kscans

Chapter 47 - The Little One's New Daily Life

"So, you two are going by yourselves?"

"Apparently. It seems parents are only allowed to attend on school open days, aside from the graduation ceremony."

"So I’ve heard. In Kilfan, schools were for commoners, and nobles had private tutors, so I never knew."

The Drago family was enjoying a pleasant meal together around the breakfast table. Breakfast was fundamentally Washoku. Since it had always been this way since they were born, not only the Little One but also Chihaya used chopsticks skillfully. Sakura was a natural, of course. And Drago had become quite adept at using chopsticks over the past ten years. Sakura had said that forks and such were fine, but Drago, on the contrary, had been intrigued and decided to take on the challenge of chopsticks.

"No, this is convenient."

He even used cooking chopsticks in the kitchen now. They were much more agile than tongs or spatulas and allowed for delicate work, so they were popular among the chefs as well.

Despite the peaceful atmosphere at the count’s residence, today was the twins’ entrance ceremony. Though they couldn’t attend, their parents were fidgeting nonstop, and Chihiro and Chihaya exchanged wry smiles.

"Do you have everything? If anything happens, come right home, you hear?"

Drago flusteredly hugged the twins’ shoulders and kissed their hair repeatedly. It was his good luck charm, he said.

"We’ll be fine. We’re heading out."

"Be careful."

Waving to the teary-eyed Bear whose eyebrows were drooping, the twins headed to the royal palace with Hyrulia and Dorfen.

The two of them opened the enrollment guide, checked it over and over, and then put it in Hyrulia’s bag. Her bag was an item box, capable of holding about as much as a chest of drawers. This, too, was something that normally only the royal children could use, but it had been specially lent to the Little One, who was Romel’s fiancée and the King and Queen’s ward.

"This is exciting, isn’t it, Hiiro?"

"Yeah. I wonder what it’s like."

They had been able to tour the academy city a while ago, but they couldn’t go inside the academy itself. It was a school where the children of nobility gathered. For security reasons, you could only tour the inside on school open days. Since the Little One had been on her pilgrimage, she had missed the event, which was held only once a month.

"Studying and training can be tough, but it’s the only place where you can interact with a large number of people your own age. There will be many fun things as well. I too made many friends at the nobles’ academy."

Nodding at Dorfen, who spoke nostalgically, the twins’ steps became lighter. Their hearts dancing with excitement, the twins headed for the Tower of David. However, it was guarded by knights, and the atmosphere was somewhat tense.

When I came with Romel before, there were only two guards on patrol. I wonder if something happened.

As the Little One approached timidly, the knights smiled cheerfully.

"Good morning, are you ready?"

The place they were guided to was a small building, and in front of it stood Fatima and Theodore.

"You’re here, Hiiro, over here."

Her face lighting up, Fatima gave a small wave.

"Your Highnesses, good morning."

With Chihiro behind him, Chihaya gave a grand bow. Following his lead, Chihiro also curtsied.

"Oh, come now, Hiiro. You are under the guardianship of my father and mother, aren’t you? That makes you my little sister. Feel free to call me big sister."

Nodding at Fatima, who puffed out her cheeks slightly, Theodore also looked at the twins with a soft smile.

"That’s right. If you are Chii-Hiiro’s brother, then you are my little brother too. May I call you Hāya?"

Chihaya’s eyebrow twitched. However, he skillfully concealed it and offered Theodore a gentle smile that was no less than his own.

"You are too kind. Please call me whatever you wish."

Theodore nodded magnanimously. But Chihaya sensed what his words implied and chewed on a bitter bug in his heart. I’m Hāya and Chihiro is Chii-Hiiro, huh. Just like Prince Romel.

According to what he had heard from others, Romel had called her "Chihiro" in fluent Kilfanese until her memories awakened. Then, the moment she regained her past life’s memories, he began to call her "Chii-Hiiro." To him, Chii-Hiiro was one of a kind. That was how everyone around him perceived it. It was unclear if he himself was aware of it, but the look on Romel’s face when he called her Chii-Hiiro was one of ultimate bliss, and everyone felt as if they were receiving a share of his happiness, so no one made any tactless inquiries.

Chihaya felt a strange sense of unease at Theodore, who called his sister by the same name and in the same manner as the Prince.

But oblivious to Chihaya, Theodore repeatedly glanced at the watch in his hand.

"It’s almost time. This is not good, Miltisia isn’t here."

The time for the transfer gate to open was fixed. If they missed it, they would have to go by individual carriage. The twins had been told this as well. Before the four of them, who were anxiously watching the royal palace, a group came rushing up. A girl with light purple hair and large blue eyes walked briskly, her uniform hem fluttering.

Is that Miltisia? She’s gotten so big...

She repeatedly smoothed down her straight hair and muttered vexedly.

"I overslept. And my hair wouldn’t cooperate..."

"It’s fine, Miltisia. You made it in time. Now, shall we go?"

Looking at Miltisia’s and Fatima’s straight hair, Chihiro unconsciously touched her own. In her past life, it had been the same straight hair, but now the Little One’s hair had a gentle wave to it. It was likely the influence of Drago’s curly hair. Chihaya’s hair color was inherited from Drago, but its texture was straight. Wavy black hair. Though soft and abundant, Chihiro, being originally Japanese, still felt a nostalgic longing for straight hair. As if noticing Chihiro’s unconscious finger movements, the corner of Theodore’s mouth lifted slightly.

"You have beautiful hair, Chii-Hiiro. It’s as if a piece of the starry sky was cut out. It suits you very well."

At Theodore’s words, the other three turned to look.

"It’s true. My hair is so coarse. That’s why it’s so hard to manage."

As Miltisia grumbled, Fatima also sighed.

"Mine too. It’s too silky, so I can only do the same hairstyle. If I try something like a half-up, it becomes a mess in half a day."

A maiden’s worries are endless.

The Little One, who had fallen into the grass-is-greener phenomenon, her face lit up at the long-awaited girl talk.

"Being too manageable has its own problems. If I’m not careful, it gets tangled up like a bird’s nest."

"Is that so?"

"Aah, I wish we could bring our ladies-in-waiting and maids to the academy!"

"We’ll just have to come up with a hairstyle that doesn’t fall apart and lasts a long time." The worries of girls are the same everywhere. It is well said that where three women gather, there is a noisy chatter.

The girls, at that fun age, gathered together, kyakkyau fufu. The girls and the boys, who had been watching them in a daze, were urged on by the impatient knights and hurriedly entered the transfer gate.

Inside was a box like an elevator. On the back wall, about seven palm-sized needle crystals were embedded in a row. As the knights bowed and said, "Have a safe trip," the door closed, and Theodore placed his hand on one of the crystals. Following his lead, Fatima and Miltisia also placed their hands on the crystals.

"You flow your magic into here. Then the transfer gate will carry the people touching it."

Theodore’s palm glowed faintly, and his figure vanished as if melting into the air. Fatima and Miltisia’s figures also disappeared in the same way, and the remaining twins held their breath and flowed their magic into the needle crystals.

Then, with a faint fon sound of air hitting their eardrums, the two of them were standing in a similar place again.

Huh? Did it fail?

But the royal children were there.

With everyone gathered, Theodore pulled the cord of a bell installed next to the door. With a clear sound, the box’s door opened, and before the twins’ eyes were a bustling crowd of people walking by. Everyone was wearing the same uniform and laughing cheerfully. The sound of the bell seemed to have caught their attention, as a number of them were staring at the transfer gate.

"Welcome to the nobles’ academy. Blessings upon the new beloved children of Frontier."

Led by Fatima and Theodore, the twins set foot in the nobles’ academy. The buildings were so tall they had to look up, and the light-filled gardens were vast. It was hard to believe this was a school. Fatima and the others looked on with fond smiles at the surprised expressions of the small children, who only came up to their waists. After the honeybee incident, Fatima had tried to get in touch with Chihiro somehow, but by the time she noticed, the two were no longer in the royal palace. She had been disappointed to hear they were scheduled for a long-term stay at their relatives’ house in Kilfan, but when she learned from her brother Theodore that the twins would be using the transfer gate, she had been eagerly awaiting their meeting. Theodore, too, had felt an atmosphere similar to the pilgrimage ten years ago from the way everyone around him would let their eyes wander towards the monsters, even while saying they were on a long-term stay in Kilfan, and he had harbored a faint, vague certainty.

And then, there was that magic carriage commotion.

It would be unreasonable to expect him not to notice.

Chii-Hiiro.

Theodore also had knowledge of the adjacent Kilfan. And, like the other people, he arrived at the same answer.

Welcome back, Chii-Hiiro.

Remembering the small hand he had been holding just a moment ago, Theodore felt a tightness in his chest. He didn't understand back then, but now he could. You were going through a very difficult time, weren't you? A small child was fighting against monsters and humans. So, this time, I will protect you. Absolutely.

Even without knowing the details, Theodore, who had watched the commotion in the royal palace and the large-scale land reforms associated with it, had a general idea. Above all, there were the many adults who constantly expressed their gratitude to Fatima. That gratitude had been directed not at Fatima, but at the Little One.

His sister had taken all the credit for the Little One’s achievements.

If Chihiro had heard, she would have said that wasn't true. However, that thought did not occur to Theodore, who was absorbed in his own thoughts.

In return for saving my sister, I will be her strength. With all my might.

He was unaware that Chihaya was watching the silently vowing Theodore with a gloomy gaze.