𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐
Chris stands before me, just as incredibly beautiful as when we parted.
ㅤ
“Please put this on. Once you have donned the magic tool for transformation, we will leave immediately.”
ㅤ
I do not know the details, but it seems best to follow Chris for now. As I tried to put on the cloak over my negligee, I suddenly looked at Chris.
ㅤ
“. . .Please provide proof that you are Chris.”
ㅤ
The one before me might not be the Chris I parted with at the noble school. With a magic tool for transformation, the same face is not enough to be trustworthy.
ㅤ
“Then, please ask me something that only Ojou-sama and I would know.”
“. . .What role did Chris play at school?”
“Tianne, a maid, an attendant. Tianne was acting with the aid of a magic tool for transformation.”
“How did I use to call Prince Linus?”
“You called him Roa.”
“What is Chris’s gender?”
“Male.”
ㅤ
After gazing intently at Chris’s face, I put on the cloak.
ㅤ
“You seem to be the Chris I know.”
“Yes. I will explain the details later. This is from His Majesty Coleesh.”
ㅤ
The envelope handed to me was sealed with the royal family’s seal. Prompted by Chris, I broke the seal and took out the letter.
Inside was a hastily written message: “Send Chris on an errand. It is dangerous, so please move to a different room with Chris.”
ㅤ
“. . .You should have shown this from the beginning.”
“I was unsure if Ojou-sama was aware of the crisis. This should give you some peace of mind. Now, let us go.”
ㅤ
I put on the magic tool for transformation and struggle to put on my shoes with feverish, clumsy fingers.
Finally, after managing to put on my shoes and looking up, a grand secret passage had appeared in the room.
ㅤ
. . .Eh?
ㅤ
“. . .Did this room always have such a mechanism?”
“Yes. It seems it was designed so Ojou-sama could escape if necessary.”
ㅤ
Chris swiftly entered the narrow passage that was just wide enough for one person.
Eh, why not give it a try!
Plunging into the uniquely stagnant air of the closed space, Chris did something by the wall. Immediately, the secret passage’s entrance closed, and lights came on at regular intervals along the path.
ㅤ
We walked along a stone-paved path with Chris.
After a considerable time walking up slopes, turning corners, climbing up and down stairs, we arrived at the goal room.
ㅤ
The secret passage’s exit was a neatly arranged guest room.
Chris quickly scanned the room, nodding, and checked that the door was locked.
ㅤ
“Thank you for your efforts. I apologize for the smaller space compared to your previous room, but please stay here until the award ceremony.”
“Understood. The previous room was too spacious and unsettling, this size is just right.”
ㅤ
Chris helped me take off the cloak and I handed over the magic tool for transformation.
ㅤ
“. . .May I ask what happened?”
ㅤ
Chris hesitated for a moment but then pursed his lips tightly.
ㅤ
“. . .The maid who was taking care of Ojou-sama has betrayed us.”
“The maid. . . that cool beauty?”
“. . .I am not certain whom you refer to, but it was the one who attended to Ojou-sama the most.”
“Betrayed. . . is it really true?”
ㅤ
“Since I was entrusted with your care, His Majesty Coleesh must have trusted me as well.”
ㅤ
“. . .What was the maid planning to do by betraying us?”
“I have not been informed in detail. It was an urgent situation. But. . ..”
“But?”
“. . .That maid once had a fiancé. He died in the line of duty shielding His Majesty Coleesh from an assassin. It was an honorable death. How she felt, what she thought, and why she acted as she did. . . I cannot comprehend.”
“. . .I see.”
ㅤ
I’m reminded of the maid when I asked about the meaning of the west small window. Perhaps, that place holds memories for her.
. . .I will likely not have the chance to ask anymore.
ㅤ
“. . .She was very kind to me.”
“His Majesty Coleesh would make a fair judgment even towards crimes.”
“Yes.”
ㅤ
I recall the maid, always with a slight smile and working efficiently.
ㅤ
“. . .Even though I spent only a little time with the maid, I find this situation to be tough.”
ㅤ
How did Roa-sama manage to live each day in a royal castle that felt like home yet was surrounded by enemies, offering no respite?
Knowing that the maid was a traitor and yet carrying on as usual seems impossible to me. It would surely wear down one’s spirit.
ㅤ
“. . .Shall I make you some warm tea before you sleep?”
“Please do.”
“Although, it’s just what I had in my magic bag.”
ㅤ
Chris brought out steaming herb tea from the magic bag. Sitting on the sofa, I took a sip of the still-hot beverage.
. . .What is my family doing now? I hope mom’s illness hasn’t worsened. I wonder if dad is getting some sleep. I miss Thor’s voice.
ㅤ
Drinking the herb tea reminds me of the herbs from the Valka domain.
. . .I wonder how everyone is doing.
ㅤ
“It’s possible that someone knows which room Ojou-sama is in from the meals. I apologize, but from now until the award ceremony, I’ll prepare your meals with what’s in the magic bag.”
“Understood. I’m fine with it.”
“Please go to sleep after you drink this. Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin intensive training for the award ceremony. We don’t have much time, so it will be a Spartan regimen.”
“. . .Okay.”
ㅤ
Chris’s suggestion is just right for the current me.
I need to stay busy to keep the negativity at bay!
ㅤ
“I’ll do my best! Chris, please take care of me!”
ㅤ
The beautiful Chris, with long lashes and moist lips, smiled reassuringly.
ㅤ
“I am relieved to hear your words. It will be truly hard, so please do your best.”
“. . .Yes.”
ㅤ
The time until the award ceremony feels different for everyone.
It seems my boredom has ended as of yesterday.
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- How to Know If You’re Cringing Your Classmate: A Guide to Social Survival
- Gojo Satoru the Ultimate Husbando?! Is This a Thing?
- The One Thing I Gotta Do Before I Kick the Bucket: A Bucket List For The Rest of Us
- Anime With Good Plot, But One Thing Makes It Unwatchable: My ‘Black Clover’ Criticism
- The Unbreakable Bond: Gon and Killua’s Bromance for the Ages
Leave a Reply