Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster: Volume 8 E-Book

Saki

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Heart
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 234

Beschreibung

Mary and Adi’s daughter Roxanne sets off on a solo errand! House Albert will soon be hosting a party where they plan to make a special announcement, and Roxanne takes it upon herself to hand out the invitations personally. Too anxious to let the six-year-old girl go out all by herself, Mary and Adi decide to secretly follow her. One after another, the people Mary has confronted over the years appear in her path. How is everyone faring these days? Will Mary’s efforts to befriend them pay off? And where will they all go from here? Find out in the final installment of the series, filled with a healthy dose of adorableness on top of the usual antics!

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Characters

Prologue

Chapter 1

Idle Memories: Part 1

Chapter 2

Idle Memories: Part 2

Chapter 3

Idle Memories: Part 3

Chapter 4

Idle Memories: Just the Two of Us

Epilogue

Afterword

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Table of Contents

Prologue

“I did it!” shouted a little girl while raising an envelope high up in the air. The paper was beautiful, yet the address upon it was shoddily written, and there was a crooked drawing of a flower on the side of it. All this clumsiness made it evident at a glance that the girl had done everything herself.

There were a few other envelopes atop the table, which she had also made. For an adult, writing letters was more of a simple pastime, but for a child, it was quite the laborious task. The little girl exhaled deeply and wiped her brow, proudly showing off her work. She rotated her neck as if to imply her shoulders felt stiff, causing her silver curls to move softly in response.

“I knew I’d do a good job!” she said, boastfully praising herself. Next, she hurriedly slid off of her chair, grabbed the envelopes, and triumphantly walked out of the room.

“You want to deliver these letters by yourself?” Mary asked, unable to hide her surprise.

The little girl nodded enthusiastically. Her rust-colored eyes glimmered, and her chubby cheeks were a bit flushed. She was overflowing with confidence. Mary knew the expression upon the child’s face meant that she had made up her mind and would see her idea through to the end no matter what.

All Mary managed to get out was “But...” before the girl interrupted her, as if anticipating the rest of the statement.

“It’s okay!” she reassured Mary, drawing closer and standing on her tiptoes to make up for the height difference between them. She hadn’t interrupted Mary out of malice—rather, she simply couldn’t suppress her own excitement. If anything, it was impressive that she was still in the room, since she might as well have run off with the envelopes in hand. “I’m already six years old! I can go out by myself!”

“But there are many dangers outside,” Mary argued. “A stranger might try speaking to you. Wouldn’t that scare you?”

“Nope! I’ll punch them in the flank!”

Mary paused. “I wonder whose influence this is? How awful... Anyway, leaving that aside, what if you get lost on the way?”

“I’ll go by carriage, so that won’t happen! And I’ll bring a map with me too!”

“That’s fine, but at the very least let me and your father go with yo—”

“No! I’ll be okay!” the girl asserted, exiting the room without regard for Mary’s attempts to stop her. The child was so full of energy that Mary could only stare after her, dumbfounded. In fact, “exiting” felt like too lukewarm of a term to use here; it would’ve been more accurate to say the child had shot out of the room instead.

Mary reached out her arm in vain, her fingers grasping the vacant air. She drew it back, then shrugged and let out a deep sigh. “Year by year, she’s becoming more reckless and single-minded...” she grumbled with exasperation.

Someone chuckled at her words, and she glared in their direction. It was Adi, who quickly hid his mouth behind his hand when he noticed Mary’s glower. His gesture was incredibly put-on.

“There, there,” he soothed her, touching her shoulder. He gently rubbed it, but Mary didn’t let herself get caught up in the moment, smacking his hand away to show her objection. Naturally, this didn’t put Adi off in the slightest, and if anything, his smile grew larger. Instead of drawing his hand away, he pulled Mary closer. “She’ll be fine. I’ll inform the driver of what’s going on, and we can follow her carriage.”

“How can you be so relaxed about this?” Mary questioned. “Aren’t you worried about her?”

“Of course I am. However...” Adi looked to the door through which the girl had disappeared, and shrugged.

Most likely, she was walking enthusiastically through the mansion at this very moment, grinning proudly with her chest puffed out, all while her silver ringlets swayed softly. She was sure to exclaim, “I’m going on an errand all by myself!” to any passing servants or maids.

They’d in turn say things like “Wow!” and “How incredible!” only emboldening her further.

The first thing she’d do is go to her room and change into her pink and white dress. Then, she’d put on a matching bonnet, and start choosing what to put into her white pochette with the gold embroidery. This outfit was her favorite lately.

All dressed up to go out, she’d triumphantly walk through the estate, her strides longer than usual on account of her pride. Her silver hair would sway elegantly the entire time.

Adi could easily picture her every move. After all...

“She’s just like you when you were her age,” he told Mary, looking to her for agreement.

Mary had no idea how to respond. His words made her happy, but they also irked her. If she agreed, she’d be admitting that she had been reckless and single-minded when she was younger. It was embarrassing, considering how Mary had behaved a few minutes ago. She was throwing stones while living in a glass house.

However, she couldn’t hide any part of her childhood from Adi. He knew her better than her parents or brothers—better than Mary knew herself, even.

She didn’t feel like nodding along, but she was aware of how she used to be in her youth, just a little bit. Really, only three or maybe four of her memories applied here. That’s exactly why I should take the offensive now, she decided.

“Of course she is!” Mary declared with a huff, flipping her hair from her shoulder. “She’s my daughter, after all. It’s only natural that she resembles me, no?” she prompted, causing Adi to smile wryly and nod. She pursed her lips at the adoring way he gazed at her. His smile was as composed as ever, even while she poked him in the chest with her finger. “But she’s also your daughter, so her recklessness and her one-track mind might have come from you, don’t you think?”

Adi’s smile grew even more at her question.

Roxanne Albert was Mary and Adi’s firstborn, and the start of House Albert’s new generation. She had beautiful silver hair like her mother, and deep rust-colored eyes like her father. Her cheerful smile was as lovely as the sun, and if she stood still, she looked like a figure right out of a gorgeous painting. She could easily capture anyone’s heart.

Her little body was crammed full of adorableness, as she often tried to act like a grown-up, complaining to her stuffed animals that she was sick of being treated like a child.

Roxanne had turned six just a few days ago, a fact which made her incredibly proud. The way she insisted that this made her an adult only amplified her cuteness. I can’t believe she’s already this big... Mary found herself thinking all the time, amazed at her precious daughter’s growth.

“I can track her growth just by walking through the mansion... I see there’s yet another new portrait,” Mary said with a sigh, stopping to look at the painting hanging on the wall.

A beautiful little girl was smiling in the frame. The painter had used watercolors, giving the painting that delicate look, along with an ambiguous, fantastical background. It looked like an illustration from a book of fairy tales. The girl’s silver hair, which appeared pale due to the paint, reflected the pink of her cheeks. Her eyes were gazing back at the viewer happily, as if she were on the verge of reaching her hand out towards them.

Needless to say, it was a painting of Roxanne.

Next to it was another, depicting Roxanne sitting in a swing, and on the other side was a painting of her right around the time she was born. The paintings weren’t all done exclusively in watercolor, but using various methods and styles, and were displayed all over Albert Manor. (This didn’t apply exclusively to the interior either, as currently the castle Roxanne had made out of dirt a few days ago was being safeguarded in the gardens.)

“Lord Lang and Lord Lucian summon an artist to paint Roxanne any time they notice a free space,” Adi remarked. “My brother’s the one who makes the arrangements, so everything happens very quickly...”

“This is no longer Albert Manor. This is the Roxanne Historical Museum,” Mary replied. “Wait! The paintings that used to be here have been replaced with Roxanne’s animal drawings!”

“And here’s a display of her origami. Just how much did this frame cost...?” Adi muttered, staring at the lavish frame, the center of which housed a slightly clumsy origami figure. He could only describe this as surrealism. The apparent skill gap between the craftsmanship of the frame and what it displayed was so large that he could almost find an avant-garde artistry to it.

As for Mary, even if these items hadn’t been her daughter’s creations and she had seen them on display in another family’s mansion, she would still have gazed at them with a smile. In a hoarse voice, she would’ve praised them by saying, “This is what love looks like.”

Alas, everything here had been made by Roxanne—her beloved daughter and the cutest little girl in the whole world.

“She really is adorable. She looks so good in both watercolor and oil paints that I think every artist should try depicting her at least once,” Mary declared.

“I’m in full agreement with you,” Adi responded. “Just look at this origami. Roxanne has such tiny hands, yet she managed to fold this lovely flower. She must be a genius.”

Indeed, both of them had the same opinion when it came to the Roxanne Historical Museum. Of course, if Roxanne were to ever exclaim, “I’m embarrassed!” they would close the museum down instantly. However, that hadn’t been the case. In actuality, when Roxanne’s drawing or origami folding went well, she’d jump up and down and hold her creation out, shouting, “Hang this one up too!”

“Our sweet little Roxanne is going all by herself to hand out the invitations... I’m worried,” said Mary. “I have to go with her.”

“She insisted on going alone, but I’m sure nobody will listen to her. Ah, how nostalgic...” Adi trailed off. Apparently, when Mary was little, she had proclaimed she would be going on an errand by herself too. When Adi asked if she remembered it, she nodded with discontent...

Back then, Mary was six years old, just like Roxanne. On that particular day, Albert Manor had hosted guests since the early morning. They were a married couple who had long been friends with her father, and Mary had seen them numerous times before. Each time they saw her, they’d compliment her and tell her how fast she was growing. They were kind people.

The guests had lunch with the Alberts, and left before evening. However, the woman had forgotten one of her gloves. Usually, they would’ve just sent a servant to take it to her, but little Mary, whose growth the couple had praised so much, volunteered to deliver it herself.

“I’m already a wonderful lady! I can do an errand by myself!” she declared, and flew out of the room without listening to her parents’, brothers’, or even Adi’s protests. She then proudly went to her room, picked out her favorite dress to change into, and exultantly boarded a carriage. All the while, her silver ringlets had rocked to and fro...

The more Mary looked back, the more she realized Roxanne was just like her. “I see. Persuading her not to do it will be impossible,” she admitted reluctantly. “But I can’t let my child wander off all by herself. I know she’ll be going via carriage, but something could happen on the way.”

“That’s why I think we should follow her,” Adi said, adding that they ought to be secretive about it.

Mary frowned, wondering if that would work. She obviously wanted to go, but if Roxanne noticed them, her self-esteem would be wounded. It was troublesome that the child had decided to leave without listening to her parents, but this was part of her growth. Mary couldn’t disregard that, no matter how worried she was.

Such was the source of her concern. Raising children was difficult, so she agonized over every single decision. Her room had a mountain of books about childcare, but would any of them include advice on what to do when one’s child decided to go on an errand by themselves? Once Mary started thinking about child-rearing, her anxieties would mount, and on many occasions she had spent the whole night reading through the books in search of answers.

Yet right now, she didn’t have time to read a book from cover to cover. There was no right answer when it came to raising children, and in the time one spent worrying, the child grew up.

When Mary asked what she should do, Adi smiled and gently rubbed her shoulder, his eyes gazing into hers. “You’re overthinking it, Mary. Roxanne won’t notice us following her. Besides, children do have to run errands on their own eventually. Everything ended well back when you did it, remember?”

“True...” Mary said, her shoulders relaxing as she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d been so worried, yet his words made all of her apprehension vanish instantly. Instead, her heart was filled with unfiltered joy at the growth of her child.

She and Adi would follow Roxanne and watch over her. That they would get to witness their daughter’s growth together made Mary euphoric.

“I’m sure everything will go well if you say so, Adi. Let’s watch over her together.”

“Indeed. I mean, back then you didn’t notice eithe— Ahem, never mind. Let’s go.”

“Wait, did you follow me on that errand?” Mary asked.

“A carriage of simple make is best for the purposes of tailing someone. We should borrow Lord Lang and Lord Lucian’s getaway vehicle. The exterior is plain, but the interior is first-class. How nostalgic... When we were tailing you, we also got onto the getaway vehi— Never mind.”

“You did follow me, didn’t you? And not just you, by the sounds of it. So even back then, my brothers had a getaway carriage, huh?” Mary asked, continuously pestering Adi.

But he pretended not to hear. “Let’s get ready,” he said before vacating the room. He was practically running away.

Mary glared at the door for a while after he’d left, before concluding, “Well, I suppose he and my brothers wouldn’t have been able to just sit and wait for my return.” With a shrug, she followed Adi outside.

Chapter 1

Roxanne’s carriage rocked gently. The interior was stuffed to the brim with high-quality cushions, which Adi had bought one after another when Mary was pregnant. Mary had been certain that once the child was born, Adi’s cushion mania would settle down, but if anything, his condition had only deteriorated further. He’d managed to build up techniques and contacts for getting cushions on the daily, to the point that he was basically a cushion collector.

“I can’t tell if our carriages are supposed to transport people or cushions...” Mary complained with a sigh, picking up one of said cushions. Her and Adi’s vehicle was following Roxanne’s, both of which were filled with numerous cushions.

The one Mary had picked up was a new addition, and when she glanced at Adi, he nonchalantly informed her, “It arrived just the other day.” Worse yet, he even began explaining all about its stuffing and design in detail. He really was a collector.

“I take it that House Albert is steadily collecting all of the world’s cushions,” Mary commented.

“Oh, of course not. I still have a long way before I can boast of doing that!”

“That wasn’t a compliment, so stop acting all humble.”

“Honestly, if my comrades heard you make that claim, I’d be a laughingstock. But I’m sure one day I’ll get there, together with them all...!”

“Wait, is there a cushion community?! Are you and your comrades going global?!” Mary questioned, surprised by such lofty ambitions. However, Adi’s amused laugh told her that he must’ve been joking (though, that wasn’t necessarily guaranteed either).

Still, realizing how much he was enjoying himself, Mary glared at him. She then punched the cushion she’d been holding, but Adi just smiled, unperturbed. He didn’t appear to be offended by her action. Mary sighed in exasperation, flipping her hair off her shoulders.

“What if the world suffers a cushion shortage and House Albert takes the blame?” she inquired. “We might actually fall into ruin this time, because of our cushion monopoly.”

“That won’t happen. If somebody tried to sue us, it’d be the same as suing the royal family, and the country would collapse,” Adi reasoned, gazing out of the window with a dry smile. Mary did the same, watching as Roxanne stepped out of the carriage a little ways ahead of them.

The child walked slowly down the ramp, holding the driver’s hand for support. Her conduct was ladylike and elegant. When did she become so calm and collected? Mary mused, involuntarily tearing up at the sight.

When was the last time Mary had called out, “Wait, you’ll fall!” only to watch her excitable daughter fly out of the carriage anyway? Huh, Mary could’ve sworn it was the day before yesterday!

Regardless, Roxanne began gleefully heading towards a building that was even more lavish than Albert Manor: the royal palace. This place made ordinary citizens and aristocrats alike nervous, and feel the need to adjust their attire. Alas, Roxanne had come here often ever since she was a baby, so she wasn’t anxious in the slightest. She acted as if she were visiting relatives.

That said, she was neither frolicking nor sprinting towards the palace. Quite the opposite—bearing the mighty responsibility of her errand on her shoulders, she was conducting herself with even more primness than usual.

She’s so cute! Mary thought, pressing her hand to her chest. She wanted nothing more than to rush over to Roxanne and hug her, but she managed to stop herself. That would have to wait until they were back at Albert Manor.

“Children grow up so fast, don’t they, Adi? Just look at that dignified walk of hers!” Mary fawned. “I feel like it wasn’t so long ago that she’d jump out of the carriage and hop up and down in excitement, hurrying us along to the palace... Huh, when did that happen again?”

“That was the day before yesterday,” Adi replied. “How nostalgic...!”

“Such growth in just two days! That’s my daughter for you!”

“Look! The maids are greeting her, and now she’s holding her skirt and curtsying!”

Having stepped out of their carriage, Mary and Adi were whispering to each other as they cowered in the shadows and observed their daughter. They would’ve seemed like a very bizarre couple to any onlookers, and the sight of the suspicious duo did startle the passing staff members. But after their initial surprise wore off and they recognized the pair, the staff instantly let down their guard. Once they realized Roxanne was present, the servants smiled wryly and even played along.

I’m glad they’re quick on the uptake, Mary thought with gratitude.

“Roxanne!” someone shouted with delight, and soon enough Alicia rushed out of the palace. Patrick was beside her too.

Roxanne took a few steps closer to the couple, gathered her skirts, and curtsied. Her conduct was so graceful that Mary and Adi—still hidden—couldn’t stop themselves from sending her a round of applause.

“Good day, Lady Alicia and Lord Patrick.”

“Good day, Roxanne!” Alicia responded. “You look as cute as ever!”

“Sorry I came so sudde— I mean, my apologies for the unexpected visit. I got somethi— I brought over something for you. I’m here to make an en...in...inquiry.” Roxanne delivered her greeting politely, despite the occasional verbal stumble. When she finished speaking, she looked up and exhaled proudly, perhaps feeling accomplished.

The little girl was utterly adorable, and Alicia’s expression melted more and more as she listened. She looked to be on the verge of embracing Roxanne.

In contrast, Patrick just barely managed to keep up an appearance of calm. However, when Roxanne said, “Hold on,” then turned away and glanced down at a memo (it must’ve been a cheat sheet she’d secretly prepared on how to speak like a lady), Patrick couldn’t endure it, and his shoulders started shaking.

“Um, what do I say next...? I’m here to make an inquiry... Huh?” Roxanne tilted her head, wondering if she’d already said this part. Her silver ringlets fluttered with the movement. Alicia’s expression crumbled even further, and Patrick’s smile deepened.

“R-Right, so what did you bring for us, Roxanne?” he prompted gently.

Roxanne had been fixated upon her memo, but his question made her snap back to reality. She quickly hid her cheat sheet in her pochette so that the pair wouldn’t see it, and then laughed elegantly to gloss it over. Alicia let out a strained sound, while Patrick’s expression softened with affection, as though he were gazing at his own daughter.

The child opened her pochette again and took out two letters, reverently holding them out to the couple.

“What’s this?”

“These are invitations for the party House Albert is hosting this month. I would be delighted to have you two attend...in attendance...so I brought the letters...in person...?”

“You mean, ‘I’d like you two to attend, so I brought the letters over personally’?”

“Yes, that!” Roxanne’s expression brightened when Patrick spoke on her behalf. In her mind, she was the one who’d just finished that statement. She looked proud, and puffed out her chest as if to say she’d just successfully completed a task.

The gesture was so cute that Alicia trembled in agony. When Roxanne held out the letter to her, Alicia grasped her tiny hand instead. The child giggled, as if that tickled her. She’d been trying to act mature, yet now she smiled brilliantly and exclaimed, “That tickles!”

At that moment, Alicia swept Roxanne up in a hug. Her cuteness endurance had reached its limit. Although Alicia was a slender woman of petite frame, Roxanne was even smaller, being a child. The embrace enveloped her entirely, but even so, she held the letter out through a gap between their bodies.

“This one’s for you, Lord Patrick...!”

“Right, thanks for bringing it over. Alicia, you should let her go now.”

“Five more minutes! Five more minutes!” Alicia argued like a grumpy child.

Meanwhile, Roxanne remained perfectly calm and even said, “I can spare five minutes.”

It was hard to tell which of them was the real child here, and Patrick’s shoulders sank. “Still, I can’t believe you made these invitations by hand, and brought them over personally,” he said.

“My mother always says that you have to give important invitations directly! And this party’s very special, because we’re making a wonderful announcement!” the child explained.

“A wonderful announcement, you say? I see, so this is about the migratory bird restaurant,” Patrick concluded. “It’s about time you branched out. What’s next? Beef? No, this is Mary we’re talking about, so she might come up with something seafood-base—”

“My, Lord Patrick! We wouldn’t make an announcement about the restaurant during a party!” Roxanne said with an elegant laugh, interpreting Patrick’s words as a joke.

“But in the past, your mother...” Patrick started to say something, then suddenly picked up that someone’s gaze was on him and looked up...before shutting his mouth. He noticed Mary staring at him from her hiding spot in the distance.

A great pressure emanated from her, and he thought he could hear her say, “Don’t you dare tell my daughter such unnecessary things!”

Patrick decided that was a wise policy and nodded slightly. “Never mind; it’s an old story,” he said, smoothing over his words. His smile was as handsome as always, and it sparkled even more than usual in his attempt to change the topic. His dazzle hadn’t diminished yet—if anything, it was getting stronger with each year.

Even the little Roxanne’s cheeks flushed at that. (As a side note, at that moment Patrick could’ve sworn he heard Adi say, “Please don’t sparkle so much around my daughter.”)

“So you came here all by yourself?” Patrick prompted.

“Yes! This is my first time out on my own, but I’ll see things through!” Roxanne declared.

“I’m still a bit worried, though. I’ll get one of our staff to go with yo—”

“I’ll be fine!” Roxanne insisted, vigorously rejecting Patrick’s proposal.

The man once more glanced to where Mary and Adi were hidden. They both shrugged and shook their heads in unison. Judging from their exasperation, he understood that their attempts at changing Roxanne’s mind had failed.

“Right, so that’s why they’re shadowing her...” Patrick muttered under his breath. Of course, Roxanne didn’t pick up on it. “Sorry, Roxanne, but do you mind if I step away for a bit?”

“I don’t mind.”

“Thanks. Look after Alicia for a while,” he said jokingly.

The girl giggled. “Leave it to me,” she said, trying to sound like a grown-up, and her words caused him to smile.

Alicia was dissatisfied with being treated like a child, but she didn’t let go of Roxanne. “Let’s head into the garden,” she suggested, full of enthusiasm.

Once they were gone, Patrick exhaled deeply. Then, he headed right on over to Mary and Adi’s hiding spot.

“Oh dear,” Mary murmured upon seeing his expression as he beelined towards them. Earlier when he’d been talking to the little girl, he was glimmering, but right now his light dimmed with each step he took. Mary thought his ability to sparkle on demand was very impressive, but watching the glitter gradually fade away was equally so.

By the time Patrick made it over, he was exuding an aura of exasperation. Mary was much more used to seeing this side of him.

“Greetings, Mary and Adi. Could you temper your eccentricity when you’re at the palace, at the very least? Then again, I’ve already told you that countless times...”

“Greetings, Patrick. I won’t refuse if you decide to make my adorable daughter’s invitation into a national treasure,” Mary said in jest, instigating Patrick’s exasperation.

Adi was the only one who politely apologized for their unannounced visit. But a moment later, he added, “If you wish to display the invitations, I’ll arrange for the frame,” so in the end, he was on the same level as Mary.

“You’re a pair of overly fawning parents,” Patrick pronounced coolly.

Mary huffed. “How rude,” she complained, then suddenly took a step closer to him and smirked. “By the way, I’ve been wondering something lately. Between you and Adi, who’s bought the most cushions?”

“I...”

“I’d say it was a pretty close match. Since we’re already here, why don’t we find out?” Mary proposed with an impish grin, wondering out loud on whom she should bet.

Patrick scowled. It wasn’t like him to show so openly that he disliked a topic of conversation. But that just meant that Mary had hit a sore spot. Eventually, he looked away, feigning ignorance. Adi clapped his hand over his mouth while trembling. Noticing that Adi was laughing at him, Patrick glared at the other man.

“You’re in no position to be laughing at me, Adi.”

“That’s true, but I can admit that I’m an overly fawning father, so there’s no problem. In fact, I’m well aware of the present situation of cushion sales all around the world!”

“And you’re proud of that?”