A Dark Supper – Part 01

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Translator: Kell


—Monologue 1—

Sauville was supposed to be a bountiful kingdom, but for an orphan crouched in an alley downtown, it was like being in a frozen forest.

Three days had passed since I escaped the institution. I’d been scavenging and stealing leftovers to survive, but I had reached my limit.

Suddenly, a sturdy arm grabbed me by the shoulders and lifted me up.

They found me, I thought. They’ll take me back to the institution.

With no strength left to resist, I was thrown into a carriage with iron bars.

It was like a cage for animals.

It was dark, but having been accustomed to darkness, I saw several children in the same cage. Their clothes were tattered, and they were shivering in the cold. Most of them were boys, but there were some girls as well.

The carriage started to move. The horses’ hooves clattered against the cobblestones.

I heard the same voice from the driver’s seat. There were two men, discussing something.

“We’ve secured a child from Sauville.”

“Identity?”

“Probably an orphan. It’s fine. No one will look for a missing orphan.”

What does that mean?

I listened closely.

“What about the rest?”

“We need two more. I’m sure we’ll get them soon.”

“That was easy.”

It was freezing, so I leaned closer to the child beside me to keep each other warm.

The carriage rocked.

Where are they taking us?


Chapter Two: A Dark Supper

It was pitch-black around the cruise ship. Carrying a lamp, the black-skinned guide—a foreigner, it seemed—was silently leading Kazuya and Victorique.

The ship left wakes as it sailed.

It was a quiet night.

Kazuya looked up and noticed something blocking a portion of the dark, starry sky. A jet-black wall loomed above, coming closer. He looked closely and realized it was a huge funnel.

It was so huge, in fact, that it didn’t seem to match the size of the ship. It stood like a jet-black tower in the middle of the liner.

“Let’s go, Kujou,” Victorique said.

Kazuya hurried after her. They went down a set of stairs. He thought it would be bright inside, but it was dim, and they had to rely on the guide’s lamp for light.

The two of them were ushered into a vast dining room with a long, narrow table and a shining chandelier. The chandelier was not lit; the room was dark—no, pitch-black. Warm, steaming food for ten people lay on the table. Candle flames danced in the dark, their feeble light only enough to illuminate each person’s food.

There seemed to be no waiter. Food that were supposed to be brought in order were all already laid out on the table, from appetizers to main dishes.

Nine adults sat in the darkness. The clinking and clattering of forks and knives indicated that dinner had begun.

There was one empty seat in the corner, where the murdered Roxane was supposed to sit.

Kazuya turned to the guide. “There’s two of us. Can we please have an extra chair—Huh?”

There was no one there. He opened the door and peered down the corridor.

The orange light of the guide’s lamp wavered down the corridor, receding into the distance.

“H-Hey!”

The man should be able to hear him, but he didn’t turn around.

Kazuya started to get worried. He ran after him down the dark corridor. In response, the light shifted from side to side, moving further away. The guide was running.

Why is he running away from me?

When he made it to the dark deck, the guide was nowhere to be found. Confused, he looked around.

He couldn’t have just disappeared! I saw him climb up the deck!

Splash.

His ears caught the sound of water somewhere.

Kazuya raced across the deck.

The lamp’s orange light was moving away on the surface of the dark sea. After showing the last guests——Kazuya and Victorique——the way, the guide probably took a boat and left the ship. It was too dark to make out whoever was riding the boat, but Kazuya was sure of that. Leaning over the railing, he watched the boat fade away into the distance.

What’s going on here?

He stood there for a while.

Suddenly, the letters written on the hull of the ship flashed through his mind.

Queen Berry.

He knew he had heard that name somewhere. He tilted his head. But he couldn’t remember. Kazuya gave up on chasing the man and walked back to the dining room.

“Hey, Victorique——“

People continued eating in the dark dining room, the candles by their side their only source of light. Victorique was sitting on the empty seat and partaking of the sumptuous dinner.

Small hands moved the knife and fork, bringing the food to her small mouth. It was an elegant, yet swift motion. She chewed quickly as well. The food was gradually disappearing.

Kazuya rushed beside her. “W-Wait, Victorique!”

“What is it, Kujou? I’m eating. Be quiet.”

“I’m here, too.”

“I know, and?” she asked curiously. She had just finished the appetizer. Switching the knife and fork, she started on the fish.

“I’m hungry, too!”

“But the invitation was addressed to Roxane.”

“…So what?”

“There is only one Roxane. Therefore, there is only food for one person.”

“…Fine. I know the kind of person you are already. Do you have some cookies in your bag or something? I’ll settle with that.”

Deftly removing bones from the fish with the knife, Victorique lifted her head.

There was a strange smile on her unquestionably beautiful face. She looked like she was smiling, but the edges of her mouth were crooked, and her cheek was twitching.

It was the face she made when she was angry.

“I had some,” she said.

“Great! I’ll have those, then.”

“In the travel bag.”

“…What?”

“The items that my brain had deemed necessary. A utensil set, a chair set, and an emergency food set.”

“Pretty sure the utensils and chair are unnecessary.”

“The food’s in the travel bag. It must be in Ms. Cecile’s room right now. You reap what you sow.”

Victorique turned her face away, then in a low voice added, “You may be a brilliant student from the Orient, and you may come from an upright military family, but using sophism to deceive people is unacceptable. You’re also pigheaded and arrogant. I don’t have cookies to share with the likes of you. Hmph!”

What the hell?!

Kazuya was taken aback.

I know I have my flaws. I’m hard-headed and overly-serious, but still.

Grumpy, Victorique ignored him and started on the meat. Apparently, Kazuya taking charge right from the start of the trip hurt her pride.

Pigheaded, arrogant, and a sophist? He clenched his fists silently. That’s rich, coming from you!

Kazuya felt a poke on his butt. He turned around and saw the young caucassian man sitting next to him looking at him.

“Ah, sorry for being too loud,” Kazuya said.

“Not at all. Take a seat.”

But there was no vacant chair. The man gave a gentle smile and tapped his lap.

“You can sit here if you like.”

“What? Uh…”

“Sit down, Kujou,” Victorique hissed.

Kazuya reluctantly sat down on the stranger’s lap.

Inclining his head, he looked at the man’s face. I’ve seen his face before, Kazuya thought.

He was good-looking, but his pleasant smile highlighted his good nature more than his clean-cut features. His stiff Queen’s English reminded Kazuya of the pretty exchange student, Avril.

Right, Avril…

“You’re an English stage actor, aren’t you?” Kazuya asked.

The man’s face lit up. “You know me?”

“A girl in my class had a photo of you. She called you Sir Ned Baxter.”

“How flattering. Here, have my food. Don’t be shy.”

The man brought a fork with a large slice of meat to his mouth. Bewildered, Kazuya ate it. The delicious meat melted on his tongue. Ned Baxter seemed to have a small appetite; he had left most of the dish untouched. He kept feeding Kazuya.

Victorique cast them a sidelong glance. “You make a cute couple.”

“Now, listen here…”

“Have some more.”

“Th-Thank you…”

In the quiet dining room, Ned Baxter prattled on about Shakespeare and the state of British theater. All the other guests continued eating in silence.

Several minutes later…

The clinking of cutlery had stopped. Ned had also gone quiet.

Light from the candles flickered in the dark room, glowing dimly in front of the ten guests—guests that had fallen asleep.

One had their head on the table, motionless. The person next to them was leaning back in their chair, mouth hanging open. There was a faint sound of snoring, then it faded.

Kazuya rolled off Ned’s lap, falling to the floor with a loud thud.

Silence descended on the dining room.

There was no sound except for the hissing of the candle flames.

The door opened quietly to admit someone.

The twelfth person carefully peered into each of the guest’s faces to see if they were asleep. With faint footsteps, they walked slowly around the table. They stepped on Kazuya and let out a yelp of surprise.

While regarding the boy curiously, they noticed Victorique sleeping in the seat next to him, her long, golden hair hanging down from her chair like a sash. First, they admired her exquisite beauty. Then they looked puzzled, glancing at Kazuya on the floor and Victorique in her chair.

They checked the name plate in front of Victorique.

It bore the name “Madame Roxane”. They cocked their head, wondering what the girl was doing in the old lady’s chair.

Unaware of the quiet intruder, the eleven guests continued sleeping peacefully.


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