“Wow….”
When I first laid eyes on the mansion of the Duke of Merdellia, where Viviana resided, the first thought that crossed my mind was, ‘A person with no sense of direction could never live in a place like this.’
The scale was so immense that I couldn’t even tell if it was a mansion or a castle. Even though I was merely gazing at it from a distance outside the front gate, I could still feel the grandeur of the duke’s family permeating deep into my bones.
“Are you not coming in, Lady Blanc?”
Viviana looked at me with a puzzled expression.
I couldn’t just stand there in a daze forever. Shoving aside my bewilderment, I approached Viviana with a bright smile on my face.
“This mansion is incredibly big, Princess.”
“Other dukes’ mansions are this size too.”
It’s a little disappointing that there are only four dukes in the empire, but in the deep, dark night, I made my visit to Viviana’s mansion. When I expressed my desire to hear the piano, Viviana thought for a moment before suggesting we go inside so she could play it for me right away.
Sure, I had asked to be invited to the mansion, but I had imagined I’d receive an invitation later on. I never expected her to invite me over at such a late hour.
Arriving here after the last banquet night, I had already sent a letter to Mother saying I had been invited by Princess Viviana, so it should be fine. Besides, since I also sent a letter with her seal, she wouldn’t be overly worried.
Swallowing my disappointment at the thought of not being able to snuggle into my mother’s warm embrace today, I smiled brightly at Viviana.
“It seems like this place is ten times bigger than our mansion… You are truly amazing, Princess.”
“This is the achievement of my ancestors, not mine.”
“Still, it doesn’t change the fact that you are remarkable, Viviana. And you’re humble too.”
Naturally, I snuggled up next to Viviana and casually linked my arms with hers. Viviana gave me a quiet glance, but thankfully, she didn’t shake me off.
‘What a relief, Viviana is no different after all.’
Back in Korea, linking arms with another woman was a sign of friendship. I wondered if it would work in this medieval world, and I tested it a few times.
And the result? The limit on physical closeness between women seemed to be quite broad. If it were between men, it would be cringe-worthy, but whether in Korea or in this world, there seems to be a unique vibe among women.
I tried various forms of skinship: linking arms, fingers entwined, hugging tightly, using laps as pillows, patting heads, rubbing faces together, and even licking fingers. Luckily, there were no noble ladies who disliked my flirting yet.
And now that I realized Viviana wasn’t much different from other noble ladies, I believed she would also come to like it.
“Is the lady generally so clingy to others?”
“Ah, I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable…? I just got drawn in because I like the princess’s fragrance.”
“…Just don’t go overboard. I basically don’t like being too close to others.”
See?
Even Viviana, who had such a cold personality in the original story, was putting on an act of compliance. In the end, her basic desires were no different from those of ordinary people.
“Yes! I’ll stop right away if you say not to, princess.”
“….”
As we walked arm in arm, entering through the front gate of the mansion, countless servants waiting outside bowed their heads before us.
“Welcome, Princess.”
A kindly gentleman, appearing to represent the servants, approached Viviana with a warm smile. The white hair on his head indicated he was quite old, yet his dignity was not to be underestimated.
“Thank you for your hard work. To go to three banquets, I am sure the duke would be quite surprised.”
“Was everything alright?”
“Yes, but it seems the princess experienced something.”
The old man’s sharp black eyes studied me. His discerning gaze made me feel as if I were stripped bare. Yet, such scrutiny was nothing; I smiled at the elder and spoke.
“Hello, I’m Tina Blanc.”
“Ah, indeed. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Alphonse Fredo, the head butler.”
Being the head butler of a duke’s household indicates a person of considerable importance. It’s highly likely he’s of a rank higher than mine. I gently lowered one knee and offered him a respectful greeting.
“It’s an honor to meet you. May you find peace under the blessings of the goddess.”
“May you find peace as well. Lady Blanc, since you are a noble guest brought by the princess, you don’t need to lower yourself to me.”
Turning that around, it sounded like if I were not Viviana’s guest, I would immediately have to bow my head. Of course, that might not have been his intention.
“No, I could never raise my head before someone devoting themselves to the Duke of Merdellia.”
“Haha… Your character is as lovely as your appearance. Please, come inside.”
“Yes! I appreciate it.”
Guided by Alphonse, I walked deeper into the mansion. I thought it looked enormous from the outside, but once inside, I realized that the outside’s size was nothing.
The splendid decorations lining the vast hallways and the intricate interior design were on a completely different level than the banquet halls of the palace.
“Wooow….”
“Be careful not to get lost.”
Following Viviana’s words, I promptly trailed behind her. We climbed exceedingly high stairs, and after passing through sprawling corridors, we arrived at an office that exuded nobility without extravagant decorations.
“What will you have for dinner?”
“Prepare something.”
When Alphonse politely asked, Viviana handed over her coat and answered shortly. After receiving her command, Alphonse stepped away, leaving only Viviana and me in the office.
Viviana comfortably sat down, naturally pulled out a cigarette from her desk, and lit it. Her image, with long eyelashes fluttering while smoking, was a scene I had seen many times in the game.
Viviana and smoking were inseparable. In her previously peculiar life where playing the piano was her only happiness, she never let go of her cigarette.
By the way… I’m not a fan of smokers, but there’s something a bit sexy about watching Viviana smoke—
*Cough cough.*
As the acrid smoke entered my nostrils, a sharp pain scratched my throat, and I erupted into a fit of coughing. I tried to cover my mouth to stifle the coughing, but it just wouldn’t end.
“*Cough! Cough! Hic!*”
The coughing showed no signs of stopping. Tears filled my eyes as my breathing became increasingly constricted. How weak could my body be that I couldn’t even hold myself together from a single puff of smoke?
Viviana looked alarmed, extinguished the cigarette immediately, rushed to open a window, and handed me a glass of water from her desk.
“Drink this.”
“*Cough… Hic…*”
“I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry, Lady.”
The cool water flowed down my throat, soothing it. Feeling somewhat revived, I wiped the tears from my eyes with the handkerchief Viviana offered and gave a shy smile.
“I’m sorry, Princess….”
“It’s my mistake, so why are you apologizing?”
Come to think of it…
She discarded the cigarette.
I’d never seen Viviana toss her cigarette mid-game. Yet, to see her discard it without hesitation after seeing my state felt quite novel.
“Ah… I’m fine now. Feel free to smoke if you wish.”
After a few brief coughs, I spoke with my usual smile, but despite my words, Viviana tucked the cigarette back beneath the desk.
“No, I’m not addicted enough to smoke in front of a weak lady.”
“Umm….”
I felt bad thinking she might be holding back because of me, but the fact that Viviana was concerned enough to forgo smoking oddly delighted me.
As the atmosphere became awkward, I searched for a conversation topic by glancing around, and piles of documents stacked on Viviana’s desk caught my eye.
“You seem very busy… Are all these tasks yours to handle, Viviana?”
“Well, yes. But most just require my signature, so it doesn’t take long.”
“I want to see you handling your duties! I bet you look amazing doing it.”
“….”
Perhaps surprised by my words, Viviana stared at me for a while in silence and then let out a short sigh as she swept her hair back.
“Isn’t there something else you should be looking at, Lady?”
“Yes?”
I tilted my head in confusion, not grasping her words immediately. When I finally hesitated to respond, Viviana turned her head and spoke shortly in frustration.
“The piano performance. You said you wanted to hear it.”
“…Ah!”
My head turned shyly.
Viviana’s ears flushed with a soft red.
And with her bashful voice offering me the performance.
My mouth blossomed with a wide smile.
