Our First Trip Beyond the Mansion
The story I was rewriting continued with peaceful days that differed little from one another. Before the full force of summer heat could take hold, the day we departed for a relaxing stay at the villa finally arrived.
“René. Should we bring this doll too?”
“We’ve already packed so much the bag is bursting at the seams…”
While I gently coaxed and calmed René, who was thrilled at the prospect of venturing beyond the mansion walls for the first time in her life, my own heart pounded with excitement at the chance to truly experience this world.
The eastern region of the vast empire was the most peaceful, and the Lorelei family’s territory had the lowest crime rate of all. The odds of encountering monsters or bandits along the way were practically zero. Still, the thought of traveling by carriage under the protection of armed knights and soldiers—just in case—made something stir restlessly in the corner of my heart.
“René. Your face looks weird.”
“We’re twins, so our faces are the same.”
“No, I meant your expression is weird! And my face isn’t weird at all!”
I had been lost in thought when René blinked and spoke up. At my reply she raised her voice. Before the noise could escalate, I pulled out the cookies I had secretly pocketed after dessert that morning and popped one into her mouth. René munched away, then broke into a sunny smile.
She really is so simple…
It was wonderful that she was growing up happily unlike in the original story, but the sight made me worry deeply about her future. I let out a quiet sigh and shook my head. I resolved to stay right by her side and look after everything until the proper time came. Then I double-checked the luggage I had packed the day before to make sure we had forgotten nothing.
“Hey, kids. Is all the luggage ready?”
“Yes! We checked yesterday, and René just checked again!”
When Aran came looking for us a short while later, René answered while brushing cookie crumbs from the corner of her mouth. He blinked, clearly taken aback, and muttered that the older sister should be the one handling such things. But when he saw me smiling silently, he gave a wry grin.
“Where’s the luggage? Since I’m here, I’ll carry it to the carriage for you.”
“It’s over there.”
Aran, who had offered to move the bags while he was in the room, stared at the bulging pack with open confusion.
“What kind of luggage do these little things even have… Hey, what is this?”
“Ah! Rummaging through a girl’s bag? Pervert!”
“You’re no girl—you’re a kid!”
Curious, he had opened the bag and spotted the doll I had stuffed inside. As René threw a fit, he snapped at her, pulled the doll out, and tossed it onto the bed.
“Ah! What are you doing!”
“Pack extra clothes to change into while we’re at the villa instead of bringing that doll.”
Aran narrowed his eyes at René, who was waving her hands in protest, then opened my bag just to be sure. When he saw it was packed only with clothes—including René’s share—he nodded in approval.
“This side is excellent.”
“Um… no matter how you look at it, saying ‘excellent’ after opening your little sister’s bag is a bit…”
“What do you mean… Wait, wait! I didn’t mean it like that!”
Sensing the situation had taken an odd turn, I spoke up cautiously. His blinking, puzzled face quickly realized what I meant, and he rushed to explain that there had been nothing strange about his words at all.
Watching him flounder in panic, René giggled and held her palm out to me. I gave it a light smack and smiled. After laughing together over the little commotion, we decided to bring only a few dolls to hug while sleeping and packed extra clothes instead. Then we left the room.
“What were you… Never mind. Looks like you worked hard too.”
Arlan had been checking various things in the carriage ahead. He started to scold Aran when we appeared, but noticing his exhausted face, he let it slide with a glance at the grinning René.
I had grown concerned that René was now seen as someone who attracted accidents and trouble, but since it wasn’t far from the truth, I quietly sorted through my thoughts.
“René and Rene. You two were already out here.”
We had been squatting in the shade near René so we wouldn’t disturb the busy workers. Mother stepped out of the mansion, looked around, spotted us, and walked over with the servants.
At a glance from her, an employee produced a large bonnet covered in ribbons and frills. I shuddered with instinctive revulsion.
“I have somewhere I need to go for a moment…”
Even though I was growing used to wearing girls’ clothes, this was too much. The moment I sprang to my feet, René grabbed the hem of my dress.
“Where do you think you’re running off to?”
“Let go, let go! I said I have somewhere to be.”
With the expression of someone who had found an amusing toy, she refused to release my hem no matter what I said. In the end I had no choice but to let Mother place the bonnet on my head.
The servants immediately burst into delighted squeals—“It suits her so well!” “How cute!”—and a rush of embarrassment overwhelmed me. I squeezed my eyes shut. The shame was too much to voice to Mother, so I directed my complaint at René instead.
“René. I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad.”
Perhaps even she realized she had gone too far; René kept apologizing. But because we looked identical, the sight let me imagine exactly what I looked like right now without needing a mirror. It only made me feel stranger, so I pressed my lips together and stayed silent.
“Have a safe journey.”
“Please take good care of things while I—while we—are away.”
“Yes, Marquis. We will prepare everything so there are no problems no matter when you return.”
After a final meticulous check that we had forgotten nothing and that the carriage and horses were in perfect order, we climbed aboard and left the mansion amid the servants’ farewells.
Not long after departing, René and I pressed our faces to the windows, eyes sparkling at the scenery beyond.
“Wow, look at that!”
“Where… Whoa.”
The view was far more fascinating than what we had seen from the mansion windows. Our attention darted back and forth as we took turns gazing out the left and right sides of the carriage. Our parents, Arlan, and Aran all watched us with identical soft smiles.
“René, you really are still a child after all.”
When Aran remarked that I was just like René, I gave an awkward smile and hurriedly composed my expression. Mother gently told me she had only said it because it was lovely to see, so there was no need to worry.
“What could possibly be wrong with a child acting like a child?”
At her reassurance not to overthink it, I answered with a smile and continued watching the scenery, still mindful of my behavior. The orchards the family had tended for generations, the green wheat fields swaying in the breeze, the pleasant rustle of leaves brushing against one another—
“It’s really wonderful…”
In my previous life I had always thought vacations were nothing but trouble and expense, so I would stay home and laze about. This journey was far better than anything I had imagined, and my genuine admiration drew gentle smiles from the rest of the family—except for René, who reacted exactly the same way.
After traveling briskly along the well-paved road, we reached a nearby city before sunset. The mayor had come out to greet us and welcomed us warmly before escorting us to his mansion.
“This room is smaller than ours.”
“That’s something you should only think, not say out loud.”
While we unpacked our things and looked around the assigned room, I taught René basic etiquette for staying in someone else’s home. The bed was not as fine as those in our mansion, but it was still quite comfortable. As I tested its feel, an employee from the mansion arrived to guide us to the dining hall for dinner.
“I asked the chef to pay extra attention today. I hope it suits your tastes.”
“Haha, you really didn’t have to go to such lengths… Oh, the roads were beautifully maintained on the way here.”
“Haha, I simply followed the Marquis’s instructions.”
Father and the mayor began their meal while chatting, and we followed their lead, lifting our utensils. During dinner René tasted a dish we had never seen at the mansion.
“René. This tastes really strange.”
“Is it good?”
“Not exactly… Here, try it.”
Curious at her review, I took a bite. Sure enough, an unusual flavor spread across my tongue. Captivated, we focused on that dish and ate until we were full. When dessert arrived, we regretted being too stuffed to enjoy many of the sweets.
“Hehe, I prepared plenty of sweets. I’ll pack some for you to take when you leave tomorrow.”
“Ah, thank you!”
René’s prompt reply to the woman who appeared to be the mayor’s wife made everyone smile at how adorable she was.
Afterward we returned to our room. With help from the familiar servant who had traveled with us from the mansion, we bathed and then yawned back and forth as sleep arrived earlier than usual.
“You must be tired from today’s journey, so it would be best to retire early.”
“Mmm…”
The servant smiled at us, personally carried each of us to bed, and drew the curtains. She placed a bell within easy reach from the mattress.
“If anything happens, please ring this.”
“Yes. Have a good night.”
“And sweet dreams to you too, young ladies.”
Once the servant left, we sisters yawned a few more times and soon fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.