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“I’m glad to hear you had a good time.”
“Yes, we enjoyed it very much.”

Mikhail narrowed his eyes at Ekaterina as she spoke in a cheerful voice.
This was the gazebo where, some time ago, she had approached Mikhail to ask for his help in getting Olga to participate in the musical evening. Since inviting Olga to vocal lessons was sort of a follow-up to that incident, she decided to report it to Mikhail as well.
Of course, today too, Flora was right beside her, and a little further away, the trio of Mina, Yvan, and Luka were firmly in place.

From a corporate slave’s perspective, Mikhail wasn’t exactly a superior Ekaterina needed to report to. However, she owed him a debt of gratitude for his help with that consultation on reporting, communicating, and consulting. In such cases, if the opportunity arises, one should report on the subsequent situation and express gratitude for their cooperation.
And, of course, maintain the relationship so she can use him as a contact in the future.
It feels a bit odd to be “nurturing connections” with Mikhail, but as a human being, one should observe basic courtesy.

“My brother and his aides came to listen. They were absolutely delighted by everyone’s singing.”

That’s right. While the lesson was in progress, Aleksei, Novak, Khalil, and Aaron all showed up together, so Marina and Olga froze in place.

“Lady Ekaterina never speaks of herself, but His Grace was most moved by her singing. She’s truly very talented.”

Flora said with a smile.

*“Ekaterina, my singing star. Your voice is as radiant and sweet as your beauty. While listening to you sing, it felt as though the world had transformed into a paradise bursting with flowers.”*

These were Aleksei’s words.
Madam Didonat, who hadn’t flinched at the sudden appearance of the duke and his entourage, was left wide-eyed by these words, whispered as he placed a hand on her sister’s cheek and gazed into her eyes.

“My brother is just being sweet to me. Lady Flora and Lady Olga are much more wonderful.”

Yeah. I’m really happy to be praised, but Onii-sama’s ears are equipped with a high-performance siscon filter, so in a way, it doesn’t count. I mustn’t forget that his assessment is worlds apart from the general public’s.
Come to think of it, though, this was the first time that his siscon filter extended to his sense of smell. Congratulations on the first expansion. I’m not sure if I should be celebrating, though.

“……”

Mikhail seemed to have no choice but to offer a wry smile.
Seeing Mikhail like that, Ekaterina began:

“I hear that, since they were unable to attend the Evening of Music, my brother’s aides requested to listen to our lesson instead. They seemed to enjoy it.”

I wonder if that’s the reason why, not only Novak, but also Khalil and Aaron showed up? What happened to their role as the office’s resident advisors? Has their immunity to Onii-sama’s siscon virus weakened?
Setting that aside, Ekaterina thought, “This is it!”

“So, I thought perhaps you might enjoy it as well, Lord Mikhail. We did have an agreement that I would sing for you, didn’t we? If you’d be so kind, would you care to visit my home during our next lesson? I don’t know if it will be enough to substitute the Evening of Music, but how shall I put it… I think it might help you relax a bit.”

At Ekaterina’s suggestion, Mikhail’s eyes widened, and he smiled slowly.

“You’re inviting me to your home? You’ll sing for me at your house?”
“The arrangements you’ve made have been truly helpful, Lord Mikhail. I would be delighted if you could enjoy yourself for a little while.”

She had considered involving the class to recreate the Evening of Music, but that would make it seem as though Mikhail was receiving special treatment for being the prince—and for Mikhail, who was always special, that would simply become “business as usual.”
Ekaterina wants him to experience what it’s like to be “just like everyone else.” Dropping by a friend’s house and joining a small gathering—wouldn’t that feel just right for a student? And with the Jurnova family, even if the prince drops by unannounced, security is always tight.
It might be a bit awkward for a boy to join a girls’ gathering alone, especially a teenager his age, but at her own house, that won’t be a problem at all.

“If you feel uncomfortable joining a girls’ gathering, please come with my brother. With Lord Mikhail in attendance, my brother would surely be honored to join us.”

No matter what anyone says, the two of them are close friends. The way they synced up on the men’s part of the first dance back in Jurnova domain in just one try was amazing. I’m sure he’ll be able to relax and enjoy himself.

At least, that is what Ekaterina genuinely believes.

“…………”

Mikhail remains silent, his gaze wandering into the distance. His eyes are distant. Perhaps he is imagining the scene of listening to Ekaterina’s song alongside Aleksei.
Perhaps his imagination is running wild, adding a sense of reality to the song of snow.

“Do you not like the idea…?”

Ekaterina looks dejected. Come to think of it, even without all this planning, Mikhail had once just casually dropped by the Duke’s mansion on his own. During the season of roses, when she invited her classmates to the Duke’s mansion to see the rose garden that His Imperial Majesty had admired, Mikhail had slipped in unnoticed.

Mikhail shook his head hurriedly.

“Not at all—I’m very happy that you went to all that trouble for me. It’s just that… I’d like to think a little more about how I’d like to hear it. I want to save it and savor it, so to speak.”
“Ah! That’s right. Imagining things and making plans is fun, isn’t it?”

Traveling is often more fun when you’re making plans than when you’re actually there, isn’t it? I understand how you feel.

“If there is anything you wish for, please do tell me. I will do my best to accommodate you—as long as it fits with Lady Flora’s schedule, of course.”
“Please don’t worry about me. As long as His Grace grants permission, I will accompany Lady Ekaterina anytime, anywhere.”

Flora said with a lovely smile.

“That’s right. Of course, provided my brother gives his permission.”

While nodding deeply, Ekaterina was certain that the prince would never request a situation that her brother would absolutely refuse to allow.

It seemed her earlier decision to “stay away from Doom” she had made just before the second semester began had completely vanished from her mind.

.

It wasn’t that she thought all her problems were resolved. She knew she had to remain vigilant about how Lydia might react.
Still, her past life’s hit song had resonated far more than she’d expected, and she’d inadvertently let that distract her.

So.
One morning, when she arrived at class, Ekaterina was stunned to see Olga, her eyes swollen from crying, applying a cold compress to Renat’s cheek, which bore a bruise as if he’d been punched.