āYes. If it isnāt Rose-sama, it wonāt look stylish. No matter how beautiful the mats are, they will only end up looking rustic in our hands.ā
āExcellent! Rose-sama, letās begin preparing, shall we! Cāmon, Meg, you too!ā
My seniors would usually be in a bad mood on days the three Stuart siblings came to visit, but they worked very efficiently today.
This was supposed to be a good thing, but somehow I only got uneasy feelings about it.
Despite that, I still headed to the hill behind the mansion with Rose-sama,Ā who had finished choosing the mats happily.
āI will stay at the mansion to receive the guests from House Stuart. Come back here when youāre done setting up the picnic on the hill, okay?ā
Was I overthinking when I thought my seniorās smile when she saw me off felt a little creepy?
āLetās go, Meg. Letās set it up so splendidly that it will surprise the Stuart children.ā
Even while reluctant and uneasy, I followed behind Rose-sama.
āOh my, is that a guest coming? But thatās not the Stuartsā carriage, is it?ā
On the way up the hill, Rose-samaĀ spotted a carriage parked at the mansion. Even from afar, we could tell it was a luxurious carriage different from the one the three Stuart siblings usually rode on.
āMarquis Valerie is also away todayā¦ Is there urgent business?ā
I was struck by a bad premonition with a chill up my spine.
āI will go check up on the situationā¦ā
āItās alright, Meg. Itās not like no one is in the mansion, so letās leave it to the guys on house-sitting duty. We have it tougher here, you know? We will have to make Rose-samaās stylish picnic castle from here on out after all.ā
My senior hurriedly stopped me when I stood up.
That carriageās crestā¦ I seemed to have seen it somewhere beforeā¦ I couldnāt confirm it because it was too far, but I was sure I knew that crest from somewhereā¦
āMeggg, letās go. We have to hurry so Emma-chanĀ can come straight here when she arrives.ā
Rose-samaĀ and Jadwiga-samaĀ went up the hill while holding hands happily.
Not to mention the time we were in the Royal Capital, I hadnāt seen the two like this until a few days ago. As I couldnāt bear to throw a wet blanket on this harmonious sight, I shook my head to get the carriage I was curious about out of my mind and headed for the hill.
End of Roseās Handmaid, Megās POV
ā ā ā
āWeāve been looking forward to your visit, Carne-sama.ā
The senior maids who stayed in the mansion were welcoming a young man with flashy clothes.
The kingās messenger would visit the Marquisate of Valerie periodically to inquire about Rose-samaās wellbeing. The messenger came with a personal letter from the king, but those letters had never reached Roseās hands.
Rose splurged on dresses and jewels to vent her irritations to the extent that she was given the cold shoulder by the king. Because of her squandering habits, the senior maids could secretly slip in their own orders for dresses and jewels.
The larger Roseās order, the easier they could mix in theirs, so even when it was decided that Rose would go to Valerie, they took the initiative to follow her here. And yetā¦
After House Stuartās tea party, Roseās shopping came to a halt.
Now not only expensive stuff like dresses and jewels, but they also could no longer buy even the small accessories like ribbons, handkerchiefs, or pouches.
āJust what did we come to this countryside far from the Royal Capital for?āĀ The senior maidsā irritation reached its peak.
The letter from the king came at such a time.
The kingās messenger this time was the second son of the House of Marquis Lombard, Carne Lombard. Upon getting this notice, one maid thought of an evil idea while grinning.