Chapter 5 (1/2)

Very Much 5: Woman talks without stopping

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R

ose began to spend the time after

work in Colette’s room telling her about the influential people in the castle,

their interpersonal relations.h.i.+ps and the faction politics. Although, Colette

listened, she thought it was irrelevant to her.

‘So Eugene-sama, a Captain of the

White Eagle Knights does not like Lionel-sama, doesn’t even want to see his

face. This is because if the Black Dragon Knights get called to support a

situation that the White Eagles have been overseeing initially, and then the Black

Dragons get all the glory. And then the White Eagles have to do the boring post

procedures and clean up messes.’

‘I see,’

‘And His Majesty cares a lot about

Lionel-sama, he ignores procedure and makes Lionel accompany him

wherever he goes whether it is official or not. But his Majesty and Lionel grew

up together, and are childhood friends, so they have a deep understanding of

each other.’

‘Is that so?’ was Colette’s

non-committal reply.

‘On the other side is Eugene-sama,

who is the most handsome man. Absolutely beautiful. He is still unmarried, not

even betrothed, even though he is a n.o.ble. He is celibate, I hear, which is

making the women cry. But his voice is so seductive, and he has a s.e.xy

mole…ah…Completely opposite to the granite Lionel-sama.’ (Zuben: Is Eugene gay?

Either way, all these characters are s.e.x fiends given the chance)

‘Oh…’

‘There have been marital issues

between the King and Queen, but it seems that the Queen has forgiven the King

and all seems to be quiet on their side.’

‘Ah…’

‘Have you been listening to me?

You’ve been giving such vague replies all this while.’ Rose asked suspiciously,

Colette stared back at her, ‘I’m

listening,’ she replied. In truth, the discussion had been long and kind of

tedious so she’d been studying Rose’s features. Rose was an aristocratic lady;

she had the prerequisite delicate white skin which was unblemished. She had a

small face, with eyes that slanted upwards, a small upturned nose and coral

pink lips. Beautiful, Colette thought (Zuben: Colette, we aren’t in a yuri s.m.u.t

story, are we?)

Rose was drinking tea and eating

snacks in Colette’s room. It seemed she had begun to see Colette as a friend of

some kind (Zuben: The kind you can mooch off) Colette was very obedient and did

not complain, like her other friends. Colette’s nature was very placid, so Rose could talk without interruption.

To be honest, Colette would have

very much liked to be alone, but she couldn’t tell Rose to go to her room to

her face.

‘What have I said so far?’

Colette gave her a summary. Rose

seemed satisfied, ‘It is nice to teach those who are ignorant like you who

cannot help it.’

To Colette, what Rose was truly

saying was “I want to talk without interruptions, listen quietly.”

Colette understood, it seemed Rose

was lonely (Zuben: What about her bully posse?). That was why Rose was so into

talking,

‘So the Queen and King were newly

married, and she is crazy about wanting to spend time with his Majesty, but he

is more interested in going hunting and having parties with his friends. That

would not make for a good marriage, right?’

‘That is so,’

Before Rose could continue, there

was a gentle knock on the door.

Perhaps, it has finally come.

Colette became tense, but Rose was

oblivious,

‘Come in,’ she called out.

But it was not her room,

‘Rose…’

‘I don’t mind,’

Margo entered, ‘Pardon me,’ she

said.

Rose’s face stiffened. Rose had

told Colette that Margo was a top-ranking spy. It seemed that she was very good

at ferreting out information for their side. After all, Margo was friendly

enough to find Colette for Lionel.

Maybe Colette was really involved

in something…Rose thought. (Zuben: Nosy!) She was aware that he’d kept his

distance from Colette so that she was not involved in his issues. She also knew

that on the eve of going to war, she accidentally saw Lionel coming out of Colette’s

room with his clothes all rumpled. He had given her a look that said, “If you

tell anyone, I will kill you,” and Rose was a very perceptive person, with good

judgement, she told no one what she saw. (Zuben: But decided to torture the

poor girl with your constant presence, eh? Oh so you’ll be there when something

happens and you can get the scoop directly from the source. Crafty)

She hadn’t told anyone about Colette

and Lionel’s affair, but it made her want to get to know the timid girl better,

because somehow, she had entrapped the impregnable Lionel.

Colette seemed cautious of Margo,

but she gingerly walked up to her,

‘Margo-san, you returned safely,

that is the most important thing-‘

‘Yes. Take this, Colette.’

‘Yes,’

Margo gave her the letter and

turned away without waiting for a reply, but as she left she said,

‘That’s it. So then…I really wanted

to be friends with you, Colette.’ (Zuben: What is this about?)

Margo went out of the room. (Zuben:

Margo, don’t go. We like you)

‘She tried to act sweet and make

you believe in her. Don’t be fooled.’ Rose said

‘That may be…’

‘So what’s in the letter?’

She really wanted to see him, but

she was afraid to read the letter.

‘I will read it later,’

‘Not later, read it now. I want to

know.’ (Zuben: Poke-noser)

Actually if she read it alone, she

may not be able to make up her mind. So Colette opened the seal at Rose’s

urging,

It was in the familiar scrawl, but

only one line. It read: I’d like the return of the item I left in your keeping.

That was it. It seemed that this

relations.h.i.+p between them, the unformed thing, was at an end.  Rose looked at Colette who was just staring

blankly.

‘What are you keeping for him?’

Colette went to her dresser and

retrieved the precious jewellery box. Rose exclaimed when she saw the box,

‘What? This is amazing! Was this a

gift?’

‘He said so, but I said I could not

keep it. But then he said I should keep it for him, till he returned.’

‘You should keep it, don’t return

it.’ Rose said indignant. To her, a man should not take back something he’d

given.

But Colette was reluctant to keep

it, ‘No…as a maid, it is awkward to have it even if it was a gift. I will

return it.’ (Zuben: Someone may find it and think it was stolen, It would be

hard to say where she got it from)