Chapter 16-17: Malady

When I opened my eyes, waking up, I saw two teddy bears lined up next to each other at my bedside.

Every time I looked at those teddy bears, they made me remember that it was not a dream nor an illusion. 

And next to those teddy bears, there were two stuffed rabbits placed side by side.

After that day, my parents gave me those stuffed rabbits as a present, and it was real.

Is it okay for me to be happy like this? That was what I always thought every time I woke up.

For my old self, the happiness that I felt every day was unbelievable.

And all of this could happen thanks to His Highness Claude.

Just when I was expressing my agony as I was not able to express myself, my mother called me and said that breakfast was ready.

It was a scene that would be impossible to be seen back then, but it was becoming a part of my days now.

As I thought so, I unconsciously smiled.

In the first place, I couldn’t imagine that my mother, who was always strict with aristocratic lifestyle and etiquette, was raising her voice like that.

Although at the beginning she did that awkwardly, now it had already become one with her.

That night, I remembered my mother was apologizing to me as she was crying.

No, it was not only her.

“Good morning, Okaa-sama.”

“Good morning, Risha. Go wash your face quickly. We are going to have breakfast.”

“Go-good morning, Onee-sama.”

“Good morning, Liliana.”

His Highness Claude made the opportunity to create this morning greetings with all family members and turned it into an everyday life that my feelings swelled the more these days passed. Now, even just standing in front of him made me want to do something to him.

And as a result, I could not express my true feelings to His Highness Claude as it was a malady.

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◆ Ch17: Thank You for The Compliments

Because I was afraid that His Highness Claude would hate me, I practiced talking to his picture every morning. However, there was no sign of improvement. Rather, I thought that it was getting worse, or was it only my feeling?

Thanks to the practice, I managed to keep calm in the current situation. If I did not do the practice every morning, only by looking at His Highness Claude, I would immediately be unconscious.

After thinking so, I felt that the morning practice was not in vain.

And then, I breathed out a sigh and squeezed out the motivation that was about to disappear just now.

Practice makes perfect.

“Onee-sama, if this continues, I will rob His Highness Claude, you know? Since you are engaged with him, one of two love words is normal. I don’t understand why you are embarrassed.”

“Tha-that’s what I am intending to say, but when His Highness Claude was in front of me, I could not help myself but say the opposite things. I am really troubled. That’s why I always practice in front of the picture of His Highness Claude.”

In the past, although the contents were different, our conversations would turn out into a fight and made each other uncomfortable, but now, we were able to speak just like ordinary sisters, and at the same time, I felt like I was getting closer with my little sister.

I was surprised when I learned that my sister had an inferiority complex towards me.

Moreover, my little sister who was raised as a selfish girl had now grown up and it was surprising as well.

“Oh, I came up with a good idea, Onee-sama!”

When I was lost in my own thoughts, my sister suddenly said so.

And I knew.

From my experience, I knew that the “good idea” from her was not a good idea.

“If you can’t say it directly, why don’t you just write a letter for him?”

“Tha-”

“… Tha?”

“That’s it!”

My sister also could say good things sometimes.

Since it had been decided, I must do it as soon as possible-

“Risha-san, I had been acting too strict towards you, but I would not complain if you are not a perfect lady, but be yourself who has grown as a ladylike adult. However, I think raising your voice and suddenly yelling is a little bit out of a frame of a lady.”

“O-Okaa-sama….?”

After that, I was forced to receive a thankful long lecture from Mother about how a lady should behave.