翌日。リリアはアリサに起こされて目を覚ました。おはようございます、と頭を下げるアリサにリリアも笑顔を貼り付ける。
「ええ。おはよう、アリサ。いい朝ね」
「はい。とてもいいお天気ですよ。朝食はこちらで取りますか?」
アリサの問いに、リリアは少し考える。まだ目覚めきってないために頭がしっかりと回転しないが、とりあえずは食堂は避けておきたいと思ってしまった。
「ええ。お願いできる?」
「畏まりました」
恭しく一礼して、寝室を出て行く。リリアはその背中を見送ってから、小さくため息をついた。
――おはよう、リリア。学校初日だね! 楽しみだね!
――おはよう。あまり言わないでほしいのだけど。
正直、学校のことを考えると未だに憂鬱になる。だがこればかりは逃げるわけにもいかない。すでに一日逃げているのだからなおさらだ。リリアは小さくため息をつくと、ベッドから抜け出した。
寝室の隅にあるクローゼットを開く。学校指定の制服が五着用意されている。全てがリリアのサイズに合わされているものだ。リリアはそのうちの一着を手に取ると、手早く着替えた。そして少し考える素振りを見せ、すぐに鏡の前に立った。
――本当に......このままでいいの? 化粧は?
――リリアには必要ないよ。そのままでもすごく可愛いよ? むしろ今までが厚化粧で気味悪かったし。
――そう......。そうなの......。
ふらふらとベッドまで戻り、座って頭を抱える。どうしたの、と問いかけてくるさくらに、
――何でもない......。ちょっと、傷ついただけ。
意味が分からなかったのか、さくらから不思議そうな気配が伝わってくる。リリアは何も言えずに、重いため息をついた。
さくらに化粧の駄目だしを受けたのは、ここに来る直前だ。学校に来る時に、念のためにといつもの化粧をして馬車に乗り込んだ。そして、就寝前に言われた一言が今でも心に突き刺さる。
――リリア。あの化粧、気味悪い。気持ち悪い。明日からはしない方がいいよ。
誰にも、何も言われなかった。だからこれでいいのだと思っていた。いつからか母親を真似て自分で化粧をしていたのだが、周囲はずっとそんなことを思っていたのだろうか。
というよりさくらもさくらだ。屋敷にいる間に言ってくれればよかったのだ。なぜよりにもよって就寝前なのか。ふて寝同然になってしまった。
寝室の扉がノックされる。続いてアリサが顔を出した。
「リリア様。朝食をお持ちしましたが、準備はお済みですか?」
「ええ......。今行くわ」
そして寝室から出たリリアを見て、アリサは目を丸くした。まじまじと自分を見つめてくるアリサに首を傾げると、アリサは慌てたように頭を下げた。
「申し訳ありません。その、少し意外でして......」
「何が?」
「今日は化粧をしないのですね」
リリアの表情が凍り付く。首を傾げるアリサへと、リリアは問う。
「アリサ。本音で答えて欲しいのだけど」
「はい」
「私の今までの化粧は......どうだった?」
今度はアリサが凍り付いた。何かを言おうとして、しかしすぐに口を閉じてを何度か繰り返す。それだけでアリサがどう感じているのか察しがつく。本音で、というリリアの命令に従うべきか、それとも建前を並べるべきかと判断に迷っているのだろう。迷う時点で答えは決まっているのだが。
「いいわ。ありがとう」
「あ......。その、申し訳ありません」
「いいのよ。アリサ、私は変わりたいの。何かあれば、ちゃんと言いなさい」
畏まりました、と頭を下げるアリサに、リリアは満足そうに頷いて、朝食が並ぶ席についた。
後から聞いた話だが、その時のリリアの背中はひどく小さく見えたそうだ。
朝食を済ませたリリアは校舎へ向かうために部屋を出て、階段へと向かう。リリアが戻ってきていることを知らなかったのか、すれ違う生徒全員がリリアを見て驚いていた。目が合う生徒には全員に笑顔を見せている。
以前は見られるたびに睨み付けていたものだ。今日もそうしようとしたところで、さくらから止められた。
――リリア。仲良く。
仕方なくさくらの指示に従い、ここ一週間で急激にうまくなったと自信を持って言える作り笑いを貼り付けている。さくらから見ればまだまだの笑顔らしいが、向けられた方は顔を赤くして目を逸らしていた。
――早く教室に行かないと。あの子と会ってしまうわ。
――いやあ、無駄だと思うよ。私が知ってる通りのあの子の性格なら......。まあいいか。行けば分かるよ。
さくらの言葉にリリアは怪訝そうに眉をひそめた。そして、すぐにその言葉の意味を知ることになる。
「リリア様。ティナ様です」
一階に下りた途端、前を歩いていたアリサがそう告げた。え、と顔を上げる。まだ朝の早い時間なためか、エントランスにそれほど人はいない。それ故に、すぐに気づいた。
エントランスに並べられたテーブルの一つに、ティナがいた。テーブルの上にはカップが三つ用意されている。誰かと話をしていたのか、それとも......。直感的に嫌な予感を覚え、引き返そうかと本気で迷う。だがここで無視するわけにもいかないだろう。アリサが、何を期待しているのかじっとこちらを見つめているのだから。
――友達がいるよ。
――くっ......!
さくらの言葉が全てを代弁しているような気がする。リリアは仕方なくティナへと近づくと、その肩へと手を置いた。
The next day. Lilia opened her eyes after being awoken by Alisa. To Alisa who greeted her with a `good morning` while lowering her head, Lilia also plastered a smile on her face.
"Yeah. Morning, Alisa. What a nice day."
"Yes. The weather is absolutely wonderful today. Will you be having breakfast in here?"
At Alisa's prompt, Lilia thought for a bit. Perhaps her brain wasn't spinning properly due to not having fully woken up yet, but for now, she felt that she wanted to avoid the dining hall.
"Very well. Can I leave it to you?"
"Understood."
With a respectful bow, she departed from the bedroom, and seeing off Alisa's back with her eyes, Lilia took a small sigh.
--Morning, Lilia. It's the first day of school, huh! Looking forward to it aren't ya!
--Morning. I'd appreciate it if you didn't remind me, actually.
Honestly, even now, just thinking about school made her melancholic. However, this was the one thing she couldn't run away from. All the more since she already spent the last day avoiding it. Letting out another small sigh, Lilia slipped out of bed.
She opened the closet in the corner of the room. Five sets of the school regulation uniform were prepared there, all perfectly in Lilia's size. From those, Lilia grabbed a set and nimbly changed into it. Then, giving the appearance of being in thought, she promptly stood in front of a mirror.
--Really... Is it fine just like this? What about make-up?
--If it's you, then there's no need. You're already super cute just like that, you know? If anything, the heavy cosmetics you've used up until now just made things feel worse.
--Is... Is that so...
Lilia staggered all the way to the bed, before sitting down, perplexed. To Sakura, who had asked what was wrong,
--It's nothing... Just that I'm a little wounded from that.
Perhaps not understanding, Sakura gave off a puzzled impression, and without saying anything, Lilia let out a heavy sigh.
Sakura's advice that her make-up was no good actually came right as she arrived. When heading to the school, just in case, she had put on her usual make-up before getting on the carriage. Thus, the words Sakura had told her right when she was preparing to retire for the night stung her heart even now.
--Lilia. That make-up is unpleasant. It's gross. It'd be better if you stopped doing it from tomorrow onwards.
n.o.body at all had let her know before. That was why she had thought that it was fine like that. At some point, she had started to imitate her mother and put on make-up by herself, but had the people around her been thinking the same thing this whole time?
That said though, Sakura was still Sakura. It would have been great if she had let her know back at the estate. But for some reason or other, rather than doing that, why was she telling her right before she headed to bed the night before. It was like she was procrastinating until the last minute out of spite.
There was a knock on the door. Following that, Alisa revealed her face.
"Mistress Lilia, I've come with your breakfast. Have you finished your preparations?"
"Yes... I'm going now."
When Alisa saw Lilia, who had exited from the room, her eyes went wide. When she tilted her head to the side at Arisa, who was staring fixedly at Lilia, Alisa fl.u.s.teredly lowered her head.
"Please excuse me. Because that was somewhat unexpected..."
"What was?"
"I see that today you will be going without make-up."
Lilia's face froze over. She asked Alisa, who was tilting her head to the side.
"Alisa. I'd like you to answer truthfully here, but."
"Yes?"
"The make-up I've always done until now... how was it?"
This time it was Alisa who froze over. She seemed to be trying to say something, but kept shutting her mouth every time she opened it to speak. With just that, Lilia could already guess at Alisa's feelings. Whether to answer truthfully and abide by Lilia's command or to try and save face for her master, she was certainly lost for a decision. However, the fact that she was having trouble responding already made the answer here quite clear.
"It is fine. Thank you."
"Ah... Um, my deepest apologies."
"I said it's fine. Alisa, I wish to change. If there is anything, please properly let me know."
Alisa replied with a 'certainly' and bowed. Nodding in satisfaction, Lilia went to the seat where breakfast was prepared.
This was something that she only heard afterward, but Lilia's back looked terribly small.
Having finished with breakfast, Lilia left her room to head towards the school building and descended down the stairs. Perhaps not aware of Lilia's return, every single student pa.s.sing by showed great surprise at seeing her. Lilia showed everyone who met her eyes a smile.
Before, she would only scowl at anyone she saw. She was actually intending the same as usual today as well, but she was stopped by Sakura.
--Lilia. Get Along.
Since it couldn't be helped, she followed Sakura's instructions and plastered the forced smile that she was confident had improved drastically over this week. According to Sakura, it was a smile that still had a ways to go, but everyone on the receiving end had their faces redden, looking away.
--We should hurry to cla.s.s. We might end up running into that girl.
--I dunno, I think it's pointless though. From what I know of that girl and her personality... Well whatever. We'll see when we go.
Lilia frowned dubiously at Sakura's words. Then, she quickly came to understand the meaning of what was said.
"Mistress Lilia. It's Mistress Tina."
As soon as she descended to the first floor, Alisa, who was walking in front, informed her of this arrival. She raised her face with a 'huh?' Perhaps due to the early hour, the entrance was still mostly devoid of people. And so, she quickly noticed.
At one of the tables arranged at the entrance was Tina. On the table, three cups were prepared. Perhaps she was talking to someone, or rather... Overcome with the feeling of a dreadful premonition, she was seriously wondering if she should go back or not. However, she definitely couldn't ignore her here, either. After all, Alisa was continuously staring as if expecting something.
--Your friend's here.
--Ugh...!
It was as if Sakura's words were completely voicing Alisa's thoughts on her behalf. With no other choice, Lilia approached Tina and placed a hand on her shoulder.
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