Chapter 376

Gathering

At tea time, guests arrived at the Ruven residence one after another. The ones to receive them were Rosalie-san and Wald-san, Rebecca-san and Almeria-san. And then there was us.

“Rosalie, once again, congratulations.”

“Congratulations, Rosalie.”

“Thank you, Celestia, Olga.”

First, two women with blonde and light brown hair rushed over and hugged Rosalie-san.

These are probably the two friends Rosalie-san talked about.

“”Good friends~””

“Indeed. They seem to get along well~”

Rosalie-san was making a very merry face.

“Celestia, can we? I know you are happy to see her, but let’s give our greetings first.”

“Mhm. Sorry about that.”

“Olga, you too.”

“Yes, I know.”

The two friends—Mrs. Va.s.sar and Mrs. Clark, lined up next to their husbands.

“I apologize for visiting on such a short notice. My name is Leonardo Va.s.sar.”

“I’m his wife, Celestia. I have taken you up to your word and brought my son, Alvard, with me.——This is the first time you have seen him, Rosalie, isn’t it?”

“Hewwo.”

“Fufu, he’s adorable. He looks just like you, Celestia.”

The Va.s.sar family greeted us, first. Today there were three of them, a couple and a boy of about three years old.

“It’s an honor to make your acquaintance. I am Harrison Clark.”

“I’m Olga. This is our daughter, Maery. Thank you very much for allowing us to visit.”

The Clark family then introduced themselves. The Clark family consisted of a couple and a girl about one year of age.

“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you will enjoy our hospitality. Please come this way.”

Rebecca-san, as our representative, said a few words of hospitality and immediately led the guests to the lounge. Rebecca-san and Almeria-san then left the room. Apparently, they would not be attending the tea party.

“Wald, I am sorry for interrupting you so early on your honeymoon.”

After settling into his seat, Va.s.sar-sama first offered his apologies.

“Don’t mind it, senior Leonardo, please don’t be so formal today. Oh, that’s right, both senior and Clark-dono are meeting Tak.u.mi for the first time, aren’t you?—Tak.u.mi.”

“Erm, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Tak.u.mi Kayano.”

“I’m Allen.”

“I’m Elena.”

“Va.s.sar-sama, Clark-sama, thank you for stopping by today.”

Wald-san spoke up, so the children and I greeted them.

“Kayano-dono, you can call me by my name, Leonardo, to distinguish me from my Father. I have heard a lot about you.”

“I’m very grateful for Reginald-san’s help that time. I will accept your kind offer and call you Leonard-sama then. By all means, please call me by my name as well.”

“You should at least use ‘-san’ there, Tak.u.mi-kun.”

“I understand, Leonardo-san.”

First, I made acquaintance with Leonardo-san, Reginald-san’s son.

“This is my first time seeing you all properly. Please, call me Harrison by all means.”

“Certainly, isn’t this our first time chatting normally, isn’t it?”

“Indeed. We have only met each other when filling the paperwork?”

It seems that Harrison Clark-sama did not have that much friends.h.i.+p with either Wald-san or Leonardo-san.

But still—

“Wald-san.”

“What is it, Tak.u.mi.”

“I feel uncomfortable with your polite way of speaking.”

“Ta~ku~mi~ What are you bringing up now!”

“No, I mean, I can’t… get used to it.”

When pointed out Wald-san’s way of speaking, Leonardo-san and Harrison-sama started laughing with amus.e.m.e.nt.

“”Haha.””

“Wald, you really are like brothers.”

“Yes, you seem to be having fun.”

Lately, I have been told more and more that Wald-san and I are like real brothers.

“Sorry to digress. Are you a civil servant, Harrison-sama?”

“You can talk to me as if you were talking to Ruven-dono, Tak.u.mi-dono. There’s no need for the ‘-sama’.”

“Thank you. I will call you Harrison-san then. You can call me casually, too.”

“Pardon me, it’s not in my nature to call others without honorifics. I will keep it like htat. So, to answer your question, I work at the financial department.”

“Oh, financials!”

As I was talking with the two husbands, I noticed that Mrs. Va.s.sar and Mrs. Clark were staring at me with interest.

“Erm… Mrs. Va.s.sar, Mrs. Clark, did I do somethinf rude, perhaps?”

“Fufu, of course not. Rosalie has written in her letter about you, so I was only curious about you a little. I’m sorry for staring at you. But I hear you are a very impressive person~”

“Rosalie seemed quite merry from her letter, you see.”

“Eh, Rosalie-san, I mean, just what did Rosalie-sama write about me?”

“Fufu.”

What on earth did Rosalie-san write in her letter about me to the two of them?

I couldn’t help but look at Rosalie-san, but she just smiled at me and didn’t seem to want to elaborate.

“Oh dear, you don’t have to address us with honorifics, just be casual as you have been. Of course, we will do the same.”

“Yeah. You can call me Olga, just like Rosalie does.”

“I’m fine with Celestia, or Celes!”

“Nonono! I consider Rosalie-san a family, so I think it’s okay to call her like that, but there’s no way I can call you two like that.”

“”Eh, why?””

The two ladies looked at me as if I was truly strange.

“… I don’t know much about the society of the n.o.bility, but wouldn’t that be bad for your reputations?”

“It’s not like I’m sneaking behind my husband’s back, so isn’t it just fine?”

“Indeed~ and we are going to be friends for a very long time anyway.”

Both Celestia-san and Olga-san seemed to be surprisingly refres.h.i.+ng people.

I guess that’s why they are friends with Rosalie-san, without being influenced by rumors and so on.

“Hey, quickly, call my name.”

“Right. Quickly, quickly~”

“……”

“Celes Neesama?”

“Olga Neesama?”

“”Oh my!””

I was hesitant to call the two ladies back, but Allen and Elena, who had been watching the situation, called them instead. The two wives got very happy.

“That sounds nice!”

“It does. Do they also call you Neesama, Rosalie?”

“Yes, they do.”

Rosalie-san looked quite happy, too.

“Then, next is Tak.u.mi-san’s turn. Ah, I can call you Tak.u.mi-san, right?”

“Okay, go ahead.”

“Ehh~—The two husbands over here, please stop your wives.”

“There’s nothing wrong with calling them like that.”

“Indeed. It’s not like Olga would give up anyway, so just call them the way they want.”

“……”

I tried to get help from Leonardo-san and Harrison-san, but they abandoned me.

“… Celestia-san, Olga-san. You are both pus.h.i.+ng too hard~”

“My, this much is normal.”

“Right, right. The other side won’t understand unless we don’t speak clearly.”

“Tak.u.mi-san, Celestia and Olga have always helped me by debunking the false accusations made against me.”

I see, for Celestia and Olga, words are a weapon to defend Rosalie.

“You have found great friends.”

“Yes, that I did.”

While we were socializing with the two families, Cedric-san with Theodore-kun and Latis-kun, and Richard-san and his wife also arrived at the Ruven residence.