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Chapter 109: Bustling, New Year’s Eve at the Residence

Translator: LynneSuzuran

“Uwaa…”

Nah-, when you see a scene as amazing as this, you will let out your voice as such.
When the entrance door of the mansion was opened, it was very bright that I thought it was still daytime. The magical lights were shining on the trees lined at both sides of the road, well, it looked like some illumination event. To think that this was still within our grounds… Being rich is awesome, huh?
The guests or the fief population were gathering in clothes that could protect themselves against cold weather. At first, I thought how it would turn out as this was held on such a cold day, moreover at night, and since it was held in order to cheer up the God of Sun who felt down, then would it be okay to hold it during the night? I don’t understand such a thing.
Speaking of cheering the God of Sun up, the street performances on the site began to start here and there. Performances such as juggling or acrobatics riding goats or small horses. Ah, Jigen-san and Kuon-sensei were floating using their magic over there. Unexpectedly, that grandfather likes festivals, huh?
There were some stores or stalls that sold some snacks. Eh, isn’t that our head chef? He was slicing off the roasted meat happily. It smelled good too, yup.

“Are there such light ornaments in the world where Nee-sama was raised in?”

As I went down the streets and looked around, Saryuu who was next to me asked such a thing. I see, I was the only one who knew about the other world, right?

“Aah yup, it seemed to get showy here and there recently. In the other world, we’d call it illumination.”
“Hee… As expected, are they used for festivals like this?”
“Some are like that, but there are some that are used in order to attact tourists, I think.”
“Tou…rists?”
“Look, when we went to the villa in the summer, we went to see the farms and other places, right? Tourists are people like that. They are people who came from another place to shop, to eat and drink, or to spend money in that place. There are places that are designed with the purpose of attracting them.”
“Haa, I see…”

Towards my explanation, Saryuu tilted his head as he made a somewhat curious face.
That’s right, people who travel with the purpose of sightseeing over here are mainly rich people, isn’t that so? I think that in the other world, people from various kind of livelihood could have some leeway in order to go sightseeing, I think. No, it might be different in the places that I don’t know, though.

[Well, people’s livelihood will be different depending on their world, right, Darling?]
[That’s right, Honey.]
“…Like I said, please stop being lovey-dovey on top of a person’s head like this.”

With everything you’ve got, please read the atmosphere, you lovey-dovey ancestor set. Look, the fief population were so surprised that they stared in wonder, weren’t they? That parent and child over there, didn’t the parent say to their child not to look?

[Muu, isn’t it fine? Since it’s the New Year’s Eve, I want to be together with Darling.]
“Please do it a little bit to the corner, then. Or rather, isn’t it surprising since you two are ancestors instead?”
[Well, I think that it is indeed unusual for ancestors to show up in public like this, though.]

So you have a self-conscience for it being unusual, huh, Koyata-san? That’s why, please calmly… there’s no way they can do that, huh? After all, they are still such a lovey-dovey couple even after death. Enough, should I just give it up-?

“Seiren-sama, you seem to be quite tired already even before it starts…”
“Of course I’d be tired. I mean, with the spirits behind me like this…”
“I understand how you feel…”

Alica-san and Minoa-san were worried about me just like this. However, as for Oriza-san, she was looking here as if she was having fun.

“Eh-. But, but, aren’t Seiren-sama and Taiga-sama like that, too, more or less-?”
“Come to think of it, Nii-sama and Nee-sama… It felt like they were similar to Koyata-sama and Mikoto-sama, right…?”
“What’d you say?”

I wanted to say, “Wait a minute,” but even Saryuu said it… Nah, do Taiga-san and I feel like that, too? Seriously?

“Maki-san, Kanna-san, Tokino-san, do Taiga-san and I really feel like that?”
“Uh-……mmm…”
“Well…”
“……Yes.”

Ou, even Saryuu’s accompanying maids affirmed it?! I-is that so, then sorry. But surely, most of it would be because of Taiga-san, so I think. Nah, don’t do such kind of thing, I’m begging you.
As I was thinking about it, I continued to sightsee my surrounding, and suddenly, Mikoto-san showed her face right in front of my eyes. Really, please don’t do it as you please, my ancestor.

[Ooh, that’s right, that’s right. Mondo will be giving a greeting to start the festival, let’s go up to the stage.]
“Ah, right.”
“Stage?”

Saryuu obediently nodded, but I tilted my head.
I don’t see such a thing as a stage in my surrounding? Where should we go up to, Mikoto-san?

“A-Ane-sama. It’s up there, up. Over there.”
“Up?”

I turned my gaze towards where Saryuu was pointing at. ‘Aah, certainly it is a stage’, so I thought.
…Wait, it was only the stairs in front of the entrance door, so that was the definition of ‘up there’?! No, certainly, it was an area a level higher than here, and there was no objection in that term, though…!
Or rather, since when were those stairs placed next to the entrance door? Could it be some kind of an equipment that had been prepared in advance?

[Hahaha, you didn’t know? Long time ago, there were a lot of circumstances that needed the feudal lord’s speech whether it was in a war or other things. That’s why, such kind of platform was made for that purpose. It’s perfectly solid, so rest assured.]
“Ah…”

I understood Koyata-san’s explanation. So there was an era that needed such a thing, huh?
Well, it was quite peaceful these days, so it wasn’t used as much, I wonder if it was still okay?

“Seiren, Saryuu! Now, now, quickly come here. It will soon be over so, it will be fine.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Yes!”

I went up the stairs in a hurry after Kaa-san called us from the top of the stage. Nah, as expected running up here would be a risky attempt, so I slowed down. Since it was winter, I wore my boots, but if I were to go on like this, it seemed that I would twist my ankle.
Saryuu and I lined up with Kaa-san behind the stage. Yuzuruha-san and Kaya-san were also present. Then, in front of everyone, in front of the fief population, Tou-san stepped forward. Tou-san was wearing a grey fur coat or mantle, and I thought that he looked quite cool this way. As expected of a feudal lord.

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard this year, too. Thanks to your hard work, our territory is now able to welcome the Week of the End of the Year peacefully like this. I give you my gratitude.”

The moment Tou-san opened his mouth, the surroundings fell silent. A low voice traveled through the cold air. Ah-, for some reason, I wasn’t sure, but I got the feeling that Tou-san was doing his job properly as a feudal lord. Yup, though my wording was quite weird over here, but that was the gist of it.

“This year, my daughter, Seiren, could also return to the residence safely, and so it is a very good year. Now, let’s enjoy our time next year too, with hopes that it will also become an even better year!”

In response to Tou-san’s raised voice, cheers of joy were raised. Whoa, it was really over so quickly. It was in the middle of the night during the winter, so this might be better than a very long speech, yup.
Then, after this would be the distribution of cookies presents. Saryuu and I went down the stage and received the package from our maids, and we would be going around in order to distribute the cookies to the children. The adults were watching over their children, returning to see the street performances, and etc.[1. …the original raw actually ended this paragraph with a comma after the street performances, so I added the “and etc” part.]

“Yes, here is your snack.”
“Waa, thank you, Princess-!”
“Ah, …yup, you’re welcome.”

When I handed the cookies to a small girl, that girl danced very happily as she ran back to her mother. Or rather, am I a princess? I was also called like that before, though.

“…Am I the princess here?”
“Well, after all, you’re the feudal lord’s daughter.”
[You also inherit my blood.]
“…Ah-.”

I couldn’t help but nod in agreement towards Alica-san’s answer and Mikoto-san’s indication. Yes, well, I might only have several tenth percent of her blood, but I also possessed the right of throne succession, so that’d make me a princess, huh? …Then, Saryuu would be a prince, right? I could understand that, somehow or another.
Suddenly, a cheer of joy was raised. ‘What is it?’ so I thought and when I turned my gaze to… Eh, some white object was flying over here. Yup, it wasn’t some snow, it was something even bigger, and there were wings on its back……eh, yes-?

“Seiren-sama!”
“…Taiga-san?”

The one who went down from the white horse who just landed—Genjirou—was someone who I wouldn’t mistake it no matter where I saw him.
Or rather, please wait a second, this feudal lord. Why would you come here at this kind of a day and time?