Chapter 36
Translator: Missme
Editor: Aru
* * * * *
I waited for Count Van Der in the parlour room early in the morning.
It was because I heard from her maid last night that she was going to visit me.
Soon after, the sound of a shoe hitting the floor was heard, and the door opened wide, allowing a woman dressed in elegant garments inside.
“Greetings, Count.”
“Miss Lena, I haven’t seen you in two weeks. Shall we sit and talk?”
I nodded, and we sat on the sofa, facing one another, with the table in the middle.
“You appear to be doing well based on the expression on your face.”
“Thank you for your attention, Count.”
It wasn’t an empty word, it came from the bottom of my heart.
Count Van Der has sent me cosmetics, accessories, clothing, and other items regularly through the maid.
Furthermore, the clothing she provided me was not only suitable for me, but they also looked great on me.
The clothing that I was wearing today was also a gift from her.
“I’m truly grateful.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Count Van Der gave a gentle smile.
Meanwhile, the maid came in and left the tea and refreshments behind.
When the Count arrived, I told them to bring it to the room.
“Also, by the way.”
The Count opened his mouth as soon as the maid left.
“I believe everything is going great with the Duke. According to what I’ve heard, Duke Egon is quite fond of Miss Lena.”
“It was simply because he’s such a gentleman.”
“I don’t think so.”
Count Van Der dropped sugar cubes into her cup and smiled obscenely.
Her denial baffled me right away.
But he is genuinely a gentleman.
“Didn’t the Duke give you flowers when Miss Lena went on stage? He even escorted you home a few days ago.”
“How can you…… You keep an eye on me?”
“I believed you were expecting that much.”
The Count, who had been stirring black tea with a teaspoon, set it down and added gently.
She smiled after a drink of tea and said, “The maid is extremely wonderful at their jobs.”
But I couldn’t laugh along with her.
It was, as the Count stated, very predictable, but it wasn’t very nice to have someone watching and reporting on my every movement.
“However, I do not constantly keep an eye on you. Because I need to preserve Miss Lena’s privacy, and more than that, the Duke is moving in such a way that I can’t spot it.”
“Don’t you plan to get rid of those people?”
“You’ll still need a hidden escort. When things get really dangerous, the people I put on Miss Lena will come to your aid.”
Eventually, all I received was a rejection, so I touched the teacup with a dejected expression, thinking it would be pointless to say anything further.
“Anyway, give me flowers or escort me home……It is not what you think.”
“We’ll make the judgement whether the Duke is simply being gentleman or fond of Miss Lena, so you don’t have to worry about it. More than that, I’d like to ask Miss Lena a favor.”
“If it’s a favor…”
“In the future, I want you to be wary of the scandal.”
Scandal?
When I glanced at the Count with a puzzled expression, as I didn’t understand what she was talking about, she added.
“I’m talking about the case with the son of Marquis Vessel.”
I now realized what the Count was on about.
She’s probably referring to the time Lord Vessel sent me gifts.
“I’m not sure if Miss Lena is attempting to provoke the Duke’s wrath, but please notify me in advance if you intend to do so. If you don’t, our plans will be shaken off.”
It wasn’t planned by me; it was simply an accident caused by Lord Vessel’s misunderstanding…
Those words were up to my neck, but I didn’t bother to explain everything.
Because I needed to maintain my ‘image’ in their eyes till the end of the term.
Rather, if people misunderstood me in that way, it was something to be thankful for.
So it’s definitely something to be happy about, but why is my heart so stuffy?
“Of course, I can’t tell you not to hang out with Lord Vessel because he is the Vice-Commander of the Royal Knights, but I hope this never happens again. Did you understand?
“Yes, Count.”
“That’s great.”
“I must leave now,” the Count said, rising from her seat with a satisfied smile.
It was when I followed her to see her off.
“Miss Lena?”
“What?”
“Was the colour of your eyes originally gold?”
I wiped my eyes in response to Count Van Der’s comments.
“Only when it is a ray with light. Aside from that, it’s generally light grey.”
“……Oh, I see. I’d seen it before, but I assumed it was because the lighting was too bright, but I had no idea your eye colour would change under the light.”
That is certainly understandable.
We’ve seen each other a lot indoors.
Count Van Der attentively examined my eyes before turning away.
***********************************
The Conflicting ThoughtsIt was a peaceful afternoon as everyone was away.
My back was numb at the moment, so I stretched and then tapped with my hands.
“Lady, what you requested me to do last week…”
“Argh!”
Lord Vessel’s voice came out of nowhere and made me scream. Then Lord Vessel exclaimed, much like me, and asked, astonished.
“Wh-why are you surprised?”
“You didn’t even notify me of your presence. Of course, I’ll be startled.”
“What exactly do you mean? I walked in after knocking on the door.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Then I must not have heard it.
When I apologized, Lord Vessel shrugged his head and said it was fine.
“But, why did you call me?”
“Oh, you mentioned wanting to meet Vivian. I neglected to inform you about her reaction.”
I wondered why the person who was meant to be on the training ground had returned before the time.
“I see. What did she say?”
“She said she wants to meet you as well, Lady. She added that if you give the date, location, and time, she will do her best to match it as closely as possible.”
“Really? So I may do whatever I want and notify Lord Vessel about the location and time?”
“Well, not me, but you may communicate it through the letter bird.”
“A letter bird?”
What is that?
“Oh, I forgot to show you. Please wait a moment.”
Lord Vessel, who uttered that, sat down and knelt beneath his desk. After a while, he stood up again, this time holding a tiny cage.
“Here you go.”
I grabbed a cage out of nowhere and peeked inside.
A little bird with a bright pink collar blinked at me.
‘It looks like a baby bird.’
My face relaxed, oblivious to the little bird’s adorable look.
“Wow, it’s really cute.”
“The letter bird is indeed cute. In any case, you can communicate with Vivian through this bird.”
“Do you want me to send a letter through this bird?”
“This is much more convenient and faster than talking to me or another person.”
“Is that so? But I’ve never sent a letter through a bird before. Could you please explain how to use it?”
“What? You’ve never used a letter bird?”
Lord Vessel stared at me as if he was witnessing something unusual as I nodded and said yes.
What exactly was it? Was it common to use this bird around here? But I had no idea.
“……by the expression on your face, it must be true.”
No, so he assumed I was lying? And what is my expression saying anyway?
But I didn’t have time to argue with Lord Vessel. Because it was explained right away.
“It’s not difficult to use letter birds. All you have to do is feed him the letter.”
“Should I feed the letter…to the bird? Is it all right?
“Of course not for normal birds, but this is a letter bird.”
“Doesn’t a letter bird count as a bird?”
“It has the appearance of a bird, yet it is more closely related to a magical beast in terms of species. It’s a hybrid between a low-level demon and a normal bird.”
A magical beast……how does this creature resemble a magical beast?
I suppose it’s just a bird, no matter how I look at it
Lord Vessel scribbled ‘Letter’ on the paper I handed him, folded it hastily, and shoved it through the cage’s gap.
Until that point, I assumed the bird would bite the letter with its beak, but instead, the letter bird opens its beak, accepts a letter larger than its size, and swallows it.
‘Wait, the bird ate…?’
I looked at the letter bird blankly.
Even after I saw it with my own eyes, it was hard to believe.
“This is how letter birds obtain their plump cheeks. Like a hungry squirrel with a mouth full of food.”
“How, then, can I get letters like this?”
“All you have to do is tickle the stomach. I’m going to show you a demonstration, but the letter bird is currently eating a letter, so it will continue to fly. Please be understanding if it’s a bit loud.”
Lord Vessel gently unlocked the cage door as I nodded in agreement.
To keep the letter bird from flying out, I blocked the door with my hand.
The flapping noise was echoing.
Lord Vessel, on the other hand, softly tickled the bird’s tummy, and the paper he’d ingested earlier sprang out from its small beak.
Simultaneously, the letter bird turned quiet, as if it had never been loud before.
“Did you see that?”
“Yes, I am, but is the letter okay? Perhaps it’s damp or wrinkled…”
“As you can see, it is all fine.”
Lord Vessel, who had just closed the cage door, showed me the paper that the bird had previously thrown up. Surprisingly, the paper appeared precisely the same as it did before being fed to the bird.
“Anyway, if you feed the letter bird this way and release it outdoors, it’ll return to Vivian.”
“Will the bird recognize the recipient?”
“Yes, a letter bird tends to remember where it was released shortly before eating the letter and then returning there. And the last time this letter bird was let out was in Vivian’s room.”
“So, if I send this letter bird from my room, it will remember it, and if Lady Vessel responds, it will return to my room?”
“That’s correct.”
Lord Vessel’s explanation astounded me.
But the letter bird was unexpected not just in terms of the letter system, but also in terms of food.
Unlike other birds, which must be fed and watered, letter birds are fed by sunshine, thus they just require a lot of it.
“By the way, Lady, I have a question for you.”
“What is it?”
“That’s… so…I mean…”
He couldn’t open his mouth as readily as he could when he initially posed the question.
I should not have allowed him to ask it. He opened his mouth gently, just as I was starting to regret everything.
“What do I have to do, Lady, to make you like me?”
Uh, yeah?
Chapter 36
Translator: Missme
Editor: Aru
* * * * *
I waited for Count Van Der in the parlour room early in the morning.
It was because I heard from her maid last night that she was going to visit me.
Soon after, the sound of a shoe hitting the floor was heard, and the door opened wide, allowing a woman dressed in elegant garments inside.
“Greetings, Count.”
“Miss Lena, I haven’t seen you in two weeks. Shall we sit and talk?”
I nodded, and we sat on the sofa, facing one another, with the table in the middle.
“You appear to be doing well based on the expression on your face.”
“Thank you for your attention, Count.”
It wasn’t an empty word, it came from the bottom of my heart.
Count Van Der has sent me cosmetics, accessories, clothing, and other items regularly through the maid.
Furthermore, the clothing she provided me was not only suitable for me, but they also looked great on me.
The clothing that I was wearing today was also a gift from her.
“I’m truly grateful.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Count Van Der gave a gentle smile.
Meanwhile, the maid came in and left the tea and refreshments behind.
When the Count arrived, I told them to bring it to the room.
“Also, by the way.”
The Count opened his mouth as soon as the maid left.
“I believe everything is going great with the Duke. According to what I’ve heard, Duke Egon is quite fond of Miss Lena.”
“It was simply because he’s such a gentleman.”
“I don’t think so.”
Count Van Der dropped sugar cubes into her cup and smiled obscenely.
Her denial baffled me right away.
But he is genuinely a gentleman.
“Didn’t the Duke give you flowers when Miss Lena went on stage? He even escorted you home a few days ago.”
“How can you…… You keep an eye on me?”
“I believed you were expecting that much.”
The Count, who had been stirring black tea with a teaspoon, set it down and added gently.
She smiled after a drink of tea and said, “The maid is extremely wonderful at their jobs.”
But I couldn’t laugh along with her.
It was, as the Count stated, very predictable, but it wasn’t very nice to have someone watching and reporting on my every movement.
“However, I do not constantly keep an eye on you. Because I need to preserve Miss Lena’s privacy, and more than that, the Duke is moving in such a way that I can’t spot it.”
“Don’t you plan to get rid of those people?”
“You’ll still need a hidden escort. When things get really dangerous, the people I put on Miss Lena will come to your aid.”
Eventually, all I received was a rejection, so I touched the teacup with a dejected expression, thinking it would be pointless to say anything further.
“Anyway, give me flowers or escort me home……It is not what you think.”
“We’ll make the judgement whether the Duke is simply being gentleman or fond of Miss Lena, so you don’t have to worry about it. More than that, I’d like to ask Miss Lena a favor.”
“If it’s a favor…”
“In the future, I want you to be wary of the scandal.”
Scandal?
When I glanced at the Count with a puzzled expression, as I didn’t understand what she was talking about, she added.
“I’m talking about the case with the son of Marquis Vessel.”
I now realized what the Count was on about.
She’s probably referring to the time Lord Vessel sent me gifts.
“I’m not sure if Miss Lena is attempting to provoke the Duke’s wrath, but please notify me in advance if you intend to do so. If you don’t, our plans will be shaken off.”
It wasn’t planned by me; it was simply an accident caused by Lord Vessel’s misunderstanding…
Those words were up to my neck, but I didn’t bother to explain everything.
Because I needed to maintain my ‘image’ in their eyes till the end of the term.
Rather, if people misunderstood me in that way, it was something to be thankful for.
So it’s definitely something to be happy about, but why is my heart so stuffy?
“Of course, I can’t tell you not to hang out with Lord Vessel because he is the Vice-Commander of the Royal Knights, but I hope this never happens again. Did you understand?
“Yes, Count.”
“That’s great.”
“I must leave now,” the Count said, rising from her seat with a satisfied smile.
It was when I followed her to see her off.
“Miss Lena?”
“What?”
“Was the colour of your eyes originally gold?”
I wiped my eyes in response to Count Van Der’s comments.
“Only when it is a ray with light. Aside from that, it’s generally light grey.”
“……Oh, I see. I’d seen it before, but I assumed it was because the lighting was too bright, but I had no idea your eye colour would change under the light.”
That is certainly understandable.
We’ve seen each other a lot indoors.
Count Van Der attentively examined my eyes before turning away.
***********************************
The Conflicting ThoughtsIt was a peaceful afternoon as everyone was away.
My back was numb at the moment, so I stretched and then tapped with my hands.
“Lady, what you requested me to do last week…”
“Argh!”
Lord Vessel’s voice came out of nowhere and made me scream. Then Lord Vessel exclaimed, much like me, and asked, astonished.
“Wh-why are you surprised?”
“You didn’t even notify me of your presence. Of course, I’ll be startled.”
“What exactly do you mean? I walked in after knocking on the door.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Then I must not have heard it.
When I apologized, Lord Vessel shrugged his head and said it was fine.
“But, why did you call me?”
“Oh, you mentioned wanting to meet Vivian. I neglected to inform you about her reaction.”
I wondered why the person who was meant to be on the training ground had returned before the time.
“I see. What did she say?”
“She said she wants to meet you as well, Lady. She added that if you give the date, location, and time, she will do her best to match it as closely as possible.”
“Really? So I may do whatever I want and notify Lord Vessel about the location and time?”
“Well, not me, but you may communicate it through the letter bird.”
“A letter bird?”
What is that?
“Oh, I forgot to show you. Please wait a moment.”
Lord Vessel, who uttered that, sat down and knelt beneath his desk. After a while, he stood up again, this time holding a tiny cage.
“Here you go.”
I grabbed a cage out of nowhere and peeked inside.
A little bird with a bright pink collar blinked at me.
‘It looks like a baby bird.’
My face relaxed, oblivious to the little bird’s adorable look.
“Wow, it’s really cute.”
“The letter bird is indeed cute. In any case, you can communicate with Vivian through this bird.”
“Do you want me to send a letter through this bird?”
“This is much more convenient and faster than talking to me or another person.”
“Is that so? But I’ve never sent a letter through a bird before. Could you please explain how to use it?”
“What? You’ve never used a letter bird?”
Lord Vessel stared at me as if he was witnessing something unusual as I nodded and said yes.
What exactly was it? Was it common to use this bird around here? But I had no idea.
“……by the expression on your face, it must be true.”
No, so he assumed I was lying? And what is my expression saying anyway?
But I didn’t have time to argue with Lord Vessel. Because it was explained right away.
“It’s not difficult to use letter birds. All you have to do is feed him the letter.”
“Should I feed the letter…to the bird? Is it all right?
“Of course not for normal birds, but this is a letter bird.”
“Doesn’t a letter bird count as a bird?”
“It has the appearance of a bird, yet it is more closely related to a magical beast in terms of species. It’s a hybrid between a low-level demon and a normal bird.”
A magical beast……how does this creature resemble a magical beast?
I suppose it’s just a bird, no matter how I look at it
Lord Vessel scribbled ‘Letter’ on the paper I handed him, folded it hastily, and shoved it through the cage’s gap.
Until that point, I assumed the bird would bite the letter with its beak, but instead, the letter bird opens its beak, accepts a letter larger than its size, and swallows it.
‘Wait, the bird ate…?’
I looked at the letter bird blankly.
Even after I saw it with my own eyes, it was hard to believe.
“This is how letter birds obtain their plump cheeks. Like a hungry squirrel with a mouth full of food.”
“How, then, can I get letters like this?”
“All you have to do is tickle the stomach. I’m going to show you a demonstration, but the letter bird is currently eating a letter, so it will continue to fly. Please be understanding if it’s a bit loud.”
Lord Vessel gently unlocked the cage door as I nodded in agreement.
To keep the letter bird from flying out, I blocked the door with my hand.
The flapping noise was echoing.
Lord Vessel, on the other hand, softly tickled the bird’s tummy, and the paper he’d ingested earlier sprang out from its small beak.
Simultaneously, the letter bird turned quiet, as if it had never been loud before.
“Did you see that?”
“Yes, I am, but is the letter okay? Perhaps it’s damp or wrinkled…”
“As you can see, it is all fine.”
Lord Vessel, who had just closed the cage door, showed me the paper that the bird had previously thrown up. Surprisingly, the paper appeared precisely the same as it did before being fed to the bird.
“Anyway, if you feed the letter bird this way and release it outdoors, it’ll return to Vivian.”
“Will the bird recognize the recipient?”
“Yes, a letter bird tends to remember where it was released shortly before eating the letter and then returning there. And the last time this letter bird was let out was in Vivian’s room.”
“So, if I send this letter bird from my room, it will remember it, and if Lady Vessel responds, it will return to my room?”
“That’s correct.”
Lord Vessel’s explanation astounded me.
But the letter bird was unexpected not just in terms of the letter system, but also in terms of food.
Unlike other birds, which must be fed and watered, letter birds are fed by sunshine, thus they just require a lot of it.
“By the way, Lady, I have a question for you.”
“What is it?”
“That’s… so…I mean…”
He couldn’t open his mouth as readily as he could when he initially posed the question.
I should not have allowed him to ask it. He opened his mouth gently, just as I was starting to regret everything.
“What do I have to do, Lady, to make you like me?”
Uh, yeah?
