Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster: Volume 3 E-Book

Saki

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Heart
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 329

Beschreibung

Mary and Adi may have tied the knot, but the hijinks aren’t stopping anytime soon in this collection of short stories! Watch as Mary’s world is freed from the shackles of the otome game series, and find out what everyone has been up to since the wedding party. Mary still dreams of running her own migratory bird restaurant—will her wish finally come true? Gainas has earned his family’s forgiveness, but can he manage to win Parfette’s heart back too? What will the icy Carina do when her ex-fiancé makes the terrible mistake of causing misfortune one last time? And although Alicia and Patrick certainly enjoyed playing their parts in their friends’ wedding, it might be time for the two of them to plan a special event of their own. However, when a certain ambitious girl enters the stage looking for her next prey, trouble strikes too close to home... These stories and more await!

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Tea Party

The Ambitious Young Lady Preys for a Prince

The Arrival of Spring

The Crybaby Lady Would Like a Flower and Words of Love

Head Over Heels: The Scheme

The Cold Young Lady Would Prefer a New Hobby

Shuffle Dance

The Daughter of House Albert Desires Some Affection

The Encounter

The Peasant Princess Wishes for Friendship

The Young Lady Albert Longs for Prosperity

Afterword

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Table of Contents

Tea Party

A few young noble ladies sat around a table, sipping tea and chatting pleasantly.

Were one to look upon this from an outsider’s perspective, there was no doubt it’d seem like a beautifully glittering scene, especially since the gathered ladies were all pretty and graceful. Any woman would’ve wanted to become like them, and any man would’ve been enchanted by them, lamenting that they were out of his league.

Indeed, the girls were simply that elegant. In addition, they were seen as heroines here at Elysiana College.

Sitting among such company, Mary smiled calmly. “As long as you two are happy,” she said.

Her friend, whom she hadn’t seen for a long time, nodded in response. Even though she was smiling, she also seemed on the verge of tears as she clung onto the hem of Mary’s dress. She had been in this state since the tea party had begun—no, in fact, since she’d first laid eyes on Mary.

Mary couldn’t keep ignoring it anymore, and she sighed as she placed her hands upon her friend’s, which were still holding her dress. As she rubbed and gently squeezed them, her friend’s tearful eyes immediately twinkled.

“Lady Maryyy...!”

“Don’t cry just because we haven’t seen each other in a while, Parfette,” Mary said in exasperation, and Parfette nodded with still-dampened eyes.

Parfette had always been highly codependent on Mary, so when Mary had returned to Karelia Academy, the girl said she often felt like crying from loneliness. But now that they’d reunited, she was still crying. It was no longer sufficient to describe her as a crybaby—rather, crying was her default state of being. Yet despite knowing this, Mary just couldn’t bring herself to abandon the girl, and perhaps that was exactly why she’d become attached to Parfette in the first place.

Nonetheless, Mary didn’t plan to just allow Parfette to get away with being coddled. The second that the teary-eyed girl felt comfortable enough to let herself smile, Mary felt the urge to tease her stir in her heart.

She glanced behind Parfette, at the young man a short distance away who was presently reading a book. He was far enough removed so as not to overhear the girls’ conversation, but still kept waiting nearby.

“I see a certain someone is waiting very patiently for you.”

“I have no idea what you mean!” Parfette insisted, now suddenly puffing out her cheeks.

Mary couldn’t stop herself from grinning. That “certain someone” was, of course, Gainas—Parfette’s ex-fiancé. It seemed that the adorable young lady still held a grudge against him.

While Mary smiled mischievously and enjoyed herself by poking fun at them, Carina, who was also present, chuckled along. Each time Carina laughed, her black hair swayed, and her lips drew up in a lovely arc.

“Oh my. Do you wish to join in on teasing Parfette, Carina?”

“Please stop, Lady Mary! Lady Carina doesn’t behave in such a way!”

“It’s just as Parfette says—I do not tease her. If I were to have a say in this matter, however, I would opt for doing something so painful to him that I hesitate to even say it out loud...” Carina trailed off, gazing at Gainas as she spoke. Though he was too far away to hear what she said, he still trembled as though sensing something in the air.

Despite what Parfette had said about him moments ago, she was ready to jump to his defense as she hurriedly grabbed hold of Carina’s arm. She clung to the other girl like a desperate kitten. “Y-You mustn’t, Lady Carina!”

“Oh dear, are you actually defending him, Parfette?” asked Carina.

“I-It’s not like that...”

“Good, I’m glad to hear that. There’s a few things I’d like to test out, and he seems sturdy enough.”

“Waaah! Lord Gainas, please run...!” Parfette cried weakly.

Though he shouldn’t have heard this either, Gainas once again shuddered. He rubbed his arms and looked around for the cause of the sudden chill in the air.

For a moment, Parfette gazed at him in concern, but then suddenly she snapped back to herself. At the sight of the other girls’ calm, cheerful smiles, she’d finally realized she was being teased, and once again puffed out her cheeks as though to say, “You two are so mean!”

But when Mary clasped the other girl’s hand to soothe her, soon enough Parfette returned to her good humor. Mary’s smile only grew bigger at the way Parfette’s expressions kept changing in rapid succession.

“I feel like I’m looking after a toy dog, really.”

“Indeed, that does describe Parfette quite well,” Carina agreed.

“At least this dog doesn’t jump at you out of nowhere or pound your shoulde—”

Mary’s words cut off suddenly. That was, of course, because Alicia had embraced her from behind. The sheer vigor of her action made Mary jump to her feet and screech out, “How vulgar!”

Her words didn’t discourage Alicia in the slightest. The girl grasped the hem of her own dress and curtsied politely in greeting towards Carina and Parfette, and then turned back to Mary. “Now then!” she said and squeezed Mary’s waist. The fact that she’d actually hugged Mary again like she was launching a second round of attacks only made Mary scream more. “Hello, Lady Mary!”

“Why did you greet them normally?! Can’t you greet me like that too?!”

“Thank you so much for having me! I really wanted to visit Elysiana College at least once!”

“Hey, listen to me...! Why do you keep hugging me tighter and then relaxing your hold over and over again?!”

“Oh, by the way, I have a letter from your brothers, Lady Mary,” said Alicia, fishing around in her bag.

Mary inhaled deeply as she was finally released. She took the letter from Alicia, when something suddenly grabbed her shoulder from behind. Naturally, it was the ambitious girl. Today just like always, her eyes were blazing with determination.

Without thinking, Mary smiled tensely and turned around so very slowly that her body seemed to almost creak audibly.

Behind her postured a beautiful young lady. That elegant smile of hers should’ve looked pretty, but... Was Mary imagining it, or could she actually see a bright cloud of flame burning behind the girl? Could this have been a manifestation of the girl’s ambition, or was it just an illusion caused by the aspirations which still blazed within her heart?

“G-Greetings, Margaret...”

“Greetings, Lady Mary. By the way, I believe I just heard words that sounded like, ‘Here is the perfect chance to aim for the heir of House Albert.’”

“Nobody said anything like that,” Mary responded with a strained expression, and sighed when the rest of the girls giggled.

Everyone was so boisterous... And that included Mary herself too.

The Ambitious Young Lady Preys for a Prince

Margaret Brownie, née Margaret Riadora, had been born into an aristocratic family, albeit not one of high standing. That wasn’t to say House Riadora was lower class, nor were they such a minor house as to be subservient to other families. Yet they also couldn’t boast of being able to proudly reign over the rest of high society—rather, they were exactly average, a perfectly ordinary middle-class noble family.

Margaret didn’t find that particularly unfortunate. She wanted for nothing, and she wasn’t so thankless a daughter as to curse her fate in such circumstances, understanding perfectly well that she had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

Yet if someone had asked Margaret whether she felt satisfied with what she had, she would’ve shamelessly shaken her head in denial while her eyes blazed with ambition.

Unlike her parents, who had modest wants along the lines of, “So long as we can leave our children with a little something more than we had, it will be enough,” Margaret had held an unbridled ambition in her heart from a very young age. Even when she was so young as to not yet grasp the disparities among noble families in full, she’d already had a sense of how their world functioned and wanted to climb to the top of it.

And so a turning point in her life had come when she’d gotten engaged to Rigg Brownie...

House Brownie were an upper class family. The marriage proposal had come about as Margaret’s and Rigg’s parents had attended Elysiana College together, and Margaret happily responded with an acceptance right away.

She celebrated the fact that she could marry into House Brownie, though there was not an ounce of love between herself and her fiancé. In fact, she’d never even met Rigg in person before accepting, and had only heard terrible rumors about him, which didn’t make for a great impression. Nonetheless, Margaret paid them no heed.

No matter what kind of man he was, she was prepared to support him as a wife, have children with him, and maintain the family line. She would be a wife her husband could be proud of among their peers, and she’d love their children unconditionally... After all, such was the role of the wife in an upstanding family, and Margaret was ready to face anything in order to keep the Brownie name as her own. Nursing such determination, she worked on improving herself day by day.

House Brownie possessed a long-standing upper middle-class family lineage, enough so that everyone in high society scrambled to bid them greetings whenever possible. Given their status, the Brownies had always been able to choose marriage candidates however they pleased. No matter what kind of acquaintanceship they might’ve had with House Riadora, there was no reason for them to settle for a bride from such an ordinary noble family.

On top of that, Rigg was their only child. House Brownie’s obvious course of action should’ve been to choose a woman of corresponding status as Rigg’s bride to continue the family line. If they’d been able to obtain a bride from another upper class family, it would’ve added further prestige to their own name too.

However, it was their very son who was the cause of all of the family’s problems.

Rigg was a selfish and tyrannical man. He despised the nobility despite being a part of it, and had gone through an aggressive, rebellious phase that his parents had found difficult to handle. Always assuming any woman who approached him was after his family name, Rigg would reject them all coldly, and refused any attempts at friendship with other nobles, claiming he didn’t see any meaning in it. Sometimes, he’d even go into the town under a false name to mingle with the craftsmen and make a poor imitation of their tailoring.

His parents regretted having spoiled him so much, but by the time they’d realized their mistake, it was already close to being too late. That was why they’d decided to rely on their old friends and begun marriage talks with Margaret’s family. They had to act before their rebellious son did something foolish, such as impregnating another woman, especially one who wasn’t a noble...

And so, with both parties’ interests aligned, Margaret had become engaged.

As for the first conversation between Margaret and Rigg...

“I bet you’re just after our family name like all the others.”

“Yes, you are correct.”

That was about how it had gone. There was no romance between them, nor did it seem like there’d ever be a chance for it to bloom. But in high society, this was simply how political marriages worked.

The reason the two of them had carried on with their betrothal all the way to college was because Rigg, despite his hatred of aristocrats, wouldn’t throw away the benefits that came with his family name. For her part, Margaret endeavored to do all she could so as not to make a single mistake and threaten the annulment of their engagement.

The second—and greatly undesired—turning point in Margaret’s life came when Lilianne transferred to Elysiana College...

Right after her transferral, Lilianne made contact with Rigg and then found all kinds of excuses to follow him around. Witnessing these events unfold, Margaret, like the other young noble ladies, assumed her fiancé would give Lilianne the cold shoulder until the girl left. After all, none of them could have guessed that Lilianne was operating based on her past life memories of a video game she’d played.

And yet, though Rigg had treated Lilianne coldly at first, gradually he began smiling softly at her instead. Moreover, he’d even start conversations with her himself, and in the end, he became one of the men who surrounded her at all times. How could this have happened, indeed?

Alas, it had occurred because Lilianne was aware of his complex regarding the aristocracy, owing to her knowledge of the game. In fact, someone like Rigg, who was starved for love and kindness unrelated to his family name, must’ve been an easy catch for her. Though, just as always, there was no true love to be found there.

Under such unforeseen circumstances, Margaret couldn’t believe how much Rigg had changed. At the same time, her own expression had soured. She had gone out of her way to form a connection with House Brownie, only to have some other girl steal it all away.

Filled with anxiety, Margaret was the very first of all the noble girls to make a move. She acted so quickly that even Carina, who was aware of everything and carefully taking action of her own, didn’t notice it nor expect it to happen. (Afterwards, Margaret would comment, “When it comes to hunting, initial speed is critical.”)

The first thing Margaret did was to show Rigg’s parents how their son was acting after having joined Lilianne’s reverse harem. Their expressions darkened immediately upon witnessing such a pathetic display. They already had no idea what to do with him, and now their worst fears were being realized. As such, they were full of unease.

While the Brownie couple started thinking about adopting a new heir, Margaret made a proclamation before them: “I vow to you that I will find a new groom and give birth to a fine baby boy!”

It was an absurd assertion, and yet they’d nodded their heads and adopted Margaret into House Brownie. The couple had been won over by her ambition. Margaret was overjoyed, and the Brownies had decided to recompense House Riadora for sending out their daughter without faulting her for her aspirations.

The third turning point in Margaret’s life... It was here and now, during Mary Albert’s wedding reception party.

Mary herself was enveloped by an aura of joy from having made public the identity of her beloved, and she was presently stirring the other young ladies into action. As Mary explained that someone else might steal away the girls’ objects of affection if they did nothing, Margaret nodded in agreement in her mind. Indeed, taking action was crucial.

And so, having listened to Mary’s advice, the girls went off one by one to find the individuals they had set their hearts on.

Unfortunately, Margaret didn’t have a specific target herself, and she watched the others vacate the area before softly placing her hand on Mary’s shoulder when the other girl had her back turned. Mary jolted in surprise.

“Lady Mary, I’d better get going too.”

“Oh my. When you say that, all I can hear is, ‘I’d better get hunting.’ And anyway, I thought you’d take the initiative and be the first to go.”

“I have a principle of not touching other people’s prey. I thought I’d wait to see where the others would go, and then decide on my move.”

“What a sensible hunter you are. If you need any help, just let me know; I’ll assist you. I’ll have you know I actually enjoy your voracity.”

“You may think of me as your sister-in-law, then.”

“Please refrain from saying such dreadful things. This is no joking matter.”

Margaret giggled at Mary’s words and headed towards the venue.

The other girls were starting conversations with their desired partners. Patrick Dyce was particularly popular, and a number of girls who yearned for him were waiting for their chance. They all gazed on as he and Carina danced hand in hand. For once, Carina didn’t look like her usual composed self, but instead seemed ecstatic, her cheeks flushed.

Margaret slowly surveyed the venue and let out a deep sigh at the magnificent view before her. Indeed, Albert Manor was truly splendid. Everything in sight was extravagant, yet stylish enough so as not to feel distasteful like some new money boasting. Every detail of the party had been meticulously attended to, and every single servant continued to offer hospitality to the guests without showing an ounce of exhaustion.

There were first-class goods as far as the eye could see. Everything within this mansion was a testament to House Albert’s historical significance and the fact that they now held authority equal to the royals.

I’m so jealous... Margaret thought, gazing out the window at Mary. She was talking about something or other with Parfette, and she conducted herself beautifully, just as one would expect from a daughter of House Albert. The girl had been raised in this high degree of extravagance as though it were the most normal thing in the world, and she passed through the mansion doors day by day without ever pausing to admire any of it.

A son of House Albert might really be the best choice... Margaret told herself as she pictured such scenes in her mind and decided to return to the garden. But on her way there, she noticed a lone boy loitering around, seemingly lost in thought, and that made her stop in her tracks.

The fact that she had noticed him and now spoke to him was all mere coincidence. She didn’t know who he was, and they hadn’t even made eye contact. Nor had he called out to her. Simply put, Margaret had grown curious about him for some reason and decided to talk to him on a whim. As this decision would end up changing her fate in a drastic way, one could also say this “coincidence” had come about as a result of her ambition, which had drawn her to the boy.

“You’re pulling quite the long face in the middle of a party,” Margaret told him gently.

He snapped out of his thoughts and quickly looked towards her. His soft hair swayed with the movement, and his darkly colored eyes captured hers. He was a beautiful boy, and though young, there was a sharpness to his features. Yet there was also something dark about his expression, and when Margaret asked him what was wrong, he hung his head down as if to avoid meeting her gaze.

That expression is ruining his pretty face... Margaret murmured in her mind and moved slowly to stand next to him so as not to frighten him. She followed the line of his sight from moments ago, looking over the sight of Albert Manor.

It was so very opulent that she could almost fall under the illusion that the mansion was trying to show her the difference in class between House Albert and herself. But at the same time, seeing it made her think of how she wanted to stand on the same level as its owners. Margaret wanted to be able to walk through the doors of Albert Manor with dignity, and then invite Mary Albert to visit her own equally lavish mansion in turn.

Even I can admit such an aspiration might be impossible, Margaret thought with a small smile.

Right then, the boy next to her murmured, “I’m...”

He was probably around ten, maybe eleven years old. His beautiful looks matched well with his prepubescent voice. Margaret felt as though she was gazing upon a lovely work of art. Yet his expression was still dark, and the tone of his voice sounded dispirited. She was certain he’d look even more beautiful if he smiled instead.

“What is it?” she prompted.

“I’m jealous of the people who can confidently walk around such a fine mansion.”

“Oh my. Why is that?”

“Well, I have two older brothers... They’re both really dignified, and they always act the part too. But I’m so nervous just being here, and I have no idea how I’m supposed to behave,” he explained pitifully, casting his gaze down.

Margaret smiled at him softly. How adorable... she thought, and the feeling rising in her chest caused the corners of her lips to lift up by themselves. The third son, is he? she noted all the while—such scrutiny was indeed very in character for Margaret Brownie. After all, the Brownie name was nothing to sneeze at, both in terms of their pedigree and the reputation they had carved out for themselves.

“The truth is, my eldest brother was supposed to take over the family. But lots of things happened, and now my other brother’s the heir. I know they have a lot of burdens, but I wish I could play my part too. Seeing them work so hard, I wonder if it’s really okay for me to do nothing...”

“Would you like to be the heir instead of your brother?”

“No, of course not!” The boy shook his head in a fluster at the question. Alas, it would seem he didn’t have the desire to kick his brother down and take the title of heir for himself. Margaret was impressed; he really was a kind boy. (If Mary were here right now, she’d definitely have coldly declared, “Not everyone is as ambitious as you.”)

Even so, the boy raised his face and looked over Albert Manor. When the breeze swayed his indigo hair, he emanated a mixture of adorableness and masculinity, creating a youthful sort of charm.

“I don’t want to replace my brothers or anything like that. But still... I also want to be responsible for something, just like they are. I want to be able to stand proudly and without hesitation in this resplendent world of high society,” the boy asserted.

Though his words were juvenile, there was a distinct sense of manliness in them, which made Margaret’s breath hitch a little. He had a boyish cuteness about him, yet a powerful determination dwelled in his eyes, blazing so strongly that it almost made her feel timid. But very quickly his expression fell again, and he sighed as he cast his gaze down once more.

The boy had the pure and innocent aspiration to help his brothers, yet at the same time, he felt resentful towards himself over his young age. The flame that had lit up in his gaze for a moment was so small it was easy to miss it, and now there was no trace of it left as he anxiously cast his indigo eyes to the side.

Even so, Margaret was certain the flame had been there for a second. That was why she, from the bottom of her heart, wanted to keep that fire burning, and to support him somehow in achieving his goal.

However, what held her back was the thought that she had been intending to compensate both House Brownie for trusting in her ambition, and House Riadora for allowing her to leave. It would be inexcusable to both families if she were to marry someone of a low standing.

Her thoughts were fueled by her own ambition, but she was also a woman who possessed a strong sense of duty. In order to repay a debt of gratitude to both families, Margaret felt she was obliged to find a groom whom they all would be satisfied with.

Ideally, it’d be someone with equal standing to House Brownie, or else of an even higher rank. Finding a candidate like that would repay her debts, as well as enable her to spite Rigg for having chosen Lilianne over her. Alas, there weren’t many men around who met such criteria. Margaret knew this, and she sighed quietly as she looked at the young boy before her.

She’d never had any delusions that some prince might come and take her away. Though, if one did appear, she’d certainly go out to meet him...

Margaret shook her head lightly at her own thoughts. She had to focus on the boy and his troubles for now. Although she certainly had no intentions of disavowing her own aspirations, that didn’t give her an excuse to neglect someone’s appeal for help.

Hence, she turned to face the boy again and stared fixedly into his eyes. His deep, indigo-ringed pupils seemed to almost absorb her, reflecting a note of sorrow. He looked back at her as though waiting for her to say something.

“Indeed, you might be immature compared to your brothers.”

“Exactly...”

“But that’s just because you’re young. It’s only natural that you’re more inexperienced than them. In fact, you aren’t even aware of how natural that is, and that’s what makes you put your older brothers as they are now on a pedestal. That’s also why your immaturity is so wonderful.”

“Wonderful...?” The boy’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected his immaturity to be praised as something positive.

His adorably shocked expression made Margaret chuckle softly. “So long as you keep thinking of yourself as immature and paying attention to the difference between you and your brothers, that will give you room for growth.”

“Growth?”

“Yes. If you continue to pursue your ideals, then by the time you’re their age, you will become an incomparably wonderful man. I guarantee it,” Margaret told him, puffing up with pride herself as though to say, “So have some confidence!”

The boy stared blankly ahead as if overwhelmed by her words. In the next moment, his cheeks reddened suddenly.

Margaret pressed her hand to her mouth at his reaction, as though to say, “My, how adorable.” His reactions and expressions stirred up a particular kind of affection within her, and an indescribable sense of cuteness filled her heart.

She simultaneously wanted to support him, be there for him at times, watch over him at others, and see him grow up closer than anyone else. This was the first time in her life that she’d felt such emotions for someone, despite not even knowing his social standing.

Suddenly, Margaret remembered she hadn’t asked the boy about his house, let alone his first name, and she cast a sideways glance at him. If he had a rank on par with House Brownie, and if his family lineage was equally prestigious, then...

That was how far her thoughts had gotten when Margaret opened her mouth slightly, as if to say, “I want to call out your name, but I don’t even know what it is.”

The boy conjectured the meaning behind her gesture and lowered his head in a fluster as he apologized. He must’ve been thinking about how rude he’d been, talking about himself without ever giving his name. His demeanor was adorable, and Margaret smiled gently at him.

“My apologies for going on at length about my issues without even introducing myself. My name’s Bernard—Bernard Dyce.”

“Bernard...Dyce?” Margaret echoed at the sound of the familiar name. It wasn’t that she hadn’t heard what he’d said. In fact, his clear voice resounded in her ears very pleasantly. She just couldn’t believe it. “You’re...from House Dyce?”

“Yes.” The boy—or rather, Bernard—nodded decisively in response.

Margaret suddenly saw the air around him sparkle and glitter. So he was a member of House Dyce!

There was no person alive who didn’t know of the Dyce family, both within their home country and in the neighboring nations alike. Originally, they’d been second in power only to House Albert, and their first son, Patrick, would reach an even higher standing if he and Princess Alicia were officially tied. Nowadays, they were no longer second to the Alberts—instead, the two families mutually supported one another. Margaret remembered Mary saying as much with a smile on her face.

This went beyond crème de la crème. In comparison to House Brownie, House Dyce was as far out of reach as the heavens themselves. Their family lineage excelled above nearly all the other nobles.

And Bernard Dyce was their third son.

Ah, I see. So that’s why their first son, Patrick, won’t inherit the family, leaving it to the middle brother instead... Margaret thought as she gently clasped Bernard’s hand. His slender fingers, not yet having grown into a manly form, twitched at the action. But he didn’t shake her off or retract his hand, and as Margaret looked upon him, she noticed his cheeks turned even brighter red. Even the tips of his ears peeking out from his indigo hair were dyed red. How adorable!

“I had no idea you were from House Dyce. My apologies for all the things I said to you...”

“No, not at all. It was my fault for not introducing myself first. Um... What’s your name?”

Margaret didn’t respond right away, instead smiling sweetly at him. Bernard’s cheeks flushed even more, and he gazed back at her as though enchanted.

I’ve been polishing my beauty even more in an attempt to keep Rigg in check, but... All of that was for this moment, Margaret told herself inwardly. She gripped Bernard’s shaking hand a little tighter. “My name is Margaret Brownie,” she said to him.

The boy echoed her name in a clear, quiet voice.

It made Margaret so happy that she could feel her own expression brighten into a genuine smile. “If talking with me makes you feel even just a little bit better, then please, feel free to speak about anything you like,” she said.

In response, the blushing Bernard nodded.

***

“Oh my,” Mary murmured, reaching out to pat her own shoulders. All of a sudden, they felt lighter, as though a great weight had been lifted.

At the same time, Patrick, who’d been looking at her questioningly, shuddered.

“I wonder what happened? My shoulders feel so light,” she commented.

“What’s going on? I just felt chills...”

While Mary touched her shoulders curiously, Patrick looked around his surroundings suspiciously. Everyone around them tilted their heads at this behavior.

***

A few months after the wedding reception party, Mary and Adi had just finished wrapping up some business at the Dyce estate when Bernard approached them. He said he had something he wanted to talk to them about, and having known the young boy for a long time, there was no way the two of them could refuse. They followed him to a guest room and sipped on the tea that the servants had brewed for them while watching Bernard expectantly.

The boy seemed to struggle on how to begin, but finally he opened his mouth to speak. “Lady Mary... Um, I’ve been wondering, what sort of gifts do women enjoy getting...?” he inquired in a muddled tone of voice, his cheeks pink.

Mary and Adi exchanged a look. “This could only mean one thing,” they seemed to think simultaneously. And because both of them knew just how pure and sincere Bernard was, they also knew they were obliged to answer him earnestly. The pair nodded their agreement to each other.

“Ah, sending ladies gifts is not a difficult matter,” Mary responded.

“What kind of gifts would make you happy, Lady Mary?”

“Croque—”

“Lord Bernard, please don’t use milady as your sole reference point,” Adi interrupted immediately, which made Mary snap back to her senses.

That was close; she’d almost let the truth slip out! She would have felt remorseful if Bernard actually took her words as advice. Mary rebuked herself inwardly, then looked up at Adi, trying to apologize with her eyes. Seemingly picking up on it, Adi nodded at her.

Bernard didn’t notice the look they exchanged as he turned to Adi instead. “Adi, what kind of things have you given Lady Mary lately?”

“Me?” Adi asked as both his and Mary’s eyes grew wide at the question.

They leaned in together as though they were about to discuss secrets. It was an emergency meeting.

“I mean... Yesterday I bought some croquettes for you on my way home. Would you count that as a gift?”

“Didn’t you just tell him not to use me as a reference point?”

“That’s because I didn’t want him doing that, but thinking it over, all I have given you lately are croquettes.”

“So what now?”

“Well, is there anything you’d like as a gift?”

“I’m feeling peckish.”

“So you just want more croquettes?!”

Following their whispered discussion, Mary cleared her throat. She then faced Bernard again, looking into his indigo eyes. “Bernard, I see you must’ve met someone very important to you. Am I right?” she asked gently.

Bernard blushed, but he didn’t deny it or try to hide it. He nodded honestly, true to his pure character. To top it off, that person was evidently a woman. Mary’s face broke into a smile at the thought.

“Yes, she’s really important to me,” he confirmed.

“She must be an irreplaceable existence to you, then.”

“Nobody could ever replace her,” he asserted.

“In that case, you cannot use us as your reference point,” Mary said with a smile. “Especially if she’s such a precious, irreplaceable person to you.”

Bernard gasped, as though realizing something. “You’re right,” he said, casting his eyes down and then smiling in embarrassment. “I’ll think on it and decide what to send her myself,” he added with such adorableness that Mary and Adi couldn’t help but smile at him. His gaze was brimming with purity. Perhaps he was picturing the girl in question and how pleased she’d be with his gift, which in turn made him happy.

“She must be a very charming person, for you to think of her so fondly,” Mary commented.

“Yes. She’s very pretty, and kind, and full of mature charm.”

“Oh, so she’s older than you?”

“She’s a student at Elysiana College, and she’s in the same grade as you, Lady Mary.”

“The same grade as milady...? The same age...? Mature charm...?”

“I wonder why you look so confused by that, Adi?” Mary asked, smiling elegantly at him. Adi smoothed over his words by laughing dryly.

But Mary couldn’t blame him for having doubts. After all, by his standards, the other girls Mary’s age included Alicia, who’d barged into Albert Manor first thing this morning for a playdate, and Parfette, who’d come over a few days ago teary and shaking all over. They were the furthest thing from “mature charm.”

Adi, not wanting to explain as much to Bernard, forcibly shifted the topic back on track. “So, that woman...” he prompted, and Mary cleared her throat again.

“Bernard,” she addressed the boy. “Would you mind telling us the name of that lovely lady friend of yours?”

“Of course,” Bernard said, smiling fondly as though just the idea of saying her name out loud made him happy. “Her name is...” he began slowly.

Watching him, Mary smiled softly as she brought her teacup closer to her lips...

“Margaret Brownie.”

...and barely stopped herself from spluttering her tea all over the place at those words.

Indeed, how very in character for Mary Albert. No matter what kind of surprise attack came her way, she’d never do something so disgraceful as spit out her drink.

She just about managed to swallow it down and coughed lightly. Then, before she could stop herself, she murmured, “That woman finally did it...”

However, the blissful Bernard didn’t catch her words.

The Arrival of Spring

The following story occurred at a time when Mary’s hair was still curled into tight, sturdy drills.

Mary was sitting next to the nonchalant Patrick during a very ordinary tea party. Every other person present lionized the two of them, commenting on how they looked perfect for each other and what a beautiful pair they made.

For Mary, it was just tiresome, but as the daughter of House Albert, she had no choice but to force a smile and say things like, “Oh my, not at all!” Even as she sighed inwardly in exasperation, she had to play her role in the charade.

There’s such a lovely breeze in the air today, and yet I have to sit here and listen to this brownnosing twaddle. On a day like this, I’d much rather take a walk and then dine outside on some croquettes.

Such were Mary’s current thoughts, though of course she couldn’t verbalize them. At the very least, she could hold her own single-player game of word chain in her mind. But just as she thought that, she noticed something move out of the corner of her eye.

What was that? Mary thought as she looked around.

Yet nothing around them seemed to have changed, and everyone else was still in the middle of their flattering prattle. As both the Albert and Dyce wives were present, the other nobles made use of this opportunity to desperately try to appeal to them.

Whenever Lady Albert made a remark along the lines of, “The tea is quite delicious,” everyone quickly agreed and praised her refined tastes.

If Lady Dyce commented, “Those flowers are so pretty,” everyone would scramble to hold out a single flower and extol how it reflected the beauty of nature.

Then, everyone followed the gazes of the two ladies towards their daughter and son respectively, and sent compliments on how well they looked together. Mary had already watched the exact same scene play out countless times, and she was fed up with it.

But she was certain that for a brief moment, she’d seen something fly right by her shoulder...

She glanced at her shoulder in search of whatever it was, and her eyes widened at the sight which signified the arrival of spring.

While the others chattered away, Mary called Patrick’s name, quietly enough so that nobody else could hear. Thankfully, this was right around the time when the others were busy currying favor with Lady Albert, so they hadn’t noticed it.

But Patrick, who was sitting next to her, heard her and looked over. He must’ve been bored with this situation too, and all the compliments went in one ear and out the other as he turned to Mary. Though he was sitting upright and chimed in when asked to, he mostly kept his mouth shut stiffly in order to stifle yawns.

“What is it, Mary?”

“Patrick, please take a look at my drills.”

Question marks flitted about Patrick’s head at Mary’s words, but such a reaction was to be expected, considering she’d just said this in the middle of a tea party.