NOVEL WEB Chapter 55
Chapter: 55
I really had a great time at the valley yesterday.
Honestly, it was more like I rested than played, but I did play a little.
“Yawn…”
Could it be that I just had too much fun at the valley yesterday?
Since this morning, I’ve been in a constant state of tiredness.
Thanks to that, I was just sitting still in the First Floor Lobby, really just sitting there and resting.
“Young Lady, are you alright?”
“I’m tired…”
“…It could be because you’ve been lying down too much.”
“But standing would make me even more tired…”
“Ugh…”
I had been lying on the sofa, continuing to rest without moving.
Honestly, I hadn’t gotten off that sofa since breakfast.
Rize, sitting on the other sofa next to me, seemed to be constantly moving about, while I couldn’t manage to do anything.
I definitely rested well yesterday.
Even though I played in and out of the valley water, I had been extremely comfortable… yet I felt more exhausted.
“………”
Why on earth am I so tired?
All I did yesterday was play in the valley water, rest quietly, dry off, and sit on a sunbed to catch some sun.
That was all, so why was I feeling this tired?
“Yawn…”
“Young Lady, if you’re feeling too tired… how about sleeping?”
“But I’m not really sleepy…”
That made it an even more awkward situation.
If I could at least sleep to relieve the fatigue, I would have done so, but I was just purely tired.
“Rize, could you ask the maids to bring some tea?”
“No, I’ll bring it myself.”
“Huh? That’s not necessary…? It’s supposed to be a day off right now.”
I thought about having some tea, but I didn’t want to make Rize do it.
I mean, Rize was on her day off.
There were other maids available, so it really wasn’t necessary for Rize to bring the tea.
Regardless of what I said, Rize went to fetch the tea.
“…Hmm.”
Am I not being treated as a master by Rize as much as I thought?
Even though I clearly said it was okay, seeing her go made me feel that way, and I felt a little sorry.
In fact, since breakfast, Rize had been watching me lie here looking so tired.
So, I guess she felt the need to step in.
“Ugh…”
It felt awkward to be making Rize do work again like this.
I had absolutely intended not to make her work unless it was absolutely necessary.
“Young Lady, please get up for a moment.”
“Thanks.”
Rize went to get the tea, and I finally sat up.
Even though Rize wasn’t in her maid uniform, she seemed to be doing the same things as usual.
She would normally chat with me or pour tea while I was doing something.
Of course, I’m not particularly fond of tea, so I didn’t have it often.
“Haa…”
I received the tea Rize poured for me and slowly blew on it to cool it down.
Originally, I should’ve been following some tea ceremony rules or something.
But since it was a private setting…
“This is delicious. I’m glad it’s not bitter.”
“You don’t like bitter flavors, do you?”
“That’s true. Well, it still seems a little bitter, though.”
Was it because I added milk and sugar? The tea suited my taste definitely compared to the tea others would make for me.
It had a slight bitter aftertaste, but without that, I might as well just be drinking milk.
“Rize, what’s Ella up to right now?”
“Lady Nieshista has briefly left the villa to go to a nearby city.”
“Hmm… And what about Karen?”
“She went for a walk in the back mountain for a bit. She didn’t go alone; she took some of the maids with her.”
“I see…”
I had totally spaced out after breakfast and had been lying around, so I didn’t realize it, but it seemed like everyone was managing to enjoy their own time.
I asked Rize about Ella and Karen, but there was no need to ask about Rosalyn and Ashley.
Of course, Ashley was sleeping in one of the lobby’s sofas, right there with us.
…It was just natural.
“Is Mother still in her room?”
“I haven’t seen her come out. She’s probably still there.”
“That sounds about right.”
I had seen Rosalyn going frequently between the First and Second Floors, after all.
Anyway, we were spending our time quietly today, a stark contrast to the noise of yesterday in the valley.
Especially, I felt that acutely.
“Rize, aren’t you tired?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Hmm… I’m jealous.”
Rize, sitting next to me, appeared quite poised, sitting still.
Unlike me, lying down and feeling exhausted, she was sitting up straight, displaying an excellent posture.
It might partially be due to how unusually tired I felt, but Rize looked so comfortable it was almost fascinating.
She had definitely played harder than I did yesterday, so why was she so relaxed?
“Did I stay in the water too long yesterday?”
“Are you catching a cold?”
“I doubt it.”
I didn’t feel at all like I was getting sick.
After all, my head didn’t hurt, and I didn’t feel sick in any way at all.
“Maybe I just played a lot after a long time?”
“…That doesn’t sound quite right.”
“Really…? No, isn’t it possible? Maybe I feel tired because I rested too much after a long break…”
“Why would someone who knows that not rest normally?”
Rize looked at me with a hint of pity, but I considered it a reasonable deduction.
After all, doing absolutely nothing like I had been for days felt very uneasy.
So my body might’ve reacted to that… or something like that?
“Young Lady, I think it’d be better for you to sleep.”
“I can’t sleep since I just had tea.”
“……..”
“Hmm… Rize, do you think I look pitiful?”
“I’m not judging you.”
“…Then I’m glad.”
It felt strange because I thought Rize was looking at me the way I used to look at Ashley.
It was different because she didn’t usually look at me like that, making it feel even stronger.
“Haaaa…”
Anyway, I had done nothing but relax, yet it turned out to be a tiring day.
Of course, I’m sure I’ll feel better in the afternoon?
*
“…Mother, I think I’m feeling a bit better now.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Uh, it’s… nothing…”
My voice was so small that Rosalyn couldn’t really hear me.
…How did it come to this?
“You probably feel tired because you were in the water for so long yesterday. I’m sure you’ll be fine as long as you keep warm.”
“Ha ha… thank you…”
Still feeling tired, I lay on the sofa, but when Rosalyn came back down to the First Floor and saw me like that…
She instantly picked me up and brought me to her room.
Literally still lying in the position I was in.
Then she laid me on her bed and covered me with a blanket…
“Haa…”
I should’ve just walked around like everyone else, even if I was tired.
If I had, I wouldn’t have ended up lying in Rosalyn’s room on her bed.
Just lying there, a myriad of thoughts raced through my mind, making it difficult.
The unique scent of Rosalyn still lingering on the bed, and her back as she stood up alone inspecting the books on the shelf…
“……..”
Honestly, even the thought of kicking off the blanket and running away crossed my mind.
But knowing Rosalyn’s character, I was sure she’d bring me back in if I left.
She had done that when I caught a cold before, so I was convinced she’d do it again.
“Would you like to read a book or something? There are more books here than you might think.”
“…I’m okay.”
“So you’re not that into reading, huh?”
“That’s true… but I’m a bit tired.”
“Haha, then I think it’d be best for you to take a nice deep sleep.”
“…I guess so.”
As Rosalyn suggested, it truly seemed better to try to sleep quickly right now.
I couldn’t figure out why I was in such minimally revealing sleepwear and just a gown…
My eyes had been drifting off to the weirdest places since earlier, making it really awkward.
Furthermore, the books on the shelf that Rosalyn was examining were ones I had placed there, and most of them I had already read.
I had no hobbies that involved rereading books I already knew… it felt utterly pointless to do that.
I just wanted to quickly sleep, dash away the fatigue, and hope this awkward situation would somehow improve.
“Mother…?”
“Huh? What is it?”
“…Are you feeling hot?”
“Not really, why?”
“…Nothing.”
I was about to ask why she was just in sleepwear and a gown, but I was hesitant.
After all, she was in her own room, and it was perfectly fine to dress comfortably here.
It wasn’t like I had the right to criticize that.
“But do you like reading books…? I don’t think I’ve seen you read much before.”
“Books? I’m rather fond of them. Although I don’t read them frequently.”
“You seemed to be studying the bookshelf quite closely.”
“Hehe, did it look out of place?”
“Not really, I was just curious. You looked surprisingly interested in books, even when I came into your room last time…”
“Well, that’s because the bookshelf has many interesting books, doesn’t it?”
“Ah…”
It was half meant for decoration, but taking that intention aside, it seemed Rosalyn genuinely liked it, so I decided to think positively.
“Oh, then how about we read together?”
“Huh?”
“I’ll read aloud for you. If you listen to a story before sleeping, you might fall asleep easier, right?”
“…Mother?”
“What do you think?”
It felt like something only a child would do.
Reading to a child before they sleep was the kind of thing…
“…….Yes.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Besides… I was thinking I might fall asleep anyway.”
…But I couldn’t easily refuse such a proposal from Rosalyn.
Her expression was too bright, filled with an interest that made it seem enjoyable.
I felt that if I turned her down here, she would definitely be disappointed, so I accepted.
Well, her just reading beside me wouldn’t disturb my sleeping too much…
“…Mother?”
Thinking those thoughts, I prepared to sleep.
But contrary to my thoughts, Rosalyn suddenly pulled back the blanket and lay down next to me.
Holding a book in her hand.