Chapter 118: Showing Them Round the Garden

She appeared to be a servant of one of the invited houses. She came down the corridor at a brisk pace, slowing a little around the halfway point, and bowed.

“Forgive the intrusion. My name is Emma, of the Brûlée Margrave’s house. Might anyone be free at present?”

“……How may I help you?”

Simon answered in a hoarse voice.

“The young masters have said that they wish to walk in the garden. Might someone show them round?”

“……Yes.”

Mother left a small pause before answering in a weak voice, then looked at Ren and the others with a slightly troubled expression. Her gaze wandered for a moment before she spoke.

“……Lewis, please show them round.”

“All right.”

Lewis nodded, and just as he stepped forward, Grandmother spoke.

“Yuan and Yona had better meet them as well. ……Ren, go and call Yuan and Yona.”

“Yes……”

(Is it really all right for me to go out in front of the guests……?)

Ren nodded at Grandmother’s words, but Mother had seemed not to want Ren and Royce put in front of the invited guests, and it troubled him, so he looked at her face.

“……Go.”

Mother looked as though she wanted to say something, but she seemed to defer to Grandmother’s wishes. Ren nodded once more and made to head in the direction where he had met Yona earlier.

“Eh, what about me?”

Royce’s bewildered voice came from behind him. Ren thought for a moment, then called out to him.

“Royce, let’s look for Yuan and Yona.”

“Ehh…… all right, I’ll go and find Yona!”

Royce came along as though he had no choice — or so Ren thought, until he suddenly broke into a run. Ren had vaguely thought that if Royce had no part to play either, he might be told to “wait in your room”. That was why he had called out to him. But watching Royce dash off, it began to seem to him that Royce would never have stayed quietly in his room anyway.

(……Then I’ll look for Yuan.)

He wasn’t in his own room. He wasn’t in the dining hall or the study room either. Incidentally, the study room was full of the guests’ luggage.

(Where else would he go……?)

As he walked about looking around him, he found the door of the reception room slightly open, with voices coming from inside. As he passed in front of the room, meaning to walk on by, he heard Father’s voice.

“We’ve been thinking that it’s about time Liese was engaged.”

Ren stopped in spite of himself.

(Engaged…… does that mean married? Liese-neeue?)

“Oh? You mean to settle it before she enters the Academy?”

A man’s voice, graver than Father’s, came through the door.

“Yes……. We hope to make a match with a house that can offer us assistance.”

“Hmm……. With seven children, the school fees alone must come to a great deal.”

“Yes……. To be honest, it’s hard.”

Father spoke in a rather tired, sorrowful voice.

(……So the fees really are a strain.)

Ren thought it, hearing Father’s weary voice.

“……But that’s precisely why I want to put a swordsmanship tutor to Yuan early.”

“You’ve just said the fees are a strain, and yet you can afford to hire a tutor?”

“He has the Swordsmanship skill. We can’t let this chance slip. I believe he should be trained early.”

“Is there such need for haste?”

“It’s Swordsmanship. We can’t allow the talent to lie buried.”

“And how do you mean to find the money?”

“That’s why…… I want to hurry Liese’s engagement. And if there were a good offer for Yona as well……”

(Yona engaged too? For the sake of the assistance……? For the sake of the tutor……?)

Ren felt his mouth go dry. His heart pounded.

“……What does Cain say?”

“I’ve written to Father, but there has been no reply yet.”

“Will he not come to the celebration?”

“I wonder……”

He drew away from the door, careful not to let his footsteps sound. He walked as far as the corner of the corridor with his steps muffled, and once round it went on at a quick pace. He wanted to shake off the murky feeling.

(I’ve heard of it. A political marriage…… And so Yona gets engaged……, and Liese-neeue as well……. ……For the sake of Yuan’s tutor?)

He knew that nobles sometimes married for the sake of the house, but he couldn’t get his feelings in order.

As he walked, thinking, he caught sight of Liese and Yona through a window.

“Liese-neeue! Yona!”

He called out to them from the window, then went outside and hurried over.

“Ren-niisama!”

“Ren, you’re dressed differently from usual.”

“I was looking for Yona……. ……Are you two here for something?”

Both Liese and Yona were in dresses. The thought crossed his mind that it might perhaps be for an engagement.

“There are so many people about that I couldn’t settle, so we just came out into the garden. Do you want Yona for something?”

“Want isn’t quite it……. Lewis-niiue is going to show the Margrave’s children round the garden, and it seems they want Yuan and Yona to meet them too.”

“The Margrave’s house!”

Yona’s eyes went wide and she covered her mouth with her hand. Liese put a hand on Yona’s shoulder.

“It’s only a greeting, surely? Let’s go and see. ……Though I wonder if it’s all right for me to come too.”

Liese spoke gently to Yona, and turned to face Ren at the end. Ren nodded.

As they went round the mansion building, they saw Lewis, Royce and Yuan in the back garden. Beyond them stood one boy and two girls.

“Hello there! I’m Patrick Brûlée. Second son of the Brûlée Margrave’s house. These are my sisters, Sylvie and Tina.”

“How do you do. I’m Liese Cream. A pleasure to meet you. These are Ren and Yona. ……Have Lewis and the others already made their greetings?”

Since the boy who had given his name as Patrick had greeted them, Liese bent her knees in a curtsey. When Liese turned to face Lewis, Lewis nodded. Ren and Yona followed, greeting them a little nervously.