“Now, this is Felicia, my heiress.”
I suppose I would be introduced first since that was the order, but I had a hazy feeling that Chris was the star of the day.
“Nice to meet you, Bran-dono, Harry-dono and Prince Silas. I am Felicia Remington,” I greeted them in turn with a slight nod.
“And my other daughter, Christine.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I am Christina Remington,” Chris greeted clearly. Wonderful. She couldn’t even greet properly the other day. I was relieved to see that the children seemed like they were enjoying themselves instead of being nervous.
“Please come inside.”
It’s close to spring, but it was still winter. After the introductions were finished, they were invited to the parlour room. The boys, who were talking pleasantly about their trip, gave a good impression, but Chris soon got bored of listening and got fidgety. As discussed beforehand, it was decided that the children would interact with the other children.
“Do you want to stay inside or go outside?” Chris said as she bounced up happily.
“Outside.”
“Harry. The air outside is still too cold for little children,” Bran said, and Harry looked startled.
“It’s okay. I always play outside. We can come back inside before it gets too cold,” Chris said, and I smiled and got up.
“I’ll come with, so I won’t let her overdo it.”
It’s annoying to get into adult talk. I might have to do it someday, but I want to spend a little time with Chris right now.
“Then, me too,” Prince Silas stood up.
“No, I’m enough. You don’t have to worry about entertaining the children, please talk with father and mother,” I refused, but His Highness bowed at father and mother and followed after me. You can follow after me, but I have to look after Chris, so I won’t entertain you.
The guards also followed along, and Chris headed outside while keeping an eye on Bran and Harry.
“What would you like to do? A game of tag or tree-climbing? Of course, if you want to have a look at flowers, then we have a greenhouse.”
The words ‘flowers and greenhouse’ made the brother, Bran, twitch, but his younger brother, Harry seemed more interested in ‘tree-climbing’. She didn’t even care that she had finally gotten dressed up, and I was dragged to where the tree was. The two climbed the tree with all their might. I knew that Chris could climb trees well, so I was able to watch her calmly.
Naturally, the three left on the ground were watching over the two young ones.
“Chris-dono seems to be very active.”
“Yes, Bran-dono. She loves to move around, but she also studies hard. She’s Prince Nicholas’s study partner.”
It’s better if this marriage interview doesn’t succeed. But, forgive me for unintentionally bragging about Chris.
“It’s disappointing that Prince Nicholas is off on a trip.”
“Yes. Prince Albert took him on a tour of the North to expand his horizons at a young age.”
“I hear he’s only three years old. Besides, since I’m already here, I would have liked to meet the next generation of Lisburn and Albans.”
I’m certain those two are around Bran’s age. Bran, who was just a year younger than me, didn’t seem interested in me much. I felt relieved about that.
“Please bear with the Remington selfishness for a bit. I can show you the greenhouse later if you’d like.”
“Bear with, you say?” Bran quickly looked at me. His cheeks flushed a little and he averted his gaze.
“Yes. If you don’t mind. I’m interested in plants.”
Cute. I wish Gill and Luke could see this. I thought of the two who were probably in the North right now. Are normal 15 year olds like this? Come to think of it, Harry is two years younger than Luke.
“I met Gilbert-dono, Luke-dono and his lovely sister in Wester.”
“Your Highness! I didn’t know that. In Wester?” Silas-sama, who had been as quiet as a shadow, suddenly remembered them when their names were brought up and said. Bran looked at Prince Silas in surprise.
“The three of them were there by chance when I went there for an errand.”
“But, isn’t Luke-samas’s little sister still a baby?”
“She has just turned two. But she’s a strange baby, who plays with Prince Nicholas and has accompanied him to the North.”
Calling Lei strange was not a weird way to describe her. I turned to Prince Silas, feeling compelled to say a few words on behalf of Luke. But, wait…
It’s true that the Four Marquises are famous. They had her debut the other day. However, word shouldn’t have spread that she’s Prince Nicholas’s playmate. Much less the role she played or her accompanying him to the North. Why did he know so much?
“Felicia-dono. I have already paid my respects to the King of Kingdom,” Prince Silas sensed my suspicion and implied that he had heard things from the King. So, does that mean he knows about Chris? But why doesn’t Bran know? Is it because Silas is royalty?
“As expected of Angelique-dono’s daughter. You look like a fragile beauty, but you’re smart.”
It seemed like he was complimenting me, but why do I feel offended? I don’t think Prince Silas and I can be on the same page. After that, I focused on talking to Bran-sama, and limited my conversation with Prince Silas. Prince Silas looked at this in amusement with a smirk on his mouth, but I don’t think it was rude.
I showed them around the greenhouse afterwards, then returned to mother and father when Chris and Harry got bored.
“Okaa-sama! It was fun!”
Chris, who had been bored without Nico and Lei, seemed to have fun for the first time in a long time, regardless of the marriage interview.
“That’s good to hear. Let’s have some tea and rest,” Mother said and looked at me. What is it?
“Chris was very bright, and she thinks that both Harry-sama and Bran-sama are wonderful people,” as the chaperone, I told her what I saw.
“I see. That’s good. Then, Felicia…”
What about you? She seemed to say as she tilted her head. Me? I’m a chaperone. I…
I looked at Prince Silas in surprise. Prince Silas, who was talking to father, Harry and Bran, noticed my gaze straight away. He looked at me and smiled.
What a surprise. Is that perhaps his smile?
I felt somewhat irritated as I looked at mother and realised for the first time when I saw her hopeful eyes.
Me.
So, me?
Mother used Chris as a cover to get me to meet Prince Silas.