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Azur Lane: Episode of Belfast Volume 2 Chapter 2 Part 6

「It sounds like fun because it is fun!」

Elizabeth grinned, showing her teeth in self-satisfaction.

「I have used those things to pass some time before when I went together with Warspite. But where exactly was that? I cannot quite remember ––––––」

While she was saying that, Elizabeth suddenly looked at Belfast’s face as if she remembered something.

「–––––– By the way. Won’t you be giving some sort of presents or gifts to the members of the Maid Corps, Bel?」

「To the members of the Maid Corps…… Your Majesty?」

Just like that, Elizabeth picked up the cup and asked while slowly smelling the aroma of the tea that Belfast brewed for her.

「In the first place, how does the Maid Corps spend their Christmas every year? I don’t think I ever knew anything about that.」

「E-Even if you say that, Your Majesty……」

Belfast took a moment to look back on the history of the Maid Corps. Come to think of it, the Maid Corps had never given any presents to one another around Christmas, let alone throw a proper party.

The Christmas time for the members of the Royal Maids was very similar in schedule to how Halloween was.

「First of all, we all start by preparing for the Christmas dinner and tea in the morning. Since there are multiple menus for dinner, we will make it all from scratch by dividing the chores evenly among everyone available.」

「Yeah, yeah, and? What’s next?」

「Since we are already making every dish in large quantities, we are making sure that everyone on kitchen duty tries the dishes before the Christmas dinner starts. That way, we get to eat it as well, and perform a last taste test to see if anything needs to be adjusted or seasoned some more.」

Being able to eat the Christmas feast before anyone else was like a privilege meant only for the people of the Maid Corps, and it was also considered to be the Maid Corps’ annual “Christmas Charity”.

「And that’s about it, really. And every single year the situation looks more or less the same……」

「Huh? That’s all? That…… honestly sounds a little bit lonely, wouldn’t you say?」

When Belfast finished explaining the situation to Elizabeth, she let out a sigh and shared her honest impression with the Head Maid.

「…… Is it now, Your Majesty?」

Belfast didn’t really understand why Queen Elizabeth would ever think so.

This was not something that was limited to Belfast alone, it was a common understanding among all the maids of the Royal Navy.

「Your Majesty. Let me be clear so as to avoid any possible misunderstandings…… We, the maids, are more than happy to serve our beloved Master. And the Christmas dinner is also the same for us. Seeing everyone enjoying the feast and being happy while being together…… This is the best Christmas possible that the maid could possibly hope for.」

「Yes, yes, I understand. Believe it or not, but after all that time we have spent together, I tend to think that I u understand your way of thinking really well.」

Elizabeth continued speaking after she raised her hand in the air and stopped Belfast from delivering an even longer explanation.

「But you know, only having a Charity dinner is not going to quite cut it! Think about it! Wouldn’t it be nice to have a proper party where you hand presents and gifts to one another? Of course, it’s impossible for each individual to have a gift for everyone else, but you get the idea!」

「A present…… for everyone……」

Then, Belfast suddenly remembered the kitchen from before, and how she thought that it felt really bleak even though it was the Christmas season.

–––––– Then how about decorating the kitchen, which everyone would spend a lot of time inside of on a regular basis, with Christmas-like decorations?

Belfast thought that this would be the perfect gift to send to all the maids working there.

「Thank you, for your insight, Your Majesty. I seem to have just the idea that should be good for the occasion.」

「Great! That’s the spirit! Fufufu, as expected of a naturally born genius such as myself!」

With a satisfied smile blooming on her face, Elizabeth put her mouth on the tea cup once again.

「But I must say, the taste of your tea after so long is simply the best, Bel! Totally delicious!」

「I am honored to hear you say that, Your Majesty.」

But how exactly should she decorate the kitchen for the occasion?

Belfast immediately decided to give a certain idea that popped inside of her head a try.

* * *

The next day, Belfast went to the Department Store where Akashi was located, and received origami paper for the purpose of decoration-making, which seemed like the perfect medium for making some decorations to the Head Maid. Even if she was to make just some paper flowers and put it on the walls, the effect should be quite gorgeous in its own right.

「The only problem is the place where I can prepare without being noticed by the other maids……」

For the time being, Belfast thought of a lone warehouse that was not in use for quite a while now. But it would be all dusty and dirty, not your ideal environment for working on delicate things like that.

Belfast wondered if there was a place where she could work secretly without being discovered by the maids for a while now.

「In addition……」

There was one more thing that the Head Maid was being worried about.

Truth to be told, she wanted to prepare a genuine Christmas tree, but unfortunately, it seems that the time for ordering Christmas trees has already passed even at the Akashi’s Store, so there was no way that she would be able to procure it.

「Christmas decorations are quite a difficult task, I see.」

As Belfast walked forward, the skirt of her maid uniform fluttered.

Looking up at the sky covered in a thin layer of clouds, Belfast exhaled white breath in the cold, dry winter air.

Just then, at the pier, she saw a familiar figure returning from somewhere.

「–––––– Warspite-sama.」

When Belfast called out to her, Warspite, who had been walking along the pier, turned around towards her.

「Belfast, what are you doing here?」

「I’m on my way home from the Department Store. Are you coming back from your mission?」

「Well, yeah…… Something like that.」

For some reason, Warspite seemed to be in some kind of a daze, as if her mind was not here and was somewhere else for the time being.

It might have been simply because she was tired right after being back from the mission, but that didn’t seem to be the only reason here.

「Are you perhaps worried about something, Warspite-sama?」」

When she asked her that in a casual tone, Warthheit immediately returned to her usual sharp expression.

「I-It’s nothing, really. I’m just a little bit tired from going on all of those missions on a daily basis, that’s all. I will go back to the dormitory and rest for a bit, that should do the trick.」

Warspite tried to dodge the question and then pass Belfast by without giving any real explanation, when.

「Please wait a second, Warspite-sama.」

Belfast stopped her as she was about to leave.

Then the Head Maid put her hand into the tiny gap between Warspite’s rigging and her actual body.

「W-What’s wrong? Doing something like this so suddenly?」

「Oh, it’s nothing…… It’s just that, there was a seashell stuck around your waist’s rigging, that’s all.」

Belfast said that while she picked up a large conch shell that was stuck behind Warspite’s rigging. She then opened her mouth once again.

「It doesn’t really look to me that you are merely tired, Warspite-sama. What seems to be the problem……?」

Staring at the conch in the Head Maid’s hand for a while, Warspite finally let out a long and deep sigh of resignation.

「You see, the thing that I am so worried about…… It is the matter of what kind of personal gift I am going to present to Her Majesty for Christmas.」

「A personal…… Christmas present, you say?」」

「Yes, that’s right. You know how every single year up until now Her Majesty would only return to the dormitory right before the New Year’s Eve, right? That is way, since this will be the first Christmas that Her Majesty is going to be spending at the dorm, I thought that I wanted to give her an appropriate gift. I wanted to do it before leaving on a mission, but then I got lost thinking of what to give to Her Majesty…… and then it hit me. I shall give Her Majesty a wreath for Christmas!」

With those words being said, Belfast suddenly remembered the lonely face of Elizabeth that she happened to make not so long ago.

Warspite then pointed her finger towards the nearby mountain as she continued speaking in a as-a-matter-of-factly tone.