“Rosemary presented herself beautifully at the debutante,” he said. “But after talking to a great many people, she grew thirsty, grabbed a nearby glass, and drained its contents. The drink turned out to be strong alcohol. Since Rosemary had never drunk before, she immediately grew sick. Do you remember anything up to this point?”
“Not at all,” I said.
I’d never heard this story before. When I tried to recall the second half of the debutante, Rosemary’s memories did seem fuzzy.
“Of course, even a sudden illness couldn’t prevent Rosemary from acting like the perfect lady,” Albert continued. “She feigned composure and left the venue so as not to worry anyone. Yet, once inside the carriage, she couldn’t hide it any longer.”
“Then what?” Reynaldo’s eyes flashed dangerously.
“Rosemary asked for water, but since she was having a difficult time drinking herself, I let it flow from my lips into hers.”
The story wasn’t about me precisely. Nevertheless, I still turned as red as a tomato. If there had been a decent-sized rock around, I would have crawled under it.
“Um…” I mumbled. “I know this is late in coming, but I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m at fault for letting you out of my sight,” Albert replied.
“Exactly,” Reynaldo agreed, his voice laced with irritation. “If I had been there, nothing of the sort would have occurred.”
“I suppose so,” Albert allowed. “If a young noblewoman had been taking care of a ten-year-old boy during her debutante, that probably wouldn’t have occurred.”
Bringing up their age difference was a little mean-spirited on Albert’s part.
Still…
With Prince Grey ignoring her, Rosemary had given up on love. Yet, even so, something that adorable had still happened to her. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Incidentally, may I ask who you shared your first kiss with, Mary?” Reynaldo inquired.
“Huh?” I responded.
“I would love to hear that, too,” Albert chimed in. “Please tell us.”
How many bombshells are these two going to drop on me today?
As Albert and Reynaldo both stared at me expectantly, I went to grab another bottle of wine, hoping to avoid their piercing gazes. Alas, Albert blocked my escape route.
“Oh, if you’re looking for more wine, I have another bottle right here,” he said.
“We still have plenty of time tonight,” Reynaldo added. “So, who was your first kiss? Was it your childhood friend, Risye? Master Stanley? Or your father, perhaps?”
“I don’t remember!” I cried. “I didn’t grow up in a high-ranking house like Rosemary! We didn’t place so much importance on little things like kisses!”
And anyway, my life was busy enough as it was, I wanted to continue. I didn’t have time to think about sweet things like kisses.
When the temperature of the room suddenly dropped, I looked up to find the Ice Duke and my impassive knight staring back at me.
“Reynaldo?” I asked. “Oh, is something bothering you too, Albert?”
Had something gone wrong? Or had I done something rude? The atmosphere hadn’t exactly been peaceful, but until just seconds ago, we’d been enjoying a lively conversation about nothing in particular.
“Mary,” Albert said in a businesslike voice.
Reflexively, I straightened my posture. “Y-Yes?!”
“You might find what I’m about to ask unpleasant. All the same, I would appreciate an answer. It’s an important matter.”
“An important matter?” I repeated.
“Yes, this matter is of the highest import,” Albert confirmed, his expression serious.
I nodded, gulping down my nervousness. How large a problem had I caused? My heart pounded with anxiety as I waited for his next words.
“Have you, um…” Albert trailed off, struggling to speak.
I looked towards Reynaldo, my pulse racing even faster. He simply looked back at me, his face not so much as twitching.
“Um…” Albert mumbled.
As he beat around the bush, I waited for him to speak his mind.
Yep, just sitting here waiting…
While Albert looked uncharacteristically serious, I waited for what seemed like an eternity.
Impatient himself, Reynaldo finally spoke up. “Albert wants to know about your history of relationships with men.”
My, how anticlimactic.
I looked to Albert for confirmation. The high commander of the chivalric order stared back at me, his face bright red. Apparently, Reynaldo had been correct.
“I’ve never been in a romantic relationship,” I answered.
Wait, have I been asked this question before, or am I just imagining things?
“In that case, there’s another question I’d like to ask you,” Albert said.
Huh, another one?!
“Who did you share your first kiss with?” Albert asked.
Did we just come full circle?!
With this conversation having come up twice now, I couldn’t avoid giving an answer. Concentrating, I thought back on my current life. While Rosemary’s memories concerning first kisses had been vague, mine were even hazier.
Reynaldo and Albert watched me in agonizing silence. Who was my first kiss? I wondered. I need to remember right now. Sadly, however, no such memories occurred to me.
“I’ve never kissed anyone…” I mumbled.
The sudden chill from earlier dissipated, and the peaceful atmosphere returned.
“Ah, I see,” Albert said.
“How very chaste of you,” Reynaldo added.
As they offered me their kindest smiles, I quashed the urge to run away.
How pathetic, I wanted to sulk. These sorts of frivolous conversations are so common among girls my age, and I can’t even participate in them.
“Mary,” Stanley interrupted, heralding the final bombshell of the evening. “Didn’t you give your first kiss to the winner of the harvest festival?”
It surprised me when he joined the conversation, as he’d been dozing on the couch until a moment ago.
Wait a minute. How long has he been listening to us?
I panicked, worried that he might have overheard us discussing Rosemary. Even more pressingly, Albert and Reynaldo were radiating that chilling aura again. Thus, I had no choice but to swallow my words.
“What’s this harvest festival you speak of?” the Ice Duke inquired.
The high commander turned up the pressure. “And what manner of ruffian did she kiss?”
I didn’t remember it myself, so I could only stand there and try not to faint. Sensing that I had no answers for them, Albert and Reynaldo began grilling Stanley instead.
“As a reward for producing the most bountiful harvest in Edigma that year—” Stanley paused for dramatic effect. “—she kissed Old Man Veed on the cheek.”
Reynaldo, Albert, and I went simultaneously slack-jawed. “Old Man Veed?” we all repeated in unison.