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Chapter 54: The Tiring Debut

 

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Translator: LynneSuzuran

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Perhaps since I had the courage to dance with Taiga-san at first, I tried dancing with some other people in the same way afterwards. I felt relieved because there were no one who reeked of alcohol. Nah, I didn’t feel the same way when I was a man, but the breathes that reeked of alcohol was disgusting, right? Yup, the orphanage director was a reserved drinker, after all.

“Thank you very much.”
“No, no. It’s been an honor for me to be able to dance together with you.”

Hahaha, so the former fisherman, Kadzuki-san, laughed. Though he was pretty lively, his dancing skill wasn’t that poor, too.
A while after the dance ended, as expected, I felt tired. This time, it’s my feet and my legs. Although the base of the heels was made wider, it was still quite tall. I felt that my lower lag was becoming stiff. As the music settled down, we had a little break time.
I came closer to the wall and rested there, but then a young lady who came from somewhere else approached me. She’s wearing a dress with a slightly strong blue color, and I think that she’s kind of cute. On top of the small plate she was holding, there was a canape.

“Seiren-sama, please have one.”
“T-thanks… Hm-?”

I gladly accepted her offer… by the way, I just noticed one thing. Her voice from before, I seem to have known it so well.
I reflexively stared at the young lady’s face to confirm it.

“Tehe.”
“……?!”

No, well, I almost shouted. I hurriedly held my mouth, though.
The one who gave me a canape, when I took a closer look at her, it was Alica-san. Come to think of it, she was mixed with the other guests, right? Or rather, when she untied her hair which was usually being braided, her hair became this soft, huh?

“Whoa, so cute. I didn’t recognize you at first.”
“Thank you very much. I usually tie my hair in a braid during work, so it’s only during occasions like this.”
“That’s right.”

Work is work, but during the party, she acts as my guard, huh. I was also indebted to her during the spring festival, but this kind of thing seems nice.
I understand that I was being too careless at that time. However, it’s because I didn’t have any feeling of being targetted.

…Which reminds me.

“Hey, hey. I haven’t seen Kuon-sensei and Jigen-san, what happened?”
“Kuon-sensei is mainly looking after the floor upstairs. Jigen-sensei has been inside the ritual room since this morning.”
“The ritual room?”

Is it that room where I first appeared in when I returned to this world? Well, then obviously I didn’t see him.
Its entrance was at the other side, and there were not many people passing by that room. Nah, there’s no need to approach that room, too. When I need to go to the toilet, I’d pass by the side of that room, but since the door’s closed, I can’t really get a glimpse on what’s inside.

“I wonder what he’s doing? The place being that place, perhaps he’s doing something with magic, though.”
“That seems to be the case.”

In this aspect, Alica-san doesn’t seem to have a different opinion. Well, a magician being inside a room which is used for performing magic spells, therefore there is only one conclusion we can draw.
Then, Alica-san stopped her gaze at me as if she remembered something.

“Aah. That’s right, there’s a message from Jigen-sensei.”
“Ah, yeah. What is it?”

I turned around at her after listening to her words which were strangely serious. Alica-san slowly dropped her voice and conveyed the message to me with a voice that seemed like she was chewing something.

“From now on, no matter what’s going to happen, the people of Kasai will protect Seiren-sama, so he said.”[1. In case someone forgets, Kasai is Jigen’s surname.]

Then, she seemed to be thinking for a short while before continuing her words.

“If something really happens, then please be very careful, so he added. Of course, we’ll also be careful.”
“…In other words, something might happen after this.”
“Yes, Jigen-sensei has predicted it like that.”

After being told about everything, I somehow managed to understand it.
I see. The real issue at hand is not this party, but what’s going to happen after it, huh. It might be at the exact timing when the guests have gone home to a certain extent and when we were busy with tidying things up.
In a sense, I’m the lure. Well, since our opponent has never showed their tail up until now, so it can’t be helped. With how things are right now, even Taiga-san wouldn’t be able to move any further, too.

“…I see.”

To tell you the truth, it’s scary. To begin with, things have become scary ever since Touya-san came to this house.
However, everyone’s here. Even Alica-san conveyed Jigen-san’s message like this to me.
If that’s the case, let’s do this! No, well, there were various things happening that I picked up my courage at strange things.

“Understood. I’ll do my best too, so if something happens, then I’ll be relying on you.”
“Yes.”

When I asked for another canape, Alica-san, with her fluffy hair, smiled.

“Well then, I think it’s about time to call it a night. Everyone, thank you very much for all the trouble you’ve gone through just to go here for the sake of our daughter, Seiren. Although she is still a young and inexperienced person, from now on, please treat her well.”

And then, with my father’s greeting, my debut party peacefully ended.
As expected from the guests that were invited to come to the feudal lord’s mansion, there was no one who got drunk and behaved shamefully. Well, I saw a few people with their red faces getting dragged outside, though. Each time it happened, Minoa-san unexpectedly appeared and laughed a bit.

“Well then, please excuse myself. Seiren-ojousama.”
“Yes, thank you very much!”

So, since the town mayor’s house was nearby, he waited for a bit before going home with a carriage.
The coachman seemed to be taking a rest in another room. I was wondering in which room he was resting, but since the coachman was a male, he should have rested in Yuzuruha-san’s room, I guess.
Speaking of which, the former fisherman, Kadzuki-san has also quickly gone home. If he goes home at this time, he should be ready to land at his territory by tomorrow. Fishermen should have a lot of work to do from early in the morning, or rather, from the middle of the night. Uhm, please do your best.

Meanwhile, Kushima-san said that it’d be difficult for him to go home by this time, so he was staying over. Since he was with some of his attendants, he wasn’t staying in our guestroom, but each of them was staying at the cottage that’s located outside the mansion. Of course, the Shikino father and son, too.
Thinking that I have to escort those people off, I’m currently at the entranceway. My father was also there, and in the first place, there was also the cheeky Oriza-san on standby next to me. Just now, when I glanced sideways at the flower bed, I caught a glimpse of Minoa-san.

“Taiga-san and the others are also staying, huh. Well, that’s natural, as it’s quite late now.”
“Yeah. As expected, since it’s quite late already, I’m also hesitating to let Genjirou run at this hour.”
“That white horse has been serving Taiga-dono quite hard. You shouldn’t bring more hardships to him.”

Taiga-san spoke while he was smiling. I see, so you came here by riding on Genjirou, huh? I can understand my father’s comment too, but I guess it was so like Taiga-san, for him to be smiling in response to that.

“We’re supposed to be staying in a cottage that’s a bit distant. We also have other work to do.”
“Is that so? Even on such a day like this, you’re that busy, huh?”
“The work of a feudal lord is piling up, Touya-dono.”
“Mondo-dono should have an idea about it, right? Because he is also a feudal lord.”

Hahaha, so Touya-san laughed—and if you looked at him without even knowing anything, it looked like his laughter won’t stop at any time. His hand which he used to clap my shoulders was slightly sweaty, so please, wipe your sweat beforehand.
Or rather, by other work to do—it’s really an errand as a feudal lord, right?

“Well then, good night. Taiga-san, too, please sleep well so that you’d be able to finish the errand ahead of time.”
“I will be careful. Good night, Seiren-sama.”
“Touya-dono, Taiga-dono, please have a nice rest tonight.”
“We will. Well then, until later.”

Wait, by “until later”, he means…?

Touya-san’s gaze, thought it might be influenced with my awareness, it feels bad, somehow.
But well, Taiga-san is also there, so everything should be okay, right?

“Seiren-sama, thanks for your hard work-.”
“Thank you, Oriza-san. I haven’t done anything weird today, right?”
“Yup, there is none. You acted like a very adorable lady-.”
“Whoa-. T-thank you.”
“Oriza, please don’t take my line.”
“Err… Master, you haven’t told Seiren-sama yet about how cute she is, have you-?”

Hey, you. It’s bad for you to be saying such a thing when you’ve understood about how I am a man on the inside, really. But well, to be seen as a cute young lady, then that means I didn’t do anything shabby today, right? I approve it, then.

“Seiren, I will return first. You’re also tired, right? You’d better go to bed earlier.”
“Yes, I understand. Good night, Tou-san.”
“Good night, Master-.”
“Yes, good night.”

My father cheerfully returned inside with his face turning red up to his ears. I wonder if it’s really that hard for a father to praise his daughter? I don’t understand it well because I have never had any experience of becoming a parent, whether it’s as a father or a mother.

“Yosh, shall we go back now?”
“Yes-. Once we return to your room, I’ll prepare a hot bath, so let’s wipe your body and take a rest-.”

After taking a deep breath, I went inside through the entranceway while talking with Oriza-san.
The door connecting the hall with the banquet room was left open, and I managed to catch a perfect sight of the servants who were busy tidying things in the party venue.
There were a lot of used glasses lined up on the wagon, and they made sound as the wagon was jolted.

*Clink*

Clink, clink, clink.

[Now, Seiren-sama. Please go on ahead.]

…
I have to go.

I don’t really understand, but I have to go.
Since someone is calling for me.
Ah, but wasn’t I supposed to return to my room and sleep?

However, I have to go.

“Seiren-sama?”
“…I have to go.”

Now, I wonder who’s calling me?
Ah but well, that kind of thing, it doesn’t really matter.

Since I’m being called, I have to go.
But, still.

[If something really happens, then please be very careful, so he added.]

Yes. I have to go though, since someone’s waiting for me.
…Help me.

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