So I was enjoying the adorable children, and before I knew it, it was time for lunch.
When I headed to the hall to eat with Ryniel-sama and the two cuties, I was a little surprised to see a familiar face there.
「Oh, is that you… Carrie?」
「Ah, Miss!」
The face that looked back at me was unmistakably Carrie, whom I had met at Anemone Jewelry.
「I never thought I’d see you here, Carrie.」
「Ehehe. Actually, I am from this orphanage. But I was taken care of for less than six months.」
“Luckily, a distant relative took me in right after I entered the orphanage,” said Karie, smiling shyly. Her smile reminds me that she has a good relationship with the relative who took her in.
「But I’m still grateful for your help, so this is how I come to help out from time to time.」
「Really. So if the timing had been right, our meeting would have been at this orphanage instead of at Gaspar’s.」
「Ahaha, it seems so. But I for one am glad I met Miss at the right time.」
「Yes?」
「Yes, it is rather fate. This is the will of God.」
「That’s such an exaggeration.」
Fate, moreover, is a very grandiose thing to say about God’s will.
「I am not exaggerating. If it weren’t for your words at that time, I would never have recovered!」
Carrie even makes a powerful fist.
「Fufu, so I wonder if you’re able to stay healthy after that?」
「Thanks to Miss, as you can see!」
I nodded my head in satisfaction at Carrie, who was so full of energy, having participated in helping out at the orphanage and laughing and chatting with me.
「That’s great. And your cheek is healing nicely. I guess it’s because you’re young that you heal so quickly.」
While the bruise on my forehead would not go away, I couldn’t find a trace of a bruise on Carrie’s cheek.
「Well, well, yes. Oh, Miss!」
I don’t want to do this anymore. I tilt my head at Carrie, who waves her hand at me.
「Eh, what is?」
「You don’t have to be smitten to know exactly what I’m talking about.」
“So what is it?” It is. I seriously don’t know what Carrie is talking about.
「Ehh? What are you talking about?」
「Are you still ecstatic?」
I’m not ecstatic or anything, because I don’t get it.
「Ugh, I’m talking about cosmetics.」
「Cosmetics?」
A “question mark” is popping up in my head. Carrie, however, laughs it off with an understanding tone.
「Yes, that’s right. My cheeks are just not showing the internal bleeding thanks to the cosmetics that Miss gave me as a gift!」
“You have better skin than you did before,” said Carrie, patting her cheeks and playing along.
「I can’t afford such a luxury item that was ordered by an aristocrat on my salary. It was supposed to be just an admiration, but I was thrilled to receive it as a gift!!」
「???」
When did I give her these expensive cosmetics as a gift? Even the cosmetics I use were given to me.
「I don’t like it. What is it, that reaction? Is it strange that I am happy with your cosmetics?」
Carrie looks doubtful at my lack of response.
「No, it’s not like that.」
「Ehh? What is it then?」
I racked my brains trying to figure out how to explain this misunderstanding. But a misunderstanding is a misunderstanding. I opened my mouth and said, “I will have to say it clearly.”
「That is… because, it didn’t come from… me?」
「Eh? But you see…」
Carrie approaches me and sniffs.
「Come on, I knew it. Miss smells the same. Miss uses the same cosmetic products.」
When I smelled the scent of Carrie with half a doubt in my mind, I found it to be the scent of expensive cosmetics, so much so that even I, a high-class courtesan, hesitated to purchase it. When I looked at Ryniel-sama, he gave me a nod and confirmed that it was the same fragrance.
「But it wasn’t me. I don’t remember.」
「Eh… no way…」
Carrie looked at me with wide, round eyes and muttered, “I can’t believe it.” Carrie seemed to believe wholeheartedly that it had to have come from me, and I felt a bit apologetic and mixed up about it.
Carrie said,「Eh—? Eh—?」She twisted her head around and said to me.
「A messenger from a noble who came to the store and left it for me, saying,『It’s from my daughter of our family.』So I just assumed it was from Miss… I don’t know any other aristocrats who would do such a thing…」
“Ah, but.” Carrie continued to speak.
「If it’s not from Miss, maybe from the other lady who was there at the time?」
「The other one… you mean Viscountess Bolellan?」
The only other person who was there, besides Countess Bauer, was Viscountess Bolellan.
「I don’t even know her name, but she is the lady of the one who didn’t have a fan. She protected me from the lady who had the fan that time, and…」
「What do you mean, she covered for you?」
We looked at each other with Ryniel-sama and, bewildered, urged Carrie to continue with her words. But it was Dylan’s voice that stopped us.
「Hey, Nee-chan. I don’t know what you’re doing, but are you alright talking about it?」
「……Ah.」
Because I was so engrossed in the conversation, I found myself roughly finished preparing lunch. What had I come to the hall for? It wasn’t only to have a meal, but to help with the preparations, even though I had come to the hall early. What a blunder to forget to mention the unexpected.
Of course I’m curious about what Carrie has to say, and it seems to me that I need to make sure I have confirmation. But I am on duty now. The priority is to comfort the orphanage.
「Ahh, I’m sorry. Dylan is right. I’ll have to make sure I help out.」
Dylan’s smug face made my heart flutter, but I also tightened my grip on my heart.
Even though most of the work was already done, there was no way I was going to do nothing to help. I thanked Dylan for his help and started to move to help him now.
「Carrie, may I ask you to tell me more about that story at a later date? I would like to visit the store tomorrow if you don’t mind.」
「Okay. That’s totally fine. I’ll talk to the owner, and you can come to the store when it’s convenient for you.」
I make plans to go to the store, thinking in the corner of my mind that I have an appointment with Carrie and that it may be a matter that needs to be reported to Douglas-sama as well. She also said she was just glad that tomorrow morning was free.
So at that time, I had no idea that something like that would be waiting for me when I returned to the royal palace.
