The Duchess of the Attic

"If you don't mind, could you call me Eric?

"I beg your pardon, Baron Prado. It's cool to stay holloway about me. You'll be calling me Mrs. Roussel shortly."

"Really..."

In response to Erik, Opal clearly indicated that he was not going to get along or be disturbed in his friendship with Claude.

Then Claude, who was listening in silence, erupts.

"Erik, whatever you think I'm going to marry Opal, and Opal doesn't care what you think. So if you're going to be my friend, welcome Opal or don't say anything"

"It's a misunderstanding, Claude. Nevertheless, if you misled me, I apologize. Miss Holloway, I'm very sorry for your loss."

"No, I don't mind. Because I don't care."

Claude laughed and told me exactly which one to take - the opal.

Exactly. Eric seems to know a lot about Claude, too, and he utters words of apology.

When Opal replied with a chuckle, Erik slipped away and turned back to Claude.

"Yes, I forgot the key thing. Claude, Lord Barba called."

"I'm sorry, but I can't leave this place."

"I hear Your Majesty's morning plans have been prolonged, and he's just returned to the royal castle earlier, so he hasn't called you yet. So you should go to Lord Barba. Apparently, Your Majesty has said that the ball the day after tomorrow is also to celebrate your engagement. Isn't that the detail?

"Also, that one did that..."

Claude answered Erik's words annoyingly.

Still, as Erik persuades, Claude sighs loudly.

Sir Barba would mean the Earl, who chairs the House of Lords in this country.

Should be one of Claude's allies.

"Claude, what if I'm okay? I'm here for tea."

"But..."

"Don't worry, Claude. Until then, I'll be her partner."

Erik accompanied him to hesitate to hold Claude back, but Claude sees Opal just saying he's worried about it.

Opal enjoyed a laugh that seemed to leak unexpectedly, but Claude seemed to have spotted him well.

Claude, who deliberately gave the look of confusion, then sighed a third time.

"Not at all... I don't have time to rest."

"You're feeling too much, Claude."

Claude won't be fooled if Opal has a tender grin that cares.

Still sighing for the fourth time, Claude turned to Erik.

"Eric, I think of you as a friend. So allow time with your precious Opal. Please."

"Don't worry, Claude. Miss Holloway will accompany you, and you will not be offended."

Erik let him close one eye toward Naja, who quietly refrained in the corner of the room.

Unlike her usual attitude, Naja leans shyly.

The results of Naja's training at the Marquis seemed solid.

"Don't be silly, Eric. - Well, I'll be right back, Opal."

"Yeah, come on in. You'll be waiting here quietly."

"... oh"

When Claude embarrassed Erik, he spoke to Opal to tell him.

Honestly Opal should have answered, but Claude narrows his eyes and nods suspiciously.

And when Claude left, the maid brought the tea in the wrong place, but she seemed surprised to find Erik.

"We can make our own tea, so we're good here now. Thanks."

"... Yes, I did. Excuse me, sir."

The maid bowed her head looking faintly discouraged.

Opal understood with a glimpse of Erik as he unfortunately left the room.

Apparently, the baron who sat in front of him was popular with women.

"Is Baron Prado married?

"... I'm single. Because I have something to ask of my wife and my lover, to some extent. For example, chastity."

"Well......"

Opal just asked purely out of curiosity, but Eric seems to have caught it distorted.

Opal said nothing in particular, just smiling, in a reply that contained a rather disgust.

Opal's old "mundane rumors probably remain widespread in this kingdom of Tysey.

Something called bad rumors spreads quickly, but good rumors are hard to spread.

It doesn't matter now for Opal, but Naja, who heard about Erik's dislike, seemed different, placing the cup on the table with no heart or rampage.

I can tell you grew up just not disputing it.

"Thank you, Naja. It's all right now."

"Oh...... thanks"

I don't know if Erik is surprised that Opal thanked the samurai or because he felt Naja's anger.

Naja senses what Opal's words contain, and when she lowers her head, she moves to the corner of the room again.

Then having a sip of tea, Opal asked Erik again when he returned the cup to the saucer.

"I know it's rude of you to ask such questions, but when did you get to know Claude?

"... about four years ago. Claude was originally a friend of my brother Tulli's, but I also came back from a study abroad to get along."

"Oh, you're Viscount Amady's brother, aren't you?

"Do you know my brother?

"Just your name. I've heard a lot from Claude."

Erik seemed annoyed by these words of Opal.

In short, he says, "I've never heard your name from Claude."

To be honest, I remembered that I had also heard Erik's name several times from Theuri's.

But Opal isn't nice enough to say that.

"So, can the Baron... be twenty-six?

"Exactly, but is there a problem?

"No, nothing"

When Opal smiled, Erik looked back frigid.

Still, Opal carelessly carries the cup gracefully into his mouth.

Eric is just the same age as Hubert when Opal got married.

If Eric finds out he's still thinking he's cute compared to Hubert back then, he'll be pissed.

That made me crazy to think about it, and Opal drank tea again to mislead the laughter.

And I remember that Claude used to say he wanted my brother.

He said that he was a three man and always used by his brothers, so he would be a sweet brother if he had a brother.

Opal was sorry that he wasn't a man at the time, and he was disappointed that he couldn't be his sister.

"- Are you really going to marry Claude?

"Yes?"

Opal, who remembered his childhood, had not heard Erik.

Then Erik stares at Opal.

"Claude is a great man to respect. So I suffer to understand why I chose you and others when there are as many women as I deserve more"

"Yeah, Claude's a great guy, really."

"Then why don't you think about pulling yourself back? If you're serious about Claude, you should do anything for him, right?

Opal himself, he certainly thought Claude would prefer a younger, backward-looking, patterned woman.

However, Opal is also quite a favorable condition, except for his age and marital history.

Even on a weak footing in this kingdom of Tysey, it has a strong backing and bourgeoisie in its fatherland, the Kingdom of Société.

I don't know if I'm overlooking that fact or if I dare not try to, but Erik's words are only emotional theory.

That in this country was troubling Opal himself, but I was angry at Erik's way of saying it.

"... that's a lot sweet"

"What!? Sweet is better for you! You are not welcome in this country! I don't think I can do what I want with your country!

One word of Opal seemed to ignite, which I accidentally whined about, and Erik started yelling.

It's like an eight-year-old reproduction, and a sigh leaks from a fed up opal.

(Is this what all men look like these days? It's a hassle...)

Hubert's yelling voice, which I think I even miss now, overlapped with the present.

So I remember the letter I received yesterday.

Speaking of which, the Duke's was also enclosed in a letter from your father.

I only read letters from my father then and completely forgot because I went for a walk on Claude the Dog first.

When I was surprised at what the hell was going on by now, I heard Eric shouting so loud.

"Hey! Are you listening!?

"- If you were so loud, you wouldn't like to hear it."

"Claude!"

"Oh, Claude. You were quicker than I thought, weren't you?

"... Oh, it looks like Your Majesty is ready, so go get Opal. Come on, let's go?

"Yes."

Erik raised his surprise to Claude, who was coming into the room at some point.

Opal was also heartily surprised, but if he turned his grin in the guise of calm, Claude would be in tune as well.

"Okay, Naja. Wait a while."

"Yes, sir."

"Erik, you won't be needing me anymore, will you?

"Oh, oh..."

"Goodbye, Baron Prado. That was fun."

When Opal, who stood up, spoke to Naja, Claude also spoke to Erik at a slight thrust.

So Opal greeted politely, but Erik frowned in displeasure.

But Claude said nothing more, prompting Opal to turn his back on Erik.