Chapter 342

It's a Dog
"The food in Westland really is delicious!"

The one laughing heartily while saying that is Baron Beaumont, the man who makes the cara oil.

I asked him to increase production, and since he knows the dishes from the exhibition, he can count on steady demand from now on, so of course he’s in a good mood.

Right now we’re receiving greetings from the various noble families who sent their branch children here.

Since Mother, Father, and Brother Chris are handling the responses, all I have to do is sit quietly next to Brother Gerald.

Some of them have dressed up their daughters and are blatantly trying to catch Brother Chris’s eye.

The thought that I’ll have to go through this every year from now on is depressing.

The greetings finally seemed to be over, so I’m free.

I’ll just eat in the corner until it’s completely finished.

It was a buffet, so I filled a plate with food and sat at an empty table off to the side.

Three tables away, a girl was sitting by herself, moving both hands busily as if working on something.

Making trinkets at a party?

Is that even allowed?

Well, I’m hardly one to talk; I do whatever I want too.

But this girl has some guts doing that in a place like this.

Whatever. If she’s that absorbed, she won’t bother me.

I really want to read a book right now.

As I sipped my tea,

“This one’s making weird stuff again.”

Three boys start picking on her.

One of them snatches what the girl was making and held it high above his head so she can’t reach it.

The girl keeps jumping, saying “Give it back!” while trying to grab it from the boy’s raised hand.

The boy’s face twisted into a sleazy grin as he watched her.

Hmm… teasing the girl he likes?

That’s only going to make her hate you.

The other two boys with him are just laughing.

… Should I step in?

“Will, that’s enough. What’s so fun about always bullying Mary?”

Georges took the item from the boy who stole it.

“Brother Georges, I’m not bullying her!”

The boy called Will argued back before running off.

Someone Brother Georges knows?

I had started to stand up from my table, but I quietly sat back down.

“Mary, we’re in the middle of a party right now. This is a chance to make friends, not make trinkets.”

Georges returned the object he took back from Will to her.

“But the kids who come to parties never have anything in common with me, and I get bored.”

“That’s exactly why Will teases you.”

Georges’s eyes meet mine.

“Young Master Reinhardt, why are you relaxing at such an out-of-the-way seat?”

“Because I’m tired?”

“You ran away because it was a hassle, didn’t you?”

“That wounds me. The greetings are finished.”

“This is a perfect opportunity to make friends your own age.”

“I already have some.”

“Just Canal, though…”

“By the way, it would be good for you to have friends your age you can relax around in the Westland territory.”

“I already do.”

I glanced at the girl.

“Who is she, anyway?”

“My apologies for not introducing her sooner. This is Mary Anderson, the second daughter of Baron Anderson.”

“A relative of yours, Georges?”

“No, our fathers are close… she’s my childhood friend.”

“Mary, this is Young Master Reinhardt, son of the Margrave Westland.”

“Young Master Reinhardt? The one Brother Georges serves?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m terribly sorry for letting you see such an unsightly scene!”

Mary hurriedly pinched her skirt and gave a simple daytime curtsy.

“No, I was about to help, but Brother Georges beat me to it. By the way, mind if I take a look at that trinket?”

“It’s nothing worth showing…”

“You were making something unusual, right? Can I see it?”

Mary looks at Brother Georges. He shook his head, so she reluctantly handed the trinket to him with a resigned expression.

What Brother Georges passes to me is a round, bouncy ball made of something that feels like felt; when you press it with your finger, it springs back.

“What are you making with this?”

“A dog.”

“A dog?”

This round thing doesn’t look anything like a dog…

“I was in the middle of shaping it into a dog.”

“Do you have a finished one?”

“Not here.”

“Mind showing me a finished one sometime?”

Mary sighs and nods as if she has no choice.

“I’ll have Brother Georges come pick you up, so sorry to trouble you, but could you come tomorrow or the day after?”

“Eh?”

“I have to return to the territorial capital soon, so I don’t have much time.”

What do you think about this chapter?