Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume26 Chapter3 3

Ahh, Tea Party. Part 3

It was the same as last year, in that while the participants could be seen as a single group, once they'd submitted their forms there was a wide variety of subsequent actions.

Some ran away from the courtyard as fast as they could, some joined together in groups of friends to discuss, and others started by searching the courtyard — perhaps remembering the proverb that it's hardest to see what's right under your nose. And then.

There were those that kept watch over the one student that had been given a delayed start. About ten girls. Probably all first-years.

"You don't have to worry about me. You can start your search already."

Sachiko-sama said, indicating that she didn't need the company.

"Is it a bother if we wait until you start, Rosa Chinensis?"

"Not at all, but if you wait for me then it makes the handicap pointless, doesn't it?"

Sachiko-sama smiled apologetically, still not understanding that those girls were going to follow her around.

(You girls, stop following me!)

It seemed like Noriko-chan's impersonation would soon be echoed by the real thing. Yumi probably wouldn't be present to witness it, but she shuddered just imagining it. The first-years would probably break down in tears.

"Your five minutes is up."

Mami-san announced to Sachiko-sama, indicating that she could now start.

"I see."

But Sachiko-sama didn't spring into action immediately. She handed her entry form to Mami-san, then looked at the sky over the courtyard and took a deep breath.

"Yumi-san, please come with me."

Yumi was intrigued by her onee-sama's actions, but she followed Mami-san into the Rose Mansion as requested. The task assigned to the three future Roses was to wait in the headquarters — the Rose Mansion's second-floor salon — for the cards to be found, or the time limit to be reached.

As Mami-san led her through the Rose Mansion foyer, they heard Sachiko-sama's voice call out from behind.

"I thought I might have some tea in the Rose Mansion. How about you girls?"

(Huh…?)

Yumi and Mami-san's eyes met. They looked back and, just like she'd said, Sachiko-sama was walking towards them.

"Hey, Yumi-san, why's your onee-sama coming for tea instead of looking for your card?"

Ahead of them, Yoshino-san had also been surprised by this and stopped to turn around and inquire. Was it because she'd given up on the treasure hunt already, or because she was so confident in her belief that she was the only one who could find Yumi's hidden card?

"You didn't let anything slip to Sachiko-sama, did you?"

"… I don't think so."

Yumi shook her head slightly under Mami-san's penetrating gaze.

She certainly hadn't let any verbal hints slip. Or rather, they hadn't had many opportunities to meet of late, and when they had met they didn't discuss the treasure hunt at all. She couldn't have let anything slip, although that didn't hold if Sachiko-sama has ESP.

"Tea! I'll get the tea ready!"

Realizing that they would soon have visitors, Noriko-chan dashed up the stairs, passing both Shimako-san and Yoshino-san.

Sachiko-sama entered the Rose Mansion accompanied by five first-years. Last year, Satou Sei-sama had acted like a pick-up artist, bringing students back to the Rose Mansion.

Naturally, not all of the first-years had accepted Sachiko-sama's invitation. About half of them had gone off to search on their own rather than sit around and drink tea.

"So this is how it's going to be."

Yumi's group all hurried so they could get there first and welcome their guests when they arrived.

It would be fine. They had prepared plenty of teacups and extra chairs because they'd expected that something like this might happen. While there were certain physical imitations, it had been the dream of the previous Rosa Chinensis, Mizuno Youko-sama, to see the Rose Mansion overflowing with students, and those ideals had been inherited by the current Red Rose sœurs.

"Alright, let's start with Yumi-san here, Yoshino-san there, and Shimako-san over there."

Mami-san briskly issued the instructions. It seemed she'd given some thought to this — if the hosts were all seated together in a group it might have made it harder to approach them. As time went on, people would probably move around, or come and go, but it seemed she wanted to start things off on the right foot.

Yumi sat down "here," Yoshino-san sat down "there," but before Shimako-san could sit down "over there," the sound of someone knocking on the door announced the arrival of their guests. As the closest person to the door, Shimako-san went to open it.

"Welcome to the Rose Mansion."

The trio called out in unison, smiling elegantly at their visitors.

So it was that the treasure hunt's competing event, the tea party, got off to a modest — but at least outwardly respectable — start.

It began with a gathering of the Rose Mansion inhabitants and five other girls.

But as time went on, the tea party would prove to be neither "modest" nor "competing."