“Kyle, isn’t there something different today?”
“?”
Just another ordinary afternoon.
I asked Kyle that question.
Today, I felt something was off.
It was different, and in a major way!
“What’s different?”
“…. I don’t know?”
“Yes.”
“….”
How can he not notice this?
It’s obvious to anyone.
This must be because Kyle is a bit clueless.
I’m pretty sure even Louise, Elin, or at least Adela would notice.
“Really, you don’t know? It’s totally different from usual.”
“You look beautiful as always.”
“No, that’s not what I’m asking!”
I didn’t want to hear compliments.
Sure, it feels nice to hear, but it’s not the answer I was looking for.
“Look here.”
I spread my arms wide and spoke to Kyle.
Yeah, maybe he didn’t see it properly before.
But surely he would notice this!
“Um…”
Kyle started to ponder.
Right, now he should be able to sense something’s a bit different.
Just how different I am today.
How different.
I’m sure Kyle would catch on.
Or maybe… he could get a little sulky?
“Seriously, you don’t know…? Huh?”
“Yes.”
“….”
I’m a bit disappointed.
I thought Kyle would definitely notice.
How could he not see this?
It’s blatantly obvious!
“Kyle, are you sure you looked properly?”
“I really looked hard.”
“No, you need to look a bit more carefully!”
“….”
“Hurry~”
I leaned in closer to Kyle.
If he couldn’t recognize it seriously, there would be a problem.
“Sophia.”
“Yeah?”
“Then what’s different about me today?”
“You?”
Suddenly, Kyle asked me the same question.
He probably couldn’t think of an answer for me.
But it was no problem for me.
Unlike him, I could actually give an answer.
“Well, I’ve buttoned up properly today, so my collarbone isn’t showing like the other maids, my sleeves are down so my forearms aren’t visible, and my hair is neatly dried without my help.”
“….”
It’s obvious to see that!
What on earth is with this question?
I mean, I have only this level of standards.
Is it really Kyle’s fault for not figuring it out?
“Want me to tell you more?”
I could keep going if I wanted.
Honestly, even now, Kyle has switched from his usual comfy clothes to some less stretchy pants today, and he’s wearing the shirt we bought during our date before.
“No, I’m okay….”
“I’m doing so well at noticing, why can’t you get any of it right?”
“Haha… Sorry about that.”
“Right?”
He should be sorry.
If I’m giving him such a clear hint and he doesn’t get it, he definitely needs to be sorry.
“Today, my skirt is shorter than usual!”
“….”
“I usually wear it below the knee, but today it’s so short!”
Of course, in this cold region, I never wear mini skirts at all.
I only wore one when Kyle and I went out once.
“Now do you get it?”
“Yes.”
That was enough.
Well, I wasn’t really someone who would nag Kyle about this.
He might just not care much about clothes.
Yeah, that can happen.
“….”
“Sophia?”
“Yeah, what?”
“Why are you suddenly looking somewhere else?”
“…. Just. I felt like looking over there.”
“…There’s nothing over there.”
“I just felt like it.”
“….”
But come on, with a skirt this short, how could he not notice?
I thought he would like it, that’s why I dressed this way.
It’s not like I wear short skirts often.
I usually stick to pants or long skirts.
How could he miss this?
“Hmph.”
I felt somewhat offended.
But I could understand.
After all, I’m dating this guy, so it’s somewhat understandable.
“Sophia, how can I make you feel better?”
“….”
What should I say?
Honestly, it’s not like I’m incredibly upset or mad.
I just felt a bit off.
I wasn’t really angry with Kyle.
“Then… buy me something delicious later.”
Just that much would be enough.
If we went down together and had some good food, that would suffice.
Plus, I knew he would take it upon himself if I said anything weird.
Better to just say it simply than say something odd and complicate things, right?
*
“Kyle, what’s up?”
“Oh, I was just thinking about something for a second.”
“Do that later; let’s eat first.”
As Kyle and I were slicing delicious steak in the domain, he suddenly stopped his hands, so I spoke up.
I didn’t know what he was thinking about all of a sudden, but it felt a bit unfortunate for him to just be lost in thought while having dinner together.
By the way, he dressed pretty nicely today.
“This is tasty, here.”
“Right? You told me to buy something delicious last time.”
“Hehe.”
Well, even if I hadn’t mentioned it, Kyle would have taken me to a nice place.
He probably wanted to take me somewhere nice even without saying it.
That’s just how he is.
“So, what were you thinking about so much?”
After he finished off the steak piece I’d given him, while we were both eating dessert, I asked.
“What were you thinking about that made you focus so much while we were finally down having a meal together?”
“Well… I was thinking about where to take you on our next date.”
“Huh?”
“Since we haven’t really gone on a proper date since we returned from the islands, I just wanted to think for a bit.”
“?”
We haven’t had a proper date?
Haven’t we been going out a lot lately?
What in the world is he talking about?
“We’ve been on plenty of dates lately.”
“Yeah?”
“I mean, we’re dating right now.”
“Not really. Coming down here for dinner is more like a quick stop.”
“…?”
What kind of nonsense is that?
If this isn’t a date, then what is?
Coming down for dinner is not a date? What’s a date then?
“I mean, we’ve done dinner at a restaurant several times now. It should be more like the last time we walked around the islands together.”
“Um… I think this kind of date is fine too?”
Seriously? He thinks this counts as a date?!
Just being out together, having a meal and spending time, isn’t that exactly what a date is?
“Whenever I’m with you, it’s a date no matter where we go. If not, then what is?”
“….”
“Right?”
“Haha… You’re right.”
What’s with these useless thoughts popping into his mind?
Just because it’s a temporary relationship doesn’t mean it’s different from real couples, does it?
It’s just about spending time together outside.
“Sophia, would you like to come with me to the spring festival next time?”
“Suddenly?”
“Yes.”
The spring festival… Well, it’s something I’ve gotten used to since it’s happened for several years.
Honestly, it’s nothing special.
It’s just a festival celebrating the end of winter and the arrival of slightly warm spring.
“Isn’t there something we need to do during that festival?”
Every year, Kyle took care of the beginning and end of the spring festival.
At the start, he would announce to the gathered crowd that the festival was beginning, and at the end, he would ask if everyone enjoyed it.
He had to handle things that came up during the festival too.
As a result, I had to work hard as Kyle’s direct servant.
“Oh, this time I’ve left it all to my father.”
“….”
Thinking about it, since the duke returned, Kyle didn’t have to do it in the first place.
I hadn’t thought of it because Kyle kept doing it even after the duke came back. It should have been the duke’s job from the start!!
“Kyle, that’s not your thing to do; it should be the duke’s job, right?”
“Haha… That’s true. But I didn’t feel the need to go out and enjoy the festival.”
“No, it should be better to go out than work during a festival!”
If that were the case, I could have worked less!
It had already been nearly a year, and although it was something I had done for years, I felt wronged.
I could’ve had at least two years of breaks!
“Anyway, are you okay with that?”
“Of course I’m okay!”
It was actually great!
Until now, I had to just watch the festival from the castle window.
Seeing fireworks bursting outside, I could only watch from the window, which was so sad.
No, it’s not about working being a problem.
Working next to Kyle wasn’t really hard anyway.
The issue wasn’t ‘working’ but that everyone else was having fun while I was stuck working.
“So, we can spend this spring festival together.”
“We’ve already spent every year together.”
Every year… I was stuck working during the spring festival with Kyle.
Of course, it was inevitable we spent it together.
“Haha… But this time, we can enjoy the festival, can’t we?”
“That part’s true. A little bit sooner would have been nice, though.”
Just like Kyle said, it was nice to finally be able to enjoy the festival.
It’s not just watching from the window anymore, but I could actually partake in it!
“But what exactly do we do at the festival?”
“….”
“….”
Now that I think about it, both of us had forgotten because we were so focused on work.
Since I had been watching the festival from the castle, only abstract memories stuck in my mind.
The sight of children running around.
I couldn’t quite remember what they were eating.
Fireworks bursting up into the sky.
Seriously, aside from the times Kyle had gone out to speak on the first and last day, I hadn’t left at all.
It couldn’t be helped.
“Well, we’ll find out slowly.”
“That’s true.”
This time, we could finally enjoy the festival outside, not just stuck in the castle.
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