Volume 5 Chapter 243, Questions from Lemon_1

Translator: Nonon

Proofreader: Silavin

 

“… Oh, did the blizzard stop?”

 

A few dozens of minutes after Cyan ran out.

After quickly finishing the urgent tasks in the office, I stepped out of the room and saw that the blizzard visible from the window had subsided.

It was still snowing, but it was much better compared to when we couldn’t see more than a few meters ahead. If the blizzard continued letting up like this, Ms. Krimhild, and the others, who were probably chatting right now, could choose to return to the academy.

 

“… If they did, I would be a little lonely.”

 

I murmured quietly as I looked out the window.

This needlessly large mansion had been full of laughter these last few days. From Cyan to my Older Siblings, Ms. Kriemhild and her group, and the women who were obsessed with bodies, their own or not. This year’s New Year’s holiday was certainly lively.

It will be nice to go back to just us, the Family, being together, but the house will probably feel quieter than usual for a while.

 

–It’s going to be even lonelier if Gray enrolls.

 

If Gray ends up enrolling at Azalea Academy with Apricot, the house is going to feel even emptier. We’ve been together ever since I came to Shiki, so not having him around the mansion is going to feel lonely.

 

–No, no, I can’t just hold my son back from growing up just because I’m feeling lonely.

 

I shook my head, pushing away my overprotective fatherly impulses.

Even if nothing is set in stone yet, if this leads to Gray’s growth as a person, I should watch over him. The best I can do for him before he leaves is give him advice on surviving student life and adjusting to the capital. As for academics and Magic… Well, Lady Violet can teach him that. Honestly, I’d probably end up needing her tutoring just as much as he does.

 

–Ah, but then again, it all depends on the Headmaster…

 

No matter how good it might be for his personal growth, it’s a completely different story if Gray falls prey to Headmaster Noir’s clutches. …Then again, Gray might have misunderstood something, so I shouldn’t overthink things. Besides, I already put someone on the case to investigate.

Most investigations turn out to be nothing more than unnecessary worries. I’ve been living in Shiki so long my brain has been poisoned, making me see perverts everywhere. Surely there is no way a headmaster would send out a letter of recommendation just because he has a thing for good-looking young boys, right? Hahaha.

Speaking of investigations, I wonder how Mrs. Vert is doing.

I heard her monster investigation was finished, but is she also stuck in Shiki because of the blizzard, like Ms. Kriemhild and the others? She’s an Archwizard, so she probably used Magic to shelter herself from the cold, but I just hope she doesn’t catch a chill in this weather.

 

“–Atchoo!”

 

Just as I was worrying about the health of the pervert I asked to spy on the Headmaster, an adorable sneeze echoed through the room.

Looking towards the source of the sound, I spotted Ms. Kriemhild standing a short distance away, looking out the window at the snow just like I was. Last I saw, she was happily chatting with Lady Violet and the others, and playing a board game with sparkling jewels. But maybe she left her seat for a bathroom break.

 

“–? –! –se, Mr. Clo!”

 

As I stood there debating whether to call out to her, Ms. Kriemhild noticed me and ran over with a bright wave and a smile. She’s as energetic as ever, or maybe just ridiculously friendly, considering she ran over to me even though we had been spending time together just moments ago.

 

“Mr. Clo, are ya all done with work?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean…have you finished with your work?”

 

It felt like she was going to ask casually, realized halfway through that she forgot to use polite speech, and then stammered, trying to fix it.

 

“Yes, I’m done with it. Also, you don’t have to push yourself to talk politely with me, Ms. Kriemhild. I don’t mind being on casual terms.”

“But you are a noble…”

“You speak normally with Lady Violet and His Highness, don’t you?”

“… You are just imagining things.”

“I can tell that one was on purpose.”

 

Since we happened to be alone, I decided to bring up the whole formal speech thing.

At first, given the circumstances, I thought it would be fine to leave things as they were, but somehow I felt bad for forcing Ms. Kriemhild to use polite language…Besides, being the only one addressed politely made me feel left out. Sure, I’m the only one here in my twenties, but it still made me feel a little alienated.

 

“Then, you should also start talking more casually with me, Mr. Clo. That way I will also drop the formality… Sir.”

 

Hmm, I figured she’d say that. Given her personality, I suppose it’s only natural… That’s exactly why I was letting the formal speech be until now.

I really don’t mind dropping the polite tone, but…

 

“How should I put this? I am still using formal language even with Lady Violet so if I suddenly started being more casual only with you, it might raise some suspicions, Ms. Kriemhild.”

 

I’ve been looking for the right time to drop the formal speech with Lady Violet too, but because of the habit, I keep defaulting to my usual polite tone. If in this situation I suddenly started talking with a girl more intimately out of nowhere, it’d definitely look suspicious.

 

“Ahaha! There’s no way someone like me could ever be more attractive than Vi, so no one would suspect you cheating. When you’ve got a five-star meal sitting right in front of you, very few people are going to go out of their way to eat forage.”

“Please don’t put yourself down like that. You’re a thoroughly charming woman, Ms. Kriemhild.”

“Thank you.”

 

If anyone else had said it, it would have sounded like they were fishing for compliments, but coming from Ms. Kriemhild, she seemed to genuinely believe what she was saying. It was almost as if she saw no charm or no value in herself whatsoever, even though her raw potential alone put her pretty high up the scale.

 

“Oh, that reminds me. This is unrelated but there was something I wanted to ask you.”

 

It seemed she decided to drop the formal speech after all. Yeah, this style of talking definitely suited Ms. Kriemhild much better.

She was not forcing me to do the same, but it felt like she would still prefer it if I dropped the honorifics too.

 

“You wanted to ask me something?”

 

I’ll drop the polite tone eventually, but for now I prompted Ms. Kriemhild’s question, which she asked as if she had just remembered it. The fact that she was asking now probably meant that she didn’t want others to hear it.

 

“Yup. Mr. Clo, you’re good at sewing, right?”

“Yes, just on the basic level. It’s more of a hobby.”

“A hobby…”

 

I can’t exactly tell people it used to be my actual profession.

Not that I need to go out of my way to bring it up anyway, and my skills have definitely rusted compared to back when I did it for a living. Passing it off as just a hobby should be fine for now.

 

“Is there anything wrong?”

“Oh, no. I just heard that you are the one who sewed Vi’s dress that I saw once before, Mr. Clo. I thought it was amazing, but…”

 

What’s gotten into her? She’s being surprisingly hesitant, and she’s already slipping back into using polite language.

…Wait, don’t tell me she found a flaw in my tailoring? Lady Violet’s dress was the first major project I’d tackled in a long time, and I sewed every single thread with painstaking care. Did I somehow miss a defect? If so, that’s a stain on my honor as a former pattern maker! If there was a defect, I might have to consider sewing non-stop all night to make it right.

 

“Mr. Clo, are you perhaps–”