human
Ferris:  Ferris and Meckart sat facing each other on the sofa, and a servant brought tea as readily as if this had all been planned.
gpt
Ferris:  After setting out the steaming cups, the attendant departed with a dignified bow.
human
Meckart:  With the servant gone and the door closed, Meckart put his cup to his lips and sipped at it carefully.
gpt
Meckart:  “…Crusch will have her seventeenth birthday soon.”
human
Ferris:  Ferris knew that, of course.
gpt
Ferris:  ”I’m thankful for the stars and the sky and the earth…and for Crusch, definitely. I’m so glad she was born.”
human
Meckart:  Meckart cut into Ferris’s reverie.
gpt
Meckart:  “Excuse me, Felix, but would you mind letting me make my point? There’s…something I’d like you to ask that girl about her birthday. Something I find…difficult to express.”
human
Ferris:  From his awkward tone and his evasive attitude, Ferris had a fairly good idea what Meckart had in mind.
gpt
Ferris:  “…You want Lady Crusch to wear a dress, don’t you?”
human
Meckart:  “Yes, Felix, exactly. It’s her birthday. And this year I have something more extravagant than usual in mind. So I really wish she would wear something appropriate…”
gpt
Ferris:  “If it’s at all possible, sir, I really think you should speak to her yourself. You don’t have to go through me…”
human
Meckart:  “That girl won’t so much as nod her head if you don’t, isn’t that right?” Meckart asked in a low voice.
gpt
Ferris:  Ferris’s cat ears immediately detected a change in the air.
human
Meckart:  “I know about the promise between you and Crusch,” Meckart went on.
gpt
Meckart:  “And I’m sure you’ve spoken to her in light of it before.”
human
Ferris:  “You know how I know you two are related? Neither of you ever gives up.”
gpt
Meckart:  “Perhaps she does get her obstinacy from me… But we can’t simply run parallel to each other forever. I’m desperate to find some compromise.”
human
Ferris:  “Compromise, sir?”
gpt
Meckart:  “It doesn’t matter if it’s only in public, only for show,” Meckart said.
human
Meckart:  “Of course, deep down, I’ve always wished she would comport herself as expected of a duke’s daughter, but my requests on that front have been rebuffed often enough that I know better by now. My hope is that my suggestion this time will allow us to meet in the middle.”
gpt
Ferris:  “—”
human
Meckart:  “I know her promise with you is the reason Crusch continues to play with her swords and dress like a man. Therefore, if I wish to mitigate it at all, it makes sense to go through you.