127: Escort Etiquette, A Cautionary Tale
I lightly brushed the breadcrumbs from my hands.
A few small birds, attracted by the crumbs, gathered nearby, chirping. I watched and listened for a moment, enjoying their presence.
After finishing the last of my apple juice spritzer, I carried the two ceramic cups back to the sandwich stall.
As Leticia returned the cups and received the deposit, the bear-like owner addressed me.
“…Was it… manageable?”
I looked like a noble lady, or perhaps the daughter of a wealthy merchant. He was probably concerned. It was a thoughtful gesture, despite—or perhaps because of—his rough appearance.
“It was enjoyable.”
“That’s good to hear. …If you go right down that path, there’s a grassy area where dogs aren’t allowed. It’s a good place to rest. The area to the left is a dog park, so…”
The owner’s voice trailed off.
He was probably warning us about… dog droppings.
“I understand. Thank you.”
I glanced at Leticia, and she smiled.
She put her small wallet back in her skirt pocket and then took my arm.
“Let’s go. Elder Sister.”
“…Alright. Then, we’ll be going.”
We left the stall and followed the path to the right, as instructed, and came to a large grassy area.
A rope loosely cordoned off the area, separating it from the adjacent dog park, where dogs of all sizes were running around or lounging with their owners.
Leticia and I entered the grassy area and walked side by side.
There were a few people scattered around, and we stopped at a spot a comfortable distance away from them.
“Elder Sister, shall we rest here for a bit?”
“Yes.”
Then, Leticia’s expression suddenly changed, as if she had just remembered something.
“Oh, should I… put down a handkerchief or something…?”
“Where did you learn that?”
I had never heard of such etiquette. At least, not among nobles.
I had seen it in romance novels, but I had never seen anyone actually do it.
And even if you did do it, you wouldn’t do it with your sister.
My sister, thankfully realizing it was a silly idea, chuckled softly.
I smoothed my skirt with both hands and sat down on the grass.
And, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, my sister sat down next to me.
She was good at… closing the distance. Being next to her felt… normal.
…So normal that it felt strange when she wasn’t.
I looked up at the sky, watching the wispy clouds drift slowly.
A gentle breeze brushed against my cheeks.
The air smelled of green, different from the city.
I liked autumn. The weather was pleasant, and it was the harvest season for many crops.
If the reports were accurate, we could expect a good tax revenue from the territory.
I idly plucked a blade of grass and let it go, carried away by the wind.
How luxurious it was… to have time where I didn’t have to do anything productive.
I didn’t have to read reports. I didn’t have to listen to briefings. I didn’t have to negotiate or explain. I didn’t even have to… improve myself.
Just a moment to relax, to simply exist, without having to learn anything from the scenery before me.
This was the last bit of leisure I allowed myself.
…However, even in this moment of respite, I felt restless.
Be prepared. Predict. Decide what you want. And then, choose.
A voice within me, reprimanding my current state of relaxation.
There was no excuse for us nobles to be incompetent.
But right now, I had no value as a noble.
I took the gecko-crested pocket watch from my shirt pocket and flipped it open.
I absently watched the hands moving, the gears turning, meshing and unmeshing.
A clock was meant to keep time.
Gears had no value unless they moved consistently, each second the same as the last.
They had to keep moving, until the moment they broke.
My sister’s hand covered mine, the one holding the pocket watch.
“Leticia?”
My sister had an unusual expression on her adorable face—displeasure.
A reproachful look—one she had never directed at me before.
Even when I gave her an attic room, made her sleep on the sofa when there was a perfectly good bed, even when I pushed her off her horse, my sister had never blamed me.
And now… she was reprimanding me. I didn’t understand why, but I could tell she was unhappy about something.
…It made me incredibly uncomfortable.
“Elder Sister, do you… have somewhere to be?”
“No… not particularly…”
I felt… pressured.
I had cleared my schedule for the entire day.
We had competent staff, starting with Ciel. While I wasn’t just a figurehead, the family wouldn’t collapse if I was away for a bit.
Especially since I had been preparing for this for the past four years.
Preparing for Leticia to smoothly take over as the head of the family.
I waited for my designated successor’s next words, my heart pounding.
Was this what it felt like to wait for your execution?
“…Then, since I’m the one escorting you today… please… just look at me.”
I wanted to hug her.
No, that wasn’t right. I mentally corrected myself. How arrogant of me, to think I had mastered the art of escorting.
Making your companion, your date—well, not a date, but still—feel uneasy was unbecoming of a ducal lady.
I pulled my hand away from Leticia’s, put the pocket watch back in my shirt pocket, then took her hand, this time enveloping it in mine.
“You’re right… Today is escort practice. This is a bad example. You shouldn’t date someone like this.”
I would use it as a cautionary tale.
My sister moved closer, her expression serious, and gazed intently into my eyes.
I braced myself, wondering what she would say next.
“…I want someone like that to look at me.”
Perhaps my sister had… unusual tastes.
