60. The First Friend I Made (1)
60. The First Friend I Made (1)
[Episode 60] - First Friend (1)
On the way to the forest where the hunting competition was being held.
Inside the swaying carriage, I was busy holding back motion sickness while reading the documents I had organized. What was written on the papers were things like the personal details of the 'Lady' who had invited us to the hunting competition and her family. Since we were staying at the Lady's mansion for a day before the hunting competition began, this information was essential.
Countess Serina.
She was one of the five ladies who attended the Princess's first tea party and the one who invited the Princess to the 'hunting competition.' She was also the mother of the young noble girl who had burst into tears upon seeing the wolf at the tea party and clung to a girl named Emily.
'The Count, who was her husband, passed away in an accident the year before last... The Count's assets were inherited by the Lady, but currently, the Count's unmarried younger sister has taken over the title and is leading the family alongside the Countess... The biggest concern for the Count's family right now is the joint business with Lady Sergio...'
When I first read the part about the Count's 'younger sister' inheriting the family, I was honestly a bit surprised, but thinking about it again, it wasn't exactly impossible in this world.
After all, this country had even had a 'Queen' ascend to the throne in the past. Even among the cabinet ministers, there were two women, so it wasn't particularly surprising.
It would be troublesome if I made a slip of the tongue when meeting the Countess, so it was easier to memorize the potential landmines beforehand. Thinking I had memorized it all, I frowned and glanced over at the Princess.
The Princess seemed fascinated by being outside the royal castle for the first time in her life; ever since getting into the carriage, she had been busy looking out the window. How amazing must it be to see things she had only learned about in books and lessons appear right before her eyes? The royal castle wasn't exactly a small place, but compared to the outside world, it was infinitely cramped.
'Well... this is my first time outside the royal castle, too.'
It was definitely my first time outside the royal castle as well, but I didn't have as much excitement as the Princess. I just thought, 'Ah, so this is what it feels like.' I didn't burst into exclamations at every single thing passing by like the Princess. Perhaps it was just the difference in perspective between a child and an adult?
The Princess couldn't even keep her mouth shut, busy asking Ainsel about every single thing that passed by. From the windmill spinning in the middle of the village, to the golden crops ripening on the wide fields, to a bird resting for a moment on a tree.
The curiosity of the Princess, who had come out into the world for the first time, knew no bounds. The Princess's endless questions were too much even for Ainsel, to the point where she shouted for me to help her. Ainsel, who had climbed onto my earring after a very long time, whispered to me in an exhausted voice.
-Vivian... It's already been 10 hours... Can't you take the Princess's questions for me for a moment...?
"Why should I?"
-What...? What do you mean, why...?
"You don't even pay attention to someone like me anymore, and you only come looking for me when you need something? Do I look that easy to you? You, 'Mirror Fairy' who hasn't even signed a contract with me?"
-Ah, no, are you still sulking?! I apologized, didn't I?!
At the sound of Ainsel shouting in bewilderment, I let out a small snort, saying, "Heung." I was so annoyed with Ainsel, who no longer came to her main body in my room and lived in the Princess's necklace, only seeking me out when she needed something.
I had said I would forgive Ainsel for not saying anything to me and not coming to find me during the Princess's 'runaway incident,' but it was still hard to forgive her easily. I was so dumbfounded when she said she had fallen asleep and 'didn't remember.'
"Ah~ Ainsel, you're a fairy, so maybe that's why you don't understand people's hearts~ Do you think my heart is so easily soothed just because you apologized once?"
-You said you would forgive me!!
"I don't remember because I fell asleep?"
-Ah!
Ainsel let out a short gasp and eventually made a whimpering sound. Hearing that, I couldn't help but chuckle, and after tapping my knee, I called the Princess, who was looking outside from the window. At that, the bundle of curiosity hopped onto my lap and gave a baesisi smile.
"Titania, is it that fascinating outside?"
"Yes! There are so many things I'm seeing for the first time, so it's fun! It's also fascinating because many things are a little different from what I saw in books. And the bird called a swan that was in the lake we passed earlier was also in the book-"
So this is why Ainsel asked me for help? I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the Princess showing off her knowledge without stopping. Seeing her talking so excitedly, I even felt a bit sorry, thinking, 'Should I have taken her outside the royal castle a little sooner?'
When I glanced toward the window, the knight escorting us outside made eye contact with me and nodded. It was a signal that we would soon arrive at the Count's estate. I stroked the hair of the Princess, who was chattering away like a chick on my lap, and interrupted her.
"It's good to be fascinated, but we'll be arriving soon."
"Yes? Already?"
"What do you mean, already? Didn't we leave early in the morning and it's only going to be night when we arrive?"
Outside the carriage, the sun had set, and it was already getting dark. When the Princess looked out the window, she opened her eyes wide as if it were amazing that so much time had passed, and watched the scenery outside. After some time passed like that, the speed of the carriage gradually slowed down, and soon it slowed down completely and came to a stop.
"Your Majesty the Queen, we have arrived at the Serina Count's estate."
The escort knight knocked on the carriage and announced that we had arrived at the Count's estate. When I glanced out the window, the maids and servants of the Count's estate were gathered in front of the main gate, busy bowing to welcome us, as if they already knew we were arriving.
The door opened, and as I got out of the carriage, I saw a familiar face among the many people, so I gave a singgeut smile. Then, I took the Princess's hand and walked toward where the familiar face was. To the side of Countess Serina, who had invited us to the hunting competition.
"Countess Serina."
"Welcome to the Serina Count's estate. Your Majesty Queen Vivian. And, Princess Titania."
Countess Serina, who had bowed her head, lifted it and introduced the woman standing next to her. A face that looked young even compared to Countess Serina, a delicate face that looked to be in her early twenties. The woman, who had given a nervous greeting, bowed her head and introduced herself.
"I, I am Yvette Serina, currently serving as the head of the Serina Count's family."
"I am Hailey Serina, the wife of the late Count Serina."
After the two women introduced themselves, a young noble girl who was extremely nervous next to the Countess caught my eye. The young noble girl who had burst into tears seeing the wolf and had fallen to the floor crying, hik-hik. That young noble girl, in a state of extreme tension, bowed her head and greeted me in a loud voice that felt like it would burst my eardrums.
"V, V, Viola Serina! is my name! I, sincerely! welcome Your Majesty the Queen and the Princess's visit! A, and, t, this is something I made myself...!"
Viola, who had pulled out two small, cute bouquets she had hidden behind her back, walked out with chong-chong steps and handed the bouquets to the Princess. When the Princess received the bouquets and gave a baesisi smile, Viola also gave a hae-hae smile, as if her tension had eased a little.
I stroked Viola's hair and received the small, cute bouquet. A bouquet of lily of the valley, small and adorable, drop by drop. Looking at the bouquet, which clearly felt like it had been made by a child who had thought hard about it without the help of an adult, I couldn't hide the laughter leaking out.
"Hu-hu, I am happy to be welcomed like this, Viola. Please take good care of us while we stay here."
"Yes, y-yes!"
*
Having arrived at the Count's estate, we took a short rest before being led by Viola to the dining room. When we arrived at the dining room, there were dishes laid out that seemed to have had twice as much care put into them than usual. They didn't have to go this far...
"I, is the meal to your liking...?"
"...Don't be so nervous. It is a magnificent feast."
Well, it wasn't that I didn't understand the feelings of the Countess and the Count. No matter how bad the rumors were, the 'Queen' and 'Princess' of this country were staying at the Count's estate, so how nervous must they be? I don't know about the Countess, but the young Count was clearly nervous throughout the meal with me.
After the feast, where I didn't even know if the food was going into my nose or my mouth, ended, the Princess began to doze off in front of the table, perhaps because the fatigue from chattering non-stop in the carriage had finally hit her. Since we had just finished dinner and it was still early to go to the room, I was wondering what to do-
"Princess, wouldn't you like to look around the mansion with Viola? It's a shabby and small mansion compared to the royal castle, but the garden overlooking the terrace is truly beautiful."
"Ueh?"
Countess Serina suggested that the Princess look around the mansion. The Princess, who had been nodding her head back and forth like a bobblehead doll, was startled by the voice calling her and wiped the drool from her mouth. The Princess glanced up at me with sleepy eyes as if trying to figure out the situation.
"...Would you like to go play with Viola for a while?"
The Princess, blinking her sleepy eyes, covered her mouth with her hand and yawned loudly, then nodded. Perhaps she was very bored because she couldn't even talk to Ainsel while being here, so the Princess hopped off the chair and approached Viola. Then, she turned her head to look at me again and-
"Hwa-am. Where do I sleep at night...?"
"Ask them to guide you to the room I rested in earlier. Weren't you going to sleep together anyway?"
The Princess nodded lightly.
Perhaps a bit more awake, the Princess tried to leave the dining room with Viola with chong-chong steps. At that moment, Ainsel, who was smiling baesisi on the Princess's necklace, caught my eye. Just before the Princess went outside, I flicked my finger and gestured for Ainsel to return to my earring.
-Why...?
Why, you ask? Why would you tag along where children are playing?
Under normal circumstances, I would have sent Ainsel to the Princess's side, but since there were no particular dangers here, I didn't think Ainsel needed to follow the Princess around, so I decided to keep her by my side. If things went well, the Princess might even make her first human friend who wasn't a fairy.
Leaving Ainsel, who was making a 'Hing.' sound while looking dejected, behind, I sipped the wine in my glass. Countess Serina and the Count made eye contact with each other, then looked at me, laughing hu-hu. Wondering if I had said something strange, I raised my eyebrows and looked at the two of them-
"Do you usually sleep with the Princess?"
"...Is it strange?"
At my answer, the two people giggled even more. When I tilted my head, Countess Serina, who was smiling with her eyes curved, answered as if she were envious.
"No, it's not strange at all. Viola is ten years old now, but... she said it was embarrassing to sleep with me starting last year. So I was envious, and that's why... Hu-hu."
The moment I heard that story, my heart sank without me knowing. What if the Princess said it was embarrassing to sleep with me? My heart ached as if I had been hurt just by imagining it. Will the day come when puberty hits and she says, 'I don't want to sleep with Mom!' like Viola?
Just imagining the Princess in puberty made my mouth taste bitter, so I only sipped the wine. As I was doing that, Countess Serina picked up a wine bottle from the tray and showed it to me. A wine bottle that looked expensive enough to tell at a glance that it was high-end wine.
The Countess seemed a little tipsy, smiling at me repeatedly. The corners of her eyes curved beautifully like a crescent moon, and her lips drew a soft arc.
"There's plenty of alcohol left... and the night is still long... If it's alright with Your Majesty the Queen, why don't you come into the room and have a drink with us? It will surely be fun."
"Hmm? Go into the room? If it's about talking, we could do it here in the dining room..."
"It's a bit lacking to just talk in the dining room. Since the children's eyes are gone for the first time in a while, why don't we have a time for 'just the parents' to share our feelings? Such time is rare for parents, isn't it?"
At the words 'just the parents,' I was intrigued and sipped my glass, lost in thought.
'...Wouldn't it be fine?'
As Countess Serina said, it was a situation where 'just the parents' were gathered for the first time in a while. The Count wasn't a parent, but well, he was an adult, anyway. And certainly, such situations were rare. I also wanted to hear stories about 'child-rearing' from Countess Serina. And...
'Even though I'm in the position of Queen, Vivian has such nasty rumors that it's hard to step into high society. If I get close to the ladies and rumors spread that the current Vivian is not the 'old Vivian,' wouldn't that actually be a good thing? And well, what could happen? It's just a seat for ladies to have a drink, isn't this also a part of high society?'
Having finished the calculations in my head, I put the wine glass down on the table and looked at the two of them with a singgeut smile, just like the Countess. Seeing my smile, the Countess and the Count smiled even more brightly.
"Let's go right now!"
It was by no means that I was swayed by the alcohol I was seeing for the first time. This was just an extension of high society.