Drop!! ～A Tale of the Fragrance Princess～

Volume 5, Act 47: Entering the Big Bookcase Part 3

On her way home from the Big Bookcase, Cordelia bought some souvenirs from the confectionery store.

She bought some to give to Emina and Lara as thanks for helping her get dressed today, but it looked so delicious, that she also bought some for Ronnie and herself.

She went straight to the greenhouse after she got home because she had to give Ronnie the permit as well.

In the greenhouse, Lara and Ronnie were enjoying tea.

“Oh, Ojou-sama. Welcome home!”

“Oh, welcome home, Ojou-sama. I heard about it, but you’re dressed up.”

“I’m back, Lara and Ronnie. Were you having a tea party?”

“Yes, would you like to join us, Ojou-sama?”

Lara invited as she stood out and pulled the chair that Cordelia always sat on.

However, Cordelia smiled wryly and shook her head.

“Thank you, but I only came by to give you something. They’re souvenirs.”

“Yaay!”

“Yay!”

Lara and Ronnie cheered at almost the same time. This part of the student and teacher were exactly alike.

Lara received the package from Cordelia and was fascinated in front of her.

“But it’s really nice. The dress is also nice, but your hair is beautiful. I want to be able to tie my hair up beautifully like you. I like the usual you, but it’s also nice to see a change every once in a while. I wonder if I should get Emina to teach me”

She added as she placed herself behind Cordelia and stared at her hair again.

On the other hand, Ronnie didn’t seem very interested, and he tilted his head while opening the sweets package.

“If you’re that interested in hair, then why don’t you grow yours out, Lara? Then, you can practice on your own hair, right?”

“Ronnie… You haven’t noticed that Lara has been growing her hair out?”

“Huh? Oh, come to think of hit, Lara has been tying her hair up lately.”

Ronnie’s surprise made it clear that he hadn’t noticed that Lara was growing her hair out.

“Jeez. It’s fine for you to notice a change in your cute student, right? Though, Lara has been growing her hair out for two years now.”

“Huh? But her hairstyle doesn’t make it noticeable even if she grows it out…”

However, Ronnie looked away because he didn’t think it was a good situation despite his words.

“I tie it up in a ponytail when I’m working. It doesn’t get in the way.”

“No, see. You tie it to the back, so you can’t see it, right?”

Lara sighed deeply at Ronnie, who was still averting his gaze.

“Well, it’s fine. This is Ronnie, after all. But didn’t you know, Ronnie? It’s completely different when you do your hair and when others do it for you. Just because I grow my hair, doesn’t mean I’ll be good at doing it up straight away.”

“No, rather than not knowing, my hair’s been done before. It was scary. Ah, whatever. Ojou-sama don’t laugh.”

“I’m sorry, it’s funny.”

Cordelia tried to shake off the image of Ronnie with his hair done up and coughed.

“Anyway, here. This is the Big Bookcase permit.”

After receiving the permit from Cordelia, Ronnie held it in the air before his eyes and gazed at it.

“Be careful not to lose it.”

“Ahaha, I understand.”

“Yes. Those are Prince Sylvester’s words.”

“Eh, ah, yes. I’ll be careful. But it’s a terrible thing when I think about it.”

I don’t think he would lose it even if I don’t say anything, but it’s easy to understand Ronnie as he holds the permit with more caution than before. He’ll put it in a locked drawer as soon as he gets back to his room.

“I also heard how to enter the Big Bookcase, so let’s go together once. How about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow? Okay, I don’t have any problems with that.”

“And I could only go to the office for half the day today, so I want to go there as well. Do you mind if we visit after we go to the Big Bookcase?”

“Okay. I’ll put that on my schedule.”

Alright, now Ronnie should be able to reach the book that I couldn’t get today. However, it’s in a difficult place to find, so let’s think about outfits that are easy to move in, Cordelia thought, and Lara sighed deeply.

“Aah. I also want to go out with Ojou-sama. It’s not fair that you always go out with Ronnie. And, I could also help you out if I have the knowledge. Then, I might have received that.”

“Lara, you can just make something too. You don’t have to rush.”

“Do you think I could make something easily? I had so much trouble with the pencil.”

“Then, why don’t you submit that pencil next year?”

“The pencils have already been circulating since last year. Wouldn’t it be too late to submit it next year? It’s uncool if I don’t submit a new item and surprise them.”

Lara, who said that, lifted her eyebrows. It was challenging to obtain the permit, but this was also because of Lara’s pride.

“I don’t think it’s limited to new ideas, but I think it’s good if it hasn’t been circulated in the royal capital yet. You want to surprise them? You’re being influenced by Ojou-sama.”

Ronnie shrugged lightly as he muttered.

“Well, I’ll help out if you find something. I’ll find something useful, even if I have Lara.”

“Argh! I’ll definitely think of something that will surprise you, Ronnie! Promise!”

Lara’s words were also filled with anger, but Ronnie didn’t care.

“Yeah, okay. By the way, have you finished yesterday’s assignment?”

“You said that was due tomorrow, didn’t you?”

“Then, you better finish it before you aim for the permit.”

Lara averted her gaze, as if her feistiness from before was a lie, and suddenly stood up as if she had come up with something.

“I’ve already finished work for today, right? I’m going to the library for a little bit!”

Then, she quickly left the greenhouse. She had probably thought of something to finish Ronnie’s assignment. Her attitude took a complete change from when she was enjoying tea.

“You’re really good at getting her hyped up. You’ve completely gotten used to being a teacher.”

“Ahaha. But I regret it a little. I hope she doesn’t think of anything ridiculous.”

“Oh my, that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

Cordelia laughed at the words that sounded neither serious nor like a joke, and Ronnie dropped his shoulders.

“You think of it as someone else’s problem.”

“I don’t think of you or Lara as strangers, you know?”

“I know… So, how was it? Your impressions of visiting the castle that you didn’t seem to want to visit.”

He was teasing her.

Cordelia smiled firmly at the unexpected question.

“… Well, I have this, so it’s fine. The Big Bookcase is wonderful. The Big Bookcase that is.”

It shouldn’t be a problem if I go to the castle for the Big Bookcase. Clive-sama also said that the Prince doesn’t come to the Big Bookcase, so I’m safe.

“Those words sound questionable. Ah, but the son of the Eames House serves His Highness, so you’ll be unwilling to visit the castle, Ojou-sama.”

“Why?”

“Why? Isn’t there a rumour stating that Marquis Eames and Master are on bad terms?”

“Eh, really?”

Cordelia widened her eyes because that was the first time she’d heard it, and Ronnie tilted his head at her reaction.

“At least, it was famous in the Academy. Apparently, that calm Marquis Eames only raises his voice at Earl Pameradia.”

“His son seemed healthy.”

“Well, I’ve never met the Marquis before, and it’s only a rumour. In the first place, Master doesn’t have many good friends.”

Ronnie, who had said that, also had few friends in school, but the rumour must have been pretty famous for him to have heard of it.

However, something else worried her more than that.

“Don’t tell that to Otou-sama even as a joke, okay? Especially the last thing.”

“I know. I won’t tell him! Scary, scary.”

I don’t think he’ll slip up considering he’s going pale, but Otou-sama does have friends: Zeke, the substitute feudal lord, his sister-in-law, Nirupama-obaasama, and Marquis Flantheim. The rest are mostly acquaintances, so I don’t know how many friends he has…

“Well, it doesn’t matter if he has a lot of friends or not, I think Master is a good person.”

“I’m happy as his daughter if you think that way. Now, I’ll go back to my room before I get my dress dirty. You can finish today after you clean up the tea party. If you’re free, then please explain Lara’s assignment to her.”

“Thank you very much.”

Cordelia parted with Ronnie and left the greenhouse.

On the way back to her room, she met Emina at the entrance.

“Welcome home, Ojou-sama. You must be tired after coming back, but Isma-sama has returned and is asking for Ojou-sama.”

“Huh? Onii-sama has? Thanks, I’ll go see him right away.”

Today was the day Isma would be coming home, but it was still reasonably early.

How rare, she thought as she gave Emina’s gift to her and headed straight to Isma’s room. She knocked on Isma’s door and waited for permission before entering.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Onii-sama.”

“Sorry. You’ve just returned home.”

“That’s you also, right? Thank you for your hard work, like always.”

Isma narrowed his eyes at Cordelia’s words and laughed.

“Thanks. Anyways, you look more amazing than usual. It’s cute.”

“Thank you very much.”

“You got hyped up and visited the castle, didn’t you?”

“Oh my, do you know about that?”

I didn’t tell Isma-oniisama that I was visiting the castle, so Otou-sama probably told him. But I don’t think he would go out of his way to tell Onii-sama that I was visiting the castle; he doesn’t have time to do that.

Cordelia tilted her head, and Isma looked a little troubled.

“A messenger came from His Highness. You got hurt?”

“No, I just stumbled a little. I think His Highness knows this too…”

“I see, that’s good then. I thought you would be fine from what I heard.”

“Mm, did you perhaps… come home early because of that?”

If that were the case, then the excuse I used to escape from his office has become a nuisance, Cordelia reflected with mixed feelings, and Isma lightly shook his head.

“You don’t have to worry about it. I had a day off today, so I wanted to come home earlier. I’m glad I got the chance to go home.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I also finished the job that I wanted to do, so don’t worry.”

If so, then there are no problems… Cordelia felt that just falling down could have an effect on many levels, and decided to be more careful in the future.

However, someone else worried her, since Sylvester had sent a messenger to Isma.

“Onii-sama, does Otou-sama know…?”

She was half-joking when she had used it as an excuse on Clive, but it wouldn’t be good if her father really found out.

Isma smiled wryly at Cordelia’s question. She knew what he was thinking.

“Don’t worry. Fortunately, father seems to have gone out on an inspection today. When a message comes to me, it means that father hasn’t received it yet, so I told them not to tell him.”

“I’m glad.”

“Father would be anxious if he hears that you’ve been injured. Very.”

He informed her just in case, and Cordelia was relieved to hear that Isma had realised the same thing she had. She felt terrible for Elvis if he heard that his daughter had been injured at the castle, since he had come home to take her there because he was worried. And, it was unsightly, so she didn’t want him to know that she had tumbled.

“So… you have a package addressed to you. I heard it’s His Highness’s get-well present.”

“Huh? From His Highness?”

“Yeah. Apparently, they’re baked goods.”

It’s too much.

That was her first impression. Her second thoughts were, even though I don’t need them.

“Onii-sama, I really only hurt for a second, and I’m not hurt…”

“But, I can’t return what His Highness has given. They’re sweets, and His Highness also said, 『Please give them to her secretly』, so just accept them.”

Cordelia couldn’t refute what Isma had said.

(Well, I can’t just send back His Highness’s gift, now can I?”

She understood in her mind, but she still didn’t want it.

But, Isma would be troubled if she kept on being unreasonable.

(Even if it’s the same gift, I’m happy with the ones that Gille-sama sends me sometimes…)

Can a different sender really change one’s feelings this much? But I have no choice but to accept it.

“… Then, I’ll write him a thank you note. Can you give it to His Highness, Onii-sama?”

Translator: Blushy

Editor: SenjiQ