Ch.45 Invitation

The night of the first time spending time laid-back with the Duke.

After dinner I am relaxing in my room when,

.

“Viola! How about we go on an outing, tomorrow?”

Saying this the Duke has expressly come to invite me.

“Huh? An, outing?”

I almost tumble off the couch that I usually sit on, at the suddenness. I somehow answer while I narrowly brace myself and cling to the armrest, blinking my eyes in surprise. However, it is just me who is surprised. Both Dahlia, who is making tea, and Mimosa, who is preparing a bath, are as normal, furthermore they are feigning ignorance.

“Right, I thought it would be even nicer to go out once in a while,” approaching immediately with his long legs, the Duke gently sits down next to me with a smile. It seems like stars are flickering about. He is too dazzling and is flashing.

Far from ‘once in a while’ rather it will be ‘the first time’ though.

I cannot give an uncouth retort ‘Well then, who did you go on an outing besides me?! Shameless~~~!!’ or something like that though.

“No~? I have not particularly thought of wanting to go on an outing?”

Rather I am someone with a great love for home. Why, at this time, would he say let’s go on an outing? I incline my head and answer the Duke,

“No no, since coming here you have not been on an outing this whole time, right? There are various confectionary shops and new shops where delicious and popular food is served, by all means let’s go!” The Duke invites with increasing enthusiasm.

I don’t particularly have any interest in the shops he said that are places with delicious food though? I also want to avoid eating gourmet food and encounter intestinal terror, if it is Carthame I am more than satisfied. Rather for me I would be more charmed *gugu[1]* by it being said that there is a cheap and fresh greengrocer. Ah, but I would probably end up being a little charmed by the confectionery shop.

“Uh~huh……”

The Duke does not miss me letting my gaze go free for a moment at the talk of a confectionery shop,

“The course is that we will have fun from when it becomes tomorrow. Mimosa, tomorrow put in all your skill and prepare Viola.”

“Certainly!!”

Unrelated to me who has not answered at all, it seems the outing has been decided inside the Duke and he has given instructions to Mimosa about tomorrow. Mimosa gleefully accepts this kind of request (dressing me up). She replies with a smile on her face.

.

“Well, cya tomorrow then.”

“Yes. Good night.”

Despite my reluctance the plans for tomorrow are settled and it seems the Duke is leaving to his room so I see him off to the door.

At the same time he is leaving he looks back at me and,

“Tomorrow morning, I will need to wake properly so”

The Duke looks over here flutteringly. Ng? What is it?

“Yes? Well then I will tell Carthame about the preparations for breakfast?”

So please freely ask Lotus to wake you up!

The Duke lightly closes his eyes at my reply,

“……yes”

With a slight down-heartened feeling he returns to his room.

.

.

.

I make sure the Duke has entered his room then I also return to my room. I have to make arrangements for tomorrow. There is not any special preparations from normal though~.

“I wonder what his intentions are, suddenly going on an outing tomorrow?”

I cannot guess the intentions of the Duke’s words and reveal it in the silence,

“That of course is a date! D . A . T . E!”

“Haaaa? A datee?!”

Mimosa draws near in high-spirits to me who is sitting on my usual position on the couch.

“That is right! He said to polish you more than usual? Aah, I am already excited~! What dress shall it be? Let’s conquer the easy mobility and battle for a young mistress like neat and tidy style. Aah, I must urgently convene the esthetic troops as well! We have to show the world that our mistress is this beautiful!!”

Mimosa makes a tight fist and gives an impassioned speech. Uh, someone please stop her?!

“Wait, Mimosa? Please stop the esthetics and such in the morning?”

My wish was in vain, nobody stopped so I stopped her myself but it seems my vectoring has turned her in a different direction,

“Well, if it so no good in the morning let’s do it now!”

“Eeh? Ah, Mimosa?! Mi–mo–saa!”

It looks like my detaining voice is not entering the ears of Mimosa who has exploded with a wild idea and ended up flying out the room to urgently call the esthetic troops.

She ended up leaving~

I watch the back of Mimosa as she hurries out the room,

“When it comes to Mistress, Mimosa puts in her utmost effort so please let her do this”

“Huh, that?!”

Dahlia says with an ironic smile but is it not actually something like ‘let’s make you pretty for the Duke’s sake?. Somehow I end up giving my consent though……

.

And then after a short time Mimosa returns with the esthetic troops in order to polish me into beauty. Thanks to that I sleep soundly.

The next day,

“Wa~, my skin is like mochi~! silky~!”

“Indeed, indeed!”

I end up staring fixedly at the mirror in front Mimosa who has a smug expression.

Today the Duke wakes up on time and we eat breakfast together, and we go out after the preparations are done.

For the sake of today’s outing Mimosa has selected a light Violette dress. The clean design shows my very thin body in a neat and tidy way! It is not a party or tea party so, there are no accessories or anything extravagant, but there is a beautiful choker of a gradient violet jewel. My hair is not all up, it is in a half-up style.

It will be brief but the young wife with elegance floating everywhere is complete!

“Of course Mimosa is amazing~!”

While looking at myself, it is like it is another person on the other side of the mirror, let’s award bountiful compliments to Mimosa, who is behind me!

“It is because the origin is very good. I only helped a little,”

Mimosa says smiling across the mirror.

.

In the entrance way the Duke is already waiting.

Today the Duke’s chic outfit is black shirt with a light grey jacket, white culottes with boots the same grey as the jacket. His usual knights uniform is dreamy but today his civilian clothes are simple therefore they further promote the Duke’s splendidness. The beauty of his well-built body is thoroughly conveyed through wearing clothes with a tight silhouette. Unlike me, whose figure is covered by her dress. *kusou* I am sulking.

The Duke discovers me who is a bit swayed by his beauty,

“Aah, today as always you are even more beautiful! I am completely outshone,” he says with a smile but, during my sulking, I unintentionally end up retorting in my heart ‘liar! It is me who is outshone!’. Well, after all it is my inner voice though. It is not like it reached the Duke,

“Sa, well then shall we get going now?”

He approaches happily, giving me his arm for escort. Although I am dubious ‘what is this’ at the treatment that has never happened before that I am receiving,

“Yes”

I obediently put my hand on the arm that is held out.