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Azur Lane: Episode of Belfast Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part 17

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Translator: Kurehashi Aiko

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PART 17

 

[…… I’m sorry. It was just a joke on my part. Think nothing of it. Oh, and you certainly don’t need to comment on that.]

 

It would seem that Edinburgh realized that she just blurted out something totally embarrassing, and so she started waving her hands at Belfast, and then she just scratched her head in an attempt to play it down.

 

It was also something that Belfast was considering ever since the morning, but the way in which Edinburgh looked when she was still wearing those vision-distorting glasses was truly horrifying and completely different from her usual adorable image.

 

And realizing that fact for some reason, made Belfast’s expression turn truly miserable, quite unlike her usual demeanor. Maybe now was the right time to act.

 

[…… Nee-san, umm…… There is something that I wanted to ask you for a while now.]

 

As the two maids continued to soak inside of the bathtub and bask in the warmth of the water, Belfast finally managed to gather up her courage and said what he wanted to ask Edinburgh.

 

[How did you manage to make that tea taste so good back then? It’s been bugging me ever since.]

 

[…… The tea? Back then? What are you talking about, Bel?]

 

[I’m talking about that tea that you made yesterday, back at the afternoon tea party. Ever since I have tasted it, and even more so after what Her Majesty have said, I wanted to know how you manage to do it. I wanted to know the secret of its deliciousness. And so I……]

 

Belfast wanted to say that she tried to imitate the way in which Edinburgh was behaving and working, but she ultimately could not bring herself to admit to doing that. It was way too embarrassing.

 

When she was thinking about it now, when Belfast was looking at Edinburgh she was becoming more and more aware of the fact that everything she was doing today was nothing more than a farce and a facade. It was just something that she was doing in order to ease her own insecurities and worries.

 

Only now Belfast was starting to realize just how childish and stupid her today’s behavior really was. Because taste is just that — a taste. Something completely subjective. And there was no need for fellow Royal Maids to compete in regards to that. Because every Royal Maid was perfect in their own right.

 

Thinking about that subject made its toll on Belfast’s face, as it became clouded and a far cry from it’s usual professional elegance.

 

Upon hearing the words of her sister, Edinburgh stared at her with a blank expression for a while,

 

And then she began to laugh and giggle in an uncontrollable way. Her voice was loud and sounded like a myriad of silver bells ringing all at once, and before long she began to attract the attention of all other shipgirls who were present in the bathroom.

 

[Did I really say something so funny? For me it is a serious cause for worry, I’ll let you know.]

 

[Ah, no, I’m sorry, it’s just…… It was a little bit unexpected, that is all.]

 

Seeing that Edinburgh was nowhere near to stop laughing anytime soon, Belfast could feel that her face, her cheeks in particular, was becoming hotter and hotter by the moment. However  Belfast was adamant in telling herself that this was because of the hotness of the water inside of the bathtub, and not because of the increasing feelings of both shame and embarrassment.

 

[I guess that this is so like you, Bel. I am sure that this matter was driving you crazy and you were unable to let it go.]

 

Edinburgh then clasped her hands together in front of her face  and then she closed her eyes and leaned back, leaning against the edge of the bathtub.

 

And then she did something utterly incomprehensible.

 

[Please become delicious! Please, become delicious! I beg of you, please become delicious! …… That’s the basic wish that anyone can have while they are making tea for everyone to enjoy at a tea party, wouldn’t you agree? And that’s about it. That’s all there is to this taste.]

 

[Nee-san, but that’s……]

 

Before Belfast was able to finish saying that it was the magic prayer that was written down in that one book that she read in the past, she stopped herself from doing just that. 

 

It was also the same thing that the Head Maid taught Warspite not so long ago. But when it comes to Edinburgh, Belfast refused to believe that it was all thanks to something so superstitious. Surely there must have been something more to it, some sort of legitimate technique.

 

[No way, Nee-san. That has to be a lie. Surely there must be something else. I refuse to believe that this would be all.]

 

Edinburgh then tilted her head in puzzlement while she was still upholding her “magic spell” pose.

 

[I do believe that I have told you this before. I don’t find it surprising at all that you are doubting a method like that, Bel. After all, you are the type who follows the recope to a T, so it’s only natural that you would have no need for spells and prayers like that.]

 

Belfast could not believe what she was hearing. No, she simply refused to believe it  she wouldn’t accept that explanation as truth. But in actuality, she knew all too well that it was precisely something that her sister would do. At the same time, she could no longer decieve herself that the hotness burning inside of her cheeks was a result of the hot water of the bath.

 

[…… Oh, just forget it. Forget I said anything, Nee-san. I don’t care anymore.]

 

[Don’t care about what?]

 

In response to Edinburgh’s question, Belfast did not answer her anything in particular, just laughing sternly and making a puffing sound while sinking her face halfway down into the hot water, causing a myriad of small bubbles to distort the water’s still surface.

 

She also continued to realize that her sister was surely one of a kind.

 

 

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