“Young Master, it’s morning.”
As always, I entered the room to wake Kyle up in the morning.
Maybe it was hot at night, as Kyle was completely shirtless.
“Were you too hot?”
“Nope. Just had a lot on my mind.”
“Thinking…?”
“Yeah, just thinking made me a bit angry, I guess, and I got hot.”
“Is that so?”
I honestly had no clue what was bothering Kyle, but it was annoying.
I had never seen him angry, not even when the Princess came to visit.
He didn’t even get mad when Louise did something strange.
“If you have any worries, please let me know. I might quit soon, but for now, I’m still your servant.”
“Got it.”
Anyway, as usual, the morning began.
I buttoned Kyle’s clothes and tied his tie.
It would definitely come undone again, but it was something I had to do for now.
“Good morning, Your Highness.”
“Duke’s Son, good…? morning.”
“Yes.”
Kyle greeted the Princess with a different vibe than the day before.
Maybe it was the morning that dulled his energy?
That could happen.
Feeling groggy in the morning can make anyone a bit cranky.
“You’re heading to breakfast, right? Is it alright if I join you?”
“Of course. I actually need Your Highness’s help.”
“…?”
We passed through the hallway together and went to the dining hall for breakfast.
Breakfast was light, as always.
Instead of a heavy meal that would weigh down my stomach, Eristirol Castle preferred a lighter morning.
Well, Kyle ate quite a lot, but then again, he had to maintain that body of his.
“…”
Speaking of which, the conversation from yesterday popped into my mind.
He really hates vegetables, it turned out.
I caught him subtly pushing the veggies aside on his plate while we ate.
Our conversation was so quiet that I couldn’t hear it anyway.
So I was silently laughing.
Here was a 19-year-old secretly shoving veggies aside like a kid.
“Heh…”
I already heard about it, but seeing it in action was a whole different vibe.
I laughed at the concept yesterday.
Seeing it for real was even more hilarious.
“Ha… that’s a bit dangerous.”
“Haha…”
“Do you want to use the method I mentioned before?”
“That’s…”
What was Kyle planning to do today anyway?
It seemed like he was done with the castle tour.
What was the Princess going to do today?
Maybe sightseeing outside, just like Kyle and I did yesterday?
Well, who knows?
There’s still plenty of time until the Princess goes back.
“…”
I’ve already given all my gifts for congratulating Kyle’s coming-of-age ceremony, so all that’s left is for him to spend a few more days in the castle.
Or perhaps get to know Kyle better.
“It’s too early. I think there’s still potential, so let’s look for another way.”
“Got it. But be careful. It might turn out into a situation where neither works.”
“Yes.”
What were they even talking about?
Did something happen in the territory?
If there was an issue with the territory, it would make sense for the Princess to consult with her.
After all, she was older than Kyle and might have more experience with such matters.
“Sophia?”
“Yes, Young Master?”
They suddenly called my name while they were talking.
Was there something they needed from me?
“There’s some jewelry among the gifts given by the Princess, right?”
“Yes.”
There were more jewels than I expected among the gifts from the Princess.
I thought it would be money.
But there were also a lot of sparkling jewels and fancy crafts.
Besides that, there was grain and some precious stones, but like Kyle said, there were jewels too.
What did he want with them?
“Could you pick a few that look pretty to you and send them to me?”
“What…?”
Did I hear that right?
Was he really entrusting me with jewels?
“Is it okay for me to do that…?”
“Yes, it’s because it’s you.”
“Uh… understood. I’ll prepare them by today.”
“Yes, don’t think of my preferences, just choose what you think looks good.”
“Understood.”
I had no idea why this conversation came up suddenly during breakfast, but since he entrusted me with it, it seemed like it was an important matter.
If it wasn’t, Kyle would’ve just picked something random himself.
Why was he asking me to choose jewelry out of nowhere? Was he going to gift a ring to the Princess?
“Duke’s Son… wouldn’t it usually be chosen by the person?”
I pondered about the jewels while watching them eat from behind.
There were a few jewels with some magical qualities merged in, which might be fine.
Otherwise, just regular gems like rubies would be okay too.
To say “jewels that look pretty” was a bit strange.
Jewels are supposed to look pretty by default.
*
“Huh…? Did he really ask you to do that?”
“Yeah. What could it be? Is he planning to give a gift to the Princess?”
“…I don’t know either.”
I was hanging out with Louise during a break when I brought it up, and she seemed just as puzzled.
I didn’t expect her to know, but since she didn’t either, I really had no clue what to think.
“Ha… what’s he thinking…”
I mean, wouldn’t you normally choose a gift for someone else yourself?
Getting someone else to pick was a bit odd.
“Oh.”
“What?”
“Maybe he’s trying to pick something that looks better in a woman’s eyes? After all, I’m a woman, so he might think that I would make a better choice than him since I’d know the Princess’s taste better.”
“…”
That did sound logical.
Even though I was mentally a guy, in Kyle’s eyes, I was a woman.
Perhaps that’s how he saw it?
I was probably the most comfortable woman around him.
Plus, I was in a position that could touch the family jewels.
So maybe that’s why he specifically entrusted me with the task.
Usually, these kinds of things would hold more meaning if Kyle chose them personally.
I’d have to pick a few pieces for him to choose from.
Regardless of my thoughts, it’d be great if Kyle and the Princess ended up together.
The family would gain significant power if that happened.
I mean, we were already far from the center, but if the Princess was to become part of our family?
Wow, that’s a total cheat!
It would practically be an exploit!
“Sigh…”
Louise sighed heavily in front of me.
She probably felt frustrated about not being able to choose herself.
No matter how much help a woman might provide, ultimately, the choice should be theirs.
“It’s okay. I’m going to tell Kyle that he should pick himself.”
“…”
“Let’s just pick a few jewels, and once he sees them, it’ll be easier for him to choose from those.”
“You really…”
“What?”
Smart?
Kind?
“No.”
“It’s totally fine to give a sincere compliment.”
Why was she so shy about giving praise?
I actually thought my idea was good.
“Alright, do your best. In a few months, we’ll meet in another place.”
“Another place?”
I’d be going back home, but wasn’t Louise going to stay in the castle for a few more months?
I didn’t understand what she meant by meeting in another place.
Had she finally lost her mind after reading one too many strange novels?
“The whole reason behind building a shrine was for that…”
Anyway, I spent time with Louise like this.
Since she didn’t gamble, her room wasn’t a mess like before.
Thanks to that, I didn’t have to clean up after her.
*
“Young Master.”
“Sophia?”
“I’ve finished what you asked.”
“So soon…?”
“Yes, but I have something to say first.”
“Something to say?”
“Yes.”
Holding the jewelry box to Kyle’s chest, I spoke up.
Maybe he thought the room was hot, as his face was slightly flushed.
It hadn’t seemed that way earlier, but it was red now.
“This is something very important, so listen carefully.”
“…”
I looked up at Kyle and opened my mouth.
This was incredibly important.
I had considered it every time I picked jewelry.
“If you’re going to give a gift, I believe it’s better for you to choose directly rather than asking me.”
“…”
“I mean, I’ve narrowed it down to a few options to make it easier for you. If it’s a gift for the Princess, you should choose it yourself.”
“Did you select them based on your taste?”
“That’s right. I thought there might be a chance it could be a different lady, so I picked out the ones I found beautiful.”
Considering Kyle had said he had no intention of pursuing a relationship with the Princess before, I thought of other possibilities.
Of course, these days, it felt likely he would end up with her, especially seeing how close they were today.
“Any woman you like would probably prefer something beautiful too. I might not be receiving gifts, but I’d think that way too.”
It was true.
I mean, anyone would think that.
“If the person giving the gift knows it was picked by another woman, how would they feel? So really, you should decide yourself.”
“…Alright.”
“Oh, by the way, I really liked the ruby.”
I casually threw that in as the atmosphere had turned a bit dreary.
Well, it wasn’t just random; I genuinely thought the ruby was beautiful.
“But the Princess might have different tastes…”
“Sophia.”
“Yes?”
“If you were to receive a gift, what kind of accessory would you prefer?”
Accessories?
There’s more than one type of accessory, so I paused for a moment.
Bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and even minor items like nose rings or other piercings existed.
“Hmm…”
I briefly glanced at Kyle while pondering.
After all, I had been looking at him even before, so I didn’t really need to look away.
“Oh, I think a necklace would be nice. Unless it’s an engagement or marriage gift, rings could be a bit too much.”
A ring felt way too serious, somehow.
“If a woman suddenly received a ring, wouldn’t anyone misunderstand?”
“Sophia, what about you?”
“Um… wouldn’t it be the case? After all, a ring carries a different significance compared to other accessories.”
“Got it.”
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
