The Kids Have Changed - Chapter 15

“Madame DeJoue, do you sing, by any chance?”

“Oh, no. I don’t even know what a song is.”

“Then, Madame Berna…”

I caught sight of Madame Berna’s dress disappearing behind the doorway. She has always stayed by Carol’s side like a shadow, but now she left her charge behind and ran away.

Ah, really… Anybody would be better than me.

What should I do?

“Wouldn’t it be best to do it yourself, my lady? This is a gift that you’ll be giving,” said Madame DeJoue.

“You know that I can’t sing at all.”

“It should be fine. Your voice, at least, is beautiful.”

I turned to Carol again. “Carol…”

“Hmph!”

“Ughhhh…”

I held my head in my hands, regretting that I had ever come up with this useless idea. If I sang, I wouldn’t chase away his nightmares. I’d create them.

It should be fine, right…?

I sighed. I took a deep breath, pulled myself together, and tapped on the pendant five times.

I can do it!

***

In the end, the recording went okay. There was nothing difficult about the process, since the pendant was the one doing all the actual recording.

I stared at the box in my hands uneasily.

For the past week, I kept redoing the recording. Finally, the pendant for the prince was finished.

Though Madame DeJoue was laughing so hard that she cried… and Madame Berna said it was perfect as a morning alarm… Well, I tried my best.

The carriage was well on its way to the palace.

Wasn’t it going too quickly?

It was the same carriage, horses, and coachman as usual, but I still felt that we were going faster than usual.

Will it really be fine to give this to Julien?

“Julien sure is lucky,” Carol said.

Carol had been repeating that phrase the whole time. She was planning on taking it for herself if Julien rejected the gift.

“I thought you said I couldn’t sing,” I said.

“It’s true, but… having it is better than nothing!”

…Wow. Thanks. That was such a comforting thing to hear.

The carriage rolled to a stop.

“Are we already here?”

I sighed and headed over to the garden with Carol. The Empress greeted us as usual, then excused herself. It was only Julien and us left.

Since I’ve started to interfere, the prince’s face blossomed under the devoted care of his maids.

He became even prettier.

“Hi!” Carol greeted enthusiastically.

Julien nodded in return.

‘Asshole,’ Carol mouthed. Julien responded by raising his middle finger.

However, I did not see this exchange as I was still fiddling with the box.

Madame DeJoue had nagged at me that I would wear out the box by doing so, but I couldn’t help myself.

“Sharon, let’s sit down. Yeah?”

“I guess we should.”

As I hesitantly sat down at the table with Carol, the maids prepared light refreshments for us.

I didn’t see any of that, though.

Should I give it to him? Maybe I shouldn’t.

While I was pondering over this quietly, Carol opened her mouth.

“Sharon has something to give you!”

“Hey!”

God, I never thought that Carol would betray me like this!

“What is it?”

After glancing at Carol, who was smiling, I held out the box with trembling hands to Julien.

“It isn’t much…”

I hesitated. I didn’t know what to say. But of course, Carol did not let me be…

“Sharon recorded that herself! And she sang the song herself, too! If you don’t want it, give it to me.”

…because she had an ulterior motive.

Carol looked hopeful and eager, and Julien took the box from me.

Well, he tried to take it.

Julien looked at me bemusedly as I held onto the box with great strength.

“Didn’t you say it was mine?”

“…That’s true, but… Ah!”

As soon as Julien pulled with a bit more force, the box slipped out of my hand.

Oh no….

I planted my face on the table, trying to hide my face. Now, I was too out of it to care about any aristocratic manners.

Julien seemed to know exactly how to use the sound marble.

He activated it.

—Ahem. It’s not much, but… it’s a lullaby. So you can listen to it when you can’t sleep…

I could hear how nervous my voice sounded.

If I were to describe in terms of handwriting, I would say that it was crooked. The song began with off-beat and off-key notes. With Carol’s interruptions, the giggles of both  Madame DeJoue and Madame Berna made up the chorus in between.

Sometimes, the marble recorded Carol’s voice singing along with me.

“Ah, it’s so embarrassing.”

When it was over, I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t lift up my face. My face felt hot.

“Pfft.”

I could hear Julien’s laughter next to me. When I lifted just my eyes, very slightly I could see his face laughing so brightly for the first time.

His face looked like a flower bud’s first bloom, and it almost seemed to be shining. His pretty black eyes turned into crescents and his pale cheeks had cute little dimples.

He was even prettier when he laughed…

“Right? It’s funny! Totally funny!”

Carol stabbed a dagger in my heart.

“So give it to me! Will you, Julien?”

“Why? It’s mine.”

Julien refused with a single stroke. I could hear Carol rolling her feet anxiously on the side.

“I really… like it.”

The prince’s murmur reassured me.

Thank goodness.

“You can’t sing, but the voice is very pretty.”

Oof.

…Julien just killed me twice over.

***

The sudden drizzle of rain pushed back today’s promised picnic to next week.

Julien rolled the sound marble that Sharon had left him between his fingers.

Looking at the marble reminded him of Sharon’s face and how red even her ears had turned.

Of course, Carol’s voice was also recorded in the song, but Julien liked the marble enough to disregard that.

Julien breathed onto the marble to activate it.

“Hahahahaha!”

Again.

He felt delighted every time he listened to it.

His empty room had always felt cold, but Julien’s bed felt warm for the first time.

Julien couldn’t stop laughing the whole time as he held the marble in his hand. He wouldn’t exchange this marble for anything, not even if he was offered the greatest treasure in the world.

Julien held the pendant in his hand.

He was glad that he met Sharon.

Sharon had become Julien’s fortune and the sole reason for his laughter.

Julien fell asleep, listening to Sharon’s voice fill up the empty room.

It had been a long time since he slept so deeply. No nightmares or insomnia burdened him.

Chapter 3. The Kids are Cute

It was a weekend during the peak of summer.

It had only been 3 days since I gave the sound marble to Julien.

Carol was dressing up, and I was lying on the couch, jiggling my feet and watching Carol.

Today was the day the empire was founded.

It was the 59th day of summer.

If one season lasted for 120 days, it really was in the middle.

314 years had passed since Empire Cosabalta planted a flag on this land, which is now called Clementia, alongside his followers.

Those with the last name of Cosabalta inherited the throne, and those who contributed to the founding established themselves as high-ranking aristocrats.

Carol had to participate in the Foundation Day celebration as her last name was Gratoni, an important and highly ranked family..

Normally, children under the age of 15 are excluded from social parties, but that rule did not apply on Foundation Day.

But I didn’t have to go since my last name was Atrina, which was only the rank of a count.

“Hey, Sharon. You should come with me!”
“What are you talking about? This is no simple tea party or social gathering, and I’m not 15 years old. How could I attend?”

“…My lady, aren’t you smiling too much? I’ve never seen you smile this brightly recently.”

Madame DeJoue, who also had nothing much to do, added.

Oops. Maybe I was being too eager.

I rubbed the corner of my mouth.

“Besides, you’re my relative! You’re also of Gratoni blood.”

“That’s true, but… my surname is still Atrina.”

“My father can take you along. So let’s go!”

“I can’t. I couldn’t possibly trouble my honored uncle like that.”

Carol pouted her lips at my refusal.

Wearing a sleeveless yellow dress, Carol was a cute young lady. It matched well with her dark green eyes and ashen hair.

I stopped a maid as she tried to place earrings that looked too big and heavy on Carol’s ears.

“Rather than that one, please help her put on the smaller, heart-shaped earrings.”

“But…”

I looked at the silver name tag on the maid’s chest and said, “Kara. I said that I think the heart-shaped earrings suit Carol better. Carol can wear the ones from her mother once she grows up. Isn’t that right, Kara?”

“Yes, miss.”

Even the Duchess’s maid agreed.

“Then, should I go store these away?”

“Yes. I’m certain that the Duchess won’t mind that it isn’t being worn today. It’s a little too mature for Carol.”

“Yes. You’re correct, miss.”

Kara took out the earrings that stretched Carol’s ears and drooped to her shoulders, and she put in the cute and small heart earrings.

“Hmm. That looks a lot more pretty. Carol, do you like it? Is it comfortable?”

“…Yeah. My neck doesn’t hurt.”

That’s right. If she kept wearing the ones from before, she might have hurt the disc in her neck.

“Carol, you look very beautiful and pretty.”

“Really? Hehehehe. How pretty?”

“As pretty as the sky and the earth!”

At my words, I thought I could see a puppy’s tail popping out behind Carol.

I continued to heap on the praise.

“Your hair is so pretty today, and your dress really suits you! You’re like a princess! No. Maybe a fairy?”

“Really, really?”

I nodded. Madame DeJoue wiggled her eyebrows at me as if she knew what I was up to, but she didn’t stop me.

Carol was so absorbed in my praise that she forgot her plan to take me to the celebration.

Hohohoho. It was too easy.

In the end, Carol didn’t bother me again until she got on the carriage with her parents.

“Huh? Sharon?”

By the time she stared at me with those round eyes, it was too late.

I waved my hand at the carriage as the door closed. “Have fun!” I greeted, feeling refreshed.

“…You must have been a fox in your previous life.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Madame DeJoue.”

I was free!

***

“Why is it only you?”

That was what Julien said as soon as he saw Carol.

The high aristocrats were gathered in the waiting room, receiving the badges with the Imperial family’s insignia.

The servants were passing out black ribbons with red lines and a golden brooch.

The golden brooch was engraved with an eagle with folded black wings.

This was because the first emperor, Lord Cosabalta, raised an eagle that later became the symbol of the country.

Carol puffed out her cheek and ignored Julien.

“Ugh.”

The weight of the golden brooch on her shoulder was also annoying.

“…Hey, asshole. Where is Sharon?”

“Ah! She didn’t come!” Carol replied irritably. “I’m already annoyed, so can you just stop talking to me?”

“Do I look like I want to be speaking with you? It’s very unpleasant to do so.”

“Ha. And you think I like it? I hate you so much. You scumbag!”

Carol had begun shouting, but fortunately, there weren’t any adults nearby. The children, though, began to whisper.

“Hey, I thought they were starting to get along?”

“That’s what I thought. She even gave him some food the other week… Was it a mirage?”

“I do feel like I’ve seen a ghost these days. We must have been mistaken.”

“Hey, let’s get out of their way. We’ll only get yelled at if we stick around.”

A circle with a radius of 1 meter formed around Carol and Julien as everyone backed away from them simultaneously. The maid who gave Carol her ribbon adjusted her dress with shaking hands.