Chapter 8
Miss Raldine’s “vacation,” which seemed long, will come to an end today. By tomorrow morning, Stella of the Duke family will go to Madou University, and Raldine who remains here will return to Lady Geraldine of the Duke family and regain her original life.
Raldine and I eat breakfast in the living room as usual, and while we clean up, Belle eats breakfast in the kitchen with her doll dishes.
After breakfast, we grab our lunch boxes and head over to the Princess Victoria Memorial Botanical Garden. There, we peruse the bustling marketplace, stocking up on ingredients for dinner and other daily necessities before heading back home.
For dinner, we savor Raldine’s all-time favorite spaghetti loaded with chunks of savory sausage. Predictably, both Raldine and Belle end up with tomato sauce all over their faces, and I quickly clean them up with a napkin.
After filling the room with the sweet aroma of soap, I put Raldine to bed as usual. Then, I venture out to take care of my duties, eradicating vampire bats at the late-night mining site.
As I made my way out of the house, Belle swooped in with a malevolent flapping of wings and landed on my shoulder.
“Oldman, so in the end, do you think you’ll be able to get the job?”
“Who knows? I guess we’ll find out.”
“I see. Keep your spirits up, oldman…”
With a hefty yawn, Belle flew off with a whooshing sound.
Upon my return, I switched on the lights in the living room and caught a glimpse of Raldine peeking out of her room.
“What’s the matter? Can’t sleep?”
“Yes, just a little…”
Though Raldine appeared to have something on her mind, she kept her head down.
“Even if you can’t fall asleep, it’s better to rest. You have to wake up early tomorrow.”
“Big brother, can you sleep with me tonight?”
“Huh?!”
Raldine’s sudden request caught me off guard. But it wasn’t just surprise that washed over me – my body grew hot, I started sweating, and my old-man scent intensified.
“We’re siblings, so it’s not weird, right? My best friend Raldine used to sleep with her big brother all the time…”
Taking my hand, Raldine ushered me into her room.
“T-That was when you were very, very young, right?”
“Yes, but my big brother left home many years ago. If he were around, I bet he’d still be sleeping next to me. At least that’s what my best friend Raldine says…”
“Well, no, I just finished a job and I’m sweaty. My feet stink, and I probably have that old-man smell,” I admitted, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over me.
But as usual, Raldine approached me with a gentle smile and took a whiff of my face. I recoiled instinctively.
“Big brother smells nice. Like the sun and rain, and the fresh scent of the ranch where we took a nap the other day…”
Was she really just trying to say that I smell like a barn animal? Despite my reservations, I decided to lie down next to her. Even though she could have spent her last vacation with her real big brother, she chose to stay with an old man like me due to some cruel twist of fate.
As I pondered, I resolved to be a substitute for Raldine’s brother, not as a job seeker, but purely as a loving brother. If this sounds amusing to you, feel free to chuckle. I welcome anyone who desires to express their thoughts freely.
“That girl, Raldine…”
“Yes…”
“I heard she’s going to marry a prince who is her classmate. According to the royal journal, Prince Henry is very handsome and smart…”
“Big brother, you know so much…”
Raldine replied with a hint of sadness in her voice. I wondered why a bride-to-be would appear so dejected when discussing her upcoming nuptials.
“Without any remarkable qualities, Raldine’s sole purpose is to make a meaningful contribution to the country through her royal alliance…”
Admittedly, Prince Henry is an attractive and brilliant man. However, the royal journal isn’t all roses and sunshine. [Prince Henry’s wild side unleashed during his stay in the Holy City?!] [Prince Henry’s next conquest is none other than Miss Josie, Geraldine, the Duke’s daughter’s schoolmate?!]…
Belle pointed out that Miss Josie was the mastermind behind the bullying of Raldine. I can’t fathom why Prince Henry would allow his future wife to be tormented like this, causing such a scandal.
But as the saying goes, don’t believe everything you hear. These stories are often fabricated to boost sales.
Even if the rumor was true, perhaps the situation could improve after the wedding. There are plenty of men who behave like this, unfortunately. I can’t relate to it myself.
I tried to lift Raldine’s spirits.
“I’m sure she’ll find happiness, not just for herself but also for the prince. And even after the wedding, Stella can still see her and not feel lonely. She’s fearless and can use teleportation to visit you every day, even in the neighboring country’s palace.”
“Stella, visit…”
Raldine seemed to have regained a bit of energy from that idea. She lifted her head and peered into my face, sounding a bit needy.
“Will big brother also come?”
For a moment, I thought it could be a chance.
As the brother of a friend, it might have been an effortless task to escort Raldine to her wedding, but I couldn’t bear the thought of taking advantage of her already existing anxiety. This poor girl’s life had been manipulated for political gain, and exploiting her vulnerability would have been cruel.
“I have some scavenging to do, but if it’s just for a day trip…”
That’s all I could offer.
“I’m sure…”
Raldine nestled her head against my chest, seeking comfort, and drifted off to sleep.
At daybreak, I gently freed myself from Raldine’s grasp and slipped out of bed. My shirt was damp with a mixture of tears, snot, and drool.
Oddly enough, I couldn’t help but grin at the bittersweet disappointment.
Once my scavenging work was completed, I visited the familiar bakery and purchased Raldine’s favorite croissant and Belle’s preferred brioche. Despite Raldine’s inability to finish even a single croissant, I purchased an entire bag to try and alleviate her unfulfilled appetite.
As the town began to stir with the bustle of people who had started their workday earlier than usual, I couldn’t help but notice the palpable tension in the air.
It seemed like everyone was discussing the same topic.
As rumors swirled around the town, words like “The Holy City,” “Engagement broken off,” “Duke’s daughter,” “Prince of a neighboring country,” and “Former executive of the Magic Guild” were on everyone’s lips.
My curiosity piqued when I stumbled upon the latest edition of the Royal Journal, abandoned on the roadside. Eager to learn more, I raced to the nearest newsstand and eagerly scoured every eye-catching headline.
The articles revealed a shocking truth:
Prince Henry of the neighboring country had accrued an enormous gambling debt, jeopardizing his marriage to Lady Geraldine and threatening to bring shame to the royal family. Desperate for a solution, he agreed to let a man named Lloyd shoulder his debt in exchange for marrying his daughter, Miss Josie, as a second wife.
But Lloyd was no ordinary nobleman. He had bought his title with his wealth as a merchant and was rumored to be involved in various criminal activities, including embezzlement, bribery, and smuggling. By sending his daughter as a mistress to the second prince, he hoped to secure a powerful connection with the neighboring country and further his own interests.
As soon as Lady Geraldine graduated from the Magic Academy high school, her personality took a sharp turn, and Lloyd’s shady dealings with Prince Henry came to light.
Despite the damning evidence against him, Prince Henry, who was blinded by his love for money and Miss Josie’s enchanting allure, vehemently denied the allegations and baselessly accused Lady Geraldine of lying. The neighboring countries were outraged and even staged severe protests.
Lady Geraldine’s conduct was unbecoming of a Duke’s daughter, as she tarnished the reputation of a prince from a neighboring country and bullied lower-ranking nobles. Consequently, her engagement was promptly broken off, and all of her private possessions were seized as compensation for the damage done to the prince’s honor. The Duke family suffered not only expulsion from their own country but also from the Holy City.
Just when it appeared that Lady Geraldine’s fate was sealed, Ursula, a former mage who had been abandoned in a rural village at the base of Mt. Orlando, made a sudden appearance in the Holy City. Ursula’s testimony unequivocally implicated Lloyd and exposed his involvement with Prince Henry in a chain reaction that stunned the public.
The Order of the Fly, led by the enigmatic Bellezebub, wasted no time in capturing Prince Henry and Lloyd as they attempted to flee. Demons are known to be unpredictable beings, so it’s anyone’s guess as to why Bellezebub intervened in human affairs.
Lloyd’s noble title was stripped from him, and Miss Josie was entrusted to the care of her maternal family. To ensure that she doesn’t make any more escape attempts, a swarm of flies was deployed to keep a close eye on her.
Meanwhile, Prince Henry was sent back to his homeland and forced to become a monk. He was kept under permanent house arrest in a monastery, with flies serving as his unrelenting guards.
Lady Geraldine was eventually exonerated of any wrongdoing, but she willingly accepted the consequences of her actions. As a result, she was expelled from the Duke family and Holy City. In an unexpected twist, she decided to embrace the role of the “villainess” and make things right. Her new moniker, simply Geraldine, earned her the admiration of the people.
I couldn’t help but mutter to myself, “The nerve of that Stella. What does she mean by villainess…”
For Geraldine, living in the frontier with her beloved brother might just be the happiest thing that could happen to her.
There were two of us, or Belle. Today will be the last time we have breakfast together as two people and a pet.
Come to think of it, Belle is nowhere to be seen. I wanted to take her to the slaughterhouse again as a reward for the big catch, but unfortunately, she didn’t want to come. Oh well.
Suddenly, the sound of the door opening interrupted my thoughts, and in walked Raldine, as silent as a ghost. Her hair was immaculately combed and she had even adorned it with the hair accessory I had bought her. Her outfit had also greatly improved, except for the unbuttoned top button of her blouse.
Without hesitation, I approached her and fixed her blouse, quipping, “Looks like you can handle it on your own now.”
Usually, Raldine would greet me with a gentle smile and a “good morning,” but today she remained silent. Her face turned away from me, her ears flushed with color. It was then that I spotted Belle, hiding amidst Raldine’s luscious, reddish-brown hair.
It all made sense now.
Regrettably, I wasn’t able to say goodbye to Raldine, but it was alright. I knew she was probably ecstatic to reunite with her brother in the borderlands by now.
I playfully tapped her forehead.
“Good morning, young villainess…”
“W-What! T-That’s not it!”
Stella protested, her face flushing even more.
“Do you want breakfast?”
“N-No, thanks!”
“Well, that’s a pity. I even prepared coffee milk with a beautiful latte art titled ‘The Resurrection of the Phoenix’…”
Stella took a sneak peek at the coffee cup.
“Wow~…H-Hold on, I didn’t request it!”
“I got it. Belle, you’ll eat it, right?”
“Thank you, oldman…”
Fluttering her wings with a wicked sound, Belle perched on my shoulder.
“Hey! I never said I wouldn’t have it! I don’t crave it, but I can manage it! Don’t get the wrong idea! I just don’t want to waste the milk! Mmmph!”
As Stella spoke hurriedly, I shoved a croissant into her mouth.
After all, I had purchased a plethora of them.
[insert page=’4633′ display=’content’]
[insert page=’4587′ display=’content’]
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- My Brain on UFC: Why I’m Convinced I Could Totally Take on Adesanya (I’m Lying, Don’t Tell Dana)
- Kakashi and Obito: Bro-mance or True Love? Unraveling the Mystery of Naruto’s Most Epic Duo
- The “I’m So Deep in This Light Novel I’m Living It” Blues: When Your Waifu Gets NTR’d and You’re Not Even Mad (But Kind of Are)
- The Great Balls-Scratching Debate: A Smell-tastic Journey
- Loid Forger: The Ultimate Husbando?
Leave a Reply