Chapter 9: The Family’s Breakfast
「Good morning」
After the request for Chris, I went towards the dining room. For some reason, Chris was greatly surprised and then got in a daze, but it is about the excellent her, the cooking cla.s.sroom for the afternoon should be alright. Firstly, breakfast, I entered the dining room.
They are already have gathered other than me, Father on the head of the table, Mother beside him, and Big Brother in front of Father. I would, as usual, sit beside Big Brother.
「Good morning, Carol」
「You’re pretty late, Carol. I thought that you have eaten earlier」
「Albert, do not say that too much. Well then, Carol also had gathered, let us start eating」
Meals at the Ambrose, House of the Duke, was customary to start when the whole family had gathered. Because of Father and Big Brother’s work, there are times when someone was absent, but normally, by eating at the same dining table at the same time, the ties of the family deepens, they said that we were doing it with that on purpose.
By the way, this was also, the policy of Grandfather.
「Being late, I am so sorry」
「I don’t mind it, Carol. Come now, you should eat too, Carol」
I was prompted by Father, and for the meantime, I reached out my hand to eat breakfast. It also looks delicious today. As I have thought, Chris is really good at cooking.
Although it was a simple menu, I feel the craftsmanship that prepared it properly.
「Carol」
「Yes, Mother」
「……from Gilliam, I have heard it. Albert also knows about it. And above all of that, I will ask you……you are really serious?」
Sitting diagonally to me, MotherーーElizabeth Ambrose. To the extent that she did not seem to be my mother, a very young appearance. When she was beside Father who was the same at his age, it almost looks like they are parent and child, if I would say that, I think you understand. Probably, one of the causes of my unsatisfactory growth, I think that it was this Mother’s blood.
From that Mother, a piercing gaze.
Most likely, the contents of what she is saying, is about, I was yearning for Wilhelm-sama. And that, Big Brother had already, known about it.
It is a little embarra.s.sing, though.
「Yes, Mother. Carol is very serious」
「The captain of the knights, Wilhelm-dono huh……I had also known him since before, but to think that Carol was thinking of that, I had no idea」
Wilhelm-sama was, going to our house ever since a long time ago. That is why, Mother also have acquaintance with him.
But, to the extents of the feelings that I had hidden, as I have thought, she did not notice.
Well, it is also because I did not tell anyone. If someone noticed it with that, it would be a magician.
「Carol」
「Yes」
「As a mother, this marriage……it is not something that I can agree upon. An acquaintance of our late Father, and has the same age with 62-years-old. Compared to that, you are still 16-years-old. Knowing all of that, you really are saying it, Carol」
「Yes」
An age gap of 46 years.
Something like that, I know all about it. I am a little bit strange, that is something that I am aware of, I also noticed it on how the people around had reacted.
And if it was for Father and Mother, a man that has the same age as their parents, would become their son in law. To that, it is natural that there would be opposition.
It is quite complicated.
「Well then, I will not say anything from me anymore. It was Gilliam who decided by himself the engagement with Rayford-denka, and since the engagement had been lost, I do not mind for Carol to live freely」
「Thank you very much, Mother」
「But, Carol. You have decided to support Wilhelm-dono and the rest of his life. If that is so, never move with infidelity, and have the resolution to give all of your life to Wilhelm-dono. It would be in conflict with the Ambrose House of the Duke, if you would say that, I will forgive you even if you disobeyed our House」
「Yes」
To Mother’s strong words, I nodded.
By the way, the head of the Ambrose House of the Duke is Father, but the substantial authority is Mother. The direct blood descendant of the Ambrose House of the Duke is Mother, and Father was a son in law taken in the family.
And because of that, even Father would not hinder Mother’s words.
And even I, most probably, because I had seen Mother’s back who was like this, became stubborn as much as I am right now.
「……but, to think that my brother in law would be Captain. Honestly, I was surprised」
And beside me, Albert-aniue said that.
Unlike me who had poor growth overall, Big Brother has a tight body and tall height, and in addition to his sweet mask, he was a splendid handsome man. In the social world, there were many beautiful princesses that dressed themselves up to get noticed by Big Brother, I head. Well, they said that he had said sweet lines with a polite tone, and most probably he had looked like a real gentleman.
That Big Brother is, currently affiliated with the order of knights. Big Brother is 18-years-old right now, but he will be resigning the order of knights when he is 20, and looks like he would study to inherit Father’s t.i.tle, but they said that he is free until then, that was the education plan for him.
「Albert, what we have talked today, do not reveal it to others as much as possible」
「Even if you told me do not reveal it, I am going to meet Captain from now you know. That Captain had blushed because Carol had kissed him on the cheeks, if I see him in person, I am very worried I might laugh out loud」
「……Big Brother」
It is very embarra.s.sing. My immodest action, it was known even by my family.
But that could not be helped. In that place, Father was also there, and if I think of it carefully, in front of the public, how unbelievable what I did.
Other than Wilhelm-sama, there is no one else who would take me as a bride. Because something of that much, I had done in front of public.
「In the first place, it is my rest day today. Regardless of that, suddenly last night, “Come to the order of knights tomorrow with a fast horse”, there was that captain’s order. However I think about it, the reason I was called, there is nothing else besides Carol」
「Big Brother……from now, are you going to meet with Wilhelm-sama」
「Hey, it’s work alright? Why are you looking at me with those envious eyes? Did you not just clicked your tongue for a little right now?」
It can’t be helped, I’m envious.
Thinking of it very carefully, Wilhelm-sama and I had no ties at all. Even if I thought that I wanted to meet him, I cannot.
There is also no way of contacting Wilhelm-sama. Even if I wanted to close our distances, Wilhelm-sama is a very busy person. There is no simple way, that I am able to meet him.
From now on, I wonder what I should to take approaches.
「But, that stupid prince, he cannot be saved. Leaving this very lovely Carol alone, I wonder what he is thinking. In the most part, he probably just fell for that Lady Mary or whoever she is, but for a prince of a country to do such inconsiderable action, it is already incomprehensible」
「Well, Big Brother is only loyal to Chris right」
「Yeah. Right now, I am in the middle of courting her though」
Big Brother also, as the person who will succeed the Ambrose House of the Duke, it seems that there are numerous marriage proposals that had come to him. But, he is refusing all of them.
The biggest reason for that, was because he fell in love with our House’s cook, Chris. This was something that Big Brother is not hiding, and he was even taking a clear approach to the person itself, but there was no sign of her looking at Big Brother’s way.
But it seems that Big Brother, also thinks that that part of her is good too.
「Albert, I will completely respect Chris’ will. If you do such thing like forcefully make her compromise, you know what is going to happen right」
「I know that, Mother」
For the next head of the House of a Duke, Big Brother, to be fond of a cook that had a commoner birth, it would look very weird if it was looked from outside. Chris was also near 10 years older than Big Brother.
But, all of that, Mother had allowed. Because only fools would go against Mother in the Ambrose House of the Duke.
In other words, because Mother had permitted it, Big Brother was taken an approach that was fierce towards Chris.
「A-re? Speaking of that, Carol, since there is no longer the engagement with the prince, is it alright that you will not go to school anymore?」
「……well, that would be the case」
Right now, even if I returned to school, it would only be a bed of thorns for sure. I cannot think that I could spend time with it very peacefully.
That is why, today for the whole day, I have no appointments at all.
There, “Hmm”, Big Brother made a smile with a villainous personality.
I really cannot say it to to him, but when he is making that villainous smiling face, he really looks like Father.
「Then, Carol, do you want to go to a field trip?」
「Yes?」
「A field trip to the order of knights. What, don’t worry, in the future, Carol’s husband is the captain of the knights. Then, taking a look at his workplace, don’t you think that it isn’t it not that bad?」
*Paa〜!*, with Big Brother’s suggestion, flowers had bloomed within my heart.
Field trip to the order of knights, that means, there would surely be the captain of the knights, Wilhelm-sama there. And on top of that, being able to see Wilhelm-sama’s gallant face while he is working, there is no happiness more than that.
That Big Brother was working in the order of knights, I thought from my heart that it was really good.
「I will go!」
「Then, after you eat your breakfast, go and groom yourself」
“Kuku”, similar with Father, he made a wicked smile.
「Listen now? To make sure that you can entice Wilhelm, captain of the knights, properly, you should wear makeup very prettily?」
Just like that, with a tone that showed that he was really having fun, he said.