Chapter 367: Shall We Go Hunting?

After that dressed Lily said something to Agnes in a small voice, Agnes nodded, and was taken by Lily and disappeared to the next room. In that interval Agnes does not look my way at all.

Sonia stays leaning on me the whole time, stuck bettari.

Kots! Kots! Kots!

The room door is knocked and

"Her Majesty has come."

a maid announces. Suddenly as if a core entered her spine Sonia stands and I am pulled and stand too. It is all right, traces should not remain in the room. Lily put on "Purification" and now the window is open too and wind is coming in. Is the air coming in from outside a little cold unnatural?

"Excuse me."

Anouk opens the door and Her Majesty enters smiling. But seeing Sonia and me standing she knits her brow for an instant, only an instant. This is the reaction when she senses it. But even so there is no need for us (us, I say! we ended up having that kind of relation...) to say anything.

Her Majesty coming was not because there was some use, she was free and I did not return to the inn so she thought to go see what I am doing I hear, and if she had come a little earlier it might have become four-person pull with Her Majesty and Anouk mixed... no, that kind of thing absolutely would not happen.

"Lord Robbie, what do you plan to do from the afternoon?"

Her Majesty asks but for me it is decided.

"From the afternoon I intend to be taught the bow by Lady Sonia."

I answer. Sonia’s satisfied smile hearing that! I think it was decided but is she glad when it is put into words?

"At the mansion entrance I met the Clan Chief and he was saying something like he wants to take Lord Robbie hunting?"

Her Majesty asks me so

"That kind of thing he said at sword training too, but did it become a decided matter?"

When I ask Sonia, Sonia already with a gentle smile,

"How is it? The clan chief wants to decide anything at once so I think it is not decided yet. But if Lord Marie is all right I think going hunting is good too. Of course I will go together as well."

If Sonia’s words could be seen I think they would tangle on me each time they come out of her mouth.

Sonia and Lily have a soft air and faces you could call happy, in short faces as if dissatisfaction of desire was resolved, against that Her Majesty has dissatisfaction of desire showing and hiding? This morning too it stayed halfway so she is stored I suppose? If I say that, Anouk, just how long has it been since she last had it? I think. The medicine I passed when we stayed in the town before entering the territory capital so she is drinking it! if that alone the purpose is achieved... it is not that kind of thing.

Because Her Majesty is here Her Majesty will eat lunch together too. And in contrast to Sonia who is excessively good-humored, bright and talkative Her Majesty eats calmly. Her Majesty knows what happened to Sonia, yes...

From the afternoon as planned I am taught the bow. Agnes is absent... my fault? If that is said to be my fault I am troubled. Even if I am told one more time with Agnes there? at that place I feel only dregs came out anymore. Humans, in anything there is a limit.

When I was taught the sword I was guided while taking a proper distance, but when it becomes the bow from the grip to the way of drawing the string I am taught with the body stuck close in every detail. Only having a relation once and it changes this much I think is amazing.

While practicing I can tell people are gathering at the mansion. Everyone dressed up, smiling niko niko they are sucked into the back of the mansion. That they are people of some standing can be told from the clothes, and not only men but women together so wives accompanying I suppose.

"Those people, who are they?"

When I ask an older brother training together,

"Those are the main chiefs in the territory."

"Chiefs?"

"Yes. Town and village chiefs."

"Why are those people gathering?"

"That of course is because tonight there is a banquet greeting Her Majesty."

"Eh? There was one last night too?"

"Last night’s was an inner banquet. Only the big people of this town were gathered, but tonight is a banquet with big people gathering from the territory so more people than last night will gather. It will become a still more grand banquet."

The older brother says it proudly. Even so Her Majesty, the clan chief and Sonia are composed with room, not preparing for tonight’s banquet, not tense either.

"Her Majesty, Clan Chief, Lady Sonia, is it all right not to prepare for tonight?"

Her Majesty laughs.

"No, nothing in particular."

she says, and the clan chief too,

"Basically it is the same as last night so we do not do anything special. The hard ones are the steward and maids and cooks. Guests increase and they are in a great hurry preparing the reception. I and Sonia are only known faces so we only have to do as always."

he answers. Sonia too,

"We are as always, the hard one is Her Majesty. But Her Majesty is used to it, yes?"

The talk thrown to her Her Majesty,

"Yes. This is work."

she says. Like a handshake meeting of some idol I suppose. Her Majesty, will her hand not swell from too many handshakes?

—-

"Then is it all right if I attend the banquet too?"

I do not know whom to ask so I try asking while looking at Her Majesty’s and the clan chief’s faces in turn. Inside my heart I do not want to attend a banquet so I expect to be told it is fine not to attend. Unknown faces coming in droves and being stared at by those people is not very glad.

"That is so. Lord Marie need not attend I think? Guests will come enough to overflow the mansion so being in a place that crowded would be hard too?"

The clan chief put out a very welcome answer. When I look at Her Majesty’s face Her Majesty too,

"Yes, Lord Robbie need not attend I wonder? Originally there is no obligation to attend. Lord Robbie is accompanying as my guard."

She says a very glad thing.

"Then will Lord Marie return to the inn?"

At the clan chief’s words Lily puts out a startled air. Did she think she would become two with me at the inn? Anouk is attached to Her Majesty so my movements do not relate, a little disappointed looking? Even if I return to the inn it is not like I will do something there, yes?

"Come to think of it Lord Marie said he wants to go to that shop tonight too?"

The clan chief says it as if he remembered. Oops, you remembered?

"But unfortunately that shop is closed until the banquet ends."

Looking at my face the clan chief says it looking sorry.

"Why is that?"

"No, it is simple. The mansion banquet is too important and mansion maids are not enough. So all the women of that shop are called here. Therefore even if you go to that shop now only men are there. If that is still fine waiting there is good too, but what will you do?"

The clan chief asks with a serious face. If Ann and Rin come here I also feel I want to meet the two. I want to see the two in maid clothes.

"Then I will wait at the mansion. When the banquet ends I will go together with the Clan Chief."

"Is that so? Tonight will Her Majesty go together too?"

I think the clan chief asked Her Majesty as social courtesy. Last night Her Majesty and Sonia barging into that shop was only irregular, tonight she will not say she will go I think he is looking down on it.