned to Florence-san and spoke.
“…Florence, ever since that day as well.”
“Yes, Third Princess.”
After her short reply, Florence-san continued without pause.
“Have you decided which flowers you’d like to purchase?”
“I’m choosing now… or do you want me to leave this place quickly?”
“…I didn’t mean that.”
“Then let me choose a little more carefully…”
Just as Felisiana-sama started to speak.
“Kyaa!”
A woman screamed briefly from behind her.
Wondering what happened, I saw a man in noble clothes approaching quickly from behind Felisiana-sama.
“Felisiana-sama!”
At this rate, he’ll crash into her…!
I thought that, but she avoided him gracefully.
I let out a small breath in relief.
But even so…
“I’m sorry, but I must ask that you line up properly.”
I firmly said that to the well-built man before me, who looked about twice my age.
The man spoke in anger.
“Huh? You, a mere count family member, are telling me, a duke, to line up in a line with commoners?”
Normally, I might have shrunken away, but now I was someone helping run this shop, even if only in name.
If that’s the case, I can’t back down over something like this.
“Rank has nothing to do with lining up. I’m sorry, but please return to the back of the line.”
“Of course it has something to do with it!”
With a loud shout, the man who called himself a duke continued in even greater anger.
“Listen. The fact that there is a noble system means bloodlines are absolute. You’re from a count family, aren’t you? A mere count family member has no right to speak to me and make me uncomfortable. Understand? Obey me quietly and…”
“I’m getting irritated listening to you. If you have something to say to him, then go through me first.”
“Huh…”
The duke, who had only been looking at me, heard that dignified voice and froze in confusion. He turned toward the person who had spoken. Then.
“T-t-Third Princess F-F-Felisiana-sama!?”
With eyes wide in shock, the man lowered his waist and spoke.
“M-my deepest apologies, Felisiana-sama. I didn’t expect it was you, and I’ve behaved extremely rudely.”
However, he continued.
“I was only trying to educate this ignorant count boy.”
“…Educate?”
“Yes. This foolish count boy doesn’t even understand the rightful form of the noble system. So as a duke, I was teaching him about his position and the system.”
“…How interesting. I’d love to hear the details, so could you teach me somewhere else now?”
Her voice sounded normal at first, but since I had spent time with Felisiana-sama recently, it sounded somewhat cold to me.
But the man seemed unaware and raised the corners of his mouth.
“Of course. Let us discuss how this country should be.”
Felisiana-sama looked away from the man, then turned to me.
“So that’s how it is, Lux-kun. I’ll come back later to buy flowers.”
“Y-yes.”
When I replied, Felisiana-sama smiled at me, then turned her back and left with the duke.
Based on my previous conversations with her, I didn’t think Felisiana-sama and that man shared the same values.
So why did Felisiana-sama insist on moving somewhere else to hear him out?
While I wondered about that…
“My apologies, Lux-sama. May I leave the shop to you for a short while?”
“That’s fine, but… did something happen?”
Florence-san spoke unusually fast, so I asked, and she smiled as usual.
“It’s nothing serious. I’ll return soon, so don’t worry.”
“…Understood.”
After replying, Florence-san ran off in the same direction Felisiana-sama and the man had gone.
“…”
I didn’t understand any of it, but I apologized to the waiting customers for the trouble and resumed serving them.
Felisiana-sama and Florence-san… will they be alright?