A conversation.
Like that, without being able to see or talk to Oscar a year went by and I welcomed my 5th birthday. By the way I was born in December.
Also, this year for the first time… yes. For the first time I talked to my father.
It started with the steward, who up till then hadn"t approached me even once.
"Young miss, the master is calling for you. Would you please come to the study?"
"Eh? I understand."
Obediently nodding and closing the book I was reading on my bed, I walked up to the steward. It was when he reached to open the half-closed door.
"By the way what is your name? I haven"t heard it even once before, right?"
I didn"t miss the surprise, that flashed through his eyes, even though it was just for an instant.
"My apologies. My name is Sebastian Vincent, young miss."
"Se, Sebastian!"
I was the one who asked but I would like you to forgive me for my surprise at hearing that name.
"You are my father"s steward, right?"
"Yes, that is right."
"If so, there is something I would like to ask you?"
"Yes, understood. Once you have finished with master"s matter, certainly."
"I understand."
Then Sebasu (It"s long, so I"ll call him that from now on) took me to my father"s study.
"Master, I"ve brought the young miss."
"Enter."
Even though it was only talking with my father, I didn"t understand why this exchange was necessary but if this is the common sense of the n.o.bles, then there"s nothing to do but accept it.
Entering the study, it was the first time I came face to face with my father properly.
It was the first time I saw my father"s face looking this straightforward.
"Rosy, there"s something I have to tell you."
Wow, am I seriously hearing my father"s voice? He called my name for the first time too, right? To not have heard your father"s voice properly even once until you"re five. This is either the biggest workaholic father on earth or it"s just neglect, right?
My father wrinkled his brows when he saw me not responding and just standing there.
"Father"s voice, it"s the first time I am hearing it."
～I am just a kid, so I don"t know the world"s common sense～, or so I started to act. Even if the two adults held their breath at my words I still won"t care. I just want to know the reason why my father hadn"t said a word to me up till now.
"Father always looks busy. Is your body alright?"
"… There is no problem."
Oh? He seems to answer when asked.
"Is that so. I am glad."
When I said that with the sweet smile only a child could make, father was looking at me as if he was looking at something unusual. At my father"s side Sabasu was giving me the same look.
Is it something to be so surprised about?
"Did I say something odd?"
When I asked that while looking despondent, the responses I received were two surprised looks. It"s obvious they are feeling shaken. Suddenly he grabbed the papers that were on the desk, then as if changing his mind, he put them back. This time he took a pen and looked like he would start writing something but then calmed down and put the pen back from where he took it. It was probably rare for Sebasu to see my father like this, he just stared surprised, yet hesitantly at him.
Is the question of your five-year-old daughter supposed to bring so much unease? I don"t understand…
"Father, what did you want to tell me?"
Seeing that we"re getting nowhere, I returned us back to the topic at hand. My father seems to have returned to his senses at that, so with a cough he started talking.
"You"ll soon be five years old""
Ohhhh! He seems to know his daughter"s age at least.
"Yes"
"There is a meeting at the palace with his royal highness, the prince. I"ve heard from your teacher that you have no problem with your manner and etiquette lessons, so I am not worried but make sure that there are no careless mistakes.
Uwaa. Somehow it turned into a bothersome conversation.
"Yes, father."
"The meeting is tomorrow. The clothes for your visit to the palace would be prepared by "that", so make sure to be appropriately dressed."
What does he mean by "that"? Does he perhaps mean mother? I guess so…
"Yes, I understand. Father, is this meeting with me only?"
"No, beside you there are another two children your age. It"s with the sons of the count."
His highness the prince seems to be turning eight this year. The first thing my teacher thought me was about the royal family.
"This is all."
"Yes, father."
There were a lot of things I wanted to ask, but with the reaction from before it won"t turn into a conversation. But since I could ask Sebasu, I decided to leave the study quietly. It seems Sebasu remembered properly since he left the study together with me.
Since it was not something we could talk about in the hallway, I pulled Sebasu by the hem of his clothes to the near reception room.
"Young miss?"
This seems to have fl.u.s.tered Sebasu slightly but I don"t have the time to care right now. I finally found a place to unload all of my saved up questions. There is no way I am missing this opportunity.
"Sebasu, ah! Can I call you that?"
"Eh? I don"t mind."
"Sebasu. I told you that there was something I wanted to ask, right?"
"Yes, young miss."
"I might ask something strange but please answer me honestly."
"Yes, I will."
To match my eye line Sebasu squatted down. It looks like he is a steward that has some kindness in him. So to not let him get away I grasped his clothes and looked him in the eye.
"What is father"s name?"
As expected Sebasu froze at my question. The uncomfortable feeling I"ve always felt was odd after all. If I"m going to snoop around then let"s do it till the end.
"Sebasu?"
～I can"t tell you are feeling sha ～ken～, I called out to him and so he returned to himself.
"Master"s name is Carlos Randall, young miss."
"Is that so? Hey, Sebasu, the fact that a daughter doesn"t know her father"s name is strange, right?"
When I asked so with serious eyes, Sebasu swallowed thickly.
"Don"t try to gloss it over just because I"m a child. Answer me honestly. It"s strange, right?"
Sebasu hesitated and turned his eyes away sadly. If you are an adult you would understand just by that att.i.tude, but right now I am just five years old. If he doesn"t put it into words, the conversation can"t continue.
"Sebasu?"
Sebasu seemed to have cleared his thoughts as he looked up.
"Generally speaking yes, it is…"
Great! Looks like he answered me honestly.
"Then the way father and mother don"t talk with each other at all is strange too, right?"
I thought I"d ask it straight. It"s not something a child would ask in a roundabout way. Sebasu answered me when I gripped his jacket tightly.
"That is right, young miss…"
As I thought! The people in this mansion are strange. The common sense of Earth works here too.
"Why doesn"t mother approach Oscar?"
"That is…"
This question seems to be hard for Sebasu to answer. He furrowed his brows and shut his mouth closed.
As expected, there must be a deep reason for that. There must be some kind of "darkness". And the origin is probably mother.
Because…
"Why doesn"t mother even look towards Oscar? Hey, Sebasu? It"s not like I want to trouble Sebasu. But, I"ve always found it strange. I can"t understand the reason."
"Young miss…"
"Mother is always saying to me that I am to become a "queen", but is that something you can become so easily? Isn"t that strange? I learned it from my lectures but isn"t royalty great?"
"Young miss, please forgive me…I can"t say anything…"
"Then please at least tell me this. Did my parents marry due to love? Oscar is father"s child, right?"
Sebasu snapped his gaze to mine.
"The young master is definitely the master and madam"s child."
Ohh?
It looks like he is not the product of infidelity. Then why is she so indifferent to her own son? This question still remains.
"Young miss, are you familiar with the meaning of the phrase "marriage of convenience".
"Eh? Ah, yes. It"s a marriage for the sake of the family or for politics, right?"
No way.
"Yes, that"s right. I"ll at least tell you this. The master took part in exactly this "marriage of convenience"."
Seriously…
I finally reached the answer for my parents" att.i.tude towards each other. Was that how it was?
While thinking so in my heart, since a child understanding the circ.u.mstances of the adults would be strange, I pretended to not understand and stared in puzzlement.
However, even so, I can"t agree with Oscar"s treatment. It"s because this world"s mother is so doting towards her daughter. What"s with that wide difference in treatment?
Then what about father?
"Does father hate me?"
"No! Of course not! Master cares dearly for the young miss."
Well, I think that is true. Looking at the way he was shaken, he was probably thinking I hated him. It looked to me that he was surprised by his daughter" concern for his health. The steward in front of me was the same.
"Is that so. Till now I hadn"t spoken to father even once, so I thought he hated me."
When I answered like this, while laughing due to remembering that shaken appearance, Sebasu gave me a hard to explain look.
"That"s right, there is one more strange thing I want to ask you about.
Why do the maids change that often?"
"Please excuse me…The servants" matters are the madam"s concern, so I do not know."
"Is that so? All right. I understand. Thank you for explaining all these things to me, Sebasu."
"I am honored to have been of service, young miss."
Sebasu gave me a gentle smile. I"ve always seen my mother"s exaggerated and praising smile or the slightly frightened ones of the servants or the noh-maid"s one, so the smile Sebasu gave me was refreshing.