TFCF 05

Chapter 05…

The attendants bustled in alarm when they saw the three children return completely soaked.

Thanks to them, the trio was soon dressed in fresh, dry clothes and seated before a refreshment table with a steaming teapot waiting.

It was then that Sada noticed something curious—Eila wasn’t adding sugar to her tea.

Normally, she would put in at least two spoonfuls, but today, she didn’t even touch the sugar bowl.

“Eila, aren’t you putting in sugar?”

Luca, just as puzzled, asked as well, and Eila answered with composure.

“I don’t like sweets.”

“What?”

“What?!”

Luca’s eyes widened.

“But Eila, you’ve always eaten tons of sweets. You always put sugar in your tea.”

Eila turned her gaze away and said quietly,

“I just thought it seemed like a cuter, more girlish thing to do….”

“Unbelievable…”

Sada muttered, half in awe, half in disbelief. Luca also nodded.

Holding her teacup with a doubtful look, Sada asked,

“You really don’t like it? Truly not even a spoonful?”

Eila nodded.

“Actually, I don’t even like cake that much.”

She pushed her share of the dessert toward the other two as she spoke.

Sada wasn’t sure whether this was some new “concept” or not.

Even Madam Poppy, standing behind, was startled enough to ask again.

“But my lady. You always asked for dessert. You even researched famous pastry shops.”

“Well, um…”

Eila cleared her throat.

“I really just thought it looked more feminine.”

“Oh, heavens…”

Madam Poppy’s words captured everyone’s thoughts exactly.

Eila looked flustered, not knowing where to rest her eyes.

“Anyway, it’s true. I really do prefer tea without anything in it.”

“Well… alright.”

Sada nodded for now. By this point, it was getting hard to tell whether Eila was being sincere or not.

“Hm.”

Sada traced the rim of her teacup, watching Eila.

Eila, quietly sipping her tea, looked exactly as she wanted to—like a beautiful young boy.

Is this a new concept? A cross-dressing girl? A setting about fiery friendship between boys?

The marriage proposal from the Solalune Duchy to House Ult had arrived three years ago.

When the suggestion was made that children of similar age should be introduced, Count Ult had gladly sent his youngest.

Though acknowledged by the Emperor, Count Ult’s position in high society was still precarious.

The count’s ancestors had been pirates, later becoming privateers, and eventually—at long last—receiving noble titles.

But that didn’t make one a celebrated figure in society overnight.

Sada’s elder brother was, by any measure, a manly and handsome fellow with a good personality.

Yet no one wished to marry him, and he had to contort himself in desperation to find a bride.

Sada used to think his brother was insane for buying up powders just to look paler.

But that only showed how desperate he was.

Even with all that effort, noblewomen of the Empire who had “received a ring” wanted nothing to do with House Ult.

At breakfast after every ball, Sada’s elder brother would smile bitterly and say, “I didn’t get to dance last night either.”

Every dance invitation he gave was flatly refused.

Eventually, he managed to marry—but his bride was a woman far below their family’s rank.

Sada’s sister-in-law was the daughter of a country knight. Kind and gentle, yes, but hardly what one would call a noble lady.

She couldn’t perform the social duties expected of the count’s household.

That’s why, when Sada first met Eila, the frilly dress like a blooming flower immediately caught his eye.

Her long brown hair and prim little expression made him think, So this is what a real noble lady looks like.

Truthfully, his heart had skipped a beat.

Ah, but I was only seven then.

Still, after three years of being dragged around, one naturally ends up with the eyes of a dead fish.

For example: fetching treasures for Lady Eila, fighting monsters for Lady Eila, gathering flowers for Lady Eila.

Endless tasks “for Lady Eila.”

Wait. Hold on. Am I supposed to live like this for the rest of my life?

Naturally, such doubts crept in.

Still, Eila wasn’t truly ill-natured. If you catered to her excessively sugary girlish tastes, she was easy enough to get along with.

For House Ult, she was more than they deserved.

But now…

To suddenly cut her hair short and dress like a boy!

Even at their young age, it was obvious what the purpose of these arranged visits between a boy and girl was.

Marriage.

And with the other party being the daughter of Duke Solalune, Sada felt she was more than he could hope for.

But friendship, she says…

Was this a warning not to even think of marriage? Or did it mean something else?

Friendship alone is enough for me, but still…

Sada glanced sideways at Luca.

Luca Ioran sat there with a calm, gentle smile, neatly finishing off the desserts.

I wonder how Luca Ioran will take this.

Rumors about him were known even in House Ult, far from the center of society. But Eila Solalune seemed completely unaware.

Is she pretending not to know, or does she really not know?

Sada set his teacup down.

Anyway, tea doesn’t suit me. I prefer fruit juice.

Just then, Eila slid her own orange juice toward him.

Sada blinked once and accepted it.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Eila smiled brightly.

At least the day seemed to be ending well.

Fish Ornament

On the carriage ride back, Sada glanced at Luca and asked,

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

Luca Ioran, sitting with perfect posture, asked in return.

Was this how all nobles acted, or was it just Luca? Sada couldn’t decide.

“About Eila. She said she wanted to be real friends with us. Do you think she meant it? Or is it just another concept?”

“Does it matter either way?”

“Well, when you put it that way… But friendship doesn’t feel as political as noble romances do.”

“Maybe so.”

Luca lowered his gaze slightly at Sada’s stretched-out remark.

Both of them stayed at Solalune’s lands for a month or two every year.

That was the only way they could meet Eila every day.

Sada glanced out the window.

“Anyway, I wish this would be over soon. In two weeks, we’ll finally be free.”

At those words, Luca also turned his eyes to the scenery outside.

The duchy, prosperous for a thousand years, was dazzlingly splendid.

All the wealth of the west flowed into Solalune.

The surrounding territories were barren wastelands—except for Solalune’s lands, which other lords had long given up trying to cultivate.

The carriage stopped in front of an alley, and Luca was the first to step down.

He watched the carriage depart before walking into the alley and climbing up to the second floor of a commoner’s house.

No one would believe a noble lived in such a shabby rental.

It must be nice to have a home you can return to.

Luca thought as he sat on the worn chair.

Duke Ioran had sent his youngest son off with not even a single attendant, dumping him in a place like this.

At least he’d been given a roof over his head.

Back at the ducal house, his room was several times larger and servants waited on him. But still—

I don’t want to go back.

When the proposal for him came in, Duke Ioran had asked, Are you sure this is really Luca?

Only after Governor Solalune confirmed it did the duke swallow his complicated feelings and send Luca to the Solalune household.

And that was how Luca first met Eila.

Living alongside her wasn’t difficult.

Eila treated Luca like a knight out of her dreams, and within her fantasies, he was safe.

If only it had stayed that way.

But Eila shattered the illusion in an instant.

It felt like being struck by a sudden blizzard—Luca even felt wronged.

Her declaration of wanting to live as she pleased sounded to him like nothing but a rosy fantasy.

She didn’t realize how lucky she was to live in a place where such a thing was possible.

Friends. Friendship.

Was she serious?

If Eila learned of his birth, would she still call him a friend?

Sada seems to know already.

It had been one of the biggest scandals in society—everyone knew, except perhaps Eila.

An affair between father-in-law and daughter-in-law had reached its peak with Luca Ioran’s birth.

Luca was the child born between them.

Even so, he grew up calling the duke—his supposed elder brother—“Father.”

The thought of Eila not knowing made him anxious. The thought of her not knowing also reassured him.

His heart swayed back and forth.

But still… today was truly fun.

Remembering Eila’s cheerful, ‘Oh, you survived, right?’ made him burst into laughter again.

What a ridiculous day it had been.

Chuckling to himself, Luca pulled out a sheet of stationery.

After all, writing a daily report to Duke Ioran was part of his routine.