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Chapter 119: Here and There, Physical Measurement

Translator: LynneSuzuran

The bear meat appeared in the dinner next day as an ingredient of the stew and soup. Since we processed the meat quickly, there was hardly any bad smell left. When I tried to put it in my mouth and bite it, it was only a bit harder than the beef or goat meat I was used to eating.

“The bear meat has quite a chewy texture, huh?”
“Well, the bears have been living in the mountain, so obviously their bodies are well-trained.”

After I chewed the meat thoroughly and swallowed it, I gave my impression and Tou-san answered like so. Ah-, I was eating its muscle too, huh? Training their bodies until they become stiff, just like that person.
As I was thinking about him, my thought smoothly left my mouth.

“Ah, now that I think about it, Taiga-san’s arms are also quite strongly built, right?”
“…Nee-sama…”
“Seiren…”
“Eh, what? …Ah…”

For a moment, I didn’t notice that I voiced out Taiga-san’s name like that. After I looked at Saryuu’s stunned expression and Tou-san’s blank face, I finally noticed what I just said.
Moreover, Kaa-san was faintly observing our faces. The one with the most nerve in this house would be Kaa-san, right?

“You know so well about how Nii-sama’s arms are strongly built, huh?”
“Oh dear, Saryuu, that’s quite insensitive of you, you know?”

In response to Saryuu who said those words with his furrowed brows, Kaa-san nonchalantly uttered that comment as she smiled, taking the advantage to poke fun at me at the same time. As expected of Kaa-san, so I thought.
And then, Kaa-san’s next target was… she faced Tou-san who was next to her, as Tou-san was quite dejected for some reason.

“…At such a time, the father’s feeling quite miserable, you know?”
“You should pull yourself together, Dear. After all, you were the one who let my parents felt the same thing.”
“………Yes.”

Tou-san, after he returned home with such a great trouble, he was now suddenly feeling blue.
When he changed his class from [the feudal lord who was responsible of exterminating the wild beast] into [a father whose daughter is getting married], I wonder if the other feudal lord was also like this? For example, the orphanage director too?
But ah, I see. Kaa-san, too, she was originally from another family before she married into the Shiiya family. Her parents’ home, huh? I didn’t expect that the conversation would drive the topic like this, but as expected, my father had also caused my grandfather to feel down like this, huh?
Let’s stop my imagination at this point. I mean, I have never met my grandfather or grandmother at all. I wonder if there would come an opportunity where I’d be able to meet them? For example, during the ancestors’ visit at the end of the year?

After the house calmed down due to my father’s return, I finally welcomed the day of my physical measurement. Ryuuka-san whom I haven’t seen for quite a while brought along an assistant girl. Well, it would be more efficient to have another person to be in charge of measurement or taking notes of it.

“We’re going to measure even my fingers, right?”
“Yeah. We’re also going to make the gloves, after all. Also, we need to measure them for shoes and accessories.”
“Aah, I see.”

When I asked Ryuuka-san who was measuring my finger’s length and thickness, she gave such a clear answer. I guess the gloves will be made all the way up until the elbow, huh? Nah, well, it will be a little bit uncomfortable if the gloves were to slip down when I move, though.
Wait, the shoes, too?

“…The shoes are also custom-made?”
“That’s obvious. It’s the wedding outfit of a feudal lord’s daughter, after all.”

Obvious?
Ah well, since it’s for a feudal lord’s daughter, it’s obvious that the marriage will have a wonderful wedding dress.
But Ryuuka-san then told me another reason besides that.

“The wedding outfit that was especially tailored for the feudal lord’s daughter also functions as an outlet where the craftsmen show their skills. For you see, there will be many influential people invited to the wedding ceremony and the party after that.”
“…Ah, so there’s such thing as well.”

It feels like a fashion show that uses wedding as a pretext, huh? Influential people, in other words, rich people, right? If I were to walk in front of those people while wearing the wonderful dress and accessories, well, obviously it will become some sort of an advertisement. I see.

“In short, I will be the model there, in order to show Ryuuka-san’s, Coda-san’s, and the other craftsmen’s skills, right?”
“…Y-yes.”
“It’s all right. If I will become a model like that, the craftsmen will surely pour their best skills in order to make the outfit, right? I’m sure my parents and Taiga-san will be pleased as well.”

It is good to be honest about this kind of thing, right? In my case, it’s not like I have any kind of ability. I was simply loved by Taiga-san, and was asked to marry him.
In that case, I want to be able to lend my power, even the slightest bit will do, for the sake of people who are working for my sake. If I can give a good advertising for Ryuuka-san who’s making the dress and Coda-san who’s making the accessories, then I will walk no matter how far I must walk.
…Well, the one who forked out the money wasn’t me, though. Sorry, Tou-san, Kaa-san.
Speaking of which, there is only one thing that I wish for from my dress. In this kind of an occasion, that aspect might get overlooked, but it it still a very important point.

“I don’t mind as long as the dress is comfortable to wear.”
“Yeah, that is the most important aspect. Of course, I will try to offer a degree of comfortability to the extent that you don’t feel like taking it off.”

Ooh, Ryuuka-san also understood it, huh? Nah, comfortability is the most important aspect in clothes, right? No matter how beautiful a dress might be, it will be bothersome if it feels so tight around the stomach or chest that it might hurt you, right?
The wedding dress might only be used once, but that one time is such an important day where one must do many things. And whether or not you can spend that one day comfortably with the dress is also an important issue. Probably.

“There are many designers who emphasize on appearance. However, it might end up causing the customers who wear the outfits to feel uncomfortable. I think it’s important to consider whether you’ll feel good going out using that dress or not.”
“That’s right. I don’t want to feel uncomfortable and tired due to the outfit on the most joyous day.”
“Yes, yes, as expected of Miss Seiren. I really like your simple manner of speaking that’s unaffected by the others.”

Oh?
Ah-, could it be that among the designers, there are some who design things without thinking about its comfortability because the people who’ll wear the outfit will just endure?
Well, in my case, it’s because the way I was brought up. I think it’s very much different compared to the other feudal lords’ daughters. However, it seemed that Ryuuka-san felt relieved due to it, so it could be considered as a good thing, right?

“The craftsmen that I know very well and Coda-dono who’ll be making the accessories—we’ll all put our best skills in order to celebrate the starting of your new life, Miss.”

After Ryuuka-san finished all of the measurement, she puffed up her chest and declared that. I was also happy to hear that, and I reflexively couldn’t keep a calm expression.

“Thank you very much. I… I, lots of things have happened before, so I was very happy just to receive this kind of celebration.”[1. The first “I” that Seiren said—she almost slipped by using “Ore” instead of “Watashi”. This also explained the last sentence of how Seiren couldn’t keep a calm expression (and almost let out her true habit).]

When I answered like that, Ryuuka-san also had a smile on her whole face. Whoa, could it be a confident smile that said she’d go all out, so I’d better prepare myself.
It should be fine for me to keep my expectation, right?