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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Temporary Friends
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The duchess’s expression softened considerably as she slowly nodded.
“A friend contract… You mean defining our mutual duties and rights as friends through a contract? That’s not a bad idea.”
“I tried to think of a way that would be as mutually satisfying as possible for both of us.”
At my response, the duchess let out a soft chuckle.
“Quite confident, aren’t you? Whether or not I decide to take Lady Ansi as a friend is still up in the air, no?”
“Well, I’m confident that I can be loyal to you, Duchess.”
I beamed, a bright smile spreading across my face.
“If you were to lose me, it would be the same as losing the person who will one day become your most loyal friend.”
“…”
Her vivid blue eyes stared intently at me.
They were like a deep, bottomless lake.
I couldn’t begin to fathom what was going on inside her head.
All I could do was my absolute best to persuade her.
“So, if you insist on casting me aside in the end… wouldn’t that be a loss for you as well, Duchess?”
My mouth was dry with tension.
But I tried my best to maintain a relaxed demeanor.
“Of course, it would be a great loss for me, too, since I’d be missing the chance to be friends with someone as wonderful as you.”
I quickly added a final touch of flattery.
The duchess remained silent for a long moment.
And then.
“For once, you’re not being frustrating.”
“Pardon?”
“Just a moment ago, you were putting yourself down for no reason. It was so irritating to watch.”
Duchess, you wound me by speaking nothing but the truth…
But her assault of facts showed no signs of stopping.
“You had no mind of your own, just trailing after Lady Lopes. And Lady Lopes acted as if it was perfectly natural to be waited on by you, didn’t she?”
The duchess clicked her tongue, making sure I could hear.
“What kind of friendship is that? I wouldn’t even work a maid that hard.”
“…”
Even in the face of her sharp words, I couldn’t bring myself to say, ‘That’s not true.’
*If I hadn’t suddenly remembered the original story… I’d probably still be living like that, wouldn’t I?*
I felt a pang of bitterness.
At the same time, the duchess nodded.
“Anyway, fine.”
“Pardon?”
“You said you wanted to be my temporary friend, right?”
She crossed her arms and added sullenly.
“I said fine.”
Wow, really?!
My eyes sparkled.
“Thank you so much! I’ll do my best! I’ll try my hardest not to disappoint you…!”
“Save the flattery.”
The duchess turned her head away with a huff.
But it was only for a moment.
She stole a sideways glance at me and opened her mouth.
“S-So.”
The duchess’s cheeks were already tinged with a faint blush.
“We’re friends now. Well, not real friends, just temporary ones, but still.”
After emphasizing the ‘temporary’ part several times, the duchess asked me in a prim voice.
“…So, what are we supposed to do now?”
For a second, I froze solid.
*What is with her?*
It might be blasphemous to think this about the most noble lady in the empire, but…
*She’s so cute!*
How should I put it? She was like an incredibly beautiful, high-pedigree cat.
Aloof and haughty, so she didn’t take well to being handled.
But it didn’t seem like she disliked the attention itself…
“What is it? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
As I was lost in thought for a moment, the duchess shot me a sulky glare.
“You said you’d be my friend, even if it’s temporary. Or do you hate the idea of spending time with me?”
“Of course not!”
I snapped back to my senses and answered quickly.
“In that case, shall we start by getting to know each other?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“We’ve only agreed to be temporary friends. We don’t know anything about each other, do we?”
Of course, I knew the basic personal details.
But that wasn’t the kind of information friends needed.
“Hobbies, favorite foods… anything is fine.”
I smiled, my eyes crinkling.
“If it’s not too much to ask, could you tell me a little more about yourself, Duchess?”
* * *
A carriage bearing the crest of a sword and rose slid to a smooth stop in front of the ducal townhouse.
*Click.*
The carriage door opened, and a man of refined appearance stepped out.
The butler, who had been notified in advance and was waiting, quickly bowed his head.
“Welcome, Your Grace.”
Pale platinum-blond hair and the family’s signature eyes, as blue as a glacial sea.
And a handsome face that looked as if it had been meticulously sculpted by the gods.
He was none other than the current head of the Duchy of Claudius and the sharpest sword in the empire.
Dietrich von Claudius.
“I must say, I’m surprised to see you return so early.”
“A day like this is needed every now and then. The state council meeting ended early, as it happens…”
As he was crossing the garden, exchanging pleasantries with the butler.
Dietrich suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“Ahaha, is that really true?”
The sound of clear laughter drifted over from the garden.
Dietrich’s expression turned to one of mild surprise.
“Eva?”
Beneath the shade of magnificently blooming roses.
His younger sister, Evanjeline, was bursting into peals of laughter.
Sitting across from her was a lady with long, flowing black hair.
Her back was to him, so it was difficult to see her face.
However, her posture was remarkably straight and elegant, a sign of a good upbringing from a noble house.
“Eva, getting along with another lady. What a rare sight.”
Although it was true that Dietrich doted on Evanjeline.
He also viewed his sister with an objective eye.
Evanjeline had a fundamentally sensitive nature, which made it a little difficult for her to get along with others.
To fix that prickly personality, she needed to socialize with various people and smooth out her rough edges, but the problem was her standing.
No one could bring themselves to say a harsh word to the sole, precious daughter of the Duchy of Claudius.
As a result, a rumor had recently begun to spread in high society that Duchess Claudius was arrogant.
“Who on earth is that lady?”
“She is the lady of the Viscounty of Ansi. Her name is Lalitt Ansi.”
“…Lady Ansi. Truly remarkable.”
To be able to make his sharp-tongued sister laugh like that.
*Lalitt Ansi.*
Dietrich mulled over the name a few times.
He was in an unusually pleasant mood.
* * *
As the sun began to set.
The duchess and I were saying our goodbyes at the entrance of the townhouse.
“It’s getting late. Would you like to stay for dinner? My brother just returned early, as it happens.”
The duchess suggested, a look of disappointment on her face.
“It’s alright, but thank you for the offer.”
I clutched the roses I held in my arms and quickly shook my head.
The duchess alone was overwhelming enough, but dinner with the Duke of Claudius himself?
I would definitely be sick with indigestion…
“Thank you so much for these roses, too. I’ll treasure them.”
I quickly offered my thanks to the duchess, who now seemed a bit sullen.
A new fact I learned today was that the duchess’s hobbies were flower arrangement and gardening.
“Ah, so that’s why the roses were blooming so beautifully.”
When I had said that without thinking, she replied.
“Do you like these roses? If so, I’ll have some prepared for you to take on your way home.”
And that was how I ended up with an armful of the highest quality roses, a variety enjoyed only by a select few nobles and the imperial family…
“By the way, Lady Ansi.”
Meanwhile, the duchess, who had been looking me up and down with a pout, suddenly said something utterly shocking.
“At this rate, as a temporary friend, you’re failing.”
