Chapter 301: Chance
Siana’s Side
…A few minutes earlier.
Siana, thinking that Lux might be in danger even in the slightest, could not sit still.
She had been running all over the mansion searching for Lux, but.
Lux was nowhere to be found inside the mansion.
“Which means… Lux-kun went out without telling me?”
Siana muttered that, but immediately rejected the thought.
There was no way Lux would go out without telling her and cause her needless worry.
In that case.
“…Was he abducted by someone?”
She inadvertently voiced the thought that had long lingered in the corner of her mind.
If there were someone capable of infiltrating this mansion and abducting Lux, who was highly skilled.
That person would undoubtedly be highly skilled as well, and since Siana and Violet had been talking together just moments ago, the possibility was not zero.
“No, calm down… there’s still the possibility that Lux-kun is in the garden.”
Thinking that, Siana hurried toward the garden outside the mansion as if clinging to a final hope.
Just as she began to think that if he was not here either, then truly…
“…!”
Siana spotted Lux’s back as he sat on a chair in the garden.
At that moment, she steadied her racing heartbeat and pressed a hand to her chest in relief.
So he just stepped out to the garden in between studying or something… Normally he would have taken a break a little later, but maybe after what happened yesterday, he couldn’t stay focused today.
“Violet tells me this often, but when it comes to Lux-kun, my judgment softens. It’s a bad habit of mine.”
Even as she murmured that, Siana felt relieved above all that Lux was safe.
She stepped forward to go speak to him, when.
“!?”
On the chair facing Lux, which had been in her blind spot until moments ago.
She noticed the figure of her sister, Elizalina.
“Why is Elizalina-anesama here…?”
Siana had never imagined that Elizalina would approach Lux again today, following yesterday.
As she stood there frozen in shock, the sound of their conversation reached her ears.
“Eh!? Th-this…”
“Answer me with one of two choices: do you think I’m cute, or do you not think I’m cute!”
“…!”
Hearing that remark from Elizalina, Siana’s wide eyes instantly went vacant.
“What are you trying to make Lux-kun say…”
The moment Siana murmured that.
“I… think Elizalina-sama is cu—”
Lux had opened his mouth to answer her question, but.
Before he could finish.
Siana kicked off the ground and moved to Lux’s side.
“!?”
Catching Lux’s startled reaction out of the corner of her eye, Siana addressed Elizalina in a dark voice.
“I do not know who you are, but what are you trying to make my master say?”
If a maid like Siana were to say something like this to the Second Princess, it would normally be a serious offense.
However, since this was Siana’s first meeting with Elizalina, she could say exactly what she felt, even in front of Lux.
In fact, there was a strong chance Elizalina would not make an issue of it.
And even if she did, it was not something Siana, the Third Princess, would be unable to handle, so there was no problem.
For those reasons, believing this to be her chance.
The one who reacted first to Siana’s blunt words, spoken exactly as she felt despite being a maid addressing the Second Princess, was.
Not Elizalina, but Lux.
“S-Siana! That person is—”
Lux, of course aware that Elizalina was the Second Princess, immediately tried to stop his maid.
However, Elizalina stopped him by thrusting out her palm and spoke to Siana instead.
“What do you mean? I was just asking Lux whether I’m cute or not.”
“My master does not say things like ‘cute’ to just anyone.”
“Of course, but that’s exactly why he’ll say I’m cute.”
“No, my master will not say that you are cute.”
“Uh… um, both of you, please calm down a li—”
“Then shall we ask Lux which of us is cuter?”
“…Huh?”
“I don’t mind.”
“Eh!?”
Siana and Elizalina both turned at once toward Lux, who had cried out in shock at the sudden turn of the conversation.
And they spoke simultaneously.
“Master, between me and this woman, which one do you find cuter!?”
“Lux! Between this maid and me, who do you think is cuter!?”