‘I told you to rest.’
His sister seemed busy and tired for the past few days, likely due to activities with her friends. Despite his suggestion for her to take a break, she insisted on being stubborn.
Alexei gestured to the servant to be silent and approached Asha, carefully taking the tea cup from her hand. A small chick on Asha’s shoulder came down, and climbed up Alexei’s shoulder and rubbed his cheek. As Alexei supported Asha’s head and brushed away her hair, a soft sound of footsteps gradually filled the room.
“…Karnov.”
The person who entered with a stack of documents was Karnov. He seemed about to say something but paused, carefully placing the documents on the table.
Alexei, with his sleeves wet from supporting Asha, and the half-asleep Asha with a partially empty tea cup.
“Why don’t you take her to the bedroom and let her sleep?”
“I’m afraid she might wake up for no reason.”
Karnov took off his jacket, covered Asha with it, and sat on the opposite side. He then raised his chin, looking at the sibling-like cousins with a thoughtful expression.
A golden hair, blue-eyed young man gazing tenderly at the girl leaning on his shoulder, her flowing pink hair gently tucked behind her ear.
Alexei, who obtained a few years of reprieve before ascending to the throne, seemed to have found some recent relaxation. It was a pleasing sight.
Being friends who looked in the same direction, they derived strength from each other to keep running without stopping. Neither of them had learned how to stop.
Until the little girl came to the palace, nobody knew about it. What ends winter’s chill is not the winter itself but spring.
At that moment, the small bird on Alexei’s shoulder chirped and approached Karnov, softly murmuring something. Listening silently, Karnov rose from his seat.
“I don’t think Asha will wake up.”
“Is that so?”
Karnov nodded, carefully tucked his arm under Asha’s head leaning on Alexei’s shoulder, and lifted her carefully. Alexei took care of Karnov’s coat that fell off.
As Karnov laid Asha on the bed, Alexei covered her with a blanket. Asha seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep as she didn’t open her eyes. Alexei opened his mouth comfortably after Asha’s bedroom door closed silently.
“The problem? Has everything been resolved?”
“Given Grandmother’s firm will, there’s little we can do.”
Karnov spoke out of the blue, but his expression shone rather dangerously.
“You wouldn’t want to face execution for communicating with the enemy.”
When Yekaterina told her son and his wife in front of him that the healer whom both parents introduced to Marquis Oleg was a person who had a strong relationship with the hardliners among the Noctis Elves.
It was difficult to gauge whether their sudden change in expression was due to the surprising revelation or because they were caught. However, it didn’t matter either way.
It was Yekaterina’s threat and order, as long as her grandson inherited the position, then the story would never come out.
“Then this coming-of-age ceremony will be your succession. Duke Sedvoyer should attend as well.”
“Well, my parents aren’t in good health, so I’m going to take over the title. They probably won’t come. I’m thinking of keeping it simple at the mansion.”
Karnov chuckled with a sly smile.
“And you’d want to show bad things on such an occasion?”
In fact, he was worried about what Asha would think when she faced his parents. What should he do if the sweet girl was heartbroken and wanted the relationship to be restored somehow?
Pretending would be easy, but the girl would surely sense the falseness. It felt a bit suffocating to think that the girl might only end up hurting herself with unnecessary heartache.
Alexei tapped him on the shoulder. Karnov gave a low chuckle, nodding his head. Despite everything, he believed that things would work out somehow.
━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━
All aristocrats in the capital hold a coming-of-age ceremony in the Imperial Palace in March. In fact, calling it a coming-of-age ceremony might be an exaggeration; in reality, it’s an event where one receives congratulatory greetings from the emperor, exchanges simple symbolic gifts during the daytime event, and dances with a partner at the evening ball.
However, this year’s event was a bit different. It was the year when both the imperial prince and Duke Sedvoyer’s eldest son would come of age together. While Asha was twisting her hair and securing it with pins, Natalya, who had been showing a completed botanical album, suddenly widened her eyes. The air was filled with a strange silence as the onlookers, including Lise, tried to hold back their laughter.
“You stayed in the palace until today? Alone without Karnov Neustadter?”
“Huh? Uh… I think Karnov is a little busy with work.”
“You’re lying!”
Natalya shouted vehemently. Asha looked bewildered. Lise, who was putting a butterfly decoration on Asha’s hair, swallowed a smile.
“What do you mean, by lying? What?”
“Karnov Neustadter lied!”
“What lie? About him saying he was busy?”
“Yes! Even if busy, he ought to handle things properly, let alone purposely…”
“Purposely?”
Natalya, who was about to say something, opened her lips only and then closed them again slowly.
“Oh… it’s nothing.”
“Natasha?”
Natalya pursed her lips and audibly closed the book she was showing off.
“He must be busy, as the deputy commander. I heard rumors that he might become the commander in chief soon.”
Although Natalya had heard those rumors, it seemed like she hadn’t heard about Karnov staying at the palace for the past few days. Asha chuckled.
“I guess that’s how it is.”
“…I’m the only one free here.”
Natalya tapped the floor with her shoed foot. Asha glanced at Lise, subtly gesturing for her to leave, and then wrapped her arms around the back of the chair, looking at Natalya.
“Are other people busy, too?”
“I heard that Lyudmila keeps going to see her clothes being made these days. She was supposed to come with me today, but there seems to be some issue with the fabric, so I came alone.”
It seemed like they contacted each other occasionally, awkwardly communicating when they needed to. Asha forced a smile and controlled her expression.
“Dimitri and Ilya have started studying something. But me…”
“What are you saying? I’m free too.”
“Asha is the busiest.”
“What am I busy doing?”
“You bake snacks every morning, play with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and plan to build a snack shop.”
“It’s only a plan.”
“I don’t…”
Natalya halted her words, apparently embarrassed. Asha closed her eyes and smiled, holding Natalya’s hand that gripped the notebook.
“Isn’t Natasha like that too?”
“I’ve thought about it… since we went to Lake Bishti.”
Natalya mumbled, rubbing the floor with the tip of her heels, her eyes lowered.
“What to do if our fiefdom also has a fire, whether the fire-fighting facilities are well done, what to do when people are injured in natural disasters, what to do to take precautions, whether my notebook is only for me…”
Asha opened her eyes wide.
“You’ve thought…a lot about it, haven’t you?”
“But I haven’t come to any proper conclusions about anything.”
Natalya murmured. Renovating the urban structural design according to the building materials, rearranging the placement of fire surveillance personnel in already-established villages and towns, appointing them directly under the lord…
Asha swung her hands.
“No! No, no, Natasha! That’s amazing! It’s great!”
“I only thought about it…”
“Then I’ll just think, Natasha can’t be a fire watchman yourself, can you? Have you talked to the marchioness?”
“That’s not…yet…”
“Then go and talk to the marchioness today.”
The light slowly returned to Natalya’s eyes. Asha stood up, placing her hands on Natalya’s cheeks, and touched foreheads with her.
“Why are you so impatient?”
“Everyone else does their part. I’m the only one…”
Asha thought for a moment and gestured to Natasha. Natasha lowered her head, leaning in to listen. Asha whispered.
“Natasha, you know what? Freesias bloom in March.”
“I know.”
It was also written in the book. Natalya grumbled.
“Do you know that marigolds bloom in autumn?”
“Of course I know.”
Natalya opened the book proudly. Asha looked at it thoughtfully.
“I think it would be great if this is published. Should we ask Mariya for the cover illustration?”
“Huh? Weren’t you comforting me just now?”
“Oh, yeah. Natalya is… a marigold. Autumn flowers. No, but come to think of it, we haven’t even had early spring yet.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. We still have a long way to go for our coming-of-age ceremony!”
“That’s… But… Others…”
With that statement, Asha crawled under the bed.
“A, Asha?”
“Just a moment~!”
When Asha emerged from under the bed, her hair was a bit messy, and dust clung to the hem of her sleeves, but she didn’t care. She held a large box in her arms.
“I haven’t done anything yet either. I haven’t even gathered half of the buttons. Look at this.”
Asha opened the rattling box. Various buttons that had nothing in common were gathered together.
“…Can I put one button in too?”
“Huh? That’s more than welcome!”
Asha grinned. When Natalya tried to pull off five buttons from the cuff at once, Asha hastily stopped her, almost knocking over the box.
“Oh, no! Natasha! Wait, wait, calm down.”
“Why? I want to give a lot.”
“If the marchioness finds out that all the buttons are gone, she might…”
“Wouldn’t Mother be pleased if only the buttons fell off?”
“No, I also have a stake… So… to defend the management rights… Or rather, buttons can only be given one at a time!”
Natalya had a somewhat displeased expression, but as Asha suggested, she picked one button and put it in the box. At that moment, a knock was heard from outside. It was a signal that it was time to go to the event.
Lise primped Asha’s hair faster than anyone else, adding three more ribbon decorations and two more butterfly decorations while the girls hurriedly dusted off their clothes after making eye contact. Asha and Natasha held hands and opened the door, Karnov, who was leaning against the wall, looked at them and shook his head.
“Who is the main character here?”
“Of course it’s Karnov.”
“Of course, Asha… Commander. Please go ahead, Deputy Commander.”
Natasha subtly changed her words. Karnov sighed and looked at Natalya as he tried to remove her from Asha’s hand, which Natalya wouldn’t let go.
“You told me to be the main character.”
“Ugh.”
“Guys…”
Natalya snorted and eventually released Asha’s hand as if conceding.
