「ティナ! 来ちゃだめ! 部屋に戻りなさい!」
アイラが叫ぶが、足音は何も気にすることなく近づいてくる。
「来ちゃだめだってば!」
そう叫ぶアイラの横から、ティナが顔を出した。そして、あ、と嬉しそうな声を上げる。
「リリア! こんなところにどうしたの?」
親しげな声に、アイラとケイティンが目を丸くした。それどころか、周囲の誰もが口を間抜けに開けている。その周囲の反応にティナは首を傾げていた。
「あれ? どうしたの? アイラもケイティンも、そんな変な顔して」
「いや、その、えっと......」
アイラの視線がリリアへと向く。困惑の色を浮かべているアイラにリリアは笑みを送り、そしてティナへと声をかけた。
「ティナ。少し時間いいかしら? 少しお願いしたいことがあるのよ」
「お願い? リリアが私に!? もちろん大丈夫だよ! 私の部屋に......。あ、片付けてくるからちょっと待ってて! すぐに戻るから!」
そう言って慌ただしく駆けていく。後に残されたのは呆然としているアイラとケイティンたちと、それを少しおかしそうに見つめるリリアだけだ。リリアを見ていたアイラは気まずそうに視線を逸らし、
「その......。ごめん」
「いいわ。許しましょう。改めて、案内してくれるかしら?」
「うん......。こっち」
しおらしく頷いて、アイラが奥へと歩いて行く。ケイティンがそれに続き、リリアもその後を追った。
二階の各部屋に続く廊下には、三階よりもかなり短い間隔で扉が並んでいた。それだけでそれぞれの部屋の広さが分かる。リリアにあてがわれている部屋の寝室程度の広さがあればいい方だろう。噂には聞いたことはあるが、本当に狭い部屋で生活しているようだ。
――むしろリリアの部屋が広すぎるんだよ。私が住んでいた部屋よりも広いよ。
――へえ......。さくらはどんな部屋に住んでいたの?
――ワンルームだよ。でもちゃんとお風呂はあった! いいでしょ!
――そうね。私の部屋にもあるけどね。
――これだからお金持ちは! 羨ましくなんてないよ!
そう言っているわりには、小声ながらあのお風呂に入ってみたいな、などと聞こえているのだが、聞こえないふりをするのが優しさだろうか。そんなことを考えていると、アイラが一つの扉の前で立ち止まった。
「ここ」
そう言って扉をノックする。
「ティナ。とりあえず連れてきたけど......」
「も、もう少し待って!」
ばたばたと何かを片付けている音が聞こえてくる。そんなに散らかっているのかと意外に思っていると、ケイティンが苦笑して、
「誤解しないであげてくださいね。散らかっているといっても勉強道具ばかりで、それを片付けているだけなんだと思います」
「へえ。熱心なのね。感心だわ」
やはりティナは勉強をしている側だったようだ。想像通りではあるが、何故か少しだけ嬉しく思ってしまう。そんなリリアをアイラとケイティンが珍獣を見るような目で見てきているのだが、リリアは全く気づいていない。
しばらく待って、ようやく扉が開いた。ぎこちない笑顔を浮かべたティナが顔を出し、えへへと愛想笑いをしている。
「ごめんね、待たせちゃって。どうぞ。あ、アイラとケイティンは......えっと......」
「私は別にいいわよ。この二人も心配そうだし」
リリアの言葉に、アイラとケイティンはばつが悪そうに目を逸らした。いつまで疑っているのかと不愉快になりそうにもなるが、それだけティナのことを心配しているのだろう。ティナは良い友達に恵まれているようだ。
ティナの部屋はリリアの部屋と比べるととても小さな造りだった。真正面の壁に窓があり、左側にベッド、右側に勉強机がある。机の隣には教材などが並ぶ本棚もあった。それ以外には何もなく、ベッドの机の間は人が一人通るだけのスペースしかない。
「狭いわね......」
リリアが呟くと、ティナが苦笑いをしつつ、
「リリアの部屋は広いからね。実はちょっとだけ羨ましいかな。せめてあと一部屋分広ければいいんだけど、そうなると部屋数が足りないのは分かってるから......」
「どっかの貴族連中がもっと狭い部屋に移れば解決するだろうけどね」
アイラの棘のある言葉にケイティンがぎょっと目を剥き、ティナは何とも言えない微妙な表情でリリアの顔色を窺ってくる。リリアは、
「それでお願いのことなんだけど」
一切聞こえていない振りをして話を切り出した。
――成長したね、リリア。ちょっとうれし......。
――あとでどう調理しようかしらね......。
――してなかった! 口に出してないだけだった! リリアだめだからね、ティナのお友達なんだから潰したらだめだよ!
――つまり友達でなければ良かったのね。
――よくないよ! 極端だよ!
――私!? 私が悪いの!?
うがあ、と叫ぶさくら。リリアはその声を意識から追い出し、改めてティナに顔を向けた。
「さっきも聞いたけど、リリアがわたしにお願いだなんて......。わたしにできることなら力になるよ?」
「ありがとう。でもそんなに難しい話でもないわ。貴方にとってはすぐに終わることだし」
どういうことかと不思議そうに首を傾げるティナ。リリアはちらりと本棚に並ぶタンスを見ながら、
「服を一着、貸してもらえないかしら」
ティナが驚きで目を見開き、アイラとケイティンも絶句していた。しばらくしてティナが先に我に返り、遠慮がちに言う。
「えっと......。わたしの持っている洋服はリリアが普段着ているようなものじゃないんだけど......。その、庶民、というか、そんな人が着る服がほとんどだよ?」
「構わないわ。というよりね、そういった服を貸してほしいのよ。あとできれば、帽子なんてあればなお良いのだけど」
何に使うのだろう、とティナは不思議そうにしながらも、タンスの方に向かった。ちょっと待ってね、とタンスを開いて唸り始める。
「あのさ、リリアさん」
アイラの声。リリアが振り返ると、神妙な面持ちのアイラが続けた。
"Tina! Don't come! Please get back to your room!"
Aira shouted, but the footsteps payed no mind as they drew closer.
"I said don't come here!"
As Aira shouted that, from her side Tina showed her face. And, with an 'ah', Tina raised a delighted voice.
"Lilia! What's brought you to a place like this?"
At her friendly voice, Aira and Kayten's eyes went wide. Not just that, all the people around them had their mouths stupidly hanging open. At the surrounding reactions Tina tilted her head.
"Huh? What's wrong? Aira and Kayten too, what with the weird faces?"
"Nah, uh, well..."
Aira's gaze went towards Lilia. Lilia sent the now bewildered Aira a smile, and spoke to Tina.
"Tina. Might you have a bit of time? I have a bit of a small favour to ask of you if that's alright."
"Favour? From Lilia!? Of course it's alright! Let's head to my... Ah, I gotta go clean up so wait just a bit! I'll be right back!"
Say that she hurriedly ran off. Left behind in a daze were Aira and Kayten and the others, as Lilia simply watched them with slight amus.e.m.e.nt. Aira who was looking at Lilia awkwardly averted her gaze and,
"Well... Sorry."
"It is fine. I forgive you. Now then, could you please lead me there?"
"Yeah... This way."
Nodding meekly, Aira started walking. Kayten followed after her, and Lilia went along behind them.
In the second floor hallways, the rooms were lined up with much less s.p.a.ce between each door. Just from that you could tell the sizes of the rooms. To say that they were about the same as the just the bedroom provided to Lilia was probably a generous estimate. She had heard about it before, but it seems that they really did live in pretty small rooms here.
--Rather it's more like Lilia's room is way too big. Way bigger than where I was living.
--Heeh... What kind of room did you live in?
--A one room suite. But it had a proper bath and everything! Cool right!
--Right. Though my room has one too.
--Like you rich people would understand! I'm super not jealous or anything!
Even though she was saying that, Sakura was muttering quietly about how she'd love to try that bath and whatnot, but maybe it would be nicer to just pretend she didn't hear that? While she was thinking of such things, Aira stopped in front of one of the doors.
"Here."
Saying so she knocked on the door.
"Tina. For now I've brought her here but..."
"Just, just wait a one more second!"
The clattering of something being cleaned up could be heard. As Lilia was thinking how unexpected it was for things to be that messy in there, Kayten gave a wry smile,
"Please don't come to any misunderstandings now. It may be messy but it's all things related to studying, so I think she's just cleaning that up."
"Heeh. She's quite pa.s.sionate. I'm impressed."
It seems Tina really was here studying. It was as she had imagined, but for some reason she felt a bit happy about it. Aira and Kayten were staring at such a Lilia like she was some rare creature, but Lilia noticed not one bit.
After a bit of waiting, the door finally opened. Smiling awkwardly as she showed her face, Tina gave a bit of a forced laugh.
"Sorry about that, thanks for waiting. Come in. Ah, as for Aira and Kayten... Umm..."
"I don't really mind. And they seem worried anyways."
At Lilia's words, Aira and Kayten seemed to feel awkward as they averted their eyes. She was almost starting to feel displeased at just how much they seemed to doubt her, but it probably goes to show just how much they worried about Tina. Tina really was blessed with good friends.
When compared to Lilia's, Tina's room really was pretty small. The opposite wall had a window, the left side had a bed, and the right a study desk. Beside the desk was also a bookshelf stocked with learning materials. That was it, and the s.p.a.ce between the bed and desk was just wide enough for no more than a single person to pa.s.s through.
"It sure is narrow..."
Lilia murmured, and Tina gave a wry smile as she said,
"Lilia's room is really big after all. I think I'm actually a bit jealous. It would be great to have even one more room's worth of s.p.a.ce, but it's clear there wouldn't be enough rooms that way..."
"Though if only a certain bunch of n.o.bles would take up a bit less s.p.a.ce this could all be solved."
Aira's th.o.r.n.y words startled Kayten as she protested with her eyes, and Tina was unable to say anything as she looked to Lilia's face with a complicated expression. Lilia,
"So about the favour I wish to ask."
Pretended to not hear a thing and began the conversation.
--You've really grown, Lilia. I'm kinda hap-
--I wonder how I'll have her dealt with later on...
--Not grown at all! You've just stopped saying it out loud! You can't Lilia, she's Tina's friend so you can't go and crush her alright!
--So basically if she wasn't a friend then it would be fine right.
--It's not fine! That's too extreme!
--Me!? I'm the bad one!?
Ugahh! Screamed Sakura. Lilia drove that voice out of her consciousness, and once again faced Tina.
"Like I said earlier, it sure is something to have you ask for a favour... If it's within my power I'll do what I can to help?"
"Thank you. But it's not anything that difficult. It'd be a quick request for you."
Wondering what it might be Tina tilted her head. Lilia glanced at the cabinet on the bookshelf as she said,
"Could you perhaps lend me a set of clothes?"
Tina's eyes widened in surprise, and Aira and Kayten were both speechless. After a bit Tina came to her senses first, and reservedly spoke.
"Uhmm... The clothes I have aren't really like the ones you usually wear... I mean, they're like, for commoners, mostly the clothes those kinds of people use you know?"
"I do not mind. Or rather, I should say that I had wanted to borrow just such types of clothing. Also if you could, having a hat to wear would make things even better."
Just what would she need them for, wondered Tina as she headed for the cabinet. Just a moment, she said as she started rummaging through the cabinet.
"Uh hey, Miss Lilia."
It was Aira's voice. When Lilia turned around, a meek looking Aira continued to speak.
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