468 - Living with a Tiny Neighbor and Other Such Things
...Now, what should I do?
Alfred instructed me to tame the spirit, but I have no idea how to go about it. However, I do not want Enomena's pot, where Kalisa's remains are buried, to be smashed, so I have no choice but to rack my brain.
...Instead of thinking of it as a spirit, let us think of it as a fairy.
When I think of spirits, I imagine great existences breathing within nature, whereas fairies are small existences that appear even inside human homes. This is entirely based on my own image, but it is not vastly different from the myths of this world. When I consider whether to deal with nature or a tiny neighbor with a different sense of common sense than humans, I felt that the latter might leave more room for negotiation.
...Fairies... were they entertained with milk and honey?
I feel as though I remember such a description in a book I read in my previous life. I do not remember the logic, but a faint memory remained that honey was chosen as a naturally derived sweetener.
...Also, since they dislike being seen by humans, is it better to place them in a hard-to-see spot?
I have also heard stories that sweets to entertain fairies should be placed in a corner of the kitchen or on a windowsill. As I got carried away searching my memories, realizing how much I could recall, I even remembered violent extermination methods, such as naming them to drive them out or hitting them out with a poker.
...Driving them out will be the last resort.
It would be problematic to be suddenly transported far away, like to the royal capital, but pranks on the level of floating petals in the bathtub or the position of stuffed toys changing are within an acceptable range. Being able to set out extra cutlery when there are sudden guests could even be called helpful. Truly, fairies seem like they could become good friends if one only knows how to get along with them.
...Perhaps I should research a bit more?
Rather than trusting the vague knowledge of my previous life, I wondered if I could find ways to get along with spirits and fairies in this world through myths and such, and so I moved to the study. While I was staring down the bookshelves, wondering which books contained descriptions regarding spirits and fairies, Rannvald arrived in the study carrying a wooden box.
"Is Christina-sama looking for something?"
"I am looking for books regarding spirits and fairies..."
"Spirits and fairies... if that is the case... perhaps around here?"
Rannvald, who was sickly and a bookworm before reaching adulthood, seems to remember the contents of the books he has read to some extent. It seems he read books indiscriminately, so when I specify the contents of a book I want to read, as I did today, he brings me a suitable one. Rannvald was an unexpectedly useful, bargain employee as a servant.
...Plus, two silver knights come along with him.
I thanked him and received the book, then asked about the contents of the wooden box. The contents of the wooden box were apparently books printed at the Menhishumi Church over the past year. Since Leonardo continues to make donations, it seems donated books continued to arrive.
"...Speaking of books, I heard there is an adventure story modeled after Leonardo-oniisama?"
I had heard that there was an adventure novel modeled after Leonardo, but come to think of it, I have not read it yet. Because there were other books I wanted to read, as well as embroidery and translation work I wanted to do, I had been pushing it aside despite being curious. Since the book-knowledgeable Rannvald had come, I asked him in passing, and Rannvald made a face as if suppressing a laugh.
"If you mean the one modeled after Leo... if it is 'Silver Leo', it was put away in the back of the archives. It was stored in a box even further back than the bookshelves in the archives... he must have hidden it intentionally."
"...Please secretly carry it to my room later."
"If you wish, shall I hide it under the bed?"
"It is not an erotic book... please place it boldly on the desk."
I want to see Leonardo's face the moment he finds the book modeled after himself on my desk, and today my mischievous spirit is in top form. I feel as though I am no different from a boy who teases a girl he likes, but since I am aware of it, I will consider it fine. I like Leonardo's slightly troubled face.
...Wait? Come to think of it, Rannvald-sama is...?
As I watched the back of Rannvald, who had begun organizing the contents of the wooden box and stuffing them into the bookshelves, I remembered. I wanted to ask myself why I had forgotten such an important thing, for I had overlooked something vital.
...The ultimate weapon against spirits was right in front of me.
Although he does not seem aware of it himself, Rannvald is liked by spirits. Since it seems spirits lend a hand whenever Rannvald is in trouble, I wondered if I could manage this time by putting Rannvald in the middle. The moment I realized this, I spoke to Rannvald.
"If I complain to Valdo, will the prank fairy become quiet?"
"Why not just tell the person directly, without putting me in the middle?"
"I am troubled because there is no way to catch that person."
"Is there not something that clearly seems to be the main body? There is, right? Not a key witness, but a key pot to this commotion."
"...Ah!"
Come to think of it, I feel as though scales have fallen from my eyes. Until now, I had only thought about controlling the prank fairy and ensuring that Enomena's pot was not discarded by the guardians. Therefore, I recognized Enomena's pot as something I should protect, and I had completely forgotten the fact that the Enomena sprout planted in Enomena's pot might be the culprit.
...I am too stupid!
Now that I knew, I had Salisa bake some large pancakes and poured plenty of honey on them. Since I did not know the size of the prank fairy, I prepared the smallest cup in the mansion that I used when I was eight years old. I prepared two cups filled with goat milk, planning to eat the snack together with it.
"I will give you a snack, so please stop the pranks."
"Here you go," I said, cutting the pancake in half and offering it toward Enomena's pot. I lined up the cup filled with milk as well, and somehow it felt like 'playing house'. I vaguely remember doing it when I was very young in my previous life, but I feel like this is the first time in this life.
...It is the first time, isn't it. When I was in Meiyu Village, I had no girl friends, and since coming to the city of Grunol, I had no friends to play house with.
Elke and Petrona were more interested in fashion and sweets than playing house, and Mirshe followed Elke and the others, so I rarely played with younger children in the neighborhood. I myself had no interest in playing house, so it seems I have ignored the path that girls usually pass through at least once in this life.
Talking to Enomena's pot, telling it to stop the pranks because I would give it a snack, had a more obvious effect than unifying the way I was addressed to 'Christina'. Small anomalies had been occurring throughout the mansion, but once I began having tea while talking to Enomena's pot during snack time, those pranks stopped abruptly. It was not that the pranks disappeared completely, but the range of the pranks became limited, such as the position of the dollhouse furniture changing or the Leonardo doll being pushed out of the pot.
"Could it be that it was sulking because I was absorbed in the dollhouse?"
After giving snacks and speaking to the sprout, a change appeared in the Enomena sprout. The Enomena, which had only produced sprouts for a long time, finally began to show leaves. When I stroked the Enomena leaf with the pad of my finger, the leaf swayed gently. In terms of feeling, perhaps it was a handshake with Enomena. The leaf swayed because I was stroking it, but I felt as though Enomena was smiling contentedly.
"Salisa made pudding today. Pudding is an egg dish, so please eat it quickly."
I wondered about giving sweets to a fairy, but as expected of this life's world where mysterious phenomena like being kidnapped by spirits occur. I wondered how a fairy, who is invisible and whose touch is uncertain, eats sweets, but the amount of sweets and milk decreased without me noticing. I do not know about the snack time spent in my private room, but when I return from the dining room after dinner, the snacks on the plate placed by the windowsill are always gone. Apparently, it is difficult for the fairy to eat snacks while I am watching. After noticing this, I made sure not to approach the windowsill after spending snack time together.
"Still, it is mysterious. What kind of selective breeding would produce a flower that grows by eating snacks?"
It is apparently a bulb I received from a person I was once fond of, but unfortunately, I cannot even remember that face. According to Leonardo, it is an opponent to whom I cannot even easily send a letter, so I could not report or consult about the various mysterious phenomena since the sprout appeared.
"Pranks are troublesome, but it would be convenient if long-distance travel could be done intentionally. I could go to the royal capital immediately, and if anything, could I not even go to see how Giselle is doing?"
Muttering such a monologue might have been a mistake. Following Salisa, who was clearing my tableware so the prank fairy could eat the snacks, as I passed through the door to leave the room, the surrounding scenery changed completely.
...I did it...!
I wanted to scream 'Again?', but I instinctively swallowed the voice that almost burst out. I had absolutely no recollection of the changed surroundings.
...Being suddenly thrown into an unknown place is truly problematic!!
I wonder if educational guidance is necessary for the prank fairy (Enomena). I think so, but that is after I return safely to the mansion. Now, I want to grasp where this is and whether it is a safe place for me.
...For now, is it a woman's room?
It is a tasteful, neat room coordinated in blue and white. I think it is probably a room for a noblewoman. At the very least, it is not a commoner's room. The carvings on the desk and closet drew elegant curves and were gorgeous. As for personal preference, I cannot rule out the possibility that it is a man's room, but with lace used on the hem of the canopy and vivid flower embroidery on the cushion of the long chair, it is indeed hard to think it is a man's room.
...Where is this? I think it is a place I have never been...?
I moved carefully through the room without making footsteps and approached the windowsill. Counting the windows on the opposite wall visible outside the window, I learned that the room I am currently in is apparently on the third floor. The only other thing I learned was that outside the window is a courtyard, and someone seems to be making a field. Perhaps the growth is poor, as the sprouts in the field are small even though spring is already ending.
...I seriously have no memory of this place. What should I do.
I recalled the previous transport, wondering if I could return by some chance again. At that time, I headed to the dressing room to change clothes in order to have an audience with Christoph, and the moment I stepped into the dressing room, the anomaly occurred. The floor, which should have been covered in carpet, changed to the attic floor.
"Oh?"
"Eh?"
There was a clicking sound, and I reflexively turned my face. Next, the door that seemed to lead to the hallway opened, and I saw an elderly lady standing beyond the door. My eyes met perfectly with the elderly lady, and we stared at each other for a while. I was the one whose rigidity broke first. Since no matter how I thought about it, this was nothing but an illegal intrusion for which I was at fault, although I knew it was useless, I jumped into the curtains to hide.
"Christina... san?"
...Huh?
I furrowed my brows at the bewildered voice heard from beyond the curtains, wondering why she knows my name. She was an elderly lady not in my memory, but the elderly lady seemed to know me. Moreover, from the resonance of the voice, she is a very favorable person.
...The type of person who can be reasoned with?
If so, it would be good to explain the circumstances and hear detailed information about where this is. An unknown person is a bit scary, but hiding in the curtains achieves nothing. Deciding that I must steel myself, I timidly peeked my face from the curtains, and there was my familiar room.
"...The lady Tina met was probably Carlotta-sama."
I report the events of the day to Leonardo, saying it was a long-distance transport after a long time. Actually, I wanted to keep quiet because I did not want to make him worry too much, but I intend to distinguish between things that are good to keep quiet about and things that are bad. Regarding this matter, I did not think it was something that should be kept quiet just because I did not want to make him worry.
...I like Leonardo-san's slightly troubled face, but I do not want to see the face of him worrying.
Since it could become a seed for further worry, reporting things that have already happened is important. After I reported only what I could remember of the elderly lady's appearance and the state of the room we locked eyes with for a moment, Leonardo seemed to have an idea that my destination was Augun Castle in the Augun territory of the Zugari Empire, and the elderly lady I met was the lord, Carlotta.
"Speaking of Carlotta-sama, she is a friend of Aurelia-san, and she sent a letter..."
Hearing that she is an acquaintance of Aurelia, a sense of fondness suddenly wells up. The favorable voice toward me, who must have been a sudden intruder, was probably because Carlotta knew me. My memory is vague, but I had heard from Leonardo that I was taken care of by Carlotta before returning to Grunol.
"The distance of Tina's transport is becoming longer and longer. What is the cause...?"
"For today specifically, it might be because I was thinking that it would be convenient if I could go far away in an instant."
Rather than thinking it, I feel as though I had clearly said it out loud. That it would be convenient if I could go see how Giselle is doing. Speaking of Carlotta's castle, it should be the castle where Leonardo left Giselle. If he were to send me, who said I wanted to see how Giselle is doing, it was not just convenient, but pinpoint accurate to the destination.
"Because you said you wanted to see how Giselle is doing, you went to Augun Castle. Which means..."
"Thinking positively, it means I might be able to communicate with the prank fairy."
The wish I spoke out loud was granted, in whatever form. As a prank fairy, it probably thinks favorably of me and thinks it is okay to grant my wish. Whether it is thanks to diligently giving water every day, or the influence of burying Kalisa's remains, I do not know, but it is grateful that an existence whose confirmation of will is difficult is, for now, favorable.
"Being able to communicate is good, but..."
"I know. I will not say to the pot, 'I want to go to Napaji and eat authentic Napaji cuisine,' or 'I want to have a sashimi paradise at Sanbagarasu-tei in the city of Tior' carelessly."
"If you know, then it is fine. If it were a power that worked completely as expected, I could be wary of it or utilize it, but since I do not know when it will happen..."
It is convenient, but it is better not to rely on it. This recognition was shared between me and Leonardo.
...As expected, I am not surprised by the third time.
I was careless. In the weather that could almost be called early summer, I suddenly remembered. That I have not been able to visit Aurelia's grave for a while.
...Even without saying it out loud, it seems the prank fairy will transport me?
Is the prank fairy even peeking into my heart? Feeling the arrival of early summer in the changing flowers of the flowerbed, I momentarily thought I wanted to visit Aurelia's grave, and the moment I entered the mansion, the scenery changed. Usually, I go out to the backyard using the kitchen's service entrance, so conversely, when entering the mansion from the backyard, I come out into the kitchen, but although it is a kitchen, where I am currently standing is the kitchen of Aurelia's house. The kitchen of the castle lord's mansion has a certain amount of space, but the kitchen of Aurelia's house is only slightly wider than a general household's. Considering that Aurelia hardly ever cooked, it is a kitchen that is too wide.
...If I analyze the direction, for now, it feels like I come out in places I have been to?
Thinking that I come out in places I have been to, I felt I could be a little relieved. However, since it seems I also come out in places I visited during the two years my memory is vague, I cannot be completely relieved.
...Ah, I got out.
Since I was able to come to Waiyakku Valley, I tried going outside with a natural motion. I simply could not go outside alone from the entrance of the castle lord's mansion, but going outside from Aurelia's house was unexpectedly easy. Most likely, just like with Leonardo's side, it is because I think of Waiyakku Valley, where Aurelia's house is, as a safe place. Waiyakku Valley is a place protected by a mysterious mist. Beyond the mist, there are also black knights watching for intruders. If it is here, it should be impossible for someone to come from the outside to kidnap me.
...I want to live here in my old age.
A safe dwelling protected by a mysterious mist. It is too far from the city, but in terms of being able to shut myself away with peace of mind, there would be no better place than here.
When I went around to the backyard, I discovered Paula tending to herbs in the field. When I greeted her lightly, Paula was surprised by me, who appeared to have visited suddenly, but that was all. I was asked if I came to visit Aurelia's grave, so I answered that was roughly the case.
After visiting the grave and returning, I was invited to tea by Paula, so I spent some time having trivial conversations. Since Paula has been shut away in Waiyakku Valley alone as the valley's manager, she must have been starved for a conversation partner. Perhaps because information from the outside is hard to enter, she did not notice that I have not grown much. Compared to the me Paula last met, even the current me has grown sufficiently in height. Because of that, she probably did not notice that I am too short.
This time, the return was from the entrance. At the end of the chat with Paula, I gave my greetings and left through the entrance. Then the surroundings changed, and next, I was standing in the mansion's entrance hall. Apparently, I left through the entrance and returned to the mansion's entrance.
As a thank-you for being able to visit the grave, I offered the prank fairy a pudding a la mode, lavishly decorated with the pudding Salisa made.
Tina "Hehehe, that Leonardo-san. May he tremble in shame seeing the book modeled after himself!"
Leonardo "I found an R-18 Erald-all-bottom aesthetic book on my sister's desk and I am shaken. Did I fail in raising her?"
Prank Fairy "Honestly, I think I did a good job."
Tina "It is not my book!! (But I will read it)"
Due to the heat... typos and omissions will be fixed at a later date.