Chapter 44

Ch . 44 Compromise??

The Duke who has come back from a two week business trip,

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“I worked for two weeks with no break so, I snatched three days of holiday! It is a short time but I can relax . ”

“Is that so?”

“It is only three days but, let’s take it easy” .

“There will be three days . Understood . ”

“Well then, goodnight . ”

“Goodnight . ”

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We have this not great, passing conversation and the Duke retires to his room .

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The next day .

Maybe because the trip this time was very severe, the Duke has not woken even though it is close to midday .

“I wonder if he is okay . ”

I ask while peeping over at the door of the Duke who I am concerned about all the same,

“He seem quite tired so, he must still be sleeping well” .

[someone] answers .

“Right . Well then, let us let him sleep without waking him up . ”

“Certainly . ”

Let sleeping dogs lie . ...... but no, it is his long-awaited holiday so, I cannot be at ease like he, himself said!

I softly and quietly go away from the Duke’s room and go towards the main dining room downstairs . I do not know when the Duke will wake up so today, although t will be lonely, I will eat lunch by myself .

“After I eat lunch I will go see Bellis . Because I think there be a lot of flowers at their prime”

“Certainly . ”

As expected when the Duke is here, the servant uniform is sealed up . I choose, and I am wearing, a dress from among the ones on hand with a comparatively easy-to-move, plain design . It is one of the outfits in my heavy rotation though . Well, even if this sets a little dirty it will be okay .

Even at lunch time the Duke has not woken up as before . How tired he must be . I become slightly worried wondering what kind of job it was .

Of course recovering your physical strength comes first so I will leave him alone like he is and I go out to the gardens together with Mimosa to look for Bellis .

It is a nice calm sunny day . Surely the flowers will have also bloomed beautifully!

“It is a shame I cannot garden but, I’ll settle for just looking at pretty flowers for now . ”

“That is right . Ah, please do not leave the parasol!”

“It’s okay~!”

“You absolutely must not blemish your precious lovely skin!”

“Mimosa you are overprotective! So, I wonder where Bellis is?”

“Is he not likely in the greenhouse at this time?”

“As expected Mimosa! You have a hold on Bellis’ pattern of behaviour!”

Right, right, they are also a lovey-dovey married couple . I think there is less of a gap than the Carthame and Dahlia couple . While I am thinking the smiling-provoking ‘wow, they are lovey-dovey, these two people!’ I watch Mimosa with a broad grin, Mimosa’s face is slightly dyed with embarrassment . Oh, that’s so cute!!

We finally arrive at the greenhouse while Mimosa writhes in shame, as Mimosa said we discover the demon king... . . rather Bellis .

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There are many flowers in their prime so,

“This would be perfect for the entrance way!”

“How about these for the dining room?”

“I think this would be good for the reception room”

Etcetera Etcetera . The three of us hold up the flowers and carefully inspect this and that . I rarely invited anyone but, still, beautiful flowers are intended to end up being spontaneously picked for public spaces . Personally I like the large-flowered gorgeous ones but it is impossible to throw away the ones that have bloomed small and lovely so, those I have made into small bouquets and adorn my room with them . Uh huh, a life with flowers in it is a very charming one .

We complete the first stage of picking the flowers so, we take a small breather and decide to forcibly drag Bellis who says ‘I am fine’ to tea ‘now now, together’ .

The weather is really good and the blue sky is dazzling to the eyes so, we will take a picnic break under the shade a tree in the garden .

A tea set and pastries are brought from the mansion, a rug is spread out and I immediately sit down . The degree of softness of the lawn makes a perfect nice cushion .

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Mimosa prepares delicious tea and Carthame’s delicious pastries .

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“Ah~what a happy tea time it is!

I close my eyes and, enjoy the fruity aroma of the tea when,

“Ah, Mistress, you forgot this in the greenhouse”

While saying this Bellis hands over the small bouquet from before . I planned to adorn my room with it and yet I was careless .

“Oh dear, how silly of me . Thanks, Bellis”

I say my thanks and I am about to accept the bouquet from Bellis when .

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“Bellis!! What are you doing to Viola?!”

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The sound of footsteps dashing this way *za, za, za [thud]* along with the Duke’s voice can be heard .

“““Master/Duke?”””

The three of us stare blankly at the owner of the footsteps and voice and, it is the Duke running this way in a great dash . Maybe because the dash is tough, he has a super displeased face .

“Bellis! What is that bouquet? Do you plan to flirt with Viola?”

“Something like that is......”

“No, is it not suspicious, just the two of you in such a place?”

As soon as he comes to where we are in the blink of an eye, the Duke is vigorously charging as if to grab Bellis . Did he come from getting up as iswith his pretty dark hair slightly dishevelled? But what the Duke said, is strange, right? Me, Mimosa and Bellis, there are three people?

Today also the Duke is ghastly .

“Duke? What has come over you? You say there is just the two of us, Bellis and I but, Mimosa is also here?” The angry Duke gains a little composure as I call out to him .

“Mimosa? Huh? ah......”

The Duke, who finally turning his gaze over here, identifies Mimosa and, stops his movements .

“Duke you misunderstand something . Me, Mimosa and Bellis are having a tea break, I carelessly left this bouquet in the greenhouse,” I say as, I point to the remains of the tea from just now .

“Is that right?”

“Yes . Why did you think that it was just Bellis and I?”

“I woke up and looked outside from the window and, I saw Viola and Bellis were drawing near each other and walking in the garden so...... from my bedroom window, I couldn’t see Mimosa at the tree”

It seems the Duke is embarrassed . We were also not drawing near each other though . In the space between Bellis and I there are tea utensils and plates with pastries on them and so on, it’s a space for one person easily vacant . Surely the angle from the Duke’s bedroom window showed this .

“Because of that you had a strange misunderstanding and run over here . ”

“That’s right . ”

“......um~, yesterday I also told you something similar but, I shall venture to say it today also, Bellis has no reason to put the moves on me . ”

“Eh?”

Maybe even the Duke is also feeling a little deja vu, his mouth moves with a start .

“Um~, again right on the heels of yesterday I will unexpectedly ask the same question but, no way Duke . Do you not know that Bellis and Mimosa are a married couple?”

“Eh? Bellis and Mimosa, a married couple......?”

While mumbling he didn’t know, the Duke sits down on the lawn drained of strength like a thread has been snapped *puchin* .

Jeez . Did he not know about this couple as well? I unintentionally raise my face to the sky .

“It is because when we got married, Master was no longer coming back here . ”

This time Bellis covers for him .

“Putting aside Bellis and Mimosa’s flirty love, you can get a sense of Bellis’ infatuation . Bellis, you are not supposed to look away! Leaving that aside, Duke!”

“What is it?”

“It seems like yesterday as well, Duke you are too unacquainted with things concerning the mansion!”

“Eh?!”

“Duke, you are the head of the duke household so, you should be a bit more, no, much, much more level-headed!!” I end up saying a little harshly .

“Uuh,”

It causes the Duke’s beautiful face cramp with a twitch . I think back, wondering if, a little self-importantly, I went too far, so I say, this time with a completely different kind tone,

“I know you are busy but, please turn your eyes to the things of the duke house a little? Because I am also trying my best to the best of my poor abilities” I say and smile at him . ,

“If Viola says so, from now on I will do things more correctly,”e says with a smile of joy despite it being stiff . Oh, signs of rehabilitation have appeared! At any rate it is because the hope of the servants of ‘please by any means rehabilitate Master!’ is weighing on my shoulders . This is a chance!

“Thank you very much . Ah, Duke, would you like some tea? You have been sleeping for sometime so, have you not become hungry?”

I deepen my smile more and, hold my hand to the Duke who is sitting down .

“Yeah, let’s try to eat and drink . ”

I lead the Duke, who has obediently taken my hand and stood up, by the hand and show him to the place where the tea set is still spread out on the carpet .

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The Duke’s quite unpretentious smiling face is something sparkling and beautiful to see . The Duke who has sat down on top of the rug from before is patting a place beside himself *ponpon* while looking up at me . This means sit here, right . I obediently sit there .

We settle down as we see fit,

“I shall make the tea once again . ”

“Let’s have a light prepared meal brought out here . ”

Saying this, Mimosa holds the tea utensils in her hands and dancing to the same beat, Bellis sends a message to the kitchen . I ended up perfectly observing the two of them meet smiles and for a moment ‘*grin*’ . Aah, today also they are chummy, seeing it warms the heart!

“Drinking at ease outside like this is very nice . Aah, I ended up sleeping too much what a waste . ”

The Duke sitting on the rug, with his hands behind his back looks radiantly up into the air, how pretty as a picture it is!

“Because the weather is very nice today . ”

Maybe because the weather is nice, my heart is also calm . Yeah, I feel this is first time I have talked at ease with the Duke like this . Maybe because of the weather, it is not bad like this .

“I slept too much and I feel sluggish,” The Duke chuckles and smiles .

“Well, fufufu [SFX: laughter]

The afternoon is a gentle breeze comfortable to the cheeks .

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......I did not notice at all that, watching this situation of ours, from all kinds of places are the figures of the servants .