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I sit on the bay window in my room, gazing blankly at the night sky.
If I listen closely, I can hear music vibrating the clear night air from afar.
Today is Jean-niisama's social debut day.
Yes, that's right. I thought that the month after next was still far away, but in the end, after preparing for the party and the dress robe, it's already here.
Of course, I myself haven't done much, but those around me have been busy, and I've hardly left my room for the past two months.
Hikkikomori returns.
I'm the only one among my brothers who hasn't made my social debut yet, so all I can do is gaze blankly at the sky.
"Um, Raimondo-sama. Would you like me to bring you a warm drink?"
Maria called out to me.
"Hmm. Then, can I ask you to?"
"Yes. Please wait a moment."
Maria bowed once and left the room, leaving me alone in the room.
A few years ago, Mother might have been here too, but now that she's on good terms with Father, she's been going to social events more than before.
So, I'm alone at times like these more than before.
Cyrillus-sensei is on security duty at the venue today, so Maria is practically the only one I can talk to.
While Maria goes to get a drink, I'm alone.
I pressed my forehead against the windowpane.
Feeling somehow chilly, I put the stole in the room over my head.
This... The feeling of being wrapped up, doesn't it make you feel safe?
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
I waited for a while, but there was no sign of the knocker opening the door.
If it were Maria, she would come in after a while after knocking, but the fact that she doesn't means that the knocker isn't Maria.
If it were one of my family members or retainers who know that this room is my room, they would at least ask me for permission to enter.
Therefore, the one who knocked now is an outsider who is not very familiar with the inside of the royal palace.
Could it be one of the nobles attending today's social gathering?
However, since they are just knocking and not trying to enter the room, they are not a thief.
I moved away from the bay window and approached the door, but it seemed that the knocker had already left my room's door, and I could hear the sound of knocking on the door of another room from a little further away.
I quietly opened the door so as not to make a sound and checked the source of the sound.
"Father... Mother... Where are you?"
A small girl about the same age as me is knocking on the door anxiously while muttering that in a tearful voice.
Coral-colored hair in vertical rolls. Cute ribbons are attached to each side.
She's an ordinary girl who doesn't look like she has memories of her previous life like me, even by mistake.
"Lost?"
"Hyau!?"
I couldn't leave this child alone, so when I called out to her, the girl jumped in surprise.
"U, um... Why do you know that I'm, lost...?"
Perhaps because she was so uneasy, the girl slumped down on the spot.
I couldn't leave the girl in that state, so I came out of my room and approached the girl.
"Are you okay? Should I call someone? But today almost everyone is out at the party, so there's only a maid or my attendant. If you care about status, you'll have to wait for my attendant. What do you want to do?"
I squatted down to match the line of sight with the girl who had sat down, and my face was reflected in the girl's beautiful sky-blue eyes.
"Ah! A, Aaaa!!"
"Eh, what's wrong?"
I became worried about the girl, who suddenly turned red and started muttering meaningless words, and waved my hand in front of her eyes.
However, the girl didn't seem to notice my appearance, and she seemed busy turning her face red and then blue again.
"U, um!!!"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Are you, Raimondo-sama!?"
The girl, who asked that as if she had made up her mind, made me wonder what she was talking about now, but I answered.
"That's right? Nice to meet you, right? I'm Raimondo, nice to meet you?"
"A, aaa!! Um!! W, wata! I..."
"Oh? Raimondo-sama, is something the matter?"
Maria, who had made the drink, called out from behind the girl, who was blushing and trying to say something.
The girl jumped again at that sound.
"Maria. She's probably a lost child. I'll take her to the great hall, so give her that drink."
"Eh!? A, I, I'll help you change your clothes!"
I stopped Maria, who was trying to move quickly, with one hand.
"I'm fine, so please stay with her? She must have been anxious being alone until just now."
"Yes. Understood. You are Leandra-sama, right? Please come this way."
"Y, yes. I look forward to working with you, Maria-sama."
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