TL: clover

ED: clover

"Since you"ve come all the way here, let"s take care of the children together!"

"I don"t mind, but……"

Because I became friends with Chloe, I, who was in high spirits, nodded unhesitatingly to her invitation which if it were the usual me I would absolutely refuse.

Helping an orphanage.

It"s something that both the previous me and the current me wished to avoid.

But, it"s an invitation from my f-friend! If Chloe said so, well, I thought that I"d like to experience it.

……I got my first friend and I feel completely ecstatic. Even though I knew that I would regret it later, I couldn"t say I don"t want it.

By the way, Luke is watching me with a warm smile.

As I glared at him, he said, "I am Milady"s exclusive butler. If Milady orders me to, of course I will also help you." But it was obvious that he found this situation amusing.

……I suspect that this was his revenge for just now.

"B-but, I, I"ve never play with children. What should I do?"

Before I knew it, around us, dirty……no, little children were gathering. I guess there are about ten people. Everyone is looking at us with hopeful eyes.

I instinctively turned my eyes toward Chloe as I asked for help, and she said while smiling.

"It"s simple. For example, I read a picture book for the children a while ago. Other than that, you can sing a song, teach a simple calculation, or play together with them."

"I, I see. If it"s just teaching a simple calculation……"

There was a tiny voice at my feet while I was feeling relieved.

"Beautiful Onee-chan, sing a song!"

"Eh……!"

With hopeful eyes, the children were pulling on the hem of my skirt.

Chloe clapped her hands happily.

"Since the children requested it, you should meet their expectations! Lily"s singing voice, I also want to hear it."

"Eh? Eh?"

My cheeks twitched.

That sort of thing is impossible.

I gazed at Luke for help, but he nodded with a serious look.

"Since they wished for it, isn"t it Milady"s mission to fulfil it?"

"What do you mean mission! I don"t have that sort of mission!"

—T-this guy! Even though he knew I was in trouble, he was just going with the flow.

"No, no, I can"t……I, I will teach calculations instead……"

Despite feeling like lamenting, I managed to cite the thing that I could do somehow, but voices that sound like a chorus of children reverberated.

"No! Singing is fine!"

"Hie!"

Again, the hem of my skirt was being pulled.

"Good luck, Lily!"

The smile of Chloe, who is completely without any malice, now feels painful to me.

But, song? You want me to sing a song?

"M-my singing voice is not good……"

The song that I can do is only up to the extent of humming, but that is not something I can show off in public.

"Now, now! Milady. Everything is an experience!"

Luke who joined the conversation with all his power is a demon.

I desperately claimed that it was impossible, but receiving a singing request from everyone, I eventually ended up singing.

—Uuh, even if it was an invitation from my first friend, I shouldn"t have agreed to helping the orphanage.

But, it"s too late to regret.

Reluctantly, I chose a song from a nursery rhyme, because I want to sing something as simple as possible.

I chose nursery rhyme because I thought that even children would recognize it.

Also, since the melody is simple, I wouldn"t be out of tune. In short, I couldn"t miss the mark.

"I will only sing this once! This is a special service from me! Listen carefully!"

I thought that I couldn"t be immature since the other party are children, but in my half-teary eyed state, it couldn"t be helped that I said some arrogant remarks.

Because I"m too embarra.s.sed to stand and sing, I sat on the audience seat. Children gathered around me.

I raised my voice almost quietly. It was only for about a minute.

When I finished singing, my face turned red and I said to everyone.

"This is the end! If you want to laugh, just laugh. At any rate, I"m bad at singing. Now that you have learn your lesson, don"t ask me to sing again. But, it can"t be helped, you know? Until now, I"ve never sing in public before!"

I suffered a disgrace in an unexpected place.

Surely, everyone will laugh at my poor performance. Because, even though it was a simple song, the note was off and I actually got the lyrics wrong. And I think my voice was trembling.

There is nothing to praise about.

I heard that children are cruel. I will surely be ridiculed. However, I wouldn"t be able to say a thing in response. I have a self-awareness that I failed at singing. I have to endure saying "yes" and agree with whatever they say.

I have lived for fifteen years as a Duke"s daughter, but I"ve never felt this vulnerable before.

—Helping an orphanage is hard. No matter how much my friend asked me to, I wouldn"t want to do this a second time.

While thinking about something completely unrelated, I waited for the ridicule to come.

"Umm."

One of children who remained silent during the song looked up at me who was standing up from the audience seat.

"I, I like Onee-chan"s song."

"Eh……"

I couldn"t understand it for a moment, because the words that came out were unexpected. When I stared at the child in front of me without thinking, the other children around me also talk one after another.

"Yeah. It certainly was not good, there are many mistakes while you were singing. But when I heard it, I felt really comfortable."

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

I couldn"t see any lie in the children"s smiling faces.

While I was staring at the children, Chloe said.

"Yes. I agree with everyone"s opinion. Certainly, Lily was tone deaf, huh? But more than that, I thought it felt comfortable. Although you were tone-deaf, it feels like I could listen to you comfortably even if you were off-key……it"s quite strange, but as I listen, my feelings turned calm."

"Eh? Eh?"

I didn"t expect that sort of comment. But, even Luke nodded.

"Certainly. Milady"s skill in singing was not good enough to praise……but, that"s right. I think Milady didn"t realize it, but you were singing while putting magical power into your song. That made us hear a pleasant melody."

"Magical power?"

"Yes. Milady can imbue magical power in the melody. It"s very difficult to do this. Of course, even I cannot do it. Milady is unexpectedly skillfull."

"Amazing! Lily is amazing!"

Chloe clapped her hands delightfully. The children were looking at me with sparkling eyes.

Until now, no one have seen me with that kind of look, so strangely I"m feeling shaken.

"Eh, but, I"m not good at handling magical power……"

"There is no correct answer for how to handle magical power. Milady, perhaps you"re more suited to control your magical power with your voice. But, there is practically none who can do this. Since you have no mentor, n.o.body has taught you about this. As a result, it appears like Milady was bad at using magic."

Hearing Luke"s reasoning, I blink my eyes.

—I, I can control my magical power with my voice? I"ve never thought of such a thing.

"Um……in other words, I can"t handle my magical power unless I sing?"

"If you can handle your magical power with your normal voice, you may not need to sing. But, until now, I"ve never felt the movement of magical power when I talk to Milady, so……"

Luke averted his gaze, and I made a dejected expression.

"……so I can"t handle my magical power unless I sing after all……but, I"m not good at singing."

If I have to do such an embarra.s.sing thing, it"s fine even if I keep being bad at handling my magical power.

I thought so, but the opinions of the children who were listening to our conversation seem to be different.

"Awesome! Onee-chan. You can make everyone feel good with your songs!"

"Onee-chan"s song felt very pleasant. Please sing once again!"

"I also want to hear more of Onee-chan"s songs!"

Unanimously, everyone asked me to sing once more.

"E, eeh? It"s embarra.s.sing, so it"s impossible."

Even if I can imbue magical power in my songs, I don"t want to expose my tone-deafness more than this.

When I shook my head, Chloe laughed happily.

"It"s fine, isn"t it? I also like Lily"s song. Yes, if possible, I want to hear more. Is it not good?"

"No way, it"s impossible. To do something that I know I am not good at. I thought that it was just once, so I sang."

"Hmm. Well then, how about we sing together? Everyone will also sing together. That way, Lily, you won"t think that you"re the only one who is embarra.s.sed. And moreover, if we sing together, even if you"re off-tune, I think it will be hard to notice."

"Wah~! We will also sing songs together!"

The children agreed with Chloe"s proposal immediately. As if it was a matter of course, Luke also gave his support without my permission.

"That"s good. It is true that if everyone sings together, Milady wouldn"t be too embarra.s.sed. Yeah, I will partic.i.p.ate too."

"……you must have some nerve, Luke. If I refuse here, I will be a fool who cannot read the air."

"Is that so? Don"t you think that it depends on Milady whether to sing or not to sing?"

"……I can"t do that."

I feel like lamenting that Luke has become a savage. Starting with Chloe, all the children are watching me with hopeful expectations. I will not become a bad person who cannot read the air and refuse them.

—A bad person.

It"s an unpleasant term that seems to be linked to the 『villainess』.

"……if everyone sings, of course Chloe will also sing, right?"

"Yes, of course."

An affirmative was returned with a brilliant smile.

Aah, jeez, this is a course of event that I can"t escape no matter how much I struggle.

Resigning myself, just like they wanted, I ended up singing songs together with them.