Volume 2 Chapter 27

Albert Ke no Reijou wa Botsuraku wo go Shomou desu 67

Volume 2 Chapter 27

As Mary was about to get onto the horse wagon to return to Eliciana Academy, someone called out to her; she turned around and her father’s standing there.

Her father was supposed to be busy and could not send her off, so she was puzzled and tilted her head. He cleared his throat and looked straight at Mary. Everyone would draw back in fear when they meet the head of the Albert family, but his daughter, Mary was not nervous at all. She stared back firmly and asked “Father, what’s wrong?” with a tilted head.

“I thought I misheard it when Patrick of the Dice family told me this, but it seems like you have made a close friend somehow in the Eliciana academy.”

“Yes, I have a friend. Or rather, why did you think that you misheard that?”

“Is she a good kid?”

“Yes, she’s a very good kid.”

“You have a weird… I mean strong-spirited side, so I’m worried if you’ve made her cry.”

“Rather than making her cry, she has been a cry baby all along.”

“I see…”

He appeared to be confused about Mary’s explanation, but the head of the Albert family once again cleared his throat and changed the topic.

“Mary, if you have made a close friend; please do send this invitation card directly to her.”

“Directly…?”

Why? Mary was confused since she has already made preparations to send the invitation cards.

The invitation cards with beautiful wordings on a high-quality paper, sealed with the Albert family’s crest, were supposed to be sent to various families within and outside of the country, a few days later… although the identity of her marriage partner was still kept a secret.

“She’s not an acquaintance of the Albert family daughter, but a friend of yours right? In that case, please pass this to her directly.”

Mary’s father insisted as it’s rare for her to make friends, and in return to that, Mary blinked several times; she has sensed what he’s trying to convey secretively and said “I guess I shall do that” before nodding shyly.

It’s not a report on the marriage of the Albert family’s daughter, but a message to a friend. She’s happy and shy about that. The sight of Mary’s behaviour made the head of the Albert family smile warmly before he shifted his gaze to Addie, who was standing beside her. They have had a master-servant relationship, and now they have established a father-in-law-son-in-law relationship; this fact seems to have made him even more nervous as he straightened his back.

“Addie, it is also fine for you to send the invitation cards to your closed ones, you know?”

“…Master.”

“Even though you are asked to hide your identity as Mary’s marriage partner, I’m sure you have friends whom you want to invite, right? Of course, I’m not asking you to invite just anybody, but I’d want your closed ones to be there.”

“Master…! How kind of you!”

Addie’s eyes shone brightly as he looked at his father-in-law, in contrast, Mary’s eyes were like that of dead fishes. She always disliked the way he reacted positively to his master, and with this new relationship, she found it even grosser than ever.

-Furthermore, recently, Patrick has been seen behaving like that too, and has only added on to the annoyance.

However, having received such consideration from his father-in-law, Addie earnestly said “thank you for your consideration” before bowing his head deeply; however, after that he looked troubled as he said “but…”

“But, um… my close friend is…”

“Addie, you don’t have friends, right?!”

“Please don’t treat me like I’m your kind.”

“Addie!?”

“Mary, you shouldn’t think that everyone is just like you.”

“Father!?”

Both of them said that bluntly and sent daggers to Mary’s heart. Of course she’d be hurt… but as a self-defensive mechanism, she stopped herself from saying anything more; Addie then looked around as though it’s hard for him to continue his words, and it took a while before he slowly opened his mouth.

“Me too, I have a few friends that I want to invite. But…”

“Is there any problem?”

“Um… My friends are all working for other families, and when they heard about this party, they said ‘Albert family pays well!’ and happily applied for the roles to help out with the preparations…”

Therefore, everyone would be there at the party on that day, Addie announced; both the Albert family members avoided his gaze in coordination.

The scale of this party would be unprecedented and the manpower of their usual staffs would not be enough which made them hire some of the servants and maids from other families.

Those families found this a good opportunity to build ties with the Albert family and happily sent their staffs; meanwhile the staffs themselves were sure that the pay would be high since the reputable Albert family would be holding a celebration and happily jumped into the work.

“To think that these staffs were Addie’s friends…” thought Mary as she continued to avert her gaze as she managed to squeeze out the following words.

“They’d be of great help.”

The awkward atmosphere was cleared up with cough of the Albert family’s head; he purposely tried to avoid the topic by looking at Mary once again. He then took out an invitation card from the inner pocket of his well-tailored jacket.

“Mary, please pass this to your friend in Eliciana.”

“Thank you, father.”

The affectionate father and daughter smiled at each other; Mary then took the invitation card.

Just one.

…That’s right just one.

“Father, I managed to make more friends.”

“What… not just one?!”

“Please stop that surprised look. I’m able to make more than one friend, you know?”

“I see, Mary’s an adult already huh. In that case, please pass these to all of your friends.”

After saying that, with the look of surprise still remaining on his face, her father handed out another invitation card, to which Mary has gracefully received with a smile.

There were two of them in total.

He then said “Please send one to the head of the school academy, so in actual fact there’s only one.”

Of course, Mary could not put up with that any longer as she shouted “Father, you’re terrible!” She then took the invitation cards from her father’s jacket and jumped into the horse wagon.

“Just look! Many of my friends would be there on that day!” said Mary, which sounded a little pathetic…

“You stole around a dozen of cards from me, but I’m pretty sure you don’t have that many friends.”

“I-It’s going to be very lively… it’s seems like it’s going to be fun… right?”

Mary sighed as she sipped on the black tea as she talked about that conversation to Parfait, who was holding the invitation card in both hands carefully.

Counting the cards which she has snatched from him and the ones he passed to her before that, there were a total of ten of them. Having made those declarations in a heat, it will hurt Mary Albert’s pride if she’s not able to pass all of them out.

“Therefore, I’d like everyone of the Karina’s gang to come.”

“Please don’t use such a weird naming.”

Karina, who’s sitting beside Mary, coldly said that as she elegantly sipped the black tea; even so she respectfully bowed her head when she received the invitation card, she’s not happy with the way Mary addressed them, but she’d probably go.

”I’m sure it’d be fun” she said with a grin, but Karina, who has memories of the “Doradora” series, smiled wryly.

After that, she stood up so that she can pass the invitations to the rest of the Karina gang members- of course it refers to the rival characters of the game, the ladies who have been abandoned by their fiancés on that eventful day… when someone grabbed onto her shoulder from the back with great force.

“Lady Mary, I’d very much love to take part in the celebration too.”

The presence behind her was akin to that of a hunter who’s hunting for a prey, and despite that, the ambitious lady said it in a proper elegant tone.

“For some reason, I don’t sense that from you.”

“Of course not, I’d like to celebrate for Lady Mary, while searching for a good guy.”

“What’s the proportion of that feeling?”

“It’s 1:9.”

“Please cushion your words and be less indirect.”

“I’m saying 1:9 precisely after cushioning my words.”

“I’d normally complain about your disrespectful attitude, but for some reason, it feels back at home.”

Mary sighed at the unchanging ambitious lady, turned behind and passed her the invitation card.

She has originally planned to pass her the invitation card; however it is the beautiful custom to pass it after they’re done with the conversation, and this made her feel at home.

Mary wondered if she has a weak spot for this type of people… meanwhile, Parfait opened the invitation card and muttered softly “escort is not needed?” It seems like she has finished reading the invitation card, and that phrase’s written which was very unlike the normal noble parties; Mary laughed quietly and nodded.

“Yes, escort is not needed for this party. You can come alone, or with friends.”

“I see. That’s quite out of ordinary.”

“I talked about this to Patrick; that one should freely choose whoever they want to, without escort…”

It might appear strange when thinking about the noble world, but Patrick, although he’s the son of the Dice family, he ended up with Alicia. Similarly, although Mary’s the daughter of the Albert family, she chose to be with her servant, Addie.

Having realized that, Parfait quietly muttered “escort is not needed…” and looked behind her as she’s curious about Gainas Eldland, who’s still following her till this day, as though he’s part of her baggage. Mary smiled wryly at how easy it was to read Parfait’s mind and patted her shoulder.

“Of course, if there’s someone who you want to be escorted by, it’s fine to invite him, you know?”

“N-No way! I.. don’t want to be escorted by Sir Gainas! I-I was just worried about going alone.”

”Oh, in that case, I’ll have my brother fetch you on that day.”

“Eek! N-No!”

Parfait looked frantic and helpless and Mary could not help but laugh out loud. Karina sighed at Mary, and the ambitious lady appeared once again behind Mary’s back with ferocious shiny eyes.

Of course, she grabbed her shoulder with great force.

“Lady Mary, I’m worried about going alone too.”

“I’m the one who’s worried with a hunter like you coming to my house.”

This is of course, another beautiful conversation of the Eliciana academy.