A Gift from the Oldenburg Heiress
Um... so you're the magic tutor?
"Yeah!"
Crazy woman.
But she didn't say it out loud.
In a place filled with nobles, she couldn't possibly utter such vulgar words.
How had she ended up using informal speech with Catherine, whom she had only just met?
This was surprising.
"Hello. Have you heard of the Oldenburg family?"
"Yeah, that Oldenburg family is loaded!"
"..."
A sigh was about to escape her lips.
Indeed, the Oldenburg family was a wealthy one.
Their territory was clearly different from Eristirol.
Unlike Eristirol, which truly symbolized the north, Oldenburg lay a bit farther south, offering a cool climate and an excellent territory.
Even though they didn't extract excessive taxes, they possessed enormous capital through business.
"Umm... Well, that's not wrong. Our family is indeed very wealthy."
"When I went to the Oldenburgs last time, I was really surprised. The buildings that looked expensive even in the capital were scattered all over the estate."
"Hoho.. You seem to know a thing or two. Will you come visit our estate sometime?"
"Even if it's okay?"
"Of course."
While eating, the two women enjoyed pleasant conversation.
Kyle remained silent between them, eating only in silence.
He still wasn't skilled enough at conversing with the opposite sex.
If I had been a man, I would have been unable to hold back laughter and kept talking with two pretty women.
Yet I had conversed normally with Catherine, and even though Louise had joined the table, I hadn't said a word.
If I could converse well even in this situation, I could attract more popularity.
No.
With Kyle's level of appearance, simply sitting quietly would be enough to draw attention.
The cold northern prince.
Women were a species obsessed with this kind of setting.
Right when I had been living in the academy, there had been girls who said they wanted to become maids in some family just to have a relationship with the young master.
"Ah, Sebastian? Bring the thing I prepared."
"Yes."
When Catherine said that, Sebastian left the hall.
I had no idea what kind of thing he had prepared that he would bring it out at a meal.
I hadn't heard any information about it.
"What are you preparing?"
Kyle asked first what I had been curious about.
It seemed I wasn't the only one curious.
"Just a bribe... no, just a gift. A gift for His Highness."
"Oh my..."
Louise showed curiosity while listening to that conversation.
I was also looking forward to what kind of gift it would be.
Perhaps a fresh gift that felt like a lover's gesture.
I thought for a moment what kind of gift a woman might give to a man.
In my previous life, the only thing that came to mind was a tie or something.
After all, men were the kind of creatures that were happy when a woman gave them something.
Right now, if someone gave me a gift, I would happily receive it.
As long as it wasn't a really strange kind of gift.
"Miss."
"Thank you, Sebastian."
Sebastian gave Catherine a small box.
I couldn't know what was inside.
Since it was a sealed box, if I could know what it was, it would be real superpowers.
"Here, Your Highness. Please open it."
Catherine smiled and gave the box to Kyle.
Kyle received the gift with a puzzled expression, as if he didn't understand the situation.
"..."
Kyle opened the box without saying a word.
Inside the box was a necklace.
"A necklace made of gems from our estate. It's not special, just a gift to show our affection?"
"Thank you. I'll keep it well."
Kyle said that and closed the box, placing it on the table.
Why wasn't she wearing it?
"Master, should I put it on?"
"No. It's fine."
Even though it was a gift received, I thought it would be better to wear it.
Perhaps she asked because she thought it would be uncomfortable to wear it alone, but she was immediately refused.
But it's a necklace, why isn't she wearing it?
"Hmm... I see."
Catherine said that and started eating again.
It seemed that she was regretting not wearing the necklace Kyle gave her.
*
After that, morning tea with Catherine, sword training with Elin continued.
There was also magic lessons with Louise.
The time spent with Kyle was decreasing.
Somehow... the feeling of a mother whose time with her son was decreasing made her sad.
Was our mother like this when I entered the academy?
Probably not.
Otherwise, she wouldn't suddenly send me there.
"Sophia."
"Yes?"
Since Kyle was in another class, I was walking alone in the corridor when Sebastian suddenly called me.
He always wore the same neat suit and had his hair neatly arranged.
Since Catherine had been staying in the castle for a while, I was somewhat familiar with her.
"The young lady wants to have a conversation with you for a moment."
"Ah, yes."
Catherine called me again today to have a conversation.
I didn't know why she wanted to talk to me.
Perhaps to leak information about the castle, but there was no such feeling.
"Sophia, can you come out with me outside the castle tomorrow?"
"Outside the castle...?"
Outside the castle.
Why suddenly want to go outside the castle.
I could just tell the servants.
"Yes, it's just boring to stay only in the castle. I also want to properly see what the Eristirol territory is like."
"I will ask His Highness first and let you know."
Probably Kyle would allow it since it was nothing special.
It was just to look around the estate for a bit, so there was no reason to refuse.
"And also, can you lend me some clothes suitable for going down tomorrow? My servants didn't prepare such things."
"I understand."
Clothes...
I couldn't lend my clothes.
The sizes didn't match at all.
Especially, the chest and hip sizes would be too big for Catherine.
She was still growing.
There was no way the clothes would fit with an adult me.
I would have to ask the other maids once.
If not, I would have to ask them to go down to the estate and buy them.
The conversation with Catherine ended like that.
It was more like a task than a conversation, just a request.
"Master, is it okay if I go around the estate with the Oldenburg eldest daughter tomorrow?"
"Going around the estate?"
"Yes."
When I said that, Kyle fell into thought for a moment.
Since I was a direct servant, it was a problem that needed some consideration.
I was handling Kyle's documents and other services except for bathing.
Even now, I was sitting and processing documents for Kyle in his study.
No matter how, I wondered if this was the right situation, but since I had been doing it for years, it was already too late.
"Well, since I'll have classes as usual tomorrow, it won't be a problem, right."
"Is that so."
"Yes, tomorrow is one day off. Sophia hasn't been able to take a proper day off so far."
"Ah."
Now that I think about it, that's right.
"Take a break and come back. I'll tell the other teachers."
Kyle answered with a smile.
Thanks to that, I could spend tomorrow not as a servant but comfortably.
No, thinking about it, it might be more uncomfortable with Catherine.
I had known Kyle for years, but Catherine was only a few months.
And decisively, we weren't close at all!
I really just treated her as a servant and Catherine treated me no differently.
Of course, we couldn't be close.
Rather, it seemed fun to go down to the estate with Kyle.
It seemed really fun to go down with Kyle and look around the estate.
I had to go down with them once.
"Master, how is the lesson with Louise?"
I didn't observe the lesson with Louise on purpose so that my presence wouldn't be a burden.
But I was curious how Kyle's lessons were going, so I had no choice but to ask.
"It's fun. It's still the first time, but it's different from sword and it's fun."
"Is that so."
It was fortunate that Kyle seemed interested in magic too.
It felt like I was forcing it, but since he said it was fun, I felt good.
"I'm glad."
"Um.. Sophia?"
"Yes?"
"Why is your hair suddenly...."
"Ah."
I had unconsciously been stroking Kyle's hair.
"Sorry."
Perhaps because I thought of him as a younger brother, our closeness had become too much.
Even though I knew I shouldn't do such actions, I had unconsciously stroked it.
"I will be careful not to do such things in the future."
I bowed to Kyle and said that.
Fortunately, Kyle said it was fine and overlooked my mistake.
*
"Sophia! What is that over there?"
"Just a plain skewer."
"Oh my... I should try it! Sebastian?"
Catherine, wearing plain-looking clothes as warm as possible.
Of course, her appearance didn't look plain at all, and the people around seemed to notice that she was an extraordinary person.
Well, Catherine didn't know about such circumstances and was saying to bring skewers or something.
"Yes, miss."
If she was like that outside, why did she ask to borrow clothes suitable for going down.
Anyone could see she looked like a noble.
"Sophia, what is that over there?"
Anyway, my duty was to help Catherine's estate tour.
It didn't seem like it would be a vacation as Kyle said.
Rather, if Kyle came down too, and I watched Kyle and Catherine playing, that would be the vacation.