Chapter 291
Chapter 291
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Reunion with Ella
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"Ella, you're here? Was the trip over okay?"
"It's not that far anyway, so it wasn't tough."
"Hehe, still, it's been a while, so I'm glad. It's been almost two months, right?"
"Yeah. You've been so busy the whole time... That's what you said."
"Haha, yeah, that's true."
Ella looked just the same as always, even after such a long time apart.
It had only been about two months, after all. It'd be weird to be insanely excited about something like that.
"Anyway, I'm happy to see you after so long."
"Really...?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be happy to see you, Ella? I always love meeting up with you."
"...Hmph."
She was cute, too.
All my other girlfriends were set to meet at the villa.
It would take time, and there was a lot to do.
I'd given plenty of time on purpose... and in the meantime, I planned to soothe Ella's anger as much as possible.
So that when we all met, she wouldn't feel left out.
"Have you had lunch? I haven't yet."
"Me neither."
"Hmm, then how about we eat lunch together and catch up?"
"If that's what you want, sure."
"Hehe, okay. I'll have them prepare yours too, Ella."
Deep down, I wanted to hug her right away and dive into some fun talk, but this time, I planned to treat her properly.
Truth be told, aside from those passionate words I'd whispered to her, I hadn't done anything special with her while chasing the others.
Just a real kiss.
No, it had ended with a peck on the lips, and then we'd just slept innocently.
Even thinking about it now... it was so pure it was funny.
I'd almost done something much naughtier to her that day.
But she'd been so innocent, so I'd cleanly given up and held back.
"Hehe."
"Why...? Is my outfit weird or something?"
"Huh? No? That dress suits you perfectly."
"Then why are you laughing? You're not thinking something weird again, are you...?"
"I'm just laughing because you're cute, Ella."
It wasn't wrong.
She'd been cute back then, and she was cute now.
Sometimes I'd recall that sharp-tongued Ella from way back in our childhood, but I liked this gentle, cute side of her too.
Either way, it was Ella.
She still had that habit of sighing in her own Ella way but helping out sweetly anyway.
"Hmph... What are you talking about."
"But Ella, didn't you miss me?"
"...Huh?"
I asked her that as she turned her head away.
At the same time, she whipped her head back toward me to check.
"I missed you so much, Ella. But you don't seem to have missed me at all. You haven't been super happy since you got to the mansion, and you haven't smiled prettily at me."
"Th-that's not true...!"
"Hmm... But earlier, you kept turning your head to the side."
"No, that's all because of you...!"
"What did I do?"
I grinned mischievously at her.
Of course, it was a bit forced... but with her reacting like this.
How could I hold back?
"I'm so happy to see my beloved Ella after so long, but you've been acting distant since earlier, so I'm really sad."
"L-Love...?"
"Eek."
"W-Well... It's been so long since we last met...? After our last meeting, it's been forever, so... um... I was just a little embarrassed. Did I... hurt your feelings?"
"Yeah, but if you hug me, it'll be okay."
I said that while looking at her and stretching my arms out.
"Won't you?"
"...Fine. If that's all it takes...?"
"Hehe."
In the end, she did it. Ella was Ella, after all.
Part of me wanted to turn this hug into something more intimate right away, and then...
"Ehehe."
"Don't laugh weirdly. You'll ruin your pretty face."
"Hehe, am I pretty? For real?"
"...Be quiet."
"Hehe."
Even as she said that, Ella stood up from her seat and hugged me.
The fresh, tangy scent unique to her washed over me as she did.
Mixed with a faint sweetness—it was wonderful.
"I'm sorry I haven't been in touch much. I've had so much to do lately. I wanted to call you over sooner and spend time like this."
"...No, it's fine. You always have a ton of stuff going on anyway, right? Maybe chasing other girls... But I get it."
"Thanks, Ella."
We patted each other's backs gently while talking like that.
We'd known each other since we were little kids, after all.
We fit the whole "childhood friends" thing perfectly.
It was only natural for a reunion like this to feel so calm and peaceful.
*
"Hello...! It's been a while, Madam."
"Hehe, it's been a while for you too, Ella. Last time... you said you came over and hung out with Camellia at the mansion, right? I missed greeting you because I stepped out for a bit."
"No, it's fine! Camellia told me you were away on a trip, so I knew. And I came pretty suddenly that time anyway."
"Hehe, thank you for saying that."
Lunch with Ella naturally included Rozalin too.
Ella was a guest at our mansion, after all, and Rozalin hadn't eaten yet either.
It was only natural we'd have lunch together.
Leaving Rozalin to eat alone would feel bad.
"By the way, you seem like a full-grown adult now, Ella. I couldn't really see you properly at Camellia's succession ceremony."
"Hehe, adult? I've still got a long way to go."
"Right, Ella's still a girl. A girl."
"...What are you even doing?"
"Hehe."
"Camellia, don't tease her too much. Ella really has grown up so much prettier than when she was little."
"That's true."
I was teasing, but Ella really had become much prettier and more mature than in our childhood.
Back then, her cheeks were all chubby with baby fat, but now that was gone, and she was stunning.
Well, she'd always been pretty.
"She's way more mature now than back then. Prettier, nicer personality too. You can't even compare her to how she was when we first met."
"Hehe, that's true."
"Ella was super sharp-tongued as a kid. Prayer-strong, super proud... Whew."
"Hehe, that was over ten years ago, dear."
"Ah, uh... Back then, um... Urgh..."
While talking about her being all grown up, I brought up her childhood.
Rozalin and I had both known her since she was little.
Of course we knew all about it.
And... kid Ella was pretty, well... yeah.
To put it nicely, cute. To put it harshly, a bratty little noble kid.
But her cuteness meant I never really minded, which was why we'd kept hanging out from back then till now.
Her personality now was pretty different from back then.
"...Sorry."
"Hehe, no. I thought kid Ella was super cute too. I still remember how confidently and boldly she talked when we first met."
"Ahh...!"
"Hehe, she was definitely cute. Camellia was always so mature even as a kid. Seeing Ella act like a real child sometimes was endearing."
"...Really? Mother?"
...Rozalin's offhand comment that Ella had seemed cuter than me during our casual chat suddenly grabbed my attention.
She'd just praised Ella out of nowhere!
"Hehe, but you were the cutest to me, Camellia."
"Yes. That's what matters."
Of course, I perked right up at Rozalin's follow-up.
Getting all happy and sad over her little words was ridiculous even to me.
But it showed how much I liked her.
"Th-that was just because I was young."
"True. We were like seven or eight."
"Right. No intention of insulting you, Ella. Just saying that's how you were back then."
"Ughhh..."
Ella's face started turning red as she listened to us.
I held back my laughter at the sight.
Laughing too hard here would just embarrass her more.
For now, we kept chatting casually with Rozalin and Ella.
Ella didn't seem too uncomfortable talking with her.
She probably just saw her as my mom.
Rozalin had been my mother since Ella and I started hanging out, and I hadn't told my girlfriends who didn't live here about our relationship with her?
It was a natural reaction all around.
"So, when are we heading to the villa?"
"We'll leave in a few days. Spend a few days hanging out here at the mansion with me, relaxing."
"Okay, got it."
"Hehe."
That said, when all my girlfriends gathered at the villa later.
And they found out Rozalin was one of them too...
I wondered how they'd react.
I could hardly wait.