Episode 7: “Properly, in a Single Day”
“Say, why don’t you eat with us too, Miss?”
“Eh…? M-me?”
“Yeah! Fiine-oneesan!”
The moment they reached the dining room, Christa dashed over for some reason, and before Fiine knew it she’d been all but pushed down into a chair.
“A meal’s more fun when it’s lively, don’t you think? Please, if you don’t mind.”
It was Claudia who smiled at her this way. She looked nothing like the woman Fiine had first met — now she seemed nothing short of an elegant, refined, and gentle marchioness.
(I’d rather not, honestly — it makes me nervous. But… I do need to keep an eye on her, so it’s easier just to eat with them.)
Nodding, Fiine took her seat.
“You don’t need to call your assistant?”
“No, um — she seemed a little worn out from the trip, so… she’s asleep, so I thought I’d just let her rest.”
“I see. If she needs a meal later, just let one of the staff know.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
When they’d moved to the dining room, Yuria had gone off to the guest room. She was probably resting right now on a bed far finer than anything back home.
The meal the staff brought out for the three of them leaned soft, likely adjusted with Claudia in mind — a vegetable soup simmered until the ingredients nearly dissolved, an egg porridge with finely diced chicken, a beef hamburg steak.
“Thank you for the meal.”
She pressed her hands together and reached for her fork. The moment she bit into the hamburg steak, the juices spilled out at once.
(It’s delicious… though a bit mild, actually.)
She’d grown used to Yuria’s seasoning, so it felt just slightly lacking by comparison. Still, the beef itself was clearly high-quality, and the meat’s own richness carried the dish well.
Glancing over at her clients, she saw Christa watching her parents eat, beaming.
The magic doll’s effect lasted about one day. By tomorrow evening, Christa would already have to return to earth.
◆
Once dinner ended, Christa began to yawn. It was likely close to her usual bedtime.
“…Fiine-san. Is it all right if she takes a bath?”
Claudia asked, her expression tense.
“Yes. There’s no problem with that.”
“Then I’ll bathe Christa myself.”
“Understood. I’ll wait outside the bathroom, then.”
Parting ways with Heinz, she headed for the bathroom along with the two of them. True to a marquess’s household, it was a splendidly appointed bathroom.
“…I used to leave most of her bathing to the staff. I should have done more of it myself.”
Claudia murmured this as she disappeared into the bathroom with Christa.
Listening to the occasional splash of water drifting out, Fiine found herself thinking absently about the two of them.
Among high-ranking nobility, it wasn’t unusual for a child’s care to be left almost entirely to the staff.
Arranging tutors and overseeing a child’s education was considered the lady of the house’s responsibility — but the everyday care itself generally wasn’t seen as a noblewoman’s own task.
And yet, whatever she hadn’t been able to do for the daughter she’d lost seemed destined to remain in her heart as regret.
“…I wonder if one day is really enough to say a proper goodbye.”
She let out a quiet sigh. The happy laughter drifting out from the bathroom sounded, to Fiine, unbearably lonely.