Chapter 23: Fluvia Greets the Royal Guests

Among the small white and silver lilies is a large silver-white rose with a pearl-like stamen.

The lunar palace rose is my signature flower.

That said, all nobles will have a ‘signature flower’, so the likelihood of mine overlapping with others’ flowers is … well, actually, it’s not that big.

Roses are reserved for the Dellarose Territory, after all, and the large, full, grand-looking flowers are reserved for the Earl’s direct line.

If someone in my family chose a rose that another noble was using, the other person would have to give up their flower no matter how long they were using it.

The only exception would be the Royal Family or the Duke’s Family, or the Honorary Dukes and Duchesses.

The nobles that stand over the country can choose whatever flower they like, after all.

I’ve always preferred fancy flowers, so the lunar palace rose suits my tastes perfectly.

Rather than the simple, flared, vase-shaped single roses you’d give to a lover in my former world, the silvery-white lunar palace rose is a variety with a fuller bloom and cup-shaped.

It’s also a climbing rose bush with very dark, glossy green leaves.

The blooms are large, but somewhat sparse, and they are usually found winding up the rocky sides of quiet ponds in areas with lots of mana.

When they fully bloom the large ‘pearl’ in the center can be seen, and the rose pearl is used in expensive medicines.

They are also more on the rare side, often scavenged from the wild rather than raised.

It seems like I can’t get by only on my knowledge of plants from my former world… luckily, most common plants are ones I know about.

But I can’t just focus on the agriculture of plants I know and ignore the ones I don’t.

The Dellarose Earldom needs to flourish, and for that, I’m going to need knowledgeable people.

One person can’t run a territory by himself. I certainly can’t.

Putting the right people in the right jobs – now how should I go about that… and by the way, I’m 5.

That comes with its own set of difficulties, when it comes to trying to run a territory…

Anyway, after receiving Brother’s bouquet, I was suddenly grabbed by the hand.

“Come on. We’re the hosts, so Father said we have to greet everyone first!”

Puffing out his chest, Brother boastfully explains our duties as if he’s telling me the secrets of the world.

Hehe. Boys, no, children grow up so fast, and pretty soon they’re looking after others without even being told.

Although I’m obviously aware of the etiquette, I let Brother drag me around as he wishes.

If I didn’t listen to him once in a while, rather than a child, I’d be trying to raise a puppet.

Ah, no, he’s my brother.

Fufufu.

Anyway, I let Fedor take the lead.

Luckily, he seems to have been instructed on the etiquette, since he goes directly to the Royal Family first.

He’s just 5 so they probably would have excused him if he got the order wrong, but I’m still happy that we don’t have to test the situation to see.

“Welcome to our estate, we are the heirs of Dellarose, Fedor and Fluvia. We are humbled to receive your presence…s.”

Brother’s voice is very robotic, but he impressively recites a long speech and stiffly bows before the Royal Family.

I manage to stifle my laugh and curtsied, acting somewhat meek and gentle.

“Your Majesties. Thank you for coming to receive me.”

Queen Ria is laughing quietly into her hand.

She’s too used to my usual personality… well, it’s a relief that all the adults who are aware of my real personality all encouraged me to keep it hidden a little longer, so she’s not going to say anything.

The King, King Laurence, bows his head lightly and replies,

“We are honored to be able to receive you.”

Normally it would just be pretty words from the King, but it can’t be helped that there’s more weight to his words after I’ve developed my relationship with Her Majesty this much.

Rushing me along, so that we can’t continue chit-chatting, Fedor continues onto the next person.

“Welcome to our estate, we are the heirs of Dellarose, Fedor and Fluvia. We are humbled to receive your presences.”

… Well, it’s already good for Fedor to be able to memorize a proper greeting. I can’t expect him to be able to differentiate the greeting for every person.

I, on the other hand…

“Lord Grace, Lady, it’s an honor.”

“Fumu. Not at all, the honor is ours.”

Although I don’t know the Duke and Duchess by face, if it’s a couple that must be greeted directly after the Royal Family but before Lord Minister Wynchestor, it can only be the Duke and Duchess.

If the Royal Family came, the Duke has to be present to give them face. Or else it would be like saying they found something the Royal Family thinks is important as trivial.

Moving on like that, I follow Fedor to give our greetings.

It doesn’t take long since, although there’s the Royal Family, the Duke and Duchess, and Minister Wynchestor, the party gathered is on the small side.

There are only a few of the Dellarose’s minor nobles also in attendance, and they’re probably just here since they were invited to attend Her Majesty’s recovery gala with Father.

It seems that they’re not sure how to feel about the Royal Family and Minister Wynchestor being close enough to come to something as trivial as the Dellarose daughter’s return party…

Even after we finished going around to give our greetings, Fedor beaming with pride after a job well done, the minor nobles are staring wide-eyed as the Royal Family approaches me again.

King Laurence himself lends an arm to escort me.

“Young Lady Fluvia, once again, we are indebted to you.”

I’m a little troubled on how to answer.

How does a 5-year-old act again?

With my family I can speak extremely childishly, but this isn’t the kind of situation I can act airheaded in.

“I didn’t do much. Healer Martin and the chefs at the House of Healing were the ones who did things, and Her Majesty is the one who should be commended for getting better.”

“Fufufu. And yet, I can’t help thinking that everyone’s efforts would have gone to nothing if it weren’t for a certain girl’s input.”

Queen Ria giggled into her hand again.

One of her armored maids was pushing her wheelchair, and she accompanied the King and me into the grand hall of our estate.

“If my ideas helped, then I’m happy.”

I made another little curtsy.

“Fumu. As Ria said, you’re quite mature for your age.”

Mm. It’s hard for me to understand how a noble child should be acting in this situation, after all.

I’d follow Fedor’s example, but Brother is… I think even in the future, he’ll be the kind of guy who finds noble etiquette annoying.

I don’t know why I think that, but I feel pretty convinced of it.

Even though he’s my Brother, I’ll be the first to admit that he’s not that clever when it comes to social interaction.

There’s hope that he’ll grow out of it, but looking at Father, my hopes die away quickly.

“Young Lady Fluvia, have you met my sons? This is our firstborn, Anthony, and our secondborn, Alexander. Coincidentally, Anthony is your age…”

Oi. Your Majesty-sama, quit trying to set me up with your son. We’re 5 right now.

The first prince, Anthony, looks sullen as his father introduces us.

As expected of a male lead in an otome game.

His entire family is extremely beautiful, and there’s no way he’s allowed to look anything but cherubic in his childhood. Even his pout looks like it should be preserved forever.

Blond hair, blue eyes; exactly as you’d think a prince would look in this kind of world. However his attitude is…

“…Anthony. Pleased to meet you.”

He’s sulking like a spoiled brat.

I suppose you aren’t a prince right from birth… although I don’t know what his character traits are in the game, so I suppose he could be the spoiled-brat prince.

Because he’s the First Prince, you’d expect him to be the main male lead… or was the game more of a harem… nono, there were routes properly, so it should be 1 vs 1…

Although I’m just a minor background villainous character so it shouldn’t matter…

Wait. I’m a minor villainous character, not even a rival character, so why is there a prince flag right now?

Even though the King isn’t being totally serious, he’s about 1/3 serious, and that’s enough to make me a little worried.

Although I seem to be safely graduating from the role of a minor villain, the situation won’t improve if I’m a major rival character!

And anyway, the First Prince is 5.

Even if you say I’m technically 5 as well, I can’t see him as anything but a brat.

I’ll ask that you at least wait until your son goes through puberty before you ask me to consider him as a man.

I laugh and play along accordingly, but can’t you see your son’s getting more and more sullen?

The Second Prince on the other hand…

“I’m Alexander. Nice to meet you, Young Lady Fluvia, Young Lord Fedor.”

The younger brother seems more obedient.

Attitude aside, the looks are more like Queen Ria, delicate.

His hair’s a shade darker than the First Prince’s, though. Very much like an otome game… the main lead has to be first at everything, haha.

“Your Highnesses, it’s a pleasure.”

“A p-pleasure.”

Brother bows stiffly, then goes back to glowering at the First Prince.

B-Brother… although his attitude isn’t really all that great, you can’t do that.

Thank the heavens above that Father did think to keep the party short.

The Royal Family and Lord Minister Wynchestor, as well as the Duke and Duchess, kept revolving around Fedor and me, and the looks we were getting from the minor nobles and servants of our Earldom was starting to get painful.

When it ended, I felt extremely exhausted and collapsed onto a couch in our family’s private sitting area.

“Brother… although I understand how you feel, you can’t just glare at the First Prince… although you did great not getting into an argument with him.”

“I can’t help it. I don’t like him.”

Brother says shortly.

“Don’t like him? We just met him. How can you decide if you like him or not?”

I laugh, but Brother just sulks, in a manner similar to the First Prince, amusingly enough.

Finally he says,

“He doesn’t like you, so why should I like him?”

“B-brother?”

“If he’s too stupid to realize how great Sister is, there’s no reason why I should be respectful.”

“…”

Please don’t turn into a siscon.