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161 I Want to Be Part of Your World
After that, the carriage proceeded uneventfully on its journey back to the ducal residence.
Ortansia sat in the carriage with GĂ©rard, feeling somewhat calmer than she had that morning.
Silence still dominated the atmosphere between them, but strangely enough, it wasn't particularly awkward.
In the midst of this, GĂ©rard abruptly spoke.
"Oi."
"Yes!"
Ortansia hastily straightened her posture and looked at GĂ©rard.
"Here."
"...?"
As she puzzled over his typically terse words, GĂ©rard held out his hand, which was clasping something, towards her.
When Ortansia hastily extended her palm to receive it, what tumbled into it was—
"...! Is this... a Shangri-La flower!?"
Resting in Hortensia's palm was a beautiful brooch fashioned after a Shangri-La flower.
‘Could this be what he purchased at the botanical gardens...?’
In that case, this must be a souvenir for Marguerite.
Since he'd handed it to her, it probably meant she should pass it to Marguerite, but Ortansia couldn't help meddling.
"...Forgive my presumption, but I believe Lady Marguerite would be more delighted if you gave it to her yourself, Master GĂ©rard."
Ortansia had said this naturally thinking of the Vérité ducal family's further happiness.
But upon hearing those words, GĂ©rard's expression instantly turned displeased.
"...Why are you bringing up Marguerite?"
"Isn't it a souvenir for Lady Marguerite?"
"No."
Flatly denied, Ortansia was taken aback.
Seeing Ortansia's confused expression, GĂ©rard spoke emphatically.
"I'm giving it to you. If Marguerite finds out, she'll obviously make a fuss. Make sure she doesn't."
"......Eh?"
Ortansia couldn't immediately comprehend what GĂ©rard had said.
But whilst she was still bewildered, the carriage arrived back at the ducal residence.
"Let's go."
"O-Okay!"
As GĂ©rard descended from the carriage, Ortansia hurriedly followed.
Once they'd returned to the mansion, there was no longer any reason to remain in GĂ©rard's company.
Ortansia was instructed to return to her regular duties, and made her way back to her post with somehow unsteady steps.
The series of events since that morning felt almost like a dream.
‘Could it actually have been my imagination or a daydream...?’
But when she slipped her hand into her pocket, she definitely felt something in there.
...The Shangri-La flower brooch GĂ©rard had given her told her that today's events were by no means a dream.
That evening, Ortansia casually asked Pamela.
"Say, Pamela. Should servants of the Vérité ducal house have knowledge of the capital's affairs and various other subjects? Is there training for that sort of thing?"
At Ortansia's question, Pamela answered with a bright laugh.
"Ahaha, you don't need to worry so much! Sure, people actually involved in administrative work need broad knowledge, but we're just Lady's attendants! Memorizing the young lady's preferences is more important than difficult knowledge~"
"I see..."
"That's right, there's no formal training or anything! It's more like learning through experience. Of course, I'll be there to help, so you'll be fine!"
"...Thank you, Pamela."
After thanking Pamela, Ortansia prepared for bed.
Soon, gentle breathing could be heard from Pamela's bed, but Ortansia couldn't fall asleep.
She quietly reached for her bedside drawer and took something out.
...The Shangri-La flower brooch GĂ©rard had given her.
Ortansia hadn't told either Marguerite or Pamela about receiving this brooch.
‘From what Pamela said, not everyone hired as a VĂ©ritĂ© ducal servant accompanies Brother on inspections like today…’
Ortansia had assumed today's events were part of her servant training, but apparently that wasn't the case.
‘Then why did Brother take me along, because he saw me crying? And giving a brooch to a servant…’
Given that he had said "Make sure Marguerite doesn't find out," he probably wasn't giving them to all the servants.
‘In that case, why...?’
The more she thought about it, the more her thoughts seemed to sink into a quagmire.
‘Brother is kind, so perhaps he was trying to cheer me up after seeing me cry…’
For GĂ©rard, it might have just been a whim.
But for the current Ortansia, that whimsical kindness was more precious than anything.
A world that was familiar yet was not familiar
People who'd always been by her side in the original world, yet didn't know her here.
In such a world, Ortansia spirit had worn thinner than she'd realized.
...That night when she'd cried alone, she'd been at her limit.
But GĂ©rard had found her and extended a helping hand.
He probably had no idea just how much that had saved her.
‘Brother…’
Just thinking of him made her chest grow warm.
The sensation of gently touching the brooch reminded her that those moments hadn't been a dream.
‘In this world, I'm just a servant. I mustn't wish to be as close to big Brother as I was in the original world, but…’
Even so, would she be allowed to watch over him quietly?
This was the happy world GĂ©rard had wished for.
The duke and duchess, and Marguerite—they were GĂ©rard's family now.
But even if it was just in a tiny corner... Ortansia found herself wishing to be part of GĂ©rard's world.
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