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Azur Lane: Episode of Belfast Volume 4 Chapter 2 Part 11

「P-Please do not worry about it. It is not something that is going to interfere with whatever it is that the Maid Corps is currently doing. I am going to be done in a moment, so would you kindly wait a little bit longer?」

「Ah, no, I was not going to distract you from your work, Neptune-sama. I am here just to pick up some of the already pre-made desserts, that’s all.」

While saying that, Belfast passed by the table where Neptune was working on her cake and stood in front of the refrigerator in the corner of the room.

Apparently, Neptune’s special cake looked like it was already in the stage where it would be finished in just a moment, and the effects of her work were so good that just looking at that cake was enough to make one drool. Of course, Belfast was not affected to this extent by it, but she was sure that some other maids would react like that for sure.

「I was actually allowed to taste-test the shortcakes that Suffolk made before.」

Neptune then walked towards Belfast, who was in the middle of taking the desserts out of the refrigerator.

「It was indeed a wonderful cake. She named the cake she made herself “The Fluffy Cloud Cake In the Sky”, and just as the name suggested, it was a fluffy fresh cream cake that looked just like a cloud…… I was even inspired by it to some extent, and I admit that it might have gotten me a little bit excited.」.

「Actually, I think it’s a very nice cake. I really do.」

After taking out the tray with the desserts that were resting on top of it, Belfast closed the refrigerator shut. She was then going to leave the still room, but then she turned towards Neptune, and:

「By the way, Neptune-sama? Which team did you end up joining?」

When Belfast asked her that question out of the blue, Neptune lifted her face from the cake that she was still decorating.

「Are you talking about that acting thing that we are putting up? Because if you do, then I will let you know that I decided to join the Tool-Making Team, and —— 」

For a moment out there Belfast stayed silent, thinking that for someone like Neptune a Tool-Making Team was certainly an unexpected choice. And just as she was to comment on that, Neptune added the most important part that was missing from her earlier statement.

「—— I-It’s not like I wanted to join that team, understand? I could have gone and joined any other team that I wanted, but those kids…… those Leander Class kinds, they have done it again…… Umm.」

The Leander Class girls? Those words made Belfast remember the time of the Pancake Race.

Looking back, even back then Neptune was on the same team as those three Leander Class Light Cruisers.

「Come to think of it, you seem to be good friends with everyone in the Leander Class, Neptune-sama.」

Those were Belfast honest thoughts, with no hidden meaning or anything special behind them. However, upon hearing them, for some reason Neptune started to vigorously shake her head to the sides, as if trying to deny them in a panic.

「H-Huh!? Surely you jest, right!? M-Me? Being good friends with them!? I-If anything, it’s them who seem to be strangely attached to me! It’s one-sided like that! You understand? One sided!」

「Hmm, is that so? But even then, at the time of the Pancake Race, you seemed to be…… Not to mention that even now……」

When Belfast looked down at the cake that Neptune was making, she could see that there was Leander’s name written in bright letters on the chocolate plate that was placed on the cake.

「T-This is…… Umm…… You know, that! Yes, that! I just happened to realize that today is Leander’s birthday, so I just made it somehow on the spot! Yes, nothing more!

「…… Right.」

When Belfast was in a daze at how shaken Neptune seemed to be, she suddenly heard the opening of the entrance door to the Still Room and the sound of footsteps going over the floor.

「Neptune, is the cake ready yet?」

「I will be ready in just a moment. You have been waiting for it all this time, so be a little bit more patient, if you would —— Huh, say what?」

The one to arrive in the Still Room was the Leander Class Light Cruiser called Ajax.

「You don’t have to be in such a hurry, it’s already complete.」

Saying that, Neptune turned towards Belfast and Ajax, showing them the finished cake that was in her hands.

It was a simple strawberry and whipped cream cake with no decorations other than a chocolate nameplate with Leander’s name written on it with white chocolate.

「For some reason, I know that you always seem to emphasize the look of your cakes above all else, Neptune, but this one is looking even better than the things that you usually make. It looks simply wonderful! ☆」

Hearing Achilles’ impression on her cake, Neptune smiled and puffed out her chest in apparent satisfaction.

「However, not only does it look good, but it tastes even better! Its deliciousness is a masterpiece that has been polished even more than ever before!」

「Wow! Leander sure is going to be overjoyed!」

Listening to such a rambling of an conversation between Neptune and Leander Class shipgirls,

「Belfast.」

Suddenly, Ajax spoke to Belfast from the sideline.

「There are rumors going around in the Tool-Making Team that I think it would be good to address properly. Is it true that Her Majesty’s script has not yet reached the Cast Team as for this moment?」

Belfast was at a loss for words at the sudden suspicion that hit the heart of the matter with a frightening accuracy..

Before she even knew it, both Neptune and Achilles were also looking at her, apparently being able to overhear Ajax’s question.

After thinking for a moment, Belfast let out a deep sigh.

「… If you promise that you will not tell this to anyone else, and that what I’m about to tell you won’t leave this room, then I can tell you the truth.」

「Whether or not we can guarantee you that depends solely on the contents of what you are going to tell us.」

Achilles puffed her cheeks out as she saw Ajax’s gleeful smile just now.

「Hey, don’t say that! This is exactly why people tend to misunderstand when you say something like that to them!」

「You know, it really amazes me just how you can say things like that with a straight face to some degree, but there is a time and place for everything and……」

While Neptune also looked both shocked and amazed at the same time,

「Just kidding.」

Ajax replied with a shy, unapologetically stern voice.

「Of course we won’t be telling anyone. You have my word. I mean, you have seen some of my embarrassing secrets in the past, Belfast, so of course I would not dare to cross someone who has dirt on me, wouldn’t you agree?」

「E-Embarrassing secrets? What kind of secrets are we even talking about here?」

Neptune immediately turned towards Belfast to ask her about that Belfast.

However, contrary to Nptune’s expectations, when Belfast spoke up,

「Unfortunately, Neptune-sama, I cannot discuss personal matters of others with parties that are not involved in the matter……」

Saying that, Belfast smiled in a wry way..

There was indeed that one time when she dared to peek inside of Ajax’s closet when she was cleaning the dormitory rooms, all that time ago.

And while there were certainly secrets in that closet that could certainly be called embarrassing, there was no way that Belfast would just go here and reveal them just like that.

「I trust that as long as we share one another’s secrets, they are going to remain safe and hidden with one another.」

While Ajax chuckled slightly, Achilles and Neptune whispered to each other while watching that scene with great suspicion.

「Hey, that’s definitely a dangerous person’s way of laughing, isn’t it……?」

「You can say that again. I honestly can’t wrap my head around the way in which Ajax tends to operate sometimes……」

In any case, Belfast decided to discuss the current progress of Elizabeth’s script writing in front of the three of the shipgirls just now.

「…… And that is more or less what’s been happening now.」

After saying everything that she had to say about that subject, Belfast once again asked the three of them:

「Is there any sort of advice on the subject of script-writing that you could give me? It can be anything at all, I will gladly accept it.」

「Even if you say so……」

Achilles answered with her hands put behind her head,