15 — And Off We Went!

My clothes from Madame Fleur’s arrived around the time Mr. Fisalis’ packing was completed (by the maids). It was already late afternoon—packing his bag had taken a lot more time than I’d realized.

All I’ve done today is pack, I mused to myself as he and I walked down to the salon.

“I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting. I’ve completed everything you ordered. I’d like to do some last-minute adjustments, so might you put them on for me?” The fact that Madame delivered the outfits herself made me feel even more awkward and fussed over.

“Sure.”

“You can try them on in your room, perhaps, Madam,” suggested Stellaria, who was holding the box the clothes were in.

Just as we, Madame, Stellaria, and I, went to head back upstairs to fine-tune the fits, Mr. Fisalis asked, grinning that radiant smile of his, “Don’t forget to show me the dresses, too, once you have them on. Oh, right. It’d be a hassle to come down to the salon each time, so I’ll wait in my room!”

It makes no difference to me if I go to the salon or your room. I don’t particularly want to go to ei— Er, nevermind. I almost said too much, there.

But, no, he’s right. He’s the one who paid for them, so I have no room to refuse. Plus, he showed me that gorgeous smile! That itself is more than I deserve.

“Um... okay...” I bashfully replied, giving him all that I could muster, which was only a one dollar smile.

And thus, my final check, aka. fashion show, began. As I put on each outfit in my room, Madame checked the sizing before I went to Mr. Fisalis’ room and did a little turn for him.

“That one looks more like a frock or a tunic than a dress. I like it better that way. I think it suits you.”

“Thank you.”

“Why don’t you try on the next one, Miss Viola?” Madame suggested.

“Alright,” I agreed and went back to my own room, where I changed into the next and the next and the...

[portions of the proceedings omitted for brevity].

This whole production—this showing every outfit to Mr. Fisalis—feels like overkill, but I’ll go along with it since it seems like he’s enjoying himself.

—

“I’m so glad that they all look great on you, Viola! Asking Madame to make them was the right decision.”

“Why, thank you, Duke Fisalis,” Madame replied with a smile and bow.

Mr. Fisalis then rose to compare my newly completed outfits, all neatly hung up on a rack.

“Hmm, yes, this will work very well. You’ll be tired tomorrow after traveling all day, so something with a more comfortable fit would be best,” he muttered to himself, taking each dress off the rack one at a time and holding them up to me. He was choosing the outfit for me to wear the next day from the selection that Madame made for me... but it’s not like I actually asked.

“What do you think of this one, Duke? I designed it for maximum freedom of movement.”

“I like it. What about you, Vi?”

“I think it’s fine.” Hey, if you’re gonna decide for me what I’m going to wear, why can’t you decide for yourself what you’re going to wear? I didn’t say this out loud, of course... but boy, did I complain on the inside.

Once the perfectly-fitted clothes were packed away in my bag, our preparation for the trip was complete at last. The next day, we would finally leave.

I woke up at my usual time, but had a lighter breakfast at an earlier time than usual. When I made my way to the foyer once I was all ready, all of the servants were there waiting for me.

“Have a wonderful time on your trip, Madam!” they said in unison.

“Thank you all in advance for looking after the manor while we’re gone, even if it’s only for a little while! I’ll try to bring you back some souvenirs if I can. Oh, wait... I don’t have any money on me...”

“Oh, we don’t need anything like that, Madam! So long as you make it home safe and sound!”

“Yes, your safe return will be the best souvenir of all!”

“No matter how safe the territories are, they’re nothing like the capital, so please do take care of yourself!”

“That’s for sure! If worse comes to worst, use Master as a shield and then run for it!”

“Ha ha, you’re all just exaggerating! I’ll be just fine! Besides, Mr. Fisalis isn’t the only one who will be there with me. The guards are coming, too.” Using Mr. Fisalis as a human shield sounds a little morally gray. ...But it might actually be a good plan.

The servants and I chatted and goofed around in the foyer with our usual familiarity before Mr. Fisalis and his parents showed up. I was very reluctant to part with them, even just for a short time.

“Sorry to keep you. Let’s get going,” Mr. Fisalis called as he gallantly descended the stairs towards me.

When we stepped out the door, there were two carriages parked under the carriage porch. The one in the back was slightly smaller than the one in front, and had been loaded with all the luggage.

So I guess we’re supposed to get in the one in the front, the one Rohtas is holding open the door to. If I’m not mistaken, it looks a little different than the super comfy one we usually take when we go out, though.

Wondering what the difference could be, I tilted my head in confusion as I looked closely at the carriage.

“You’ll be riding in a carriage specially made for long distances today. I believe you’ll find it even more comfortable than the usual one,” Rohtas told us.

You’re telling me we have separate carriages for short- and long-distance rides!? What? You classify them based on distance!? Rich people really are something else! My family only had a single one, and you felt every bump and pothole along the way!

Yet again, I was gobsmacked by something I could not understand. The carriage was similar to our usual ride—a rich dark red color, with the Fisalis family crest on the doors.

Is it just me, or is it a little larger than our usual carriage, too? I wondered as Mr. Fisalis escorted me over and helped me in. Once we both took our seats, I was able to take a good look at the interior.

“Woooow, it’s so plush!” I marveled. The seats were many times softer than the ones in the regular carriage. It couldn’t imagine getting travel fatigue while sitting on these cushions, even on the longest of rides.

And to top it all off, there’s even some pillows in here, too! This is perfect! It’ll be like I’m traveling on my sofa. Tragically, Mr. Fisalis is watching, so I can’t dive head first into the pillows like I do on my bed. But it looks like the windows are bigger in this one, too, so I’ll be able to take in the scenery going by! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m super excited all of a sudden!

At some point as I was spazzing out in the carriage, Lord and Lady Fisalis appeared on the other side of the window.

“Father Fisalis! Mother Fisalis!”

“Have fun on your trip. Er, no, that’s not right. Madam, I do hope you’ll enjoy yourself on your trip. I shall look after the manor while you are away,” said Lord Fisalis, dressed in a black tailcoat and all in all the spitting image of Rohtas, just like he said.

Oh, and he’s wearing glasses, too! Is that going too far, maybe?

Taking a quick glance at Rohtas, I saw him looking at my father-in-law with an unimpressed half-smile.

“Hee hee! I will! Thank you!”

“Father, make sure nothing happens to the house.”

“You got it!” Mr. Fisalis and I each replied, to which Lord Fisalis responded with a thumbs-up and a wide grin.

Hmm, I don’t think that’s something Rohtas would do...

“Have a wonderful time, Viii!”

“Take care, you two!”

“Take care on your trip, Master and Madam!” my in-laws and the servants called to us as the carriage pulled away.

Once my excitement had subsided and I was in my right mind again, I realized that Mr. Fisalis had been watching me with a look that could only be described as secondhand embarrassment.

...Oh no. I just want to crawl under these cushions and die. He’s been quietly watching me this whole time!

I tidied my skirt and sat up straighter in an attempt to hide my embarrassment.

I normally spend my day around other people, so I never really run out of things to talk about... but here in the carriage, it’s just Mr. Fisalis and I. Rohtas, Stellaria, and Rosa are riding with the luggage in the carriage behind us. I’m trapped in this tiny space with him until we get to the duchy. I hope we’ll find something to talk about. It’ll be really rough if we don’t...

Our escorts were the guards from the manor, riding on horses ahead of and behind the carriages. Of course, the coachmen were guards, too.

This is obviously no commoner out on some little day trip. Everyone must be able to tell this is the duke on an important excursion.

And so we went along, swaying over the neatly paved roads of the capital, in what was probably the fanciest, most comfortable carriage I would ever set foot in.

My family’s own territory was to the north of the capital; due to its location, it was not only bitterly cold, but also barren, which made for low revenue. That was the reason we were so poor. The Fisalis family’s territory, on the other hand, was located south of the capital. There, the climate was much milder and fertile soil bore abundant crops.

It also has ample mineral resources... not to mention it’s even got tourist attractions. How lucky can you get? But I suppose those are only really resources if you make good use of them. And they must be doing just that, because the Fisalis family has been so prosperous. I really ought to study what they’re doing out there in the Fisalis territories!

The carriage clattered and swayed along past landscapes I’d never seen before. Mr. Fisalis started to speak to me as I stared, captivated, out the window at all the new scenery.

“We’re going to the manor in the largest of our territories first. We’ll spend the night there.”

“Is that where your parents have been living?”

“Yes. They have servants there too, though, so it’s not like we’ll be roughing it. Since I figure we’ll be tired from traveling all day today, I’ll show you around the territory tomorrow.”

“Okay. So, how long will it be until we get there?”

“Hmm, we’re going a tad slower today, so if we keep this pace, probably half a day. The carriage would rock violently if we went faster, and that can be really unpleasant.”

Half a day at a slow pace, huh? That’s the exact opposite of how we traveled back and forth from the capital to my family’s territory. I’ve seen where the duchy is on a map, but I couldn’t actually estimate how long it would take to go there.

“I suppose we might as well take our time, since we’re on vacation. Maybe we should stop at a town or someplace on the way. My time off has only just begun, and we’ll be just fine as long as we get to our destination by nightfall,” Mr. Fisalis said with a smile, apparently quite pleased that he’d soon be relaxing.

That’s right. Our vacation has only just begun! But I’m packed in here, almost as snugly as the things in my trunk, with Mr. Fisalis. Will I even make it to the territory?

All my excitement for the trip was suddenly, completely forgotten.