Side Story ②: I tried making candy
“All right, it’s done!” [Youki]
After finishing my work, I wiped the sweat from my brow.
What lay before my eyes was a flower-crafted candy. This was what I came up with after agonizing about what I should give Cecilia for White Day. I had received an elaborately-made cake and cookies from her on Valentine’s Day, so it would be a courtesy to return a similarly elaborate gift. Well, I made sure to keep that feeling of gratitude in me as I worked. Naturally, it crossed my mind that it was reckless for someone like me, who had not made any confectionery before, to attempt such a thing, so…
“…Hmm. I think it looks good. Take my word for it.” [Ami]
I pleaded Ami-san, the pastry shop’s pastry chef, for her help, so she could teach me how to make this.
“Thank you. I managed to get the shape right somehow thanks to your help.” [Youki]
“What I taught you were only the basics. The rest was thanks to your own effort.” [Ami]
Or so she said, but I had struggled immensely before reaching this point. Ami-san was the one who had given me the advice each time, so that was how I could achieve this great result.
“You’ve really helped me a great deal. But I’ve caused you some inconvenience, haven’t I? You’ve been spending time all week to teach me after closing the shop, and you’ve even accompanied me while I practice.” [Youki]
“It’s fine since Youki-san’s a regular here. It was personally a good experience as well to teach someone. Besides, compared to brother, it was worth the effort teaching you instead and it was fun.” [Ami]
I was initially worried since there was a problem with my sense of style, but I felt that it was finally completed due to Ami-san’s encouragement as well.
“Hahaha, by the way, is that macho pas… I mean, is Andrei-san still working?” [Youki]
“Looks like it.” [Ami]
While we were having a leisurely chat as we cleaned up the kitchen, the macho pastry chef, on the other hand, was engrossed in his candy making in silence. I could feel an extraordinary aura radiating out from him from behind. I had always thought of him as a gag character, but I hadn’t realized that the impression he gave out would be so much different when he worked in the kitchen. I wasn’t sure what kind of masterpiece he was making, but unlike something that was produced by an amatuer like me, what he was making must be something spectacular.
“As I thought, an expert is different. It’s probably their bearing, or how should I put it…” [Youki]
“It hasn’t been long since brother started pastry making, but… I’ve taught him candy crafting the same time as Youki-san.” [Ami]
“Yes, it’s done!” [Andrei]
It seemed that he had finally completed it while we were observing him as we cleaned up the kitchen.
I hurried over to see his finished work.
“This is…” [Youki]
The moment I saw it, first and foremost, this was what I understood. The perfection of his work was in a class of its own, unlike mine. Even though I was still a fledging in the craft, it gave me the strong realization that he was indeed a pastry chef. It was an accurate recreation of the real thing, and a beautifully done one at that. The person who made it seemed satisfied as well.
“Brother, what on earth did you…” [Ami]
Seeing the pleased look on Andrei-san’s face and my reaction, Ami-san came over, looking intrigued.
“My dear younger sister, my teacher, what do you think of this? Something that’s not only magnificent, but also beautiful… What else could it be but… muscles!” [Andrei]
What was laid on top of the worktable was a muscular arm made of candy.
The instant he flexed his own muscles… it was as though the time has stopped. It was a splendid masterpiece.
“Brother…” [Ami]
Probably because Ami-san was at a loss on what to say, her mouth hung open in surprise. Was she angry? Or was she feeling amazed? Which was it?
I had heard her telling him before that if he were to make any potentially good confectionery, they would sell it in the shop. However, this… could they sell this in the shop? It was no doubt perfect, but… the fact that it was pointlessly beautiful was aggravating.
“Hmm. It would seem that Ami has approved of it, seeing as you’ve not said anything.” [Andrei]
The macho pastry chef nodded, drawing the conclusion himself as he crossed his arms.
Just take a closer look at your own sister! That masterpiece of yours has stunned her so much that she was just rendered speechless.
However, the macho pastry chef ignored Ami-san’s current state and proceeded to wrap his candy in a familiar manner. He then held it out and offered it to Ami-san, who was still stupefied.
“Sorry for troubling you all these times… This is my token of gratitude. Please accept it, my dearest sister.” [Andrei]
It was unexpectedly a present for Ami. A look of accomplishment could clearly be seen on his face. It was simply that Ami, who was still stunned from before, couldn’t hide her astonishment once again from her brother’s sudden action.
“Brother…” [Ami]
I was, at the moment, witnessing a beautiful bond between a brother and sister. It didn’t seem as if he was playing a prank, but… No, that wasn’t it. I tried to examine the expressions on both of their faces.
The brother, Andrei-san, had a satisfied look on his face. He had probably thought that his element of surprise had succeeded.
The problem lay with the sister, Ami-san… Yeah, it looked as though she was smiling, but if you were to take a closer look, her lips were actually twitching.
Well, that’s a given.
The very item that made her feel disgusted the moment she first laid her eyes on was actually a gift for her. Or rather, if he wanted to get her a gift as a token of his appreciation, he should have prepared something much more appropriate.
“That’s so unreliable of him, isn’t it?” [Youki]
I murmured, feeling half-amazed as I cast out the thought about that inconsiderate, macho pastry chef, who was in a good mood after giving his sister the present.
“Well… that’s just like brother, or I should say, that’s just how brother is, isn’t it?” [Ami]
Ami-san smiled wryly as she looked at the muscle-shaped candy given to her. To others, it might seem as if she was hesitating to eat it because it was reproduced exactly like the real thing. Even so, it was unexpected that she could regain her composure so soon after she was given such a thing.
“So you’ve yield in with that, huh?” [Youki]
“Because we’re siblings. We’ve been together for so many years, so if every single thing he does were to throw me for a loop, the shop’s going to be in chaos.” [Ami]
“That’s true.” [Youki]
Both of us broke into laughter in that instant. After that, we continued cleaning up the kitchen as we talked. I then conveyed my thanks to her before returning to the inn. Naturally, I didn’t forget about the flower-crafted candy that I made.
Upon entering the room, I kept the wrapped candy on the shelf before taking a breather.
Even though Cecilia had eventually rescued me from the feelings of grief that enveloped me during Valentine’s Day, I had still gone through a terrible sense of emptiness in the course of it. Even though I reached happiness at the end of the road, the dark emotions that washed over me during the process almost made me shed tears of blood. I didn’t want to go through such an experience once more and I wouldn’t let it happen again either.
That was why, I…
“I will gift it to Cecilia first thing in the morning!” [Youki]
As I lay on top of my bed, I made that declaration while clenching my fist. I decided to make the trip as early as I could, although probably not so early that I would wind up troubling her instead. I felt it might be possible for me to witness the pleased yet surprised look on Cecilia’s face tomorrow morning. The more I thought about it, the more excited I got. I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep due to my excitement.
I ended up getting over-exhilarated that I rolled around on bed. At that moment, I suddenly heard a sleepy-sounding voice coming from the corner of the room.
“Mmm… What’s with all that racket?”
“Ah, sorry. Did I wake you up?” [Youki]
Gai seemed to be woken up by my proclamation earlier – since I really had raised my voice due to my overexcitement.
“…So there’s nothing wrong, right?” [Gai]
“Yeah, I was just a little troubled over something. You were sleeping soundly, right? Sorry about that.” [Youki]
“Hmm, I’ll be able to fall asleep instantly so it’s no big deal. …You seem to be returning late recently. Have you taken care of whatever things you’re doing?” [Gai]
“Yeah, kinda. Leaving that aside, have you prepared it?” [Youki]
“Prepared what?” [Gai]
“Don’t tell me that you don’t know about it?” [Youki]
He didn’t seem to be playing dumb either, so it appeared that he really didn’t know about it. Considering Tiel-chan, even if Gai had not given her anything, it was possible that she would still be happy just to be able to be with him… Although, that would be really sad.
I decided to explain about White Day tomorrow to Gai.
“What?… I know nothing about such an event. Tiel had not mentioned anything to me when she brought the chocolate over last month… I have not prepared anything at all!” [Gai]
“Seriously, you… I can’t believe it. You’ve got to give her something in return since you’ve received it from her.” [Youki]
“But I don’t have any money to buy anything! I can’t go out either! What should I do?” [Gai]
It was a rare sight to see Gai looking so agitated. Even though this guy sleeps all the time, he’s someone who would repay his gratitude, so this must have been unpardonable for him. Well, it could be that he was behaving this way because this matter involved Tiel-chan as well.
“It doesn’t have to be a physical item, right? You can prepare the present for her in any way that you’re capable of.” [Youki]
“Mmm…” [Gai]
Since Gai had fallen silent all of a sudden, I couldn’t tell if my words had put him to sleep, or that he was just immersed in his thoughts. Having given him the advice, I dived into bed to sleep so I would be prepared for tomorrow.
If you are reading this on any other place than rinkagetranslation.com, this chapter has been stolen and is neither the most recent or complete chapter.
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If you are reading this on any other place than rinkagetranslation.com, this chapter has been stolen and is neither the most recent or complete chapter.
“This looks amazing. Did you really make this?” [Cecilia]
“Ahaha… well yeah.” [Youki]
When Cecilia saw the flower-crafted candy given to her, a mixture of joy and amazement suffused her face. I laughed triumphantly to hide my embarrassment.
Yesterday, as I had went to bed early, I was able to get up early as well to come over to Cecilia’s place in the morning as planned. Sophia-san, who greeted me when I arrived, gave me a strange look, but it was of no concern to me since Cecilia invited me into her room with a smile.
As Cecilia led me to her room, we bumped into Happiness, who seemed to cast an envious gaze in Cecilia’s direction. However, before I knew it, she had already turned on her heels and walked off somewhere – even though she would normally hurl a short abusive remark at me. Well, I could kind of comprehend the reason. In fact, anyone who understood the situation would know it. I hoped that Raven would come over as soon as he could. It would be best if this did not end up in the same situation as the previous time; the both of them just ended up looking at one another.(1) They might be comfortable with that emotional distance, but it was an irritating sight for the ones watching over them.
When will Duke’s hard effort come to fruition? I guess it’s not my place to be thinking of this since I’m also contributing to his hardship.
“It looks so good that it feels regretful to eat it.” [Cecilia]
“It’s still not as good compared to the chocolate cake and cookie Cecilia made for Valentine’s Day.” [Youki]
“Not at all. The candy crafted by Youki-san is wonderful.” [Cecilia]
“It feels embarrassing to be praised that much…” [Youki]
Probably due to the candy, a sweet atmosphere seemed to have enveloped the room. The one week of effort was definitely well worth it if I could create this feeling.
No, I should cease such a calculative thought. I should go for a more simple one, like… White Day is the best!
Because such happy moments would not last long, and…
“Good morning, Cecilia! Sophia-san tried to stop me, but there’s something that I absolutely need to give you…” [???]
Such a notion was probably related to this lucky pervert, who entered the room without first knocking on the door. This might have not mattered, but an annoying bug (to me) had come into the picture. The moment he opened the door, the refreshing smile on his face went stiff. I guess I was probably a nuisance in his eyes, too.
Let me just say what I wanted to for now.
“Will you knock first before entering…” [Youki]
It is a courtesy to knock first before entering a lady’s room.
“Good morning, Yuuga-san. Please be more careful the next time. …I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve told you this already.” [Cecilia]
Cecilia, being kind as always, gave him only a light reprimand. The warning should have stuck to one’s mind if one were to be cautioned time and again. If it were me, I would have blown my top, but probably because Cecilia was kind, she let him off with only a warning.
“Ah, um, sorry. I’ll be careful the next time. So, what is Youki-kun doing in Cecilia’s room? What’s more, being in this room this early in the morning…” [Yuuga]
“Too close! You’re being too close! Get farther away from me! I’m just here to give Cecilia my White Day gift.” [Youki]
Yuuga was gradually bringing his face closer to me, so I had to tell him off. He might be a good-looking guy(2), but I have absolutely no interest in guys.
“No way… for you to have beaten me to it.” [Yuuga]
Yuuga collapsed onto his hands and knees – a dark aura coming off him(3). Upon closer look, I noticed that he was holding onto something like a bag. Come to think of it, Cecilia had given out cookies to all the ones who had taken care of her in a way during Valentine’s Day, so Yuuga had possibly received it from Cecilia too.
…They were from the same party, so he was no doubt her close acquaintance, I guess. Though, rather than Cecilia being in his care, it was probably the other way round.
“Ah, looks like someone’s ahead of you. I had never expected that there’ll be another oddball, aside from Yuuga, who would wake up early just to give a White Day gift first thing in the morning.” [???]
“Sorry for being an oddball.” [Youki]
“Mikana-san came along as well?” [Cecilia]
Wherever Yuuga is, Mikana’ll likely be there too. Did she come along as his nursemaid or something?
“Yea. Just like Valentine’s Day, there’ll be an event held for Yuuga to hand out his White Day gift, so to prevent the same thing from happening once again, I decided to go along with Yuuga to the venue.” [Mikana]
“Come to think of it, something like that did happen…” [Youki]
I looked at Yuuga, who was still in a state of shock, on the floor.
What the heck is this guy? It’s not that he’s an idol.
“Raven-san and the other knights had quelled the commotion the last time, hadn’t they? So, wouldn’t it be better to arrange for guards to be stationed there in advance this time?” [Cecilia]
“That’s true. If it might end up troublesome, then it’s better to summon them beforehand.” [Youki]
As Raven had to rush to the scene to suppress the commotion the previous time, Happiness got the opportunity to give him the chocolate. However, such a disturbance shouldn’t happen in the first place, so it would be better to make a proper preparation.
“I’ve got that part taken care of already. I’ve asked Swordsman to have the knights keep watch over the event venue.” [Mikana]
“I guess we don’t need to be worried about it then…?” [Youki]
Since it was Yuuga, the flag-maker, we were talking about, I had a premonition that something would still happen somehow. Well, even if it were to happen, it had nothing to do with me anyway.
Duke and Raven. Good luck to you guys.
“By the way… how long are you going to keep looking downhearted like that? Look, we don’t have much time here so could you hurry up and hand it to her!” [Mikana]
“Uuu… I got it, Mikana. Cecilia, this is my White Day gift for you. I actually wanted to be the first one to give you your White Day present, but…” [Yuuga]
This damn guy threw me a casual, fleeting glance. I understood that he was jealous, but was it alright for a hero to be behaving this way?
“It’s not about who being the first one that matters. I handed out the confectioneries only because I feel grateful for what all of you have done.” [Cecilia]
“Eh, really?! T-Then, this…” [Yuuga]
What he took out from the bag, which he was holding in a cherishing manner, was a normal robe. To be honest, when I recalled the incident at the accessory shop the last time, it made me lost interest. I had expected that he would take out a gaudy-looking ‘gorgeous’ item. Cecilia appeared surprised the moment he passed it to her as well, probably because she had the same thought as me.
“This is a lovely robe. Thank you very much.” [Cecilia]
“I’m glad that you like it.” [Yuuga]
Was it just me who felt that there was something oddly pleasant going on between the two of them? It gave me the urge to move between them and break it up.
“Hey, you. You’re thinking of something wicked now, aren’t you? It’s written all over your face.” [Mikana]
“Seriously? That’s dangerous. Put on a poker face, a poker face… Alright, here I go!” [Youki]
“Here I go, my ass!” [Mikana]
I was planning to make my move after putting on a deadpan expression, but I was interrupted by Mikana once again. This obstacle kept me from trying to obstruct them… though I was indeed in the wrong.
“What? Don’t you also feel like breaking that feeling between them? Are you just going to watch and do nothing?” [Youki]
“That is certainly true… but, I don’t want to get in Yuuga’s way. Cecilia seems to be laughing happily too… I don’t want to break that up!” [Mikana]
After she became friends with Cecilia and reconciled with Yuuga, she might have needed to sort her heart out a bit. It might have been a good thing if she were to concentrate on working on her own romantic situation… but, she might have felt that it was wrong to get in the way when the person she loves was smiling. Mikana’s way of thinking might have some truth in it. Well, I guess it was natural as I was in the wrong.
“I got it. I’ll just let nature take its course.” [Youki]
“…I’m surprised. I’ve not expected that you’d really hold yourself back. I had thought that you’d insist in it even after I stopped you.” [Mikana]
“Hold on, you.” [Youki]
So she had not planned to continue restraining me from the beginning?
The exchange with Mikana made me feel as though I was performing a manzai(4) with her. At that moment, Yuuga and Cecilia finished their conversation.
“Mikana, could I have a minute with you?” [Yuuga]
“What is it? Are you planning to go to the venue now?” [Mikana]
“No, that’s not it. I’ve received Mikana’s Valentine gift as well, so I’d like to give you something in return…” [Yuuga]
“Eh?!” [Mikana]
Mikana’s face suddenly turned red.
I went close to Cecilia, deciding to observe the course of events.
“Hero-sama seems to have prepared one for Mikana-san as well.” [Cecilia]
“I’ve not expected him to give it to her at this time. As expected of Hero.” [Youki]
Right after giving a present to the girl he liked, he went over to another girl to give her a present too, as one would only expect from a hero. Had he been planning to give it to Mikana for some time now, but wanted Cecilia to be the first to receive it? Well, at any rate, Mikana’s effort was rewarded.
“As I am always in your care… this is a token of my gratitude!” [Yuuga]
Having said so, he took something from his bag. What crossed my mind when I saw what he had taken out, was “Now this guy has gone and done it.”
What Yuuga had prepared for Mikana was a clothing for magicians. To be more precise, it looked like something tailored for Magical Girls(5); It was frilly, white and pink, and adorned with cute-looking ribbons.
…No matter I looked at it, this seemed like a prank.
“You see, I went to the marketplace by myself on my day off. Then, when I found this, I was suddenly struck by a bolt; This is perfect! Based on what the uncle merchant said, this seems to be worn by foreign magicians. So then…” [Yuuga]
“Let’s go…” [Cecilia]
Even though Yuuga was still in the middle of his story, Cecilia gripped my hand and led me out of the room. Mikana’s expression was exceedingly complex, to say the least; a mixture of joy and anger washed across her face.
Probably because Cecilia shared the same sentiment at Mikana at this moment, she whispered to Mikana, telling her to take her time, before we left the room. The instant we stepped out and shut the door, Mikana’s bone-chilling voice could be heard from the inside.
“…He’s screwed up.” [Youki]
“…I agree.” [Cecilia]
“Gai’d like to prepare something to give Tiel-chan today, so I’ll be heading back to the inn to see what he got her. How about Cecilia?” [Youki]
“Let me come along with you then.” [Cecilia]
“Then, let’s go.” [Youki]
I decided to leave Yuuga, who had messed-up, to his fate, and brought Cecilia back to the inn.
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“I might have brought you along with me on a whim, but are you free today?” [Youki]
“Yes. I don’t have anything planned today.” [Cecilia]
“I’m glad then.” [Youki]
While talking with Cecilia, we made our way back to the inn’s room, where Gai was waiting. Before leaving the mansion, I had checked with Sophia-san to see if Tiel-chan was around. Since I was told that she had went out, I assumed that she had went to where Gai was.
“I wonder what Gai has prepared for her. He didn’t even leave the room… rather, he couldn’t leave the room at all, so it shouldn’t be possible for him to acquire anything for her.” [Youki]
“Since it’s Gai-san we’re talking about, he must have thought of something.” [Cecilia]
“Hmmm…” [Youki]
In the end, I still couldn’t figure it out even after reaching the inn.
I led Cecilia to the room.
“…Strange. I can’t hear any conversation coming from the inside.” [Youki]
Initially, I had intended to eavesdrop on their conversation first by strengthening by sense of hearing. Irritating lovey-dovey conversations, that would literally drive me up the wall, would normally reach my ears, but…
“Maybe Tiel-chan’s not here yet?” [Cecilia]
“I wonder. At any rate, let’s go in.” [Youki]
I opened the door and went inside the room. However, the moment I stepped in, I was greeted by an unexpected sight; Tiel-chan was lying in bed, asleep, while Gai was beside her.
“Gaiiiiii-!!” [Youki]
“Mmuuah!?” [Gai]
I pointed at Gai as I shouted out, a smug look(6) on my face. Probably because he was startled by my sudden yell, Gai jumped up in fright, but when he looked over in our direction, he looked relieved somehow. Was he feeling glad because we were the ones who found him out?
“Mmm… so it’s you brat, and that cleric girl. I was shocked because the door was opened all of a sudden. Well, I feel relieved now since it’s you guys. It would have been dangerous if the ones who entered were people I don’t know.” [Gai]
“Yeah, it was certainly dangerous… but, to me, it seems like there’s something that’s even more dangerous going on.” [Youki]
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” [Gai]
“That’s… you, you damn lolicooooon–!!” [Youki]
“Youki-san, calm down!” [Cecilia]
Cecilia tried to soothe me when I tried to attack Gai. It took a fair amount of time before the commotion subsided. In the end, my room was in shambles, and I was preached by Cecilia. The only consolation was that no one came by even after we caused such an uproar… I was glad that the thing I feared most didn’t happen.
“Hey, cleric girl. At this rate, you might as well keep preaching this brat till the dusk sets in. Else it’ll only be half-ass.” [Gai]
“That’s true. I think Youki-san has reflected on his actions already. Since Gai-san says so, then…” [Cecilia]
“I’m really sorry. I won’t misunderstand anymore, I won’t make a racket anymore, I won’t mention the word lolicon anymore, so please forgive me.” [Youki]
I prostrated myself on the floor from my seiza posture.
Please just spare me from more preaching.
Probably because my desperate apology had reached her, I was finally released from the sermon. My legs had gone numb after sitting in seiza for a long time, but I still managed to get to my feet somehow.
“…Tiel-chan’s still sleeping even after all that ruckus?” [Youki]
The person in question was sound asleep in bed, breathing peacefully. Judging from the tranquil look on her face, she was probably having a nice dream.
“I made her sleep with my magic, so she’ll probably not wake up for a while.” [Gai]
“Eh? Gai-san put her to sleep on purpose?” [Cecilia]
“As I thought, you must…” [Youki]
‘…must have been trying to attack her’ was what I was about to say, but I was forced to shut my mouth abruptly. I would risk facing another long sermon if I were to say the wrong thing again and we would not be able to get the story going.
“Mmm… What is it?” [Gai]
“No, nothing. There must be a reason why you put her to sleep, right?” [Youki]
“Of course. This is my White Day gift to Tiel.” [Gai]
“”Eh?”” [Youki & Cecilia]
Cecilia and I exclaimed in unison.
Putting someone to sleep as a present? What did he mean by that?
“I’m currently showing Tiel a dream.” [Gai]
“Ah, was it ‘Nightmare Sleep’? It’s your speciality.” [Youki]
I would never forget that radical dream I had that resulted from Gai’s ‘Nightmare Sleep’. Probably because he noticed the negative thoughts in my mind, Gai faced Cecilia instead, and resumed his explanation.
“Y-You see, I can manipulate a person’s dream to some extent with my magic.” [Gai]
“You can do something like that?! …Then what kind of dream are you showing Tiel-chan?” [Cecilia]
“It’s probably a dream where Tiel-chan goes on an outing with Gai.” [Youki]
That would be what Tiel-chan wanted to do most of all. However, Gai shook his head, refuting my statement.
“…I showed her a dream of her grandmother. There’s no reason to make her dream of me, is there? You can still meet someone who’s alive, but you’ll not be able to meet someone who’s dead.” [Gai]
“Is that so.” [Youki]
“But, can you change a person’s dream as you wish that easily?” [Cecilia]
Cecilia’s doubt was well-founded… However, as I had personally experienced it once, it was definitely possible to me.
“Preparations are naturally required. When Tiel came over, I had her talked about her grandmother for a while. And, by making use of that memories of her grandmother, I showed Tiel the dreams which she considers nostalgic.” [Gai]
“Hey, hold on a minute. You didn’t make any preparation in my case?” [Youki]
“That just shows how simple your mind is, brat. Your mind’s filled with worldly desires.” [Gai]
Gai laughed, while Cecilia, on the other hand, tilted her head in wonder as she wasn’t aware of the incident.
…There is no way I’m going to forget this humiliation. I’ll remember this grudge.
“Though it’s fine to dwell on the past, it’s equally important to focus on the present, isn’t it?” [Youki]
“T-That’s true…” [Cecilia]
“U-Umm…” [Gai]
The two of them seemed puzzled, probably because I had spouted out something decent all of a sudden. Cecilia aside, Gai, that damn guy, agreed as well.
“Like I was saying, Tiel-chan would like a present from Gai as well. So, do your best, and bring her out on a date.” [Youki]
“…What?” [Gai]
I gave him a thumbs up in a light-hearted manner. Gai’s mouth was wide open, looking dumbfounded while Cecilia gave me her side of opinion.
“Youki-san, considering Tiel-chan, I think it is undoubtedly a good idea, but it’s not realistically…” [Cecilia]
“Cecilia, I don’t think something like this is impossible. I want to grant Tiel-chan’s wish!” [Youki]
My overbearing zeal made Cecilia wince.
Even though half of my motive was to get my revenge on Gai, it was no lie that I wanted to fulfil Tiel-chan’s wish. It was definitely her wish to have a date with Gai. There was no doubt about it to me considering the overflowing passion she had shown.
“Hold it, hold it, hold it right there! Don’t go on with the conversation yourself while disregarding Tiel and me!” [Gai]
“Tch, it’s not like it’s a huge issue…” [Youki]
I continued persuading Cecilia after this, trying to make her my accomplice, but just as I was about to succeed, my plan was disrupted. While I was arguing with Gai, Tiel-chan could be heard sleep talking.
“Grandma…” [Tiel]
Tiel-chan murmured in her sleep as she rolled over in bed. Gai sneered at me as though he was telling me, “You see that?” However, the next word that came out of her mouth wasn’t her grandmother.
“…Guardian Deity-sama.” [Tiel]
Even though she should be sound asleep, she had a smile on her face; it was the same smile she always has whenever she was with Gai.
I smirked as I nudged him with my elbow.
“You’re loved, aren’t you, Guardian Deity-sama? I knew it. The final verdict, you’ll be taking her out on a date.” [Youki]
“…I’ll change it with my magic. So …get out of here!!” [Gai]
It appeared that I had gone overboard with my practical joke, so Cecilia and I were kicked out of the room.
“We’ve been driven out.” [Cecilia]
“But, that’s my room…” [Youki]
“There’s no helping it for now. It seems that we’ll not be able to return to the room for some time, so why don’t we go back to the mansion?” [Cecilia]
“We just got here too. Sorry.” [Youki]
I decided to put my abashed feeling aside and returned to Cecilia’s place.
On our way back, we happened upon a long queue in the plaza – a queue consisting mainly of girls. As that sight gave me the sense of impending trouble, I decided not to make a stop and headed directly to the mansion.
Upon reaching our destination, a question suddenly arose in my mind as we were passing through the gate, so I asked Cecilia.
“Come to think of it, did Sophia-san receive her White Day gift?” [Youki]
“I’ve not heard anything about it. It’s possible that she has not received it yet.” [Cecilia]
The person who would be delivering Sophia-san’s White Day gift was, needless to say, her husband, Clayman. On Valentine’s Day, he was stuffing his face with chocolate in the guild as he spouted all those sappy lines. So, regardless of how lackadaisical Clayman was, he should have given her a gift… probably.
“That guy has committed similar offence before…” [Youki]
Clayman had once put off buying a wedding anniversary gift for Sophia-san, which made her angry, and it exploded from there. He had committed the worst offence – not only had he omitted to buy a present; he had also not spent time with her on that day.
“I don’t think Clayman’s that bad… Anyway, let’s go to where Sophia-san is.” [Cecilia]
The Clayman Cecilia knew was from the time when we had taken the guild mission together, so she didn’t have a bad impression of him so far. He was certainly not a bad guy. He was just too lazy.
Cecilia took me to the room where Sophia-san was. After knocking on the door, she waited for Sophia-san’s acknowledgement before entering.
“Uwaa…” [Youki]
“That’s amazing…” [Cecilia]
The instant we stepped into the room, six buckets of cookies entered our line of sights. Sophia-san could be seen eating those cookies one by one, as though it was just another day of work for her.
“Cecilia ojou-sama, welcome back. I’ll go prepare lunch now.” [Sophia]
“No, it’s fine. More importantly, what’s all with these large amounts of cookies?” [Cecilia]
“…These are White Day gift from my husband.” [Sophia]
Sophia-san sighed as she explained, looking at those cookies as she did so.
That Clayman, did he think that it would be fine as long as he presented the gift in a large quantity? Hadn’t he considered if Sophia-san would be able to finish them?
“That guy, what on earth was he thinking?” [Youki]
I couldn’t understand him at all.
“It’s probably because he’s not used to making these. My husband might be a genius, but cooking is a different story. I think it’s likely that he couldn’t get them quite right, so he had his shikigami helped him.”
“That guy, he’s an idiot, isn’t he?” [Youki]
So that was how he ended up with these large amounts of cookies, wrapped them up and gave them all to her?
The whole episode made Cecilia smile bitterly as well.
However, I noticed something peculiar. Even though Sophia-san was chatting with us as she ate, she would select the cookies before eating them.
“It’s really… just like him.” [Sophia]
Sophia-san looked at the cookie in her hand with a slight smile on her face. Could it be that she was picking out only cookies that were made by Clayman?
“Cecilia, I think, love between husband and wife is amazing.” [Youki]
“Youki-san, what’s wrong?” [Cecilia]
It seemed that Cecilia wasn’t aware that Sophia-san was hand-picking the cookies.
“If you don’t get me then it’s fine. Sophia-san, please excuse us.” [Youki]
“Yes. Ojou-sama, let me know at once if anything happens.” [Sophia]
“Eh? Ah, yes. Please excuse us then, Sophia-san.” [Cecilia]
I had once again discovered how amazing Sophia-san was.
◇◆◆◆◇
I had not decided on where I should go after that, so I took a walk around the mansion with Cecilia.
“Which reminds me, Sheik should have received a chocolate from Celia-san on Valentine’s Day. Did he prepare anything for Celia-san?” [Youki]
Though he was still a child, it would be a courtesy to return a favour. Even a handmade item would have been alright if he didn’t have any money.
“If I’m not mistaken, he had blended medicinal herbs that are effective in preserving beauty and soothing stiff necks into a tea for mother.” [Cecilia]
“Um, I have forgotten that he’s different than a normal child.” [Youki]
I had not expected that he would prepare such a tasteful gift.
“Mother was very pleased. She immediately drank it and said it was delicious. Sheik-kun looked happy too.” [Cecilia]
“I see. Sheik seems to have familiarized himself with the people around. I suppose there’s no need for me to be worried anymore.” [Youki]
It was good that everyone seemed to have a great White Day. I had wondered if there was anyone who ended up in the same state as the me last Valentine’s Day, but it appeared to be fine. There was no need to be worried about Duke, while Raven was…
“Ah!” [Youki]
“What’s wrong?” [Cecilia]
“Come to think of it, Mikana had mentioned that she had requested the knights to keep watch over the venue because of Yuuga’s White Day event, right?” [Youki]
“Yes, indeed…” [Cecilia]
If that was the case, judging from the scale of the event and how this was related to the hero, the captain of the knights, Raven, would surely be required to be present there. By the looks of that queue, it wasn’t sure when the event would end, so Raven would be late by the time he reaches Happiness’s side.
…The event should have not started yet, right?
“Cecilia, let’s bring Happiness over to where Raven is.” [Youki]
“Eh? What do you mean?” [Cecilia]
“I should still be able to make it now!” [Youki]
“Like I said, what do-” [Cecilia]
I brought Cecilia along as I ran, and seized Happiness, who was in the middle of her work, before going over to Sophia-san to explain the circumstances. When I tried to request her permission to give Happiness a break for the sake of the latter’s love life, I received a flying chop from behind. In the end, I finally got her consent after asking Cecilia to cooperate with me. The prerequisite was that Happiness needed to finish her cleaning by today.
“…Explanation.” [Happiness]
“None! Just go change your clothes for now! We’ll be heading out at once.” [Youki]
“…Where to?” [Happiness]
“To where Raven is. Cecilia, sorry but could you lend me a carriage?” [Youki]
“Leave it to me. I’ll arrange it now.” [Cecilia]
“…Air.(7)” [Happiness]
Happiness, who was at a loss on what was going on, changed her clothes and came along with us after boarding the carriage prepared by Cecilia.
If you are reading this on any other place than rinkagetranslation.com, this chapter has been stolen and is neither the most recent or complete chapter.
Upon reaching our destination, I managed to spot someone I knew among the overflowing crowd.
“Oi, Duke.” [Youki]
“Ah, is that you, Captain? What are you doing here? Being here will only make you feel aggravated, won’t it?” [Duke]
“What do you mean by that? Is it because Yuuga’s here? Or are you implying that I’m an unattractive guy… the heck, it’s not the time for this.” [Youki]
It wasn’t the time for me to be giving him my usual retort.
I explained to Duke the circumstances at once.
“Ah, so that’s the case. That’s a huge help then. When I gave Irene her White Day gift a while ago, Raven was looking at us with an extremely envious expression on his face as he mumbled, ‘I envy you, Duke. You get to give it to her,’ in a sorrowful tone.” [Duke]
“I knew it…” [Youki]
It wasn’t only Happiness, even Raven was… it was probably more serious in Raven’s case. Bringing Happiness here was probably the right thing to do. Based on what Duke said, if anything were to happen in this event, Raven’s own condition would probably render him incapable of dealing with it. It was precisely because the event was for Yuuga, the flag-maker, that Raven should have gotten a grip on himself.
“But since Happiness is here, it should be fine, right?” [Duke]
“Ah, probably.” [Youki]
“Youki-san.” [Cecilia]
Cecilia, who was in disguise, came over.
Even though Cecilia should have been on standby with Happiness, the latter was nowhere to be found.
“Cecilia, where did Happiness go?” [Youki]
“Actually, while the two of us were waiting for Youki-san, we saw Raven-san, who was conducting the final round of patrol.” [Cecilia]
“Is that true? I’m glad then.” [Duke]
Probably because Duke had assumed that there was no need for him to be worried anymore, his usual calm composure returned.
“But a slight problem has occurred… Could you come along?” [Cecilia]
“Yeah, I understand.” [Youki]
Duke came along with Cecilia as well as he was curious on what was going on.
We eventually reached a deserted alley and peeked out from around the corner. Raven and Happiness were there.
“Don’t tell me that it’s Raven who can’t bring himself to give the White Day gift this time?” [Duke]
The same thing happened on the previous Valentine’s Day when Happiness couldn’t summon the courage to give Raven the gift. Duke had also been there, so he assumed that a similar situation was unfolding now.
“No, Raven-san gave Happiness-chan the present the instant she approached him.” [Cecilia]
“Then, what’s the problem?” [Youki]
I peeked out once more to spy on them.
It looked as though they were staring at each other, but, upon closer observation, I could see that Raven was actually looking at the box of the present he had given, while Happiness, on the other hand, was glancing alternately at Raven then back at the box.
“…It seems that Raven-san is waiting for Happiness-chan to open his gift while Happiness-chan is at a loss on what to do.” [Cecilia]
“There’s a limit to how pure one can be–!!” [Youki]
I couldn’t endure it anymore, so I tried to approach them with thoughts of opening the gift for them, but Duke and Cecilia held me back.
In the end, I received a second preaching from Cecilia. Raven ran out of time as well, so he didn’t get to see Happiness’s reaction. All hell broke loose among the crowd of girls, most likely because of that flag-maker, as always. The knights then brought the situation under control and the event somehow managed to come to an end.
As I was able to spend my White Day with Cecilia, the result was probably alright in my opinion. Although, in my mind, I felt that something must be done, and soon, about Raven and Happiness.
(1) The original word used here was actually ‘お見合い状態’ (omiai’s state). There is a little word play here as ‘お見合い’ (omiai) means ‘matchmaking’ but it literally means ‘looking at one another’ as well, which was basically what happened between Happiness and Raven in the Valentine’s Day arc.
(2) Ikemen
(3) It’s the orz pose
(4) Manzai (漫才) is a traditional style of stand-up comedy in Japanese culture – usually performed by a straight man (tsukkomi) and a funny man (boke).
(5) Original word used here is Mahou Shoujo (魔法少女). Let me know if you prefer me to use this instead.
(6) The original word used here is doya-gao (ドヤ顔) – a slang term, which means “a smug / proud / or triumph look”. Not sure how it applies here, to be honest. Probably Youki’s “See. I know this would happen!” kind-of look.
(7) What Happiness said was ‘空気’ (Kūki). Her speech is usually either extremely short or cut off mid-sentence, so I just left it as is here.
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