So Few
I stopped in the hallway, and Atre came up beside me.
"Hardt, Floria seems to be over here."
Atre guided me.
"Atre, did something happen in the room with Lucas?"
"No, we just mistimed when to chase after you."
"More importantly, we need to find Floria."
Pushed by Atre, I walked quickly down the hallway.
Running inside someone else’s mansion was not an option.
Noble etiquette is such a pain at times like this.
If I ran, guards or attendants might rush over thinking something happened.
"Found her."
Atre and Lucas darted ahead toward Floria, who was sitting alone in the gazebo.
Since I stepped into the garden, I also broke into a run.
Noticing Atre and Lucas, Floria hugged them tightly.
"Floria."
I sat down on the seat across the table in the gazebo.
"Sorry for making you listen to such disgraceful things."
"No."
"I hadn’t intended to say that much, but once I started talking, I couldn’t hold it in anymore."
"You don’t have to force yourself to talk."
"My previous life influences me a little, but I also have memories of living as Floria."
"You just let out what you’d been carrying all this time. That happens."
"Reinhardt, Atre, Lucas… thank you."
A maid from Duke Clondale’s household came to tell us the tea was ready, so we moved to the salon.
It was still warm today, but it was the end of February, so it was better not to stay outside for too long.
While we were relaxing with tea, Raphael arrived.
After discussion, they accepted the matter of the adopted daughter, but said they needed more time.
"Time? To accept something?"
"They want to resolve everything cleanly before giving their approval."
I suppose they were hoping that if they stalled long enough, Floria’s feelings would change.
"I only cleaned the ducal house, that doesn’t mean I want to go back. I didn’t say I would become an adopted daughter on a whim."
"I know. Uncle is probably clinging to a faint hope."
"Your brother Theodore read the report too. He apologized, saying he was sorry."
"It’s too late. If the next duke is that much of a fool, the ducal house is finished."
Floria shrugged, as if it no longer mattered, and said nothing more.
When we were about to board the carriage to return to the Westland estate, Raphael called out to us.
"What is it?"
"Floria’s two attendants—we’ll keep them here. Sorry, but can you arrange someone else to accompany Floria?"
"That means…"
Raphael nodded. "I’m counting on you," he said before stepping away.
"What did Raphael want?"
Once inside the carriage, Floria asked me.
"Your attendants won’t be coming to Westland."
"… So they weren’t really serving me sincerely after all."
She seemed to understand from my words, and her expression turned lonely.
"But there’s no point brooding over it. This was my decision."
Floria is strong.
I really can’t help but feel grateful for how fortunate I am.
When we returned to the estate, Floria said she was tired and went to her room.
I also went to my room and sprawled out on the reclining chair.
"Hardt, something bothering you?"
Atre jumped onto the reclining chair and asked.
"I was just thinking how nice it would be if Mother was here to support Floria."
"Brigitte and Dianne should be enough."
Lucas, sitting on the table, chimed in.
"If they take her around the capital, she won’t have time to overthink things."
"Yeah. You didn’t have time to sulk either when Floria kept dragging you around…"
That’s true, but wasn’t that a bit harsh, Atre?
"Right. I’ll write to the two of them and ask them to take her sightseeing in the capital."
After writing letters and having them delivered, a reply came from Brigitte the very next morning.
Her letter included a list of potential sightseeing spots and said to cross out places she didn’t want to visit and add anything else she preferred.
The list had things like: touring the stalls in the plaza, visiting various small shops, the main cathedral, the royal capital library, a picnic outside the city, the dungeon, tea shops, and lunch at a famous restaurant.
Main cathedral and church—rejected.
Royal capital library—we already went—rejected.
Picnic outside the city—it’s still the end of February and cold—rejected.
Dungeon? Brigitte and Dianne would definitely be stopped from going—rejected.
Looking at it this way, there actually aren’t that many sightseeing spots.
What do you think about this chapter?
