「お帰りなさいませ、リリア様」
「ただいま。......ずっと部屋にいたの?」
「はい。そうですが」
「どこか出かけていてもよかったのよ」
「許可をいただいていなかったので......」
なんて融通の利かないやつだ、とリリアがわずかに眉をひそめると、さくらが苦笑した。
――復学初日だからね。リリアがいつ帰ってきてもいいように部屋にいたんじゃないかな。まあ、許可をもらっていなかったのもあるだろうけど、もらっていても今日はずっといてくれてたと思うよ。
――私はそこまで頼りないの?
――うん。二週間引きこもった以上、説得力はないね。
――む......。
さくらの言う通りだと思うので反論ができない。すでに引きこもりの前科があるのだから、アリサが心配するのも当然だろう。
――それに実際に授業に出てないしね!
――それは......。いえ、そうね......。
――やーい、不良めー。
――黙りなさい。
アリサに視線を戻す。アリサは心配そうにリリアを見つめていた。
「アリサ。私は大丈夫よ。明日からは出かけていてもいいから」
「ええ。それじゃあ私は寝室で勉強をするから、何かあれば呼んでもらえる?」
「畏まりました」
アリサから礼で送られ、リリアは寝室へと入った。扉を閉めてから、部屋の隅にある机に向かう。机の脇の本棚には、アリサが整理してくれたのだろう、教材などの本が種類ごとに並べられていた。
――さくら。今日もよろしくね。
――はーい。紙出してー、ペン出してー、がっつりいくよー!
リリアは指示通りに紙とペンを机に置きながら、さくらの元気な声にわずかに笑みを漏らした。
さくらの言葉を紙へと書き連ねていく。現在教わっているのは、算術だ。その中でも算盤と呼ばれているもので、さくらから適当な数字をいくつも聞いては、頭の中でその合計を計算していく。さくらの言う道具は用意できないので、計算の全てはイメージで行っている。
――リリア。誰か来たよ。
さくらの声にリリアは顔を上げた。様々な数字を書いている紙を裏返しにし、扉へと振り返る。すぐにノックされた。
「リリア様。お客様です」
リリアが怪訝そうに眉をひそめた。この学校に自分を訪ねてくる者はいないはずだ。以前はリリアにも取り巻きというものがいたが、戻ってきてからはまだ姿を見ていない。
「誰?」
「ティナ様です」
リリアが驚きで目を丸くする。今朝に会ったところだというのに、訪ねてくるとは思わなかった。一体何が目的なのか。
――いやだからリリア、目的とかそんなこと考えたらだめだよ。友達だよ?
――何言っているのよ、ここは上級貴族の階層よ、友達を訪ねるなんて理由で来てはいけない場所よ。
――いや、でも......。あれ? まさかリリアに論破された!? 屈辱だ!
――どういう意味よ。
釈然としない気持ちになりながら、リリアは席を立つ。アリサと共に部屋の入口へ。扉を開けると、どこか緊張した面持ちのティナがそこにいた。
「リリアさ......。リリア。こんばんは」
また様付けをしかけたな、と思いながら、今回は途中で気づいたようなので何も言わないことにした。
「こんばんは、ティナ。何かご用?」
「用、というものじゃないんだけど......。良ければ一緒に、ご飯、行かない?」
「それは......。私は構わないけど、貴方はいいの?」
「うん。もちろん。友達とご飯を食べるのに誰の許可もいらないよね?」
何となくだが、王子がこの少女を好きになった理由が分かる気がする。プライドの高い貴族連中なら仲良くすることなどまず不可能だが、それさえなければこの少女はとても付き合いやすいだろう。
「分かったわ。行きましょうか。でもそれはついででしょう? 本題は?」
「え? 本題? なに?」
ティナがかわいらしく小首を傾げるのを見て、リリアの頬が引きつった。背後からはアリサが苦笑するのが分かる。なぜだか少し恥ずかしくなり、わずかに頬を赤くしてしまう。
――ふ。やはり私の言うことが正しかったな。勝った。
――は?
――ちょ、怖いよリリア! 冗談だよ!
リリアが内心で舌打ちをすると、ひぃ、とさくらが怯えた声を漏らす。そんなさくらは放置することにして、リリアは笑顔を貼り付けた。
「ごめんなさい、気にしなくていいわ。行きましょうか」
ティナは安堵のため息を漏らすと、はい、と頷いた。
"Welcome back, Mistress Lilia."
"I'm back. ...Were you in this room the entire time?"
"Yes. That is so?"
"It would've been fine to go out somewhere too you know."
"I had not received permission so..."
Quite the inflexible one, thought Lilia with a slight frown, when Sakura gave a wry laugh.
--It's the first day back after all. She probably stayed in the room to be ready so that you could return at any time right. Well, it's also true that she didn't receive any permission, but even if she did, she probably would have stayed here the whole day anyways.
--Am I really that unreliable?
--Yup. After two weeks of being a shut-in, you can't really refute that can you.
--Muu...
Since she thought that it was just as Sakura said, she couldn't rebut. She already had a precedent for becoming a shut-in, so Alisa was bound to be worried.
--Besides, you actually did skip out on cla.s.s too huh!
--That was... No, you're right.
--Yaaai, you delinquent~
--Oh shut up.
She returned her gaze to Alisa. Alisa was worriedly looking at Lilia.
"Alisa. I'll be fine. You can feel free to go out from tomorrow on okay."
"Yes. Well then, I'll be studying in the bedroom. Could you call me if there's anything?"
"Certainly."
Sent off with a bow by Alisa, Lilia entered the bedroom. Closing the door, she headed for the table at the corner of the room. The bookshelf beside the table was probably organised by Alisa, as the learning materials were neatly arranged by subject.
--Sakura. I'll be counting on you today as well.
--Alri~ght. Get out the pap~er, get out the pe~n, let's give it our a~ll!
Lilia did as instructed and placed paper and a pen on the table, and while hearing Sakura's energetic voice, a slight smile leaked out on on her face.
She was putting down Sakura's words on the paper. What she was being taught, currently, was arithmetic. Within arithmetic there was something called an abacus, and listening to random numbers from Sakura, Lilia was calculating the sums in her head. Since they couldn't prepare the tool Sakura talked about, all of the calculation was done with a mental image instead.
--Lilia. Someone's here.
Lilia lifted her head upon hearing Sakura's words. Turning over the paper with various numbers written on it, she turned towards the door. A knock immediately followed.
"Mistress Lilia. There is a visitor."
Lilia frowned in doubt. There shouldn't have been anyone in the school who'd come to visit her. Previously she did have some 'followers' of sorts around, but since coming back, there hadn't been any sign of them either.
"Who?"
"It's Mistress Tina."
Lilia eyes widened in surprise. They had just met in the morning after all, so she hadn't expected her to come visit already. What purpose could she possibly have come for?
--No you see Lilia, you can't be wondering about purpose and stuff. You're friends right?
--What are you talking about, this is the upper cla.s.s n.o.bles' floor after all, it's not a place you can come to just for the reason of 'vising a friend' you know.
--No, but... Huh? Did Lilia just make more sense than me!? Oh the disgrace!
--Hey what are you trying to imply here.
While feeling somewhat dissatisfied from Sakura's remark, Lilia stood from her seat. She went with Alisa to the door of the room. Opening the door, there stood a nervous looking Tina.
"Mistr... Lilia. Good evening."
Still having trouble with the honorifics, thought Lilia, though she decided to not say anything since at least she caught herself midway this time.
"Good evening, Tina. Is there some matter?"
"It can't really be called a matter but... If you'd like, want to have dinner, together?"
"That's... I don't mind, but is that okay for you?"
"Yup. Of course. I shouldn't need anyone's permission to have dinner with a friend right?"
One way or another, she was starting to see the reason why the Prince came to like this girl. Getting along with someone from the prideful n.o.ble bunch in the first place was impossible, but even if that wasn't the case, this girl was probably very easy to get along with regardless.
"Alright. Shall we go? Ah but that was just secondary right? The real topic is?"
"Eh? Real topic? What?"
Seeing Tina adorably tilt her head slightly to the side in confusion, Lilia cheeks twitched. She was aware of Alisa smiling wryly behind her. For some reason she felt a little embarra.s.sed, and her cheeks became tinted slightly red.
--Fu. So what I said was correct after all. My win.
--Ha?
--Wai-that's scary Lilia! I was just kidding!
Lilia clicked her tongue with a 'tsk' in her thoughts, and 'hii-', Sakura let out a frightened voice. Leaving that Sakura alone, Lilia affixed a smile to her face.
"Sorry, please don't worry about it. Shall we go?"
Tina let out a sigh of relief and nodded 'yes'.
Haunted Duke’s Daughter
取り憑かれた公爵令嬢
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/haunted-dukes-daughter/
Comedy Fantasy Romance School Life Shoujo Slice of Life Supernatural
Broken Engagement Character Growth Determined Protagonist Different Social Status Female Protagonist Friendship Hard-Working Protagonist Heartwarming Loyal Subordinates Maids Nobles Otome Game Possession Royalty Second Chance Servants Sharing A Body Sword And Magic Unrequited Love Villainess Noble Girls
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n5708cr/
龍翠