194 - Reporting the Results of My Stay, And
Please assume that lines in italics are spoken in English.
Since Tina has started studying, we're graduating from machine-dependent translation.
...Today I also learned bobbin lace from Aurelia-san. It was fun, I wrote.
Kalisa had returned to the city of Mandez, and I no longer had anyone to teach me English. Because of that, the content of the diary I had to write in English as homework from Hermine was composed only of monotonous sentences using simple words. There was also the option of having Aurelia or Barbara teach me, but Barbara seemed busy studying pharmacology, and somehow I felt embarrassed showing Aurelia my diary. As a result, I had written a diary that would probably earn me a scolding from Hermine once I returned to the city of Grenore.
...But the time I could spend talking with Aurelia-san did increase.
Since we had more time alone together, now I could talk with Aurelia to my heart's content. Whether while rolling bobbins for lace or during the brief moments before falling asleep, we were able to talk. I also consulted Aurelia about something I had been thinking about a little before. Whether I should tell Leonardo that I was a Japanese reincarnated person.
It had been explained that Japanese reincarnated people wouldn't be treated all that badly. In that case, I thought perhaps it would be better to just tell him so I could be of more use. As for the research materials I had been scolded about the other day, I might be able to formally read them and convey the information to Aurelia.
After I laid out the pros and cons as far as I could think of them, Aurelia, who had listened to me until the end, looked a little exasperated. That if I was thinking that much, my mind was probably already made up.
...Trust can also be betrayed, huh.
The advice Aurelia gave me was a short phrase. Before Aurelia was even aware she herself was a reincarnated person, she had been sold off by her family and sent to the Sedovara Church. She was sold by the parents she should have trusted most in her infancy. The words "the people you trust can betray you" were a phrase truly filled with real sentiment.
Think it over carefully and decide for yourself, Aurelia said. As Aurelia had pointed out, my feelings were more than half decided.
At the end of winter, Leonardo came to the Waiyakku Valley to pick me up. Salisa, who would be working as my nurse maid for the year in Kalisa's place, was with him. Seeing Salisa for the first time in a year, she had the same face as Kalisa, after all. However, the difference in personality showed in their expressions. Kalisa, who was shy, had a slightly timid expression, while Salisa, who was sociable, wore a gentle smile. Perhaps because of the face identical to Kalisa's, or perhaps because of Salisa's aura, even though we were meeting for the first time in a year, I didn't feel the unpleasant tension that comes when dealing with adults I'm not very close to.
"It's been a while, Tina-sama. For the next year, I will serve you with all my heart."
Seeing Salisa lower herself to meet my eyes, I finally felt the reality that I would be returning to the city of Grenore. It had been agreed from the start that I would only come to learn bobbin lace during the winter, but I didn't want to part, so I clung to Aurelia's waist.
"Aurelia-san, won't you come back to the city with me!"
"Tina, that's not the behavior of a ten-year-old young lady."
As I clung to Aurelia with a furrowed brow, I heard Leonardo's voice mixed with a wry laugh. At the residence, I tried to be mindful of acting like a ten-year-old young lady, but I didn't want to wear the mask of a so-called young lady all the way down in the valley.
"There are no young ladies in the valley. I'm not a daughter of the manor here, so it's fine for me to be a clingy child."
Leonardo pulled lightly at my shoulder, and I resisted, even though I knew it was futile. I wanted to stay with Aurelia a little longer, but I also knew that Leonardo's schedule had increased considerably because of accompanying me and the pick-up and drop-off. While Leonardo was away from the city of Grenore, Alf was acting as the Fortress Lord in his place. I felt like being sulky and throwing a tantrum, but I couldn't cause trouble for Leonardo and those around him because of me.
"...Uu, Aurelia-san, won't you really come live in the city?"
Even though I was sulking, it seemed Leonardo understood that I had resigned myself to going home. Leonardo gave directions, and Salisa went into the bedroom to get my luggage. Since the length of my stay had been decided, I had kept my belongings packed up so as not to encroach on Aurelia's room. Salisa seemed to find my luggage right away. She came back carrying a bag and a sewing box.
...Next time, I'll go to the city, so prepare a comfortable room and wait for me.
"Huh?!"
Her wrinkled hand stroked my head, and I couldn't believe the words I heard. I felt like I heard some wonderful words, but I was still studying English. If I had misunderstood, being overjoyed for nothing would be too sad.
"Leonyaldo-san! What did Aurelia-san just say?! I thought she said she'd come to the city...?!"
I grabbed Aurelia's clothes firmly, as if to not let her make her escape by talking. Then I looked up at Leonardo's face, and his black eyes were wide with shock.
"Please translate! Don't just stand there dumbfounded! What did Aurelia-san say?!"
When I kicked his shin with my custom-made boot, Leonardo's face twisted in pain. After wincing for a moment, Leonardo still translated Aurelia's words as I had hoped.
She said she'd come to the city next. And that I should prepare a comfortable room.
"...I'm going home!"
Overjoyed, I hugged Aurelia with all my might. I buried my face in her chest and breathed in her scent, then quickly pulled away. Aurelia had finally become willing to come to the city. I had to leave the valley before she changed her mind. Before Aurelia said something like "never mind, I've changed my mind."
I let go of Aurelia, took the sewing box from Salisa, grabbed Salisa's now-free hand, and pulled her firmly toward the carriage. I pushed Salisa, who was carrying my luggage, into the carriage, then took Leonardo's hand.
"Come on, Leonyaldo-san! Let's hurry home! We have to prepare Aurelia-san's room!"
Hurry, hurry, I pulled with all my might, and Leonardo had a rather complicated expression on his face. From the way I had been sulking about not wanting to go home, suddenly having my arm pulled because I wanted to go home quickly, it was indeed probably confusing. When I kept pulling Leonardo's arm with all the strength I could muster, Leonardo, apparently worn down, slipped both hands under my arms again for the first time in a while. Then I was lifted up, my feet dangling in the air.
"Tina said a proper goodbye to Aurelia, but I haven't said anything yet."
Wait in the carriage a bit until I say a proper goodbye, he said, and I was pushed back into the carriage.
"What kind of talk did you have with Aurelia-san?"
When Leonardo boarded, the carriage immediately began moving toward the city of Grenore. Salisa warmed some milk on the wood stove. While I enjoyed it, we passed through the misty forest surrounding the valley. Through the small window of the carriage, there were none of the completely leafless trees I had seen when coming to the valley. On every tree, small buds of fresh greenery were visible.
"About preparing Aurelia's room, things like her favorite colors and furniture preferences..."
...I didn't think Leonyaldo-san was the type to be thoughtful about things like that.
That was surprising. Very surprising. All my thoughts must have shown on my face. Leonardo looked a bit guilty.
...Huh? But when I came to the residence, didn't he try to arrange my room in my favorite colors too?
I think I refused the redecorating because I might be taken in by relatives or it might be too much trouble and I'd end up in an orphanage anyway, so it would be wasteful. That was the reason I refused the redecorating, but I didn't dislike that overall chocolate-mint colored room. I'd also thought it was good that I hadn't gone out of my way to change the wallpaper.
"...Right. How about you prepare Aurelia's room, Tina? While learning from Ms. Hartmann."
"Huh? That's fine, but... is it something I need to learn from Hermine-sensei? Redecorating, I mean."
I was thinking of it as roughly cleaning the room, but what Leonardo meant by "preparing a room" seemed different from a big cleaning. It seemed to be something to do while learning from the tutor.
"They say redecorating the residence is a place for the lady of the house to show her skill and taste, you know? We never ended up redecorating your room after all. Let's use Aurelia's room as practice."
Of course, if you want to redecorate your own room, you can do that too, Leonardo added. I had refused when I first came to the residence, but maybe I might want to redecorate now.
"I don't have any complaints about my current room. ...But I understand. I'll consult with Hermine-sensei and prepare Aurelia-san's room myself."
Leave it to me, I said, puffing out my thin chest. Salisa's slight laugh might have been because Kalisa, who had returned to Mandez, would have made the same gesture.
"...Speaking of which, what was it you wanted to talk about, Tina?"
"What I wanted to talk about?"
I tilted my head. What could that be? When I couldn't remember right away, he told me that after the Divine King Festival, when he came to pick up Kalisa, I had said I "had something to talk about."
...Oh, right. I had done something bad and had to apologize to Leonyaldo-san.
"You said it was something you'd get scolded for, didn't you?"
"...Yes."
Now that I remembered, my back naturally straightened. Before Aurelia pointed it out, I hadn't even thought about it, but what I did was a full-fledged crime. It would naturally cause trouble for Leonardo, who was my guardian.
"When we get back to the residence, when it's just the two of us, I'll tell you quietly."
I thought I should really tell him right away, apologize, and get scolded, but right now Salisa was in the same carriage. There was a Black Knight acting as coachman outside the carriage. I understood that this wasn't something that should be known by other people. If I were to have someone else listen, it would be when I borrowed Alf's wisdom. I was already a criminal too black to make excuses, but Leonardo was just my guardian. Even if I were to be punished, I might borrow Alf's wisdom so that Leonardo wouldn't be punished too.
Leonardo looked curious as my back suddenly straightened, but he seemed to understand that it was something I didn't want others to hear. Leonardo didn't bring up the topic further, and the carriage steadily continued on the road back to the city of Grenore.
When the carriage arrived at the Grenore residence, by the time I stepped down from the carriage, Alf had come out to greet me. I immediately realized he wanted to hear about Aurelia's recent news, so I threw him a huge souvenir.
"I persuaded Aurelia-san!!"
There was no firm promise of her moving, but at least she was going to come to the city once, I said. Praise me, I said, puffing out my chest, and Alf praised me with all his might. Alf, usually so calm, patted my head until my hair was a mess. Because of that, my cat ears got a little crooked.
"Amazing, Tina! That's a great achievement no one has ever accomplished before!"
"I'm going to consult Hermine-sensei and prepare Aurelia-san's room myself!"
I made a fuss with Alf for a while, reporting my great achievement. Hearing the commotion, Hermine came down to the first floor and scolded me, saying a young lady doesn't make a racket at the entrance. I obediently accepted her educational guidance, put on the mask of a young lady, and gave my greetings for my return. Since I had been a tomboy in Aurelia's house, claiming there were no young ladies in the valley, I had to act like a proper young lady now that I was back at the residence.
After washing off the dust of the journey and finishing dinner, there was a gap of free time. It was usually my relaxation time. Time to sit next to Leonardo drinking after-dinner tea in the living room, and do embroidery or play Reversi with him.
"Leonyaldo-san, I have something to talk to you about."
"...Should we change locations?"
Leonardo seemed to remember that I had said beforehand I didn't want others to hear. Instead of the living room, where Salisa, who had prepared the tea, might come in, we moved to Leonardo's room.
"Alright, let's hear what Tina has to say."
Saying this, Leonardo prepared a chair for me, but I didn't sit there. First, Leonyaldo-san should sit down. I urged Leonardo into the chair and then lay down across his lap.
"...Tina?"
I could tell he was confused from his voice above my head. But I had no intention of giving up this position. I was going to get scolded anyway. It wouldn't hurt to be in a position ready for a spanking from the start.
"I'm fully prepared to be scolded!"
Come at me, I thought, half-resigned. Of course, Leonardo, who had no idea what he was being prepared to spank for or why I was being so resigned, remained confused.
"Umm, Tina? What did you do? Having being scolded be a foregone conclusion is definitely strange, isn't it?"
"You'll be angry. You'll definitely be angry. In fact, if you weren't angry about this, Leonyaldo-san would be disqualified as Fortress Lord."
So saying, I took a deep breath. I couldn't imagine how angry Leonardo would be, and I was more than a little scared. But I couldn't run away, and I couldn't stay silent.
"I'm sorry. I tried to secretly tell Aurelia-san about the contents of the book Jasper was transcribing!"
Time is up.
Typos and omissions again another day. Fixed any typos and omissions I found.