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“I don’t think so. Nowadays, every day just feels happy.”
Grandma Sophie took and gave me another fried eggplant after hearing Uncle’s advice.
Instead of taking it straight to my mouth, I handed it to Uncle.
“Uncle, eat this too. It’s very pretty.”
“Go sit down.”
“Yessir.”
Never mind if you don’t like it.
It’s delicious, though. Crunch.
“Now, would you like to have a seat too?”
Zenda tapped the chair I was sitting on.
“Yes!”
I went to my seat with the fried eggplants Grandma Sophie had given me in both hands.
“Uncle.”
I sat down on the chair Zenda pulled out and called him.
“…”
He seems to be in a much worse mood than before.
Uncle gave off a dark aura from earlier and didn’t even respond properly to my words.
Soon after, the trolley was loaded with food.
Dishes boasting various tastes and aromas were placed on the table.
“Bon appetit. Thank you for making delicious food today!”
“Oh my, you speak nicely too.”
Grandma Sophie said she would bring other food, and disappeared.
I waited patiently while Zenda poured the dish onto a plate, and as soon as the plate was in front of me, I poked it into my mouth with a fork.
The soft potatoes were mashed helplessly in the mouth.
“Delicioush! Uncle, eat a lot too!”
“Speak after you eat it all.”
“Yesh.”
I listened carefully to him and played the fork again.
“Right, Uncle. Take me to the Imperial Palace.”
“Why Imperial Palace.”
I took out the letter that came after coming to the dining room and waved it.
“His Imperial Majesty asked me to come and play!”
“How do you know the Emperor?”
“I also don’t know…? But I know he’s my mom’s friend! It’s just said in the letter for me to come hang out. I’ve never been to the imperial palace, so I will go with Uncle.”
“I don’t want to.”
“…Why? Uncle goes there often.”
“What does that have to do with it?”
“That’s mean.”
“How did you know?”
“It was bad.”
“You know it well.”
After that, I dozed off several times while eating, yet Uncle was stubborn.
The operation is a failure.
I thought it’d just pass by naturally.
According to the atmosphere, he seems to be firmly angry, but I’m not sure.
I was full before I knew it.
I slapped the plate aside and tapped my stomach.
I’ll run straight to my room.
“Miss.”
I turned around and tried to get up, but Zenda suddenly called me.
“Huh, huh?”
“You haven’t eaten any grilled vegetables. You also had some leftover roasted green peppers and onions.”
“Ah. Uh, that’s…”
Zenda stared at me with a smile on her face.
I struggled to find an excuse.
“Ah, I ate a lot in my dream this morning. So I don’t have to eat any more, today.”
Zenda and the servants next to her laughed a little as I deliberately pushed my belly out more and rubbed it diligently.
“You have to eat evenly to grow taller. Now, look. If you want to grow tall like the Master, you have to do it like that…”
Zenda stopped talking while looking at Uncle’s plate.
His plate was no different from mine.
He’s so tall and like a rock but he hasn’t eaten any vegetables, right?
“Uncle didn’t eat it all either. Then I will grow taller even if I don’t eat it all!”
I pointed proudly to the two slices of bell peppers and one roasted green onion Uncle had left behind.
Uncle is so big that even Zenda, who just said that I should eat evenly, has no choice but to admit it.
So I thought it would be okay to stand up like this.
“Peanut. Are you and me the same?”
“I’m not ‘Peanut’!”
“How can you use a trick when you’re just a little brat? Clean it up completely.”
Then you’ll get up and go away first, won’t you!
Mom used to say these.
That Uncle will always be by my side.
That even if I’m not sure about others, I can trust Uncle.
What is this! Mom is a liar too.
I will get revenge someday!
I had no choice but to empty the remaining grilled vegetables that Zenda had caught.
***
Still unable to get rid of the uncomfortable and irritated feeling he couldn’t figure out, Kassel entered the office.
Gerard entered after him.
“What is this.”
In the middle of the desk, a colorful, rainbow-colored box the size of a fist greeted him.
Something crumpled and weak in all natural colors seemed to be folded into colored paper.
There was only one unfaithful person in this house who could make such a flimsy, trivial, and unsightly thing.
“I wonder if the Miss left it…?”
No one in this house would have put something like this on this desk.
Gerard, who swallowed the latter words, also looked down at the box with curious eyes.
Will that thing be the savior to break this atmosphere or not, he wondered.
As Kassel lifted it roughly and shook it, there was a light knocking sound from inside.
He didn’t exert much effort, but when he opened the box, which was already half crumpled, a flower brooch made of layers of red and bright yellow lace was revealed.
It was similar to the brooch that all the servants, including Gerard next to him, have hanging on their chests.
Except for the fact that its size is double to theirs and has two overlapping colors.
Ah, also the ugly cardboard box.
The expression of Gerard, who had suffered all sorts of grievances over a brooch he had received as a gift from the Miss all day, brightened first.
That one, that must be the one.
“The Miss must have been late preparing the best present!”
Kassel, who had been looking down at the box for a while, murmured.
“Gosh, who cares? What can be liked about this crap.”
But why are the corners of your lips slightly raised?
Gerard thought to himself and added another word instead.
“It’s also much larger. Isn’t the overlapping yellow just like marigolds?”
He showed his wit to take out the information he heard from Zenda one day.
Thanks to that, the corners of Kassel’s lips stretched even more.
“With this kind of thing. She gave it to everyone. Ah, come to think of it, did you get the box?”
“No, I didn’t get it. Wouldn’t the Miss make it only for the person she thought was the most precious and wonderful?”
Gerard defended Aika with all his might.
Kassel fiddled with the flower brooch for a while before he set it down on the side of the desk.
“Enough, report.”
The corners of Kassel’s mouth rose as high as the sky unconsciously, and soon the atmosphere changed.
Gerard secretly clenched his fists and cleared his throat before starting to report.
“We have finished checking everything, even the fragments of the carriage. Excluding the 38 who were dealt with, 7 are still in pursuit.”
“None of them have spoken yet.”
“Yes. Except for those who were tortured, everyone committed suicide.”
“Suicide, as if they had been waiting. That’s not even funny. Find more.”
“Yes.”
“And… hm, what is it. If you’re not busy, go to Peanut and tell her to get ready to go to the Imperial Palace tomorrow. If she’s late, I’ll drop it and go.”
Gerard blinked in surprise.
The topic change was so quick that it almost came as a surprise.
“You’re going to the Imperial Palace tomorrow? All of a sudden? What about the overdue work?”
“What do you mean all of a sudden? I was originally going to. I put it off because I was lazy.”
“…Ah, yeas…”
Gerard slurred his words and pulled out the wrinkles on his forehead.
“What are you doing? If you’re done watching me, move quickly.”
“Yes, I’ll be right back!”
“When you’re done, do your thing now. There is no need to be back.”
“Yay, thank you!”
Gerard, who was even allowed to leave in an instant, quickly left the office, wondering if he would change his words.
***
Uncle, who seemed like he wouldn’t take me to the Imperial Palace, told me to prepare to go to the Imperial Palace through Gerard yesterday night.
Fearing that Uncle would change his words, I had been begging Zenda to prepare in advance since then.
The next morning.
As soon as breakfast was over, I packed the letter and handfuls of candy into the round little yellow bag Zenda had prepared and I finished preparing.
And when Uncle called, I ran straight to his room.
“Uncle, I’m here! It’s so pretty, isn’t it!”
As soon as I opened the door and entered the room, I said, “tada!” and showed off my dress.
Although Uncle didn’t even look this way, I even turned around.
Nevertheless, Uncle, who didn’t look up, had his legs slightly bent even though he was sitting on the end of the table.
“Are you going to a party?”
Ah, he obviously didn’t see it, though!
“No. But I want to wear the prettiest thing. There are beads here too. Pearl!”
I showed the beads tightly studded with a pale yellow lace dress.
How is it, how is it? Very pretty, right?
“Why is the bib that color.”