The Duchess of the Attic

"Why didn't you come?

"... your brother told you not to come because women are very handy."

Opal was also happy when Claude, my brother's friend, invited me to a picnic.

But on the same day, he told me not to follow him, and Opal, completely obstinate, hid in his favorite place.

Opal was more angry because she was a woman than because she was only five.

There, Claude, apparently back from the picnic, came looking for me, but Opal never showed up when he was called out.

Then I hear Claude's unfortunate voice.

"I'm glad you didn't mind. I asked her out because I knew Opal would be okay."

"... because it's me?

"Yes, Opal is very brave."

"Brave..."

This word shook my mind quite a bit.

But the words that followed make Opal's heart stubborn.

"So don't be stubborn. Come down, Opal."

"No. There's nothing to be obstinate about!

"Right..."

Claude replied sighing if Opal screamed from the top of a tree with a wide spread of branches, his favorite place.

Silence fell for a while, but what I eventually heard was footsteps.

As soon as Opal looked down from between the branches, he could see Claude leaving.

I shouldn't have strained my mind.

It's too late to regret it.

Claude picked me up, but Opal refused and was stunned.

Float down from the tree now to chase Claude, and immediately return to his original position.

What if they refuse to go after you?

Opal shuddered small just now realizing how heartless what he had done.

The time after that was harder and sadder than before.

I am angry with myself for being stubborn and unable to be honest, and my head is occupied by the fear that Claude will reject me as I am.

But there is one idea that gradually gets bigger in a confusing head.

"I knew I had to apologize."

It was the opal that was bad, so even if they hate me as I am, I only have to apologize.

I gathered the courage to solidify my resolve, and I heard footsteps again as Opal sat down to get down from the tree.

Now I'm getting closer and closer to this one.

Looking down, I could see Claude's head, and while Opal was rounding his eyes, Claude had cleverly climbed the tree.

"Opal, hold it for a second"

"... yeah"

Claude offered him the basket he was raising on his arm, and Opal received it, wondering.

Apparently, he was in the way to sit on a branch that was in Claude's fixed position.

Opal shifted his gaze from Claude and looked inside the basket to his surprise.

"Claude, this..."

"Oh, I asked Marcia"

"... are you going to the picnic again?

"This is the picnic, isn't it?

Claude, sitting almost next to him from the branch position relationship, reaches for the basket.

And out of the basket, Marcia, the housekeeper, took out the thinly sliced bread and cheese she had prepared in a hurry.

The basket also still contains bottles of fruit water stuffed with fruit and cork.

"Look, let's eat. What do you mean, lunch's still here?

"... yeah"

Opal replied weakly as he received the bread from Claude.

I almost cried by accident, but I don't want to ruin my picnic with tears.

From that feeling, Opal smiled with the utmost laughter.

"Thank you, Claude"

"You're welcome. Well, it's a little unbalanced and hard to eat, but Opal would be fine, wouldn't he?

"Of course!"

To thank him, Claude answers with a laugh.

The smile gave me courage.

"Claude, I'm sorry about earlier"

"Yeah, fine."

"Really?"

"Oh."

"... how come Claude always forgives me so easily? Aren't you angry or something?

Always, Claude forgives me as soon as he apologizes for what Opal did wrong.

That was strange for Opal.

"That's because Opal will always apologize. Sometimes you say you did something wrong. So I'm not angry either."

"... Claude is unusual."

"Really?

Claude laughs joyfully as Opal squeaks.

Opal, glad to see Claude's gentle smile, stopped thinking and concentrated on his meal.