READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 26
Chapter: 26
“I never expected Lady Leonhardt to become friends with our second daughter.”
“Ah… haha… Yes, I agree…”
How did this happen…?
“Our daughter rarely goes outside. I thought she had gone out alone today…”
“Yes, yes…”
Turns out she didn’t go out alone, and just hearing that she was out with someone else was quite a shock.
“Haha…”
Originally, I planned to simply drop Karen off at the mansion and return home as usual.
I didn’t want to make my intentions obvious this time; I was just thinking of keeping things casual and parting ways like that.
After all, we would likely meet again.
I did want to get to know her a little better, but I thought it best to keep it moderate for now.
“By the way, I haven’t heard anything from Leonhardt about Melnick. I don’t suppose our family received an invitation.”
“Well… That’s true. I was able to come thanks to Lady Nieshista’s help.”
“Nieshista, huh? Yes, I do run into that Baron occasionally.”
“Yes…”
And suddenly, there was a Count waiting in front of the mansion, inviting me to this meal.
…Ah, today I especially wanted to see Rosalyn.
“So how did our daughter become close with her?”
“Excuse me?”
“She spends every day in her room at the mansion. I never expected that a little lady from Leonhardt would be roaming around with her.”
“Ah…”
…It definitely felt awkward.
Leonhardt, who gets picked on among the nobles, was certainly different compared to Lady Melnick, who governs the large city of the Roseaki family.
Plus, Karen, as the Count said, lived a life confined to her room.
I started off by explaining how I ended up meeting Count Roseaki.
To be honest, I had nothing much to say. After all, it was Karen who spoke to me first, right?
“…My daughter?”
“Yes? Um… That’s right…?”
The Count even re-asked me just to confirm.
Well… If a hikikomori daughter suddenly started speaking up in social gatherings, it would indeed be strange.
So, it led to us having a one-on-one meal like this.
“…How did that happen?”
“Excuse me?”
“…How did Karen end up going out like that…?”
“Oh?”
“…I also want to date my daughter.”
“……..”
Wow.
Um.
What should I react to this?
I understood the Count’s words in my head, yet it felt incomprehensible.
Wanting to grow close to his daughter is natural for a parent, but hearing it from the Count… was oddly awkward.
I never expected this seemingly cold middle-aged man to say such things.
“Since my daughter became a teenager, she’s always been cooped up in her room, and lately, she hardly ever comes out except for dinner…”
“Ah…”
“…Could you tell me what she did outside? I want to spend time with my second daughter after such a long time.”
“…Of course.”
Well… starting from this sort of trivial help is fine.
It wasn’t a difficult request at all, really just a minor task, so I readily agreed to help the Count.
It wasn’t just any family; it was the Roseaki family.
Of course, my helping would be a guaranteed benefit, and besides, he’s Karen’s father.
“I’ll help you. First, let’s start with what Karen likes…”
Even though it had only been two days since I met Karen, we had already become close.
She seemed hikikomori, introverted, and lacked social skills more than I expected, but I had thought about using her for my own purposes.
But that was out of the question.
After all, Karen was cuter and kinder than I had imagined.
“Books? Sure, she reads them often, but did she like them that much?”
“Yes, I went to a bookstore today, and she loved it so much that we stayed there until dinner.”
“Oh…”
“And it seems she enjoys plays as well. How about going to see a play based on a novel together? I’m sure she would love it.”
“Oh…”
“The… food? She should like most foods. We even had incredibly spicy pasta together today…”
We continued chatting like that.
The Count seemed to cherish his daughter more than I had expected, and I could tell from our conversation.
…Of course, I was a bit nervous before having such a conversation with a Count.
“…Phew.”
“Were you very tired?”
“Yeah. So much.”
After chatting with the Count, I returned.
As soon as I got back, I felt mentally exhausted and asked Rize to prepare a bath, allowing me to relax in the bathroom.
“The Count really is a Count, isn’t he?”
“Yes?”
“Our mansion is quite expensive, too, right? It’s even larger and costlier than most Barons’ and Viscounts’ mansions?”
“That’s correct.”
I really felt the true essence of nobility.
It was nothing like fake nobles, like Leonhardt’s kind, masquerading as aristocrats—there was true elegance.
I had felt something similar with Baron Nieshista, but it was the space itself of the Count.
Really… comparing the main hall I saw during the gathering was just too much. Nobility felt so nakedly evident.
“Seriously… Our family still feels far from it. In many ways.”
“…You are more than enough, Young Lady.”
“What do you mean? I’m not much different from my father.”
More than enough? No way.
William is indeed a strange man, but that doesn’t mean I’m incredibly clean and free from interest in money or such.
I’m not someone with dignity and grace like a true noble.
“You are definitely a good person, Young Lady.”
“Really?”
“Yes, you are indeed quite interested in money and business like the family head, but that’s how I see it.”
“…In the end, doesn’t that just mean I’m similar to my father?”
“…Nonetheless, you would never be someone who focuses solely on business and neglects to care for others, would you?”
“Umm…”
Rize’s words didn’t seem wrong.
No matter how much I say otherwise, I’m still better than William. I honestly have to admit that.
“Still, that was nice to hear.”
“…It truly is the case.”
“Hehe, but if you keep praising me like that, my salary isn’t going to increase, you know.”
I was sincerely grateful in many ways. After all, Rize had been taking care of me, and it would have been a hassle, so it’s only natural that she’s sweet to me.
Though, she didn’t really have to pay me so many compliments.
But since they sounded nice, I closed my eyes and let them be.
“Ha…”
Today was indeed a bit tiring.
Going around with Karen and Melnick, aside from enjoying the books at the bookstore, there was plenty that wore me out.
Perhaps that’s why Rize scrubbing my arm with soap felt so nice. At the same time, it relieved my fatigue.
I just sat still.
“What kind of person do you think I am, Rize?”
“Excuse me?”
“Just… earlier, I said I’m better than my father, you know? So I was curious.”
“That’s a bit… sudden.”
“I’m just curious. It’s not a problem to discuss things like this between us, right?”
We had been close for a long time, not just being a lady and her maid.
Since we’ve known each other since I was younger, Rize was also much younger back then, so we had developed a very close relationship.
She could probably be considered my closest friend.
That’s why I sometimes vent about William in front of Rize and talk about anything.
It’s always been that way, and likely will continue to be so.
“………”
“Feeling shy?”
“Shy… not at all.”
“And yet, why is your face turning red?”
At my question, Rize seemed momentarily shy and struggled to respond.
It didn’t seem like such an embarrassing question, so what in the world had she been thinking?
Of course, there were times I bothered Rize, but she wouldn’t be saying something filled with my flaws.
…Could that be the reason?
“Well…”
“Yeah.”
“…I think you’re a good person. You provide enough welfare for the people of the mansion… It’s rare to find someone who lets you rest when you’re feeling unwell.”
“Really?”
“…Yes.”
“I see…”
That wasn’t a wrong statement at all.
As Rize said, I did provide a decent level of welfare to those in the mansion.
Maybe it’s because I lived in a different era, but to me, not doing so felt more awkward.
To Rize, I would likely appear as a good person.
“Hehe, thanks. That was nice to hear.”
“…It wasn’t anything. I just spoke honestly.”
“Seriously… Rize seems like such a nice person.”
“Is that so?”
“Yep.”
Even when she washed my body, she was gentle and did just the right amount. I couldn’t help but think well of Rize in many ways.
Sometimes I felt a bit guilty for treating Rize as my maid, given that we’re not too far apart in age.
“Such a kind person like Rize will definitely be very popular in the future. Not only because she’s kind but also because she’s pretty.”
“Pretty…”
“I’m saying that among the people I’ve seen, Rize is in the top tier of beauty.”
“…You flatter me.”
With my head tilted back, eyes closed, I could roughly guess Rize’s expression.
I thought she might be blushing again.
Rize could be quite bashful after all. I imagined her in such a state.
“Probably in about four years… you’ll be so beautiful that the servants in the mansion might start writing you love letters! Of course, I won’t allow the servants to date you.”
“…I have no intention of that either.”
“Really? Then, I’m relieved. I don’t want to hear stories of Rize suddenly getting close to someone else and leaving her position as my maid.”
“…Yes.”
I couldn’t even imagine using another maid besides Rize.
Having spent several years with Rize, the idea of suddenly having a strange person instead of her?
Not to mention, bringing in someone who’s cute, pretty, kind, and quiet like Rize would honestly be incredibly difficult.
Anyway, I smiled at Rize while talking to her, relieving my fatigue by listening to what she had to say.
Maybe because I ended up having a one-on-one conversation with the Count, today felt more tiring than usual. Tomorrow… I had plans to hang out with Rosalyn.
…I was worried I’d still feel tired tomorrow.