Chapter 11 - I discovered the truth (1/2)

A few days after safely completing the tea party, Mary came over to my place as promised. Amazingly enough, Mary seems to have studied about vegetables for the sake of my field. What a kind child!

Talking with her, I discovered that we were the same age, and that Mary was also a person with magic power, making her easy to understand and get along with. She seemed quite frightened in the beginning, but smiles can finally be seen.

And then, my field was completely resurrected by Mary who came to visit many times over.

“Mary. Really, thank you. Thanks to you, the field has become completely healthy.”

I thanked Mary while looking at the recovered field.

“No, it’s because Katarina-sama has worked very hard.”

Mary said so while smiling. It’s such an adorable beauty’s smile, a heavenly sight to behold.

“Man, I thought they might even wither and die…… As I thought, Mary is really amazing.”

“……No, nothing of the sort.”

Although Mary is being humble, she’s really very good at growing plants, and after coming in contact with Mary’s hands, even plants on the verge of death have been revitalized. Mary’s hands are special. That’s right, about these type of hands, they were called…

“Mary, you have a green thumb!”

“……Green thumb?”

“Yep, a green thumb. It means your hands have a special talent for growing plants!”

“……Special talent……”

“Yeah, Mary’s just overflowing with talent when it comes to growing plants!”

I was squeezing both of her hands as I was saying so. Mary was staring wide-eyed at her clenched hands.

“……My hands are special……”

“Yep, you and your green thumb are an amazing, special existence!”

I said so while smiling, and Mary cracked a faint smile as well. Her smile was as lovely as if flowers were blooming.

“Katarina-sama, the field has returned to a healthy state, but…… if it’s okay with you, is it alright if I come visit again?”

“Of course, you’re more than welcome to come over and play anytime.”

I told the somewhat reserved Mary that she was “very, very welcome,” and laughed happily.

“Having a green thumb is so amazing.”

As I sent off Mary, Keith who had been left alone standing by my side quietly up until now spoke up.

“Indeed, someone like Mary who is so good at growing plants is quite a person.”

“Yes, that’s right. I read a book a long time ago titled “The Girl with the Green Thumb,” has nee-san also read this book?”

“Uh… I don’t think I’ve read that book…… I don’t quite remember how I knew about it.”

For some reason, it just came to mind all of a sudden while watching Mary. I wonder where I knew about it from?

“Well anyways, Mary has become really bright now.”

“That’s right. At first, she was really scared of me.”

“Eh, she was scared of nee-san?”

“……Yeah, it must be the fault of my villainous face.”

I mocked myself slightly to the shocked Keith. I hate this villainous face that I’ve inherited from mother’s genes.

“……Saying it’s a villainous face…… I don’t think any such thing…… Also, I don’t think Mary-sama was only scared of nee-san. It felt that way no matter who she was speaking to.”

“……Eh, was that so?”

“Yeah, she gave off a super nervous feeling with everyone she met…… There must be various circumstances at home that caused her to completely lose her self-confidence.”

“……Various circumstances? Like what?”

I thought it was quite a mystery while Keith looked at me as if I was insane.

“What exactly did nee-san even do at the Hunt family’s tea party? You should have heard about all this at the tea party.”

“……Uh…”

After I finished my greetings, I was busy thinking about how to take the sweets home with me. After I was caught by Keith, I was busy eating the sweets that I wouldn’t be able to take home. As such, I barely even participated in the tea party. Well, at least I didn’t get into any trouble. Rather, it was kind of a strategy of sorts. Yeah, let’s go with that.

Keith who was staring at me seemed to have given up on something and gave a loud sigh. Er, I feel kinda sorry now, my stepbrother.

And then, Keith told me the story he had heard at the tea party.

It seems that, as for the four Hunt sisters, the first three have the same mother, while the youngest child Mary’s mother is the second wife. After his first wife died of all illness, Mary’s mother entered the family as the second wife. However, it seems that Mary’s mother does not have a very high status, so Marquis Hunt’s remarriage was not very welcome. Moreover, even Mary’s mother was married over her objection, and also died of illness when Mary was five. Although the remaining Mary was cherished by her father, it seems that sparks often flew between Mary and her sisters.

As such, it seems that Mary hears mean things like “your blood is low status” or “you have no class” from her sisters every day.

“……So, that’s why, Mary seemed to be so nervous at first.”

Certainly, if you heard your relatives saying bad things about you every day, your self-confidence would disappear. If you think yourself to be useless, then appearing in front of people could very well be frightening.

“But, it seems like she’s changed quite a lot, Mary-sama will surely be alright now.”

Keith said so with a face as if he knew everything for some reason. He looked so self-assured that I wondered if he knew something else he wasn’t telling me. Even though I asked, he seems to be taking me lightly.

My stepbrother that was at first just bouncing around behind me when he first came here, had somehow completely matured in just a few months.

He is desperately working hard in both etiquette and magic lessons, and when I said to my maturing brother that “you don’t have to hurry up and become an adult this fast,” he replied “I want to get as much power as fast as possible in order to protect what’s important to me,” with a very grown-up look. Honestly, I’ve even become a bit lonely. Moreover, he wouldn’t even tell me what it was that he wanted to protect, onee-chan is feeling completely left out here.

“Come to think of it, it’s about time for Mary-sama’s engagement to Prince Alan to be determined.”

“…Oh, really?”

I responded with whatever seemed appropriate while watching Keith. While I was thinking I could have a cute little brother for a bit longer, he’s already becoming an adult…… Moreover, what could he possibly want to protect. It couldn’t be, does he already have someone he likes!? Hey now, first of all, please introduce her properly to onee-chan! I won’t forgive her if she seems too weird……

……Huh? What did Keith say just now?

“……Keith. What did you just say?”

“……Nee-san.”

Keith made a stunned face again. I’m so sorry.

“I was saying, it’s about time for Mary-sama’s engagement to Prince Alan to be determined.”

“……Eh? Mary is getting engaged to who……??”

“It’s Prince Alan. Prince Jared’s younger twin brother, the fourth prince of this country.”

“!?”

“Mary-sama is currently the best candidate to become Prince Alan’s fiancee.”