Today is the day for my meeting with Father.
I dress up as usual and head to the upper residential sector.
"Ho, yellow suits you as well, Asha."
"It's because Her Highness has excellent taste."
The clothes I'm wearing today were a gift from Her Highness—garments that neither Father nor I would have chosen with our sense of style. Learning of the custom to gift clothing during one's birth month, Her Highness selected this outfit together with Father. Father tends to choose clothes in blues and reds, with black being otherwise prominent. Her Highness chose vibrant garments in yellow, pink, and pale green—colors I would never reach for myself. However, she never gifts anything unbecoming. As with the example of Marie Antoinette, the Empress Consort is also a fashion leader who creates trends, after all. I can only say, as expected of her.
"The tea leaves prepared today are the finest Massa, gifted from the Heliogabalus Dragon Kingdom."
After Father and I had talked for some time, the bobbed servant served the black tea. Immediately, Father and I stared fixedly at the tea and froze. Tea had begun to be served since our relationship improved. However, I believe it's fair to say the bobbed servant's mean-spiritedness continues. Because this is a trial to measure our refinement.
"...I believe the color is beautiful."
"Ah, ahh, now that you mention it, it is dark."
Father responded after noticing my comment, so we exchanged glances to confirm we hadn't erred. When we both looked toward the bobbed servant, the lack of any sign of disapproval on that expressionless face told us we were correct. Father steeled himself and picked up his cup following my correct answer.
"Massa is... from the plains of Heliogabalus, a place name, was it not?"
Father seemed to remember just before drinking and murmured this, and since the bobbed servant nodded, this was also correct. In other words, this black tea is a branded tea sent from the largest kingdom in the region where dragon people dwell. The fact that it bears the land's name means it is likely a specialty product.
...This is something one would be ashamed not to know.
Having grown up without exposure to such luxury goods, I don't really understand them even when I hear of them. Father, being the third son of a count's family, is also poor at such refinements and doesn't quite grasp them. Therefore, the luxury items that have come to be served at these meetings tend to be high-class goods mixed with common knowledge of the palace. In other words, from the perspective of those who wish to hinder our interactions, this is a malicious trick to make us waste time as they please.
(Well, changing to a method that has some benefits for me does show some softening, I suppose. Also, perhaps ensuring Father's ignorance isn't exposed to others, or consideration so the Emperor doesn't lose face?)
Thinking such thoughts, I too pick up my cup and carefully smell the aroma. Yes, I can only tell that it's black tea. I resolve myself and drink.
Is that sourness spreading across my tongue? No, perhaps bitterness? And there's an astringent aftertaste to this. Is the after-aroma fragrant? Unlike any black tea I've had before, there's no sweetness to it. It's definitely astringent and makes my mouth pucker.
"What's wrong, Asha?"
Unable to tell if it was good or bad, Father brought up my reaction to buy time. Of course, I play along, unable to honestly say it tastes bad. No, I'm sure it's considered delicious by society's standards, but it's not to my taste.
"I would like to drink this with milk or honey."
"Why?"
Damn, the bobbed servant...!?
There's an atmosphere that if I answer incorrectly, I'll be mercilessly rejected. Father is desperately trying to think of a follow-up because this trial arose from him bringing up the topic.
"Why is that?"
But the bobbed servant's prompting comes faster. Having no choice, I make excuses to myself about having a child's palate and answer with my true thoughts.
"Because the astringency is strong, making it difficult for me to drink."
The bobbed servant silently fixes their gaze on me. A heavy silence filled the room, as if a drumroll could be heard in the background. And after an overly long silence, they finally opened their mouth and said:
"Exactly. This is a tea leaf recommended to be made into milk tea because of its deep body."
Wow, thank goodness! I got it right!
Wait, did they serve it in an unpalatable state on purpose?
The bobbed servant produced milk and honey that they seemed to have already prepared, and disposed of the half-drunk tea. They brewed a fresh cup and served it as milk tea. You can tell once you drink it. This is expensive and delicious black tea!
"Completely different. Rather, the quality of the leaves stands out even more."
"It doesn't lose to the milk and honey."
Father and I relax and enjoy the milk tea. Having properly drunk our tea, we finally get to today's discussion. This trial really does make us waste time.
"Your Majesty, may I ask about Terry's condition?"
"Terry? He's the same as usual."
"Well, I'm concerned that he becomes shy when I visit..."
"Ahh, that."
Father seemed to have noticed as well and immediately shared his thoughts.
"I believe that's a matter of familiarity. You can see he doesn't dislike you when you watch him, so rest assured."
"Is that so? So his demeanor changes when I come..."
"No, don't take it the wrong way. Terry looks forward to your visits so much that he stays up late with the twins the night before you come."
How cute! That's the first I've heard of that!
Father smiles gently at me, who am so easily delighted.
"Time will solve it. You don't dislike each other, and above all, you are both interested and trying to approach one another. It won't turn out badly."
As if he knows brothers who didn't do so—no, is this from Father's own experience? If you reverse everything: brothers who disliked each other, had no interest, and never approached one another. And the Count Nistav family, who said to leave me to them, made me believe I wasn't disliked, that they were interested, that they would approach me, but in the end it was only lip service.
"...Hmm."
"Is there something wrong with the tea?"
The bobbed servant immediately reacted because I had let out a sound while getting a refill of milk tea.
"Ah, the tea is delicious. I was just wondering what normal brothers are like."
Saying this, I look at the bobbed servant and realize. In this world, since there's no declining birth rate, having siblings is normal. So the bobbed servant should have siblings too.
"Come to think of it, Vaoras was the sixth son of a count's family. Did you feel reserved around your older brothers? How are your sibling relations?"
Father asked Vaoras without reservation. But there's something else I'm more curious about.
"Don't you have a lot of siblings?"
"Is that so? The Count Nistav family also has sons up to the fifth, and there are those who take a second wife and bear children at sixty."
It doesn't seem strange to Father. Of course, the number of daughters increases accordingly as well, but if Father in his thirties keeps having children until sixty, he would indeed have about two more sons. However, due to physical matters, the partner would be someone other than the Empress Consort.
"Ahem, surely you mean His Highness the Second Prince rather than my sibling relations."
For the bobbed servant to change the subject... I see, his sibling relations aren't that good?
"Is it not good that His Highness the First Prince is not a bad influence? Some awkwardness in correspondence is inevitable. More importantly, it is good that he has become enthusiastic about his studies."
According to the bobbed servant, since Terry began interacting with me as an older brother, he has been putting effort into his studies and martial arts. Perhaps having someone above him when he had been treated as the eldest has given him a clear goal.
"I haven't done anything great, yet I can become a goal? My education is also incomplete."
"The very fact that you are aware of that shows the superiority of understanding right and wrong in matters. If shown that, the legitimate son cannot help but strive harder."
It seems I have contributed to my younger brother's motivation.
And Father was dejected that the bobbed servant knew more about Terry than he did.
Regular Updates
Next Time: The Brother Knows Not the Younger Brother's Heart 2
Updated 9/10 (Inserted after Chapter 45)
Side Story 9: Marquis Strateg
Updated 9/11 (Inserted after Chapter 50)
Side Story 10: A Certain Gardener