“Welcome, Father.”
“Thank you,”
Francis said curtly, then immediately strode towards Amelia. She looked cutely up at him as she held the skirt of her dress and Francis’s stern expression gently relaxed. He gently patted his daughter’s head with a large hand.
“Have you been well?”
“Yes, I’m doing well.”
“Did you feel any pain? “
“Sister took good care of me, so I feel much better now.”
Amelia was the youngest child, and even her graceful way of answering was as pretty as could be. Amanda watched the two of them talking before her father’s eyes turned towards her. She spoke in a slightly shaky voice.
“I hope your journey wasn’t too difficult.”
Francis nodded lightly. She couldn’t breathe for a moment. Her heart was full. She had a father she thought she’d never see again.
“Have you taken a meal yet?”
“No. I suppose you were all waiting for me because I arrived later than expected. Let’s start with the meal. “
With that Francis made to the dining hall first, followed by his three children. He would often arrive at the castle late at night and would go to the dining hall as soon as he arrived. No one knew how special this dinner was for Amanda today. She walked quietly behind him as she tried to hide the moisture forming in her eyes.
They arrived in the hall, the centerpiece of it which was a long table covered in white tablecloth. The table was large enough to accommodate twenty people, and it was neatly decorated with candles and flowers. Before Francis had arrived Amanda had taken care of the arrangements.
As usual her father was seated at the head of the table and Aaron sat on his right, while Amanda and Amelia were seated on his left. The servants began to bring in the food, and as soon as they finished their plates the next course would come in. In the past when they celebrated Francis’s homecoming the family would enjoy dinner because of Amanda’s careful preparations, but tonight she had pulled out all the stops. No one would say it, but the large table was so full it looked practically miniscule underneath the huge feast. Amelia mumbled “There’s something wrong” while Francis and Aaron enjoyed their meal silently. It was Francis who broke the familial silence.
“Are you going to participate in this year’s sword fighting competition?”
Everyone at the table knew he was talking to Aaron. Aaron hadn’t been able to in the competition in the capital city because of an injury he suffered during a training session. Her father and brother didn’t speak about it, but that she knew Aaron had deep regret for being able to participate.
“Yes, I’m thinking of going this time.”
“If you decide to participate, try and perform well.”
“I will.”
Maybe this was just how a conversation between a father and a son went. Amanda pressed down a smile as she listened conversation between the two extremely similar men. In the past she felt conversations between the two stern-sounding men were uncomfortable, but now she simply smiled. As the meal went on, Francis turned his attention towards Amanda.
“You were to attend Glen’s wedding, weren’t you?”
“Ah, yes.”
“I heard you came home because you had an upset stomach on the way. I know you’re trying to take care of others, but do not leave this place. You’ve probably learned from this, but we need to learn how to manage our own lives.”
“…Yes.”
“If Aaron participates in this sword fighting competition he may have to live with me in the capital city in the future, and you will have more duties here at home. Don’t pay attention to any more unnecessary things, and concentrate more on the housework.”
Amanda paused as she held her fork. After a moment she replied in a subdued voice.
“Yes, Father.”
“I’m glad Amelia’s health is improving, but don’t forget that you have to care for your sister all of the time.”
“…I will.”
“Your brother is the pillar of our family. He will follow my footsteps later and lead the Fourth Order of the Knights of the royal family. As I have said, women do well in the homes and with children. I don’t expect much from you, but work hard on the housework until you get married.”
She heard this all the time in her previous life, but suddenly she couldn’t figure out why these words weighed so heavily on her chest now. Amanda’s expression turned sullen, and Amelia burst open in anger.
“Why is it only women is doing all the housework these days? Even though Father opposes it, women can also practice sword fighting and have professional jobs.”
“Because those people don’t come from noble birth. You don’t have to go to such trouble.”
“And can’t you just let sister choose her own marriage partner?”
“You’re talking nonsense. Amanda, what do you teach your sister at home?”
Amanda glared at Amelia to stop. Then she answered to her father in a soft voice.
“I’m sorry. Amelia is still young.”
“Amelia, don’t take after your sister.”
“…Tch.”
Even with Francis’s firm tone, Amelia simply pouted her lips. If it were Amanda who did this she would have been reprimanded within an inch of her life, but Amelia had never been scolded because she was sickly and hadn’t been expected to live long. As usual, Francis stared at Amelia in a disapproving manner but quickly moved on as if things were fine.
Since Amanda’s childhood she had had a lot of responsibilities to fill in her mother’s absence–the care of the family, the care of the family men, and the care of her younger sister. It was all up to her, but she had never been dissatisfied with her life. She was simply living out her destiny. But tonight she felt disappointment at what her father had said… Perhaps she wanted to be recognized her sacrifice. She had endured so much when her family had died in the future, and there was some hope he could appreciate the tears and sweat she had given for this family. She was just as capable as her father.
Amanda swallowed a bitter smile. It was like a dream to have a meal together like this. There was no end to human greed. She wanted her family to be ignorant of the life she lived, but at the same time she wanted to be rewarded? Amanda laughed inwardly at her selfishness. This was alright. She didn’t want any more than this. Amanda swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to be fine with her meal.
Dinner concluded with a brief chat with one another along with the occasional clattering of dishes. Finally each family member dispersed into their own rooms while Amanda had to stayed behind in the dining room to clean up. Although she did not work with her sleeves rolled up, it was her job to distribute jobs and supervise the servants.
After she finished her work and left the dining room, she saw a steaming mug waiting for her at a table. As soon as she saw it she knew immediately that there was sweet cocoa in it. It was the kind of gift that Aaron would sometimes leave for Amanda. Since she was a little girl, when she heard something that made her angry at a family gathering he would give her sweet cocoa. Perhaps the conversation at dinner was on Aaron’s mind.
‘…I haven’t received cocoa in a long time. Why haven’t I recognized my brother’s kindness before?’
She warmed her hands around the mug, and the comfort seemed to seep into her thoughts.
*
*
*
“One, two…forty-nine, fifty.”
She was doing a muscular workout, holding on to a solid horizontal bar that connected bedposts and lifting her body weight with only her arms. It was a early morning, not yet sunrise, but after arriving at Windsor Castle she trained every single day. She may have saved Oliver this time, but there was no way of knowing the future afterwards. There was so much she had to prepare in order to bring down Luke. Among them, sword fighting should be the most basic skill. In her previous life, she had focused on escaping after her family was destroyed and didn’t learn it right away. If corrected, the time she spent now she could be used in reaching a higher level than she did in the past. Amanda was determined to reach that goal.
“Ha.”
She finally released the horizontal bar with both hands, breathing hard. When she landed on the floor she did not rest and immediately went outside. Luckily, the Windsor’s were a family of had a lot of space for physical training. Amanda had chosen running as the most effective training method that no one would feel suspicious about.
“What caused you to suddenly start exercising?”
A familiar voice suddenly sounded near Amanda’s ear.
“Hey Aaron.”
Aaron was told that Amanda had recently started working out, but he thought it wouldn’t be long before she quit. As the cherished daughters of the count, Amanda and Amelia had grown up sheltered like plants in a greenhouse. Amelia was exceptionally weak, and Amanda to a smaller extent. He thought Amanda would quit at any moment, but she exercised steadily for days, piquing his curiosity.
Now that he ran with her, he couldn’t help but see his sister in a different light. She wasn’t one to quit overnight. She must have some sort of strong will driving her.
“Fitness is important no matter what you do. My dear brother may not know this, but I can’t do the housework if my body is weak.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. Are you going to exercise more? I’ll go now.”
“Yes, but don’t overdo it. If you push yourself too hard at first, you will hurt your body.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
Amanda bowed lightly to Aaron and went back into the castle, while he looked proudly at her retreating figure.