Kays Translations

Chapter 36: Stuffed-Animal Craftsman

Because Rosalia had forbidden anyone from touching her stuffed animals, Lady Hilda and Lady Carolina could only admire them from a distance. After staring at them to their hearts’ content and completely ignoring the rest of us, they returned to their seats.

“That’s not fair.”

Carolina silently nodded in agreement.

What did they mean, not fair? Of course I treated my own sister specially. Why should anyone complain about that?

I looked at Brother Alex in protest, but he merely smiled.

What was this feeling? Had he known from the start that things would turn out this way? Had he deliberately invited the sisters to our home because he expected me to make something for them?

There was only one conclusion: I was about to be forced into making two more stuffed animals.

I wasn’t a stuffed-animal craftsman. Admittedly, I had enjoyed making Rosalia happy and had therefore produced one animal after another for her, but still.

“Julius, can I ask you a favor?” Alex said.

“…One each. No more than that.”

“Then I want a bear!” Hilda declared.

“I-I would like a rabbit,” Carolina said.

“Big brother, I want a capybara!” Rosalia added.

Why was my sister joining in? It was too late to refuse only her, though, so I let it go.

After that, everyone gradually relaxed. We played cards, karuta, and sugoroku together.

“When did all these games appear?” Alex asked in surprise.

I kept quiet, knowing it would be troublesome if he learned I had developed them.

Rosalia, however, proudly revealed everything. Alex and Hilda both gave me looks that said, “Of course it was you.”

At this point, hiding my involvement in anything seemed hopeless.

After Hilda and Carolina returned home, I began making their stuffed animals. The moment dinner ended, I took up my needlework.

“Why don’t you simply become a stuffed-animal craftsman?” Mother suggested in a tone that made it impossible to tell whether she was joking.

When I responded with an uncertain expression, she added to my workload.

“In that case, I would like a capybara too.”

Why was she competing with her own daughter?

I wasn’t making stuffed animals for fun!

After two days of steady sewing, the requested animals were complete. I asked Alex to deliver them, but he proposed inviting the daughters of Marquis Mulan back to our residence instead.

I refused firmly, only to learn that they had already said they wished to collect the animals themselves when they were ready.

Brother Alex, when had you gone on a date with Hilda? You certainly hadn’t mentioned that before. Cain seemed to notice the same thing and stared at him through narrowed eyes.

That afternoon, Hilda and Carolina visited House Heine again, carrying a box of sweets. After only brief greetings, we headed straight to the salon.

The stuffed animals they had requested were waiting on chairs.

“They’re already finished! This texture is wonderful!” Hilda exclaimed.

“The rabbit is so soft!” Carolina said.

Both seemed delighted. Rosalia, naturally, was hugging her new capybara.

Hilda had lost much of her formal young-lady manner that day. Honestly, she might have been more likeable that way.

While eating the sweets the sisters had brought, we began discussing recent events.

“It seems some extremely exalted guests have arrived in the Heine Margraviate,” Hilda said.

“Yes. Father and Mother have been rushing to prepare a welcome for them,” Alex replied.

They spoke over their tea as though confirming something they both knew. Alex had mentioned that a princess was in his year at the academy. Perhaps both he and Hilda knew her.

“Big brother, who are ‘exalted guests’?” Rosalia asked, tugging at my sleeve.

“It means people such as the king and princesses.”

“The king and princesses are here?!”

“Yes, but it’s a secret. You mustn’t tell anyone.”

Rosalia covered her mouth with both hands and nodded vigorously. Adorable. Carolina copied the same pose.

Come to think of it, how old was Carolina? She might be close to Rosalia’s age.

While I was thinking, a commotion arose near the entrance hall.

Surely not.

I looked at Alex and Hilda. Both wore expressions that said exactly the same thing. I was probably making the same face.

A servant knocked on the salon door and hurried inside.

“Master Alex, Lady Daniela Crystal, daughter of Count Crystal, has arrived. The master of the house asks that you receive her.”

“Understood. I’ll go at once.”

The servant bowed and left.

“Brother Alex…”

“Count Crystal is the rank and name of the Queen’s family. Daniela is probably using that identity to conceal her royal status.”

Alex rose from his chair. Hilda watched him intently.

This was bad. At this rate, Alex might be stabbed before the summer ended. I could sense a romantic battlefield approaching.

A short while later, voices came from beyond the door—two girls’ voices.

That made my feeling even worse.

The servant opened the door, and Alex entered with two girls. One was presumably the princess who attended the academy with him. The other looked about the same age as Rosalia, Carolina, and me.

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