"Thank you very much for inviting me today."
"Please don't be so tense, Lady Kamitafira. It's just a light gathering among relatives today."
Eleonora lowered her head, and Vittoria raised one hand to stop her.
Today, having responded to the invitation to a tea party held at the Grand Duke Casunat's private residence in the royal capital, Eleonora was not wearing her usual attire but had come in her official uniform approved for students in public spaces.
"Um, by the way, that basket...?"
"There are some circumstances, so I brought it along."
The basket Eleonora held was covered with a woven lid that occasionally swayed on its own, which was rather frightening.
"It isn't something bad, is it...?"
"Well, it seems it will become familiar..."
*Familiar?* Vittoria thought, almost voicing it, but held back and began guiding Eleonora to the garden. Usually, such things are done by servants, but this was proof of how much Vittoria was committed to winning Eleonora over.
"Oh."
The garden they were led to was well-maintained by a gardener, with a table and chairs set up so one could enjoy tea while gazing at a variety of flowers, with a refreshing breeze blowing.
"Lady Kamitafira."
Called by a bell-like voice, Eleonora turned her gaze toward Lady Clarissa, who was sitting with other young ladies on chairs.
"Lady Clarissa, it's been a while."
"Lady Kamitafira, I hope you are well."
Clarissa hesitated slightly, then timidly opened her heavy mouth.
"I apologize for criticizing after you had interceded with Sir Gustavo, even after you challenged him to a duel."
"Please don't worry about it. Seeing your fiancé exposed to violence leaves me with no choice."
When Eleonora cheerfully accepted her apology, Vittoria guided her to her seat.
"Now, please have a seat. From now, we will serve tea and sweets."
"Excuse me, and please forgive this me, the monkey who has just come down from the mountain."
A short moment after Eleonora sat easily in the chair, tea and sweets were brought in, and the introduction of the attending young ladies was conducted.
"Count Norami's daughter is Hortensia."
"I am Euphemia from the Margrave Shikalco family."
"I am Agathe, the second daughter of the Marquis Sarakshi family."
Eleonora, gazing at the familiar girl with a red ponytail, remembered, *Oh, Hortensia.*
"You called out to me before entering the academy, didn't you?"
"That time..."
Gulping awkwardly, Count's daughter Hortensia concealed her face with a fan.
"Now, everyone. Please enjoy the tea and sweets."
When she turned to the voice of Vittoria, the host, the servant was bringing out a white ceramic cup and sweets placed on a plate.
"As expected of Grand Duke Casunat, such splendid ceramics."
"Oh? Do you understand, Lady Kamitafira?"
"Though I do not possess one due to poverty..."
Although only having seen similar things on the internet in Japan before, she understood that what was before her was quite valuable.
Usually, the wooden cup made by the village craftsman she used was vastly inferior.
"Lady Kamitafira, what is your usual life like?"
While brushing aside her vivid blue hair that made her question why she had such hair, Euphemia asked.
"After warming up and training before sunrise, I eat last night's soup warmed by my mother and hard-baked rye bread, then patrol with the guards. Thieves often appear, you see."
"Thieves? Do they appear that often?"
"Many are desperate enough to kill people just to survive. As the ruler, I can't let my people suffer, so I hunt them down as soon as I find them."
"Just how many, then?"
"It's become easy to remember; I have personally taken out just over 60."
*Sixty!* The young ladies exclaimed.
Even though they are ruffians, seeing a woman who has killed that many people in front of her would be frightening.
"Lady Kamitafira, do you ever worry about what you've done? Even though they are thieves, are they not all fellow Holy Cross?"
Among the entourage, the shortest, Agathe, asked with a tone full of reproach, and Vittoria's eyebrows furrowed.
"The one I once showed mercy to, he attacked and killed a traveling merchant in the village and then stole his cart. Since then, it's been a massacre."
It seemed that the atmosphere froze in the air.
"S-speaking of which! Why did you bring your basket, Lady Kamitafira?"
Perhaps thinking she needed to change the atmosphere, Vittoria, who normally would not make such an impolite remark about urging for souvenirs, spoke out, feeling it had to be said.
"Ah, well, one of our Suno people warriors helped a Rubelbe merchant. As a thank-you, I got this, but I couldn't leave it at the academy."
Eleonora, who stuck her hand into the basket, was making a huge fuss alone, saying things like, *"Hey, come on!"* and *"Don't struggle... don't struggle!"* and *"Ouch! It bit me!"* While the young ladies watched in further shock.
And finally, she grabbed what she was after and pulled it out of the basket.
"So cute!"
"A kitten~desuwaa!"
The earlier expression of *"What is this thing doing?"* disappeared, and all 5 pairs of eyes were fixed on the baby hunting leopard (cheetah) that was pulled out.
"The merchant said that if you pamper them since they are babies, they will get attached to people. In Icaro, there are records of them being kept as pets, and those records are said to be in the Aridon Sacrea Library."
When she offered it to Lady Vittoria, she hesitantly accepted it, and the baby leopard purred and squirmed in her hands.
"Ah, thank you so much, knight..."
Surprised by the unexpected gift, Vittoria could only say that much, and the baby leopard gazed at her in a puzzled manner.