Claudia had been told by her father, Theodore, to attend the next ball with Isaak. However, she wasn’t sure if Isaak, who had never shown his face at a ball even once, would care to attend.
In the first place, she hadn’t seen Isaak since the day he was introduced as her new fiancée and that was a whole week ago.
(Exactly what do you mean by not coming to meet me?!)
Claudia emotionally rode on a horse-drawn carriage to the Lampertz family’s home.
Rather than wanting to meet him, she wanted to ask if he was willing to attend the ball that was coming up in two days.
It did not take long for me to arrive. I was greeted by a surprised look on the face of the Lampertz family’s butler.
「What a pleasant surprise Claudia-sama. Welcome.」
「Sorry for coming on such a short notice. Is Isaak inside by any chance?」
「Isaak-sama has yet to return. 」
「……not yet? It’s already late, isn’t it?」
「Yes it is. Since his return from the last expedition, he’s been staying at the Academy Expedition Force headquarter almost every day.」
The Academy Expedition Force is an organization whose main task is to explore another continent. Isaak, Ralph, and before, Alexis, worked there as well.
「……so it is like that. That’s tough.」
(It’s not that you haven’t come to see me, but it’s because you had so many things to do……)
Claudia was relieved to know of his situation before they met face to face and complained about it.
「Will it be fine to wait until Isaak returns?」
「Of course my Lady. Shall I inform Isaak-sama of your arrival?」 {Editor’s note:- I am guessing that he will send a messenger to inform Isaak about her arrival.}
「No need. I don’t want to be a bother any more than this.」
She was then led into the drawing room where she waited. Just as she finished her nth cup of black tea, the door opened with a knock, and there stood Isaak with eyes wide open.
「Welcome back.」
「…………」
「Why are you so surprised?」
「……I think it’s quite normal to be surprised seeing how you’re here out of the blue.」
「For now, why don’t you take a seat?」
With her prompting, Isaak sighed and sat down on the couch in front of Claudia. Now that he was in front of her, Claudia realized that Isaak’s complexion looked bad and she could see at a glance that he looked tired.
「 Have you been busy?」
「Well, I guess so.」
「Don’t tell me it’s because of Alexis’s disappearance?」
「Well……」
「Such is the case isn’t it?」
In other words, Isaak was filling in the hole that Alexis left. Claudia whole heartedly regretted that she hadn’t thought of it.
「It’s not just that. 」
「What do you mean?」
「I will be taking a break from work the day after tomorrow.」
「The day after tomorrow?」
Speaking of which made Claudia remember, she came to see Isaak about the ball that would be held two days later.
「So we’re going to go after all. That’s great.」
「……going to what, exactly?」
「Eh? To the ball, two days from now.」
「…………」
「……is it not so?」
「Ah……」
Isaak raised an eyebrow and closed his eyes, ruffled his bangs and clutched them gingerly.
With him being like this, it seemed that the ‘leave from work’ was not for the purpose of going to the ball.
「Could it be you haven’t heard of it? But father said he talked to Diethard-sama about it……」
「……No, I was told. However, because of my exhaustion I wasn’t able to remember.」
As Claudia knew why he was exhausted, she couldn’t blame. Claudia sighed in surrender.
「What do you plan on doing then?」
When he was asked, Isaak, who opened his eyes, looked back at her with an indescribable look. He heard Claudia sigh and thought she was angry.
「I’ll be back at night. It might be a little late, though.」
「Not that. I’m asking what is it that you plan to do.」
「……I’m going to Ileah.」
Ileah was a country town that was separated from the Royal Capital. It was the place Isaak used to live in.
「Ileah? Then, it’s impossible to make a round trip and come back at night.」
「Not really. Anyway, I’ll be back as soon as possible. 」
「What will you be doing there?」
Due to her persistence, Isaak reluctantly replied,
「……It’s the death anniversary of my uncle. His grave is in Ileah.」
Claudia was surprised and far more annoyed at this revelation than Isaak forgetting about the ball.
「If you have such an important thing to do, why didn’t you tell me right away? It’s fine. You don’t have to come back. Take your time when you go there.」
「I knew you would say that, so I didn’t tell you.」
(……What was that? Isaak, you were being considerate of me, so you didn’t tell me?)
Right at that moment, she couldn’t help but stare at Isaak, who was somehow different from the one who was consoling her the other day.
「What’s with that look?」
「……I thought you’d say ‘It’s none of your business’.」
「Don’t tell me you wanted me to say that?」
「No. I didn’t mean it like that……I」
(Somehow, I don’t know what to say …)
While she was mulling over it, she noticed that Isaak looked like he wanted to say something.
「What’s the matter?」
「No. It’s nothing.」
「Tell me. Stop hiding it.」
She strongly urged him, and this made Isaak utter unbelievable words.
「……Will you come with me to Ilhea?」
Claudia had been told by her father, Theodore, to attend the next ball with Isaak. However, she wasn’t sure if Isaak, who had never shown his face at a ball even once, would care to attend.
In the first place, she hadn’t seen Isaak since the day he was introduced as her new fiancée and that was a whole week ago.
(Exactly what do you mean by not coming to meet me?!)
Claudia emotionally rode on a horse-drawn carriage to the Lampertz family’s home.
Rather than wanting to meet him, she wanted to ask if he was willing to attend the ball that was coming up in two days.
It did not take long for me to arrive. I was greeted by a surprised look on the face of the Lampertz family’s butler.
「What a pleasant surprise Claudia-sama. Welcome.」
「Sorry for coming on such a short notice. Is Isaak inside by any chance?」
「Isaak-sama has yet to return. 」
「……not yet? It’s already late, isn’t it?」
「Yes it is. Since his return from the last expedition, he’s been staying at the Academy Expedition Force headquarter almost every day.」
The Academy Expedition Force is an organization whose main task is to explore another continent. Isaak, Ralph, and before, Alexis, worked there as well.
「……so it is like that. That’s tough.」
(It’s not that you haven’t come to see me, but it’s because you had so many things to do……)
Claudia was relieved to know of his situation before they met face to face and complained about it.
「Will it be fine to wait until Isaak returns?」
「Of course my Lady. Shall I inform Isaak-sama of your arrival?」 {Editor’s note:- I am guessing that he will send a messenger to inform Isaak about her arrival.}
「No need. I don’t want to be a bother any more than this.」
She was then led into the drawing room where she waited. Just as she finished her nth cup of black tea, the door opened with a knock, and there stood Isaak with eyes wide open.
「Welcome back.」
「…………」
「Why are you so surprised?」
「……I think it’s quite normal to be surprised seeing how you’re here out of the blue.」
「For now, why don’t you take a seat?」
With her prompting, Isaak sighed and sat down on the couch in front of Claudia. Now that he was in front of her, Claudia realized that Isaak’s complexion looked bad and she could see at a glance that he looked tired.
「 Have you been busy?」
「Well, I guess so.」
「Don’t tell me it’s because of Alexis’s disappearance?」
「Well……」
「Such is the case isn’t it?」
In other words, Isaak was filling in the hole that Alexis left. Claudia whole heartedly regretted that she hadn’t thought of it.
「It’s not just that. 」
「What do you mean?」
「I will be taking a break from work the day after tomorrow.」
「The day after tomorrow?」
Speaking of which made Claudia remember, she came to see Isaak about the ball that would be held two days later.
「So we’re going to go after all. That’s great.」
「……going to what, exactly?」
「Eh? To the ball, two days from now.」
「…………」
「……is it not so?」
「Ah……」
Isaak raised an eyebrow and closed his eyes, ruffled his bangs and clutched them gingerly.
With him being like this, it seemed that the ‘leave from work’ was not for the purpose of going to the ball.
「Could it be you haven’t heard of it? But father said he talked to Diethard-sama about it……」
「……No, I was told. However, because of my exhaustion I wasn’t able to remember.」
As Claudia knew why he was exhausted, she couldn’t blame. Claudia sighed in surrender.
「What do you plan on doing then?」
When he was asked, Isaak, who opened his eyes, looked back at her with an indescribable look. He heard Claudia sigh and thought she was angry.
「I’ll be back at night. It might be a little late, though.」
「Not that. I’m asking what is it that you plan to do.」
「……I’m going to Ileah.」
Ileah was a country town that was separated from the Royal Capital. It was the place Isaak used to live in.
「Ileah? Then, it’s impossible to make a round trip and come back at night.」
「Not really. Anyway, I’ll be back as soon as possible. 」
「What will you be doing there?」
Due to her persistence, Isaak reluctantly replied,
「……It’s the death anniversary of my uncle. His grave is in Ileah.」
Claudia was surprised and far more annoyed at this revelation than Isaak forgetting about the ball.
「If you have such an important thing to do, why didn’t you tell me right away? It’s fine. You don’t have to come back. Take your time when you go there.」
「I knew you would say that, so I didn’t tell you.」
(……What was that? Isaak, you were being considerate of me, so you didn’t tell me?)
Right at that moment, she couldn’t help but stare at Isaak, who was somehow different from the one who was consoling her the other day.
「What’s with that look?」
「……I thought you’d say ‘It’s none of your business’.」
「Don’t tell me you wanted me to say that?」
「No. I didn’t mean it like that……I」
(Somehow, I don’t know what to say …)
While she was mulling over it, she noticed that Isaak looked like he wanted to say something.
「What’s the matter?」
「No. It’s nothing.」
「Tell me. Stop hiding it.」
She strongly urged him, and this made Isaak utter unbelievable words.
「……Will you come with me to Ilhea?」
