223 - Aurelia's Grave
After crying my heart out, I felt refreshed. Suppressing things really is bad for the body. In this life I'm still a child so it's fine, but in my previous life where I should have already been an adult, how did I manage to get through the deaths of family members? I definitely was not bawling my eyes out like I am now, but I just could not remember how I came to terms with it back then.
...Well, whatever. I'm a kid now too, right?
Until I naturally learn how to deal with things, I will just be childlike and honestly cry against my guardian's chest. He is the kind of big brother who allows that, and in front of Leonardo I can cry honestly too. Once I grow up a bit more and reach a certain age, I will not be able to cry in front of family either, so this is really only for now.
I do not remember the way back. That is because I was exhausted from crying and mostly slept in Leonardo's arms.
"...Tina, will you greet Paula?"
"Nngh?"
Gently shaken awake, I realized we had returned to Aurelia's house. Still drowsy, I looked around and saw Paula's face. I must have passed her several times today, but it felt like I was seeing her for the first time.
"It has been a while, Tina-chan. Thank you for coming to see Master today."
"Hello, Paula-san."
I signaled to Leonardo and had him put me down. Greeting someone while being carried did not look good.
"It has been a long time. Thank you for sending us Aurelia-san's belongings."
With a clear head after crying, I put on the skin of the refined lady that Hermine had taught me. Even after showing such an embarrassing display, resetting was important.
"Not at all, you are welcome. It was actually Barbara who suggested sending the belongings to you, Tina-chan, so please thank Barbara instead."
Apparently it was Barbara who sorted through the belongings, saying that Aurelia would be happier if they were given to me rather than kept by a relative. I had never heard that Barbara was Aurelia's relative until now. But now that she mentioned it, it made sense. Both Aurelia and Barbara were tall, with the same red hair.
"Where is Barbara now?"
"She has moved to the Sedovara Church in the capital."
Apparently she wanted to move to the capital, where the most pharmacists in the country were, to reforge the spirit of a pharmacist who had learned to cut corners over a long time.
...If she is in the capital, I should be able to thank her.
I do not think I said anything wrong, but once before I made a careless remark that hurt Barbara. I want to apologize for hurting her and thank her for the belongings.
"As for me, I have decided to stay in Waiyakku Valley."
Originally Aurelia had been thinking of moving to the city, so she had taught Paula the handover procedures related to managing the valley beforehand. Thanks to that, even though Aurelia died suddenly, it seems not all the materials that could be gathered in the valley were lost. Many of the secret arts that Aurelia knew were lost, but it was not down to zero.
"...T-today, I came to visit Aurelia-san's grave."
My voice trembled a little as I asked if she could guide me there. I had cried, and I had accepted it, but still, sad things were sad.
Whether Paula understood my feelings, the woman I remembered as cheerful was a bit quieter today. She gave a gentle smile and led me to where Aurelia was buried.
The cemetery Paula led me to was, position-wise, on the opposite side of the cliff where the bodies of the apprentices who had run away lay scattered. It was a place I had never been to once while I was in the valley, but although short grass grew there, there were no weeds. Considering that, it was probably a place that was properly maintained on a regular basis.
...Yeah, nothing comes to mind after all.
It was the same when I stood before my parents' graves. I could not find the words I should say to the deceased. I wondered if I was heartless, but I thought that today specifically, it was because I had already taken my frustration out on Leonardo first. After endlessly venting complaints at him like "Why did you die, I wanted to be with you more," when I actually came before the grave, there were no words left that I wanted to hurl at her.
...It is a lonely grave.
Compared to the cemetery in Mey Village, it at least maintained the appearance of a grave with a large stone as a marker, but compared to the graves decorated with well-kept stones in the city of Grenore that I saw at the Memorial Service, it was still just a hastily prepared grave. There were several other proper stone graves around, so someday Aurelia's grave would probably get a proper stone too.
...Bobbin lace, I have gotten a little better at weaving it beautifully. I wish Aurelia-san could have praised me.
...Kalisa's evolution is amazing. Or rather, the servants of the Mandez Residence? It seems they have already learned bobbin lace, and they have made all sorts of things for me.
...Iridal's decorative collar is really incredible. I wanted to show Aurelia-san too, but since I suddenly got to come here this time as well, I could not prepare it.
...Nils, ah, Nils is my friend in the city of Grenore. Nils told me that if I want to spread bobbin lace, I could make a book about it. What do you think, Aurelia-san?
Since no complaints came up, I just reported on my recent situation. After finishing reporting my thoughts and feelings about bobbin lace one after another, I stole a glance at Leonardo, who was offering a silent prayer beside me, then turned my gaze back to Aurelia's grave marker.
...I told Leonardo-san properly about me being a Japanese reincarnator.
...He said there is no older brother who would sell his family (little sister), and I was happy.
...He can be an incredible idiot sometimes, but he is my big brother.
...What if I awaken a brother complex like this and cannot get married anymore?
At my wandering thoughts, the corners of my lips naturally lifted. I had been crying like a baby just a little while ago, but now it seemed I could smile properly again.
...I am glad I came to visit the grave.
Feeling more than a little refreshed, I raised my face. Just then, Leonardo also seemed to have finished his conversation with Aurelia, and his black eyes met mine as he looked down at me.
"Leonardo Big Brother, what kind of conversation did you have with Aurelia-san?"
"That you can leave Tina to me without worry. And then a report on how much of a tomboy Tina has been lately."
When Leonardo said this with a joking expression, saying I had kicked his shin earlier too, I decided to respond to his request. Receiving the baptism of custom-made shoes for the second time today, Leonardo crouched down on the spot, enduring the pain. As for me, since Leonardo's head had conveniently come down, I wrapped my arms around his neck, waiting to be carried.
"...Tina, was carrying you banned?"
"I just realized that as long as Hermine-sensei does not find out, I will not get scolded."
When I said I felt like being spoiled and asked him to carry me, Leonardo unusually resisted. Maybe he realized that at eleven years old, I only had a few years left until adulthood. But that was beside the point now. Leonardo was the one who awakened my clingy soul that had been suppressed for a while, so I wanted him to take responsibility and spoil me until I calmed down.
Please, Big Brother, I begged cutely while being spoiled. When I added a kiss on his cheek as the finishing blow, whatever little pride and self-control Leonardo had left as a guardian flew off somewhere. All that remained was a big brother turned into his little sister's slave.
He put me down before we reached the front of Aurelia's house, but Hermine scolded me plenty. I thought it would be fine as long as I was not caught, but Leonardo's face, which was more lovey-dovey than I expected, told the whole story. There was no way Leonardo's face would collapse into a state unfit for public view unless I was involved.
...As a Knight Commander, he does his job properly though!
If Leonardo's face was that messed up, anyone could tell immediately that I had done something.
After exchanging farewells with Paula, I was once again placed on horseback. When I asked Alfred, who had come out of Aurelia's house, if he had visited the grave, apparently he had finished while we were in the forest. It seemed Alfred had also reported his and Alf's recent situation and sworn that from now on, as the royal family, he would join hands with the Sedovara Church to make medicine accessible to the people.
On the way back, the horses' pace was slowed a little. Thanks to that, even being jostled on horseback, I was able to join in the adults' conversation.
According to Paula, Aurelia had passed away quietly, as if falling asleep. Or rather, she had entered her bedroom as usual at night, and when Paula, finding it suspicious that Aurelia had not come out even when the sun was high, went to wake her, Aurelia had already stopped breathing in her bed. As for the cause of death, it was probably old age. Since I had not heard of her suffering from any particular illness, I think she passed away peacefully and suddenly. That was what Paula said too.
...Now that Aurelia-san has died, the Sedovara Church must be in a tough spot.
Though maybe the one really in trouble is Jasper. The transcription work still is not finished, and there are many urgings from the Sedovara Church to move on to Japanese research soon. Even if the Japanese is successfully deciphered, what can be produced is research materials. Pharmaceutical research based on those materials awaits after that.
...If I read it, the decoding work could be skipped entirely though?
So far I have only heard talk about them wanting to meet me face to face. I have not been told whether I will be able to return to the city of Grenore after meeting the king, or whether I will be forced to stay in the capital to read Japanese.
When we returned to the town where we had left the carriage, we rested for one night before resuming our journey to the capital. After ten days of carriage travel, I had gotten quite used to it. Riding Leonardo's horse during the cool morning hours, taking Hermine's lessons in the carriage in the afternoon, and spending the rest of the time playing Saik and Reversi with Alfred. Whenever we stopped at a slightly larger town for supplies, I thought that Alfred really was a proper prince when Alf was not involved. Occasionally he would go out on inspection incognito, but on days when he returned from inspection, he would not invite me to play. He would stay in his room the whole time, apparently writing reports.
...Well, he is still a competitive prince though.
He is a person who can properly separate public and private matters. The evaluation I once heard really fit Alfred perfectly.
As a public figure, Alfred was a humble and fair ruler. As a private individual, Alfred was a slightly troublesome young man who gave his all to everything, turned a blind eye to the inconvenience he caused others despite being aware of it, and would not allow anyone to leave if he kept losing at board games until he won.
[Author's Note]
Since this is a passage I could not finish writing yesterday, it is a bit short.