CATB Chapter 34

"Then..."

"Oh my, Alexa!"

Just as we were about to discuss where to meet, a beautiful voice like rolling jade beads rang through the quiet garden. When I quickly turned my head toward the sound, a woman who matched perfectly with the blooming flowers was walking toward me. Since the distance wasn't very far, she soon arrived in front of Belkellion and me.

"Sister."

"I came to the garden for a brief walk, but I never expected to meet you here. I kept worrying since you kept saying you were sick whenever I sent word."

I had refused several requests using fake illness as an excuse, but I never expected to meet her here.

"Yeah, I'm feeling a bit better."

"That's good. I had something to talk to you about... Oh my, the Grand Duke is here too."

Ariel greeted Belkellion with her sparkling blue eyes shining. Her attitude was affectionate, unlike the stiff and formal manner at the hunting grounds.

"I greet Princess Ariel."

Belkellion bowed briefly.

"What brings Your Grace all the way here? I thought you had already left the capital..."

"Sister, Belkellion is staying in the capital because he has business here."

"Belkellion?"

Ariel raised her fine eyebrows.

"Alexa. Did you just call the Grand Duke by his name?"

So what? I looked at Ariel's face and gave her a silent answer. Anyway, he's called Grand Duke Belkellion, so what's wrong with not adding 'Grand Duke'? And he told me to use his name first.

Ariel looked at me and then at Belkellion again. She shook her head slightly and her forehead was slightly furrowed. Like a generous sister caring for a troublesome younger sibling, she addressed Belkellion:

"Please forgive the rudeness, Your Grace. Alexa is not yet accustomed to royal etiquette."

"What are you saying, Sister? Belkellion and I..."

As I tried to object, a maid serving Ariel from behind stepped forward. She looked somewhat aged, probably holding a position like head maid. That's probably why she dared to interrupt me.

"Princess Alexa. Even though you are a princess, you must not carelessly call the Grand Duke by his name. Although His Grace is not currently a member of the royal family, considering his position and duties, he receives treatment equivalent to royalty. Using names is..."

The elderly maid looked directly at me and said:

"A practice that only applies among lower nobility."

"......"

After the maid finished speaking, silence settled among Belkellion, Ariel, and me. It was because I hadn't said anything yet. Since the old maid was probably put up to this by Ariel anyway, it wasn't surprising that she would put me down, but I hesitated to scold her because Belkellion was there. I didn't want to show him my rough side of handling maids yet... such was my girlish wish.

Ah, how should I rebut this so that good rumors about me spread through Pellipe... As I was slyly scheming, Belkellion finally spoke.

"I requested it first."

Speaking in a low voice while looking toward the maid, she suddenly bowed her head deeply. Suddenly receiving his attention, she seemed afraid of meeting the gaze of the terrifying "demon clan."

"I apologize, Your Grace."

"Since I was the one who first asked the Princess for this, please refrain from speaking in the future."

"Yes, I apologize. I was unaware of this."

The maid bowing her head and trembling was amusing. Am I not scary but Belkellion is? Feeling that my beastly aura had weakened since shedding my furry appearance, I stared at Ariel.

Now, what are you going to do?

"Gizel."

"Yes, Princess."

"Don't act rashly. You're making me lose face."

"I apologize, Princess. It's my oversight."

"There was much rudeness toward His Grace as well. Since it's my fault for not managing my subordinates well, I shall apologize."

Ariel offered an apology in a gentle but elegant voice. Excuse me, what about me?

Let's see how far this goes, I thought, watching, when she turned toward Belkellion and smiled graciously. It was a soft and beautiful smile like a flower blooming.

Damn, pretty girls should be quarantined. They cause relative disadvantage to normal people just standing there.

"As an apology, I would like to offer you tea. A new leaf tea came as tribute recently."

Belkellion looked down at her quietly. Even with her pretty smile, there was no noticeable change in his expression, which made me slightly relieved. If even one facial expression had changed, you would have been out, buddy.

"The target of the apology seems wrong."

"Pardon?"

Seeing Belkellion gesture toward me with his eyes, Ariel showed a momentarily flustered expression.

"...Ah, I see. Alexa. Please forgive my maid's mistake. She sometimes gets overly enthusiastic."

Though her tea invitation was clearly ignored and she was flustered by being pointed to me, Ariel smoothly handled the situation. Tsk, then you should give me meaningful glances at times like this too.

"What are you saying, Sister~ You were the one who first criticized me for being rude to His Grace. Haha, isn't Sister the one who gets overly enthusiastic?"

"...Oh my, I didn't realize I was doing that. Your Grace, I'm like this. I tend to forget things I was doing well... truly..."

Accepting my words, Ariel turned toward Belkellion.

"......"

"Seeing that you and Alexa are even calling each other by name, you two have really become close."

Since she said we became close, there was nothing to say, so both Belkellion and I just stayed quiet. Ariel turned again and came closer to me, taking my hand.

"I'm so glad. That you made a friend."

"...Friend?"

"I've been so busy lately that I can't stay by your side continuously, and I felt so sorry about that... Your Grace, as Alexa's sister, I thank you. It had been weighing on my mind that Alexa had no friends in the palace."

?

Who are you making into a total outcast?

"I was worried and introduced my friends to her, but... as expected, since she's a child who lived freely, she didn't get along well with them. I can't keep paying attention only to Alexa, so I was wondering what to do, but to think she would become friends with Your Grace like this..."

Stroking my hand while meeting Belkellion's eyes as she spoke, Ariel was exactly like a caring sister worried about her lonely younger sibling. Meanwhile, my hand fit perfectly with Ariel's hand as if measured. The strength of the delicate grip caressing my hand was stronger than it looked, so I stood there with only my hand caught, looking at Ariel. Ariel's hand holding mine was hot, making me momentarily want to shake it off.

"As her sister, I'm happy that Alexa won't be lonely during her palace life, and..."

Ariel looked at me with eyes full of affection, then turned back to Belkellion.

Doesn't it hurt your eyes switching direction so quickly?

"...I'm also a bit jealous."

Ariel playfully bit her lip slightly then released it.

"I wanted to become close with Your Grace too."

Th...this bitch?

I almost cursed out loud.

"You always just briefly stop by the capital before leaving, so there was never any opportunity to become close, and I could only stomp my feet in frustration. I can't tell you how glad I am to see Your Grace here like this."

"...Is that so?"

"Your Grace's territory is adjacent to the Aepylle Empire, isn't it? I'm always grateful to Your Grace for steadfastly protecting Pellipe's borders. You don't know how reassuring it is."

Ariel's skill in praising Belkellion purely yet elegantly was truly first-rate. What man doesn't like praise? And her technique of including legitimate reasons so it wouldn't sound like flattery showed that this wasn't her first or second time doing this.

Damn, she's maxed out in fox-like cunning. This is a bit overwhelming...

"If the opportunity arises, I would like to have a proper conversation with Your Grace. Rather than like this, if you have time today, I would really like to have tea together."

Seeing her bring up the tea topic that was ignored earlier, did this girl plan this today... She couldn't have known I was in the garden and come here, could she? Ignoring the faint possibilities that stirred my intuition, I spoke up:

"Sister, that includes me too, right?"

"Hmm?"

Ariel, who had been looking up at Belkellion with sparkling eyes, turned her head at my words. A look of reading my mood seemed to flow along her delicate shoulders and neckline.

"...Yes... of course. Since Alexa became friends with His Grace first... It might look like I'm intruding instead. Are you perhaps feeling bad that I offered to serve tea to His Grace?"

Hey, I just asked if you were including me in the tea too. Don't make me into a narrow-minded kid jealous of her sister.

"Of course not."

"...If there's anything that bothers you, please tell me comfortably. Since I really just want to become friends with His Grace, if that makes you, Alexa, upset, I couldn't bear it."

With a tearful expression, Ariel leaned slightly toward Belkellion. She seemed to expect him to catch her like a tragic heroine, but when Belkellion stepped aside, she quickly straightened her tilted body. Even that was an elegant gesture, so it wasn't even funny.

Damn, when you're pretty, even comedy isn't funny. This unfair world.

"......"

Unable to think of good words to counter her fox-like behavior, I hesitated, and Belkellion stepped back another step from Ariel.

"I'm grateful for Your Highness's kindness, but we've already had tea."

"...Ah... is that so? That's unfortunate. Then perhaps next time..."

"Alexa, it's time to return. I'll escort you to Iris Palace."

Ignoring Ariel's regret-filled words, Belkellion spoke to me. Even though it was a request any man would be unable to refuse, he cut off Ariel's request as cleanly as slicing radish, which couldn't have been more satisfying.

"Oh my, already? But Belkellion, thank you, but if you only escort me, it might seem a bit..."

I tried to lower my rising lips as I looked at Ariel with worried feelings. Her beautiful smile, always picture-perfect, was stiff.

"Time is pressing, so it seems difficult. I apologize, Princess Ariel."

Bowing politely to apologize, Ariel had nothing much to say.

"Since you're in a hurry, you should go quickly. Let's have tea together next time. Alexa, you be careful going in too."

"Sorry, Sister. Let's have tea together tomorrow instead."

When I spoke with a smile that even I found a bit obnoxious, Ariel smiled back at me.

"Yes, I'll prepare something you like."

Belkellion gently tugged my sleeve, urging me along. As I passed Ariel, I quickly whispered in her ear:

"But Sister,"

"Yes?"

"You need to manage your people better. Like Rachel last time..."

I trailed off while looking at the elderly maid standing a few steps away.

"Your people are more reckless than I thought. You might need to do a major purge sometime."

"...Yes. I'll warn them."

Leaving Ariel behind and exiting the garden with Belkellion, I couldn't have felt lighter.

"Belkellion is the best."

"Pardon?"

"It's nothing. Since you're busy, you should go quickly."

When I hurried my steps toward the palace, Belkellion stopped me again.

"...You can go slowly."

"But you said time was pressing."

"This much is fine."

?

"You always say 'this much is fine.' What exactly is 'this much'?"

"......"

Seeing him walk without speaking, I just walked along with him. Since he was already someone who didn't talk much, I had somewhat adapted to this level of silence.

"...As much as Alexa wants."

"...What? What did you say?"

"......"

I might have misheard, and since he wasn't answering and I didn't have the courage to ask again, we just walked quietly together until we arrived in front of the palace before we knew it. When Belkellion stopped walking, I stopped too and looked up at him. We seemed to have spent quite a long time together today, but when it came time for him to leave, I felt inexplicably regretful.

Belkellion suddenly took out a blue flower in full bloom and tucked it beside my ear.

"...What's this?"

Where did you get this? Did you pick it from the garden? You didn't have it in your hands when we came earlier.

Belkellion looked down at me and smiled gently.

"Pretty."

Oh my, my heart is fluttering!

I found myself smiling along with him.

Whether it was because of the flower by my ear, or because of the flowers from the garden we'd just been to, at least I was still intoxicated by the flower fragrance, it seemed.