Side Story 03: Leiâs Autumn Thoughts
Translator: Blushy
Editor: Sam
I sat in the carriage with my legs dangling.
âFunfun, fuuun.â
âKyee!â
The Rug Dragons are healthy too.
âYouâre in a good mood, Lei.â
âAi!â
Nii-sama sat across from me with a smile on his face.
If Otou-sama was here, then he would sit next to me or put me on his knees, but he isnât here so Iâm free to sit wherever I want.
âAre we noth ath Giwwâsh houshe yeth?â
Today Iâm going to Gillâs house. Itâs actually my first time visiting.
âItâs near the castle. It usually takes the same amount of time as it does to get to the castle.â
The Albansâs residence is located a little further from the centre of Kingdom because we own a Rug Dragon pasture, but the Lisburns have a mansion in the noble district by the castle.
âI was also surprised that this would be your first time visiting even though weâre so close.â
âLei two.â
You said youâre surprised, but it was you and Otou-sama who created the system where I canât go out of the mansion for no reason, and the only place I can go is the castle.
Not only that, but even though Iâm a baby, Iâve been on trips and attacked. Iâve been too busy to play. But Iâm a good child who never complains; thatâs who I am.
Thatâs why Iâm looking forward to going to Gillâs house today to see Chris.
âBut I didnât expect Prince Nico to come.â
âIth ish shurprishing.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
That was a real surprise.
Lam-ojisama, the Prince of Kingdom, and Harold-ojisama, one of the Four Marquises, have gone to Easter for the summer for post-war efforts.
So, I thought they would be worried about Nico and wouldnât let him out of the castle, but it seems like I was wrong. Heâs allowed to leave the castle because theyâve attached more guards to him.
âHish guardsh... faiwuresh.â (His guards... failures)
âIncompetent people are incompetent no matter how many guards they attach to him.â
Nii-sama is harsh, but I also agree with him. The numerous mistakes theyâve made are still fresh in my mind.
âBut, as you said, thereâs no reason for the Third Prince to go after Prince Nico anymore. The same goes for Easter. So, theyâre only protecting Prince Nico from the usual dangers, and if they can manage that...â
Nii-sama looked anxious, and I was also anxious. However, if we continue to be anxious then weâll have the same thoughts as Lam-ojisama who locked Nico up in the castle because he was worried about him.
âIthâsh bethther tho weth Nico outhshide even if thhingsh go wrong.â (Itâs better to let Nico outside even if things go wrong)
âYouâre right. I can only protect Lei, so letâs pray that his guards are excellent.â
âActually, Luke-sama is the scariest,â Hansâs voice came from the driver seat. He was disrespecting his lord, but we were used to this, so Nii-sama and I ignored him.
âWeâre here. Iâm going to get them to open the gate now. Donât you want to see them open the gate, Lei-sama?â Hans called out from the driverâs seat, and I looked out the window of the carriage. The mansion that was facing the wide street was surrounded by a fence all the way around, and the giant iron gate was about to open quietly. I could see the mansion in the distance.
âYou shaid ith wash shmawwer thhan oursh.â
âItâs not even half as big as ours.â
Itâs still a magnificent mansion. The carriage went straight from the gate to the mansion. It might take around five minutes to walk. Nico and Chris were in front of the mansion as well as Gill, Felicia and Julia-obasama.
I was relieved to see that Felicia was smiling naturally as if she was in her own home, and I was secretly annoyed at Nico who made himself at home no matter where he is.
âWelcome, Luke and Lei,â Julia-obasama was the first person to welcome us. I didnât hesitate to reach out and have her hug me.
âLei is so spoiled.â
âAi.â
I smiled and looked over her shoulders at the mansion and saw someone who looked like a butler waiting in front of the big door.
âHuh? Whereâsh Stan-ojisama?â
âWell, fufufu.â
I ran up to the man when Julia-obasama laughed and put me down to the ground. The man kneeled down in distress to show me his face. He looked younger than Stan-ojisama, had black hair and brown eyes and looked very much like Stan-ojisama.
âFilman is the butler but heâs like an uncle to me.â
âCalling me your uncle. I always tell you to understand your status, donât I?â The butler named Filman sternly scolded Gill. I felt like he was warmly scolding him like a relative instead of a butler.
âUncwe. Liwe Awishthair.â
âHow clever. This must be Lady Albans.â
Filman muttered in admiration and introduced himself properly. He explained that his mother was a commoner who had left him in the care of the Lisburns, and that he worked here as a butler.
âItâs a blessing for a commoner to serve as a butler to the Four Marquises. People often say that I look like the head, but Iâm grateful that I can do this job, so please donât worry about it too much.â
I looked up at Gill.
âYes, when I become an adult and started thinking about my path in life, as one might expect, people who were like my aunts began to look for a suitable marriage for me. But, aside from that, they also helped me look for a job. There are people working as civil servants and also military officials in the castle. So, in this way, there are also people who stayed in the mansion and worked.â
Stan-ojisama has more than ten siblings with different mothers. The people who made this all happen were Stan-ojisama and Julia-obasama.
âI used to play with Dean-sama a lot when I was younger. I canât thank the Lisburns enough.â
Filman smiled and told me about Otou-sama and then the big door opened to let us in.
I hadnât felt this at the Albans since there arenât many children there, but a lot of things go on in a noble family.
The Remington house was locked down for now, so I wonât be able to go there for a while, and I havenât been to Markâs house yet. Iâm sure thereâs a lot of things different about their houses too.
Thereâs plenty of things to see in the capital even if I donât go to Easter or Wester. I crossed my arms. Where should I go next?
âWhy are you crossing your arms lei?â
âIâm jushth thhinwing thhath thhere are a woth of inthereshthing pwacesh.â (Iâm just thinking that there are a lot of interesting places)
âYeah.â
âYup.â
Chris and Nico nodded with a grin. Nico had come here early to do something.
âThereâs a garden in the Lisburn mansion,â Chris whispered into my ear.
âAnd thereâs a lot of things to do there like play on swings and small mountains.â
âReawwy?!â
âIt was fun.â
âLei wantsh to go two!â
Chris grabbed my right hand and Nico walked in front of us.
âI knew you would say that. Letâs go.â
âLetâs go.â
âLetâsh go!â
We ran out of the mansion that we had just entered.
âPrince Nico and Lei, you act as if itâs your own home no matter where you go,â I heard Gillâs voice behind us.
âI wish they would come every day if Chris gets this energetic,â I listened a little to what Julia-obasama had to say.
I looked up at Chris who was holding my hand.
I wonder if she was holding back while sheâs living here, but she would probably say she isnât.
In that case, Iâll make many happy memories with her so that sheâll forget to hold back.
âNii-syama and Hansh, Lei wiww be bacw.â
Nii-sama laughed and Hans looked conflicted.
âLei-sama, weâve only just arrived.â
âCome on! Itâs fun!â
Nico was the first to arrive in the playground and waved. There was a swing set on the branch of a large tree. I looked up and saw a tree house.
âLeiâsh firshth.â
âAlright.â
âItâs because sheâs small.â
I have a feeling Iâll be able to live happily in the autumn before I turn three.