Volume 6 Chapter 11 A Quiet Room For Two
Sir Roxas took me to a big room on the second floor.
The Room, which connects to the bedroom, has a nice sofa and a desk, and there are flowers in a vase on the shelf.
A big fireplace is lit with magical fire stones, making it warm.
"This is my room. You should rest a bit before greeting my father."
Encouraged by Sir Roxas, I sat on the soft sofa.
After a little while, a servant brought in tea and snacks, probably arranged by Sir Roxas.
On the plate were chocolate-covered dried oranges, called chocolat orange.
Sir Roxas sat next to me on the sofa, keeping some distance.
He looked more grumpy than usual, with his arms and legs crossed.
I looked around the room.
It was really fancy. The Girard mansion in the Royal Capital is nice, but this room is even better.
It felt way too big for just one person, which made me a bit uneasy.
Sir Ciel's room was empty, like just a box with a bed in it.
Mr. Lucian's room had lots of plants and pretty lamps, making it look stylish.
Sir Roxas's room gave off a strong impression of wealth.
The sofa, the fireplace, and the flowers in the vase seemed more like the work of the servants keeping it nice than Sir Roxas's personal style.
Now that I think about it, I don't really know much about Sir Roxas.
I don't know what he likes or what his hobbies are. Even though the room is luxurious, it doesn't feel much like it belongs to him.
Maybe it's because Sir Rail isn't here. Sir Roxas and Sir Rail always seem to be together.
It feels a bit lacking without him.
"Lydia, um, I want to know more about the situation. What did my brother say to bring you here?"
I put my tea cup back on the saucer after he asked.
The tea was delicious, tasting really fancy.
"Since Sir Roxas has to marry someone he doesn't want to, we all decided to help."
"A marriage I don't want... well, that's true."
"Since Sir Roxas will inherit the title of Duke, I thought Sir Roxas might have to get married..."
"Yeah, that will probably happen eventually..."
Sir Roxas seemed a bit hesitant. He usually expresses his opinions more clearly.
I wondered if I was bothering him.
"But, Sir Roxas, you've been working so hard, especially to help Sir Rail with his illness. So, I thought maybe you could have a bit more freedom... Was that a bother?"
"It's not a bother at all. Lydia, um, are you okay with being my fiancée? I mean, if you have someone else you like..."
It seemed like Sir Roxas wasn't bothered but was actually thinking about my feelings.
I felt relieved and smiled up at him.
I was glad. Being with a grumpy Sir Roxas was uncomfortable, and I didn't want to feel like I was causing trouble.
"I don't have a boyfriend or anything, so it's fine."
"But, remember, you're pretending to be my fiancée, Lydia. My father wants me to get married. If I show up with a fiancée, they'll want us to have a wedding right away, start a family, and have a child."
"Y-yes... a child...?"
Oh, right.
Sir Roxas is getting married to continue the Duke Girard line, which means having children.
That's part of the roles for Sir Stefan and Sir Roxas.
If they don't, the family line could end.
As the only legitimate daughter of the Rest family, I'm expected to do the same.
But my parents have told me I can have some freedom.
I guess I'm being spoiled. Still, children.
"Sir Roxas... I understand about marriage. We're having a wedding, right? But how do we pretend to have kids?"
I get the wedding part. I kind of have an idea because I interrupted Sir Stefan and FraFra's engagement party with some fried shrimp.
But I have no clue about making kids.
I know that when a man and a woman love each other, they can have kids, but I don't know the details.
No one has taught me.
So far, no one has told me anything. Since I don't know, I think I can't pretend.
"..."
For some reason, the teacup Sir Roxas was holding broke.
It shattered into pieces, and the tea spilled all over the floor.
"Are you okay, Sir Roxas? Did you get burned?"
The tea from the broken cup spilled on Sir Roxas's clothes.
I quickly took out a handkerchief and leaned over to wipe his wet clothes.
Sir Roxas often breaks dishes when he's at Lobelia, but it seems he does the same at home.
That's why his glasses break too, and the servants are used to it and clean up quickly.
The teacup looked fancy, but it shattered completely.
"Wow, phew..."
I got flustered seeing Sir Roxas's reaction, and when I leaned over, my long shawl got tangled around me, making me lose my balance.
By the time I realized I was about to fall, it was too late, and I ended up collapsing on top of Sir Roxas.
"I'm so sorry...! Are you burned, Sir Roxas? I was just trying to wipe your clothes, and then I tripped."
"Lydia... I'm not burned, but I feel like I'm dying."
"Why do you feel like you're dying...!?"
Is it because I'm heavy?
I pushed Sir Roxas back onto the sofa and tried to get up while looking at him.
Maybe because of the shock, his glasses fell on the floor, and Sir Roxas's face looked a lot like Sir Rail's.
He had sharp eyes and a cold-looking face.
But right now, his face was bright red.
"Lydia... I'm..."
"Sir Roxas?"
"I'm, ... if you'll be my fiancée..."
Sir Roxas's hands wrapped around my waist as I tried to pull away.
When he hugged me tightly, our bodies were pressed together. What should I do? I can't move.
I felt really embarrassed about what was happening.
"Pumpkin pudding!"
"Tarte Tatin...!"
Between Sir Roxas and me, a very grumpy voice protested.
Somehow, Eir-Eir and Ms. Famine popped out from between my chest.
Eir-Eir and Ms. Famine crawled out from the tight space and started tapping Sir Roxas's face.
"...You shouldn't be doing this without making sure of your feelings first."
And then my dad, who had appeared out of nowhere, sat at the edge of the sofa and said this to Sir Roxas.
"Is it my fault...? No, it probably is my fault, but... Lydia, I'm sorry. You got wet. I need to change."
Because I fell on Sir Roxas, tea stains got on my clothes too.
I quickly moved away from Sir Roxas. What just happened?
It felt different from the usual Sir Roxas. It was kind of strange.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)