Chapter Text
The night dimming, single light by single light… it should have been such a lonely and dissonant feeling, right? The night, from the start, was lonely. Sharon herself was lonely. The look in Alice’s eyes… was lonely. Why, then, did she feel so warm at the sight of it? The colder those winds became… the more she leaned into that hug, and the more the cold was staved away. It was so special, wasn’t it?
“...aron?”
Would she get to know it once more?
“Lady Sharon!”
Sharon popped up from her desk, and saw a rather confused servant staring right at her.
“O-Oh, forgive me, I hadn’t even noticed you there. What’s the matter?”
“Dinner is ready, my lady.”
“Of course. I’ll be right there.”
Still, though, the thought refused to leave her mind.
Focus had eluded her. She had been thinking all night- not about the letter to the heir of the Nightray family that she needed to write, no- but about how she might manage to visit the Baskerville house again. Every time she had gone to Sablier before, it was never directly to the house itself. Cheryl was the only one who usually handled that. But… Charlotte seemed to admire her as an heiress, so… perhaps a formal request may not be so hard? Thinking about it for too long made the temples of her head ache, and filled her with anxiety. For now, she just… had to do what was told of her.
“Elliot Nightray-
It is with the honor of the Rainsworth household that I write this letter to you. The respect between our two houses is something I, myself, hold in only the highest esteem. I look forward to maintaining that relationship as I become duchess in the coming years. As we have yet to meet in person, I wish to request an invitation to come together and sh-” ...
… And… and what…?
For a moment, Sharon forgot she was even writing at all, and her quill dragged along the parchment, bringing an awful streak across with it. When her eyes readjusted and she noticed what she had done, she sighed heavily, crumpling up the paper unceremoniously and tossing it behind her.
“What on earth… is wrong with me lately?"
Before she could devise an answer to that question, a knock came to her door. She knew just by its tempo who it was.
“Come in, Break.”
Cautiously, he creaked the door open and poked his head through.
“Is now a bad time?”
“Not at all. Is something the matter?”
“You stole the words right from my mouth, my lady. It’s my duty to worry for you, you know, and you’ve seemed quite ditzy all day. Even more so than me!”
“I suppose you would notice, wouldn’t you? I think I’m just… a bit overwhelmed with all these official matters. I feel like everything’s just going to get harder from here on out. A lady needs time to relax and not have to put on a facade all the time, right?”
That answer seemed to surprise Break.
“A ‘facade’? That kind of talk doesn’t sound like you at all.”
Sharon’s cheeks flushed red when she realized what she just said.
“I… s-sorry… I guess I just blurted that out without even thinking about it.”
“Hm… how about you forget about those pithy Nightrays for a bit? I have a letter here for you. You should just relax for now.”
“A letter? From whom?”
“The Baskerville house. Perhaps it’s a follow-up of the other night? If it’s just business matters, pay it no heed for the time being. I’d rather you relax.”
“T-The Baskervilles!? Oh my! Give it here!”
“My, my, no manners tonight, huh?”
“... Please, Break, my dearest valet, allow me to examine the document you keep in your hands henceforth!” she told him, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
“Hehe~! Here you are. I’ll leave you to it, then.”
She nearly ripped it out of his hands, and didn’t even have time to thank him before he left. Opening up, it became instantly obvious who the sender was. With handwriting in such a scribble and absolutely horrible grammar, it could only be her.
“Sharen-,
for the ferst time ever i have fownd myself wryting a letter. you shuld be honerd!!! nun hav ever had the joy of such a treet befor!!! i am wryting this becuse i am making the encredibli jenerus ofer of invy inviting you to the baskervil manshun. please arive heer at noon on the twenti 25th and my manservent wil greet you and alow you in.
i am looking forwerd to seing you agan.
Alice Baskervil”
Sharon’s chest pounded reading it. Of course, it may just be the most laughable letter she had ever received. The rudeness in expecting such a thing without even requesting a response... Alice certainly was entitled. And yet, Sharon didn’t mind. Not when she got the chance to see Alice again.
Cheryl sat up from bed, watching Break carefully pour her tea. When he seemed satisfied with it, he handed it to her gingerly, and she took a few cautious sips to test it’s temperature, and then sighed.
“... So she’s become friends with the Duchess?”
“That’s what I perceived, yes. My greatest apologies for not telling you until now. You seemed so exhausted upon your arrival home, and then to think that you had to deal with those conniving Nightrays immediately after… I just couldn’t find the time for it.”
“Now, now, Xerxes, it would do you good to keep your thoughts about them to yourself. Don’t make a habit of having a foul mouth.”
“... Yes, my lady. I’m sorry.”
Break allowed himself to be so bold to sit at the edge of her bed, leaning back and resting his weight on his arms.
“Now, about that duchess…” Cheryl prodded.
“If I’m to be completely forthcoming…” he hesitated, apparently gauging what he could say while still being respectful and in line, “I saw the two of them embracing each other on the balcony that night. Of course, I don’t like to jump to conclusions, but…”
“Then don’t.” Cheryl pointed out immediately, before taking more sips of her tea.
“Right.”
“But… what to do…? That certainly is worrying. Duchess Baskerville is…” she paused, taking a moment to swing her free hand around in the air to make a point, “well, I’m sure you can imagine all the colorful words I might use to describe her.”
Break allowed himself a chuckle.
“I suppose I can.”
“I don’t want to see her influencing Sharon. Charlotte is a fine woman, and a mature regent, but I’m not sure for how long she can keep her duchess’ foolish personality from souring relationships within the other houses. And if we were to get involved in that?”
“... Our reputation may as well be thrown out the window.”
“Exactly.”
“The Baskerville house delivered a letter to Sharon today. Of course, it’s not my place to ask her what it’s about, but I have a decent guess.”
“I’m sure you do. Well, you’re with her more than anyone else. I trust you can handle it and keep things from getting out of hand.”
“I haven’t yet told her what I know about the duchess. For now, I’ll just stay and watch. I’ll do my best, my lady.” Break said, rising back up slowly.
“Thank you.”
Break made very sure to bow before leaving her room.
“Please have the carriage ready before ten. The trip there takes long enough that I want to make sure we have downtime. Imagine the example I’d set if I arrived at a professional invitation late.”
The servant Sharon was berating nodded after every word. Sharon continued on, waving her finger around as she spoke.
“And keep yourself stationed nearby. The last time Break and I went out together, we had to wait nearly an hour for you to come back. I want no such repetition this time! Furthermo-”
“I heard my name, and so I have arrived!” Break announced, setting his hands on Sharon’s shoulders as she squeaked inelegantly in surprise.
“Break!” Sharon shouted, swiveling around. “You can’t scare me like that! What if I ended up knocking something over?!”
The servant that Sharon was lecturing took the moment to slip away into the hall unnoticed.
“My, I hadn’t thought of that- not at all, certainly!”
Understanding that she was being teased, Sharon pouted.
“Anyhoo, what’s this I heard about? Going somewhere?”
Sharon froze up, her cheeks flushing.
“W-Well, yes… yes I am.”
“Care to tell me about it?” Break asked cheekily, starting to walk down the hall. Sharon followed along, twiddling her thumbs together.
“... Um… well… I’ve been invited back to the Baskerville mansion… on business…”
“What kind of business, if I may be so bold to ask?” he said, waving his oversized sleeves around, as if to ease Sharon.
“It was an invitation from Miss-” Sharon stopped. She recalled how distant Break seemed that night of the party. Perhaps the idea of her being chummy with a girl from a house that nobody seemed to talk about fondly had made him wary…? Going over to the Baskerville house for teatime and cake wasn’t something anyone ever did, after all. Sharon cleared her through and continued. “... f-from Miss Charlotte.”
Break turned his head back towards her, not saying anything for a moment.
“Ooooh~? What does she want with you? Hopefully she’s not after your stunning looks, millady.”
“N-No! Nothing like that!” Sharon felt awful, lying to Break like this, but… what if he wouldn’t allow her to go otherwise? “... She wanted to... discuss my plans after I inherit the house. She seems awfully concerned with the continued plans of the four other houses… but I suppose this is just a responsibility I have to allow myself to get used to.”
Break turned his head back forward, apparently content with that answer.
“That sounds interesting. Indeed it does. And surely, I will be accompanying you there.”
Sharon seized up once more.
“W-What? No, you don’t have to go! I’ll have a servant there, and Miss Charlotte said that her servants would assist me, after all!” Sharon sputtered, clutching at her chest.
“You’re still an heiress, my lady, and we can’t have you going to the Baskerville house unsupervised by a Rainsworth servant. Haven’t you always talked about the dangers inherent with people desiring another house’s power? You never know who may use you, after all.”
Sharon’s stomach sank, hearing her own mantra used against her like that.
“I… I suppose you’re right, Break, but…”
“Then it’s settled!” he said, spinning around to face her and smiling as wide as he could. “I will accompany you to the Baskerville mansion when you depart. What day did Miss Charlotte arrange for?”
She knew there was no protesting now, and allowed herself to sigh.
“... This Thursday at noon. The carriage will be leaving at ten to allow for the travel time.”
“Sounds perfect to me! I’ll take my leave now and allow you to your own devices. Don’t forget about the letter you need to write to young Elliot, too!”
“W-Wait, Break-”
“Byeeee!” he said, slipping into the nearest room in the hall and closing the door. When Sharon followed after him, all she saw was a completely empty gathering room.
“... I’ll never understand how he does that.” she muttered to herself.
“Are you sure I look fine?” Sharon asked, staring at herself as close as she could in the mirror to try and pinpoint any flaws.
“My lady, you always look wonderful.” Break told her, tapping his foot against the ground.
“If I simply look like I always do, then I do not look good enough.”
“Oh, hush with that. You look every bit as nice as you did the first time they saw you.”
“... Good. I wouldn’t want to soil their impression of me after I tried so hard before.”
“And to be frank… waiting any longer doing your makeup may eat up the time we save by leaving early. Let’s hurry and be off, shall we?”
“R-Right! Yes, yes we shall.” She said, jumping out of her chair, hastily gathering anything else she might need and stuffing them into her purse.
This time, the ride to Sablier felt completely different. Excitement welled up in Sharon’s chest, so much so that she could barely contain it. It had only been just over a week since she met her new friend, but the thought of seeing her again made her shiver in anticipation. Break didn’t attempt to make small talk, though, so Sharon simply opted to stare out the window again, noting all the things she couldn’t before in the darkness. Soft greenery from the trees transitioned gradually into small houses with children playing around out front into the edges of the city, and then finally into complexes while the bustling of the city life went on all around her. The closer to the capital they got, the more the quality of life around them seemed to improve. Soon, no one in the street was without a nice suit and elegant dress, and the buildings shone as though made of gold. The golden capital of Sablier was strikingly beautiful during the daytime, and it wasn’t long before they finally arrived in front of that magnificent mansion once more.
As soon as Sharon stepped out of the carriage, the door to the mansion opened. There stood two servants who she immediately recognized from the conference that had taken place before- one tall man with wavy black hair, and a shorter boy with messy blonde hair. Break followed her up the steps, and the tall servant greeted her.
“You must be Miss Sharon Rainsworth. We welcome you to the Baskerville mansion.” he said, bowing to her. The blonde next to him bowed with him.
“It’s a pleasure to be here. Sablier is so beautiful.”
“I’m glad you enjoy it. Oz here will guide you to our lady.”
The blonde boy beckoned for Sharon to follow him, and Break began to follow suit, before the black haired one stopped him.
“You must be Miss Sharon’s valet.”
“Right you are.”
“Would you mind staying here in the lobby with me while Miss Sharon meets with our lady? We didn’t expect to have other visitors today, but we can get you whatever you need while you wait.”
“... I would mind, actually. I’m not much of a valet if I don’t accompany my lady during her business.”
“Please,” the tall servant insisted, “We take great pride in our servants, and they will make sure Miss Sharon is accommodated for.”
Break seemed to be about to protest more, but Sharon interjected.
“Break, it’s fine. We’re guests here, after all.”
He waited for a moment, sizing up the situation.
“Well, if you insist, my lady. I wouldn’t want to leave a bad impression in your name.” he said, resigning.
And with that, Sharon followed Oz’s, leaving Break behind with the other servant.
“Don’t mind Gil,” Oz told her reassuringly, “he’s just trying his best to be formal and put on a good image. He doesn’t usually talk like that normally. You should see how him and Alice get at each other’s throats.”
Sharon laughed at that.
“Break’s the same way. His way of talking in private is truly eccentric, but he gets so serious whenever I’m involved. It’s necessary for some of us to put up airs, I suppose.”
“Yeah, Alice says the same thing! She never learned how to act differently around others, though. She just treats everyone the same. I was really surprised when she told me she made a friend. I was sure no one would be able to stand her besides Gil and I, haha.”
“Is that so? Well, she certainly is… vulgar, but perhaps that’s part of her charm.”
Hearing that comment from Oz made Sharon feel warm. So, she was special for being able to befriend Alice, was she? It was nice to think about. Oz led her through a path she hadn’t yet explored in this mansion, and eventually they came out the back of it. It was that scene she looked upon from the balcony- thick trees surrounding a tall tower. The tower seemed much larger up close, and it gave off such an intimidating air that she had no idea how Alice lived in it for so long. Oz stopped at the entrance, beckoning to Sharon.
“I’ll be waiting here if you need anything.”
“Ah, are you sure?”
“Definitely. It’s my job, after all. I don’t mind it!”
Sharon accepted that, but she still had trouble setting foot into the tower. She was so nervous. But… she did her best to shake her worries from her mind.
‘I’m simply meeting with a friend again, after all. There is nothing to be afraid of,’ telling herself that over and over, she walked into the tower and up its circling spiral staircase. With every step up, her heart seemed to beat even faster. Although, she supposed that could simply be because these stairs went on forever, and climbing them was tiring. That’s what would be easier to think, anyway. When she arrived at the top… she was surprised to see a wonderfully furnished room with everything a young girl might need. It seemed to be divided into two halves, and on the left half… was Alice, in a pretty but casual black dress, sitting at a desk and scribbling something onto parchment. As soon as Sharon stepped in, Alice turned, and her face lit up.
“Sharon!”
She dropped her quill without a second thought and ran up to Sharon, grabbing her hands and lifting them up. Of course, the action made Sharon blush intensely.
“I’m glad you came, Sharon! Did you enjoy my letter? I had doubts that the moronic mongrel messenger that seaweed head hired would deliver it properly, but it looks like it all worked out. Yes, I bet you framed it above your bed as a testament to its greatness!”
Sharon couldn’t help but giggle. Maybe she was just happy to see Alice again.
“Oh, it was certainly something alright. It was nice of you to invite me back, though. I had started to miss you, I’m afraid.”
Alice paused for a moment, staring at Sharon with wide eyes. Sharon could have sworn for a moment that Alice’s cheeks had started to flush. In only a second, though, she puffed her chest out and boasted.
“But of course! No one could dare decline an invitation from the great Alice! Lottie’s been teaching me how to read, and so it was only natural that I became so fearsomely adept so quickly! Ah, but enough of that, here, take a seat!” she started, letting go of Sharon and skipping over to her bed. “Here, here.”
Sharon sighed.
“You know, inviting a noble into your room and then onto your bed would get you titled with some very interesting words if I was anyone else.” she lectured, following Alice’s cue and sitting next to her. Her bed was surprisingly soft.
“You already told me something like that before, but like I said then, it doesn’t matter, because you’re not someone else, right?”
“I suppose that’s true. But Miss Alice, now that you mentioned learning how to read and all, I must ask- how old are you exactly?”
The question seemed to catch her off guard, and she took a moment to think.
“... Well… my coming of age ceremony must have been… about three years ago now, or a little over that. They usually hold those when you’re fifteen, right? So…” she counted on her fingers, her brow furrowing, “... that means I’m eighteen!” she proclaimed, apparently proud of herself for her skill of basic addition.
Sharon’s first instinct was to be shocked, but… if Alice’s family really left her so unsupervised in this tower, it only made sense that they never taught her things that might come as basic to others.
“Ah, I see. I just had my twenty-fourth birthday only a month ago myself!”
“Haha, you’re pretty ancient, then, aren’t you?”
… Sharon reminded herself how much she valued her patience.
Alice shuffled, turning and laying down in her bed, kicking her feet up and resting her legs in Sharon’s lap. Sharon’s immediate instinct was of course surprise, but if their last encounter was anything to go by, Alice certainly didn’t perceive physical contact to be as taboo as Sharon did, and so she simply let herself rest an arm on Alice’s legs. She mentally thanked the fact that Alice had worn such a long dress, not even being able to imagine the taboo of seeing her legs past the knee in a position like this.
“So… why did you invite me here, Miss Alice? Was there something you wanted to discuss?”
Alice looked at her as if she had said something incredibly strange.
“I need a reason? I just wanted to be with you again. It feels nice, and I like it, so I invited you back.”
Every single thing Alice said was utterly stupefying, as always.
“... I should have expected as much.”
“I did think about things we could do, though! I could show you around the grounds, we could have one of the chefs make us a banquet, or we could go catch bugs. I actually cleaned up this room just to prepare for your arrival. I usually never do something as inane and pointless as that. You should feel honored, really!”
All of those things very much did seem like things Alice would like, Sharon supposed.
“I certainly am, don’t worry. But… What about your sister? I thought she lived in this tower too. I was wondering if I was actually going to meet her on my way up here.”
“Oh, she’s with Lottie right now! I told her I didn’t want her to stick her nose into my business and interfere with my esteemed guest, and whine cries of torment as she may, she still agreed to my terms and sulked away for the time being.”
Sharon found herself absentmindedly petting Alice’s as they spoke.
“Well, I guess I should be grateful for that, given what you told me about her. We’ll leave that meeting for another day. Is she as, er… vulgar as you?”
Alice sat up, crossing her arms.
“Oh? Have you finally gotten more comfortable with insulting me?”
Sharon’s cheeks lit up.
“N-No, I meant no such thing!”
“... Hehe, I know. Luckily for you, my forgiveness is boundless and my generosity immeasurable~! To answer your question, no, of course not. I don’t think she’d dare speak out if someone offered her a life supply of meat for it. Kind as I am, I’ve tried to expel her pathetic and wimpy ways out of her, but for some reason, she refuses my advice.”
“... I can only imagine why.”
“Me too! But as feeble as she is… well, to put it lightly, she’s definitely insane. She used to act very sweet to others, and Lottie even considered appointing her duchess, as she couldn’t yet see my amazing qualities and natural status above others. I forgive her, though. At some point, though… my sister ended up just... losing it. She treats life as if it’s some sort of playtime or storybook, and once, a servant tried to take away one of her dolls, and… actually, it’s probably best if I don’t tell you that story.”
“Perhaps so.” Sharon replied, feeling a shiver run up her back.
“Well, she’s much less trouble now. Lottie deals with her most of the time, and she also has a fondness for my manservant, Oz, that tends to keep her in check.”
“... You know, Miss Alice…” Sharon started, studying Alice’s expression as she spoke, “how… do you manage to talk about such strange things so casually?”
The question seemed to confuse Alice, and she leaned back on her arms.
“What are you talking about?”
Sharon looked down at her lap, attempting to figure out how to say what she wanted to carefully.
“Well, everything, really. Growing up in a tower without anyone to talk to… having a sister like that… your family having some sort of selection process instead of being related to each other… your life seems so fundamentally different from mine that it’s hard to even think about it.”
Alice continued to stare as Sharon went on.
“Sure, I was born into wealth… but I never had any doubts about my family. I was educated well, socialized with the other children of the noble families, loved by my mother and grandmother… and that seems normal to me. But life here- in the Baskerville mansion… it hardly feels real the more you tell me. Isn’t that odd?”
When Sharon looked back up, she didn’t expect to see Alice looking so… hurt. Before she could say anything, though, Alice spoke first.
“How couldn’t it be normal to me? I’m not part of some high society perfect life like you seem to be saying you’re from.”
Alice moved her legs off Sharon’s lap, closing up her posture as she continued.
“I’m used to people calling me weird, and I don’t mind it at all… but, when you talk of my life so harshly… I think… I think your life sounds weirder to me! I don’t know what you mean when you talk about your family… but… does it even matter, Sharon? Are you trying to prove that you’re better than me or something?”
“N-No, I didn’t mean to offen-”
“Well, you look like you’re trying pretty hard! What’s the point of that kind of family you’re talking about? Some comfy aristocrat life where everyone fawns over each other every hour of the day in pointless love rituals? Doesn’t that sound pathetic to you?”
“Stop, that’s not what I…” Sharon panicked, starting to wave her hands around.
“Everybody is always telling me how my mother’s death ‘ruined everything’ around here! The duke, like the cowardly scum he was, fled away after she died and left me to be the only one to inherit everything! And everyone here detests me for it! What good that ‘family’ turned out to be! The only ‘family’ I have is a sister so hopelessly out of her mind that I’ll be surprised if she lives to twenty! What’s wrong with you?!”
“Miss Alice…!” Sharon cried- almost instinctively, “I… I’m… please forgive me, I…” she stuttered, realizing immediately what a grave mistake raising her voice to a duchess was.
Instead of commanding her away or punishing her, though… Alice just wiped her eyes, staring at Sharon like a helpless kitten.
“Why, pray tell… is it so rehensible to you that I lived this way…? I had no say in it, Sharon…”
“Miss Alice, I meant no such thing… I simply… found your way of life so different from mine that it was curious to me. Your life does sound difficult, that I will not doubt… but that says nothing about you. After all, I’ve only known you for a week, and I already want to learn more about you. I was so happy to come here today not because improving my house’s relationship with the Baskervilles is important, but… because it meant I got to see you more. Our parting was cut off rather abruptly, and I was excited to make up for lost time!”
Alice brought a hand to her head, rubbing her forehead in circles and staring down.
“... It’s… hard for me to understand these kinds of things, Sharon. It just… hurts.”
At that, likely in one of her whims, she flopped back down in bed, turning on her side and curling up.
“Here. I’ll allow you to lay next to me.”
… Did Alice really realize what she was asking Sharon to do? It dumbstruck her.
“W… Why do you want me to do s-something like that, Miss Alice…?”
“This is just what people do when they feel like this, right? My sister does it all the time. Whenever she cries or gets upset, Lottie or my manservant comes in and holds her, and in a few minutes, she feels better. I’m generous enough to offer you the chance, so accept it!” she said, closing her eyes and pouting, apparently waiting for Sharon.
Alice seemed to be very insistent upon this. Sharon admitted that what Alice said was true, but… Sharon wasn’t Alice’s caretaker or even a close relative. To her, a fellow noblewoman, there was only one implication that doing something like that would imply, as embarrassed as she was to think about that. Still, she realized that she probably wouldn’t be able to refuse without hurting Alice’s feelings further, and in her situation, that was the last thing she wanted. Swallowing her hesitation, she draped herself beside Alice, being careful to not lay on Alice’s dress too much. Cautiously, she brought one arm over Alice’s waist, under her arm, and to her surprise, Alice grabbed it and held it to her. Just like the night they met… Alice was soft and warm. Something new she noticed, though, hugging her from behind like this… was that Alice’s hair smelled so nice.
“... My sister was right to do this. It does feel nice. Perhaps she’s not as much of a blithering moron as I made her out to be.”
“I’m glad I could help you feel better, no matter how little. And… I’m deeply sorry for making you talk about something painful to you…”
“It’s not painful. I don’t mind talking about it that much, really. But whenever I do, it makes me feel estranged- like people think less of me. They should know how mighty and great I am, but… saying anything about how my family treats me ruins that image. At my coming of age ceremony, I talked about my mother and the last duke… and everyone looked at me like I was a fool! It was so shameful. I wanted to rend everyone apart with a scythe right then, just to set an example of what happens to those who mock me.”
“... I don’t think you’re a fool,” Sharon comforted, frankly not knowing at all how to respond to Alice’s murderous comment, “I don’t think that at all. Nothing that’s happened to you is your fault! Talking about it doesn’t lower my image of you at all. Indeed, you’re the magnificent Baskerville duchess! Nothing can change that.”
Alice sighed in relief hearing that. Sure, Sharon was just stroking her ego, but at this moment, it just seemed like Alice needed it.
“... Every so many years, they hold a ritual to elect a new duke. They’re carefully chosen by the previous duke and all their closest allies. My mother was the new duke’s sister. This may sound strange to you, but the old duke is usually killed when the new duke proves he can take on the responsibility sufficiently. But… before that could happen, my mother got pregnant. The old duke was my father. Only shortly after he died, my mother gave birth to my sister and I. She died in the process, though. Then… the new duke disappeared before he even had any inkling of who would be the next duke. Everyone ran around like chickens with their heads cut off, I’m told, before they finally decided that I, the closest relative to the duke, would succeed him. But… well, you can guess for yourself what happened from then on.”
Sharon squeezed Alice a bit, nestling her head into her shoulder. She couldn’t believe Alice was giving away secrets about the Baskervilles so easily, but if anything, it made her feel trusted.
“You didn’t deserve those kinds of expectations put on you, Miss Alice.”
“Maybe. But it doesn’t mean I’m not fit for them. I know I’ll be a powerful duchess, feared by all… as soon as Lottie stops calling herself my regent, that is. All of these nobles talk to each other in meaningless requests and passive aggressive action. Perhaps what the Baskerville house needs is someone who’s willing to tell that damned old crow Nightray bastard to shut his can when he gets too big for his britches. I hope Lottie realizes that.”
Sharon couldn’t help but giggle at that.
“And those Vessalius brats, too. Every time I see that tophat-wearing lowlife, I want to beat his face in.”
“... You mean Zai Vessalius?”
“Yeah. My manservant was a Vessalius, you know. And seaweed head used to live with them, too.”
“What?! Your servants were members of the Vessalius household?!” Sharon recoiled, only for Alice to pull her back in. There was no escape from her grip, of course.
“Yeah. It’s complicated, and he hates to talk about it, so never mention it to him. One of the family’s branches had a prostitute in it who was expelled from the family. My mother and the duke were apparently friends with him. Lottie told me about it. That man ended up… servicing the tophat fool’s wife. Maybe for revenge, or maybe he was awful at simply keeping it in his pants like a pervert. Once all of it came to light, he disowned the child, and Lottie took him and his servant in here because of his father’s relationship to the duke.”
“... I can’t believe I never heard of this. Although, I suppose it makes sense that the Vessalius family would want to cover something like that up. It’s nice that they were able to live here, then.”
“Of course, I own them much more than Lottie or anyone else around here does. My manservant is a bit of a ditz, and seaweed head and I fight a lot, but… they’re my trusted comrades.”
“It’s never caused any problems with them?”
“If they don’t like it, they can say it to our faces. Maybe someone will finally let me tell them what they deserve if they do, and Lottie can stop saying everything for me and shutting me up during the conferences.”
Sharon hesitated.
“It definitely was… startling… to hear you talk like that during the meeting we were in. Even more so when I found out you were the duchess, but… it’s true that you’ve never said anything that was actually wrong. Perhaps you’re just more courageous than the rest of us.”
Alice held Sharon’s hand to her chest, rubbing the joints on her fingers in circles, apparently deep in thought.
“Maybe. I think everyone expects me to be more like the previous duke or my mother. But… there’s no way I could ever do that… when I didn’t even know them.”
Sharon tightened her squeeze, as if it was an attempt to apologize to Alice for how the others here seemed to treat her.
“... Lacie. That was my mother’s name, you know. It’s… really similar to my name, isn’t it? When I learned how to spell it, I couldn’t help but notice that. Part of me thinks… they named me that on purpose. Because they wanted me to replace her. Of course, I couldn’t...”
Alice’s breathing seemed to shake. Cautiously, Sharon reached her hand up to Alice’s cheek… and felt it to be wet.
“Hey, Sharon.” Alice eked out.
“... Yes, Miss Alice…?”
“Let’s just shut up and just focus on this holding thing. It’s nice, but maybe talking about things like this isn’t really helping it.”
“Of course… yes, of course. I’ll keep holding you as long as you like me to.”
“Thanks.” Alice said, her voice cracking.
Sharon curled her legs, properly spooning Alice and being as close to her as she could. In return, Alice gripped her arm tight, squeezing her and keeping Sharon locked to her. Not that Sharon minded, though. The more she felt it… the more she started to really enjoy being physically close with Alice like this. Her bed was so soft, and Alice was so comforting… she could fall asleep in here if she didn’t pay attention. Then again… maybe sleeping with Alice in her arms wasn’t so bad, she thought. She could stay like this forever if she was allowed to.
Sharon kept on staring out the window- a staple of her carriage rides recently. Yet… she couldn’t focus at all on what was passing by. Indeed, it served better to function as a void to project her thoughts into than anything else. When the streetlights flickered on, it clouded her mind, and the distraction made it hard to focus on what she was really thinking of.
“Did you have a nice time, millady?” Break asked.
“...”
“Millady?”
“...”
Break nudged Sharon with the tip of his cane, and she flinched strongly, turning to Break looking irritated.
“What? What is it, Break?”
“I was simply asking how your visit went. No need to get snappy, now.”
“Oh… I’m sorry. I guess I wasn’t listening.”
“You don’t say?”
“It…” she muttered, fidgeting with her hands again, “It was nice. Really nice.”
“What did you and Miss Charlotte speak of? It was certainly bound to be much more interesting than my conversations with that servant, I’m sure.”
“Huh? What do you-” she stopped herself, realizing her mistake, “Oh! Right! Miss C-Charlotte and I… said that we want to improve the relationship between our two houses as time goes on. The Baskervilles rarely engage with us beyond any official matters once in a blue moon… so I suggested that we remedy that. She seemed to be pleased with that. She’s… a fine regent, yes.”
Break seemed to stare at her for a moment, as if he was judging what she had just said. However, not a second later, he clapped his hands together and smiled.
“Well, that sounds wonderful. I’m just an old man, so I may not be around long enough to see such a thing, but I trust that it will be quite beneficial for both of our houses, then!”
“D-Don’t say something like that, Break… that’s far too depressing for me.”
“Of course, of course. My apologies.”
Sharon turned back to the window again, zoning out almost immediately. She definitely couldn’t carry conversations right now, that was for sure.
Not when the only thing she could think about was Alice.