Obsessed with Regressors

Two days after the concert, her mother was sitting in the living room reading the newspaper with a contented expression. One could tell without even looking at what newspaper it was. It must be Current’s whisper.

“The story about our concert was published?”

She asked as she entered the living room with something to write a letter to. Judging by her mother’s good expression, it appeared that an article about a concert held at their house was published. That’s pretty good too.

“Look.”

Her mother adjusted her posture and made room for her to sit next to her. She sat down next to her mother and started reading the newspaper.

An article titled “Successful Concerts” introduced several concerts that received good reviews. They were all small concerts.

Small-scale concerts feature minimal orchestra singing and family members’ performances. In order to save money, some houses do not invite a band at all.

Usually, people had a large family, but in their house it was just her mother, herself, and Oliver, so if they didn’t sing the band, they wouldn’t have time to talk to the guests, so there was nothing they could do.

“I heard that my mother’s playing skills were very good.”

She said, thankfully after seeing that the article didn’t have any comments about her playing skills. She knew her skills better. If it were published in an article, it would probably be described as a skill that was painful to hear. Her mother seemed pleased with her own praise. But she quickly hid her emotions skillfully and said,

“What use are my skills? Instead, look underneath.”

Underneath it? As she read the article further, it said there were some interesting parts. One of them was a performance by her and Count Burns. To be precise, it said that when there was a slight commotion at a concert on Biscon Manor, she quickly joined in with one of the suitors to distract the crowd.

She said, looking through the article again.

“How on earth do you know this?”

“Someone among the guests must have reported it.”

Maybe so. Unlike large-scale concerts with multiple orchestras, small-scale concerts where only close acquaintances are invited rarely receive bad reviews.

After confirming that there were no special articles, She leaned against the back of the sofa. Then her mother asked.

“Are the preparations for the tea party going well?”

It’s not a tea party, it’s just tea time. During social season, her mother and she alternate between concerts and tea time. This was because a hostess from a proper family must know how to welcome guests. If the family was rich and historic, the scale of the event to which guests were invited became larger.

Her mother taught her how to greet guests even before she debuted in the social world. She even invited her mother’s friends over for a treat.

“Yes. But I think we’ll add one more guest.”

“Who?”

“Miss Harmon. He asked if I could invite him to the concert too.”

“You asked?”

A small wrinkle appeared between her mother’s eyebrows. This was because the Harmon family and her family were not particularly close. It is against etiquette to ask someone to invite you to a house you were not familiar with.

In the social world, being invited to events held by each family during the social season was a form of pride. Because it means that you were acquainted with such a great family. Conversely, it was also a point of pride to have someone from a higher family attend an event held at one’s home. That’s why Mrs. Harmon tried so hard to invite me and her mother.

She shrugged her shoulders and said.

“Miss Harmon hasn’t even made her social debut yet. It could be because I’m young.”

Before she debuted in society, she also wanted to attend a ball held at the royal palace. She wanted to go to a fancy palace ball and watch people dancing. She still like to look around. What she didn’t like was having to dance with guys she didn’t know very well.

“I don’t know about Miss Harmon, but I don’t really like Mr. and Mrs. Harmon.”

At her mother’s words, she looked up from looking at the letter. The floral stationery she had taken out to write to Mary was still there.

“That couple is building a swimming pool?”

‘Ah, that.’

The reason her mother didn’t like the Harmons was simple. She didn’t like the idea of ​​building a swimming pool after her.

She said with a grin.

“That’s your freedom.”

“But you’re following along because you’re doing well.”

Laughter flowed. She thought her mother was displeased when she told her she wanted to open a swimming pool.

She added, when her mother saw her smiling, she gave her a disapproving look.

“Don’t laugh like that. I think you did a good job closing it.”

“Is it so?”

She thought she was disappointed. That pool brought her quite a bit of money. Even after giving the money to Elliot, who lent her the boat, and Lauren and Julia, who worked with her, she still had some money left over. To some extent, this tea party could be held twice.

“I know you loved doing it. Earning there…”

Her mother’s mouth stopped as she spoke up to that point. It’s hard to say it’s money. She hesitated for a moment, then turned around and spoke.

“I know you enjoy running something more than checking your financial capabilities. But I’d rather you do something like that…”

Her mother stopped talking again. Rather than doing something like that? As she waited with wide eyes, she sighed and said.

“I wish you could do something more feminine.”

“Like marriage?”

Her mother rolled her eyes at the first words that came out. Why was she doing this? Her mother said to her who was confused.

“There is no need to be so sarcastic. Although it is my wish for you to get married…”

No, she wasn’t being sarcastic. She really thought that the most feminine thing her mother thought was marriage. But before she could say that it was not that, she lifted her teacup and continued her sentence.

“There’s something a little softer than a swimming pool or something.”

What did her mother think was soft? As she was trying to get lost in her thoughts, her mother pressed her finger between her eyes and said,

“Don’t frown. Wrinkles form.”

Yes, yes. She pressed her finger between her eyes where her mother withdrew her hand. What if she get some wrinkles? It naturally happens as you get older. But she had no intention of saying something like that in front of her mother right now. She asked, pressing her finger between her eyes.

“What’s softer than a swimming pool or something?”

“Like a tea party. How good is it to do it at home? There is no need to be outside in the wind and sunlight.”

‘You’d faint if you knew what I was going to do.’

She thought it was a good thing she didn’t tell her mother what she was going to do next. No, no. She asked cautiously.

“When you say inside the house, you mean our house?”

A wrinkle appeared between her mother’s eyebrows. Ah, wrinkles. When she raised her hand, her mother quickly pressed her finger between her eyes. Then she lowered her hand and with an expression that asked her when she had frowned, she said:

“Of course. Who would let her do such an economical thing in her own home?”

When she opened her mouth, her mother spoke as if she knew who she was going to name.

“Not even Count Burns’ house. If you’re going to do it, get engaged to that person and then do it.”

It seemed that her mother received quite a lot of letters about opening the swimming pool on the ship. She had a hard time writing a letter asking if she was betrothed to Count Burns, and replying that she was not.

She tried to frown but quickly put her hand between her eyes again. Oh, that won’t work.

It wasn’t easy to rent a place, so she asked Elliot to do it. He readily agreed. But if it didn’t work out.

She looked at her mother again. And she asked cautiously:

“So that means we can do it at home?”

A suspicious look came over her mother’s face. But didn’t her mother say that just a moment ago? Do it inside the house instead of outside in the wind and sunlight. This means that since other people’s houses don’t work, ours does.

“If I ask you what you’re going to do, will you answer?”

She grinned at her mother’s question. She would never say anything. The look on her mother’s face made her think she would faint if she knew what she was trying to do.

“At least I won’t be exposed to wind or sunlight inside the house.”

“It’s not like people are just taking their clothes off, right?”

“I was wearing a swimsuit for swimming.”

She timidly tried to refute it, but it didn’t work for her mother. She said, waving her hand.

“In my house, both women and men must dress fully.”

The clothes must be very sturdy. She grinned. Her mother saw her expression and asked in an anxious voice.

“What are you really going to do?”

“I’m going to do something feminine, just like my mother wants. I wear all my clothes inside the house.”

“Drinking tea?”

It would happen. She grinned again. And she said happily.

“Oh, sure. I will also drink a lot of tea. Maybe we should enjoy some rather generous refreshments.”

Her mother’s expression seemed relieved for a moment when she heard the words “lots of tea and refreshments.” But she soon looked uneasy at her smiling face.

She pretended not to notice her mother’s expression and started organizing her letterhead again. She would have to tell Elliot that they needed to change places. It would be better to do this together.

“That’s a good thing.”

That afternoon, Elliot, who came to her house, sipped his tea and said calmly when she explained that they needed to change places. Huh? Was he glad?

She looked at him with a puzzled expression. She knew how to at least pretend to be disappointed. Because he had always been friendly to her. No, friendly was too critical a word.

Elliot gave her unconditional support for what she was doing. When her mother, Oliver, and even Julia expressed their disapproval, Elliot told her to just try it. They said that even if you fail, the experience of trying will remain.

For a split second, she wondered why I wasn’t engaged to this man. And then Elliot opened his mouth again.

“And I won’t be visiting for a while.”

“I beg your pardon?”

This time, she wasn’t just confused, she was completely dumbfounded. Elliot, who was sipping his tea, finally looked at her. She guessed her expression wasn’t very good. Elliot’s face distorted.

He lowered his head and sighed, then looked at her again and said:

“I think you should stay away from me for a while.”

 

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Translator Note: