Chapter 52

Do kids these days usually do this? Am I being too conservative?

But even so, it’s hard to accept that kids who have just barely entered adolescence are alone together in a room with a bed! As an adult, it was difficult to understand.

Yet, maybe this is normal between friends… But Louis and Nife clearly like each other; they are more than just friends!

While I silently screamed, the conversation inside continued.

“Did my sister scold you a lot?”

I was shocked by that question. He was worried about whether I scolded her. It seemed Louis also liked and cared about Nife.

I wasn’t sure whether it was as a friend or something more.

“Yeah! But I deserved it for being cheeky. She treated me really well otherwise. She even taught me how to ride a horse.”

Louis laughed pleasantly at that.

“She wanted to ride herself and taught you simultaneously.”

“No! She could have gone alone, but she took me with her. She was spending time with me.”

No, I really just wanted to ride a horse.

I groaned quietly at the door. Contrary to my initial worries, they were just chatting. Their conversation was innocent, lively, and healthy.

I felt happy that Louis had a friend he could talk to so comfortably, but it was also frustrating that this friend clearly liked him a lot.

I would wholeheartedly support their friendship if Nife didn’t want to marry Louis. It was too tragic and unfair to think that children couldn’t be friends just because of their families’ rivalry.

But Nife liked Louis. Very, very much.

I wanted to ask Louis about his feelings, but today wasn’t the right time to interrupt their meeting. I turned away. An adult should be preparing a meal for the kids instead.

When I appeared in the kitchen, the chef and the staff turned to look at me in surprise. They scrambled to compose themselves and greeted me loudly.

Since I rarely interfered in the kitchen, I felt awkward, and they seemed to find my presence unusual, too.

“Is there something special you’d like to eat today, Your Grace?”

The chef stepped forward with a determined look. I wasn’t picky and always enjoyed whatever they prepared, so I had no complaints about the food.

However, it was natural for the chef to be concerned about the preferences of the new house mistress. I should have paid more attention, I thought, shaking my head.

The chef asked cautiously with a worried expression,

“Is something wrong?“

“Not at all. That’s not why I’m here.”

I waved my hand. I was here because of Louis and Nife.

“My brother is here today, and I want to serve him a delicious meal. Could you prepare his favorite dishes?”

The chef clenched his fists with enthusiasm.

“I’ve been waiting for this day!”

Huh? I looked at him, bewildered, as he spoke energetically.

“I’ve wanted to show you my skills, but you’ve been so busy that you never mentioned what you wanted to eat. I was starting to feel discouraged. But now that you’re asking for a meal for your brother, it means you’re satisfied with our cooking, right?”

It wasn’t that grandiose. The meals were always warm, delicious, and thoughtful.

“Yes, I enjoy every meal. Thank you so much.”

I genuinely thanked him, remembering how I had been too busy to pay much attention. The chef got even more excited and asked,

“So, what shall we prepare for dinner?”

“Louis likes lamb. And it would be nice to have carrot soup, too. Also…”

The chef started taking notes of everything I said. I listed Louis’s favorite foods and suddenly remembered to ask,

“What does Nife like?“

“Are you talking about the young lady from the Sasha family?”

I nodded, and the chef replied knowingly,

“That lively young lady likes any kind of meat. She even came to the kitchen once and asked us to leave out the vegetables.“

“What?”

Did she really do something so cute? I sighed with a laugh.

“Alright, sometimes we can overlook picky eating. Please prepare a meat dish that Nife would like, too.“

“Yes, Your Grace! Leave it to us!”

I was relieved by the chef’s enthusiastic response and checked the dining room. Since family and friends had much to discuss, it was best to seat them close together. Time flew by as I busied myself with these preparations.

As dinner time approached, Louis and Nife arrived at the dining room together. I greeted them with nervous, darting eyes, unsure how to address the situation.

“Your Grace!”

Nife greeted me before Louis could, almost wagging an invisible tail behind her.

“Why didn’t you come to Louis’s room? We waited for you but didn’t come, so we thought you were busy.“

“Oh, really? I was busy preparing dinner,“ I replied calmly. I couldn’t admit I didn’t want to intrude on their time together.

Louis and Nife’s faces lit up simultaneously when the delicious lamb appeared on the table.

“Louis, it’s your favorite! Your Grace must have put a lot of thought into this.“

“Thanks, sister,”

Louis said shyly. While enthusiastically eating the meat, Nife kept looking after Louis, and Louis looked at Nife with affectionate eyes.

The tension from their initial encounter had dissipated entirely, and their earlier conversation cleared any lingering resentment.

They looked genuinely close. If the relationship between the Winsley and Sasha families had remained strong, I might have even considered pushing for their marriage.

At that moment, Louis encouraged Nife to eat some peppers. Though Nife grimaced, she obediently put the peppers in her mouth and swallowed. Louis’s pleased expression made it clear how much he enjoyed this interaction.

What should I do?

* * *

The day of the royal hunting tournament arrived soon. Since Louis and Nife were already at the grand duchy, they decided to attend together.

Though Nife had never learned to hunt and could only watch from the spectators’ seats, she relished the opportunity to be with Louis.

I stared absentmindedly at the carriages prepared for the trip to the royal hunting grounds. There were two carriages fit for nobles.

After all, it wasn’t necessary for Julian, Louis, Nife, and me to all squeeze into one carriage. However, having each of us ride separately seemed too wasteful.

So there were two carriages… but how should we divide ourselves?

Me with Louis and Julian with Nife? Nife would probably be frightened the whole way.

Me with Nife and Julian with Louis? Louis would likely be very nervous.

The answer was obvious. Julian and I should share one carriage, and Louis and Nife should take the other.

“My lady, what’s troubling you?“ Anna asked.

“I’m worried that if it gets out in society that Louis and Nife shared a carriage, it could ruin their chances for marriage,“ I said thoughtfully, causing Anna to burst out laughing.

“My lady, you worry too much. No one cares about that these days.”

Really? I sighed but couldn’t find a better solution. When I suggested that Nife ride with Louis, she beamed with the brightest smile I had ever seen and eagerly climbed into the carriage. Louis didn’t seem to mind either.

As the carriages started moving, I sat inside, lost in thought, holding Julian’s hand and sighing deeply. Julian didn’t scold me or tell me to stop sighing; he just watched me.

“What should I do?“ I asked again.

Julian remained silent, understandably, as all I had been saying was, “What should I do?“ or “Did I make a big mistake?“ Julian had initially asked why but had since stopped, just watching me.

Regardless, I continued to voice my concerns.

“What if Louis and Nife really decide to get married?“ I exclaimed, dropping Julian’s hand and pressing my palms to my cheeks.

“If they do, what stance should our family take? Should we apologize first? Or should we assert ourselves to avoid being looked down upon? How can we ensure Louis’s married life is smooth? What if Louis is mistreated by the Sasha family? Can Nife protect him from her parents? What should I do? What should—“

“Stop.”

Julian interrupted my breathless rambling.

“Breathe, my dear. You’re going to pass out at this rate.”

I paused, recognizing the sense in his words, though my worries continued to swirl.

I no longer voiced my concerns; I simply screamed.

“Our Louis is still just a child!“

“Good grief.”

Julian pinched the bridge of his nose as if dealing with a severe headache.

“Laila, Louis is a brilliant young man. In fact, he seems much smarter than you.”

I kept my hands on my cheeks and earnestly asked,

“Do you really think so?“

“Yes. So there’s no need to worry so much.“

Julian’s calm reassurance helped soothe my nerves. Perhaps because of my own unhappy marriage, I feared Louis’s marriage would be difficult and perilous. I might have stopped the carriage and rushed to Louis if Julian weren’t here, acting like an overprotective parent.

I took a deep breath.

“Thank you, Julian. I’ll calm down now.“

“You said that earlier, too.“

Julian’s teasing remark made me raise my voice.

“This time, I mean it!”

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.