[V4C12] Lana's Oversight

Isaac, who had been waiting in the company’s kitchen space, took out his pocket watch to check the time. It was already late, approaching midnight.

(Is the discussion dragging on?)

Considering peeking inside to check the situation, Isaac began to lift himself from the chair when he heard footsteps coming from the corridor. The heavy, thudding footsteps were not Monica’s; it was likely the elder brother of those black-haired siblings.

As expected, the person who appeared in the kitchen was the stern-faced Anthony, a large man.

“Has the discussion concluded?” inquired Isaac in a polite tone, and Anthony shook his head in response.

“No, it seems the ladies decided to collaborate on determining the embroidery pattern.”

“I see.”

If that was the case, it would likely be an extended affair.

Considering there seemed to be enough ingredients in the kitchen, Isaac thought of preparing a simple late-night meal for Monica and the others. It might also be good to arrange blankets for a short nap. While Isaac was contemplating what else he could do as Monica’s disciple, Anthony spoke with a sharp expression.

“Which means, we’ll have a drinking party while the ladies are at work!”

That sounded like quite a leap of logic.

As Isaac struggled to find a response, Anthony continued while surveying the kitchen.

“You’re a servant, right? Could you prepare something suitable for snacks with the drinks? Thanks.”

The second prince of the country froze in place with a beautiful smile for a few seconds, before responding with a graceful bow.

“Yes, certainly.”

Swallowing various emotions, it was a relief that his true identity hadn’t been exposed. Reminding himself of that, Isaac began preparing the late-night meal.

Of course, the top priority was the meal for his beloved master. Snacks for the alcoholics could be delayed indefinitely.

＊　＊　＊

Around the time when the winter morning sun began to filter through the curtains, Lana’s voice echoed through the room.

“It’s done!”

Monica, who had been gripping the pen all night, removed the quill from her stiffened fingers and returned it to the pen stand. Both of her hands were stained pitch black with ink.

Holding the completed design to her chest, Lana twirled around in a dance-like manner.

“Monica! Cliff! Hands up!”

Following Lana’s instructions, Monica and Cliff raised their hands, and Lana clapped her palms together. The satisfying sound of pan, pan resonated in the crisp morning air.

“In this town, kids do this with their friends! I’ve always wanted to try it!”

Lana laughed cheerfully, displaying a brightness that didn’t betray the fatigue of an all-nighter.

At the sound of Lana’s excitement, Porok, who had been napping on the sofa, groggily awoke with a grunt. Anthony and Teodor, still leaning against Porok and sleeping, also rose and yawned.

The three of them had been eating Isaac’s snacks and drinking all night. However, Lana took no offense at their condition, cheerfully presenting the completed design.

“It’s done, Porok-san! Now, please embroider it!”

Porok scratched his head while glancing at the design.

Monica secretly worried if he would be okay after drinking until dawn, but Porok focused on the design with the sharp eyes of a craftsman.

With a smirk, Porok lifted the corner of his mouth and looked at Lana.

“Not bad, missy.”

Upon hearing this, Lana snorted and proudly puffed out her chest.

Observing Lana’s jubilation, Clifford muttered under his breath.

“…I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Huh?”

Monica looked up at Clifford, who pointed his finger at the exuberant Lana.

“When Lana gets carried away like this, she’s usually overlooking something.”

“Well, um… But I’ve calculated the imbuement mana, and she’s already made arrangements to obtain the embroidery thread…”

While Monica and Clifford exchanged such whispers in a low voice, Lana continued to spin around joyfully. She was in incredibly high spirits.

“I’ll get started with embroidery immediately… But before that, have you dressed the robe on the model and confirmed the length? Since we’ll be adding embroidery to the hem, adjusting the size after embroidering won’t be possible.”

“Ah…”

The spinning Lana suddenly stopped.

Watching her face rapidly turn pale, Clifford emotionlessly remarked, “Look, she messed up.” Quite the unforgiving secretary.

As Monica fell silent, the desperate Lana approached her.

“Monica! Monica, is Bartholomew-san in Sazandol now!?”

“Fweh?”

“I want him to be the model! Look, this robe! Wouldn’t it look fantastic if Bartholomew-san wore it? I had a hunch when I saw him! He’s the one who can pull off this robe!!”

Lana’s eyes were sparkling despite the fatigue after an all-nighter, but she looked a bit different from a maiden in love.

(Oh, I see… That’s why Lana wanted to meet Nero…)

While somewhat relieved by this fact, there was no peace of mind. After all, Nero would be in hibernation for another month. There was no way he could be the model.

“Oh, Lana, you see, um… Bartholomew-san is… well, he’s a bit… away right now.”

“When will he be back!?”

With her face covered in cold sweat, Monica glanced around nervously, her fingers twiddling at double the usual speed.

“W-Well, probably about a month later…”

“N-No waaaaaay…”

Monica’s reaction was clearly suspicious, but Lana currently lacked the composure to notice such things.

Lana dropped to her knees, holding her head.

It seemed that, in Lana’s mind, Nero had already been decided as the model.

(Wh-What should I do…?)

Amidst the somber atmosphere dominating the room, there stood a man who rose with dignity.

——The man incapable of reading the room, Anthony.

“I’ve heard everything! In that case, madam, allow me to take on the role of model!”

Lana slowly raised her head, scanned Anthony from head to toe, and then dropped her head again.

“Nooooo… You don’t match the image at all… The model for this robe should be someone with black hair, tall…”

“In other words, me!”

Anthony proudly displayed his lifted biceps, but Lana vigorously shook her head.

“I need a model with well-defined features and expressive eyes…”

“Leave it to me, madam! I’m confident in my gaze! In my homeland, it’s said that criminals tremble in fear when I give them a stern look…”

“Brother, brother, isn’t it bad if the model scares the audience?”

Teodor’s opinion was quite accurate.

Anthony muttered “No good, huh?” with disappointment, before immediately coming up with an alternative and patting his brother’s shoulder.

“In that case, Teodor! You will be the model! Show them your manly spirit!”

“…I’m not very tall, so that probably won’t work either.”

Lana nodded weakly at Teodor’s words.

Anthony was too muscular, and his gaze was too sharp.

Teodor was not tall enough, and lacked a commanding presence.

As a sense of despair began to dominate the room, Clifford spoke up.

“Lana, you’re so stupid.”

In the midst of Lana’s despair, Clifford’s remark only added insult to injury. She slowly raised her head and scowled at Clifford.

“What’s wrong with you? You don’t have to call me stupid! I know I should have contacted him a little faster, and I reflect on that…”

“You really are stupid.”

“Did you have to say it twice!?”

As Lana glared back, Clifford stared at Lana intently… and removed his glasses.

The thick lenses that had covered half of his face were gone, revealing his face. Porok raised an eyebrow in admiration, and Anthony and Teodor widened their eyes.

Ignoring the reactions of those around him, Clifford looked Lana straight in the eye and said, “You should have relied on me from the beginning.”

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