Chapter 33: Chapter 33 - Odeletta’s Visit

Chapter 33 – Odeletta’s Visit

***

The next day, Odeletta arrived at Bellafleur mansion at an early time.

“Lady Maristella,” she said in greeting.

She sat by my bed with a worried expression and held my hand tightly. Her hands felt a little cold, though I didn’t know whether it was from the weather outside or not.

I gave her a gentle smile in reply. “It’s been a while, Lady Odeletta.”

“Indeed. How long has it been—three months?” Odeletta studied at me with a puppy-like stare, then gave a sigh of relief when I  outwardly appeared fine. “You’re too skinny,” she said.

That was true; I hadn’t eaten much lately. I had unintentionally been dieting, since lying in bed all day left me with little appetite. At least Claude always visited with snacks recently, so there was no drastic difference from Maristella’s usual figure.

I smiled awkwardly and tried to dispel her worries. “I’ve been eating a lot to regain weight these days.”

That didn’t seem to be enough for Odeletta. “I brought food that is supposed to be good for the bones, so you should eat it quickly and get better soon…”

“I’m already well, Lady Odeletta. I’m almost healed, but the doctor worries too much—”

“There’s nothing wrong with listening to your doctor, Lady Maristella. Anyway, you should pay attention to your health until you get better.”

But I had my own concerns about Odeletta. “I don’t know if you even had breakfast. I don’t want you to hurt your health for no reason,” I said. I looked at the clock. It was ten minutes before Odeletta’s scheduled visit. I expected that she would come early, but not this early.

Odeletta shook her head. “Thank you for your concern, Lady Maristella. I’m fine. It’s strange to have the patient worry about your health. Did you eat, Lady Maristella?”

“I’m glad you ate. I had a quick bite before you arrived,” I said.

“Oh, very good. A patient should eat as much as they can.”

Then, with a genuinely delighted expression, Odeletta then presented me with something. It was a pretty bracelet made from beads and feathers. The jewelry wasn’t fashioned in the Western-style design that was common here, so it caught my eye.

“What is this, Lady Odeletta?” I asked in a curious voice.

“My father went south for a diplomatic mission, and he said this is a country’s traditional bracelet. It’s a lucky bracelet,” she explained.

“It’s very pretty and unique.”

“It’s a gift, Lady Maristella.”

“Aah…did you bring this for me?” I said in slight surprise.

“The truth is…” Odeletta blushed slightly and lifted her wrist. “I have the same one.”

“Ah…”

“If you don’t mind…would you wear it, Lady Maristella?”

“Of course,” I smiled and gave a nod. A feeling of joy sprang up from deep inside my heart. “That’s so nice. So it’s a friendship bracelet?”

Odeletta tilted her head. “Friendship bracelet? What is that?”

Ah, perhaps that was not a tradition in this world.

“It’s a bracelet that friends share, and they promise their friendship,” I clarified.

“That sounds nice. A friendship bracelet.” The corners of Odeletta’s mouth tipped upwards in a smile. “I like it. It feels like we’re getting closer… It’s a little exciting.”

I could feel the sincerity of Odeletta’s words as she said that. She wasn’t friends with Maristella for profit, but because she had a sincere fondness for her.

Meanwhile, Dorothea liked the convenience Maristella offered, and if the latter failed to give it, Dorothea thought her useless. Odeletta, meanwhile, showed no such signs. At least not yet. She was different.

“Then we’re real friends, aren’t we?” I asked.

“Yes, we are.” The way that Odeletta said it so naturally and casually gave me a ticklish sensation in my heart. Odeletta looked at me with a shy smile. “Then…do you mind if I ask you for a favor?”

“Not at all, Lady Odeletta,” I said with a smile and nodded. “Tell me.”

“I don’t know if you know, but…we’re the same age.”

I knew that. Maristella was nineteen years old, as well as Odeletta. And I didn’t want to say it, but Dorothea was nineteen as well. Coincidentally, all three of us were born in the same year.

“Now that we’re friends and we share friendship bracelets…can we drop the honorifics?”

I was surprised by the unexpected suggestion. In the book Odeletta never spoke informally to anyone, not even a maid or a servant. Even less so in her days as crown princess than as a lady.

The fact she was suggesting that we speak informally now…

‘I’m sure that’s different from the original novel.’

Odeletta’s words forced me to confront a realization again. If everything had been slowly changing by the time I entered the novel, then ultimately, the foundation and thus the ending of the novel would change too.

Who would marry who, who would give birth to whose child, who would kill who?

A voice broke my thoughts. “Lady Maristella?”

I blinked back into awareness when I heard Lady Odeletta calling me. She looked worried, as if she thought I was offended by her proposal. I answered her quickly in case she misunderstood.

“I’m fine, Lady Ode—no, Odeletta,” I hastily corrected. “Ah, yes. No, that’s right,” I said, trying my best not to trip over my words, and I gave an awkward grin in reply. “It’s a little strange now…but I will get used to it.”

“That’s right.”

I was sure it would get better. As I looked at Odeletta, I gave another small smile and nodded.

***

Odeletta and I talked with each other until lunchtime that day. At around 1 p.m. I invited her to stay for lunch, but she apologized for bothering a patient for too long and promised to commit next time. She added that I should visit her house once I was discharged from bed rest. After that she returned home.

“So it went something like that,” I concluded.

“With Lady Odeletta?”

“Mm.” It was after lunch, and I was doing my embroidery as Martina sat next to my side. Somehow, my voice was more uplifted than usual. “She even asked me to just call her by her name.”

“That’s a great development. Every time I see the so-called ‘Lady Odeletta’, you seem so stern.”

“Now we’re real friends. We also share friendship bracelets,” I said, waving my wrist to show off the white feathers and beads.

Martina’s eyes widened in wonder. “Wow, is that a gift from Big Sister Odeletta?”

“Yes. Marquis Trakos went to the south as a diplomatic envoy, and he brought this back as a gift. It’s the country’s traditional bracelet.”

“She gave you that precious thing?”

“I don’t know if it’s that rare because the materials don’t look expensive, but what’s important is the feeling,” I answered with a smile. “It’s a precious gift given with sincerity.”

“You’ve really become close to Big Sister Odeletta. That’s nice.”

“I think so too,” I said, nodding proudly. I suddenly realized something strange and turned back to Martina.

“Wait, but you’ve been saying Odeletta’s name casually as well.”

“Ah, is it because I said ‘Big Sister Odeletta’?” Martina smiled as she explained it to me. “If she’s your friend, then she’s my big sister too.”

“But just in case, you have to speak formally until you ask for permission yourself. You know that, right?”

“Of course I do! You too. Do you think I’m a fool?”

Martina struck her chest with her hand, and I laughed because she was so cute.

“Would you like to take a walk with me, sister?” she suddenly asked me.

“Walk?”

“Yes.”

I nodded my head. “But is that alright…?” I asked carefully.

“Well, sister. It’s alright. It’s worse if you don’t walk enough. Just do it slowly with me. The weather is too nice to stay in this room alone!”

It obviously was, since the fresh sunlight was pouring in through my window. I took a moment to think about it, then I gave a nod. “Just help your sister out, okay?”

“Of course! I’ll bring your crutches just in case.”

“Good.”

Ah, to be able to soak in the outdoor sunlight after a long time.