I only realized today that a person’s gaze could be so sharp.
The woman sitting across from me, Mrs. Eleonore, is certainly not glaring at me, but she keeps glancing down at me as if evaluating me, making a soft sound, “Hmm.”
I’m not exactly a patient person, so if it had been in front of others, I would have bluntly asked, “Is there something you don’t like?”
But today, I couldn’t bring myself to do that.
Actually, it’s more accurate to say that I endured it in silence because I knew I had to accept that gaze.
After all, the rumor is that a clueless young man took away her precious daughter, so if there’s a mother who’s not watching carefully, that would be even more strange, wouldn’t it?
“Mother, if you keep staring like that, Lord Lyard might feel uncomfortable.”
“Oh, sorry. Since he’s my daughter’s lover, I can’t help but…”
“No, it’s fine.”
Fortunately, thanks to Sylvia stepping in first, I was quickly freed from that gaze that was binding me.
It feels like some kind of formal meeting, as if it’s an engagement.
“I’ve heard the story. Recently, a great minor lord has appeared in the Lyard family…”
“It’s just a baseless rumor.”
“Hehe, at least to me, it doesn’t seem like such a baseless rumor. I’ve never seen a man so solid at such a young age.”
Solid, you say.
It’s an abstract expression, but I could roughly understand what Mrs. Eleonore meant.
Usually, men of this age have a distinct energy, often uncontrollable, even when they’re sitting still.
In a way, it could be said that they seem a bit old for their age.
In fact, my mental age had long surpassed that of a young man, so it’s not wrong.
She certainly has an accurate eye for judging people.
“By the way, I heard you wanted to see me today. Is there something you need?”
“Not really. I just wanted to meet the mother of my daughter’s lover.”
“D-Daughter’s lover…”
Since I couldn’t honestly say it here, I tried to make a lame excuse, but for some reason, the response came not from Mrs. Eleonore, but from Sylvia.
Sylvia, blushing and twisting her body, her hands covering her cheeks, made me freeze for a moment.
She usually scolds me, saying we’re in a contractual relationship, but here she reacts like that to my words.
Still, it seems like she’s not displeased, so I’m relieved.
“Above all, I heard you’ve been unwell…”
“Thank you for your concern. Thankfully, I’m much better now compared to before, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
I swallowed the rest of my words as the topic was a bit heavy, and seeing her watchful expression, she smiled faintly, trying to reassure me.
However, considering that just a moment ago, she could barely move without help from Sylvia and me, it was clear she wasn’t in a state to talk lightly about it.
It must be due to a combination of chronic illness or the decline in her strength after giving birth to Sylvia’s younger sister.
This wasn’t something that would improve just by curing a single illness.
“Mother, the tea…”
While it seemed like it had been just the two of us talking, Sylvia quietly interrupted by showing a kettle with warm water.
Normally, a servant would have done this, but since there are only the three of us here, it naturally became her task.
Seeing this, Mrs. Eleonore extended her hand and stopped Sylvia.
“Leave it, Sylvia. I’ll serve the tea myself.”
“No, you must be uncomfortable, let me…”
“It’s fine. Even if my body is uncomfortable, surely I can serve a cup of tea to my daughter and her fiancé.”
Then, after taking the kettle from Sylvia, who was showing reluctance, Mrs. Eleonore skillfully poured the warm water into the tea utensils and began brewing the tea with graceful movements.
Every action of hers exuded elegance, just like her daughter.
It felt as though I was watching a delicate glass ornament move of its own accord, as if it might shatter at any moment.
“I’ve never been good at much, but making tea was something I’ve always done wonderfully. Even after my health declined, I couldn’t let a maid do it, so I always made it myself.”
As she brewed the tea, she shared a brief story about herself, and there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.
Though she tried to act nonchalant, this small act of brewing tea was probably her last means of maintaining her dignity.
If she had entrusted it to someone else, she might have felt there would be nothing else she could do.
It reminded me of when I realized I had no talent for the sword but insisted on maintaining my practice with wooden swords and sword care.
“Here, please drink.”
“I’ll drink well.”
“Thank you, mother.”
Slurp.
As I took a sip of the tea that Lady Eleonore had personally prepared with such a delicate process, my eyes widened for a moment.
Even I, who had no particular interest or expertise in tea, could tell that this was something truly exceptional.
It was difficult to assume that it was simply because of the quality of the tea leaves, as the ones used by the Lyard family and the ones here shouldn’t have been that different.
“It’s delicious. Your skill is remarkable.”
“Yes, it’s very good, Mother.”
“Oh my, is that so? I’m glad to hear it. It seems I haven’t lost my touch just yet.”
Seeing how genuinely happy she was at our praise, with her hand gently placed on her cheek as she smiled gracefully, she was the very image of Sylvia herself.
It was understandable that their faces were alike, being mother and daughter, but how could their gestures and mannerisms be so similar as well?
The only noticeable difference was that, since Sylvia was still young, there was a distinct sense of innocence and mischief about her. In contrast, Lady Eleonore exuded the grace of a noble family’s mistress, as if she had stepped right out of a painting.
Of course, if we were to judge by looks alone, she seemed more like a young lady than a matron, but that was beside the point.
“…So when I said loud enough for him to hear, ‘There are so many beautiful ladies here that I feel intimidated,’ Lord Lyard just responded with, ‘Is that so?’ Don’t you think that’s a bit much, Mother?”
“Pfft… So, did you pout over that, Sylvia?”
“I-I wouldn’t say I pouted. I was just a little disappointed… I mean, he could’ve at least said something like, ‘You’re beautiful too, Lady Sylvia!'”
And so, we continued our conversation as we drank our tea.
With someone on her side, Sylvia began to pour out all the grievances she had been holding against me, whining to her mother about them.
As I listened, I quietly sipped my tea, but inwardly, I was starting to sweat.
Not only did I not expect Sylvia to hold onto such trivial matters for so long, but what worried me more was when Lady Eleonore, who had been looking at me with kindness so far, would suddenly change her attitude.
Even though I wasn’t actually Sylvia’s lover, was this how it felt to meet the parents of one’s significant other?
Men who had to go through formal meetings with their future in-laws before marriage must have had a tough time.
“Still, Sylvia, you can’t expect others to always understand your feelings perfectly. After all, men and women think differently at their core. It’s not that Lord Lyard was being indifferent—perhaps you’re just overly sensitive about small matters. Do you understand?”
“W-Well, I do understand that, but….”
One thing I was grateful to Lady Eleonore for was that she didn’t blindly take Sylvia’s side but instead defended me.
Even I had thought my response had been tactless, but to see her evaluate the situation so objectively reaffirmed that she was, indeed, a mature and wise adult.
“Besides, if you become too fixated on trivial matters, Lord Lyard might grow tired and leave you. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”
“…No… I’m sorry, Lord Lyard.”
“It’s alright. I should have been more considerate. You didn’t do anything wrong, so please don’t worry.”
Thanks to this, Sylvia apologized to me, and I in turn apologized to her, allowing us to reconcile in a rather heartwarming manner.
At this rate, it almost felt as if we truly were a couple.
Though it was something I wished for, it was also something I must not hope for.
Tick-tock.
Come to think of it, quite a bit of time had already passed.
At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to ask Lady Eleonore the questions I had been meaning to.
Of course, Sylvia had invited me to stay for a few days, and I had planned to gather the information I needed during that time, but I still couldn’t help but feel a little regretful.
I knew that checking the time frequently in front of someone was impolite, but my impatience made me glance at my watch again and again.
“By the way, Sylvia, have you seen Rine yet? She was looking for you.”
Lady Eleonore, who had been gazing at me quietly, suddenly brought up the name of Sylvia’s younger sister.
At this, Sylvia tilted her head in confusion.
“No, how could I have? I came straight here with you, Mother.”
“Then you should go see her now. She’s been excited all day after hearing that her sister was coming home.”
“Right now? But Lord Lyard is still here…”
Sylvia hesitated, likely feeling reluctant to leave me alone despite her mother’s suggestion.
“I’ll stay here and talk with Lady Eleanor. Please, don’t worry and go. I’d love to meet your sister later as well.”
“Oh…! That’s true. Rine will be so happy.”
When I gestured for her to go, encouraging her, Sylvia nodded, gave a quick farewell, and swiftly left the room.
Her steps were noticeably light—it seemed she had felt guilty about not greeting her sister immediately upon returning home.
Now that it was just the two of us, a brief silence filled the room, broken only by the soft clinking of teacups.
“…Now that my daughter is gone, feel free to speak. What is your true reason for coming here?”
Lady Eleonore narrowed her eyes as she looked at me and asked.
At last, the moment had come.
I, too, narrowed my eyes in response.