Three Houses Supports/Mercedes Ingrid
C Support
Ingrid: Nightfall? Already? Suppose I'd better wrap up...
Mercedes: Good work with your training
today, Ingrid. Here's something to wipe
up the sweat.
Ingrid: Whoa, Mercedes? Hi?
Mercedes: Hello.
Ingrid: How long have you been, um-- Thank you!
Mercedes: You're very welcome! I've
been here since you started.
Ingrid: That long? Huh. Well, my apologies for not having noticed you. I get so caught up in training, you know. But why are you here? I can't imagine it was too terribly interesting watching me.
Mercedes: I disagree. I just couldn't help but admire your training technique. I have to say, you were very impressive. I'm nowhere near as graceful as you.
Ingrid: Graceful? I wouldn't say that,
but thank you.
If I'm to be honest, I'm the one who
admires you.
Mercedes: Goodness! Me? How so?
Ingrid: You're always so put together�
you hold yourself with such poise and
have such a keen eye for fashion.
I mean, even the handkerchief you
handed me smells like...lavender, is
it? It's just lovely.
Mercedes: That perfume is a favorite of
mine. I'm so glad you like it.
Ingrid: Even the fact that you thought to put perfume on your handkerchief is delightfully foreign to me. I'd never have thought of that.
Mercedes: I'll gladly share some with
you. You're welcome to come visit my
room whenever you'd like.
We can have tea and chat! How does
that sound?
Ingrid: Ah, that sounds really nice,
yes.
Sipping tea and having a chat-- it's
unlike me, but it sounds lovely.
Mercedes: From now on, we'll meet up
whenever we have time. We can go right
now if you're free?
Ingrid: Oh, no need to trouble yourself and rearrange things for me.
Mercedes: It's no trouble at all!
You'll never know if you're the type
who enjoys chatting over tea if you
never try.
Ingrid: Hehe! All right, then!
B Support
Ingrid: Apologies for my late arrival, Mercedes. My duties ran long, as per usual.
Mercedes: There's no need to apologize
at all! Please, have a seat.
We've met for tea so many times, but
you never seem to get used to it, do
you, Ingrid?
Ingrid: Not entirely, no. I'm not
accustomed to being treated
so...delicately.
Anyway, what will we talk about today?
Mercedes: I actually wanted to gripe
about something that's been bothering
me.
Ingrid: You? Gripe? Now that's unusual!
I'm happy to listen, of course.
It's the least I can do after all the
kindness you've shown me.
Mercedes: Thank you. The one thing I
really wanted to talk about is
marriage...
Ingrid: Oh?
Mercedes: Yes. I received a letter from
my adoptive father about marriage
discussions with a noble family.
Ingrid: And will you accept?
Mercedes: That's the problem. No matter
what I decide, I'll probably be married
off anyway.
What I really want to do is help those
in need.
But I think it would be more difficult
to do so if I married a nobleman.
Ingrid: Understandably so. Sounds to me
like you need a strategy to silence
your father.
Mercedes: Sorry? To...silence him?
Ingrid: Don't you agree? It seems the best course of action would be to consider severing all ties with the family and running away.
Mercedes: We don't need to go that far.
Ingrid: I'm sorry, I really just needed
to let that out.
Mercedes: I don't need you to worry about solving my problems.
Ingrid: Oh. OK. It's...just a bit
personal for me, actually.
My own father has brought countless
marriage proposals to my attention. He
always was obsessed with me carrying on
the family bloodline...
At a very young age, my hand had
already been promised to someone in
marriage. But Glenn died young.
Mercedes: That must have been difficult
for you. Would you have married him if
he had survived?
Ingrid: Hm. That's a good question.
It's hard to imagine now.
Although I did admire him quite a lot.
He held true to the ideals of
knighthood, proudly serving the king.
Even after all these years, I aspire
to be the type of knight that he
embodied.
But that's just it. I'm not a tool for
furthering my family's fortunes. I'm a
knight at heart.
Regardless of what my father desires.
Mercedes: I see. A very noble cause
indeed.
Ingrid: How strange that we should be
worrying about the same thing.
Even though we are such different
people.
Mercedes: It's true. Enjoying a nice chat over tea with you like this makes me realize... Maybe the paths we walk aren't so different after all. Don't you think?
Ingrid: I do.
Mercedes: These tea parties of ours...they really are something special.
Ingrid: That they are.
Mercedes: Ingrid... I would love to get to know you better, if that's OK. I want to know about your childhood, your favorite books, the sweets you like, anything at all!
Ingrid: Hahaha, absolutely! I'm happy
to speak with you anytime, and I want
to know you better too, Mercedes.
