Leave a comment

Some time passes and then someone knocks on the door again.
This time it’s Oswald.

“Good afternoon, Natalia. I see you’ve changed clothes, they fit you really well.”
“Thank you, please come in.”

He might be young, but I still have to be careful about my manners, he’s still nobility after all. Oh no, I haven’t released Olivia yet.

“How’re you doing, Olivia..?”
“Oh, Oz, hello.”

I can’t blame Oswald for being lost for words seeing Olivia’s current state. Though I’m a bit bothered by how natural Olivia is acting while being tied to a chair.

“Excuse me.”

I undo the steel silk and Olivia stands up, stretching her shoulders for a bit.

“So, did you need something Oz?”
“Ah, right. Are you free right now? What do you think of having a bit of a tea party with me in the garden?”
“Oh…hmm, should I?”
“Why not? You’re both cousins, so maybe it’ll be a good chance to get to know each other better as family?”

Olivia lived for a while believing she was the last surviving member of her family, so even if she has reservations when talking to a noble like Oswald, it might be good if they get to know each other better.

“I see, that’s true.”

Olivia and Oswald leave the room, and barely a moment later the maid from earlier arrives pushing a cart, which has a set of cups and a teapot, as well as some plates of snacks.

She says it’s tea for us as well, since Olivia and Oswald are having some in the garden. I try to help her serve it, but she quickly pushes my help away.

Hmm…I feel so restless.

Eventually the tea is served and everything is ready without my help.

Clarissa jumps straight to stuffing her cheeks with the sweets served on a plate on the floor, while Akane stands on the table and looks at me, as if asking for permission to eat. I really wish that mutt could learn some manners from Akane¹.

“Let’s eat then.”

I nod to Akane and she starts politely nibbling on some sweets. I also take one, the sweetness quickly spreading through my mouth.

The refreshing scent of tea also wafts up from the cups, tickling my nose. I take a sip and a slight bitterness takes over, which somehow cancels out the sweetness of the sweets.

“It’s a really nice tea. What brand is it?”
“It’s Abados Tea. I’m glad it’s to your liking.”

I ask about the tea, and the maid, who introduced herself as Stella, tells me what it was.
Abados Tea, huh. I’ll have to remember that name.
But anyway…

“…”
“…Can I help you with something?”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing…”

I’ve lived as a maid ever since I was reborn in this world, so it’s really unnerving being in this position now.

“Umm…”
“Yes?”
“How long have you been a maid here at the Gardeland Mansion?”

What am I asking now?

Though I have to say, while Plum looks emotionless because she’s still underdeveloped, Stella has this almost uncomfortable composure and coolness that makes me feel almost uncomfortable to be near her.

I really tried to find a way to break the ice between us, but that was the best I could come up with.

“I’ve been working here for three years now. But I believe my qualities to receive and satisfy guests are top notch.”
“Oh, I wasn’t questioning your abilities or anything like that.”
“Is that so?”
“…”

This is so hardddddddd!

The uncomfortable time continues after that, so with nothing else to do I just drink the tea and eat all the snacks. Once I’m done Stella gathers everything and carries it out, finally giving me some room to breathe.

I really hate tense tea parties.
I wonder how it’s going on Olivia’s side?
Maybe I shouldn’t have sent her away simply because they’re cousins.

Oz takes me to a corner of the garden where a table has been placed with some chairs, and I see Vance standing nearby too.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Lady Olivia. Please sit here.”

I sit on the chair Vance points at. There’s a tasty looking cake on the table, propped up on a tall stand. Oz sits in front of me, and then Vance starts pouring black tea onto the cups.

I take a sip and the taste and aroma of black tea quickly hit me.

“Is the tea to your liking?”
“Yes, it’s really tasty.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”

Vance smiles and takes a step back, letting us enjoy our tea party without interruptions.

“I had a hunch that you’d like it as well.”
“What do you mean?”

Oz takes a sip of tea too, then talks with a relaxed voice.

“This Abados Tea is a brand that has been cultivated and managed for many generations by the Gardeland family.”
“Oh, then…”
“Yes, I’ve been told that aunt Ophelia also enjoyed drinking it.”
“I see…”

So I’m the same as my mother.
Hearing that makes me like this tea even more.
Maybe I’ll ask Natalia to brew some for me later too. I wonder where I can get the leaves though?

“Your fight against Mathias was incredible in the tournament. I knew you could win though.”
“Oh yeah, though Mathias was really strong too. I really feel like he could’ve won if he was just a little bit luckier.”

I really wanted to end the fight right away with Divine Wind after I released the weight on my body, but it didn’t go like I wanted.

I had never released my body like that in the past, even when fighting the Black Roc or Lacks. To be honest I probably was a bit too prideful thinking I had nothing to worry about those times.

But against Mathias I had to go all out.

I had to push Divine Wind to its limits and try to find ways to counterattack, while Mathias unleashed the secret spell of the Feullade family.

I also managed to win against the Black Roc because my wide area spell worked well, but if it failed I probably would’ve lost too.

“Also, you didn’t notice you were related to me and my father, did you?”
“Yeah, I didn’t even think about it.”
“I’m sorry it ended up looking like we tricked you, but my father begged me to keep it secret.”
“I don’t really mind. I’m sure he had his reasons for that.”

Even though we’re relatives like Uncle Otis told me, I’m still a commoner for now, and he a noble, so he can’t just go welcoming me into his home from one day to another.

Other nobles might try to accuse him of various things if he did that out of nowhere, so he probably had to arrange everything properly.

“I think my father did all of that because he wants us to get married though².”

But then I heard something I didn’t expect at all.

“W-w-w-w-wait a moment, what did you say?”

My plan has always been to get married to Natalia and make a lot of children and have a happy family together³, but if I get married to Oz, then Natalia and Oz will also be married to each other and they’ll have their own happy family⁴?!

“Olivia…I have no idea what you’re thinking, but I’m pretty sure you’re mistaken. But ah, I know there’s someone you like, so I’m planning on rejecting the idea, don’t worry.”
“Y-You already know that?!”

I’ve only told Amy and those friends that I like Natalia, so no one else should know⁵.

“But it’s obvious from how you act all the time. Everyone already knows.”

Everyone?!
Who’s everyone?!

“Mathias knew, everyone in classroom A did too, and the girls of the second dorm too. And Marize.”
“That’s everyone around me though?!”

Everything Oz says keeps shocking me, and by now I can hardly taste the tea or the sweets. But even though everyone already knows about it, somehow Natalia still doesn’t believe I mean it⁶.

I have to keep getting stronger so that Natalia stops seeing me as a child.

1. Robinxen: This sentence through me for a loop until I realised who she was calling a mutt.
2. Robinxen: ABSOLUTELY NOT! Siblings sure, cousins absolutely not! HANDS OFF!
3. Robinxen: There’s a lot of holes in this plan young lady!
4. Robinxen: YOUNG LADY YOUR THINKING IS A LITTLE WEIRD!
5. Robinxen: You thought it was subtle?!
6. Robinxen: Okay this is a totally fair thought, but she’s as dense as the metal she’s made of.