Chapter 76
Are You Tired?
When I walked toward the mansion’s entrance, Butler Mason opened the door from inside. I thought I might be a little tired. I had toured magitech shops, talked at length with Dandelion—quite a lot had happened today.
“Good evening, Mason.”
“Welcome back, Princess. I hope you had another pleasant day today.”
Mason bowed deeply and greeted me with courtesy.
As I lightly lifted the hem of my dress and passed through the lobby, I saw Cedric coming down the central staircase. Letting go of my skirt with one hand, I waved to him.
Cedric noticed me and approached.
“Good evening, Duke.”
“Good evening, Princess. Did you enjoy your outing?”
“Yes. I went to a magitech shop.”
“I see.”
Cedric extended his hand toward me. I placed my hand on top of his. When I looked up at him, as always, I saw myself reflected in his cherry-colored eyes.
“Princess, would you care to have dinner together in the sitting room tonight?”
“In the sitting room?”
I wondered which room he meant. I had never really referred to the places I frequented as a “sitting room.”
“Would that be inconvenient?”
“Of course not. I’d like that.”
I smiled as I answered.
It wasn’t discomfort—just that the unfamiliar name made me wonder where it might be. Even if it were a new place, a change in dining location wouldn’t bother me. Cedric instructed the maids to bring all the dishes to the sitting room at once.
Cedric glanced down at me quietly, then, with his usual composed expression, guided my hand.
We passed through the first-floor lobby and went up the central staircase. Most of the common spaces were on the second floor, so I assumed the sitting room would be there—but Cedric climbed one floor higher.
At a slow, steady pace, we reached the third floor. Cedric turned left down the corridor and passed several rooms before stopping in front of his own door. With the hand not holding mine, he opened it.
He had meant the sitting room of his own bedroom.
Thinking about it, when people referred to the small sitting room in my guest room, they simply called it the sitting room—so it made sense that the owner’s sitting room would be the one attached to Cedric’s quarters.
I had never considered entering the lord of the house’s private room, so it hadn’t occurred to me. Still, dining there was not strange.
When I wasn’t eating with Cedric, I usually had my meals in the sitting room of my own room anyway.
When the door opened, the sitting room was immediately visible. Its layout was similar to mine—except Cedric’s was far more orderly.
On one side were a sofa and a low table, and a long cabinet with no decorations, just furniture. On the other side stood a large table suitable for dining, with several chairs. A few large rugs lay on the floor, and decorative lamps sat atop one or two cabinets.
What stood out was the large bookshelf covering one wall. The ducal residence had an excellent library, and even the lounges had shelves packed with books—yet Cedric also kept a bookshelf in his own sitting room. I thought again how much he must love reading.
“Princess.”
Cedric guided me to the seat facing the window, with the long side of the table between us. He sat across from me.
The maids set the table, laying placemats before Cedric and me, neatly arranging cutlery and plates. They offered warm, damp towels, and I wiped my hands.
The dishes were laid out across the table. After finishing their work, the maids bowed and left the room.
I said “thank you for the meal” and served myself an appetizer. From where I sat, the garden outside the window was visible at a glance—similar to the view from my small sitting room, but from a different angle.
The thought that I was tired passed through my mind again.
“Do you like the garden of the residence?” Cedric asked, skipping the appetizer and serving himself the main dish.
I also skipped the other appetizers and moved straight to the main course. Perhaps because I was tired, I didn’t feel very hungry.
“Yes. It’s very well maintained. Every time I see it, I’m impressed by the skill of the ducal gardeners—managing such a large garden so beautifully.”
“I thought you preferred the rear garden.”
“I do for picnics. Thanks to the shadows of the residence, I can choose whether or not to sit in the sun.”
Since all the dishes were brought out at once, the meal ended quickly. When I pulled the cord, the maids came in to clear the table.
While we were eating, time passed and the sunset faded.
I had spent the morning touring magitech shops with Dandelion, then had a long conversation with him, and came straight back to dinner. The fatigue steadily caught up with me.
Still, since Cedric had invited me to the sitting room for the first time, it felt impolite to leave right after eating. I was only a little tired from being out—I could at least have some tea.
“Duke, what tea shall we have today?”
“You look tired, Princess. It would be better for you to retire for the night.”
Cedric studied my face as he spoke. Did it show? I thought, not for the first time, that Cedric observed my expressions very closely.
“You invited me to the sitting room yourself—I can’t just leave immediately.”
“Ah.”
“But I went out and came straight to dinner. I’ll change into indoor clothes and come back.”
My outing clothes had more ornamentation and were uncomfortable; perhaps that was why I felt more tired now.
“Yes, Princess.”
I changed into indoor clothes in my room, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. Since I was tired today, I decided I’d rinse my mouth again after tea and go straight to bed.
I knocked on Cedric’s door. Outside the window, the sun was no longer visible. The deepening darkness made me feel as if I were moving in a dream. The lamps lighting the sitting room shimmered softly.
Cedric opened the door after hearing the knock. He looked slightly surprised when he saw me, then opened the door wider to let me in.
Feeling a little dazed, I went straight to the sofa in front of me and sat down. My eyes felt dry.
“Princess, are you all right?”
I was growing too tired to answer out loud. Wanting to maintain courtesy, I gave Cedric a faint smile and nodded.
Still, I must have looked unwell, because worry crossed his face. Cedric set a teacup in front of me and sat directly across from me.
“It would be best for you to return and rest now, Princess.”
“No, I’m fine. You look worried, Duke—I can’t cause you concern, can I?”
I forced a small laugh, trying to reassure him. I didn’t want to worry him over nothing more than fatigue.
Cedric ran his hand lightly across his forehead and around his eyes.
“Did you go out again today with Count Axel?”
“Yes.”
I didn’t have the strength to elaborate. Ah… maybe simply going back to my room now would be the more polite thing to do. I should say I’d retire shortly.
“What did he have you do that left you this tired?”
“Well… what we did was…”
We looked around the magitech shop, listened to his story, and then I politely refused him.
I had already told Cedric that I went to a magitech shop, so I hesitated over what else to explain. My thoughts felt slow and heavy.
I noticed that blinking took effort. Each time I opened my eyes, Cedric’s face seemed to disappear and reappear.
“Princess, if you continue like this—”
Cedric stopped mid-sentence. He let out a small breath, almost like a sigh, then changed the subject.
“You should lean back against the sofa.”
“I can’t—I must maintain my dignity.”
“I’m the only one here. It’s fine.”
Was it? He wasn’t wrong. Cedric didn’t seem like the type to spread rumors about me sitting improperly. I tilted my body slightly and leaned neatly against the sofa.
Even that small movement was enough for sleep to rush in. No—it felt like sleep had already been waiting.
I tried, in my own way, to fight the haze—forcing a smile, for example.
I think I closed my eyes. Or maybe not.
This was Cedric’s room—falling asleep here would be an imposition. Wanting to stay awake and show that I was listening, I nodded a few times.
Ah… was Cedric saying something? Did I answer without hearing the question?
“Are you tired, Princess?”
“Yes… a little.”
I nodded again as I replied. This time, I had answered properly. After that, there was no sound from Cedric’s direction for quite a while.
…Are my eyes closed?
