14. End of lingering – 12
“Come to think of it, I can’t seem to find any memories of taking a proper rest after staying at the Duke of Estelle.”
“yes?”
A few days after that, while I was simply sipping tea after breakfast, Iris suddenly started saying such things to me.
“…What kind of strange noise is that, my lord? It’s just my personal opinion, but I think it’s hard to find someone more leisurely than you in the current Estel family.”
It’s natural if it’s natural, but I couldn’t agree with Iris’s words. Iris, who is staying at the Estelle duchy under the name of ‘preparatory bride’, seemed like a person who could easily fit into three fingers along with Bianca if she were to spend time at the duke’s house recently.
I, Aria, and Sara are always busy doing paperwork day and night, so I can’t open my eyes, but the woman next to me, who has nothing to do and is just empty, feels like ‘I don’t remember ever taking a proper rest’. If I speak up, what kind of reaction am I supposed to react to?
…However, to my surprise, Iris was also talking to me with her own logic and grounds, not forcing me.
“The break I’m talking about doesn’t mean, as you think, a break in the sense of idle idle having nothing to do. As you well know, people are not machines. Machines can perform the same work indefinitely if they have the power to move them, but there is a limit to human mental power. Sometimes, it is necessary to take a break from all the burdens you are carrying, so that you can do your work more effectively and efficiently. Where am I wrong?”
“…But, in the first place, you’re not working at all, so what kind of rest do you need…”
At my words, Iris gently puts the teacup she was drinking on the table and starts to stare at me.
“…that’s stupid. It’s you who need a break, not me. Now, I am telling you this story so that you can rest in peace.”
“…yes?”
When I look at Iris with an incomprehensible look, Iris sighs deeply and holds out a small hand mirror to me.
“There is no need to explain further. See it with your own eyes.”
I took the hand mirror from Iris and looked at my face, only then did I realize why Iris had told me this. From the visualized fatigue piled up in layers all over the face, to the red veins around the eyeballs, to the dark circles down to the bottom of the eyes. There was no such thing as a critically ill patient who looked like he was about to collapse from exhaustion.
“Did you notice what kind of look you are doing now? Although you haven’t said anything, you’ve been pushing yourself too hard. Day and night, all day long in the office, looking at the paperwork. Is that really what people do? If so, within a few days you will be greatly weakened.”
…Certainly, it was true that I had been concentrating on my work without sleeping properly lately.
“…But, for me, the business I have to deal with is…”
“So what do you mean? Are you saying that those guys are even more valuable and precious than the future in which you might lie sick? don’t let me say you need a break My theory is that there should be at least one day at work, and a day to rest comfortably without paying attention to anything.”
“…umm.”
Iris’s words were the best of arguments, so when I couldn’t refute anything, Ariel also looked at me with a worried look and opened her mouth as if to agree.
“That’s right, Cain. Even though I am giving you healing magic every morning and evening, it is only to relieve physical fatigue. There’s nothing you can do about your mental exhaustion. As a clergyman and a physician, I recommend you to get enough rest.”
“…..”
When Ariel, who could be called the private doctor who was taking care of my health in the Estelle family, told me that, I had no choice but to agree with their opinion. Even if I looked at it objectively, it seemed like an unavoidable fact that my condition was quite serious.
“Then what do you think I should do?”
As soon as my question was finished, Bianca, who was next to Ariel, smiled and smiled at me. By the way, Bianca has been in a very good mood for the past few days.
“Let’s hang out. Yo forward.”
“yes?”
“I asked my father, and the view of the mountain behind the duchy is beautiful in its own way and is fine. They say it’s not too bad to watch the moon in the evening.”
While saying that, Bianca whispered softly to me while holding my hand tightly.
“lets think. Come to think of it, between the two of us, there really wasn’t an event where we could confidently say that it was a date, right? I don’t think it’s bad to make such a memory on this occasion. For example, sitting in a beautiful place, facing each other’s shoulders, looking at the stars in the night sky and whispering love-“
Unfortunately, Bianca’s words didn’t follow through. Because Iris, who had been listening to Bianca’s words, slapped her hand.
“You truly have a hand that has no quirks. Who wants to fiddle with his hands? Even in cold water, there is a law of up and down, so does it make sense to touch his hands like kneading rice cakes while I’m still? It must be a bad hand that has already learned a lot of bad habits.”
“Oh, I never imagined that there would already be an implicit rank order among us. By the way, my lord, how is it that you think of a woman who was beaten so badly by Cain for talking about monopolizing him in front of Cain, or allowing him to take other women as concubines?”
“…I’ve never been beaten by Cain. It’s true that you would have realized if you had eyes, but that duel was practically a duel that was no different from my victory. However, the appearance of trying to win over her husband with her body as a wife didn’t look very good, so I just lost. Should I say it is the crystallization of domestic help that values family peace more than my own satisfaction?”
“Huh, for something like that, he wields his sword very diligently. Well, if the only heir to the Empire and the one who can be said to be a master of swordsmanship say so, it must be the obvious truth. No, even if it’s not true, you have to believe it. Isn’t it?”
“Your tongue seems very light and lively today. I want you to remind me of the simple fact that even though I lost to Cain, I have no reason to lose to Bianca.”
“Degradation, indeed. Your joke skills are also very good.”
While Iris and Bianca were talking kindly to each other, I glanced at Ariel, who was sitting quietly beside them. From that day on, Ariel was still somber and morose, and I couldn’t help but care about her.
“…That, what do you think of Ariel? About going on a picnic together as a diversion.”
Not too long ago, Ariel asked her to let go, but in the eyes of others, she was still using her anti-respect.
“I think it’s fine. As I said before, it was a moment when Cain needed a mental break. Playing together like this isn’t such a bad thing either.”
At the same time as saying that, Ariel added something lightly in a small voice.
“…Anyway, having to share you with everyone will also take some getting used to.”
Even if she didn’t know what those words meant, she knew very well that some kind of agreement had been formed in Ariel’s mind. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one among us who needed a break.
“good. Let’s go, picnic.”
“really? Are you really going?”
“okay. As you said, there is a good place to view the moon halfway up the hill behind.”
As they say, putting everything down for a day or so and taking a rest would not be a bad choice either. As Iris said, it is true that I was quite exhausted from being absorbed in work.
And that was when
“Oh, I’ll make sure not to attend. Because I have an appointment today.”
Kyrie, who smiles and announces her absence.
“Are you talking about your promise?”
When I questioned her with a confused expression, Kirie shrugged her shoulders while still maintaining a smile that was not disturbed.
“To be honest, I also have a chimney-like desire to have fun with Cain, but I didn’t know how to do this and made an appointment with someone else in advance. So what can I do? I have no choice but to fall for this.”
“…If Kyrie wants, the picnic can be postponed until tomorrow.”
Bianca and Iris, who were snarling at each other at my remarks, glanced back at me, but I tried to ignore their stinging gazes and looked straight into Kyrie’s eyes.
“Huh, it’s okay. You don’t have to do such a thing because of me. And you know Cain well, right? The days that Cain and I will be together will continue endlessly, but at least I know that I will not have any regrets about picnics like this.”
“…Hmm, that’s the theory. If so, wouldn’t that be unavoidable? Kyrie’s opinion is like that, but isn’t it your duty to respect your own opinion?”
As soon as Kyrie finished speaking, Iris added more words. Is this feeling of being able to clearly see through Iris’ inner thoughts just my misunderstanding?
…Hey, just like Kirie said, it was just a picnic. There must be countless days to spend with her in the future, but it must be clear that it would be foolish to dwell on picnics at most.
“…All right. It doesn’t seem like it’s all that comfortable to leave Kyrie alone and go out to play by ourselves.”
Feeling apologetic for some reason, I muttered something like that. Kirie gave me a really refreshing smile and muttered:
“Oh, it’s really okay if you don’t feel so guilty. Cain.”
But for some reason, in my eyes.
“As I just said, I have a ‘guest’ who promised to be with me today.”
It felt like Kyrie was looking very excited like never before.
****
After promising to watch the moon in the evening, on the table everyone left.
There, there were two women who couldn’t get up from their chairs even though everyone got up.
One of them is Kirie, who is sipping black tea with a relaxed expression on her face.
Another one is Sarah, looking down at the floor with a face that seems to stop breathing at any moment.
“…..”
Between them, only a stifling silence prevailed.
The one who broke the silence first was none other than Kyrie.
“A picnic, can I really not go? I can push back the schedule for a day or so if you want.”
At those words overflowing with mercy from Kyrie, Sara shakes her head.
“…no. I think it’s done better. Since no one exists in the dukedom, I think there is little chance that someone will overhear our conversation.”
“okay? Well, if that’s what you mean.”
Facing Kirie, who showed unprecedented kindness and mercy, Sarah gazed at her face with trembling eyes.
“Then, would it be okay if I also ask you something?”
“What do you mean?”
Facing Kyrie, who was tilting her head, Sara clenched her teeth and asked her a question.
“Kyrie, you said you knew all the answers to the questions I wanted to ask. He said he could come up with clear answers to my questions.”
“Well, that’s right.”
Looking at Kyrie, who nodded without hesitation, Sara let out a shout as if she were pleading.
“Then why didn’t you tell me the truth right then and there? What did you mean when you said, ‘I will not open my mouth unless you specify the right time and place’?”
In response to Sarah’s question, Kirie just stared blankly at her distorted face.
“Sarah, let me ask you something too. Today, they are going up to the middle of the back mountain to view the moon. But why are they acting so foolishly? You can view the moon as much as you like from the front yard of the duke’s house, so why bother going up the mountain?”
To Kyrie’s question, Sara answered obediently, blinking as she couldn’t grasp her intentions.
“…Yeah, it’s not very romantic to lay down and enjoy a picnic anywhere. There must be a big difference between enjoying a picnic in a place with a little more scenic, moonlight, and atmosphere, and not.”
“Right, Sarah. That is correct.”
Clap clap, Kirie clapped her hands at Sara.
“And the answer you just gave me is the same as what I want to say.”
“…yes?”
Kirie gave her a kind smile that had never been seen before, and whispered very carefully in her ear.
“We put so much effort into just looking at the moon, so shouldn’t we have a suitable stage for tasting delicacies that are unique in the world?”