Volume 3 Chapter 20 Tea Party With Lydia
Cain finished leveling the land inside the town wall early in the morning. He returned to the mansion, brushed off the dust, changed his clothes, and headed to the dining room for the tea party. Lydia was busy preparing sweets and tea with the Head Maids.
"Mother Lydia, I'm late."
Cain called out to Lydia, who was still preparing in the dining room.
"Cain. Welcome back. You're not late. I'll finish soon, so please sit and wait a little."
"Yes," Cain replied, taking a seat at the end of the table.
In about 10 minutes, everything was ready, and the tea party began. The table was set with two types of fragrant tea, small sandwiches, and cakes topped with fresh cream.
"Cain, thank you for waiting. Shall we begin?"
Lydia poured tea for Cain, herself, and the maids who had helped with the preparations. At her tea parties, it was a tradition to include the maids who assisted. Usually, maids would stand nearby but not join in.
However, Lydia preferred the maids to participate because she felt she couldn't talk freely if they just stood around.
"Cain, you've been working too hard lately. It's okay to slow down a bit."
"Yes, but if the town wall is finished quickly, the villagers will feel safer, and they can enjoy their lives sooner. That's why I push myself."
"That's a good goal, but if you collapse, nothing will matter, and the plan will fail. Do you understand?"
"Yes... Mother Lydia. You're right. It would be terrible if I, the only one who can do this, collapsed. I'll discuss it with everyone tomorrow."
"Ehehe, you're honest, which is good."
Lydia smiled, took a sip of her tea, and then enjoyed a bite of the cake.
"Ah, this fresh cream is so delicious. Next time I visit Margrave Shield territory, I want to bring some for Mother. But with the weather warming up, it's impossible. I can't take Nana and the others along..."
"Mother Lydia, we're going to Margrave Shield territory after the town wall is built, right?"
"Yes, it might be a bit later than promised, but I've already contacted Father, so it's fine. I want to go before it gets too hot, though."
"You're right, working in the heat is tough."
Lydia and Cain continued chatting, laughing together.
"Oh, I received a letter from Alice. She seems to be doing very well."
As Lydia mentioned Alice's letter, a maid handed it to her.
"Oh, I see. She didn't write to me. What did she say to only you, Mother Lydia?"
"Jealousy is bad. Women have their own private conversations. And maybe she doesn't want you to worry as her brother. But in the letter, she was genuinely concerned about you."
"Elder Sister Alice worries a lot, doesn't she?"
Cain muttered, thinking of Alice.
"Yes, it seems she's had a new encounter."
Lydia began reading Alice's letter aloud.
'Mother Lydia, I met someone truly wonderful. Don't worry, she's a woman. On Elder Brother Chris's recommendation, I joined the academy knight corps. There, I can learn combat training and outdoor activities. In the knight corps, there's a woman nicknamed [Prominence], Angelina Gain. Yesterday, I even received direct swordsmanship instruction from her. I'll work hard in my daily training to become like Lady Angelina.'
"Oh, Elder Sister Alice is really giving it her all, isn't she?"
"I'm so glad she's doing well. Meeting someone you admire is truly fortunate."
Lydia looked at the letter, her eyes slightly teary.
Cain silently vowed to create a new town that would amaze Alice when she returned for New Year's Day.
Character Notes:
Nana - The one dating Haruto before she goes to Hokkaido.
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