3 bar menu

Azur Lane: Episode of Belfast Volume 1 Chapter 3 Part 2

---

---

Translator: Kurehashi Aiko

---

PART 2

 

[Fuwaah…… Hmm. I see. Today is Bel’s day off, huh?]

 

Edinburgh then put on her glasses and climbed out of bed, slowly approaching the closet. There, she took off her pajamas, leaving herself with nothing more but a pair of white panties that were still on her, and lined up next to Belfast, taking out her maid outfit from the closet.

 

[I actually envy you so much, Bel. You get to go on a two day trip to a hot spring inn~.  I would like to get some time off myself in the near future as well, you know~. And sooner rather than later.]

 

[I personally don’t ––––––]

 

Belfast tried to say something, but then she stopped in the middle of her sentence and just cast her glance towards the ground.

 

[–––––– I would much rather prefer to serve everyone as a maid rather than waste my time on some day off.]

 

For today, Belfast was planning on feeding the small birds some bread crumbs as usual, then prepare breakfast for everyone else, she then thought it would be nice to water all of the plants in the nearby botanical garden, as well as repairing the torn curtains that the girls damaged because of their excessive energy while playing around the dormitory.

 

Continuing on, Belfast also wanted to try and clean the statues in the courtyard that were covered in dirt and the round table and chairs used for the tea ceremony that were located inside of the courtyard.

 

And thinking that someone else would have to do all of those chores for her was making Belfast feel really sad.

 

[Oh, wait a moment, Bel.]

 

[Hm? What’s wrong?]

 

As soon as Belfast was about done picking up the clothes that she was going to wear for her outing, Edinburgh stopped her and she turned around on the spot.

 

[Hmmm……]

 

Edinburgh narrowed her eyes behind her glasses and looked at Belfast’s plain clothes, and suddenly began to rummage through the closet with great fervor. And while Belfast was starting to wonder what could it be all about,

 

[Here, Bel. It’s the one piece dress that I happened to buy a while ago thinking that I might happen upon some occasion to wear it, but unfortunately its size was impossible for me to fit in…… But when it comes to you, Bel, I think it will fit just right!]]

 

Saying that, what Edinburgh took out of the closet was a checked one-piece dress. Receiving the dress from her sister, Belfast started to undress on the spot, doing as she was told. She put the dress over her head and started to pull it down all the way, but then she noticed that her long hair got stuck on the dress’s collar.

 

[H-How it is?]

 

[Yeah, yeah! I knew it, you look great in it, Bel!. I have always thought that cute clothes would really look good on you, and it looks like I was right about that after all!]

 

While Edinburgh was nodding her head in satisfaction, Belfast was looking at her reflection in the closet’s mirror, checking out the dress’s size and wondering if it was really the case here. Not to mention that wearing something completely different from what she was used to wearing on a daily basis was making her feel uneasy and as if she was not herself anymore.

 

[Oh, and speaking of which ––––––]

 

Edinburgh smiled as he tapped Belfast on the back, while her younger sister still seemed to be quite confused and uneasy about the notion of wearing unfamiliar clothes.

[Since it is your long-awaited day off, it is well and good to forget it all about being a maid for a day, just kicking back and relaxing. Also, that hot springs is not only good for helping you to recover from any fatigue, but I also heard that it does wonders for stiff shoulders. It also helps with sensitivity to cold, and neuralgia, you know? I know that we are working as maids, but we are also women, you know? And that line of work is not exactly easy on our bodies. Quite the opposite, actually.]

 

[But I don’t have any problems with stiff shoulders, sensitivity to cold, or neuralgia, Nee-san.]

 

[Not right now. But once you do, it will be too late to do anything about that. It’s called prevention for a reason, you know? Prevention!]

 

As Belfast was wondering if the hot springs could really have any of such preventative effects, Edinburgh circled around her back as she stood in front of the mirror and gently scooped up her silvery hair from the inside of the dress’s collar.

 

[Since you are so busy today with your day off, just for today I am going to act like a proper elder sister and I’m going to do your hair for you, Bel-chan.]

 

[N-Nee-san, there is no need for you to do this. I can do this perfectly on my own, and……]

 

[Now, now! Just stand still and let me have that, why don’t you?]

 

Even though Edinburgh was clearly getting slightly carried away here, Belfast did as she was told and followed her sister’s instructions obediently.

 

[Hmm, I wonder what kind of hairstyle would be the best here?]

 

Edinburgh muttered those words to herself while playing with a red ribbon that she was holding in her hands, and quickly started to braid Belfast’s long hair after arranging them on her back. She then tied it at the side to form a low ponytail, and then she added a few more smaller ribbons to make the effect even better.

 

Finally, as a finishing touch, Edinburgh said out loud with a smile on her face, as if she was an artist that was thinking of a name for his lifelong masterpiece:

 

[Alright! I shall name this creation “Softly Waving Bel-chan”! I know that you look good while wearing your maid uniform, and that’s fine, too, but isn’t it nice to wear something different once in a while for a change?]

 

When Belfast looked in the mirror again, she was surprised to see that she had changed completely, like she was an entirely different person all of a sudden.

 

Belfast was strangely convinced that even though she knew it was her own reflection in the mirror, she was still finding it hard to accept.

 

With her younger sister still left in a daze, Edinburgh then brought a chocolate-colored fiber trunk from the bottom of the closet.

 

[It might be a little too big for one night trip, but it’s always better to have something like that on you in case you would ever need some extra space. So make sure you’ll put it to a good use.]

 

[–––––– Bel! I heard you said you were going to a hot spring inn for your day off!]

 

Queen Elizabeth’s loud voice rang out in front of the door that was suddenly swung open with great force.

 

When Belfast came to her senses on the spot and turned towards the door,

 

[Fufun! Normally, I should be sound asleep at this time of day! I bet that you are probably wondering why I’m actually awake right now?]

 

Elizabeth said so more to herself rather than to anyone else while folding her arms on her chest.

 

[Why yes, Your Majesty. It is indeed a great mystery as to why that’s the case here.]

 

[Wait! I want you to answer me honestly here! You see, even someone like myself can sometimes get up early all by myself!]

 

After stomping her small foot to the ground, Elizabeth strode into the room, staring at Belfast from head to toe, as if she was appraising her.

 

[Hmm, I see…… Edi, you said that what was the name of this creation of yours here? “Softly Waving Bel-chan? Hmm, yes, I can certainly see that. That name suits her really well.]

 

[That name that you keep using, I cannot stop thinking that you might have either heard it somewhere else before, or that you perhaps agreed on it beforehand?]

 

[Rather than that, if you’re going to a hot spring inn, I would definitely like to for you to buy some dumplings out there and bring them back here to have them served at the next tea party.]

 

[Dumplings for a tea party, Your Majesty?]

 

It was certainly an unexpected combination for sure, but not something that was that unheard of. Actually, Belfast had a lingering suspicion that a nice Darjeeling tea would go surprisingly well with dangos for some reason.

 

Elizabeth’s proposal, which she had never imagined to be possible, made Belfast feel a little more excited about her day off trip, especially that she had been reluctant to go on it from the get go. But no more.

 

[I understand, Your Majesty. I shall bring you back a whole lot of delicious dangos that will certainly satisfy your palate.]

 

[Just simply delicious won’t be able to cut it here, Bel. They have to be THE BEST of them all! By the way, Edi? Are you going to see Bel off or what?]

 

---

---