CH 83

although it was daunting to write a reply, considering that mrs. morena is that kind of person, i had to report to her.

i thought that it wouldn’t be too difficult to reply to my mother, so i started writing a reply to dorothea first.

◇

in front of me, a fragrant tea with steam rising from it was placed. i picked it up and took a sip.

“ah~, i’m so tired.”

“it took quite a while, didn’t it?”

dennis spoke to me. beside her was dora. since there was no need to dress up today, dora seemed a little bored. however, she wasn’t bored because she was jotting down notes on how to tie my hair and what accessories to use if she had time.

“yeah, there were things i had to write down even though i hardly go out. and for the first time in my life, i was jealous. i don’t understand why people would be happy about this…”

i felt like lying down on the table and saying this. i had already gotten used to talking to dennis in my natural state. for some reason, except when she had a scary face, being with her made me feel very relaxed.

perhaps that’s why i ended up complaining and venting my frustrations like this. then dennis chuckled.

“you’ve been through a lot. lorraine-sama is a kind person, so there’s nothing you can do about it. surely, jeremiah-sama liked that part of lorraine-sama.”

dennis’ words almost made me spit out my tea.

oh no, it would be a waste to blow such good tea like this, and above all, it’s not very ladylike.

“w-why are you suddenly saying that?”

“well, i’ve been watching nobles for a long time.”

“i see.”

certainly, jeremiah said something similar. but i don’t think i’m kind. i just don’t think i can be happy at the expense of someone else’s suffering.

besides, even though lucia is suffering so much, there’s nothing i can do for her. this country’s system, laws, and class society won’t change. it’s a country where living within the given framework is the norm.

suddenly, i think of paolo, lucia’s love interest. he seems to be having trouble fitting into this country’s way of thinking and being.

but there’s nothing i can do for him either.

“please don’t worry too much. jeremiah-sama will be concerned.”

as if reading my mind, dennis says this, and i nod obediently.

“well, if it’s not a problem that can be solved by worrying, then worrying will only tire you out.”

“yes, that’s right.”

dennis nodded vigorously and offered the sweets and food on the table. while i put something that caught my eye into my mouth, i decided to meet paolo later. dennis would be angry, but leaving it alone would leave a bad aftertaste.

it’s not like i have to meet him today, but i’ll try to meet him as soon as possible and tell him about the change in the situation. then, i’ll consult with jeremiah. and when the case is solved, i’ll go to paolo’s shop.

thinking that way made me feel relieved.

i put another beautiful piece of candy in my mouth. the sweetness of sugar spread gently on my tongue, and my face naturally broke into a smile.

◇

now that things have settled down, i thought i would read a book and relax, but i was thrown into a situation that was far from calm.

after finishing my leisurely tea time and moving to my room, i was flipping through pages trying to decide what to read when dennis suddenly appeared with the expression of a skilled assassin.

“lorraine-sama, the servant paolo insists on seeing you about something. he’s waiting in the reception room. shall i let him in?”

“u-uh, sure, let him in.”

in response, dennis opened the door with a stern expression and invited the person who was standing in front of it into the room. that person, paolo, didn’t seem to care about dennis’ gaze and came straight to me, bowing respectfully.

“lady lorraine.”

paolo called me so with a strangely passionate voice. it wasn’t just his voice; his cheeks also seemed slightly red.

i wondered if he had a fever, but what came to mind was still lucia. after all, she had said that she would do whatever she wanted, and i was afraid that she might be clinging around him as she had said.

anyway, i had to ask to find out, so i inquired.

“so, did something happen? is lucia causing trouble after all?”

“well, yeah…kind of.”

paolo’s response was somewhat hesitant.

seeing him in a difficult position, it seemed that my expectations were correct. i looked at paolo, who seemed like he wanted to bury his head in his hands and avoid eye contact.

“i’m sorry, something happened and caused you a problem.”

i couldn’t say, “please be careful because she might think you like me and get jealous and go crazy,” so i apologized with vague expressions.

“i’m trying not to get her in the way of work, but it’s difficult.”

“i’m fine. it’s uncomfortable to be followed or watched, but it’s nothing new.”

——so that’s what happened…

paolo scratched his head and answered with a wry smile. i suddenly remembered that he was also handsome and couldn’t help but smile awkwardly. i had only been looking at him from the perspective of someone with past memories, so i had carelessly forgotten.

he must have been popular with women at work.

after all, until things turned out this way with jeremiah, admiring handsome men was my favorite pastime. it was only natural that i was drawn to him without realizing it.

rather, i wondered why he wasn’t used to it or why he was troubled. he must have been tired from all the things that had happened recently. that must be it.

“well, if that’s the case, let me know if anything happens.”

i said this in a disappointed tone.