Chapter 2:
Noble Lilies in the Garden
“Lady Sophie! Have you read it yet!”
“Lyssa, what have I told you about running like that?!”
“S-sorry, but I really couldn’t wait to see you to talk about it today!”
“Fufu, I could tell. Look at you, your hair’s a mess, you have leaves caught on the hem of your dress and you’re sweating. Have a seat and take a sip of something cold.”
“Thank you. Did you make these drinks yourself?”
“Of course not - I asked the maids for their recommendations and chose the best two. Do you want the Strawberry or the Cherry one?”
“Cherry!”
“Here.”
“Thank you! Wow, that’s really refreshing! How did-?”
“I know? Well, it’s you after all.”
“What’s that meant to mean?”
“I wonder.”
“Lady Sophie!”
“Fufu. Here, let me comb your hair for you.”
“I-it’s fine, it’s my fault it’s-”
“Nope. A woman’s hair isn’t something to be mistreated; sit still and let me do it.”
“…Is that the order of Lady Estreath?”
“It can be if you don’t sit still. Don’t pout.”
“I’m not.”
“How cute. It’s a shame you don’t put more effort into your hair and appearance. If you did, I’m sure you would be the cutest girl in the entire kingdom.”
“P-please don’t tease me, Lady Sophie. Compared to you, I’m-Owowowowow! What was that-? Ow! Don’t flick my forehead!”
“I will pull the hair and flick the forehead of a lady who devalues herself for no good reason. Listen, Lyssa, you are absolutely adorable and any prince would be lucky to find you for their bride, okay?”
“…okay.”
“Your voice is too quiet.”
“It’s embarrassing to be praised like that! E-especially when you’re brushing my hair.”
“Oh my, you’re acting so subdued today. You’ve become even cuter.”
“Lady Sophie~!”
“Okay, okay, I’ll leave the compliments there.”
“…It felt more like teasing to me. So, did you read it?!”
“I did, twice through.”
“Wow! I only just finished it today.”
“I gathered from how ecstatic you were. Grand Destiny did indeed live up to its title.”
“Right?! Right?! It was so great, like the-ow!”
“Don’t flail around so much.”
“S-sorry. But it was just sooooooooo exciting, I couldn’t stop reading it some nights!”
“And you finished it this morning?”
“Papa kept dragging me around for work and insisted that I couldn’t bring my book with me.”
“How cruel.”
“Right?! I really wish he’d let me at least have that, but no, it’s possible it might ruin our image on visits. As if people would start disliking us because I was reading a book.”
“If that book was called A Thousand Ways to Kill Someone, then I could see where he was coming from.”
“…Please tell me that doesn’t exist.”
“There’s only one copy and the sole author has access to it.”
“…I suddenly remembered something I have to do today.”
“I never said I wrote it, Lyssa Wurlan.”
“Why my full name?!”
“So, I know what to write on your tombstone.”
“Lady Sophie…”
“Don’t worry, I burnt the book a long time ago.”
“Thank Go-”
“Because I’ve already memorised it.”
“I really have to go no-Ow!”
“Lyssa.”
“Ehe~”
“Sigh. So, what would you say was your favourite part of Grand Destiny?”
“Definitely the quest in the middle where Sir Seddak went to save Lady Lena! It was so romantic, so dramatic and so emotional! I cried for ages when he vowed to protect her and love her forever! What a great way for the rescue to end!”
“Indeed - it definitely made my heart skip a beat too.”
“Right? Right?! Ah, to be as lucky as Lady Lena and have a knight save me like that!”
“…Hmm, interesting.”
“Eh? What is?”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s definitely something!”
“Ha. Fine, I’ll confess. Personally, I was more imagining myself as Sir Seddak than Lady Lena in that scene.”
“Really?!”
“Yes, really.”
“Wow~”
“I don’t know what to make of that reaction.”
“S-sorry, Lady Sophie. I know you’re really cool and amazing, but with your beauty and bearing I thought for sure you would’ve been like me and envisioned yourself as Lady Lena.”
“What can I say? I know most ten-year-old girls probably still like to play princess, but it’s never really been for me. Admittedly, that might have something to do with the fact that I’ve always looked up to and admired my father.”
“Ah, fair enough, Lord Byron has always been extremely cool!”
“…I’m a little hurt that you think me less cool than my father.”
“That’s not true! Lady Sophie’s always been someone I admire, ever since we were kids.”
“Fufu, have you forgotten that we’re both still children?”
“You know what I mean! Oh, I meant to ask, how did the sword fighting competition go the other day?”
“Not too badly. I managed to make it into the semi-finals before being bested.”
“Wow~ That’s incredible!”
“Thank you.”
“…You are definitely ten, right?”
“Are you calling me an old lady?”
“No, no, no, it’s just I haven’t ever heard of any children competing against knights and making it that far, not without the knights going easy on the children.”
“If it was any household besides mine, that might be the case, but father has always insisted that I be trained just like any other knight. Mother’s hardly happy about that, but she allows it because I want to do it and improve even more. I am the daughter of Lord Byron Estreath - it is only natural that I, as his daughter and heir, become a knight worthy enough to inherit his title.”
“…That’s so cool.”
“I-is it? Thank you, Lyssa.”
“Ah, maybe that’s why you imagined yourself as Sir Seddak rather than Lady Lana because that’s who you want to be as cool as one day.”
“Perhaps. I wonder what the other ladies would say if they knew.”
“They know you’re practicing very hard at swordsmanship.”
“But I imagine quite a few think it a hobby or small whim of mine.”
“Then, they’re idiots.”
“Lyssa.”
“What? It’s fine, isn’t it, when it’s just the two of us?”
“…Fufu, true. Then.”
“Ah~!”
“Shall I start practicing now, princess?”
“…eh…eh…EH~!”
“Ah, that’s a big blush.”
“D-d-d-d-don’t go quoting Sir Seddak’s lines like that!”
“Why?”
“Why?! It’s not fair!”
“What isn’t fair?”
“To say such cool things with such a pretty face!”
“Thank you for the compliments.”
“Also, stop cupping my chin with your hands!”
“No~Ah, don’t run~”
“L-lady Sophie!”
“If it was for you, I would travel across every land, every sky and every hell to find you and bring you home.”
“Stop it!”
“My lady, for you, I vow to love and to hold you, to be your sword and your shield, and to be the man by your side until the end of my life. For that is how vast my love for you is.”
“…guh~~~”
“Ah.”
“Lady…Sophie!”
“…I overdid it.”
“Lady Sophie!”
“Fufu, I’m sorry, I’m sor-Hey, don’t hit me so hard!”
“You deserve it, womanizer!”
“Oh, now that’s a rude word. Here!”
“Hey, don’t start tickling me!”
“Well, stop hitting me then.”
“…Fine, but…can…can we stay like this…just a little bit?”
“That’s fine. To think that Lyssa is still such a child, wanting to be spoiled with hugs.”
“…Only from you, Lady Sophie. Hug~!”
“Ahaha, fine, fine, hug, hug~”
“…Lady Sophie?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think my engagement partner will be as wonderful as you?”
“I’m sure he will be.”
“Really?”
“Really, really. I’m sure he’ll be as wonderful as Sir Sebbak and you’ll live happier than he and Lady Lana ever did.”
“That would be…nice.”
“If anything, he’ll be the lucky one, getting to live out his life with such an adorable bride.”
“…Lady Sophie~”
“Why are you upset?!”
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