TYLSA 07

Chapter 07

It seemed he was about to tell me to leave without even touching the tea, so I quickly nodded and answered.

“Actually, I blossomed recently.”

“Blossomed… you say.”

Calix furrowed his brow slightly.

“That’s right. I awakened as a mage.”

I nodded readily and answered.

Inside, I had my own calculations.

‘No matter how I think about it, among the things I can say, this is the only one that might pique his curiosity.’

“A mage, you say?”

Whether the strategy worked or not, Calix reacted with a slight frown.

“Yes. And I’ve been arranged to receive magic lessons from Sir Elijah Marakesh.”

“…If you mean Elijah Marakesh, isn’t that the Tower Master?”

I grinned and nodded while watching the remaining time steadily decrease.

‘At least I’ve succeeded in catching his interest.’

It seemed I just needed to keep the conversation going without it being cut off.

“In other words, you’re saying you’ll be personally instructed by the Tower Master?”

“Is that what it amounts to?”

When I played with words to buy time, Calix’s gaze sharpened immediately.

Oh dear, let’s be careful. Don’t ruin a good thing at the last minute.

“There’s no time for wordplay…”

“Right, there isn’t. Sorry, my mistake.”

When I quickly admitted it and apologized, Calix’s expression softened slightly.

I decided to go for a direct approach at this point.

“How about it? I think you’d want to know the full story.”

“The full story…”

The boy lowered his eyes as if displeased and seemed to contemplate for a moment before answering.

“…I can’t exactly call myself a proper heir if I’m unaware of what’s happening to the Rozenheyer bloodline.”

‘Nice!’

To buy time, I began explaining to Calix in great detail everything that had happened that day, starting from the very beginning of the picnic.

“At the picnic, first Lady Bianca…”

…I started from the very, very beginning.

But while listening to my rambling story with a rather displeased look, Calix suddenly let out a sharp “Ha!”

“Is Marquise Ciantic’s household inviting people while managing their hunting grounds like that? And you let it go with just one apology?”

It was around the time when my long-winded explanation had passed the 7-minute mark and the number above Calix’s head had finally entered the 2-minute range.

“Ah, well…”

Before I could answer, Calix was quicker to get annoyed once more.

“Besides, the fact that the other party is the Tower Master is also questionable.”

“Huh?”

“Isn’t that man of unclear loyalties someone whose allegiance to the empire is even doubtful?”

Feeling uncomfortable as he spoke, Calix finally took a sip of tea. Then he set the cup down with a clink and said,

“For a person of Rozenheyer to receive lessons from someone like that doesn’t make sense from the start.”

“Calix, you…”

I was a bit surprised. Was this what they called “like father, like son”?

I said with genuine admiration.

“You sound exactly like Father.”

“Pfft.”

Calix, who had been slowly drinking tea to soothe his parched throat, coughed with a “kek.”

“What did you say?”

“No…”

And after hearing similar things repeatedly, somehow…

“…Could it be that both of you are actually worried about me?”

At my muttered words that slipped out unintentionally, the boy’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“…Did you just say ‘worried’?”

Faced with that narrowed gaze—containing not a shred of mercy, only contempt and disdain—I felt embarrassed immediately.

“Well, if not, then forget it.”

A clear sneer rose at the corner of Calix’s mouth.

But I didn’t have time to feel bad about that sneer. Because at the same time, the 1-minute barrier had collapsed.

‘This actually works?’

I had thought I’d be kicked out somehow in the middle, but success was right before my eyes.

Distracted by that fact, Calix began unleashing sharp words at me.

“Do you always make such irresponsible remarks? ‘If not, then forget it’—that sort of thing?”

“That’s… well, I suppose I do tend to be that way sometimes.”

I had no idea what I was saying. I nervously watched the time decrease and just babbled whatever came to mind.

“Since Father and you both say similar things, I might have briefly misunderstood, but if you say that’s not the case, then it’s not, right?”

“…Huff…”

This was bad. At this rate, I’d really get kicked out.

“Enough. I don’t want to hear any more of your sto—”

But fortunately, at that very moment.

The time display floating above Calix’s head reached exactly 00:00!

—

<system> Mini-event: ‘Teatime with Calix’ has concluded successfully!

You have succeeded in having a 10-minute teatime with your distant younger brother without being kicked out!

Intelligence increases by 10.

Calix’s affinity increases.

—

At the same time, I heard a clear, pleasant “ping” sound.

‘That’s the sound of affinity increasing…!’

At the same time, Calix declared,

“Please leave now.”

His voice was so cold that I wondered if I had really just heard the affinity increase sound.

‘Anyway, this is why I never liked him much.’

…I grumbled inwardly as I stood up.

“Right, I suppose I misunderstood. It seems I’ve made you uncomfortable, so I’ll be going for today.”

“…”

Calix glared at me with narrowed eyes.

It seemed that if I held out even one more second, the precious affinity I’d barely raised would disappear, so I quickly took my leave.

‘Business, business.’

After giving him one last glance with a smiling face, I immediately called out inwardly as soon as the door closed.

‘Relationship window!’

Checking Calix’s name at the very end of the relationship chart, sure enough, the comment next to it had changed.

—

Calix: “…I’d rather not hear about her, honestly.”

—

…Hmm… What is this… a comment that seems both changed and unchanged?

‘There was… progress, right?’

Well, the content was still rotten, but at least the comment had changed, which meant the affinity had indeed increased.

‘It did increase, but…’

Just as I was closing the relationship window with an unsettled feeling, a maid from over there was hurrying toward me.

“Lady Yuri! There you are.”

“?”

An unfamiliar face. Why were they looking for me?

Seeing my puzzled expression, the maid said anxiously,

“You had an appointment today to have dresses fitted with Her Ladyship and Lady Eleni—don’t you remember?”

“Oh dear.”

There was such an appointment?

Old habits die hard, and I had considerable interest in this world’s fashion industry.

Although my stepmother and Eleni would be there, having a dress fitted in this world’s style didn’t seem like it would be a bad experience.

Just as I was thinking that…

“Please hurry. Her Ladyship and Lady Eleni are waiting right now.”

“…”

Hurry, you say? I stared silently at the urging maid for a moment.

“Lady Yuri?”

“Yes, let’s go. Lead the way.”

“Yes.”

I obediently followed the maid’s guidance.

The maid hurried ahead with quick steps, not considering me. The destination was said to be Eleni’s dress room.

“Yuri! You’re finally here.”

“Sister, we were waiting for you.”

“Mother, and Eleni.”

As I took my seat, my stepmother said kindly,

“It seems you forgot the appointment. We went through the trouble of inviting Master Kaminsky, and I was worried you might not come.”

“Ahem, ahem.”

The tailor, who seemed to have quite a bit of pride, cleared his throat.

“I’ve kept several people waiting.”

But I didn’t apologize hastily.

‘In the past, when the heroine faced a similar situation and chose the option to apologize, she was mocked for apologizing over something so trivial.’

Choosing what seemed like a safe option turning out to be a landmine was a fairly common occurrence in “The Duchess’s Position.”

“You could have started without me.”

“Eleni insisted on not choosing a dress without you. Hoho, Eleni does follow you so well.”

“Is that so. Thank you, Eleni.”

Eleni blushed as if shy.

It was at that very moment.

—

<system> Competition! Comparing your grace stat with Eleni’s.

—

…Huh, at this point?

—

<system> Warning! Your grace stat has not been unlocked.

<system> Eleni wins the competition.

<system> Penalty event: Entering ‘The Maid’s Disrespect toward Eleni’!

You must obtain an apology from Eleni regarding her maid’s disrespect.

Upon failure, your grace stat will decrease by 30.

—

What!

“…Ah, come to think of it.”

I quickly looked back at the young maid who had guided me here and asked,

“I’ve seen you by Eleni’s side before, but I don’t know your name. Would you tell me?”

“I am Lady Eleni’s maid, Roana, daughter of Viscount Melton.”

“Roana, I see.”

I racked my brain, engraving the name Viscount Melton into my mind.

‘If they’ve sent their daughter as a maid, it goes without saying that the viscount himself is serving as my stepmother’s right hand.’

“Lady Yuri, but why do you ask my name…?”

It seemed she was feeling a belated sense of wariness.

“Hm? It’s nothing. I just thought Roana seemed to work very hard.”

“Ah, yes…”

“Especially when you urged me with ‘Please hurry’—I was quite surprised.”

In this world where hierarchy was strictly observed, speaking to the lady you served in that manner was considered rude.

Eleni was startled and asked back.

“Roana, is that true?”

“Pardon? Ah, well, that…”

Pretending to be relaxed, I took a sip of the tea prepared on the table and smiled at my stepmother.

“Eleni’s maid seems to really care for Eleni, Mother.”

My stepmother’s smile deepened briefly.

“Yes. I suppose it’s because Eleni is so good to the child, isn’t it?”

…Oh dear.

Her response was firmer than I expected. She seemed intent on brushing it off as nothing.

“She must have been anxious because you were late, so please understand.”

Instead of answering my ironclad stepmother, I looked toward Eleni.

‘Now then, kind Eleni. What are you going to do?’