7
「どうやら俺たちの勘違いだったようだな」
ケルビンが嘆息していすに座り直した。クロスは難しい表情をしながら書類を睨み付けている。
「どうした、まだ何かあるのか?」
ケルビンが聞いて、クロスは書類を差し出した。
「父上。これらを即座に計算できますか?」
書類を受け取ったケルビンはそれを一瞥しただけで、首を振った。
「無理だ。少し時間がかかるし、暗算するのも難しい」
「リリアをどう思いますか」
「............」
ケルビンは再び書類に視線を落とす。ざっと計算してみたが、やはり最後まで暗算で済ますのには無理がある。
「アリサからの報告であの子が勉強のために部屋に籠もっているとは聞いていたが......。ここまで結果が出るものなのか?」
しかも独学だ。アリサの話では、大量の紙に何かを書き殴っているようだが、アリサ以外の誰かがリリアの部屋に入ったことはないらしい。
「さすがは私たちの娘です。良いことではありませんか」
アーシャが楽しげに笑う。確かに悪い方向に向かっていたのなら正さなければならないが、良い変化なら歓迎するべきだろう。
「ただどうにも根を詰めすぎのような気もします」
アーシャの不安はケルビンも思っていることだ。どういった理由にしろ、二週間も部屋に閉じこもっていたのだから。後半は花を育てたり食事に出てきたりと改善はされていたが、それでもやはり不安は残る。
「クロス。動かせる者はいるか?」
「ええ、もちろん。手配済みです」
ケルビンの問いに、クロスは不適な笑みを浮かべた。そうか、とケルビンも笑みを浮かべる。二人で忍び笑いをする様はかなり不気味だ。先ほどまで口論していたとは思えない。
「可愛い愛娘だからな。任せたぞ、クロス」
「可愛い妹ですからね。お任せ下さい、父上」
なんだかんだ言っても、この二人はリリアを大切に想っているのだ。
アーシャは、不器用な二人だと思いながら、側に控えるメイドに紅茶のお代わりを頼んだ。
リリアは自室の荷物を馬車に積むようにアリサに頼み、自身はテオと二人で庭を歩いていた。この弟とはあまりまともに会話をした覚えがない。というのも、リリア自身が弟を遠ざけていたためだ。
なにせこの弟は何でもできる。まさに天才だ。そんな弟を遠ざけた理由は至極単純、嫉妬である。それでも何故か、この弟はリリアを見つけると何が楽しいのかいつも笑顔で話しかけてくる。迷惑なことこの上ない。
今日もテオは、リリアの隣をとても嬉しそうな笑顔で歩いていた。
「お姉様。お姉様の花壇はどれですか? 見てみたいです」
「そんなものを見てどうするの? まあ、いいけど」
不思議に思いながらも、リリアはテオを屋敷の裏側へと案内する。
いくつも並ぶ花壇の中で、小さな芽しか出ていないもの。それがリリアとアリサの花壇だ。馬鹿にするつもりだろうか、と少しだけ思っていたが、テオは予想外の言葉を吐いた。
「お姉様が学校にいる間はどうするのですか?」
「さあ......。まだ考えていないけど。アリサは私と一緒に来る予定だし」
「じゃあ僕がお世話します!」
テオの申し出に、リリアは目を丸くした。何故、と疑問に思う。確かにテオなら園芸などすぐに覚えてしまうだろうし、任せてもいいのだろう。だが純粋に目的が分からない。
「私のものでなくても、テオならお父様に言えば用意してもらえると思うけど」
「お姉様の花壇がいいんです!」
余計に意味が分からない。分からなさすぎて、テオを見る目が珍獣を見るそれに変わってしまう。そんなリリアの眼差しを受けて、テオは視線を落とした。そして上目遣いに聞いてくる。
「だめ......ですか?」
その泣きそうな表情は卑怯だろう。内心で思いつつも、口には出さずに思案する。
――どうせなら任せようよ。
――それはいいけど......。テオの目的が分かるの?
――目的というか理由は分かるよ。リリアは分からないの?
何故だろう。さくらの姿を見たことはないのに、小馬鹿にしたような少女の表情が目に浮かぶ。少しだけ腹立たしく思いながらも、このまま答えを聞くのは負けの気もするので、それ以上の会話はしなかった。
「分かったわ。テオに任せましょう」
「......っ! はい! ありがとうございます!」
花が咲いたような笑顔とはこのことを言うのだろう。身内から見てもとても魅力的な笑顔だ。この笑顔で一体何人の女性を虜にしているのだろうか。どうでもいいことではあるが。
――リリア。テオに園芸のやり方を教えてあげてね。
――私が教えなくても、メイドの誰かが教えるでしょう。
――いいから。
そこまで言うということは、これも人に好かれるための行動ということだろうか。
「テオ。それじゃあやり方を教えてあげるから、ちゃんと聞いてね」
「はい! お願いします!」
テオが姿勢を正す。リリアはよろしい、と頷くと、そのまま続ける。
「まず種の植え方だけど、土を掘って種を入れてまた埋める。それだけよ」
――なんかすごい適当すぎると思うんだけど!
さくらが嘆くように叫ぶのと、
「リリア様......」
いつの間にいたのか、少し離れた場所でアリサが悲しげに眉を下げて言ったのは同時だった。
「............。冗談よ」
テオの困惑の瞳とアリサの悲しげな視線から、リリアは逃げるように目を逸らした。
その後、リリアはアリサと共にテオに園芸のやり方を教えた。教えた、といってもリリアが分かるものは限られている。ほとんどアリサの手伝いをしていたようなものだ。それでもテオは何故かリリアから教えてもらうことにこだわったし、アリサもリリアの説明の補足に徹していた。
未だにどういった状況だったのか、自分でも分からない。
学園に向かう馬車に揺られながら、リリアはその時のことを何度も思い返す。もうお手上げだとさくらに答えを聞こうとしたが、すげなく断られてしまった。
――リリアは人の気持ちを考える努力をした方がいいからね。学園につくまでよく考えてみたら?
Haunted Duke's Daughter Chapter 7
"It seems that it was our misunderstanding huh."
Kelvin sighed and fixed his posture. Klaus still had a difficult expression on his face as he glared at the doc.u.ments.
"What, is there something else?"
To Kelvin's question, Klaus present the papers to him.
"Father. Are you able to calculate these on the spot?"
Giving just one look at the doc.u.ments he received, Kelvin shook his head.
"Impossible. It'll probably take some time, and doing it in your head would be difficult as well."
"Then regarding Lilia?"
"......"
Kelvin again lowered his sight to the doc.u.ments. He tried to roughly do some calculations, but using only mental arithmetic turned out to be quite undoable in the end.
"I heard from the report of that Alisa girl that Lilia has been secluding herself in her room to study but... Is this result even possible to achieve?"
What's more it was self-study. According to Alisa, it seemed that she was using a huge quant.i.ty of paper to write on, but other than the maid no one else appeared to have ever entered Lilia's room.
"As one would expect from our daughter. Is this not a wonderful thing?"
Ascha laughed happily. Certainly if their daughter was heading in a bad direction they must do their best to set her straight, but change for the better should be welcomed.
"Though it seems that she might be trying too hard here."
Kelvin also shared Ascha's worry. However you put it, she had secluded herself in her room for two whole weeks after all. She might have shown improvement during the second week through doing things like raising flowers and coming out for meals, but even so some worry remained.
"Klaus. Is there someone available right now?"
"Yes, of course. It has already been arranged for."
To Kelvin's question, Klaus boasted with an unsettling smile. Confirming, a smile also floated onto Kelvin's face. The secretive smiles plastered on their faces were indeed somewhat creepy. One wouldn't be able to imagine that they were fighting just earlier.
"She's my dear beloved daughter after all. I leave it to you, Klaus."
"She's my lovely little sister after all. Please leave everything to me, Father."
Despite saying this or that, these two really care about Lilia.
Ascha, regarding their awkwardness, simply quietly asked to the side for a maid to bring more red tea.
Lilia requested for Alisa to have the luggage in her room loaded onto the coach, while she herself went for a walk in the garden with Theo. She didn't remember ever having much proper conversations with this little brother of hers before. This was because, Lilia herself had always kept a distance from him.
After all this little brother could do anything. A bona fide genius. Therefore the reason for staying away from such a brother, was simple jealousy. But even so for some reason, this little brother would always seek out Lilia himself and speak to her with a smile as if somehow enjoying it all. It was troublesome to no end.
Today as well, Theo was walking along beside Lilia with a delighted smile.
"Elder Sister. Which one is your flowerbed? I really wish to see it."
"Why are you wanting to see such a thing? Though, I don't really mind."
While thinking it odd, Lilia showed Theo to the back of the estate.
Among the many flowerbeds, was one with plants just starting to sprout. This was Lilia and Alisa's flowerbed. Though she had just a tiny suspicion that he may have come to mock it, the words Theo breathed out next were completely outside of her expectations.
"What will become of this while Elder Sister is staying at school?"
"No idea... I haven't thought about that yet. Alisa will be coming along with me after all."
"Then, please let me help with this!"
Lilia's eyes went round at Theo's request. "Why" was the first question to pop into her mind. Certainly if it's Theo, he would be able to quickly learn all he needed to know about gardening, so it should be fine to leave it to him. However, Lilia couldn't fathom if his intentions were all pure.
"Even if it's not mine, you can probably have your own flowerbed prepared just by speaking to Father though."
"I wish to take care of Elder Sister's flowerbed!"
It was too much for her to comprehend. So much so, her eyes ended up changing to stare at Theo as if he was a strange animal. Receiving such a look from Lilia, Theo lowered his gaze. And then came back with upturned eyes as he pleaded.
"Is it...no good?"
While thinking it completely unfair to wield such a tear filled expression, Lilia kept this thought from her mouth.
--You might as well just leave it to him.
--Well I suppose that's fine but... Do you know what Theo's trying to accomplish here?
--Rather than a goal I do know his reason. You don't get it, Lilia?
Why was it, that even though Sakura's figure couldn't be seen, a young girl's mocking expression floated into her head. While holding onto some irritation, Lilia felt that continuing to respond to this will just end up in her defeat, so she discontinued the conversation there.
"Alright, I understand. I'll leave it to you, Theo."
"...!! Yes! Thank you very much!"
Theo said so with a smile radiant like flowers in full bloom. Even relatives would see it as exceedingly charming. Just how many women would be taken captive by this smile.
--Lilia. You should go teach Theo on how to do gardening.
--Even without my help, wouldn't he just learn from one of the maids.
--Just do it okay.
With how Sakura was insisting, perhaps this was also a step in getting people to like her.
"Theo. Well then I'll be teaching you how to do it, so you'd better listen up."
"Yes! Please by all means!"
Theo stood straight up. Lilia gave a nod of satisfaction, and continued.
"First for planting the seeds, you dig up the dirt put the seed in and then cover it up again. That's it."
--I think you're being a little too careless about this!
Sakura shouted as if sighing, and,
"Mistress Lilia..."
Not realising when she appeared, a little bit away stood Alisa who spoke out at the same time with her eyebrows hanging in sadness.
"...... I was joking."
With Theo's bewildered eyes and Alisa's pitying gaze, Lilia looked away as if escaping from their sights.
After that, together with Alisa, Lilia taught Theo in the ways of gardening. That said, Lilia's knowledge was somewhat limited, so the teaching was mostly through Alisa's a.s.sistance here. Even so Theo was for some reason very fixated on the teachings he received from Lilia, while giving little heed to the things Alisa said to supplement Lilia's explanations.
Even now she did not really get what kind of situation that was.
Jostled around on the coach headed for the academy, Lilia thought back to what happened that time. Having given up on thinking about it she tried to get an answer from Sakura, but was only met with a cold refusal.
--You should really try to better understand other people's feelings, Lilia. How about you give it a good thinkin' until we reach the academy?
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/
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