35 – The Girl Weaving Grass
An afternoon when the sun rises to its zenith.
Peter the novelist’s mansion was fully prepared, awaiting the guests.
The format was typical of an outdoor gathering, but the adorned scenery resembled a party that would appeal to children. Once the name “Parenting Meeting” was attached, it became adherent to its justification.
The efforts of Lady Jajak were not in vain, as praise echoed from various corners.
“Lady, you must have worked hard. With this setup, adults can converse comfortably while children can play joyfully.”
“With so many servants around, there would be less worry about accidents.”
“I took a little stroll, and not only the garden but also the mansion’s playroom were well arranged. Lady, your experience truly sets you apart.”
Sensing success amid the pouring compliments, Rioña Peter maintained a modest demeanor without deliberately showing excitement.
“It’s a gathering attended by all of you. My conscience wouldn’t allow me to prepare halfheartedly.”
“You’re quite humble. Does my husband also have that look in his eyes? Although now he seems engrossed in chatting with other husbands.”
This parenting meeting included both husbands and wives.
In reality, when only the ladies gathered, there was no issue. However, this meeting was special. It required the presence of couples for reasons known only to them.
“Looks like almost everyone is here, right?”
“Well, except for Lady Luminel and her husband, of course.”
“The temple…”
The rule of couples attending together was added for a reason.
It was because Harte and Elficia almost always went around as a pair.
It was a natural and expected behavior. Given Harte’s thin social bones, going alone might lead to unknown offenses.
Elficia acted as a shield, protecting Harte from unfortunate incidents. That’s why calling them separately was out of the question.
Meanwhile, the husbands were curious about Harte, and the rule of couples attending together was readily established.
So, everyone anxiously awaited the protagonists on the stage, the moment when the carriage engraved with the emblem of the Duke’s mansion passed through, guided by the estate’s security.
◇
“Welcome to Peter’s atelier! Lady Lumina and Sir Harte.”
Madam Atelier greeted us with a warm smile. She then alternated glances between Tina and Glenn, offering praises.
“Oh, my, I’ve glimpsed them briefly at the ball, but the children are truly adorable and handsome. Even though they’re young, there’s so much to look forward to in the future.”
“Thank you for the warm welcome.”
“Thanks for the invitation. We’ll make sure to enjoy today to the fullest.”
In response to Elysia’s courtesy, Madam Peter’s atelier raised her shoulders ever so slightly.
“Please feel free to speak comfortably, Lady.”
“My husband respects you, and I cannot help but respect you as well.”
“Oh, my…”
She covered her mouth with both hands as if deeply moved.
But as the host of the gathering, she couldn’t just stay still. Madam Atelier soon gestured for us to follow and guided us.
“Right now, everyone is enjoying tea on the tables set up in the garden. The children seem tired of listening to dull conversations, but… we still have to greet them.”
“We apologize for being late, especially to the children.”
Arriving earlier than the agreed-upon time is a matter of etiquette, even if it’s not necessarily within noble society.
We should have worried less about Tina and Glenn’s attire…
But with various accessories to add, our greed for perfection ended up consuming more time than necessary.
However, Madam Atelier gracefully overlooked our mistake with a witty attitude.
“No need to apologize at all. Isn’t it customary for the main characters to make a late entrance?”
“hahahaha… If you think so, then it couldn’t be better.”
The novelist’s garden was vast.
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Although I had already known about Petter the novelist’s great talent through Elphicia’s explanation, actually experiencing it was a different matter altogether. I couldn’t grasp just how much influence one must have to own such a large mansion in the capital.
As we chatted and walked for about a few minutes, we finally set foot in the garden, the central space of the parenting group.
“Wow.”
At that moment, a moaning sound came from somewhere. Following the source of the sound with my eyes, I saw frozen children at the end.
To elaborate a bit more, Glen’s peers were wide-eyed with astonishment.
I easily deduced the reason.
“Glen is incredibly handsome.”
This guy, although he’s still a young lad without a beard, is quite the eye-catcher. The original work even described his beauty as having a decadent charm, so it’s no wonder.
If I had to find a similar level, it would be Julian…
Julian’s image has deteriorated so much within me that he no longer appears attractive. From the moment he called me dad, Julian’s impression had already been ruined.
“Ahem!”
At that moment, the novelist’s wife caught our attention with a fake cough. Shortly after, she signaled the start of the gathering with a skillfully drawn smile.
“Now that the last two have arrived… let’s begin the meeting!”
At the declaration, numerous eyes flickered with curiosity. The family that was the subject of the buzzing rumors had already become the center of attention.
“Nice to meet you. I am Marquis Jorge’s…”
“This is Countess Greta…”
For a while, it was a time to exchange introductions with the people near our assigned seats. During that time, Elphicia smoothly mediated and received introductions, while skillfully cutting off when necessary.
Some were even amazed by Elphicia’s demeanor.
“Was Lady Lumina always so adept in socializing?”
“Even when attending gatherings, she quietly sat, and I never knew.”
“Well… who would have thought she could be as daring as to argue with the Empress?”
Thoughts about how Elphesia managed to conceal her temperament so far raced through my mind. Although it was just the beginning, the flow of conversation branched out endlessly.
Riding on that flow, the time for introductions eventually reached us before our eyes.
While my introduction with Elphesia went by briefly, things were different for Tina and Glenn.
In a state where everyone’s attention was focused, it was Tina who spoke first.
“Hello, I’m Tina. I’m ten years old, and my favorite game is hide and seek!”
“…I’m Glenn. Also ten years old, learning swordsmanship from the Duke.”
One was lively, and the other was calm. Fortunately, almost everyone praised them, and there was no one to pick fault with.
Some liked Tina’s charming personality, while others highly appreciated Glenn’s unexpectedly calm demeanor.
With everyone’s introductions coming to an end, now it was time for the separation of the space between adults and children.
“Kids, you can play freely now. As long as you stay near the mansion, there shouldn’t be any issues. Make friends and enjoy to your heart’s content.”
“Yes, Dad!”
“I’ll do my best, Headmaster.”
With reliable responses, it was the moment when the children turned away.
Elphesia called out to Glenn in a gruff voice.
“… Wait, you. Come over here.”
“Yes…?”
Surprised, Glenn stopped in his tracks and turned toward us. That’s when Elphesia approached him directly, reaching for the collar of his shirt.
“The magpie doesn’t seem neat.”
“Oh! I’m sorry, Chairman.”
“… What’s there to be sorry about?”
Elysia, as if brushing away the almost visible dust, sent a glance towards Glenn. This time, Tyna shot a pleading look at her, full of anticipation.
“Mom, is my outfit okay? It didn’t get wrinkled, right?”
“Yes.”
“Okay…”
I chuckled as I watched them.
‘Tyna must have wanted her to fix it, even if the outfit was fine…’
Even if the appearance of the clothes was perfect, Tyna probably wished for at least a pretense. It seemed that Elysia hadn’t considered that due to her awkward demeanor.
At the altar.
Elysia reached out her hand to Tyna.
“… What’s with this hairstyle.”
Elysia tidying up Tyna’s hair.
However, Tyna’s hair was exactly the same as when she came out of the Duke’s house, with no changes whatsoever. In other words, Elysia saw through Tyna’s intentions and was unfolding a drama.
“hehehe… sorry, Mom.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for.”
Shortly after, she bid farewell with a subtle grace.
“Go and have fun quickly.”
“Yes!”
Excitedly, Tyna ran with Glenn trying to catch up.
From now on, it was truly a time meant only for the children.
◇
The situation given didn’t bring joy to Glenn.
Tyna, like a puppy, chatted here and there, jumping around, but Glenn was the type who found human attention burdensome.
Especially the contrasting gazes between the two groups made Glenn even more uncomfortable.
“Are you dreaming of becoming a knight? Well, not bad. Should I gift you a sword?”
“Wow, your muscles are so firm. Can I touch your arm?”
“Can I visit the duke’s mansion? It’s not like I want to see you or anything…”
“What’s your ideal type?”
If it was a girl, she inevitably flirted with Glenn at least once.
Glenn found it burdensome, but he didn’t brush them off casually. He was afraid it might put Harte and Elpisia in an awkward position.
Meanwhile, such behavior seemed to irritate the boys quite a bit.
The boys, full of disdainful glares, subtly avoided Glenn.
“Sigh…”
Thanks to that, Glenn was now alone.
While all the children were distracted by snacks, he sneaked away and wandered through the mansion.
It wasn’t as vast as the Luminael Duke’s mansion, but Peter the artist’s mansion was quite extensive, offering a taste of exploration. There were servants stationed in tricky places, so there was no worry about committing a breach of etiquette.
Therefore, Glenn climbed to the top floor of the mansion and looked outside through the window.
‘The headmaster and the vice-headmaster…’
They skillfully engage in conversations with various people.
Certainly, it would be full of strangers at first, but the ease with which they conversed with a smiling face was fascinating. Somehow, in the midst of socializing, their own lack of familiarity with sociability made them feel somewhat shabby.
“Even Tina is running around so lively… and I’m the only one…”
Even here, they are playing hide and seek.
They even go to the extent of pretending to be ordinary people deliberately, as if no one can catch them even if they sincerely reveal themselves. Tina’s entertaining skills have developed to the point where they can compete with professionals.
“I… jumped around enough to die for 30 minutes…”
Even now, recalling that time makes their breath catch. Describing it as a kind of psychological trauma is not an exaggeration.
Soon, Glenn gave up on peeking and wandered along the long corridor. As he reached the end of one side of the corridor, Glenn discovered a very narrow staircase.
“Wasn’t this the top floor?”
Unable to resist curiosity, he climbed the cramped stairs.
The stairs were not very high. It was a height of less than ten steps.
When Glenn climbed all the stairs and turned his gaze to the side, he found a small door. Presumably, it seemed to be a space used as an attic.
“If it’s a place I can’t enter… someone must have blocked it like any other room, right?”
Based on reasonable logic.
Glenn opened the door to the attic.
Creak!
Air flowed from inside to outside. At the same time, a scent of grass brushed against Glenn’s nostrils.
It was a strange smell, unfamiliar as the scent of the attic.
It was when Glenn bent down and passed through the small door.
“Who’s there?”
“Wow!”
The voice of a girl suddenly echoed.
Caught off guard by the abrupt presence, Glen was startled, and he ended up sitting down with a thud.
Thud!
The sound of sitting down echoed loudly. Thanks to that, hiding the embarrassment was quite challenging.
Then, he adjusted his posture, clearly scrutinizing the front.
In the dim view, a girl of the same age came into sight.
The girl had her eyes closed. Even though the light streamed in from the door as if it were a daily occurrence, she still didn’t reveal her pupils.
Also, around the girl, grass piled up like a stable.
It was evident that the scent of grass entered as soon as the attic was opened.
Struggling to grasp the situation, Glen was once again asked by the girl.
“Um… who are you?”