101: An Invitation for a Boat Ride
Leticia and I took turns feeding each other trout chips from the large bag.
Then, I noticed Ciel staring at us intently.
…Oops. Had we gone too far?
Her expression was unreadable. Or rather, while she had a faint smile, it was the kind of smile that could mean anything.
She might be amused, or she might be… furious.
She approached us and spoke.
“Ad—”
“H-here!”
I quickly closed the distance between us, offering her a chip.
Ciel blinked.
“…What’s this about?”
She looked at the trout chip I was offering, her pale gray eyes unreadable.
Flustered, I stammered, trying to come up with an excuse.
“Um… n-no reason… just… you know… because you always take such good care of us…?”
Would that work…?
“Right, Big Sister Ciel?”
Please, let it work…!
“…Yes. Thank you, Adel.”
It worked…!
Even Ciel looked elegant while eating a trout chip.
While she had accepted the hairpin I gave her when I first received my allowance and seemed to wear it regularly…
…she had never asked for anything more, and her only personal gift to me was the navy blue ribbon I used to tie back my hair.
She had called it a matter of propriety.
I was a noble, and she was a servant. However, since she was my governess and tutor, I had always looked up to her.
I had even asked her once if there was anything I could do for her, but she insisted she was simply doing her job.
Being able to give something to Ciel was… a novel and pleasant experience.
Well, these trout chips were from the bag Ciel herself had bought.
I wondered if I should offer her some money later. But offering her a single silver coin would probably insult her pride…
Ciel reached into the bag I was holding, took out a chip, and offered it to me.
I took it almost reflexively.
…Was this proper behavior for a ducal lady, even if I was currently in disguise for an inspection…? I looked at Ciel, and seeing her smile, I was relieved.
Leticia also came closer, and I offered her another chip.
“They taste better when Big Sister Adel feeds them to me.”
“Yes, they do.”
We nodded in agreement.
“Um… I don’t think the taste actually chan—”
“It’s the thought that counts.”
Silenced by my sister’s happy smile.
It was… a little fun, actually.
I didn’t know if the taste had changed.
However, one’s sense of taste was strongly influenced by their mental state. Simple food tasted delicious when you were happy, and even the most expensive delicacies tasted bland when you were upset.
As someone born and raised as a ducal lady, now the head of the family, I had many opportunities to dine with distinguished individuals, but I couldn’t recall a single meal I had genuinely enjoyed.
The most extravagant meal was probably at the Royal Castle, with His Majesty, Konrad, and the other royals, along with the heads of the three ducal families. That was a stressful experience.
And having Konrad sit across from me had ruined the taste of the exquisite cuisine.
While I hadn’t attended a meal expecting to be poisoned since becoming the head of the family, it was something I had to keep in mind.
Even in my own mansion, could I truly relax? I trusted the chefs, and I would entrust my life to Ciel and the other poison testers. I had also diligently undergone poison resistance training.
――Even so, a lingering anxiety remained.
I wanted to give my sister a world where she wouldn’t have to fear poison.
“By the way, Leti, why did you want to come to the lake?”
“Um… it was recommended… and they said something good might happen…”
Leticia’s response to my question was strangely evasive.
Perhaps one of the servants?
Well, it was a popular spot near the capital.
Leticia glanced towards the lake, and Ciel and I followed her gaze.
A white rowboat. Built for two, its oars dipped into the calm water, creating small splashes as it moved.
“—Why don’t you two go for a ride?”
“Huh?”
What was Ciel saying?
What was the logic behind a boat ride—?
“Experiencing popular recreational activities among the commoners can be… educational.”
I had forgotten that you could find a justification for anything.
It was a game, a charade.
This wouldn’t give us any real insight into the lives of commoners. It was superficial, a glimpse of the surface.
…Even so, it was better than knowing nothing.
And if Leticia, who, despite technically being a ‘commoner,’ wouldn’t have known even this superficial glimpse, wanted to go…
My sister looked at me intently, her expression serious.
“—Elder Sister, would you… like to go for a boat ride… with me?”
I felt like I had to agree.
――I felt like I had to say something.
I felt like something was being whispered in my ear.
No, it was a silent voice in my head.
Like the way the words you were about to say would appear in your mind just before you spoke.
I answered her question, following those imagined words.
“[Yes.]”
My sister, hearing my curt reply, smiled in relief.
“And call me ‘Big Sister Adel’ for now.”
“Okay! —Big Sister Adel.”
Leticia said my name cheerfully.
…What was she so happy about?
It wasn’t even an [Event].
Silly silly Adel, you don’t even realize this is absolutely an [Event]!