Reconciliation!

“Young Master Claude, what should I do?”

In the duke’s office, I urgently questioned the golden-haired man before me.

Two weeks had passed since my meeting with Sofina.

I could clearly sense that the young lady had been avoiding me ever since.

The moment we met, she would turn away, not only shooing me out during dinner but even refusing to bathe together.

…Could she be entering her rebellious phase?

Or perhaps, as I feared, I pushed her too hard that day, and now she’s upset?

Either way, it’s giving me a headache…

With no other options, though it felt wrong to trouble Young Master Claude—who was busy managing the entire ducal estate—I had no one else to turn to.

“…I understand your concerns. If you feel you’re at fault, just apologize to Caterina.”

“But… the young lady keeps avoiding me…”

At that, Young Master Claude shrugged.

“So what? You’re her exclusive maid. If you want to find her, you’ll have a chance. Just coax her a little, and she’ll surely warm up to you again.”

“…But lately, I feel like I can’t figure out what the young lady is thinking. Could it be her coming-of-age?”

“Coming-of-age, huh…”

Young Master Claude looked at me helplessly, probably thinking something like, *“Aren’t you about the same age?”*

Unfortunately for him, the soul inside me is far older.

“Hey, I don’t think you need to worry so much. She adores you the most, doesn’t she? This situation must be tough on her too. Just find a moment tonight to be honest with Caterina, do something to make her happy, and she’ll surely open up.”

“…Why do you sound so certain?”

“Well, earlier… no, never mind. Just do as I say.”

“…Alright.”

It feels a bit unreliable…

But right now, it’s my only option.

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Good luck to you both.”

I left the duke’s office and began preparing for tonight.

****

(Caterina’s Perspective)

“Brother, what should I do?”

In the duke’s office, I urgently questioned the golden-haired man before me.

“…Why is it always about Ailena every time you come to me?”

My brother gave a wry smile.

“Honestly, it makes me a little jealous. It’s like my little sister’s been stolen away by someone else.”

“…Brother, stop teasing!”

My face flushed with embarrassment.

“Haha, alright, I’ll be serious.”

His smile faded, and my brother spoke earnestly:

“If you feel you’ve done something wrong, just apologize to her. And frankly, this is your fault… If Father were here, he’d scold you for being ‘unladylike.’”

I know I messed up…

“But… but… I just can’t bring myself to say it…”

Every time I see Ailena, I feel so awkward! I hurt her physically and emotionally, and now I feel like I can’t face her, so I keep avoiding her.

“Are you planning to stay in a cold war with Ailena forever?”

My brother stepped closer, whispering in my ear:

“Forever, you know! You’ll never reconcile with Ailena! Keep this up, and one day she might get fed up and resign from the ducal estate!”

My heart stopped at those words, and I quickly protested:

“No! That’s impossible! Ailena promised she’d stay with me forever!”

“But didn’t you push her away yourself? How can you expect her to keep that promise?”

“…”

My brother always manages to silence me with his arguments.

“You know what you need to do, don’t you?”

“…Yes.”

Like a child caught misbehaving, I nodded slightly.

“Since you’ve made up your mind, act quickly. I suggest you do it tonight.”

“Should… should I give Ailena a gift to show my apology?”

“…A gift? I don’t think it’s necessary. If you apologize, Ailena will surely forgive you… but if you want to give one, go ahead.”

“Alright… thank you, Brother.”

“Good luck, my dear sister.”

I left the duke’s office and began preparing for tonight.

****

Standing before the young lady’s door, I took a deep breath.

*Knock, knock.*

“Young lady, it’s time for dinner.”

“Come in.”

With her permission, I pushed the dining cart into the room.

I stole a glance at the young lady gazing out the window, only to accidentally meet her eyes.

I hurriedly looked away.

“…”

The room fell into a deathly silence.

I don’t know how long that suffocating quiet lasted, but I finally mustered the resolve to speak:

“Young lady, I…”

“Ailena, I…”

Our voices overlapped.

“Uh… Young lady, you go first.”

“No, no… Ailena, you first…”

“No, no, no… You first…”

“You first, you first…”

This back-and-forth wasn’t getting us anywhere…

We exchanged a glance.

“Together?”

“Yes.”

We both took a deep breath and spoke in unison:

“I’m sorry, young lady!”

“I’m sorry, Ailena!”

“…Huh?”

“Uh…?”

We stared at each other, dumbfounded.

“Why is Ailena apologizing? I’m the one who was wrong… I shouldn’t have treated your friend like that… and I hurt you…”

“I’m apologizing because I thought forcing you to meet Sofina upset you… I didn’t expect you to apologize.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Do I seem like such a rude person?”

The golden-haired little pufferfish raised her eyes, puffing out her cheeks in indignation.

“Haha…”

I brushed it off with a nervous laugh.

“More importantly, young lady, take a look at the special dinner I prepared for you.”

I lifted the cover, revealing a fragrant, golden dish.

“Ta-da! Omurice!”

To be honest, the omurice was just a vessel—what mattered was what was written on it.

“To my dearest young lady…”

As I read the words written in ketchup, the young lady’s body trembled slightly.

No need to ask—she clearly loved it.

“Ailena… I have something for you too.”

It was a ring… a ring woven from silver-white flowers.

“Wow… it’s beautiful…”

I never taught the young lady how to make a ring. She must have worked hard to learn it herself.

“I’m so glad you like it.”

Hearing my praise, the young lady smiled, then personally slipped the ring onto my right ring finger.

…If I recall correctly, a ring on this finger means…

No, she’s just a child. She probably doesn’t know.

Still, receiving a gift made me happy.

I smiled and gently patted the young lady’s head.

“Thank you, young lady.”

…And just like that, our relationship was mended.

“Oh, by the way, young lady, next time you see Sofina, remember to apologize to her.”

“Guuh… Fine… I will.”