Chapter 76
“If you feel uncomfortable, tell me.”
“…Pardon?”
“They’re using fairies as a promotional tool. Whether it’s true or not, since you’re a fairy as well, you might feel offended. If so, don’t hold it in—let me know.”
“……”
At my words, he gazed at the flyer for a moment. Then he lifted his head and gave me a bright smile.
“Yes, understood.”
His refreshing answer was satisfying.
After about two hours, we finally arrived at Daliya Lake.
I got down from the carriage and faced the vast lake glittering brightly under the sunlight.
“Wow…”
The exclamation slipped out before I could stop it.
Nature untouched by human hands offered a grandeur that was on a completely different level from paintings or photographs.
No matter where I turned my gaze, the lake was spread out before me. Maybe because of the open view, I felt a refreshing sensation as though my chest had been cleared out.
I could now somewhat understand why nobles constantly came here to row boats.
“Madam, your companions are over there.”
Anna pointed toward the pier.
I could see members of the reading club gathered where colorful boats were docked. I walked slowly toward them.
“Sorry, am I late?”
“Not at all, Madam. We’ve only just arrived.”
A baroness in a graceful violet dress greeted me with a mature smile.
“And you look beautiful again today.”
“Thank you for the compliment. Violet suits you so well, Baroness. It’s a kind of elegance I could never imitate.”
“Hoho, thank you.”
After that, I exchanged greetings with Illina and Chloe as well.
Illina wore a healthy-looking yellow dress, while Chloe had chosen a white outfit, similar to mine.
Just then, Jane came running with a bright face, having borrowed a boat from the boatman.
“You’re here, Madam.”
Jane was wearing a uniform similar to the one Licht used to wear, perhaps because she had been working before coming to the lake.
As always, the tall man Rohan followed behind her.
While Jane and I exchanged greetings, Rohan and Nata faced each other.
“……”
The two bowed briefly, finishing their greeting. Their awkwardness made me embarrassed enough to avert my eyes.
“Are they on good terms?”
“Well… perhaps they have something in common?”
“What could they possibly have in common? That they’re both good with a sword?”
Rohan, who was both a laborer and a guard, did have a sword at his hip, but I had never actually seen him draw it.
Someone like him was usually a skilled swordsman, so maybe that’s what Jane meant.
Jane glanced at Nata, Rohan, then me in turn, and gave a bitter smile.
“Um… yes, something like that.”
“…?”
Leaving my confusion behind, we gathered in front of the pier after finishing introductions.
There were more people than I’d expected. The reading club only had six members, but each of them had brought along several attendants.
I had brought only three people including the coachman, but the others had four at minimum.
The only one who had brought fewer was Chloe, who was accompanied only by her elderly nanny.
“Nanny, sit over there. Your legs must hurt.”
“But, young lady…”
“I’m not a young lady anymore. I’ll call you when we’re done, so just rest.”
What a kind heart.
The nanny went to sit on a chair along the lakeside path with Illina’s party.
Chloe must have shared a carriage with Illina, since Illina’s attendants were skillfully taking care of her nanny, as though they were used to it.
Perhaps sensing my gaze, the nanny bowed her head politely.
But isn’t the Tilim Count’s house supposed to be a notable one? Even if she came with a friend, to bring only one attendant…
Chloe’s family was indeed the Tilim Counts. I hadn’t heard whom she’d married, but even I had heard of that house.
They were craftsmen who produced popular dyes—attendants loved their brand, so their name was naturally familiar.
Yet here she was, dressed in muted tones, with only a single attendant… clearly, her side had its own complicated circumstances.
Once Chloe rejoined us, Jane checked the group again.
“We’ve borrowed four boats in total. Two of them will be for us—one holds four people, the other three. That leaves one extra seat…”
She glanced at me, asking silently what to do. I turned my eyes toward Nata.
“Would you like to come with us, Sir Nata?”
“Me?”
“It’s better to ride with someone familiar, isn’t it?”
The attendants would be in the other boats anyway, so safety wasn’t an issue. But it seemed a waste to leave a seat empty.
Nata hesitated briefly, then nodded in agreement.
Now we had to decide how to split the seven of us, when Illina suddenly pulled out a bundle of sticks.
“Then let’s draw lots!”
“You made those yourself?”
“Yes! I thought something like this might happen, so I carved them out of twigs. I also brought coin-toss games, spoon-bending, and a surprise box…”
It seemed Illina had been looking forward to this gathering the most.
Her attendants gave strained smiles, as if they were used to her antics.
The toys she’d prepared were all handmade, and charming in their own clumsy way.
I patted her head to thank her for the effort, then handed out the sticks for everyone to draw.
And the result was completely unexpected.
Jane announced it in a startled voice.
“Uh, so… Madam, Sir Nata, and Mr. Rohan will be on the same boat.”
The baroness, Jane, Illina, and Chloe would take the four-person boat.
What a different atmosphere.
That boat looked like a cheerful outing, while ours was wrapped in awkwardness.
A quick glance at Nata and Rohan showed they were just as flustered as I was.
But for me, this was actually a stroke of luck.
With these two, I can practice comfortably.
Jane, Chloe, and Illina were all sweet girls, but I still had to maintain my dignity as an adult in front of them.
In front of Nata or Rohan, though, it wouldn’t be as embarrassing if I stumbled over a poem or two.
Illina seemed disappointed not to be paired with me—she gazed at her stick with mournful eyes—but Chloe gently comforted her.
“At least you get to row the boat by yourself. Didn’t you say you always wanted to?”
“…That’s right! The boys always took the oars!”
Being close friends, Chloe knew exactly how to cheer her up.
Just before boarding, Illina suddenly ran up and handed me a small box.
“Madam! Please take this!”
“What did you pack this time?”
“A lunchbox! Since a fairy was supposed to appear, I made it with ingredients fairies like.”
Fairies have favorite foods?
I sneaked a glance at Nata, but he only gave a wry smile without answering.
Anyway, I couldn’t ignore her thoughtfulness, so I accepted it.
I boarded the boat with Nata and Rohan.
“The person in the middle can row too, right? Then let me—”
“No, two oars will be enough.”
“Please, just sit.”
“Really?”
Awkward as they seemed, the two agreed perfectly on that point.
It was a small boat anyway, more like a canoe but with a broader interior. Nata sat in front with an oar, Rohan took the rear, and I ended up in the middle, caught under both of their gazes.
“Then, let’s go—!”
From the pier, Illina waved her hand energetically.
I waved back in acknowledgment, and at that moment, our boat began to glide forward.
It was my first time riding one, and it felt excitingly novel.
But as they picked up speed, the balance shifted slightly and the boat wobbled.
“Ah.”
My body tilted, and I reached for the railing—only for two hands to grab my shoulders at once.
“Madam!”
“Are you all right?”
Both men had reached out from their positions, steadying me.
“Oh, I’m fine.”
It was only that I’d lifted off my seat a little.
As I tried to move their hands and straighten myself, they both spoke at once, voices heavy with concern.
“It’s better to sit in the center. There’s a handhold there.”
“Madam, keep your legs close to the seat for safety.”
Really? Isn’t that a bit much…
It felt like they were fussing, but since I wasn’t a good swimmer, I quietly obeyed.
On water, a beginner was wise to listen to the experts.
So I ended up sitting stiffly, tense, while staring at the boat further ahead.
“One, two! One, two!”
“M-Miss Illina, that’s a bit fast—”
Up front, Illina was rowing energetically, and Jane, spurred on by competition, was rowing hard as well.
The baroness clung to Chloe in alarm, trying to calm Illina down.
Looks like that boat got the lucky draw.
