Chapter 26 (2/2)

We bought that sword two days ago in the weapons shop. It should have been brand-new, but it showed some signs of wear. Come to think of it, where did Palmira go after dinner? She was using her sword for something… tonight, maybe I’ll go see?

“But you two can rely on me for certain things. I should have some value, right? If so, then you two, who I rely on, have value too. You help me.”

“I — I…”

I looked her right in the eyes, my voice firm.

Shaking, tears rolling down her face, Aira stared at me.

To be honest, I was constantly worried. Since taking on this form, strange and inexplicable things had been coming at me one after another.

But even so.

I’ll say it straight-out: these two are my lifeline.

Until now, I did whatever I wanted, all by myself. But now, I could say it loud and clear: Rather than carry the weight alone, sharing it between two people, or three, or more, is better. It’s a good thing to lighten the load like that.

Yeah, it’s too simple, it’s clichéd, it’s trite, but it’s all those things because it’s true.

So don’t say you aren’t helpful, Aira.

Palmira, too. Both of you are essential to me.

…And I wasn’t good enough with words, so I just gave it to them straight.

Well, even so.

Even so.

Looking at Aira, who’d stopped crying and swapped out her thin smile for one that was awkward but sincere, I believed that something had gotten across.

Hmph, seriously. Hey, you. It’s that simple.

“But still, if you aren’t satisfied with things as they are now, it won’t hurt to think about it some more, I think. What can you do, what should you do? If you consider it, then sooner or later, you should find something you’re capable of. I might depend on you too, for some things… but, well, there’s no need to be impatient right now.”

As we talked, the carriage rolled on as it pleased. It was just like we were riding the current again.

So we should take our time thinking while this current swept us along.

There was no need to rush.

Worrying as much as we need to, thinking as much as we need to. We should find our respective answers.

Both Aira and me.

Palmira… I got the feeling she’d already found hers.

‘I have to think properly about this too,’ I thought as I looked at her.

“By the way, I have something to tell you right now.”

–

–

“You’re getting married?!!!!!!”

Apparently, Aira had only absorbed part of what I said. Right away, her expression turned to shock, and then, with a smile I simply couldn’t describe, she screamed those words at me.

What is with you? Even though you had such profound worries just now.

“Huuhhh… Congratulations?”

Palmira, looking somewhat surprised herself, reddened slightly. Cut it out, you two.

“I said, it’s only for show,”

I replied, dismayed.

Even though I said it, even though it was a sham, I was seriously regretting that I ended up accepting a request like this.

That’s right. Normally, this wouldn’t happen… I mean, in the first place, I’m a man….

“Anyway, I didn’t have a choice… Well, that’s the long and short of it. I’ll be asking some weird stuff of you once we get there, but please take care of me.”

Before they could ask why I accepted, I quickly babbled on.

After speaking, it hit me.

Thinking about it more carefully, was I going to behave like I was married? Like I was going to be married? Like I was engaged, or like I was his lover?

I hadn’t heard anything along those lines.

I hadn’t, but it was essentially a problem of degree. In my opinion, none of it changed the story all that much, and that was pretty depressing. None of these options sounded good to me.

“So that’s the story, then. As Lord Leon is n.o.bility, you’ll be a member of the n.o.bility as well, Big Sister.”

“Well, it’ll be fake, but it’s… something like that, huh.”

I knew that the [Chris] I’m going to play was likely the member of a distinguished family.

She was probably a n.o.ble herself, wasn’t she? In that case, even her impersonator would be a n.o.ble during that time. Maybe. Not gonna lie, I didn’t want to think too deeply about it.

“Understood! Then I will do my best as your maid, Big Sister!”

…Oi.

Even though I just said to think about things more, Aira easily found what she would do. What’s more, she’d taken it in a weird direction.

Eh, well, what can you do? It would give me some peace of mind, I guess?2

“Oh, I’m glad. The truth is, when I was at the estate, I heard all sorts of things from the maids. This is a guess — just a guess, but I think that knowledge will help. Yay!”

Going that far on a ‘guess’, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. So no, not ‘yay’.

But, well, if it kept Aira nearby, her ability as a maid aside, I found the idea a little rea.s.suring.

“Then I’ll be your guard.”

Palmira being Palmira, she added to the chaos. Holding her naked blade, she was already in a stance that said, ‘No matter what you say, it won’t work.’

No, but — you. Do you think you’ll pa.s.s with the way you look?

“Calm down. I’m twenty years old.”

…Don’t try to settle everything with being twenty years old.

Though, to tell you the truth, I was worried about what I should do with them while everything else was going on.

In the blink of an eye, both of them ended up carving out their own niches, but I was grateful for it. Of course, I’d have to get Leon’s agreement, but I was pretty confident that he wouldn’t refuse.

“Well, I’ll be counting on you. Aira, Palmira.”

I was sure we’d face our share of troubles after our arrival.

Even so, I felt my anxiety lighten ever so slightly, and in my heart, I thanked them for it.

Footnotes

1. パルミラは剣を抱いたまま、こちらはこちらで何を考えているのか、じっとしている ↵

2. そっちの方が俺的に安心なのだろうか ↵

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