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Chapter 65: So Happy, Gold and Silver Gift

Translator: LynneSuzuran

I received Taiga-san’s reply two days after I mailed my letter. At that time, lunch was over and I just went out to the entrance hall from the dining room when the postman arrived. I saw Alica-san and Ayato-san received the delivery items, so I stopped. Ah, there was Minoa-san behind me so I was relieved.

“Seiren-sama. It’s a delivery item from Taiga-sama.”
“T-thanks. How unusual.”
“It seems to be a present.”

The thing that Alica-san brought to me was a box that could be carried with the palms of my hands. Minoa-san was also interested in the content of the box—the box itself was decorated with a golden ribbon, and certainly this felt like a present. It came along with a familiar wax-sealed letter.
However… Though I was curious about the box, I was even more curious about Ayato-san. I mean, no matter how you look at it, he received more than 10 letters. What’s up with that?

“…He’s got a lot, huh?”
“That’s right. Everything seems to be delivered to Leo-sama.”
“Everything… is Leo-san a correspondence demon?”
“Who knows…”
“With all those letters, just how long will it take for him to write the replies?”

Nah well, my bad. There’s no way Alica-san and Minoa-san would know about the letters even if I asked them. Still, if I were to ask Ayato-san, perhaps he’d try to just brush it off and escape. Well then, let’s stop being curious about it.

Anyway, after I rushed back to my room, Kuon-sensei turned up. Since there’s a lesson scheduled with her right after lunch. But, Taiga-san’s letter takes priority now. Sorry, Sensei.

“Good afternoon-. Oh my, is it a letter from Taiga-sama?”
“Ah, welcome, Kuon-sensei. Today, there’s something else.”
“Is it a gift? My, what a passionate one.”

Kuon-sensei put her hand on her cheek while smiling as if she was having fun. It seems to be a clear explanation that she herself has no relation to this kind of topic. That’s why, she’s having fun when she hears and sees someone’s else’s story.[1. Just in case if it’s not obvious—it refers to romantic story or the topic of receiving presents from a lover.]
In regards to this matter, I can somehow understand the first part, but I can’t comprehend the latter part.[2. This can be confusing so let me add another explanation: The first part refers to the sentence above about how Kuon-sensei has no relation to this topic, while the latter part refers to the following sentence about how Kuon-sensei seems to be having fun hearing and seeing the other’s story.] Nah, when I was a man, I really had no relation whatsoever to this kind of topic, as well. However, I didn’t think that it was fun listening to the others’ stories.
Minoa-san who had been staring unblinkingly at the box casually asked me.

“Speaking of which, isn’t it the first time Taiga-sama sent a present like this?”
“Yes, it’s the first time-. Hehe.”

Whoa, my face naturally relaxed. Nah, others would see me grinning foolishly.

“…Kuon-sensei, I will be making a cup of tea right now. I think that Seiren-sama won’t be able to concentrate on studying for a while.”
“Please do, Alica-san. It’s so nice being young, eh?”
“Seiren-sama’s smile when we talk about Taiga-sama is so cute.”

Hey, the three of you, is it wrong to get cheerful? Don’t look at me while grinning like that, it feels slightly embarrassing, you know? Also, Minoa-san, I think that you’re the one who looks cute whenever there are sweets in front of your eyes.
Well, for now, the priority is Taiga-san’s letter. I used a paper knife to open the seal.
The writing paper that I spread around had the usual tidy writing, saying that he might be able to pause his job some time around the Autumn Banquet’s week, so we might be able to meet. Then, about how he was worried about Leo-san who came over here and that he wanted me to be very careful around him, and that he wanted me to properly tell him if my feelings were to sway.
On top of that, he also wrote that his own feelings haven’t changed at all.

“…Hehe.”
“Oh my. Seiren-sama’s beaming with smile.”
“Eh, r-really?”
“Yeah. You’re pretty feminine this way.”

When Kuon-sensei told me about it, I finally returned to reality.
Crap, there were three spectators here. Everyone was concentrating their gazes at me, it was really embarrassing. No, if I think about it, the problem lies in me who’s absorbed in reading a love letter so brazenly in public, doesn’t it?

“No wonder Taiga-sama is getting worried. There’s a freeloading young man who has come here, at the house where his adorable fiancee lives in.”
“…Ah-. With the exception of the “adorable” part, now that you mention it…”

Sensei’s words continued to ring. My head slightly grew cold from it.
That’s right, if one were to look from his perspective, it’s something like how a man entered his fiancee’s house. With that, it’s natural for him to get worried.
I’ve written about how Leo-san had such kind of personality, but it was true that he approached me. Though he is withdrawing for the time being, I don’t understand whether he’s serious or not. Yes, I really have to be more careful.

Now then, let’s continue.
Uhm, what’s written next is… I’m giving you something that a foreign merchant brought to me. I think that it will surely suit you well, so please accept it.
I stopped reading at this point and picked up the box. It’s not quite an easy task for a man to choose and give something to a woman. There’s no such thing as, ‘As long as it fits my taste, then it will fit her taste, too.’ Ah-, but if it’s Taiga-san, I get the feeling that he chooses something after listening to various suggestions from the merchant.

“Something that suits me… is it? I wonder what is it?”

I slowly unwrapped the golden ribbon. Since there is no tape over here although there is glue, it seems that the box was packed with a wrapping paper that was pasted with glue on several parts, then they put a string or ribbon on top of it.
I removed the wrapping paper that was fixed with the glue and softly opened the box’s lid. I took out the thing that was wrapped up in a soft paper from inside.
The thing that came out from inside the paper was a hair ornament that took shape of a flower. It was made using a fine craftmanship of gold and silver, and there was a blue jewel embedded in the flower’s core. This might be the same jewel that’s attached in my amulet ring. Taiga-san, you made it a complete set, huh.

“Ah. What a cute hair ornament it is, right, Seiren-sama?”
“The gold and silver were used beautifully, huh?”

Alica-san and Minoa-san raised their voices in admiration. I also understand that it is pretty, so it seems that it looks even more amazing to the two of them who are women in the first place.
When I tried to take it out so that everyone could see it well, they seemed to be having fun since all of them are women. Nah, I was the one who received it, though, oh well. Since I won’t be able to see the hair ornament that was put on my hair without the help of a mirror, it feels the best when I can make the others happy from just seeing it.
Then, Kuon-sensei narrowed her eyes as if she just noticed something.

“Oh dear. Taiga-sama seems to be greatly worried about Seiren-sama, huh?”
“Eh?”
“Look, here.”

Kuon-sensei pointed something at me. Next to the golden flower, there was a small insect made out of silver. Wait, its forefeet were moderately long, doesn’t it look like a praying mantis this way? Its features are deformed, though, but it looks strong. Red stones were embedded in its eyes parts.

“This is a carnivorous insect. It’s said to be a good luck charm so that his lover won’t be approached by insects.”

I finally opened my eyes wide at Sensei’s explanation.
So that I won’t be approached by insects.
I was turned to be a man so that I won’t be approached by insects and then I was also tossed off to another world. Taiga-san knows about it.
In a sense, I’m supposed to feel something that’s similar to a slight trauma at the word “insect”.
However, I felt fine somehow at the good luck charm that Taiga-san gave to me.
After all, Taiga-san is a person who accepts me even after knowing everything about me. The insect that gets attached to me—Taiga-san alone is enough. Yup.

“Seiren-sama. Since it has come to this, why don’t you try putting it on?”

Alica-san then suggested it to me. Since it’s something that was given to me with troubles, so I ought to try it once.

“Ah, yup. Alica-san, please help me.”
“Yes.”

I didn’t say anything at Minoa-san who had been preparing even before listening to my answer and at Kuon-sensei who tidied up the table. Uhm, well, it’s quite obvious for someone to just go along with the proposed suggestion during times like this, right? I carelessly assumed it like that, but there’s nothing I have to worry about, right?

When it was time for dinner, I went down the stairs. When I just left the hall, I heard a voice calling out to me, “Seiren-cha-n!” There is only one person who’d address me like that ever since I came here. I answered, “Yes?” and turned around.

“That hair ornament is cute. It suits you well.”
“Eh? T-thank you.”

Leo-san pinpointed my hair ornament as he checked it out. This kind of person also has a wonderful observation power, huh?
Leo-san approached me along with Ayato-san and Maito-san. I became slightly scared and pulled my body back. Perhaps he noticed it and stopped shortly afterward. No matter how you look at it, it’s not because Minoa-san’s glaring at him, right?

“Fufu, good things suit adorable girls really well. Is that a present from your fiance?”
“Eh, you could tell?”
“I can tell. It has an insect that repels other insects, after all.”

Did you manage to check the ornament to this extent? Really, he’s a good observer.
Speaking of which, there was also a certain keyholder typically attached to my female classmates’ bags or cellphones, and it was quite popular at that time. In this case, I can’t really tell if Leo-san is more or less at the same level as those girls, though.

“It’s all right. I won’t try to swarm around Seiren-chan anymore. I can even swear it to myself and to the God of Sun.”

Leo-san swung both of his hands as if he was quite troubled. Well, for the time being, I think that it’s fine for me to believe his statement just now.
Or perhaps I should say, so he has a self-consciousness that he himself is the swarming insect?