Chapter 3: Going Out Together

It’s been a month since we started dating, and today I came to Jay-sama’s mansion.

We were strolling in the garden when it happened.

“Careful, Rubina!”

I tripped on a step in the stone pavement and nearly fell, but Jay-sama caught me.

“Oh, thank you.”

It was just a small step, but maybe I didn’t lift my foot as much as I thought.

“Please be careful. There’s a step here… For a lady’s stride…”

Jay-sama muttered something under his breath.

“It looks like some repairs are needed. I’ll arrange for it right away. What’s wrong, Rubina-chan?”

“Um, well, you called me Rubina…”

“Oh, ah! I’m sorry. I was so startled that I just…!”

I shook my head.

“I’m happy.”

Being called by my first name feels special. It’s like our distance has shrunk, maybe?

“May I call you Rubina?”

“Y-Yes, please do.”

Being called Rubina feels like another wall between us has lowered. I’m happy, but I can’t help feeling shy. To hide my embarrassment, I gently took his hand. Jay-sama squeezed back in response.

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The staff working at the mansion watched their master with warm smiles.

“That’s what they call a late-blooming youth, right?”

“More like spring has finally come for him, huh?”

They teased their master a little but were genuinely happy for him, as if it were their own joy.

“The young lady is becoming more beautiful every day, isn’t she?”

“The earl is getting busier too.”

“He’s getting more business partners, after all.”

“Ahem, stop slacking and get back to work.”

Some were even scolded by the head butler.

“Yes, sorry!”

“Yes, sorry!”

“Yes, sorry!”

“The master is home, and yet…”

Even so, the head butler found it heartwarming.

“Spring has finally come for the young master, huh… Now, how’s the tea preparation going?”

After the garden stroll, they’d have tea. A large batch of tea had been sent by Leonardo, and the floral-flavored tea, which isn’t available in this country, seems popular among young ladies.

＊＊＊＊＊＊

“What a nice fragrance.”

“It’s quite refreshing, isn’t it? But he sent another huge batch, didn’t he? If you like it, would you like to share some with your mother or friends?”

They sent so much, didn’t they? We need to drink it soon, or it’ll get damp and go to waste.

“Is that okay? This herbal tea seems to have a relaxing effect, so I think they’d enjoy it.”

“Yes, I think so too. It’s popular with young ladies over there, so I think Leo sent it for you, Rubina. The note said he wanted you to try it.”

“Yes.” I said as I read the letter he handed me. Five different kinds, huh? Floral flavors, fruit flavors, and herbal blends!

“I’ll need to write a thank-you letter.”

“Yes, I’m sure he’ll be pleased. I’ll take care of it for you.”

I wrote the thank-you letter and handed it to Jay-sama.

The tea from Leo-sama was rare and I really liked it, so I decided to serve it at a tea party right away. Today’s tea party guests are Sophia-san and Onii-sama’s fiancée, Cynthia-san.

“What a lovely fragrance.”

“It’s so aromatic and soothing.”

“They sent a lot to Jay-sama’s mansion, so I got some to share. I’ll give you some to take home.”

I gave Cynthia-san a souvenir from the trip. I hadn’t had the chance to meet her, and when I asked Onii-sama to pass it along, he said she’d be happier receiving it directly from me, so it took a while to give it to her. I chose a silk pouch and handkerchief for Cynthia-san.

“Oh, how lovely. Thank you. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip.”

“Yes. Jay-sama said he’d like to greet you sometime, Cynthia-san.”

They already know about my relationship with Jay-sama through Onii-sama.

“I’d be delighted. Please tell him so. I’m glad both you and Sophia have found your future partners, Rubina-san.”

Sophia-san also got engaged and is holding an announcement party, and I’ve been invited. When I mentioned it to Jay-sama, he said he’d come with me. It’ll be my first time attending as his partner, and Jay-sama is eagerly preparing a dress for me. It’s common for a partner to gift a dress, so I gratefully accepted.

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“What kind of dress would you like, Rubina?”

“Something that’s not too heavy.”

“That’s always your preference, isn’t it?”

Since I invited Jay-sama to the party, a meeting with the designer started right away. The designer suggested a light, fluffy dress made of airy fabric.

“Let’s make the skirt of the dress fluffy, keep the upper part simple, and add a bolero for a touch of elegance.”

The base color will be pink, with black as an accent to give it a refined look, not just cute.

“Black is the Durand earl’s color, after all.”

“It matches Jay-sama’s hair, doesn’t it?”

Hehe. I’m happy to use Jay-sama’s color.

“Sorry for being so plain.”

“It’s not plain at all! It’s chic and lovely. It suits you perfectly, Jay-sama.”

“Hehe, you two get along so well. When a young lady like Rubina-sama incorporates black so well, it might earn gratitude from those with black hair and black eyes.”

Black dresses aren’t unheard of, but they lack vibrancy, so they’re often avoided by young ladies. The designer thought of various ideas and used black frills and lace. At Sophia-san’s engagement party, I wore that dress and got a lot of attention.

The dress with black accents was a huge hit, and accessories like necklaces with black elements became more accepted. In the territory Jay-sama supports, pearls are famous, and thanks to this, black pearls became popular.

Jay-sama started selling pearl accessories in his shop, and they became so popular that they sold out completely. I’m glad to have been a sort of billboard for them.

“I think that’s enough…”

One day when I visited Jay-sama’s mansion, there were tons of women’s items like bags, accessories, and shoes lined up. They’re apparently gifts for me… but it’s too much. I can’t use all of this!

“When you wear them, Rubina, they sell, you know?”

The designer smiled while holding a measuring tape. They’re going to make another dress, aren’t they?

“But I don’t need this much!”

Father said to just accept them, but it’s so much that I feel bad. Father and Mother even started saying things like, “Oh, more gifts again,” so casually.

Mother told me, “That’s the kind of business he’s in, so just give up.”

Jay-sama says I can give the things I don’t use to the maids, but I feel hesitant to give away things he gave me… Plus, I like them all because they’re so cute.

“Do you remember when I said there’s a benefit for me too?”

“When we talked about the perfume, right?”

That perfume never ended up being sold. I really liked the scent and felt disappointed, but he made it exclusively for me and said he has no plans to sell that recipe in the future.

He even made soap and bath oil with the same scent, so I’m always surrounded by that fragrance.

“When you wear something, Rubina, it becomes a topic in your class, right? Your class is full of young ladies who are sensitive to trends, so—sorry to put it this way—they jump on things quickly. I’ve learned how powerful word-of-mouth can be.”

It’s true that they’re sensitive to trends, and the young ladies are always looking for new things. They talk about it at tea parties too.

“Even so, I can’t keep accepting gifts every time!”

“…It’s a reward. The black pearls last time exceeded our sales expectations.”

They were used in accessories and small items, and at one point, black pearls disappeared from the market. When I wore them, a certain lady said, “What an unusual accessory.” Jay-sama, who was next to me, started talking about the pearls, and a young lady listening asked, “Where can I buy them?”

Jay-sama said, “It’s still in the prototype stage,” which sparked her interest. She wanted to get her hands on them, and word spread… leading to a flood of reservations. That’s the truth. Sophia-san was interested too and made a reservation at Jay-sama’s shop.

“Things won’t stay the same after I graduate from the academy, you know?”

I’m graduating next year, you know? Does he realize that?

“Yes, I’m well aware.”

“Then you understand that I won’t be able to act as your billboard anymore, right?”

“…? Can you tell me why?”

“Once I graduate, I won’t be seeing my friends every day anymore.”

“That’s true.”

“That’s why!”

Jay-sama looked puzzled.

“You’re often invited to tea parties, right? You don’t attend many evening parties now, but they’ll increase in the future, won’t they?”

…!!

“Oh, right. I forgot.”

“I heard you’ll be visiting the marquis family to prepare for marriage after you graduate, right?”

Jay-sama’s mother said that after I graduate, she’ll come back from the estate and introduce me to the families they’re close with until we get married.

“My mother loves tea parties, you know. Wear things and introduce them as much as you can. Leo also mentioned wanting to export tea, so please introduce that tea too. I’m so lucky to have such a cute fiancée who promotes my products.”

“…I’ll do my best to promote Jay-sama’s shop.”

I lost.

“I’m counting on you.”

He kissed my cheek, and I got embarrassed. The designers are watching…

“Oh, of course, you don’t have to wear anything you don’t like or that doesn’t suit your taste.”

I think Jay-sama knows my preferences better than I do.

“I want you to choose things that make you happy to wear, Rubina.”

Jay-sama said while picking out fabric for the dress.

“I can’t refuse when you say things like that.”

“Seeing you in cute outfits is also a hobby of mine. It helps with sales too—a win-win, right?”

My job is to be the promoter for Jay-sama’s shop.

“The guests we invited today are young ladies from families close to ours.”

Today, there’s a tea party at Jay-sama’s family home. Julianne-sama, Jay-sama’s older brother’s wife, is here too.

“Rubina-san, you don’t need to be so nervous.”

Julianne-sama is a kind person and often speaks to me while I’m visiting the marquis family.

“Yes, thank you.”

“The boys are delighted when you visit, Rubina-san, so come by anytime! I’m happy to have a little sister too.”

“Thank you, Julianne-sama. I’m happy to have an older sister as well.”

Julianne-sama is a mother to two boys. She’s very caring and always looks after me.

“I’m happy too. With only boys around, it felt so stuffy, but now we have such nice girls joining the family.”

Stuffy, huh…? Jay-sama and his brothers are all clean and wonderful people, though.

“Now, Rubina-san, let’s go greet our guests.”

“Yes.”

As Mother-in-law-sama instructed, I went to welcome the guests. Five young ladies from families close to the marquis family arrived, and the tea party began.

“This is my third son Jay’s fiancée, Rubina-san from the Rosen viscount family. Please get along with her, everyone.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Rubina, daughter of Viscount Rosen. I look forward to getting to know you.”

After my greeting, the invited young ladies introduced themselves as well. They were all a bit older than me, but I hoped we could get along.

Alice-sama, Mother-in-law-sama’s niece, is an earl’s daughter and is getting married in six months. I heard she ordered the fabric for her wedding dress from Jay-sama’s shop. She’s a gentle, soft-spoken person and has known Jay-sama since childhood.

“I’ve been playing with Jay-sama since we were little, so I know him well. Since I was often invited to Aunt-sama’s tea parties and we talked a lot, he feels like an older brother to me.”

I’d heard that Mother-in-law-sama loves tea parties and often invited relatives.

“Could you tell me about Jay-sama’s childhood?”

I asked Alice-sama. Jay-sama as a child… I’m so curious!

“Of course. Jay-sama loved reading and was quite reserved. I remember him reading art books a lot.”

“He hasn’t changed, has he? He still interacts with artists now.”

“I heard the theater troupe’s performance was thanks to Jay-sama’s efforts. I’m looking forward to it.”

The performance was a huge success, and this year will be its second run. Alice-sama seems calm and talkative—she said we could be friends, which made me happy!

“Please come to my wedding with Jay-sama.”

“Yes, I’d be delighted.”

While we were enjoying the tea party, Julianne-sama’s eldest son, Marc-san, came to greet us. After greeting everyone, he sat next to me. It’s my first tea party here, so he’s probably worried about me.

“Rubina-onee-chan, let’s read a book together later, okay?”

“Of course, Marc-san. The books you pick are always so interesting—I learn a lot.”

Marc-san is ten years old and seems interested in foreign cultures, a bit like Jay-sama.

“Oh my. Learning from a child’s book? What kind of education do they give at a viscount family?”

A young lady giggled softly, making sure Mother-in-law-sama and Julianne-sama couldn’t hear.

“Rubina-onee-chan, don’t worry about it.”

Marc-san whispered to me, but I’m not bothered at all.

“I love spending time reading with you, Marc-san, so it doesn’t bother me.”

I smiled back.

“She’s just upset because Jay-oji-san didn’t pay attention to her, so she’s taking it out on you, Rubina-onee-chan.”

Marc-san whispered again.

“Grandma loves tea parties, so she often came over. She was after Jay-oji-san, but he never paid her any mind.”

“What?! I can hear you! Even if you’re Julianne-sama’s child, that’s rude!”

“It’s you who’s rude. Rubina-onee-chan is Jay-oji-san’s fiancée, and he adores her. I also heard you say something mocking about her. I wonder what Jay-oji-san would do if he heard this…? Why do you think you were invited to this tea party?”

“Marc-san, causing a scene is…”

The young lady’s face… She’s clearly angry.

“It’s fine. It was expected that she’d try to harass you since Jay-oji-san didn’t give her the time of day. If she tries anything, it’s a warning that we’ll cut ties with her family.”

“…Huh?”

The young lady muttered in shock, her eyes wide.

“Of course. Grandma and Mother both know. She clung to Jay-oji-san, acting like she was his fiancée, taking advantage of the fact that he found it too troublesome to deal with young ladies.”

…I didn’t know. Jay-sama never told me.

“She tried hard to spread bad rumors about you, Rubina-onee-chan, but no one paid attention, so it didn’t spread, right? Her own family has given up on her.”

Bad rumors…?

“Sorry, Rubina-onee-chan. I’ll wrap this up quickly.”

M-Marc-san? He’s smiling so darkly…

“There’s no point in trying anything against Rubina-onee-chan… Jay-oji-san has already taken care of everything, so take this back with you.”

A small bottle…? What in the world, Marc-san…? He casually tossed the bottle toward the young lady.

“It’s already been inspected. Your family was very cooperative, which helped.”

Marc-san continued.

“My family? You don’t mean…!”

The young lady stood up with a clatter.

“Of course, your older brother. He said he’s fed up with you and consulted Grandma. He chose to protect the family over you. The contents of this bottle have been swapped with something harmless, so it won’t hurt if you ingest it. But what was originally inside was illegal, so proper punishment is necessary, right?”

Marc-san spoke so fluently, like an adult. He crossed his legs and toyed with the bottle. The original contents were illegal? That’s dangerous, isn’t it?!

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

The young lady’s face turned pale…

“There’s no point in playing dumb. Just wait for your family’s judgment. Mother, is that okay?”

“Yes. What a shame. To think someone would bring something dangerous to the Hudson marquis family’s tea party and try to use it on our family.”

Julianne-sama spoke coldly. She’s completely different from her usual self. Mother-in-law-sama nodded as she watched.

“What would happen if you drank this? Want to try it yourself? The moment you tried to use this on Rubina-onee-chan, you made an enemy of us. Have you thought about what happens to a criminal’s family? At best, your house will be dismantled. At worst, your entire family’s lives are forfeit.”

Marc-san smiled sweetly.

After that, the young lady was dragged away, shouting, “Stop! Forgive me, I didn’t mean any harm!” and “Let me see Jay-sama, he’ll understand!” I stood there, stunned.

“Rubina-san, I’m sorry. That must’ve been shocking, right? Everyone else must be surprised to witness such a scene too, right?”

The other young ladies nodded.

“Julianne-sama, what was all that…?”

Mother-in-law-sama said she’d explain when I asked.

“I use tea parties to build connections with people who support the marquis family. But some have ill intentions. Just because they’re close to the marquis family, some houses get arrogant, which is troublesome. Of course, the girls here have nothing to do with this. The girl who just left is from an earl family related to my husband, and she had her sights on Jay. Oh! Jay turned her down early on, so don’t worry.”

“Yes.”

Mother-in-law-sama smiled. The young lady who was taken away was beautiful.

“We warned her multiple times. Alice, you were harassed by her a few times too, right? Alice’s fiancé is an earl’s heir, and since things didn’t work out with Jay, she took it out on Alice behind her back… Such a foolish girl.”

Alice-sama gave a wry smile when I looked at her. It seems to be true.

“Even if my sons are a bit rough around the edges, they’re from a marquis family, so there are plenty of families and young ladies who want to form ties, which can be troublesome. Choosing partners for my eldest and second sons was quite a hassle with all the complications. Since Julianne-san is the current marchioness, I told her to handle anything that happens here today. Being a marchioness isn’t just about being kind—you need to be strict when necessary. All of you will become wives someday, and you might face situations like this. I’m sorry for involving you all today.”

Mother-in-law-sama bowed her head.

“Aunt-sama, that was educational. We were all troubled by her, weren’t we?”

Alice-sama said, and the other young ladies nodded. Still… What’s with Marc-san? I glanced at him, and he smiled at me as usual.

“The tea must’ve gone cold, huh? Rubina-onee-chan, can you brew a fresh pot? I love the tea you make.”

I carefully brewed the tea we got from Leo-sama and served it to everyone. Marc-san must’ve sensed I wanted to serve this tea.

“Oh, it’s delicious.”

“What a fragrant tea.”

“Where is this tea from?”

“Did you prepare this, Rubina-san?”

I was bombarded with questions!

“Oh, yes. This tea was sent by Jay-sama’s friend. Since we received so much, I got permission from Mother-in-law-sama to serve it.”

I brought two kinds this time, so I decided to let them enjoy a second cup. Jay-sama, it’s a hit.

“Where can we buy it?”

Here it comes! It’s my time to shine as a billboard!

“This isn’t available for sale yet, but once imports start, I believe it’ll be sold through a shop Jay-sama knows.”

Jay-sama’s shop doesn’t handle food items. Since they deal with perfumes, they can’t stock tea leaves—if the perfume scent mixes with the tea, it’ll ruin the leaves. So I heard it’ll be sold through a friend’s shop, with Jay-sama as the point of contact.

“Oh, I’m looking forward to it!”

“Normally, it’s pre-sale tea, but I brought some as souvenirs for everyone, so I’ll give them to you when you leave.”

Phew. That wraps up the tea introduction. I didn’t expect to be thrown into explaining the tea right after that young lady’s drama. Marc-san was sipping the tea happily.

The tea party ended without mentioning that young lady again.

“Rubina-onee-chan, let’s read a book. We promised, right?”

Marc-san invited me, so we went to the marquis family’s library.

“Grandma loves tea parties, so she often invites guests.”

We arrived at the library and sat on our usual sofa.

“Yes, I heard she often held tea parties.”

Tea parties are a form of information exchange. Women love gathering to chat, and of course, I enjoy tea parties with my friends too.

“There are tea parties where couples are invited or just women, but it’s not so bad when couples come. Women-only tea parties can be intense. It’s all about one-upping each other.”

That’s the scary part of noble society. Since we’re a viscount family, just hearing about high-ranking nobles’ one-upmanship makes my spine chill.

“I can imagine… It sounds terrifying.”

“I’m a kid, so they probably thought I wouldn’t understand, but it gets crazy when Grandma or Mother aren’t around. That young lady earlier was exactly like that—I’ve hated her since I was little. I think Jay-oji-san knew too. Grandma wanted him to find someone quickly and introduced him to young ladies, but good people get taken fast.”

Marc-san said with a laugh. Alice-san and the others all seemed kind and gentle. They all had fiancés, didn’t they? And…

“You’ve seen a lot of the ugly sides of adults since you were young, haven’t you, Marc-san…?”

That must’ve been tough, which is why he handled that situation earlier like an adult…?

“Hehe, yeah. But I was born the heir to a marquis family, so it can’t be helped. I’m told you can’t survive unless you look beyond the surface to people’s true selves, and I really believe that. I can see why Jay-oji-san likes you, Rubina-onee-chan.”

“Huh? Marc-san…”

“You treat me like a person, don’t you? Not just as the marquis family’s heir—you read books with me, have tea with me, and listen to me. I don’t have to be on guard around you, and I can just be a kid.”

I do see him as the marquis family’s heir, but Marc-san is Marc-san. I tilted my head, thinking that.

“Plus, he praises me without any ulterior motives. I can just tell… that kind of feeling. That’s what drew you to her too, right, Jay-oji-san?”

I glanced back and saw Jay-sama had come closer.

“! Jay-sama?”

“I came to pick you up. I was worried Mother might be up to no good.”

“He’s already here?! I was just about to read a book with Rubina-onee-chan.”

“Tch,” Marc-san said.

“Something unpleasant happened, didn’t it? I told Mother not to show Rubina such things! Aneue didn’t have to go along with her either… Marc, you’re becoming more and more like Anii-ue.”

Jay-sama ruffled Marc-san’s hair.

“Father was the one who said I should see the dirty side of adults since I was a kid! But Father also says I’m like you, Jay-oji-san.”

“He said he wanted me to study abroad and gain various experiences because there’d be more situations requiring a global perspective and communication skills in the future. Anii-ue wanted to study abroad too, but back then, the borders were too dangerous, so it didn’t happen. That’s why when I said I wanted to study abroad, he let me go without hesitation. They won’t object to you either, right, Marc?”

“Yeah. They said to go and broaden my horizons. They also said having free thinking and connections like you, Jay-oji-san, is important.”

Jay-sama’s older brother is a generous person. He probably wanted to go himself, but he sent Jay-sama off so willingly.

“Anii-ue never objects to anything we want to do. He’ll say, ‘If you’re going to give up, don’t even bring it up.’ If you really want to study abroad, Marc, make sure you can come back thinking it was worth it.”

“Yeah. I’ll study hard and make friends while I’m abroad like you did, Jay-oji-san, and then take my time finding a partner when I get back.”

“You never know when you’ll meet someone, so I’ll leave that as a no-comment!”

It’s like a conversation between friends. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Hehe, you and Marc-san get along so well, don’t you, Jay-sama?”

“You and Marc looked pretty close too, Rubina.”

“Rubina-onee-chan is a kind and cute big sister to me, so if you don’t forgive me, people will think you’re petty, you know? Mother said she’s happy to have a little sister, and Father said Rubina-onee-chan should just stay over, so she’s already family, right?”

Everyone at Jay-sama’s family home is so kind.

“Rubina is harmless, after all…”

Noble factions? Parental meddling? I don’t have any of that. Staying at the marquis family’s home feels too daunting.

“The marquis family has its share of enemies, you know. Oh, that young lady still hasn’t given up on you, Jay-oji-san!”

“I turned her down properly… Rubina, you’re not misunderstanding anything, right? I swear there’s absolutely nothing between me and that young lady.”

Jay-sama squeezed my hand tightly.

“Yes, I’m fine. Marc-san protected me.”

I smiled and said thank you to Marc-san.

“I’m glad I could help you, Rubina-onee-chan! But, Jay-oji-san, you’re kind of scary…”

I looked at Jay-sama, and he smiled back at me.

“Thank you too, Jay-sama. You’re the one who stopped those bad rumors about me from spreading, right? The Moriso—”

I was about to mention the engagement with the Morrison heir when he pressed his index finger to my lips.

“That’s in the past now, so let’s forget it. Spreading rumors like that only backfires on the person who started them. That’s why this happened. And I told you I love you, Rubina, including all of that, didn’t I?”

“Jay-sama…”

He kissed my cheek. Doing this at Jay-sama’s family home feels so scandalous…

“Hey, if you’re going to flirt, can you go home? Kissing in front of your nephew, really? I get it now—Jay-oji-san really likes Rubina-onee-chan! See you later, Rubina-onee-chan! Next time, we’ll keep our promise to read a book, okay?”

Marc-san practically chased us out.

~Jay’s Perspective~

“Oh, Jay, you’re here?”

“I just heard from the butler! Don’t do anything dangerous in front of Rubina!”

I scolded Mother as soon as I entered.

“I wanted her to know that things like this will happen in the future. That young lady was so set on becoming your wife, Jay. She used the marquis family’s name to barge into a dress atelier without a reservation, belittled young ladies of lower status, and lately, it’s been especially bad. She spread rumors that Rubina drove her former fiancé to ruin or that she seduced you, Jay.”

“That’s ridiculous! I made sure those rumors wouldn’t spread. Anii-ue and Aneue helped me with that too!”

Then Aneue spoke in an exasperated tone.

“Leaving the former fiancé aside, at Jay-sama’s request, I made sure the rumors wouldn’t spread by notifying various parties, and the fact that they didn’t is proof. Rubina-san is part of the family, so we’ll protect her fully. I was surprised that Marc has grown so attached to her. You found a good girl, Jay-sama.”

Marc has seen the ugly side of adults since he was a child, so he’s mentally mature. He already has the ability to see through people who only care about appearances.

“…Rubina has a timid side. Honestly, I don’t want her to see the darker side of things, but I’d appreciate it if Mother and Aneue could support her. Please.”

I bowed to Mother and Aneue.

“Yes, leave it to us.”

“Of course.”

I got their replies.

“When you marry Jay, the connection to the marquis family becomes inseparable, so there are things Rubina-san needs to learn. Otherwise, she or Jay might end up embarrassed. Julianne-san will help too, and since Rubina-san is so earnest, she’s a joy to teach, right, Julianne-san?”

“Yes, Rubina-san is hardworking and a good girl. But being too good can sometimes be a problem…”

Aneue probably meant that being too good might make Rubina a target for deceit or manipulation, especially by nobles who love to one-up each other.

“I don’t want Rubina to see that ugly side, but… she’ll inevitably come across it in the future.”

“Rubina-san will have to manage the earl’s household as his wife. If you need more staff, let the head butler know, and we’ll arrange it. Raising trustworthy people is important, and the best way to do that is to have them trained by someone trustworthy.”

Rubina needs staff who will respect her as the lady of the house, and I want her to become a lady who can live up to that. We don’t need poor-quality staff or those who can’t follow rules.

Mother speaks from her experience as the marquis family’s lady, so she’s not wrong. The marquis family’s staff are trained this way and take pride in working here. That’s the kind of household I want to have.

“Jay-sama, Rubina-san is in the library with Marc. Once he’s done talking with us, Marc always goes to the library with Rubina-san. He really likes her, you know. As a big sister, of course.”

“…I see. I’m sure Rubina is happy to be accepted as family. I’ll go pick her up now.”

“Yes, please tell Rubina-san we’re looking forward to seeing her again next week.”

＊＊＊＊＊＊

“It’s nice, isn’t it, Mother-in-law-sama? Jay-sama has started coming by like this.”

“Yes. After he went to study abroad, he wouldn’t come near unless I called him. He chose a title without land from his father, and even when he said he’d open a shop, I wasn’t sure if it’d succeed. He bought land on the outskirts of the capital to start a botanical garden—what was he even thinking? I never understood that child, but he seems to have settled down.”

“His shop is doing well, and the botanical garden has become a place of relaxation for the citizens. He’s busy inviting theater troupes and ballet companies, but he seems to be enjoying himself, doesn’t he?”

“He was teased for being the carefree third son, but since he’s succeeding at what he wants to do, as a parent, I just want to watch over him. I’m too soft on him, aren’t I?”

“Now that Rubina-san visits the marquis family, Jay-sama shows his face more often. It really changes a man when he has a fiancée, doesn’t it?”

“Jay is the type who likes to take care of others, isn’t he? I heard from Lady Rosen the other day that almost all of Rubina-san’s belongings are gifts from Jay…”

“Oh my… So Jay-sama is the gift-giving type. He must really love Rubina-san.”

“He seems to cherish her, so isn’t that fine? If he ever makes Rubina-san cry, shall we give him a good beating?”

“I can’t win against him physically, so how about we let Marc mentally break him instead?”

“That’s a good idea. Being scolded by a child hurts the most, doesn’t it?”

“I won’t let that happen, so don’t worry.”

I strode into the room and picked up the hat I’d forgotten.

“I’d rather hurt myself than hurt Rubina. I’ll take my leave now.”

“That’s what he said, Mother-in-law-sama!”

“Oh my! He hasn’t been in a relationship for so long that he doesn’t know how to hold back. I hope he’s okay.”

“…He’ll be fine. Rubina-san accepts him, doesn’t she?”

The two of them giggled together.

Meanwhile, in the library—

“Achoo!”

“Rubina-onee-chan, are you cold?”

“What’s this? A sudden chill?”

Rubina looked around curiously.