Chapter 47

"Prince Leonhardt, are you really sure about this?"

――When she heard the story from Leonhardt.

Cordelia couldn't help but confirm.

Even though it was a proposal from him, she was still concerned.

"Yes, it's fine."

Leonhardt's words showed no sign of bravado or strain.

"If I could, I would have preferred to keep such matters between us, but it's okay if Femina is involved. ...I'm fine, but are you worried?"

Leonhardt smiled slightly, his brows lowering.

His expression seemed troubled, yet somehow pleased. Cordelia hurriedly shook her head.

"Just what are you daydreaming about, you?"

"…No, it's nothing."

Cordelia was startled.

She had been lost in thought, recalling the conversation she had with Leonhardt.

She blinked once, refocusing her attention on the present.

Femina was in the house, playing with Nini and the others.

"Princess Femina, how does Nini feel to pet?"

"…Not bad."

Though she tried to sound indifferent, Femina couldn't stop petting Nini.

Her cheeks relaxed, and she seemed absorbed in it.

Seeing Femina's expression, Cordelia's own softened as well. She began to talk about Nini's cuteness and how much she doted on Nini, in a somewhat exaggerated tone.

Femina, who also seemed to like cats, joined in the conversation, and the day passed without any further talk of harassment.

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"Lady Cordelia, another of the usual gifts has arrived."

"Understood. Shall we open it in the garden as usual?"

The box brought by the maid was, as usual, buzzing and wriggling actively.

Cordelia nodded and headed to the garden with the maid.

Both of them were used to it, and they opened the box without changing their expressions.

"It's a snake today."

A small snake escaped from the overturned box.

It was a non-venomous species often seen in early spring.

The snake, looking confused as if it had just woken from hibernation, soon wriggled and disappeared into the bushes.

Frogs, snails, caterpillars, and snakes.

The creatures sent as harassment seemed to be those Femina disliked.

Cordelia, though not fond of them herself, tried to release them rather than kill them.

(…Speaking of snakes, I wonder if Hailoot is doing well.)

She thought of her friend who had left the country.

He was a painter, like Leonhardt, a human who harbored the power of a beast.

While Leonhardt was a descendant of the holy beast lion, Hailoot was a descendant of a snake.

He had the ability to "see heat," something ordinary humans lacked.

His physical abilities were also exceptional, and he seemed to be working as a spy.

(I hope he doesn't get into too much danger…)

Like the snake stuffed into the box for harassment.

She didn't want Hailoot to be captured by someone.

Though he was quick-witted and efficient, she was still a bit worried.

(Is Hailoot in the Kingdom of Ertoria now?)

He was looking for someone with similar eyes, like his own.

He had headed east, to the Kingdom of Volvart, which was several countries away.

In a country where many beast people lived, he hoped to find someone like himself.

By now, he should be somewhere in the Kingdom of Ertoria, which bordered the Kingdom of Liorbern to the east.

He promised to write a letter once he settled in Volvart, and Cordelia was eagerly waiting.

Thinking of her friend in a foreign land, she gave instructions to dispose of the box.

(Oh, and I need to write a letter to Princess Femina.)

Cordelia was planning to stay at a relative's house in the outskirts of the capital for a couple of days starting the day after tomorrow.

Lately, Femina had been visiting the house, claiming it was harassment, and doting on Nini and the others.

To avoid any trouble while she was away, she decided to inform Femina in advance.

"Dear Princess Femina,

I will be away from the house for a while. Nini and the others will remain, but there will be no one to welcome you, so please refrain from your harassment for a while—"

She wrote and sent the letter, and two days later, left the house.

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"Hey, Cordelia. Thanks for coming."

At the house in the outskirts, her cousin Jist welcomed her.

A young man two years older than Cordelia, with light brown hair.

He had become the successor to the Guenberg family, taking her place after she became engaged to Leonhardt and entered the royal family.

He had always been like an older brother to her.

"How is the succession process going?"

"It's going smoothly. ...Priscilla hasn't changed, and your mother is as quiet as if her strings have been cut."

"…I see…"

Hearing about her sister and mother, Cordelia's heart ached.

…It ached, but that was all.

(I'm so heartless…)

Even so, her heart remained dry.

Her cousin Jist was more important to her than her memory-loss sister or her weeping, aged mother.

Shaking her head, she refocused and discussed the succession process.

There were still some things that couldn't be resolved through letters alone.

She wanted to work with Jist to resolve any issues and avoid causing Leonhardt any more trouble related to her family.

"…But, Cordelia, are you really okay with this?"

After finishing a task, instead of taking a leisurely tea break, they were both exhausted and resting when Jist spoke with concern.

"You're busy with the formal engagement to Prince Leonhardt, right? Today, we were able to make progress by talking directly, but… didn't you overwork yourself to make time for this?"

"It's not like that. It was something that needed to be done eventually. It's better to get it over with quickly, right?"

"Well, that's true, and it helped… but still…"

Jist looked at the mountain of documents on the desk with a weary expression.

"…But really, there's so much to do as the successor to the earl's family. Too much. I'm impressed you managed to handle it all with just Priscilla and the others."

"I didn't do it alone."

Cordelia glanced at the maid standing behind her.

"My parents weren't reliable, but I was fortunate to have the servants."

"Hehe, Lady Cordelia, that's quite a compliment."

The maid smiled politely and warmly.

She had been with the Guenberg family since Cordelia was a child, even when her grandmother was still alive.

The servants, gathered by her strict but principled grandmother, were all loyal and capable.

Cordelia, a young woman in her teens, was able to manage the earl's family thanks to the help of these servants who had stayed from her grandmother's time.

"Being able to manage the servants effectively is a true talent of a noble. You're much more capable and doing a great job than you think."