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Chapter 87 Part 1

The Answer We Arrive At, and the Result It Brings — Part 1

 

「You’ve moved around a lot the whole day, and you’ve eaten a ton! Now, if you guys would get a good afternoon nap, you’ll become even cooler, you know? And who knows, you girls might also become even more beautiful than me?」

 

「Ehh—- even more beautiful than Sybilla? No way.」

 

「Now now, don’t give up before you even try. Well, I know I’m the most beautiful girl in the world, so surpassing me is probably impossible though.」

 

「What you’re saying is all over the place, you know?」

 

Surrounded by children, Sybilla went to put them to bed.

As expected, it would be too much for Sybilla to handle on her own, so Emmy took the remaining children, also serving as their escort.

 

As Frederica headed back to the kitchen, I volunteered to do the dishes, figuring it was the least I could do.

After all, I’d feel bad if I just ate when I didn’t help with the cooking.

 

While I’m washing the dishes, Frederica talks to me from behind.

 

「You don’t have to, though~」

 

「Let me do it. I’m not an orphan who needs to be looked after forever, you know. I want to be able to stand as an equal with you, Frederica.」

 

「You’ve become really cool ever since you wear all-black. In reality, just being a 【Saint】 already puts your status wa~yy above me, you know?」

 

「Hmph… This job? It’s just something that happens to be given to me by the Sun Goddess. I have no intention of becoming great through anything other than my own actions and efforts.」

 

Especially something like that 『Red Necklace』 Sybilla hated so much—I absolutely refuse to bow my head just because of some title or rank.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t even be worthy to stand next to her.

 

「Fufufu… that’s really cool. You’re a good person, and I don’t mean like on a surface-level thing, it’s more like, you’re a really good person at your core, or something.」

 

「Nothing will come out even if you praise me, you know?」

 

「A man who does the dishes is enough of a reward for me. There are quite a lot of people out there who just cook and leave the pot lying around.」

 

Is that how it is? I don’t really get it myself since I never ended up learning how to cook.

But if it makes Frederica, who cooks our meals, happy, then I don’t mind doing it every time.

I have no intention of pushing my gratitude on her.

 

…..Come to think of it, I’d been talking only to Frederica and hadn’t noticed, but the usually lively one has been oddly quiet at times like this.

I turned around while pouring water into the pot.

There stood Ashley, staring at me with an unusually blank expression.

 

「Russell-sama… You’re really… really… sooo so cool, aren’t you.」

 

「Oh come on, not you too, Ashley… You made it sound like there’s a fake cool guy out there. And drop the “-sama” already.」

 

「There’s one you know, a fake.」

 

Somehow, she said it with an unusual certainty.

 

「Huh? Just what do you…」

 

「…Ah! N-No, it’s nothing! Haha…Haah~ if Frederica-san makes a good wife, then Russell-sama surely will make a good husband!」

 

Ashley, flustered, probably just said it without thinking, while still looking at us.

But the way she worded it when she was comparing the two… I couldn’t help but picture something else.

 

「……」

 

Frederica shyly glanced up at me with a flushed face, her eyes darting nervously as she embraced the objects that were rather unsightly for a priest, tightly with both arms.

Out of old habit, I looked away. …Definitely not because I was conscious of what Ashley had said, mind you.

 

Seeing our expressions, Ashley finally realized what she’d said and panicked.

 

「Ah… Oh, I-I’m sorry! T-that’s not what I…!」

 

「Geez~ you shouldn’t say something like that. Even if I’m fine with it, Russell-chan might hate it, see?」

 

「”I might hate it” is too harsh, as expected. I don’t think I was raised to be that narrow-minded. Oh and, I finished washing the dishes just now.」

 

「Ah… um, thank you. You sure are dexterous and work quickly, aren’t you, Russell-chan? Want to try learning to cook? Maybe we could stand side by side in the kitchen together sometimes.」

 

I silently shook my head.

I used to long for that too, but Emmy had banned me from even holding kitchen knives.

 

Frederica, who asked anyway, knowing that I would likely refuse, backed off while looking a little dejected.

 

「……Russell-sama, you should’ve just nodded and said “yes” there.」

 

Ashley didn’t know about our situation, so I’m just gonna ignore her for now.

 

But ever since Emmy became the 【Twilight Knight】, she’s changed a bit inside, too. Maybe the current Emmy would be okay with me holding a knife.

I guess I’ll ask her if I get the chance.

 

When I returned to the bedroom, Sybilla and Emmy were already resting.

 

「Ah, good work, Russell. I heard you were doing the dishes.」

 

「I was the only one who didn’t get to help, after all. Thank you both for putting the kids to bed.」

 

「Un, it’s such a relief that they’re all such fast sleepers. They must have been raised well.」

 

Sybilla loves children. When she speaks of them with praise, her usual mischievous expression gives way to a gentle, motherly look—truly the very expression you’d expect to see from a goddess.

 

…Or so I thought.

 

「What’s wrong, Sybilla?」

 

It would be impossible not to notice something was off.

Sybilla had been frowning the whole time she was talking about the kids.

That can’t be the case. Knowing this guy’s personality, I can’t imagine her making that kind of expression for this conversation.

 

Then Sybilla asked Emmy first if there was anything unusual.

 

「Eh? Well, as you know, Frederica did the cooking while we were away, but aside from that, today was pretty much the same. Also, it was Ashley who did the shopping.」

 

「Ashley’s the one who goes grocery shopping, huh. Did she seem any different?」

 

「Hmm… not in particular, no. Maybe just that she got home a bit later than usual? All she bought was the vegetables and meat you saw in the kitchen.」

 

From what I’ve heard from her story, there’s nothing strange about it.

But Sybilla crossed her arms and sighed.

 

「Then next, did you find anything strange, Russell?」

 

「Right…」

 

I mentioned the parts where I find Frederica and Ashley’s cooking felt unnatural to me earlier.

I don’t know why I found it so strange.

But something about it just bothers me. The scene of the two of them cooking.

 

「You felt something bothered you when you saw them cooking together, you said? Can you recount the scene you saw in detail for me?」

 

「I’m not sure I remember the details very well. Hmm, let’s see…」

 

Firstly, Frederica was cutting the meat block into smaller pieces.

Ashley was helping out with that part, too.

 

After that, Frederica swiftly chops the vegetables.

With practiced ease, carrots and potatoes fall into the pot, each cut to the same size.

 

Then… she had her hand over the salt and sugar.

Frederica added the powdered sugar and ground the rock salt in a mill.

Since she already saw it back in Adria, Sybilla should’ve been familiar with that cooking method too.

 

…As I thought, there’s something about this part that bothered me.

 

I told all this to Sybilla.

Then I asked her if there was anything odd about the part I told her just now?

In response, Sybilla asked me one thing.

 

「Russell. If I’m not mistaken, Ashley was also cooking the meal… or rather, seasoned it. She was the one adding the seasoning, wasn’t she?」

 

I nodded at her question.

It was some kind of meat, so I’m sure she sprinkled salt on it to add flavor.

 

「That can’t be.」

 

「You said it yourself that she was also helping with the seasoning, didn’t you?」

 

「Well, yes. But… that can’t be the case. Having two people season the food is extremely dangerous. Especially salt—that’s out of the question. The flavor of our meal today is mild and light… Hahh, why didn’t I realize this sooner?」

 

Sybilla shook her head with a look of anguish on her face.

Emmy and I exchanged glances and focused on what Sybilla was going to say next.

What she’s going to say next is most likely the most crucial part.