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161 - - Count's daughter Jessica

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　In the evening, a maid of honor came and prepared a change of clothes for me. She was dressed in a glittering costume.

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"What's this?"

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　the lady attendant replied coquettishly.

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"That is the dress you will wear for dinner.

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"It looks like a party."

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"It's just like a party, isn't it?" "Yes, it is. We have a light dance party after dinner.

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I'm not much of a dancer.

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I'm not very good at dancing. You're a dazzling dancer and you'll charm the ladies just by being there."

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　Toshizo would have said, "I wonder if you are one of them. He changed into the clothes brought by the lady-in-waiting and met Hijikata in the corridor. He was wearing his usual clothes.

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"I don't fit into the clothes of the nobility," he said.

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"I agree. Well, a dance party in military uniform would be chic.

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"I guess. But, well, your husband's a hard man, he's got a habit of sleeping in.

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"Oh, this is it. I was asleep a while ago.

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You're a big man if you can sleep and snore in the middle of the enemy.

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I'm sure you're just like him. You've got a lot of smoke in your eyes.

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　Toshizo looked as if he had slept soundly, too.

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"Mine is insensitive," he said.

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　He chuckled and went with them to the dining room of the castle.

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　The dining room of the castle of Ismailia was very large and could accommodate up to 30 people at a time.

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　The three of us occupied the large dining room, and as soon as Toshizo and I were seated, we noticed that another person was coming from the back.

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　She was a woman dressed like a noblewoman, about 18 years old. She is beautiful. She looks like a princess, but she is just like one.

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　Count Ismariah proudly told him who she was.

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"Oh, my daughter, welcome. You are as beautiful as ever."

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　I had expected this, but I was a little surprised to hear it from the Count again. The woman in front of me did not look much like Count Ismariah. She was quite beautiful. Perhaps she resembled her mother.

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　Perhaps it was because she was staring at him so intently that the Count's daughter was embarrassed.

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"Well, it's embarrassing to see you staring at me like that, Mr. Ashtaroth..."

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"I beg your pardon. But you were so beautiful, I couldn't help it."

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"You speak very well."

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　The Count's daughter smiles and begins to introduce herself.

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My name is Jessica. My name is Jessica, daughter of the Count of Ismaria.

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A beautiful name.

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"Thank you very much."

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　Jessica smiles as she takes her seat and glares at the maid, who is a moment late in pulling out her chair. The maid's face turns pale and she apologizes. She must be a very strong-willed girl. I could easily imagine that she was a very strong-willed girl.

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　As the maid runs away, Jessica smiles again. It was a nice smile, but it seemed fake.

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　Then the waiters bring the dishes. They pour the soup, a cold pumpkin potage soup, which is very tasty.

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　Several course meals were served. They were also satisfactory, but my hands stopped holding the knife and fork. Count Ismariah started to talk about something that had nothing to do with politics.

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"And you, Mister Ashtaroth, are you married?" he asked.

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I'm afraid I am single.

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　Hearing this, Count Ismailia grinned.

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"That's wonderful. --No, it's a shame. What do you say, will you marry my daughter?"

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　It was a casual remark, the kind of offer you might get at a butcher's, where they might offer you a sausage, that almost made you say yes, but of course you couldn't say it lightly.

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"I don't think you are ready to get married yet. I have just become a lord and I don't know what tomorrow will bring.

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"You don't know what tomorrow will bring."

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You don't know when you will be attacked and destroyed.

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I suppose it's the same for all lords. But they all marry and have children.

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I'm afraid it's too difficult for me.

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It's not difficult for me. It's just too much trouble."

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　I could not argue with him, but Ismariah kept on pushing.

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How about you take my daughter as your wife and let the House of Ismariah and the House of Ashtaroth prosper forever?

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I appreciate your offer, but I would like to think about it later.

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"You mean you can't take my daughter as your wife?"

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No, I don't think so.

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　I looked at her with a puzzled look on my face, and Jessica offered to help me out.

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"Father, Asito-sama is in trouble. Why don't you save such talk for the future?

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　Hearing these words, Count Ismariah said, "Yes, that is true.

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　The Count begins to talk about hunting. The head of a large deer that hangs in the dining room is said to be the one he killed. He says that there are good hunting grounds in the territory of Ismaria. He asks me to go with him next time.

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　The dinner with the count goes on like this, but I feel uncomfortable. It was good that the marriage talk was over, but Jessica was looking at me with a passionate gaze from beginning to end. I did not feel bad about being stared at by a beautiful woman, but Jessica was not my favorite woman. When the dinner was over and they were going back to their rooms, Toshizo said to her, "That's a bad woman.

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"That's a bad woman, be careful. If you are fooled by her charms, she will eat you alive.

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　As one would expect from a man who had been with many women, Toshizo was very observant. He had a good eye for observation.

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"I'll keep that in mind.

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　He replied, "I'll keep that in mind," and locked the door, but that night, the girl came to him with some trouble.

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