With about two hours to go before the wedding, I was spending time chatting with Her Highness Irene.
Looking back, I didn’t often have such an informal conversation with Miri.
She rarely listened to me if I did not have something interesting to say.
But maybe I was wrong to stop there.
If only I had been more approachable to her.
If my parents had neglected her education and I had been willing to take responsibility for her care, we might have had a different future.
“So, when my brother kept telling me how much he loved Sister Charlotte’s performance, I listened to it and wondered what it was like. And before I knew it, I was in tears.”
Her Highness Irene happily describes the time I was playing.
The thought of her being my sister-in-law made my eyes water, as if I had always longed for that.
Yes. I wanted Miri and I to be normal, sisterly friends.
And yet, as time went by, the gap between us only deepened. Before I knew it, our feelings had drifted apart.
” …Sister Charlotte, are you crying? Are you still sad about leaving your country?”
“No, it’s not that. I am happy to have a sister like Her Highness Irene… My own sister and I were never very close.”
I had been shedding tears before I knew it, and Her Highness Irene looked concerned.
I’ll have to fix my makeup later…
I wonder why.
I can’t believe I’m thinking like this when I’m on the verge of finding my own happiness.
Maybe I’m too nervous before the wedding.
“Didn’t you and your sister get along? Sister Charlotte’s sister is the one wearing a mask at the venue, isn’t she?”
“Yes, that’s right. I’m sorry, she was stung by a bee and has several red boils on her face.”
“Oh, I don’t mind. I saw the heir of the ducal family greeting the other attendees earlier, and I thought she was Charlotte-onesama’s sister, since she addressed them in Albanian and gave a rather long speech. I see, you didn’t get along with each other.”
“?!”
Miri was greeting them in Albania? And she even gave a speech…
She could have learned to introduce herself somehow, but I can’t believe she learned a foreign language in such a short amount of time.
Elmhardt-sama must have been very good at teaching her.
In that case, if I hadn’t given up on her, I might have been able to change her…
“You know, me too. My brother and I didn’t get along. Until about three years ago. He’s kind of inflexible, isn’t he? But we had a big fight, and that cleared things up… and we get along very well now.”
“Your Highness Irene…?”
“So, you know, if Sister Charlotte wants to make up with her sister, she might want to have a real run-in with her. It’s not too late, since she came all the way across the border for your wedding.”
Based on her own experience, Her Highness wanted me to have a real fight with Miri.
Come to think of it, I may never have had a fight with Miri.
Every time I tried to get angry, my parents would stop me and protect her.
Maybe next time we can talk…. I will tell her the truth. And I will ask her what she really thinks.
Elmhardt-sama seems to have retrained her well, and if she can give a speech, the wedding will be fine.
“Thank you very much, your highness. I will discuss this with Miri.”
“Yes, That’s good. I’ll be rooting for you, Sister.”
I stood up and decided to make today’s wedding a success and to be serious with Miri.
I realize that my life is going to change forever from here—.