“Hey you . Are you trying to get me tanned? The parasol is slightly off?”

Early summer evening .

Although it’s getting darker, the sunlight is still strong, so Claire-sama sullenly said such a thing .

Right now, we’re heading back to the dormitory having finished our work for the Order of the Academy .

“Ah, I’m sorry, Claire-sama . It must have slipped a little as I was gazing at Claire-sama . ”

I hurriedly fixed the parasol’s position .

It would be awful if Claire-sama’s beautiful skin got a blemish .

There’s no Chocola ○B1 in this world either .

“I do not understand what you find so enjoyable, but I wonder if you could work properly”

“I’m sorry”

“… Hmph”

Claire-sama turned away in a huff .

Yes, her sulky look is just too adorable .

Be that as it may, normally it wouldn’t be strange for more than few words of scolding to come, but recently Claire-sama is in a slightly low spirits .

After all, the fact that Lene, who’s served her for many years, is gone definitely casts a show on Claire-sama’s heart .

I would like to lift Claire-sama’s spirits, but I’m at a loss of how to do it .

“Claire-sama”

“What is it?”

“When the school is over, should I make something sweet?”

“What is it so suddenly . I do not particularly want anything”

“Even Claire-sama’s favorite crème brûlée?”

“… That is the recipe you taught Lene”

Claire-sama said in a depressed voice .

Rather than cheering her up, I ended up stirring up a hornet’s nest .

This is no good .

“Claire-sama”

“What is it”

“Cheer up”

“It is not like I am particularly low-spirited”

Though Claire-sama again turned her face in a huff, she’s obviously putting on a brave front .

After carefully thinking about it, I couldn’t come up with any good idea .

“Claire-sama”

“What is it”

“Can I hug you?”

“Haa!?”

d.a.m.n .

Nothing really came to my mind, so I spoke of my desire .

“There is no way . Where would you find a servant wanting to hug their master”

“Eh? Here?”

“Do not make such a mystified face!?”

But, what I could call the silver lining is, Claire-sama who got angry looks to be in a better mood than a while ago .

Alright, let’s continue like that .

“Claire-sama”

“What is it… Wait, we had this exchange three times?”

“I like you”

“Yes yes . I dislike you”

I was treated as usual .

“How strange . I thought I could go further with this flow”

“How would this idea even occur to you!? In the first place, what did you mean by go further!”

“Eh, do you want me to say it? No way Claire-sama . How indecent”

“It is you who brought it up!?”

Mmhm .

Her mood began improving .

While encouraging(?) Claire-sama like this, we arrived at the dormitory without a hitch .

Well, during the commoners’ movement incident, we had to rush here .

We went together to Claire-sama’s dormitory room, unlocked the door and went inside .

After I put down what I was carrying and finished tidying up, I unexpectedly found something in the letterbox attached to the door .

Examining and sorting mail is also a servant’s job .

I recognize the crest on the sealing wax .

Of course, it’s the first time I see this crest in this word, but for me who was a Revolution maniac, not only is the sender known, but I even have a rough idea about its content .

“That person” will come .

“Claire-sama, a letter for you has arrived”

“The sender is?”

“It’s Manaria Sousa”

“! From Onee-sama!?”

“! From Onee-sama!?”

Claire-sama briskly walked up to me and s.n.a.t.c.hed the envelope whose sender I checked .

“Please open it”

“Certainly”

I carefully opened the envelope with a silver paper-knife .

Inside was a single sheet of writing paper .

Right away I handed it over to Claire-sama .

“…”

Claire-sama is happily staring at the paper .

I think you can guess from “Onee-sama”, but the letter’s sender, Manarisama, is a person Claire-sama admires .

If you wonder what kind of person Manarisama is, since she’ll appear before long, I think you’ll understand at that time .

“Claire-sama, why don’t we go to the dining hall”

“Go ahead . I will read this letter”

“Then, I’ll also wait”

“…”

Claire-sama is immersed in reading the letter .

She looks like she’s reading a love letter from her beloved .

I felt something disquieting rear its head inside my chest .

“Onee-sama is… coming to the academy”

Having seemingly finished reading, Claire-sama muttered in a feverish tone .

As it’d be unnatural to stay silent, I spoke .

“What kind of person that Onee-sama, Manarisama, is?”

“Let’s see . She is the First Princess of the Sousa Kingdom . She is a woman I adore”

“Haa”

“She is coming to the academy to study abroad in the Bauer Kingdom . The letter was an apology for contacting me late”

“Hee, is that so”

“Just now, you somehow spoke in a monotone, why do sound dissatisfied”

“It’s your imagination, Claire-sama”

I wish for Claire-sama’s happiness the most .

It doesn’t particularly matter who she pays attention to .

… I understand it in my head, but after all I can’t feel calm .

“Let’s go the dining hall quickly, Claire-sama”

“You are right . Ah, but I’m filled with emotions, so I may not be able to each much”

“Ah, is that so . Let’s go quickly”

“You are right . Ah, but I’m filled with emotions, so I may not be able to each much”

“Ah, is that so . Let’s go quickly”

“You, after all you seem somehow dissatisfied?”

“Nooo? Not really?”

I don’t mind at all .

Sulk .

“Are you by any chance jealous?”

“Yes”

“An immediate reply!?”

Because I am .

“Claire-sama has never told me you adore me”

“I am tired of hearing such jokes?”

“How can I make you realize I’m serious?”

“It is impossible no matter what… Ah but―― .

Claire-sama paused there and suggestively smiled,

“could you offer a floss flower to the scales? At that time, the truth of your feelings will show”

and proclaimed so in an unusually maidenly voice .

“Amour’s poem”

“Ara, you are aware of it”

Amour’s poem is an ancient legend pa.s.sed down in the Bauer Kingdom .

The legend goes like this .

A tall and a short man fell in love with a single shrine maiden .

Both men were influential people in the country and competed with each other for the woman .

While the men lost themselves in love, the country’s government fell into disarray .

When the maiden prayed to G.o.d for the men to stop their conflict, G.o.d granted her a single balance scales and informed .

“Present offerings to the scales . The person indicated by the scales shall be your husband”

As commanded by G.o.d, indicated by the scales the short man became the shrine maiden’s husband, the tall man who was torn from love became an excellent king .

The line Claire-sama recited was the words G.o.d said when presenting the scales to the shrine maiden .

“Does Claire-sama like these sorts of stories?”

“I do not dislike them? Are they not romantic”

Whether she’s still in the good mood from hearing from Manarisama, Claire-sama said somehow merrily .

“I don’t dislike love stories, but I don’t like Amour’s Poem much”

Whether she’s still in the good mood from hearing from Manarisama, Claire-sama said somehow merrily .

“I don’t dislike love stories, but I don’t like Amour’s Poem much”

“Ara, how comes?”

Claire-sama tilted her head .

She’s cute .

“Because, isn’t it only a good story because the shrine maiden couldn’t choose from the beginning . To make men compete for her, she’s a wicked woman, a wicked woman”

“That is not the case”

With the expression she doesn’t understand but wants to say something, Claire-sama continued .

“Surely, the shrine maiden could not choose . When you truly fall in love, whom you like more, I am certain it is not simple to come to a clean decision”

It’s a line of a girl with her head in the clouds .

“I don’t understand whom I like more . I wish someone could tell me . The true wish of a person in love, is beyond a doubt expressed in this poem”

Claire-sama suddenly awakened as a poet .

No, Claire-sama was originally excellent at poetry .

“Claire-sama”

“What is it… Wait, how many times have we done this exchange today”

It’s a tedious situation, but still, to Claire-sama who responded honestly, I―― .

“I’m hungry”

expressed my unreserved thoughts .

“You・are・un・be・lie・va・ble…!”

Though Claire-sama’s face became bright red as if she steamed up, momentarily she dropped her shoulders crestfallen and,

“Well, a person like you who jokes about her love would not understand subtlety”

saying that, left the room .

“I’m not joking though”

While chasing after her, I muttered .

Today as well, my feelings didn’t reach Claire-sama .