"Is that so?… I see… Hm *Nods*… Got it *Nods*… … … Very well, father. I will return with haste"
Lysette was currently talking with her father, using a magical device used for long-range communications, also known as… A telephone. And this device, in particular, was a relatively recent addition to the Harding manor, as a present from the Neville family after Edward and Lysette got engaged.
As Lysette was talking with her father, inside the office of Oliver, Edward's father, where the telephone was put in, due to how expensive it was to leave it anywhere else prone to any possible accidents and misfortune, the door was opened, revealing Edward as he brought with him a stack of papers in his hands.
"Father, here are the-"
"… *Gesturing for him to be silent*"
"?… !"
Edward initially got confused by his father's gesture. Still, when he saw Lysette on the phone, he immediately understood why, however, Lysette was already looking at him as she kept the phone close to her ear, causing the two to look at each other for a few seconds before Lysette looked away with her cheeks turning slightly pink.
"Hmm… Father… Would it be possible for me to… … … Bring Edward-sama and Nanako-san alongside as well?"
" "?" "
Both Oliver and Edward made confused expressions at why Lysette was asking that to her father, while she on the other hand remained silent as she waited for his answer over the phone.
//… … … Sure, I think that Princess Atsuko would prefer extra company//
"! Thank you, father! I will tell Edward-sama about this in a bit! Have a nice day, father!"
//Haha… Thank you, Lysette-chan. I'll be waiting for your return//
Then, Lysette hung up the phone as she turned towards Edward in a good mood and with a bright smile.
"Edward-sama"
"Yes, Lysette-sama?"
"You don't mind accompanying me back to my estate, and spending some time there, right?"
"Of course not, Lysette-sama"
"Fufu, that's great. Then I'll go tell Nanako-san that she'll be coming with us as well" *Turns to start walking away*
"Is that so? Okay. Ah! Also Lysette-sama"
"?… !!"
When Lysette turned back to look at Edward, she suddenly felt his hand on her head, as he began to pat her hair, which did cause her pink cheeks to blush into a red color.
"You're looking adorable, today as well"
"A-Ah… T-Thank you…"
With that, Lysette embarrassedly retreated away, as she tried to cover her happy smile from being pampered yet again by Edward. Who in his case went back to dealing with the papers in his hands.
"Father, here are the documents you requested"
"Thank you, son… … … Also…"
"Hm?"
"You resemble your mother quite a bit"
"Okay?…"
"… Anyways, now I need you to…"
Smartly deciding to leave that comment of his behind, Oliver began listing what else he needed for Edward to bring to his office.
.
.
.
Outside of Oliver's office, Lysette walked down one of the corridors in search of Nanako, knowing her routine, she had a bit go a guess of where Nanako could be right now, so she was making her way to the first place she thought Nanako would be.
"… … … Ah! Nanako-san!"
"Hm?… ! Lysette-sama, how may I help you?"
Then in a stroke of luck, Lysette was able to find Nanako just as she had left a room and was closing the door to it.
"Nanako-san, you'll be coming with me and Edward-sama to my estate and spend some time there"
"… I understand, but may I know why you're bringing me and Edward-sama with us?"
Nanako could guess part of Lysette's intention of bringing them, mainly the one related to the crown prince, however, she felt that there was something more to Lysette's intentions. So she asked so to Lysette, who also understood what Nanako wanted to know.
"Father just told me that Princess Atsuko from the Kingdom of Akeshi will be spending some time at the estate, and he wanted me to give her some company as someone the same age as her…"
"Ah! I see"
"And last time I heard, she still hasn't picked a fiancé for herself, so I thought that it would be a good opportunity to see if she's a suitable candidate for Edward-sama. And as his second fiancée, your opinion about her will be necessary, Nanako-san"
"*Nods* Got it, Lysette-sama… Also, Lysette-sama… Did Edward-sama give you headpats?"
"… … … Yes…"
"… I hope he goes as easy on me"
The two girls began blushing as they began remembering how Edward had been always giving them kisses whenever he passed by them the past few weeks, which for as much as they liked it, they wanted him to tone it a bit down.
On the following day, the three had prepared some of their belongings and boarded the Neville family's carriage, which brought them to Lysette's residence, where they were greeted by her father and his many servants in a rather fashionable way. To show how amused he was at having Lysette back home after she spent a good amount of weeks away.
.
.
.
About two days later
The servants of the Neville estate were all standing side by side at the entrance hall without showing any signs of movement as they flanked a long red carpet, which at the end of it stood Hamilton, Lysette's father, wearing his usual outfit for whenever he had guests.
To his side was Lysette as she wore a beautiful red dress and had her blonde hair done in a bun, which normally would give her a rather elegant atmosphere, however today none of that atmosphere could seen, as it had been replaced by a blobby one as she happily hugged one of Edward's arm.
Talking about Edward, he was also standing at the entrance hall, wearing a very expensive suit, personally given to him by Hamilton, after all, he was his son-in-law, and Hamilton also had a very good opinion and trust of him.
Finally, hugging Edward's other arm, was Nanako as she wore her white dress, the same one that she had worn for Lysette's birthday ceremony, but different from that day, she wasn't looking down in an attempt to hide her face, since she wasn't surrounded by countless nobles that she knew nothing about. So just like Lysette, she also had a bubbly atmosphere as she hugged one of Edward's arms.
Everyone remained silent, as they waited for their guests to arrive, any moment now, but of everyone, there was one person who was out of the loop. So in a low tone, he asked the person next to him
"… … … Lysette-sama, who are we greeting that it also requires me and Nanako to participate?"
"Ah! I didn't tell you, right? Today, Princess Atsuko will be arriving here, and she'll be staying for some time here as well. So it's only natural for us to present you and Nanako-san to her at this moment"
"Ah! Okay, then… … … Hm?"
Initially, Edward responded quite understandably, but he quickly began to notice something wrong with Lysette's words.
"Hm… Lysette-sama? D-Did you say that a foreign princess will… be staying here?"
"That's right, Edward-sama"
"… … …"
*Door opening sound*
Seeing the double door that served at the main entrance to the mansion, all that Edward could do was scream with all his might inside his mind.
*Step step step*
With light, but noticeable steps, a girl with red eyes wearing a purple kimono with an intricate flower design walked inside the Neville manor. Her height was lower than Lysette's but taller than Nanako's. Her white hair with many streaks of black hair was long and curly, giving it a rather wild, but fluffy look, almost like the fur of an arctic fox, with part of it tied in a half-up hairdo by a black lace, which alongside her more noticeable black side bangs gave her a rather cute appearance. That was Atsuko Shimizu, the princess of the Kingdom of Akeshi, the third child, and only daughter, of the current king.
Close to her was a tall and bulky man well over in his thirties, wearing a simple dark blue kimono and a curved sword could be seen hanging on his waist, he was Kenichi, Atsuko's bodyguard, and a man who exhaled years of combat experience.
"… … …"
Seeing the two walking closer and closer, all that Edward could do was remain silent as he felt as if he was turning into dust as he just gave up on trying to remain conscious. But the two soft and warm feelings on both of his arms didn't allow him to pass out while standing.
The Atsuko and her guard both came to a stop at a respectable distance from the four, then she respectfully bowed down to them before she started speaking.
"Sir Hamilton Neville, I am truly grateful for your generosity in allowing me and my entourage to take shelter at your estate, as we wait for my father, King Yuudai, to arrive after the accident his vessel received during our trip.
I hope that you will not feel bothered by our presence here, and we also hope that we will not disturb your day-to-day activities in the following weeks. Once again, I thank you for accepting us here today"
Atsuko's voice was clear and beautiful, while her acting and etiquette were flawless, in many ways she resembled the many rumors that surrounded Crown Prince Ludovic… That she was a natural-born genius, fit for her position as a royal.
"*Nods* Princess Atsuko, you do not have to worry about being a bother I and my family feel quite honored for you choosing us out of all the families in the dukedom.
But if there is one thing I want to request from you, is for you to get along with my daughter, Lysette, right here"
Hamilton, also responding respectfully to Atsuko's introduction, gently gestured for Lysette to present herself. So she let go of Edward's hand and took two steps ahead before speaking.
"Princess Atsuko, I am Lysette Neville, daughter of Hamilton Neville, and it is my honor and pleasure to be able to meet you today. I hope that you will find your stay at our residence a pleasant experience, and I look forward to working together with you in these following weeks"
"*Nods* Likewise, Lady Lysette. I look forward to getting along with you"
"Thank you, Princess Atsuko"
The two smiled at each other, but it was possible to see that those were more like acting smiles than genuine ones, but it was also possible to see that neither of them was thinking of any ill will towards the other. Then Atsuko shifted her gaze away from Lysette and towards the two remaining people, who didn't share any resemblance to Hamilton or Lysette, which did intrigue her.
"Lady Lysette, this might sound rude coming from me, but who are those people over there?"
Atsuko then pointed in Edward and Nanako's direction with her paper fan, which prompted Lysette to look at them, before looking back at Atsuko.
"Oh! Them, well it might be better for them to introduce themselves properly to you. Edward-sama, Nanako-san, may I ask for you two to introduce yourselves?"
"Ah! Of course"
"Ah! S-Sure"
The two stepped forward, with Nanako letting go of Edward's arm, knowing that it would be rather unsought of her to keep holding onto it as he introduced himself. As for Edward, he took a deep breath and held it in for a few moments before doing his introduction.
"Princess Atsuko, my name is Edward Harding, and as the son and heir of a count, I cannot describe how much honor it is for me to be meeting you. I hope for both of us to get along, and as Lysette-sama's fiancé, I will also do my utmost to not bring shame to her nor cause you any trouble"
Just like when he first met Lysette, Edward made his introduction in one breath and kept looking towards Atsuko with a poker face, helped by his desperation and a lucky, or unlucky, headache that was just starting to attack his mind, which helped him by giving him a way of letting his mind run away of reality through the pain of his headache.
"…"
For a moment, Atsuko remained silent as she put her closed paper fan in front of her mouth hiding it, before showing a smile as she closed her eyes while responding to him.
"It is also a pleasure to be able to see you, Sir Edward. And likewise, I also hope for both of us to get along"
When she opened her eyes, she saw that Edward was still looking straight at her, which did surprise her quite a bit since most lower-ranking nobles, tended to avoid looking directly at her. But thanks to her experience in interacting with other nobles, she was able to hide her fluster and looked in the direction of Nanako as a way to distract herself from Edward's gaze.
"Hmm… M-My name is Nanako, and… Hmm… I-I'm E-Edward-sama's s-second f-fiancée… I-It's a pleasure t-to meet, P-Princess A-Atsuko"
As the only one without a title, and even a surname, as well as the least experienced in talking to nobles, who weren't Edward or Lysette. Nanako's introduction was quite lacking and with several mistakes in terms of etiquette, but it was easy to see that she was doing her best to be respectful towards Atsuko.
"…"
Just like Edward, Atsuko remained silent for a few moments, but this time out of curiosity, after all, Nanako had all the characteristics of someone born in Akeshi, but most of all, her amethyst eyes did make her think of the stories her father would tell her about his missing brother who fled from the kingdom with a woman he had fallen in love with, after a serious fight with their father after he refused to allow the two to be engaged, or so she was told.
"… Nanako, is it? It may be rude of me, but may I ask you, whether your father had amethyst eyes like you, with black hair with some streak of white hair?"
"Eh?… Erm… I-I'm sorry, but… I've never met my parents…"
"Ah! I see… I'm sorry for impoliteness, and for asking such a question"
"*Shakes head* No, it's fine. After all… It was thanks to this that I was able to meet, Edward-sama"
"If you say so, and also, it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Nanako"
Nanako meekly nodded at Atsuko's words. But then, Atsuko began making a pondering expression, because Edward said he was Lysette's fiancé, but Nanako also said that she also was Edward's fiancée, albeit the second one. Which did pick her interest, though not on the most favorable of sides.
"Nee, Sir Edward, you must be quite a womanizer for being able to convince Lady Lysette to let you have a second fiancée"
"Ahaha… Well, to be honest with you Princess Atsuko… I was the last person to know that I got engaged to Nanako as well…"
"… … … Hm?"
Hearing his words, which didn't contain any lie whatsoever, caused Atsuko to become confused, since if he didn't know he was engaged to Nanako, then someone else must've done it behind his back, and the only person who could do such a thing was none other than Lysette. Who decided to intervene, as she felt that a bad misunderstanding might happen if she didn't say anything.
"Princess Atsuko, if you may forgive my meddling, but I must say that I was the one who arranged for the engagement of Edward-sama and Nanako-san behind his back because… I had my reasons for doing so.
And I also respectfully request that you do not consider his situation of being engaged to me, and Nanako-san at the same time in a bad light. After all, I am the one at fault for this matter"
Lysette then gently hugged Edward's arm as she said so to Atsuko, both because she wanted to go back to hugging him, but also to show that she was fine in engaging him to Nanako, who also went back to hugging his arm as well.
"… … … *Nods* I understand, Sir Edward, I apologize for my aggressive tone just now, I just… Do not have a good opinion of unfaithful men…"
"It is alright, Princess Atsuko. We all commit mistakes sometimes, and what's important is that we learn from it"
Edward then showed a gentle smile to Atsuko after saying so as he looked directly at her, and in turn, she once again covered her mouth with her closed paper fan while showing a rather surprised expression, before her cheeks became tinted in pink as she looked away.
"… Thank you…"
"… *Nods*" <…Although I said that, I'm always committing the same mistake of muttering something in my mind in front of my father, and then running my mouth with batshit ideas so that I won't be taken as having a mental problem… … … Yeah, let's not think about that right now>
With the kids now quiet and having already finished their introductions, Hamilton showed a small smile at seeing them all appearing to be on the path of getting along before he clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Well then everyone. I am sure that our guests must be tired from their journey, so if possible, please guide them to the rooms that they will be using, and thank you for your service as always"
After he said that, his servants all nodded, and began helping the guests in bringing their luggage and belongings to their rooms.
"Well, then if you all may excuse me, I shall go pick up my luggage as well"
"Let me go help you, Princess Atsuko. That is the least I can do for the misunderstanding I caused"
"As my family's guest, I should help with your baggage as well, Princess Atsuko"
"Ah! M-Me too! I-I'll help as well!"
"Ah… T-Thank you"
Seeing Edward, Lysette, and Nanako offering themselves to help her, caused Atsuko to feel a bit flustered, but she didn't refuse them. As the four went on to get to know each other by helping, Hamilton and Kenichi looked at the girls from the side, Hamilton with his usual smile from seeing his daughter happy, and Kenichi with a serious face…
"… So you by any chance see Princess Atsuko as your daughter?"
"… … … I will not confirm nor deny your claim"
"Well, I can already guess the answer by how you're looking right now"
Kenichi's face was extra serious because he was putting a lot of effort into hiding his tears at seeing his princess getting along with people of her age.