Volume 6 - Chapter 37 – Each One, Afterwards 2 (1/2)
06-37 Each One, Afterwards 2
Content warning: mentions of sexual assault.
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The night passed, and it was now the following morning.
Beana was still worrying. More precisely, without sleeping all night before she noticed morning had come.
The Royal Secret Maid Lisa who was serving Beana sitting on a chair leaning against the backrest and sleeping.
“…Morning, huh.”
Beana muttered softly, left the room to wash her face.
The washroom was nearby in the hallway. There there was an artesian well from which water always flowed out.
Being March in the spring, the water was neither cold nor warm, a suitable temperature for her to rinse her mouth and wash her face. Then she realized she forgot to bring a towel.
But just then, from beside her someone presented her with a new towel.
“…Thanks.”
Must’ve been some maid, Beana thought, and took the towel without checking who it was, then she dried her face. Only after she opened her eyes did she realize it was Jin.
“…Jin.”
“Good morning, Beana.”
“G-good morning.”
For some reason it was a bit awkward. Beana then waited for Jin to rinse his mouth and wash his face.
“Jin.”
“What’s wrong, your eyes are all red. Did you not sleep well?”
After being asked so Beana hesitated for a moment, then,
“…Earl Kuzuma, he proposed to me.”
She confessed. To that, Jin replied,
“Oh, right.”
And to his reply, Beana said,
“Jin, you knew?”
“Yeah, I heard it from Elsa last night.”
“From Elsa, I see.”
Elsa looked downwards and looked like she was about to talk but then closed her mouth again, until finally after repeating that process multiple times,
“Hey, Jin…what do you think?”
After great pains she managed to voice the question.
“About Earl Kuzuma’s proposal, huh… I…congratulate you.”
“Eh…”
“Kuzuma’s a good person. He isn’t injust and doesn’t discriminate, and the people under his rule also think so. Looking at his employees too, there’s no one odd. If you were to marry him, no one would look down on you, I think.”
“…”
“Even the Prince asked you to be his partner with such enthusiasm. I’m sure that Kuzuma can bring you happiness.”
“Jin…”
From his words, she could sense Jin’s feelings towards Beana. However, it wasn’t romantic love. It was familial love, moreover like towards a little sister.
She completely understood it. She was made to understand it.
“H-hey, Beana?”
For a moment she looked down, but when she raised her head she was smiling. Then,
“Thanks, Jin. I’ve come to my decision. I’ll accept the Earl’s proposal.”
She said. And then, she suddenly hugged Jin,
“Jin, I like you.”
She said only that and separated from him, then,
“Thanks for everything until now. From now on, let’s keep on being good friends.”
She said that and ran off.
Jin didn’t really know what to think of Beana’s behavior just now, and was left behind dumbfounded.
＊ ＊ ＊
Mine was pondering.
Mine knew that Elsa –of whom she had thought “she’s a child, just a child”– had, before she knew it, grown to the verge of adulthood; now she was wondering what to do.