“Did you have a pleasant time last night?”
Unlike me, with dark circles under my eyes, Elliot seemed to have slept very well. The female knight who introduced herself as ‘Rose’ also looked to be in great condition.
“His Grace is usually very sensitive when it comes to sleeping arrangements. Even if it’s dawn, he returns straight to the mansion, so it’s been really tough on us.”
Saying so, Elliot pretended to wipe away tears with his finger. At that, Rose hurriedly added with a startled look.
“We only went to sleep after finishing our duties. Th-That is... after you parted ways with His Grace.”
Was she trying to make sure I knew she was a diligent knight...?
For a moment, I found it odd, but I nodded obediently.
“You must’ve had a really hard time.”
“That’s a kindness we’d never see from His Grace...”
That was supposed to be my line. Unlike the knights who were wary of me, they didn’t act hostile, so I felt much more at ease.
“By the way, where is His Grace?”
Elliot looked around me as he asked.
“That’s what I want to know.”
When I woke up in the morning, Ricardo had vanished without a trace. Judging by the neatly folded blanket on the sofa, it seemed he had left early.
I thought maybe he had returned to the mansion first, but seeing Rose and Elliot waiting for me made it clear that wasn’t the case.
〈His Grace told us to take good care of you, my lady!〉
Elliot shouted with a hearty laugh.
“Well, I’m sure he’ll be back soon! It’s much livelier and nicer without His Grace around. And you look like you’re in a better mood too!”
“Elliot.”
At that moment, Ricardo approached from behind him. When Elliot turned around awkwardly, Ricardo frowned deeply.
“Are you all done with preparations and just lazing around?”
“A-Almost done...! I’ll go check again just to be sure!”
As if he’d seen a ghost, Elliot ran off to the carriage in a panic. Rose let out a deep sigh and followed after him.
“You’re up early.”
I didn’t know where he had been, but Ricardo’s hair was a mess. Not only was there dirt on his cheek, but leaves were also stuck in his hair.
“...Could you lower your head for a second?”
Bothered by the leaves, I ended up meddling. Though Ricardo looked puzzled, he obediently lowered his head.
“There’s a leaf stuck in your hair.”
When I showed him the leaf, Ricardo said with a serious expression,
“Aren’t there more?”
“There aren’t.”
“...There should be.”
“There aren’t.”
“...Shouldn’t you look more thoroughly?”
Ricardo lifted his head with a disappointed expression.
“Anyway, where did you go?”
I tapped his cheek lightly, implying he should wipe the dirt off, and Ricardo tilted his head innocently.
“Is something on my face?”
“...”
“...I’ll stop.”
Ricardo awkwardly backed off. Then he took something out of his pocket and held it out to me.
“I was originally going to give this to you after wiping my face.”
It was none other than a four-leaf clover.
Covered in dirt.
“You went out this morning just to find this...?”
“Maybe it’s because I’m lucky, I found it quickly.”
Ricardo said this as he placed the four-leaf clover in my hand.
“Your Grace! We’re ready to depart!”
Even as Elliot’s voice rang out from a distance, I couldn’t take my eyes off the four-leaf clover for a while.
* * *
“Bianca!”
Trying to sneak into the house, I was caught by Cedric.
He stomped toward me, clearly furious.
“Do you have no fear? What if something had happened to you...!”
Cedric ran his hand down his face, as if trying to suppress his anger.
“I-I’m sorry! I went to the festival with Rayler, but we ended up staying out too late...”
“That’s enough, Cedric.”
Then I heard my grandfather’s voice. Seizing the moment, I hurriedly ran to him.
“She came back safely, so let’s leave it at that.”
“You’re always so soft on Bianca, that’s why she doesn’t listen.”
Cedric let out a deep sigh.
“I-I won’t do it again next time.”
“Yes, Bianca, don’t you think you should reflect too? Just let it go this once.”
Grandfather patted my shoulder as he tried to calm Cedric.
“Besides, if you look at other families, there are plenty who cause worse trouble.”
“What’s the point in comparing her to those kinds of people?”
Cedric, clearly fed up, walked away. Grandfather chuckled as he watched him.
“Bianca, please try to understand him.”
“Huh? Okay.”
He leaned in and whispered softly so Cedric wouldn’t hear.
“He said he even contacted Leon because he was so worried about you. He’s probably acting this way out of embarrassment for asking that guy he fought with.”
That made his anger a little more understandable…
Grandfather smiled faintly and brought his finger to his lips.
“Anyway, did you enjoy the festival?”
“Yes, I did! I could talk about everything that happened there for an entire day!”
I dug through my bag to show him the magical doll I had bought at the festival.
Huh.
“Bianca?”
The magical doll was nowhere to be seen. The cactus doll was still in the bag, but how did only that one disappear?
“I bought a doll that was supposed to grow with magic, but I must’ve lost it on the way back.”
“Oh dear, what a shame.”
“It’s disappointing. It was such a unique doll, I thought you’d really like it too, Grandfather…”
To that, Grandfather said with a joking look,
“Bianca, you’re so free-spirited that it must have gone off in search of a new owner.”
“Grandfather!”
“Just kidding, just kidding.”
It was disappointing to lose the doll, but thankfully, the most important thing—the four-leaf clover—was still with me.
Oddly enough, I had a feeling that every summer from now on, I’d remember what happened with Ricardo.
* * *
“Lord Harnen is too much. How could he send His Grace to Dians?”
Elliot grumbled as he unpacked Ricardo’s luggage, one item at a time.
“His Grace too, honestly! After all the scolding he just got because of someone! Shouldn’t he at least call in Idette and give her a warning or something?”
“……”
As he continued speaking to the unresponsive Ricardo, Elliot suddenly brightened, as if he’d remembered something.
“By the way, about the young lady who came with us…”
Ricardo, who had shown no reaction until then, flinched at that moment. Catching on, Elliot barely held back a laugh.
“She’s Lady Bianca, isn’t she?”
“What’s the point of asking when you already know.”
“Hmm, nothing really. Just… it was unexpected.”
“I never asked for your opinion.”
Ricardo scowled and stood up.
“You two seemed pretty similar. Personality-wise…”
“We’re nothing alike.”
“Even your situations are similar. You both survived Eileens’ curse.”
Or maybe not. It might be a little different.
The young lady had truly lost her parents because of the curse, but our Duke didn’t.
Elliot groaned and sank into thought. But not for long—he soon spoke again with a serious face.
“Let me just ask you straight. Do you really believe, like Lord Harnen says, that the curse of Eileens is real?”
“……”
“Should I guess what you’re thinking right now? ‘It doesn’t matter which answer I choose, nothing’s going to change.’ How about that? Pretty spot on, right?”
“Shut it.”
“Yep!”
Ricardo remembered the first time he had met Harnen as a child. He had been enormous, like a wild beast. That image had terrified him.
Harnen’s hand could’ve killed him at any time. A child’s neck was far too fragile.
Ricardo believed that no matter how many hundreds of nights he slept and grew, he would never be taller than that man.
But time had stolen many things from Harnen. The great strength he once had had gradually faded, leaving behind only an aged body.
Ricardo, who had once thought he’d never catch up, had now long surpassed Harnen in height and could look down on him.