Chapter Text
Deft hands fastened her necklace and tied her bow. For a moment, they rested on her shoulders- possibly sensing her unease.
“My lady, if I can say so, I think you look picturesque. You needn’t be worried.”
“... Thank you. It’s not my appearance I’m nervous about, though. It’d be much simpler if it was only something like that.”
“But there’s nothing else that has to worry you so. Nobody there has known you as anything other than the esteemed heiress. They’re lucky to be in your presence, really. Arriving in tow with two of the five dukes is no small honor. It shows your status and importance greater than anything else could.”
“What if I can’t live up to it? What if I make a fool of myself? I feel as if the reputation of the family lays in my hands tonight, like a fragile little flower. Even the smallest wind could scatter its petals and leave it ugly.”
“If the family’s reputation was so easily tarnished, Lady Cheryl would have ruined it long ago.”
“Break!”
He laughed, apparently quite pleased with himself.
“You’ve seen how she acts around Duke Barma, haven’t you?”
“W-Well, that’s different!”
“Not too far different from anything you could do tonight. Just let the dukes talk among themselves and focus on enjoying yourself, okay, my lady?”
Even though she pouted, she knew he was right. It was comforting. Not quite comforting enough to distill all of her fear, but a good attempt.
“Shall we go? I believe Lady Cheryl and Duke Barma are in the carriage already. Liam will be the carriage leader today, so you can rest assured that we’ll be in good hands.”
“... Well, let’s not keep them waiting.”
The ride to Sablier always felt like it took ages. Break and the duke wasted no time engaging in idle banter. They always seemed like they wanted to kill each other in their snarky and sarcastic comments, but Sharon knew better. Deep down, they were probably great friends.
“Oh? That’s quite some talk for the hatter I’ll see hanged one day!”
“My my, how fearsome and scary, especially coming from someone with hair as stupid as yours! I wonder how long that will last when you find yourself consumed by the flames of hell~!”
… Probably.
She joined Cheryl in gazing out the window and admiring the view. The streets were dark and only lit by the soft moonlight from above. Not a soul could be found wandering about. Occasionally, another carriage would pass them by, offering the glow from their oil lamps for just a moment before disappearing into the night. There was something to be said about the drastic changes from night to day here. The transition between bustling city street and ethereal void were not so far apart, separated only by the rise and fall of the sun. The air had a ghostly cold to it like this, and thinking about it for too long made Sharon’s spine shiver.
“... Peaceful, isn’t it, Sharon?”
Cheryl’s words brought her back to reality.
“Hmm… it feels… lonely, more than anything.”
“Perhaps the two are closer than you think. Even if one is alone in the night, they have the peace of the stars and moon to share company with. It’s like a silent reflection on the world. I’ve learned to appreciate that sort of thing.”
“... I’d like to appreciate that, too. It’s certainly more serene than sharing a carriage with these two.”
Cheryl quietly laughed at that. As wrapped up as Break and Duke Barma were, they probably didn’t even notice. Seeing the duchess smile was rare, and even if the night outside was cold, it warmed things up just a bit.
In Sablier proper, the air felt far more foreign to her. Even at night, the roads and houses lining the capital seemed proper and bourgeoisie. It was as if everyone here lived in a little slice of heaven, shielded from the outside world by the presence of the Baskerville house. Coming here was like walking into a dream, where the world was perfect and spotless. If there was a slum in Sablier, Sharon had never seen it. Perhaps they kept it tucked away like a little secret, separate from the luxurious lifes everyone else maintained. Their image mattered, after all. Perhaps it was something she could ask the new Baskerville duchess about, if the opportunity arose. In only a moment, they had stopped in front of the mansion’s steps, and what a mansion it was. Carriages were lined up down the street. How many nobles had accompanied them here tonight? It was truly setting itself up to be quite the party. Stepping out, Sharon checked over herself one last time to make sure she was as presentable as she could be. Break and Liam followed, each lifting off wheelchairs mounted on the back of the carriage for Cheryl and Duke Barma respectively.
“Liam, you should let Lord Barma command the carriage next time. You and I could have a pleasant chat, and Lord Barma would be quite humbled!”
“Break, that’s-”
“One more word, Hatter, and you’ll find yourself at the guillotine tomorrow morning.” Duke Barma interrupted.
Never an idle moment with those two around. Pacing behind the four of them up the ramps on the side of the stairway, a beautiful woman greeted them at the door. Was this the Baskerville duchess?
“Duke Barma and Duchess Rainsworth! We’re so honored to have you at the Baskerville house tonight! I am Miss Charlotte Baskerville, adviser and regent to the duchess. Please, come with me. The other dukes await you.”
Ah, so the real duchess was inside. Sharon wondered what kind of person she would end up being. Cheryl and Duke Barma never spoke of her. The inside of the mansion sparkled and shone with an intense light. It took a moment for Sharon’s eyes to adjust, but when they did, she saw couples from nobility all around the country talking, drinking, and dancing. She almost wished she could join them. Perhaps chat up someone kind, share a dance, sing together… her heart fluttered thinking about it. And yet… now probably wasn’t the time to indulge in her romantic wishes. This was important, after all. She gave herself a small slap on the cheeks to get focused. She had attended important meetings before, but none with all of the other dukes and duchesses. It was her time to learn what she would have to do in only a short few years, likely. Men in suits lined the hallways, and she realized they were most probably bodyguards sent from Pandora, the country’s special protection service to the dukes. They felt almost terrifying to look at, but she supposed it made sense, given their duty. She tried to keep her head down until they reached the meeting room. It was every bit as regal as the rest of the mansion, but the atmosphere was thick and oppressive. Servants(she presumed) and guards lined the walls, and Sharon immediately recognized Zai Vessalius and Raymond Nightray sitting at the large, round table. Each had several persons seated next to them. Next to Zai, there was… perhaps his brother? He looked similar in age and appearance to Zai, but a lot… scruffier. No, that was a bad thing to think, Sharon reprimanded herself. Raymond had with him two men who looked quite a bit more dashing than he did. How were they related to him? But, most importantly… where was the Baskerville duchess? Only a large, imposing sort of man with an odd face tattoo and a small girl with braids sat at the table also. They were likely related to the duchess somehow. Her husband and daughter, perhaps? Charlotte took a seat next to them, and Sharon sat herself next to Cheryl.
“Welcome, everyone. I cannot be more pleased to have you all here today. Wonderful as the party is, we are gathered here to discuss the economic and social plans of the five dukedoms as it pertains to the upcoming decade. As you know, I am Charlotte, and I will be speaking on behalf of the duchess today. Don’t worry, we’ll try to keep this quick, and afterwards, those who wish can partake in the party and all the Baskerville house has to offer.”
‘On behalf of…?’ Sharon wondered to herself. Was she preoccupied? For a meeting as important as this, she figured that the duchess would at least bother to show up. It left a sort of sour taste in her mouth. Charlotte fumbled with a set of papers for a moment, before clearing her throat and beginning.
“The first order of business is with the Barma household. Duke Barma, forgive me if this insensitive, but how do you plan to deal with your lack of an heir? This seems to be quite the problem for the household. If you have no one to pass the house onto, what will become of it?”
“The answer to that question is both segmented and simple, Miss Charlotte!” he proclaimed in a boast, “... The first solution is simple! I shall just… marry Duchess Rainsworth!”
Duke Nightray scoffed aloud, and the man with Duke Vessalius noticeably covered his mouth to silence a laugh. In a flash, Cheryl drew her fan and promptly whacked Duke Barma in the back of the head.
“This is a serious meeting, Ruf. Cease your foolish jokes immediately.”
Rubbing his head, he continued, “Rufus Barma never jokes! … However, another practical solution is this- you say I have no heir? Untrue! Indeed, there are those who carry this family’s blood regardless, even if they are not my direct descendant. Look no further than my invaluable and trusted servant, Liam!”
The blood drained from Liam’s face in an instant.
“M-My duke, surely you don’t mean-?!”
“I’ve never been more serious! Who is more fit to receive the title than the man who’s worked his whole life to better the dukedom? I’ve been hiding this intention of mine, yes, but I’m afraid we may not get another chance to discuss it!”
“Impossible!” Duke Nightray interrupted, “It is unthinkable to simply hand away the position of duke to a mere servant! Have you gone mad, Duke Barma?!”
As Duke Barma was about to speak, the girl next to Charlotte suddenly butted in.
“Who even cares about something as pointless as that? If he wants to let his weird servant become nobility, why does it matter? It’s not your house, old crow. He can do whatever he damn well pleases!”
Glares of ice came towards her from the other dukes. Did she even realize the magnitude of what she just did? The tattooed man next to her rested his hand on her shoulder, and she sat back, pouting. Sharon couldn’t believe it.
“U-Um, I b-believe what she was trying to say,” Charlotte began, apparently doing damage control for the girl speaking out of line, “... was that in the lack of a proper heir, there is no problem with another blood member of house taking over. Indeed, if Mister Liam really does share a lineage with the duke, however distant, it would make his claim to the house valid. If no closer relatives are found, he would be next in line to inherit the role.”
“I-If I may…” Liam meekly spoke.
“You may.” Charlotte told him.
“W… Well…” he muttered, pushing up his glasses, “it… it is true that I come from the Barma house, and my family has served them for generations, but the connection between us split long ago. I… I don’t even think I am qualified for such a thing.”
“Nonsense,” Duke Barma retorted, “If I believe you to be capable, then you are. Who would know better than I? I am the pinnacle of knowledge, after all. Don’t you have faith in that?”
Liam didn’t dare say a word.
“... All right, it’s settled, then. Until a more direct descendant of the house is found, Duke Barma is set to pass the title of Duke to his servant, Liam.”
The Vessalius and Nightray dukes didn’t seem at all happy with that.
“Moving along, the next matter of business is… for the Rainsworth household. Duchess Rainsworth, can you tell me about your plans for passing along the title to the heiress?”
Sharon froze. Everyone was staring at her now.
“Sharon is a fine heiress. Her teachings are very nearly complete, and I believe she could take over for me right this moment and be a wonderful Duchess. She’s smart, knows how to make tough decisions, and her courage speaks volumes of her. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Charlotte smiled at that, but the other dukes seemed to mutter to each other. Sharon took a deep breath, preparing herself.
“... Lady Cheryl is a duchess like no other. I may not be able to do everything she has done, but I will try my best to help the house and the city proper. I look forward to building positive relationships with the other houses.”
… Nailed it. The girl next to Charlotte whispered something to the tattooed man, but Sharon couldn’t tell what. Hopefully it was something good.
“That’s great to hear. Miss Sharon, I can tell you’ll be a wonderful duchess.” Charlotte said.
Sharon’s heart felt like it was going to fly. That was all she needed to hear. Even if she was scared out of her mind in a meeting of some of the most powerful people in the country, she did well.
The rest of the meeting went by much smoother. Even though Sharon wasn’t particularly interested in hearing about the Nightray’s financial plans, she listened intently regardless, for it was something she’d have to get invested in at some point or another. Charlotte had said that the meeting would be brief… but perhaps she had a different idea of how long “brief” was than Sharon did. Eventually, though, they all wrapped up. Duke Vessalius followed Duke Nightray out, but the grungy man who came with him apparently decided to stay for the party. As Break started wheeling Cheryl out, Sharon was rebellious enough to ask-
“Cheryl, can we stay? Can I stay for the party?”
“No.” Duke Barma responded in an instant. That earned him another whack from Cheryl.
“She didn’t ask you, fool. … Sharon, dear, it’s a special night. If you want to stay, we can stay. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a proper party, anyway.”
“Ah, thank you, thank you! Thank you so much!”
“You enjoy yourself, okay?”
And with that, Sharon darted down the hall.
“... You won’t go with her, Break?”
“Ah, no, I think not,” Break said, waving his hands dismissively, “... I’m too much of an old man for this kind of thing, anyway.”
On her way down the halls, Sharon turned the corner to see Charlotte talking to the tattooed man from earlier. Not wanting to interrupt, she hid for a moment.
“Geez, do you know how exhausting that kind of thing is? I feel like I need a back rub and a warm spa bath! I deserve that, don’t I?”
“... I can draw the water for you, if you like.”
“... I wasn’t serious, but now that you mention it, that sounds lovely.”
“By the way, where did you send Miss Alice off to?”
“Hm? She wanted to go eat at the party, and I saw no harm in it. Better for her to eat now than later. You know how her appetite is.”
“Do you really think that’s a good idea? What if someone sees her acting unbecoming?”
“Well, it can’t be any worse than what she said to Duke Nightray. It’s not like anyone else knows much about her right now. I want to wait until she’s been properly taught before we say anything to the rest of the nobles. I feel like a bad big sister for saying this, but… for now, I don’t want to have to worry about all this.”
“... I understand. It’s important to let her experience things like this, too. They’ll make for fond memories.”
“Yeah! Yeah.”
“... Do you want to put Lily to bed with me?”
“That’d be wonderful.”
And with that, they left.
‘Did… did I just spy on the Baskervilles…?!’ Sharon thought to herself, panicking.
‘N-No! It’s alright! I just… overheard their conversation by mistake! And… it wasn’t anything important! Nothing at all! Y-Yes, I should just go to the ballroom like I planned, and totally forget all of that!’
… That helped solidify her conscience a little. Just a little. She marched through the halls, doing her best to purge her worries. When she arrived at the ballroom, there were tables and tables filled to the brim with exquisite foods, tables where the richest of the rich sat, and at the forefront of it all, a beautiful dance hall with couples holding each other and waltzing to the tune of an orchestra. Nearly instantly, Sharon spotted that girl from before- although, it’s not like she was exceptionally hard to pick out, given her completely inelegant way of exerting her presence in the room- and wondered if she should speak to her. There wasn’t anyone else in this room she knew, and so it could possibly be a good social avenue for her, especially if it turned out she was a Baskerville. Although… with the amount of food she was piling onto her plate, Sharon felt that even standing near her would make her look awful to any spectators. Even though her dress was black, prim, and perfect, her actions did nothing to reflect that image. Sharon approached her cautiously.
“Um… excuse me, miss?”
The girl turned and shot her an indignant look.
“Huh? If you want the steak, you’re out of luck. I’m taking all of it. The chefs in this mansion are the only ones who can actually bother to get off their asses and cook it right, so there’s no way in hell I’m missing out on a plate of it when I have the chance.”
Yep. Absolutely barbaric.
“T-That’s not… er… are you… Miss Alice?”
“Hm, so you’re after me instead? Do I have a new stalker, perhaps?”
“Absolutely not! I just… heard Miss Charlotte talking about you, is all!”
“... Oh, I remember you now. You were in the meeting. With the Rainsworths, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Let’s get a seat if you want to talk. I don’t like the way the people here are staring at me.”
Sharon followed Alice to the table. While Sharon sat like a proper lady, Alice leaned forward, elbows on the table, and apparently not seeing any issue with that. She dug into her food with a fierce kind of voracity, but stopped suddenly to speak.
“So, what did you want?”
“Er… nothing, particularly! I just… wanted to see the party for myself, and you were the only one I recognized around, so I thought I’d say hi. It’s important to introduce myself to other nobles right now.”
“I guess I get that. Already cozying up to the ones with the power, right?”
“N-No, it’s nothing like that! As a representative of the Rainsworth house, and its soon-to-be-duchess, I have to set a good image!”
“Is that so.” she said with a hint of disdain in her voice. Sharon wondered if she said something offensive, seeing that.
“Yes… it’s… part of my duties, after all.”
Alice gave her a puzzled stare, almost as if she was being sized up.
“Hey, can I ask you something?”
“... And what would that be?”
“Hmm… Sitting in that meeting got me thinking. I don’t really get those dukes- and your duchess. Everyone throws up these fancy acts- or at least that’s what I think it is- but why? What’s the point?”
“Huh? Whatever do you mean by that?”
“What does it all get them? Proof of their superiority? Favors from each other? Even worse- what if they’re just always like that? What if they never drop the nice-nice facade, and all these families are just filled with pompous holier-than-thou’s who decided it was their job to run everything because they’re better than everyone else?”
“M-Miss Alice, you can’t speak about the dukedoms like that!”
“Why not?”
“It’s out of line! They’ve worked hard to achieve their status, and they do what’s best for everyone around them! Speaking ill of them is dishonorable towards all that effort! You don’t know what they go through for the good of all!”
“... Do they work harder than the ‘lowlifes’ on the farms, or the prostitutes who sell their bodies to live? Look at how they erupted in anger when that idiot-hair Barma duke tried to promote his servant- who’s definitely worked harder than he ever has- just because he might not have been family.”
“Well… um…”
“It’s all about the prestige of being ‘family’. If everything is decided by who’s family owned what… do people like you and I actually have any free will? Do we get to do what we want to do, or are we just conscripted into bullcrap like all our mothers and fathers before us?”
“...”
“I don’t get it. I don’t understand what a ‘family’ in that regard is supposed to be like. Why should something like that have any bearing over anything?”
… This Alice… was a completely strange woman. Nothing she said made any sense. She was so vulgar… but strangely eloquent, too. It’s as if she said every little thing that came to her mind without the slightest consideration of why she was saying it. Perhaps that was how she was able to speak out against Duke Nightray so freely.
“Miss Alice… you’re really odd, aren’t you?”
Hearing that made her laugh, surprisingly.
“Maybe! If that’s what everyone else thinks, I guess I am. Lottie told me that I need to act like a more ‘proper woman’, but I never saw the merit of it. Seeing that meeting tonight told me that much. We’re different from the other houses, so why should we have to play their little game?”
“... Different? How are you different?”
“Well, Baskervilles aren’t chosen by blood. I don’t really know the details, but new members of the house are brought in through some kind of ceremony rather than who’s born to who. I mean, I say that, but my mother was a Baskerville, so I guess it goes both ways sometimes. Lottie says that’s rare, though. I just don’t get why her history has to tie me into crap like this.”
“Ah, so you are a Baskerville! I was wondering why you were at that meeting with the others.”
“... What do you mean? That’s a stupid thing to say. I’m the duchess. Of course I had to show up.”
“...”
… What…? This uncultured, rude woman…?
“... Hey? Shalon- that’s your name, right? What’s with the stare?”
“Y…”
“Hm? Speak up. There’s quite a lot of people here, after all.”
“... Y-You? You’re the… the duchess…?”
“Well, yeah. Didn’t anyone mention that? Lottie, at least should hav-”
Sharon wasted nary a moment in bowing forth at the table.
“I’M SO SORRY, DUCHESS BASKERVILLE! Please forgive me for my arrogance! If I had known, I wouldn’t have said all those… oh my, please, please pardon my behavior! I’m not yet used to speaking to the other heads, and I…!”
“Wh- hey, what’s up with you? I told you I don’t like the formal act! That’s enough!”
“Oh, Duchess, I… I’m so sorry. I was so rude, and-”
“Stop that! Don’t call me ‘Duchess’. That’s way too formal. Just call me ‘Alice’!”
“... It’s…”
“Yeah?”
“‘Sharon’. It’s ‘Sharon’, Du-... Miss Alice.”
“Alright. I’ll try to remember that. You called me weird, but… you’re kind of weird, too, you know?”
“H-Huh? I… I’m not weird!”
“Sure you are. You seem so scared about all this formal crap going on- with the other dukes or with yourself, so you’re throwing up this charade to look polite. That’s pretty weird.”
“That’s common etiquette! You can’t just blurt out everything that pops into your mind! No wonder Miss Charlotte speaks for you.”
“... It would be nice if everyone here could just be honest. What do all those clowns really think about each other, under the masks and fancy suits they all wear?”
“They probably think of each other as respected members of nobility! Even the ones that don’t like each other on a personal basis still end up respecting each other, I believe.”
“And what would they think of me, then?”
“Well… judging by Duke Nightray’s reaction… they probably don’t take you seriously because… er…”
“Mmm? Because what? You want to say something ‘rude’, don’t you? Go ahead. I won’t hurt you.”
For some reason, that didn’t comfort Sharon at all.
“I… I think... you act like a bit of a brute, especially for a duchess! Even Duke Barma, through all his antics, can still put on a respectable face for others and be genuine about it!”
“See? It’s nice when you can just trust your feelings to do the work for you, isn’t it? If everyone could be honest like that, all this official crap would be so much easier. I hate having to play games with people to figure out what they really mean. Wouldn’t you like to tell the other dukes that, too?”
Her reaction once again blindsided Sharon. If anything… Alice was predictable in being completely unpredictable.
“I think I’d get my head lopped off if I did.”
Alice laughed at that, and for some reason, Sharon found herself giggling into her hand too. Before she was done, though, Alice rose, taking her plate and pushing in her seat.
“Let’s get out of here. I’m not done eating, but… if I have to spend even a minute more in the presence of all these high-society weirdos, I’m going to lose my mind. I’ll just take this with me.”
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know. We can find that out.”
Although Sharon had come here for the party… something in her still wanted to follow Alice anyway. Should she oblige? Looking around, everyone seemed… so distant and alien to her. As much as she hated to admit it, there was probably no way she could talk to them- especially not like the way her and Alice had just talked.
“Come with me.” Alice said, extending her hand out. For once, she seemed to show some manners.
Sharon couldn’t help but smile.
“You know… this really isn’t what I expected when I dreamt of finding a nice gentleman and holding their hand tonight.”
“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing at all,” Sharon told her, rising and taking her hand, following Alice into the halls.
Alice was quick around the twists and turns. Sharon lost her bearing of where she was quickly. Hopefully Alice could lead her out when they were done. She’d hate for someone like Charlotte to find her wandering around aimlessly.
“Normally, I’d just go sneak all this food away in my room. But… I really don’t want to deal with my sister right now.”
“You have a sister?”
“Yeah. We’re twins, actually. But… if you think I’m strange, then you definitely wouldn’t enjoy meeting her much.”
“I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to be stranger than you, Miss Alice.”
“Heh… there’s a reason I was the one selected to become the new duchess and not her. Hopefully, you don’t have to ever see her and learn the reason for yourself.”
How horrifyingly ominous, Sharon thought.
“Ah, I got it. Let’s go to the balcony. Everyone’s cooped up inside with how cold it is and all, so it should be totally empty.”
“... Doesn’t that mean we’ll be cold, then?”
“Tch. The difference is that we’re not thinskins.”
Sharon knew that definitely wasn’t true for her. Alice led her up the stairs, then down the corridor, and in a moment, out glass doors and onto the balcony looking over the Baskerville estate. Alice sat herself down, letting her legs hang off the platform, and Sharon knelt down next to her. From up here, Sharon could see the lines of houses in the distance, light spilling out of their windows. The greenery of the gardens, although dark, could be made out, and in the center of it all rose an odd-looking spire.
“What’s that over there, Miss Alice?”
“You mean the tower? That’s my room.”
“... You, the duchess, don’t even live in your own mansion, but in a tower on the property instead?”
“Yep. I guess it might sound weird to you, but it was always pretty normal to me. I grew up in there. It wasn’t until my coming of age ceremony that they finally let me out of it.”
“So you were imprisoned in your own room for your whole childhood?!”
“... See, you saying it like that really does make it feel odd. Remember what I said about blood ties being rare in the Baskerville house? Normally the duke or duchess wouldn’t be chosen by just being born into it, but… after everything that happened, they didn’t really have a choice. I think they hated me because of that. So they put my sister and I in there.”
“Everything that happened? Like what?”
Alice looked somber and distant. She stared off into the night sky, not saying a word.
“I… I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me.”
After a moment of silence, Alice turned and smiled.
“Who cares about all that right now? Let’s just admire the night.”
With that, she started digging into her remaining food, taking huge bites of the meat, almost like a wild animal. Well, if she really grew up in a tower, it would be normal that no one ever taught her proper table manners. Maybe that was something for Sharon to do later.
“You know…” Alice started, her mouth still full of food, “... Maybe I don’t acht like it, but sheeing all thosh carriches down the shtreet... and the whole manshion lit up… it really ish quite pretty.”
“Stop talking while you eat. That’s disgusting.”
Alice seemed surprised to hear that, and promptly shut up to focus on what was left of her dinner. Sharon took the time to appreciate that scenery herself. Several carriages were already navigating their way out. She had seen scenes like this whenever parties were hosted at the Rainsworth mansion, but… this must be quite rare for Alice to see. Knowing that made gazing upon it all a little more special in an odd, indescribable sort of way. Even though the moon had risen high, the night still felt quite young. Despite the calming feeling on the balcony, everything else felt charged with an anxious air of change. It was as if this small space was the sole bubble kept away from it all. The wind blew by, and brought an unpleasant chill with it. Sharon shivered, clutching her shoulders. Alice’s plate clattered as she set it down, and suddenly, she threw her arms around Sharon’s waist.
“H-Hey, what are you doing?! Miss Alice?!”
“What? You looked like you were cold. Whenever people get cold, they do this, right?”
“Well, yes, I suppose, b-but…!”
“Is it warmer now?”
As much as she hated to admit it… Alice really was warm.
“... You really should be more careful, you know. If you ever did something like that to any other noble, they’d deem you a madwoman.”
“Well…” Alice pouted, “that’s their own damn problem. Besides, I can’t stand any of them long enough to ever end up in that position, anyway. I’m only doing it for you because I like you.”
“Thank you for the compliment, then.”
The surrounding tension seemed to melt away in the moments with Alice here. Despite her rash and uncivilized way of acting, she still managed to take a weight off of Sharon’s shoulders. She felt as if she could fall asleep like this, even with the frigid passing winds.
“... Hey, Sharon.”
“Hm?”
“You’ll be back, right?”
“You want me to come here again?”
“Yeah. I’ve never really had friends before, and it was fun talking to you tonight. You’re a noble, sure, but you’re not like the others. It’s nice.”
“... I really enjoyed myself too, Miss Alice. I thought that tonight was going to be formal, and I had to make sure to present myself well and never slip up, but it ended up being… just another nice party.”
“I saved you from those haughty bastards, didn’t I?”
“They’re neither ‘haughty’ nor ‘bastards’! I would never think such vicious things.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll come around.”
“Miss Alice!”
Alice laughed again, and Sharon was sure there was something wrong with herself for finding it so endearing. With that out of the way, Alice was more than content taking in the scenes of the night with Sharon. Whenever Sharon shivered, Alice would grip her tighter- as if the strength of her hold was proportionate to her warmth. Sharon didn’t mind, although being this close to another woman she had barely met did feel bizarre. They didn’t need words right now. Watching the carriages depart from the estate and the lights in the houses blink out one by one was already enough. Here, they were hidden away in a quaint sort of comfort from everything else. Eventually, when enough of them had left and the houses went dark, Sharon turned to just look at Alice herself. Even though the light of the moon was dim, she noticed for the first time that Alice’s eyes were a deep purple. Perhaps it was because they were so close together that she finally took note of it. Staring into her felt... quite nice.
“Say, Miss Alice…”
“Yeah?”
“... Do you th-”
“My lady!”
The sudden voice startled both of them. When Sharon turned, she saw Break standing at the door to the balcony.
“Who’s this clown?” Alice scowled.
“H-He’s no clown! That’s my valet! … Break, what are you doing here?”
“I’ve been looking all over for you, my lady. It’s getting far too late. Cheryl wants to return home.”
“Ah… forgive me, I hadn’t noticed the time…”
“Wait, are you leaving, Sharon?” Alice asked, a hint of a whimper in her voice.
“I-”
“My lady must return home at a proper hour. My condolences.” Break interrupted.
Sharon dejectedly rose, out of Alice’s embrace. As she faced away, Alice grabbed her hand.
“I’ll see you again, won’t I?”
When she turned back to her, Break took her other hand.
“Y-Yes, of course!” she squeezed out before being pulled away by him.
Alice stood still on the balcony, watching Sharon leave.
“So, I see you’ve made a delightful new friend.” Break told Sharon as he guided her through the hall.
“... Yes. Her name is Alice. She’s a Baskerville. Do you know of her?”
“... No.”
“Um… I had a really nice time though, Break.”
“I’m sorry to have interrupted you, then. I’m sure Cheryl will love to hear of it.”
Was it just her, or was Break acting… different?
“... Right.”
Whatever the case, Sharon knew one thing for sure. She had to come visit Alice again.