NoveLight ™
“What’s wrong, Charlotte? Where are you going?”
“I’m escaping to the training ground because I’m embarrassed!!!”
“…?”
Seeing Charlotte dash out of the mansion in a hurry, Yulia tilted her head. Charlotte’s face, oblivious to shame, was flushed bright red. What had happened this time?
“Ugh! It feels like you really enjoy teasing me, uncle…”
“I can’t help it. Aslan treats you completely like a child. I think it would be harder for him not to tease you.”
“…”
Ah, I get the gist of what happened. Aslan must have been playing pranks on Charlotte, just like usual. Yulia chuckled, and Charlotte’s expression turned a little sulky.
“Are you talking like you’re not treated like a child yourself?”
“Of course not! Aslan sees me as a potential lady… I think?”
“The fact that you added ‘potential’ and ‘I think’ means it’s not true! I know at least that much!”
“In any case, I’m treated much closer to an adult than you are, Charlotte!”
“What?!”
“Well, that’s only natural. I’m older than you, after all?”
“Ugh…”
Charlotte puffed up her cheeks at Yulia’s relaxed smile. How could she act so grown-up? Every time she boasted about it, Charlotte felt her anger bubbling up.
“It’s just that Aslan doesn’t want to annoy you by treating you like a child, so he adjusts his behavior accordingly! Why doesn’t anyone get that?”
“Huh? Huh?!”
“After all, to you, Aslan probably sees both Yulia and me as the same child. It makes you look anxious, Yulia, as if you’re afraid I’ll take Aslan away from you.”
“Sh- Charlotte…!!!”
This time, Yulia’s face turned red.
What on earth is she talking about? What’s so wrong with wanting to be treated as a lady? How does that make her look anxious? Ugh, I can’t believe this.
Yulia fanned her flushed face repeatedly, glaring at Charlotte. That triumphant look on her face… How infuriating.
“Isn’t it you who likes Aslan, Charlotte?”
“Huh? I already said I like uncle. It’s you who’s hiding it and being embarrassed.”
“No, I don’t mean that. You were just teasing me last time because I couldn’t recognize my feelings for Aslan. So what is it this time? Are you secretly aiming for the countess, and you’re annoyed that I’m getting ahead of you?”
“…Ugh.”
Charlotte flinched as if struck in the heart. I don’t know. I hadn’t thought that far. I just poked her because I was annoyed…
Am I aiming for the countess? Am I upset because Yulia is getting ahead of me? There’s no way that could be true. I’ve made up my mind to make Yulia the countess…
“Ah, no! It’s just! Yulia keeps dawdling! I was frustrated and poked her again! You said you’d become a countess, but since then, there hasn’t been any progress! You need to take some action!”
“Hmph. I might be a slow starter. I’m just finishing my preparations step by step and getting ready to jump out!”
“Pff. Specifically, how do you plan to jump out? You haven’t even been hugged by uncle yet.”
“W-who’s been hugged? You have, right?”
“Ugh…”
Having let it slip, Charlotte closed her mouth, looking a bit troubled. I’ve hugged her plenty of times, but uncle has never initiated it. Even when I hug him first, he just stays still.
“Then it’s a contest! Let’s see who gets hugged by uncle first!”
“Hmph. Let’s see about that.”
“What should we bet on?”
“Loser has to run ten laps around the field! How about that?”
“Sounds good!”
Huh, hugging Aslan? Are you crazy, Charlotte? How could I do something so embarrassing?
'But if I’m becoming the countess, I’ll have to go through this process eventually, right?'
Thinking about it, it wasn’t a big deal. It might take some time, but it’s not an impossible task, right? So I’ll take it slow. If I approach with some leeway, someday…
“I didn’t hold that against you. I’m sorry too. I should have stopped teasing you at a reasonable point, but I went too far.”
“Whew! I’m so glad! I’m relieved I’m not hated by you…!”
Suddenly, Charlotte leaped into Aslan’s arms.
Aslan’s hands instinctively moved to wrap around her body.
‘Ahhhhh! Charlotte, you…!’
And then, with a smug look over Aslan’s shoulder, Charlotte smiled at Yulia, who had just been crying. Was all that weeping just an act!?
Yulia was left stunned, and Aslan, unaware of anything, continued to hug Charlotte and stroke her head repeatedly.
'That’s cheating!'
You were the one who hugged him first! And then, if you show tears, nobody can help but embrace you! This contest is void!
Yulia silently glared, her eyes shouting protests, but Charlotte stuck out her tongue and responded playfully.
“Whew! Ugh! Whew! This is tough!”
“What’s gotten into Yulia?”
“She’s been cooped up in her room all the time, so it seems she’s getting antsy. It’s about time for her to exercise.”
Beaming, Charlotte looked out the window. A rare sight unfolded outside: Yulia was panting as she ran around the training ground.
She never runs except for a light jog in the morning. Did they have some sort of bet? Judging by the occasional irritated glances Yulia shot at Charlotte, it seemed like it wasn’t a light wager at all.
“Did you guys fight again?”
“We didn’t fight. Yulia just has a petty personality that can’t accept the results of the competition.”
“…”
Charlotte replied in a voice tinged with irritation. So they did fight again. What could it be this time? Did they have an intense debate about who would become my wife first?
It’s not a topic worth fighting over. They could both come into the family happily. But the key issue is always Yuria. Our main character is always the problem.
“Ah. A letter has arrived, uncle. Should I go get it?”
“Please do.”
“Okay…!”
With a bright smile, Charlotte dashed out to the yard. Soon after, she returned, clutching a bunch of letters in her arms. She had taken her time since she dropped a few along the way.
There was no helping it. The container was flat, so it couldn’t help but spill.
“Whew! I brought them all!”
“…”
Barely managing to carry all the letters, Charlotte dumped them on my desk and immediately started sorting them.
“This one is from Sister Mirabel. This one is from Sister Ari, and this one is from Sister Miro. And this one is… Aunt Silberin’s!”
Does she have all the maids’ names memorized? Well, considering that Charlotte greets and chats with the maids every day, it makes sense. Yulia, being shy, seems a bit awkward with them, though. It’s likely she hasn’t memorized all their names.
“This is… a letter for you, uncle. This is also a letter for you. And this one too… There are so many letters addressed to you…!”
Swoosh. Charlotte set aside more than half of the pile of letters and laid them out in front of me.
So many letters for me? That can’t be true.
'One of them is a letter from the Duke of the North…'
I immediately pulled it out and opened it. It was a message saying the monster wave had been successfully defended, and thankfully, there had been no casualties.
Then what about the rest?
“Count Shuchechin, Baron Castiya, Count Marceau…?”
Letters from places I had no connections to. The commonality was that they were all prominent families. Most were counts, and among them, there were a few dukes. Some barons had notable positions in the central government, so they were not to be underestimated.
What could these noble families want with me? Are they worried about the rapid rise of the Vermont family and trying to impose some constraints?
Feeling tense, I swallowed hard and opened the remaining letters.
Greetings, Count Vermont. This is our first correspondence since we met at the ball twelve years ago. The reason I’m writing is that my third daughter has reached a marriageable age, and I was wondering if you might be willing to consider a marriage proposal…
…I can’t help but admire Count Vermont’s accomplishments. I’ve heard that you’re still unmarried, and if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to know if you’re interested in meeting my eldest daughter…
…I would like to inquire about the possibility of a marriage between one of my daughters and yourself, Count.
My hand froze. All these letters are marriage proposals? Hadn’t Irene spread some rumors about my preferences that had cut off any marriage proposals?
‘Ah. I guess they’re feeling a sense of urgency now that I’m getting closer to the emperor and the Duke of the North…’
Well, the Vermont family's status had been growing at an alarming rate lately. I’ve become close enough to the emperor to visit the palace casually, and now I’ve established a rapport with the Duke of the North.
With the Vermont family’s standing having grown this much, are they still maintaining neutrality without choosing a faction? The nobles from each faction must be on edge.
At this point, it wasn’t time to worry about ominous rumors about Count Vermont. A serious marriage competition has begun to draw the Vermont family into their factions.
“What is it? What was it?”
“Everyone is proposing marriage to me. It’s that time of year when unmarried women start to feel lonely.”
“Marriage proposal? What’s that?”
“It refers to conversations regarding marriage.”
“Geh. Are you going to do it? The marriage proposal…?”
Charlotte looked up at me with a wary expression. Is she unhappy that I’m getting married? My mood suddenly lifted.
“I should at least discuss it.”
“Why!? Are you in a hurry to get married? Is that why you want to do it quickly?”
“It’s not like that. Refusing these offers in writing feels burdensome. Plus, these proposals are usually just a means to an end, with the real objective being some other transaction. If I can discuss that without the marriage itself, it would be worth a shot.”
“Ah! So that’s what it is! I see. Uncle, it’s okay if you marry later. We’re here, after all.”
“…!?”
“Since we’re here, the mansion will always be lively, so you won’t feel lonely, right?”
“Y-Yeah.”
Charlotte’s unexpected response left me momentarily dazed. I shook off the confusion and picked up the last letter I hadn’t opened yet. Ah, what’s this?
‘It’s a letter from Yuri.’
Unlike the noble letters that made my chest tighten and my head ache, this was a letter I could open comfortably. I wondered what the content might be. Could it be about the resumption of classes starting today?
Okay, okay. What kind of problem do you have? Go ahead and tell me. I’ll do my best to help.
Hmm. Could it be that you look too much like a pretty boy? How about doing some more muscle-building exercises?
Just as I was about to write back in that manner, I read on.
My brain momentarily froze.