Tea Time
Hideyoshi: By the way, Natsuhi nee-san. How's your headache been lately? It seemed to be pretty serious for a time.
Natsuhi: ...I have been much better lately. Thank you for your concern.
Rosa: Oh, right. Here. A present for you, Natsuhi nee-san.
Natsuhi: ...Thank you very much. I'm always receiving gifts from you. ...Is this black tea?
Rosa: It's herb tea with peppermint and lemon balm. It's a blend from a well-known store and is supposed to be good for headaches. I thought it might help you too.
Rosa was always a conscientious woman.
...Probably because she was the youngest of four siblings and much younger than the other three, she managed to grow up without harboring the venomosity of her siblings.
Her consideration made Natsuhi soften her expression for just a moment, but it wasn't enough to make her let down her guard, which was constructed around her long-held anxiety.
Eva: That reminds me, you were always saying you get those headaches. Pull yourself together. Jessica-chan will have her exams this year, won't she? Isn't that a turning point in her life? Are you that unreliable as a mother? Besides, Natsuhi nee-san, you're three years younger than me. Can't you pull yourself together?
Natsuhi: ...I apologize. I was born with this discomfort.
Eva sometimes fails to choose her words carefully, but even though she hid it with a smile, her comments aimed at Natsuhi contained shards of obvious malice.
Of course, that didn't escape Natsuhi.
She frantically contained her urge to grimace, and pretended to ignore Eva.
Kyrie: Our Battler-kun will have his exams this year too, right? Rudolf-san, shouldn't you be a little concerned too? For the sake of your own son, get serious to the point of getting headaches like Natsuhi nee-san.
Rudolf: If I say anything, he automatically goes against it. So what should I say? Should I say the opposite, that it's okay for him to mess around? That's probably the only thing he'd obediently listen to me say. In your family, Hideyoshi nii-san, didn't George do really well on his exams? Please, teach me the secret to controlling children.
Hideyoshi: Hmm, well... It's probably because I convinced him why he should study! Study isn't worth anything on its own. That's right, the real point of studyin' is to train yourself by reachin' what you don't know! If you can't do that, you can't be useful to society! I'm not talkin' about math or writin'. You need to learn how to learn!
Natsuhi: ...That's splendid. It would be nice if our Jessica could understand that, though. As it is now, she doesn't at all, but as the heiress of the Ushiromiya family.
Eva: Do you really have to force her into becoming the successor? Women have to find their own happiness. Parents shouldn't be deciding that for their children, right?
Hideyoshi: Hold your horses, Eva. Each family has its way to raise their children. You shouldn't be pushy.
Eva: I'm sorry. Natsuhi nee-san, don't take it the wrong way.
Natsuhi: ......
Though the light shining in through the window was quite warm despite the cloudy weather, there was a dark mood about the room... which probably caused headaches for other people besides Natsuhi.
As if to brush away that mood, Kyrie brightly made a suggestion to all present.
Kyrie: Still, this black tea has a really lovely aroma. Let's drink it at once. In Japan, surely you can't buy something like Leopold's black tea anywhere but Ginza, right?
Rosa: Kyrie nee-san, how knowledgeable of you. It really was worth buying.
Kyrie and Rosa stood up from their seats and made as if to prepare the black tea. Natsuhi forestalled them.
Natsuhi: ...Thank you, both. Let us save that for later. One of our people will soon be coming to bring some tea, so please relax.
Rudolf: Leave it for later, you two. Let's enjoy our "welcome drink".
Rudolf gave a subtle signal with his eyes fro them to sit down again.
...Kyrie and Rosa understood instantly and obediently returned to their seats.
The guests had already been greeted, so it was time for some tea to be prepared for them.
...That tea was late and having the guests talk about making some themselves was an embarrassment for the host.
Natsuhi bit her lower lip, frustrated with the ineptitude of the servants who were taking too long to bring the tea.
...Seeing her face, Eva, without hesitation, started to giggle.
...Of course, Shannon had no way of knowing what was taking place in the parlor.
She came pushing a dish cart piled with tea cups. For no apparent reason, Natsuhi gave her a pained look, and Shannon couldn't help but flinch without knowing what she had done wrong.
Shannon: ...E-Excuse. The tea is prepared.
Hideyoshi: Oh, Shannon-chan, it's been a while! You keep getting prettier every time I see you!
Shannon: ...Oh... um... thanks...
Natsuhi: leave the chatting for after you've set the table. The tea will get cold.
Shannon: ...I-I apolozige, Madam.
She apologized like a small frightened animal, and, bumping against the serving cart, made a jarring racket as she dropped several tea spoons.
Her clumsiness made Natsuhi's expression even harsher, which made Shannon in turn quail even more.
Eva: It's alright, Natsuhi nee-san. It's just one kind of greeting, no bog deal. We've already been made to wait for so long, the tea must be cold. Heheheh.
Shannon: It-It's alright... It's not cold yet...
Natsuhi: ...Shannon, finish setting the table, quickly.
Shannon: I-I'm sorry, Madam...
It was obvious that Natsuhi was getting irritated.
...The ineptitude that delayed the tea, the clumsiness of the servant, everything pointed to the incompetence of Natsuhi's everyday guidance, making her lose face.
As the person in charge of the Ushiromiya head house's kitchen, allowing that clumsiness to be exposed today of all days was surely nothing less than total humiliation.
Rudolf: Lay off, Natsuhi nee-san. Don't you think it's a little harsh to bully Shannon-chan when she's trying her best?
Natsuhi: I'm not bullying anyone...!
Kyrie: What a nice smell. may I ask you the brand of this tea?
Shannon: ...Umm... I'm... I'm terribly sorry... I'll find out for you later...
Kyrie wanted to cut through the tense mood, planning to be nice to her.
...However, instead, Shannon had shown a disgraceful display, darkening Natsuhi's face and the room's mood.
By this point, Eva was audibly giggling.
Eva: What's this? Shannon-chan, don't you even know what you're pouring us? Come now, you musn't serve something so suspicious to guests. We'll need a silver spoon at the very least before we can drink this.
Shannon: ...I-I'm sorry... I'll go get one immediately...
Eva: Shannon-chan? Do you knoe what silver spoons are used for? Or why they have to be silver? Do you know why?
Shannon: ...No... umm...
Eva's eyes played over Shannon, who was setting the table, as a catty smile floated onto her face.
Eva's expression as she watched was charming in an impish sort of way.
However, the words being spun from her lips held within them the keenness of a razor.
Shannon tried with all her might to avoid Eva's gaze, which continued to stare at her.
Grasping that Shannon was hard-pressed for an answer, Rosa promptly gave some timely help.
Rosa: They say that if silver is touched by poison, it dims. *giggle* You've learned something, right, Shannon-chan?
If the tea hasn't been tested for poison, it can't be drunk.
In Natsuhi's eyes, this was an insult to both the tea... and herself for serving it. Rudolf, laughing flippantly, patted Eva's shoulder.
Rudolf: Haha, Aneki doesn't need any silver cutlery. With just one lick of her poisonous tongue, even a silver plate would go pitch black.
Hideyoshi: Wahahahaha! Since I get to hear that poison-tongue every day, I must be poison-proof by now! I don't pay it much mind, but poor souls without resistance are in for a stormy ride! Wahahahaha!
Eva: My, how cruel. I only gave Shannon-chan a bit of information about tea, didn't I? *giggle*
Everyone followed the lead set by Hideyoshi's horselaugh and smiled, though sourly.
Only Natsuhi didn't join in, but for the time being, the conversation inside the parlor could now be mistaken for a lively and friendly chat.
Kyrie apologized to Shannon in a low voice for not being able to help as she finally finished setting the tea table and tried to leave.
...Shannon gave a light bow and made a hasty retreat...
Shannon cast her eyes downwards, pushing the cart down the corridor...
The pitiful air aroud her made it obvious that she had borne the brunt of some bullying.
Kanon: ...Don't be sad. You didn't do anything wrong, Nee-san.
Shannon: ...You were watching.
Kanon: That is my duty.
Shannon: ......
Kanon: Madam and Eva-sama can go to hell. ...But the even worse coward is that guy.
Kanon glared hatefully in the opposite direction of the parlor.
The preparations for the tea had been delayed by some trifling problem in the kitchen.
These problems were not Shannon's fault.
The truth is that it had been Gohda's mistake.
There was no way that a showoff like Gohda would ever hand over a flamboyant job like carting the tea to the guests in the first place.
He had ended up wasting time preparing the tea a second time.
So, knowing that he wouldn't be able to make it on time, he pushed the task of setting the table on Shannon, who happened to be passing by.
...One could say that cutting corners like this was an especially despicable kind of cowardice.
Shannon: ...It's alright, Kanon-kun, thank you. ...I really don't mind...
Kanon: ......
Kanon's silence vividly showed that Shannon's words weren't coming from her heart.
Shannon: ...Thank you. Even if you're the only one who understands, I feel better.
Kanon: ...You bottle things up too much, Nee-san. ...You should be less hard on yourself for once.
Shannon: Yeah. ...Thanks.
Suddenly, they both felt someone's presence and whirled around.
A middle-aged man stood there.
It was Genji, the head servant.
Genji: ...What are you doing here? ...Shannon, hurry back to the kitchen.
Shannon: Y-Yes. ...If you'll excuse me...
Kanon: ......
Shannon humbly obeyed and promptly made to push the cart and leave.
However, Kanon appealed to Genji in silence, bearing something in his eyes that he could not express in words.
Genji: ...What is it? Did something happen...?
Kanon: ...Sha... Shannon didn't do anything wrong. But even so, they...
Shannon: Stop it, Kanon-kun... If you'll excuse me. I'll return to work immediately. Kanon-kun, you too, go back to your post. ...Please.
Kanon: ...If you say so, Nee-san.
Genji: ...If that is all, then go.
Kanon: ...Yes. ...If you'll excuse me.
From the shadows in the hallway, an old woman wearing an apron watched over them. It was Kumasawa...
Kumasawa: ...I feel so sorry for them, Shannon-san, Kanon-san... There's no reason for those two to be picked on. ...But, it cannot be denied that they are disliked by Gohda-san... Until Gohda-san was taken in by the Ushiromiya head house, I heard he worked for a fabulous hotel somewhere. I think the manner of work he learned there was quite something. It's just that... Gohda-san is the newest servant here. ...He must have a lot of pride accumulated from his previous posts. Because Shannon-san and Kanon-san are his seniors here at the mansion, and yet are inexperienced and have gone though much less in life that he has, he picks on them at every chance he gets... And also... although it's terrible, they are hated by Madam Natsuhi too... Of course, in terms of experience, Madam has been in the family much longer. It's only that... they are just not allowed to sympathize with her. ...The master is also a truly cruel person... He probably did not realize his own trifling whims passed so much of an inferiority complex to his wife... ...Naturally, Madam's inner thoughts fully acknowledge that there's no reason to treat those two so harshly... However, the heart has reasons that reason knows not... Aah, I feel so sorry for them... I can't do anything but watch over them from the shadows...
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