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This salon was on the ground floor of the former classroom building. It was also in the farthest corner behind an easily unnoticed door. Since the salon had been set up so recently, the only locations left were presumably remote ones like this. In theory, Lady Rosalie could have initiated a Salon Struggle to get a better spot, but evidently she was either too kind or too lacking in confidence that she’d win.
I feel like they could pull it off, though. Her Seraph, Marie, seems like a pretty skilled maid. Together, they could probably win a slightly better location than this.
I didn’t know Lady Rosalie too well yet, but I was sure she was nice. Still, I felt wary not knowing how she’d gotten her hands on the info about Lady Sakura.
If it was like Himeko said, and Lady Shion was the one who’d told her, the next question was why. Her connection with Lady Rosalie remained a total mystery. Until all this got cleared up, I didn’t think I’d feel totally comfortable around Lady Rosalie.
“The door’s been cleaned up really nicely,” I remarked.
Matching the rest of the building, the entrance to the Gloriana Guesthouse was a large, antique-looking wooden door. However, it had clearly been treated very well. Despite how old it appeared, it had no major signs of damage. All I saw was the subdued elegance that came from long years passing.
“It’s even been waxed. You can tell how much Lady Rosalie cares about the details.”
Looking closely, even the doorknob had been polished to a sheen.
Kirara’s face said she meant business. “Whatever kind of person she is, right now she’s Lady Kagura’s rival. We mustn’t forget that.”
“Yeah, true.”
It occurred to me that Kirara hadn’t actually met her yet. If all she knew was what she’d heard from our chat with Sara, it was probably hard to form much of a picture of her. Given how early Lady Rosalie had learned about Lady Sakura’s arrival—and the lady herself—she had probably come across as a strategic person with a vast information network. She would most likely seem akin to the Kokonoe sisters.
“Now or never.” With a tense look about her, Kirara pounded the door knocker three times.
From inside, a voice I was pretty sure belonged to Marie replied, “Coming! One moment, please!”
This was followed by the sound of footsteps rushing over to us. The faint voice of Lady Rosalie chided her, “Come on, Marie! Don’t run inside!”
Kirara looked slightly taken aback. This one moment had probably turned her image of Lady Rosalie upside down.
With a deep rattle, the door flew open. “I’m here! Sorry for the wait!”
Standing in the doorway, Marie wore an amiable smile. As soon as we saw her, we bowed our heads and said, “Good day.”
“Oh, it’s you, Misaki. And this must be Kirara, right?” Apparently she recognized Kirara too.
Her voice trembling, Kirara stood facing Marie. “Nice to meet you. You’re Mari Sakuchi, but you like to be called Marie. Is that right?”
“That’s right! I can guess why you’re here. You’re throwing down the gauntlet, aren’t you?”
She grinned. Even though Lady Kagura hadn’t announced her intentions to anyone, it seemed like this opponent already knew about it.
Given the way everything else has mysteriously been leaked, it’s not a huge surprise, I guess. But does this mean Lady Rosalie already knew our plans and still hasn’t acted on it?
“That’s one way of putting it,” Kirara replied. “We’re here to talk about Lady Sakura, if that’s what you mean.”
“Ah, then you’ll need to see my mistress, won’t you?”
Following a polite curtsy, she showed us inside.
“Welcome to the Gloriana Guesthouse!”
After leading us in, she adopted a fairly casual tone as she took us to find Lady Rosalie. “Milady, Misaki and Kirara have come to say hi.”
This salon was going for an air of British traditionalism, so the imported furniture all around us fit perfectly. The place was overflowing with atmosphere. Everything was embroidered or engraved, and it was clear at first glance that every piece was of the highest quality.
Three little chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and electric lights designed to look like candles stood on the tables, giving the room a warm glow with their flickering light. The room wasn’t overly large—it had once been a classroom, after all—but careful positioning of furniture and mirrors made it feel more spacious than it was. You couldn’t have held a dance in here, but all it needed was some girls sitting there in formal dresses to instantly make it look like a banquet attended by noblewomen.
In fact, that exact scene was basically playing out in a corner of the room right now. They must be members of the salon. There were two young ladies in luxurious dresses enjoying a refined afternoon tea. On the table in front of them sat a high tea stand with cakes, scones, and sandwiches.
The girls next to them in maid uniforms had to be their Seraphs. They were efficiently serving their mistresses and nodding along to their conversations.
As soon as the mistresses noticed our arrival, their faces reddened and they slowly cast their eyes downward. Huh. I get the feeling they’re not used to this way of dressing and acting yet.
“Hmph.” Marie put her hands on her hips and quietly scolded them. “This is no good, ladies. We’re looking for far more elegant behavior.”
“We’re trying, but it’s still kind of embarrassing.”
The other lady turned to her and smiled awkwardly. “Right?”
This was all so charming to witness. I could already tell what a cozy atmosphere they had at this salon.
Are these the salon’s members? Those two mistresses, plus Lady Rosalie? The salon was brand new, but it already gave a clear sense of Lady Rosalie’s intentions.
“Now, ladies, please sit up straight and continue your afternoon tea. We have guests today, so our salon has to make a good impression.”
Both of them grinned cheerfully.
“Yes, understood,” one of them replied.
“Enjoy your time here, you two,” said the other one to Kirara and me.
“Thank you very much,” I replied.
“We’re grateful for the warm welcome,” Kirara agreed.
We both smiled and bowed our heads slightly as we followed after Marie.
While walking, Marie said, “To be honest, I wasn’t sure about wearing formal dresses outside of a ballroom either, but that’s what Lady Rosalie is into.”
“So she always wears a dress like that as well?” I asked.
“That’s right. She says getting the look down is the all-important first step.”
She led us to the far end of the salon, where a dazzling partition blocked off a corner of the room. When we got there, Lady Rosalie spoke from behind the partition.
“Marie, I need you to wait for a minute. I’m still not ready.”
“What are you blathering about? You’re always ready for anyone to arrive at any time, aren’t you?”
Apparently wondering what was going on, Marie speedily stepped behind the partition. Flustered, we followed straight after her. However, there was no sign of Lady Rosalie.
Undaunted, however, Marie kept going. She proceeded to a large, heavy curtain hanging from the far wall and forcefully pulled it open.