Retainer
“Huh!? I-If I were to get engaged, you mean?”
“Yes.”
Felisiana-sama and Florence-san.
Because I’d received engagement proposals from both of them, I ended up reacting too strongly to the word engagement.
But until I come to an answer on my own about which proposal I’ll accept, I’ve decided not to consult anyone else about it.
So that Siana, who’s here with me, won’t notice even the slightest hint that I’ve received engagement offers from anyone.
I need to somehow rein in my overreaction.
“…”
That said, I wonder if Siana’s interested in this kind of topic.
I’ve avoided talking about engagement with Siana until now, so when the subject came up while the two of us were together, I found myself curious about how she’d react. When I shifted my gaze from Violet-san toward Siana…
“!?”
Siana’s eyes were shining.
More than that, she was leaning forward, clearly waiting for my next words.
W-what’s that supposed to mean?
Siana is a girl too, so maybe she likes this kind of talk like anyone else…?
I almost let my thoughts wander further, but I forced myself to refocus on Violet-san in front of me.
There were a lot of things on my mind, but for now, I decided to say exactly what I honestly felt.
“If they’re kind, then that alone is enough to satisfy me.”
I thought I was answering the question of what kind of woman I’d want to be engaged to, but…
“…”
Violet-san fell silent, looking unsure how to respond.
Seeing that, I hurriedly spoke up.
“S-sorry! Saying just kind probably sounds too simple, or too brief, doesn’t it? Should I add something else…?”
When I asked that, Violet-san…
No, Siana opened her mouth.
“By all means! I’d love to hea—”
She started to say something, but before she could finish…
“Siana-sama, it seems there’s something on your mouth.”
“…!”
Violet-san, who’d vanished from beside me, moved over to Siana and gently covered her mouth with a handkerchief.
She then whispered something into Siana’s ear in a voice I couldn’t hear, and after that, she removed her hand and returned to my side.
“…Siana, it looked like you were about to say something. What were you going to say?”
When I asked what was on my mind, Siana shook her head with a smile.
“No! It’s nothing at all! Please, for now, listen to what Violet-sama has to say!”
“I-I see.”
I don’t really understand, but if that’s what Siana says, then I guess that’s fine.
When I turned my attention back to Violet-san, she spoke to me with an apologetic look.
“Even though I was the one who asked, I’m very sorry for falling silent earlier. I fully understand that Rodwell-sama genuinely believes that kindness alone is enough. However, it seems my way of asking was poor, so may I ask you once more?”
“Of course!”
When I nodded, Violet-san paused briefly, choosing her words carefully before she began to speak.
“This is a hypothetical situation, but suppose there were a female retainer like myself somewhere. One day, that retainer ended up developing romantic feelings for a certain nobleman.”
“Romantic feelings…”
“The man in question wasn’t her own master, so formally speaking, the situation wasn’t that complicated. However, that man possessed such overflowing kindness and radiance that he captivated many women.”
Captivating many women. Even if it’s just a hypothetical, that’s an incredible man.
“Those drawn to such a man all stand firmly on their own feet and act with their own will as their highest priority. They’re truly dazzling people. But that retainer isn’t like that.”
“…Not like that?”
“Yes. That retainer doesn’t stand on her own feet, but can only stand within the shadow of the radiant master she serves.”
“…”
“So, Rodwell-sama, I’d like to ask you once more. Do you believe that such a retainer has the right to love that man, and to wish to be loved by him?”