No Secrets (3)
Main Objective: Have a tea time with Lady Celestina (0/1)
Additional Objectives: Answer Celestina's questions (0/3); Obtain clues related to the mystery (0/3)
Note: This quest is linked to the previous quest.
Participants: Leonardo, Isaac
Time Limit: 0 hours 45 minutes 30 seconds
'Obtaining clues related to the mystery'—does this refer to the items we just found in Leonardo's room: the bottle of water, the brooch, and the key?
As for answering Celestina's questions, does it mean we need to provide explanations to her suspicions about Leonardo, even if they're lies? This part is somewhat unclear.
Lost in thought, my feet moved steadily, following Celestina. We exited the Rondine Tower and, in the next moment, a garden in full bloom spread out before us. I hadn't expected such a place in the Ertinez castle. Tall, elegant lilies, reminiscent of swans, were in full bloom, their scent filling the air. Had it not been an open outdoor space, the fragrance would have overwhelmed my senses.
Servants brought a table and set it under a shaded tree. As they busied themselves preparing tea and snacks, we took in the garden's beauty.
"Oh."
A gentle breeze caused the flowers to sway like bells, and the hair tie I had clumsily tied for Vittorio came loose and flew away. Leonardo and Vittorio walked over to retrieve the hair tie that had landed on a shrub. Instead of following them, I lightly touched the petals dangling from the thin stems.
People mostly brought lilies to Leovald's funeral too. The memory of that funeral, filled with those brilliant white flowers, came to mind. At the time, survival was my primary concern, so I hadn't had the luxury to ponder the solemnity or grandeur of the ceremony deeply.
Had I been too captivated by the blooming garden? Before I knew it, Celestina had approached me quietly, smiling.
"The fate of a family with lilies in their crest. We don't plant any other flowers," she said.
"They suit this place well. The roof is blue, and the bricks and flowers are all white, just like…" I started, almost mentioning Santorini, but caught myself in time and changed my words. "…just like Leo."
"Pardon?" she asked.
"Well, his hair is blue, and his eyes—if you look at them in the dark, they're a bright silver."
Celestina blinked, then her blue eyes lit up with interest. "I've never thought about it that way, but it sounds nice. When I was younger, I didn't like these flowers much. Because of them, we couldn't keep cats or dogs."
"Oh, I see. These plants can indeed be quite a threat to furry friends. That's unfortunate," I replied.
Meanwhile, Leonardo had reached the shrub where the hair tie was stuck and was giving Vittorio a piggyback ride. Vittorio stretched his hand out and successfully grabbed the hair tie, his face beaming with joy. Celestina and I stood side by side, watching the scene unfold.
"I never imagined my brother would have friends," Celestina remarked, a touch of disbelief in her voice.
"Ah…"
A lump formed in my throat. Lying was my trade. It wasn't anything new. Yet, that was a story for the stage, under artificial lights masquerading as the sun. On the stage, I could always be someone else and spin all sorts of convincing falsehoods. In fact, I had to. Only the best liars got noticed there.
But if the whole world is a stage and everyone is an actor, what's the difference between a liar and an actor?
I saw expectation in Celestina's eyes, the same as I saw in Ferdinand's this morning and faintly in the Count of Ertinez not too long ago. And it all made me uncomfortable. The thought that at least one of them might uncover the truth in this chapter made me feel more like a liar than an actor.
Celestina muttered as she looked at Leonardo, "Shouldn't it be seen as a positive change? At least Big Brother seemed happy about it."
That statement ultimately suggested she herself wasn't particularly pleased.
"It's like he came back as a different person."
Celestina looked at Leonardo with a contemplative expression. "He's become more solid and disciplined… just like Father would have wanted. He look like a proper knight now."
Simply because they were family, they placed expectations and disappointments on each other—things that couldn't always be fulfilled and, in reality, weren't always meant to be. Just because they were family. It's an area of life I can't even imagine.
To be expected to achieve something in the future, to become a certain kind of person, to hold so many hopes from others. Even if one's life isn't that extraordinary, having someone who holds such high expectations for you, someone who sets standards and expects you to meet them, is a foreign concept to me.
I've always had to set my own standards, and sometimes it feels like the biggest lie is that others have someone to set those standards for them.
"Isaac," Leonardo called, approaching with Vittorio still on his shoulders.
Looking closely, I realized that there were two people here who were a lot like me. Realizing this made everything suddenly seem normal. It helped me break free from my thoughts. While I clumsily tied Vittorio's hair back again, the tea table was perfectly set, and we all gathered around to sit.
"Knees…"
"Mm."
Because the tea table was so small, Leonardo and my legs stuck out and got tangled like overgrown branches, making us push our chairs back a bit. But that was a minor issue.
"What kind of tea do you like?"
"I'm not really familiar with that…"
"Really? I thought for sure my brother would have served you tea. I guess he didn't have the chance. Well, tea is quite a luxury."
"Pardon?"
"My brother is good at things like that, even if he's not skilled in swordsmanship. He plays the lute wonderfully, not that he's very proud of it. Everyone expects an Ertinez to excel in wielding a sword on the battlefield, so other talents are often overlooked."
"….."
"Brother, since it's a special occasion, why don't you serve tea to Isaac and Vittorio?"
And with that, the first crisis hit. As I inwardly broke into a cold sweat, I whispered to Leonardo using
'Hey, have you ever brewed tea before?'
「There was a time I've had to drink water brewed from tree bark because there was nothing to eat. It tasted awful. Does that count as experience?」
Great. I only know how to steep a teabag in hot water.
'We're doomed.'
"Brother?"
Celestina tilted her head, and Leonardo remained awkwardly silent. He creaked as he stood up and grabbed the kettle. A moment later, he returned with something lukewarm, with tea leaves floating and not sinking at all.
Celestina stared blankly at her cup. She casually lifted her cup, took a sip, and quickly put it down, as the bitter taste felt like dragging her tongue across sandpaper. I gently pressed down on Vittorio's arm as he reached for his teacup with a puzzled expression.
When Vittorio joined us, I had secretly made a resolution: to find and provide only the best for him, whether it be care, kindness, or anything essential for life. Isn't that the duty of a guardian?
And this… it wasn't good. Not good at all. Perhaps Celestina thought the same, as she set her teacup down at a distance. For the first time, a hint of confusion appeared on her otherwise calm face.
"...Didn't you like the tea leaves? If that's the case, you could have just said so instead of creating this poison—oh, what am I saying? I'm sorry, that was a slip of the tongue."
"….."
Leonardo bravely endured the criticism, but to me, he looked rather sulky. He must have put in some effort, after all. Trying to mask the awkwardness with a vague smile, I defended Leonardo to hide any suspicion. I was willing to tell this small lie.
"I actually think it's quite good. Um… it is a bit bitter, but it has that refreshing taste that wakes you up?"
I forced myself to take another sip, maintaining a calm expression as I gathered my courage. Though I initially said it just to support Leonardo, after the second sip, it didn't taste so bad. It was bitter and a bit thick, but somehow reminiscent of coffee.
"It's really not bad! If you just strain the tea leaves a bit, it's actually drinkable."
By the third sip, I genuinely found it okay and smacked my lips in approval, only to receive Celestina's skeptical gaze directed at me. On the other hand, Leonardo's expression brightened slightly.
I didn't even need to use
Celestina, noticing that my tea had really decreased, asked again for confirmation, "Is it to your taste?"
"Yeah, I actually like bitter flavours."
The caffeine in that bitter liquid, which left my mouth feeling like a desert, is essential for modern life, isn't it? It was a taste I had been missing.
"Did you make it this way on purpose? To cater to Isaac's taste?"
Celestina's question served as the perfect excuse for Leonardo. He quickly nodded in agreement.
"You were just trying to impress Isaac, weren't you?"
Celestina teased her brother with an expression that suggested he was hopeless. With that, Leonardo's poor tea-making skills were suddenly rebranded as a thoughtful gesture for someone trying his tea for the first time. We successfully passed the first crisis. I exchanged a subtle glance with Leonardo, feeling relieved.
Celestina leaned forward, resting her elbows on the tea table. Her blue eyes flitted between Leonardo and me, and then suddenly brightened.
"Now that I think about it, it seems that the whole friend thing was a lie. Isn't that right, Brother? I've never seen you try this hard to impress someone else. Be honest, what's your relationship really like?"
As soon as Celestina's question finished, a small '?' mark appeared next to her little face. It was clear what she wanted; Celestina was demanding an answer. At the same time, I noticed a light flickering before me as letters began to materialize in the air.
[Option (1) – It's a pure friendship with no ulterior motives. (Celestina's suspicion +100)]
[Option (2) – We've fallen in a fateful love. It was love at first sight. (El Dante internal reputation ±?)]
[Option (3) – We are together because we share the same purpose. (Count Ertinez' disappointment +10)]
…What is this again?