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Translator: Xini
Proofreader: Silavin
I slept like a baby the night of the second day and was swamped with estate responsibilities on the third day.
Lady Violet and Ms. Amber helped me with some pointless paperwork that had to be taken care of in the capital by the end of the day. I thought it would be such a shame to have Gray do nothing but work after coming all the way here, so I entrusted him to Apricot and Mr. Burnt. I had sent them off to go sightseeing instead. Cyan had changed into her habit (the one with no slit) and decided to listen to confessions at the academy festival.
In the meantime, I tried to verify some details regarding the tournament happening on the fourth day. As Cyan had stated, I was indeed registered to take part in the tournament for those unaffiliated with the academy. Since last minute entries with no prior registration usually pop up on the day of the tournament, I enquired if someone pre-registered would be allowed to remove their name from the list. I was unfortunately informed that it wouldn’t be possible. Well, I suppose it only came to this because of a certain someone’s scheming, so I guess I have no choice. The thought of inflicting a minor injury upon myself so as to get automatically disqualified did cross my mind though.
“So it’s you, Heartfield, you little bastard. You’re in no position to refuse. Someone will be sent to escort you from your inn tomorrow.”
Spat a professor who hated my guts when I tried to make conversation with him regarding matters related to Shiki.
I thought to myself that he hadn’t changed a bit and wondered why on earth did they wish to go to such lengths to force me to participate and I sighed upon realizing that it was a situation I wouldn’t be able to extricate myself from. I should probably be glad that it wasn’t a game of tag again and I wouldn’t be paired against Lady Violet or Gray. I felt relieved mostly because I don’t want to fight them but also because both of them were much stronger magic users than me. I should probably count myself fortunate that I won’t be carried away in a stretcher after a bout.
“And I reported to the Bishop that I told everyone who came, ‘God won’t lead you unto salvation,’ but he got mad at me.”
“Look. I get that you meant God watches over us but he won’t come running to clean up every mess we make. I might be able to understand what you are trying to say because I have known you personally for a long time. But that is not the case for a stranger like the Bishop. It’s natural for him to get angry.”
“Hmph! But you know one of the kids actually found my words reassuring? For once, it was a kid that was actually troubled.”
“Well seeing as your confession stand is an attraction at a festival, most of the people who stop by are probably just curious.”
“You’d think so, right? But as clergy in charge of hearing confessions, I take my job seriously and give people honest answers. Even if it’s a sexual query from an old man.”
“Eh? You take those kinds of questions too?”
“Only because it’s a confession. If not, I’d threaten to crush…”
“…What exactly!?”
“♪♪”
“Well, someone’s chipper.”
“It’s too bad Mother and Father couldn’t join us, but I had so much fun going around the capital taking in all the new sights with you and Mr. Burnt.”
“You really wear your heart on your sleeve, Gray. Even the excitement in your voice feels honest, I like it.”
“Mr. Burnt. I’m not letting you off this time, I’ll have you make it clear just how you see my disciple.”
“Probably the way you look at each other?”
“No, it’s anything but that. Please don’t equate the stimulation you feel from your fetish with the bond between a teacher and her disciple!”
“…Oh. I suppose I failed to make the distinction. So there’s another way of looking at things.”
“What’s with that reaction?”
“…”
With my various tasks completed and Cyan’s clerical duties and the others’ sightseeing done for the day, everyone looked back on their adventures with excitement, despite the fact that night had fallen and a full day lay ahead of them tomorrow. I looked on as I drank a cup of coffee that was delivered to our room. Hmm… Gray makes the best coffee after all.
“Huhu. Coffee. Really. Does. Stimulate. Your. Brain.”
And like me, done with her duties, Robot sat beside me drinking a cup of coffee herself. After disbanding a drug ring, destroying a grove of Trents in mating season and etc, Robot had returned to the hotel like the rest of us. As to her appearance, Kriemhild had communicated through Ash to have Robot wear a suit to promote First Year Class Luna.
Not much thinking is required as to how she can even drink with the suit on. It’s lost technology. This reason can be used to explain most of the things concerning Robot.
“I. Heard. That. You’re. Going. To. Participate. In. The. Tournament.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Does. It. Have. Anything. To. Do. With. The. Second. Prince? Can’t. Say.I. Envy. You.”
“Yeah, well, if that ain’t the truth… but how did you know?”
I only ever informed everyone that I was forced to participate and said nothing whatsoever about the second prince.
“Because. Of. An. Ancient. Artifact. Called. Hunch.”
“What’s with that?”
Wouldn’t you normally just call it a woman’s intuition?
… Well, Robot is aware of the reason I was sent to Shiki and that combined with the invitation, I guess she just connected the dots.
If I had to guess, their intention is probably just to give me a hard time. It feels like they just randomly got the idea and wanted to see it through. Whatever the reason may be, it doesn’t change the fact that I have no choice but to show my face and it’s their way of harassing me.
I need to overcome this crisis to make sure I don’t cause any worry to Lady Violet, no… to all my family members in this room. And to add fuel to fire, there’s also the invitation to the festival party to think about.
“By. The. Way, I. Heard. You. Haven’t. Told. Violet. And. The. Others. The. Reason. Why. You. Were. Demoted. In. Rank.”
“Hmm? Yeah, I haven’t.”
I took one more gulp of coffee, firing myself up for tomorrow when Robot enquired me as if the thought had suddenly popped into her head.
“Well, Why. Not? Surely. You’re. Not. Thinking. Of. Keeping. Them. In. The. Dark. After. All. This. Time.”
I don’t mind telling them, but there just hasn’t been an occasion to bring it up. Almost everyone in Shiki knows and I have personally told several people myself. However, I don’t know why I’m hesitating…
“I don’t know why, but I felt a little scared to talk about it with Lady Violet.”
“Scared?”
“I mean it’s irrational, but I keep wondering if it would complicate things between us.”
I’m not sure why, but when Lady Violet didn’t ask me about the reason why I was sent to Shiki, I breathed a sigh of relief.
I would have to tell her someday anyway, so it would have been better to just rip off the bandaid just then, but I couldn’t help worrying that she might end up hating me after hearing of my sordid past. Well, there’s also that her confession of love left me dumbfounded, unable to articulate any thought.
“Sigh, I. See. So. You’re. Also. Naive. And. Inexperienced. When. It. Comes. To. Love.”
Muttered, Robot. I asked what she meant by that, but my query was met with silence.
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