“Why go to the trouble of sending a letter when you could just use a communication orb?”
When I asked, glaring at him because Theor’s behavior was so frustrating, Theor’s face—beautiful enough to be dazzling—moved closer to the orb to look at me.
[It would be rude to use the communication orb without prior notice.]
I instinctively leaned closer to the orb as well, wanting to admire his handsome face a bit more, but Theor flinched and pulled back in surprise.
Besides, what is this nonsense about it being rude to use the orb without notice?
“The communication orb was made specifically for communication. How is it rude? The only thing that’s rude is how obscenely expensive the crystals are every time you use one.”
Of course, neither I nor Theor had any reason to care about the cost of using an orb.
I was the only daughter of a nouveau riche family, and Theor was the future master of a vast northern territory that rivaled the empire in size.
On top of that, wasn’t the North in this world the most prosperous and wealthiest of all the regions mentioned in the romance fantasy novels I had read?
While that was entirely due to the resources found only in the North, the Eterzan family was the wealthiest in the empire, second only to the Emperor, even without those resources.
[If you need them, I will send you some crystals as a gift.]
“Oh my, my father, who only has money to his name, would turn quite stern if he heard that.”
[I apologize, that was a slip of the tongue.]
“Oh, why are you apologizing so quickly? I was just joking.”
[Ah, it was a joke.]
Honestly, I can’t even drink water in peace in front of this boy. Especially when he can’t distinguish between my jokes and my sincerity at all.
“Anyway, what did you want to contact me about?”
Because I’m impatient, I had initiated the call as soon as I received his letter, so I hadn’t yet figured out his reason for reaching out. When I asked, Theor hesitated for a moment before saying:
[I thought it would be best to set up our weekend plans in advance.]
“……Ah?”
The promise I’d made a little while ago to meet up over the weekend—all to make Theor laugh—flashed through my mind in an instant.
I wondered why he was trying to set a date when the weekend was still days away, but remembering that he was a Grand Duke and his schedule must be packed, I realized it was a good idea to plan ahead. I nodded at him.
“When would be good? I’m more free than you are, Theor, so I can work around your schedule.”
I did have to attend many tea parties for noble ladies to help spread the word about Pere’s good deeds, but those were so draining that I needed time to heal in between. And this face was certainly healing enough.
[I am available anytime over the weekend.]
“Then, how about the weekend afternoon? Why don’t we meet at that café we visited before?”
[That sounds good. Would it be better if I reserved the second floor?]
“Is that really necessary?”
[Aren’t you going to show me black magic? If there are prying eyes…….]
“No, why would I show you that in a place where everyone can see? That’s something to be done in a completely enclosed space, just between you and me, without a soul knowing.”
[…….]
“Anyway, I’ll show you that later, so you don’t need to go out of your way to book the whole second floor. I tried doing that once, and all I got was criticism. It’s a very popular café, you see.”
At my words, Theor nodded once and said he understood.
It seemed that my incident of renting out the entire second floor of a famous café for a private meeting with Pere was quite the well-known event. It must be, if it even reached the ears of someone as uninterested in others as Theor.
[Do you have a schedule for tomorrow?]
“Tomorrow? Yes, I’m meeting Pere.”
[So you are meeting the Duchess.]
“Yes, though we haven’t made an official appointment yet.”
[……Ah, you haven’t made an appointment yet.]
At my words, Theor muttered, looking slightly flustered.
[Then you might run into each other at that café tomorrow.]
He really is quick-witted. Theor seemed to have realized that the café was the go-to spot for me and Pere to meet.
“If she doesn’t tell me to come to the ducal estate, that’s usually where we end up, right?”
[I see. I hope you have a pleasant time with the Duchess.]
“I will. You take care, Theor, until the day we meet again.”
I had to say something, and since no better farewell came to mind, that’s what I said—and Theor let out a “Haha” laugh.
My eyes instinctively widened at the sight of him laughing for the first time.
[You say your goodbyes as if you are leaving for some far-off land, Ellinea.]
“Y-you laughed……?”
I had initially made the promise to meet him because I wanted to be the first in the empire to see Theor smile, but I had already seen it. Seeing my startled expression, Theor immediately wiped the smile from his face. Oh, no. I quickly shouted at him.
“Do it again!”
[……Pardon?]
“Laugh again, please.”
[…….]
“Hurry, I couldn’t see it properly.”
The noble lady who was the first in the empire to see Theor smile. That title was already mine since I’d just seen it, but I needed a precise memory since I was too shocked to look properly.
But perhaps people are incapable of laughing on command; Theor just blinked, looking flustered at my request. Not wanting it to fizzle out like this, I spoke quickly.
“Laugh! Just like before. Can’t you? Do you want me to make you laugh?”
Without waiting for his response, I pulled the funniest face I could muster. I made a monkey-like expression, widening my eyes into a squint and tucking my tongue between my upper teeth to make my lips pout.
“Look at this, a monkey.”
This was one of my party tricks from my original world, but it seemed the “humor” in this world was a bit different. Seeing him turn deathly pale instead of laughing, I realized this was a total failure. I tried mimicking the ridiculous face of the best friend who had killed me.
“A-and this is a pig.”
I lifted the tip of my nose with my index finger to make a snout, added a ridiculous expression, and looked at him.
[…….]
As the trace of laughter vanished from his face entirely, I realized this wasn’t the way.
“……I’m sorry. Forget what happened today. I’ll find a proper way to make you laugh by the weekend.”
I immediately cut the connection.
I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have! Why did I do that? I could have just waited to see him smile later! My face started to burn with embarrassment.
“Argh, so embarrassing!”
Back in my original world, this was just something women did to amuse each other when exhausted from black magic research, so thinking it would work on a noble young man—especially one from another world—was absurd to begin with.
I bit my lip hard. My expression must have been a sight……. He wasn’t just flustered; he truly looked like he was wondering what on earth I was doing. As the memory of Theor’s dumbfounded expression resurfaced, I let out a silent scream, wishing I could die of shame.
“My Lady, is something the matter?”
Just then, Becky, who had discovered me covering my face with both hands and screaming silently, rushed over and asked. I took my hands away from my face and called for her.
“Becky, what is the best way to make someone laugh in this place?”
“Make someone laugh?”
“Yes. Someone who doesn’t laugh very often. How do I do it?”
I hid the fact that I had just performed useless face-contorting gags to make Theor laugh and asked seriously. Becky looked at me thoughtfully and asked in return.
“Are you perhaps asking about the work of a jester?”
“A jester?”
“Yes.”
A jester—she was referring to a profession that existed only among the commoners of this empire. They usually performed dances or songs, and… a profession that brings joy to people through storytelling.
While I wasn’t aiming for such a grand scale of laughter, I felt that if I wanted to elicit smiles from Theor, who was extremely stingy with his laughter, I would need a deeper sense of fun and comedy. So, I asked Becky with a serious face.
“Should I hire a clown and learn some ridiculous gestures or stories?”
It felt like that would be cheaper. I absolutely could not go through that again!
After staring at me for a moment, Becky asked me with a truly serious expression.
“By any chance, was your unfulfilled dream from your commoner days to be a clown…?”
At her words, I looked at her with an incredulous expression and asked.
“Is it really worth going that far…?”