Chapter 6: Bride target for assassination! Hidden blades in all corners!
“You can’t possibly have become hypnotized by those pair of charming golden eyes from the Empire of Golden Sands and forgotten about what is hanging between your legs? You should understand it best yourself, Sher-chan, that you can’t possibly become a cute bride.”
When did he come to Eren?
Helmut just suddenly appeared in the courtyard and commented brutally on my current situation with a cheerful smile on his face.
I immediately closed my knees together and adjusted my sitting position.
“Urh, En… yeah.”
I lowered my head and mumbled in a low voice.
Helmut did not know that Haran was a girl, so in his eyes, I probably considered getting married with another male because I wanted to marry rich.
But, Haran was in fact a girl, and therefore had specifically wanted me, who was also a crossdresser, in her harem. As for myself, I had just thought that I understood Haran’s loneliness from having to deceive everyone all around her…
But, there was no way I could speak of all that to Helmut.
The most important thing was that I could absolutely not reveal Haran’s secret, ever.
If this smiling, deceitful and black-hearted foreign official somehow discovered about it, there was no telling what he would make me do with a smile on his face.
I shrugged my shoulders and replied demurely:
“Uh, yep.”
“Sounds suspicious.”
At that moment, I seemed to detect a gleam of light in Helmut’s eyes.
“Sher-chan, what are you hiding?”
He bent over and drew his face close.
I was sitting on the ground and began to withdraw by dragging my butt.
“I-i-i-i-i-i-i-I am not hiding anything.”
“Admit it.”
“I really am not hiding anything!”
Helmut revealed a smile as he said:
He was talking about all these horrible things with a cool smile on his face as though he was saying: “My hobby is to do one good work a day.” I could only tremble from the immense dread from this sinister foreign official, so I jumped up and screamed:
“I-i-i-i-i-I truly have nothing to hide~~~~”
And picked up my fee to escape from him.
And yet, Helmut was catching up.
“You really have no idea about how to lie. This behaviour is obviously revealing your attempt to hide the truth. Sher-chan, you are such a careless child.”
“Whoa~~~ Don’t bother me~~~~”
He kept his smile on his face as he pursued. It was truly frightening.
If I were to be caught by him, I would definitely get the truth tortured out of me.
From this guy’s character, he would definitely do it! And be very serious about it too! Without any feelings of guilt either.
“If you run so quickly, your high heels would break, and those beautifully-made hair that looks so difficult to set would become loose. Stop already, Sher-chan.”
“No~~~~~”
I must run to somewhere with people!
I thought while fleeing desperately straight ahead.
But, I soon saw a sign that stood before me that said ‘work in progress, keep out’.
Right, the construction project seemed to have started today.
I had no choice but to run to the right, but that would be where the forest was located. Uwuwuu, if this continued I would definitely be caught~~~~
I looked left and right, hoping to find a temporary hiding place.
Suddenly, there was the sound of a violin being played.
The sad but refreshingly clear melody floated from the green woods.
This music was… Seira?
The forlorn music felt like it was grasping at my chest, causing my entire body to loosen up.
I saw the tiny frame of a girl playing her violin in front of me.
With each stroke of the bow upon the violin strings, silver strands of straight hair swayed and spread.
Seira pulled the violin bow with both eyes closed and her face sticking close to the violin, as if trying to gain some warmth with the proximity.
Then, she opened her eyes to look at me.
Her face revealed a look of weakness, cheeks gradually blushing and her lips pouting.
“Please, someone is chasing after me! Save me!”
I pleaded with her with a timid expression.
From the rear words of “It’s useless to keep running”.
Seira was silent for a moment, but probably because of the pallor of my face, finally said coldly in a low voice:
“Go behind the bushes”
I followed her instruction and lowered myself behind the hedges with some small white flowers blooming.
After that, Helmut appeared, revealing a surprised expression.
“My apologies, Princess Seira, may I ask if you have seen Glinda?”
“…… No.”
She replied with a completely blank face like a puppet’s.
Helmut slowly widened his eyes.
“Really?”
He casted a glance upon the bushes, and then revealed an honest-looking smile, saying:
“I understand, Glinda probably did not run into here.”
His voice was so calm that it sounded almost like an act. Then he said:
“Sorry for interrupting your practice.”
Thus saying, he turned his back and went away.
Until the completely black and smartly-clad silhouette disappeared, I remained bent over behind the hedges, cold sweat pouring down all over my body.
… He must have discovered.
He would probably get even afterwards… Booohooo.
But at least for the moment, the danger was past.
“Thank you, Seira.”
I peeked out from behind the bushes, sending her my thanks.
Seira maintained her icy cool expression and dodged my eyes. She tightened her thin arms and the violin in her fingers was gripped tighter.
Had she become really disgusted with me?
Now, when we were both alone, she was still treating me coldly like this, and it was making me feel desolate.
Also the sounds of violin being played just now was like when I had first heard it before, beautiful but felt so lonely.
She had once opened up her heart to me, but why had this turned out to be like that now? Could we ever make up again?
“That, Seira… Are you angry with me? You accepted me as your teacher, but I have never taught you anything that is beneficial to you, but rather am a laughing stock all the time, so it is reasonable that you tell me that I am ‘making so many mistakes’.”
At last, she asked me in a low voice:
“Teacher… …. Are you getting married?”
“Huh?”
Seira seemed to have made up her mind, and turned her small face towards me.
Amerthyst pupils looked straight at me with some unexplainable conflict, causing my heartbeat to race.
“Uh, no… … I have yet to decide…”
After I replied, her face floated up an expression of unease, opening her mouth as if to say something, but no sounds would come out.
Seira seemed more and more uncomfortable, revealing a face of hurt.
She couldn’t be… hoping that I wouldn’t go? Could I continue to be her Teacher?
As I waited for Seira to open her mouth, my heartbeat shot up, even my breathing became heavy.
If…
If, perhaps…
If, perhaps, she were to ask me not to leave…
But, everytime Seira opened her mouth and attempted to speak, she immediately lowered her head and closed her lips again. She knitted her brow, using her left hand which was still holding onto the violin bow to grip her right wrist.
“That… What is up with your hand?”
When I asked her about the thing I had been curious over for some time now, her shoulders trembled once, her expression turning very distressed and asked in a shaky soft voice:
“… Don’t… you know?”
“Uh, that, that, s-sorry… Unlike you I’m just an ordinary guy, and my brain isn’t that good…”
Seira frowned deeply, her shoulders, fingers and lips trembling. After that, she took a deep breath, displaying an icy expression that locked away her inner thoughts.
What should I do? Had I said something wrong?
Just as I was fretting over, Seira removed her gaze, speaking in a low and hard voice:
“The homecountry of Prince Haran Ismali… is also said to be a place filled with murderous intrigue. On average, there would be 3 corpses discovered every day in the Imperial Harem.”
The air suddenly froze.
Mur-murder?
“Also, the ways these corpses are produced are varied. Some of them have their arms and legs torn off, some their intestines spilling out, some with their noses cut off, or their tongues pulled off, while others have their eyes dug out of their sockets. These corpses were thrown out into the desert to become the food for vultures.”
Seira said with a low, flat voice while maintaining an icy look on her face. It was the same evil air that was in her room back when she was brewing the strange medicine while wearing a black cloak.
This couldn’t possibly be the content of conversations with 9 year old kids, right? Truly scary~~
“That, Seira…”
Please! Stop saying already!
She kept pouring such words into my ears in a severe cold voice. There were so many horrible and inhuman assassinations that I was about to cry out.
Since young I had been really afraid of pain, rolling all over the floor whenever I stubbed my toe against the cupboard, or fainting when I accidentally cut my hand with the kitchen knife. It was so cruel to make someone like me listen to a lecture about murder.
My favourite magazine, “Queer historical tales”, had also mentioned that after the passing of the Grand Duke of Rubinia, the Grand Duchess had his favourite concubine’s limbs all chopped off and locked into a pig-sty. I usually just skip over such tales because I couldn’t stand them.
Right, didn’t the serialized novels in the newspaper also said that the harem was the battlefield of the females, inescapable from the shadow of assassinations?
Seria told me a full hour’s worth of such murderous stories, finally concluding:
“Teacher, please be careful not to get dragged into the business of assassinations.”
Then I shakily left.
^^^^^^^^^^
The harem was such a scary place.
For a coward like me, I would definitely be immediately poisoned or stabbed by an assassin.
No, it might come down to getting slowly tortured to death with red hot metal bars jammed between my nails…
Uuuuuu, so scary~~~
My brain was completely filled with thoughts of being assassinated, swaying side to side as I trudged along the palace corridors.
“Glinda…”
Prince Ryuuju’s face was red as he came towards me with both fists tightened.
“That… G, Glinda! Are you going to the country of Prince Haran? Lord Father said that we have to respect the wishes of Glinda, and I agree with him, but…”
He seemed to wish I would stay, and his seriousness touched a cord in me –
“The livestyle in the other country is very different, and I heard there are a lot of dangers”
Danger!
“Because the weather is so hot, food poisoning occurs very often.”
Food poisoning! That’s to say, even if I were to be poisoned by assassins, they would just treat it as normal food poisoning… No, maybe even half of all those food poison reports are actual assassinations!
“S, Sorry, I’m not feeling too well.”
“Oh, Glinda!”
My stomach was actually beginning to ache, so I left Prince Ryuuju in a hurry.
What’s that all about? Wasn’t Prince Ryuuju just worried over me? But I could only feel stomachache and breathing difficulties…
“Hey, Glinda!”
Just then, someone else grabbed my shoulder from behind.
“Kya!”
“Whoa! What are you making such strange sounds for?”
Jerome from the Knights Company was taken aback by my scream.
“Heard that the prince from the desert kingdom has proposed to you. To think that there can ever be someone that would want to marry this kind of flat-chested and unsexy girl. What a freak.”
I had wanted to retort “and just who was it that pushed down this unsexy girl”, but before I could open my mouth, Jerome rapidly added in a furious tone:
Both scorpions and cobras were sure to appear as one of the tools of murder in novels about royal harem, but to think that they would be everywhere? Mere thought of it was sufficient to make my ulcer react.
“Sorry, let’s talk about that the next time.”
I left as though trying to escape.
“They even eat fried scorpions to celebrate the New Year in the desert kingom! Glinda!”
Jerome shouted at my back.
I guess I should just stay quietly in my room today.
I walked while holding my aching stomach and bent over.
“What is going on? Glinda? You seem unwell.”
My best friend Anneth the maid asked.
“En… I should get better after some rest back in my room… probably.”
“Then, let me take you to your room.”
Anneth gently supported my arm.
Then, she said cautiously with some apprehension:
“Oh right, Glinda, I head that Prince Haran proposed to you. If you were to marry the prince… you would have to go to the desert kingdom.”
“Uh…”
“Would you have to enter his highness’ harem?”
“Woo!”
I was overcome with fear again when I heard the word ‘harem’.
I almost failed to hear the last part of Anneth’s words.
“Uh, the pain…”
I bent over holding my arms about my stomach.
“Oh dear, Glinda, you’ve best see the doctor. You’d definitely get better once you have some medicine.”
Medicine!
I immediately straightened up.
“I-it’s alright already, I can go back to my room myself.”
I turned my back towards Anneth and quickly walked off with my arms swinging freely, then quickly ran off around the corner of the corridor.
“Glinda!”
Anneth shouted, but I did not turn back.
Sorry! Anneth!
Because poisons under the guise of medicines were also one of the most common techniques among assassins!
At this point, anything that entered my ear felt like it would automatically become tools of assassination.
If this continued, even before being killed, I would probably be driven to death by psychological pressure!!!
I kept running straight, looking for a safe place that could let my mind calm down.
“Teacher Glinda, what is going on?”
I heard a gentle and calming call.
The Queen with straight black hair and the baby Princess Suzuna in her arms gently looked at me.
Today was one of the rare days where she wore formal clothes during daytime, and Prince Shin was grabbing the corner of her skirt with a blank look.
“No, t-that… I’m just exercising.”
I replied while panting and a smile rose on her face as she said:
“Lord Helmut brought over a lot of lace from Winstoria as gifts, if Teacher Glinda isn’t busy, would you like to come with me to take a look?”
The warm voice gradually placated my turbulent spirit.
Although the Queen looked like a simple and normal girl (?), it was during these times that you find that she seemed to possess an extraordinary power of curing.
King Cecello was probably also attracted to the Queen because of this gentle atmosphere that seemed to envelop whichever party she talked with. Even though they had six children, the love he had towards his wife was still so intense as to embarrass people nearby. Since the Queen’s interest was housework, whenever she hung the mattress out on the roof, King Cecello commanded a great group of troops below just in case she fell off by accident.
Right, in this palace, there had to be no place safer than being next to the Queen!
“A, Alright! I would be happy to join you!”
I replied eagerly.
The Queen smiled faintly and said:
“Prince Haran would also be there. If he sees Teacher Glinda, he would definitely be very happy.”
“Urh…”
Really hope that she had mentioned that first. No wonder she was in formal dress…
It would be really embarrassing to bump into Haran at this moment, but then I would be beside the Queen. Also, if I was alone, I would only keep imagining things about assassination and frighten myself out of my wits, so… alright.
I apathetically followed the Queen
^^^^^^^^^
Princesses Sarasa and Orie spreaded out a large roll of lace in the room excitedly.
The lace manufactured from Winstoria was special for its complex see-through embroidery and elegant delicate patterns. The craftsmanship was top-notch and rare, so it was highly sought-after as a top export product.
“Look, Queen Mother, the embroidery on this lace is a rose!”
“This one is lily and that is honeysuckle! It is so light on the hand, like it is about to melt!”
Girls truly liked beautiful things even when they are young. Princesses Sarasa and Orie both had enraptured looks on their faces as they wrapped themselves in the lace.
“Ara, this lace is really lovely.”
The Queen praised as well.
Beside the twin princesses, Haran was also in the room. She held up a piece of lace that looked like light snow and her eyes softened.
When I followed behind the Queen into the room, she was stunned to a jump, as if caught red-handed doing something that she should not, and dropped the lace with a look of regret.
“Look, Glinda, don’t we look like brides?”
Princesses Sarasa and Orie each wore a piece of lace on top of their heads, asking me adorably with girlish laughters.
“En, they are very suitable.”
“Glinda should wear it too! Orie, hold that corner.”
“Ok, Sarasa.”
“One, two, three!”
With a cheer, my head was covered by a piece of snow-like lace.
“Whoa, wait!”
I was pushed by them from behind towards Haran and let out a nervous yap.
My body fell forward and was supported by Haran.
“S, Sorry.”
“No, you look very adorable.”
Haran’s golden eyepupils smiled at me.
“White lace really suits you. But my country’s brown veils would definitely bring out your charms as well.”
Whoa, there could actually be someone who could say such words naturally and not make others feel arrogant but smooth instead. Even the twin princesses became enamored when they heard it.
I blushed. If I was a girl, I might even have said something like ‘Just take me to your country right now’…
Haran lightly pulled aside the rose-patterned lace on my head, her eyes softened and face revealed a fleeting expression. She kissed the lace lovingly, saying in a low voice.
“But the you right now look like you are layered in soft snow, irresistible.”
Hearing that, Princesses Sarasa and Orie danced hand in hand.
“So romantic!”
“So envious of Glinda!”
But at the moment, I was more mindful of Haran’s brief look of resignation.
Maybe Haran actually…
At this moment, Seira entered the room.
“Oh, Elder Sister Seira!”
“Just now Glinda and Prince Haran…”
The twins princesses ran to report to her in excitement.
I suddenly felt nervous. What if she said something horrifying again?
But Seira just disinterestedly listened to her sisters’ report, then keeping an unhappy look on her face, sat on the chair beside me and stayed silent without any concern.
… Was her anger quenched earlier?
Just as my heart began to worry, Seira said in a low voice that only I could hear:
“Assassin…”
“Uh!”
I stood up with my face completely white, the white lace on my head falling to the ground.
Her Majesty had just placed Princess Suzuna to sleep in her rocking basket and was preparing for tea. She looked at me standing up and asked with curiosity:
“What’s wrong, Teacher Glinda?”
Haran and the twin princesses also looked surprised.
Seira said again in a low voice:
“Poison…”
My brain which had temporarily forgotten about assassinations in the harem now began to hear implausble screams of death.
“I… I suddenly thought of something important!”
Even though it sounded ridiculous, I still left the room in a hurry.
If I continued to stay there, there’s no telling what Seira would say and my nerves would definitely be wrecked.
But, by this time, my brain was completely taken over by thoughts of murder.
Just then, I noticed someone behind me.
But when I stiffly turned to look, there was nobody behind.
Yet I could still detect the hard gaze of someone staring at me.
This gaze sometimes glared at my face, at times the back of my head, and then concentrated at my neck, but I could not tell where it came from.
What, what was going on? Who was staring at me?
I could feel the hair rising on the back of my neck and my entire body trembled as I sped up.
But the feeling of ‘being watched’ did not disappear, and instead became even more intense. I could even hear footsteps.
Clop, clop.
Click, click.
Sha, sha.
Many heavy sounds entered my ears.
It, it couldn’t be possible that only one assassin was after me?
The news that Prince Haran was looking for a bride was very widely known, so the fact that this prince proposed to the omnipotent genius Glinda Doyle must also be on the headlines.
Or perhaps this news had already reached Prince Haran’s own country, so those officials that were trying to get their daughters engaged to Prince Haran had all sent out assassins!
No, or it could even be that, among the bride selections the prince had made throughout his journey, some smitten princesses had decided to bury their rivals and had sent assassins to follow him…
My mind had completely lost it.
Lines of sight from every direction as well as soft footsteps drove me completely insane with fear.
Nooo~~~~
I absolutely must not be killed while wearing a western dress, then discovered to be a cross-dresser and ridiculed in my funeral!
I rushed straight ahead.
Without caring even which direction I was fleeing, I ran blindly along the corridor and out into the courtyard.
In restrospect, even though I rushed out in a panic, the building actually seemed safer.
Then the footsteps that approached from behind grew louder, and became even heavier. If I were to turn back now, they would surely kill me!
I fled forward while all out of breath.
Someone was shouting from behind. They seemed to be shouting ‘stop’, ‘it’s no use to run’ or something like that, but because of my confused ears and heavy heartbeat, I could not hear them clearly.
Whoa ~~~ help! And I hadn’t even agreed to become Haran’s bride yet!
Even if I could enjoy the ideal NEET’s days of luxury, there would be no way I could be relaxed when there’re assassins at my back!
The sign ‘Work in progress, entry prohibited’ was just in front.
I disregarded the sign and dashed in. My life was already in danger with the assassins just behind me, how could I worry about that any more.
I was about to faint due to lack of breath, but continued to struggle forward.
The open ground where I had been drawing the map of the world just yesterday had now become a brown wasteland. Looked like work had not begin yet.
The most important thing was – in such a broad empty space, wouldn’t I become the easiest target?
Eeeeeeeeeeek! This must be a trap!
I thought I was fleeing from the assassins, but had in fact run into their trap.
Doomed.
Soon there would definitely be spears flying from nowhere, and the sky would probably rain scorpians.
The assassins were shouting loudly.
“Fool! Stop!”
“Glinda~”
Huh? Just now the one who called for Glinda… was a girl?
At that moment, the earth under my feet suddenly slipped.
Huh? What’s going on?
Why would the ground suddenly give way and make me loose my footing –
“Uwaaaaaaah~~”
There was suddenly an abysmal pit beneath my feet.
I was sucked into the hole –
Yet just at that instant, someone grabbed my hand.
“Oh!”
I lifted my head, to see that it was Haran.
She was pulling my right hand tightly with one hand.
My feet had not stepped on solid ground, and my whole body was dangling in space. Haran tightly shut one of her eye and revealed a face of strain, unruly black hair falling out of her turban and stuck to her sweat-covered throat and face.
“Ha, Haran…”
I weakly called her name.
At this moment, Haran’s hand gathered strength and pulled me upwards.
“Ah!”
The earth all over kept slipping, if this were to continue, even Haran would fall in! As I thought about that, Haran’s body fell backwards because of the counterforce, and I collapsed on top of her body.
Under my heart which was pulsating ‘Ba-thump, Ba-thump’, Haran’s chest also emitted vigorous sounds of heart-beating.
“… Thank god you are alright.”
Haran panted profusely, rounding her hand about my back, carefully holding me and saying with a raspy voice.
My heart was overrun with emotions.
“Haran! Have you come to save me from the assassins?”
I cried emotionally as I stared into Haran’s exotic-coloured eye pupils at a distance where my lips could touch him.
“Assassins being us, you mean?”
A voice filled with derision came from above me.
I turned my head towards it, and was stunned speechless.
It wasn’t any organisation of assassins that stood over there.
The people surrounding me included: Helmut, whose smile was so warm as to be unnatural, Jerome whose veins were popping out on his temples and eyes narrawed into triangles, a trembling Prince Ryuuju who was grinding his teeth and gripping his fists, and finally a worried-looking Anneth who was holding her arms about her chest.
Huh? Where was he? The assassin?
I straightened my back to look around.
There was no sign of any assassin all around.
“That… Why…”
Why would they come to this place?
Jerome shouted in anger:
“Those are my lines! I saw that your actions seemed abnormal, so secretly followed – no, I mean, secretly guarded you, but you suddenly took off and won’t even stop when I called you from behind. Then finally, you ignored that sign at the middle of the construction works and nearly fell into a pit, and even got rescued by a man other than myself!”
Prince Ryuuju also looked full of frustration as he said while trembling:
“I, I saw that you seemed unwell, so had been worrying about it after our parting and looked for you everywhere. Then I saw you leaving the room with your face completely white, and have hardly called out to you when you began to run straightahead.”
Anneth said:
“I was very worried for you too, and cried out a few times ‘Glinda’, even shouting ‘Don’t go there, it’s dangerous’, but you could not hear it.”
Haran said:
“As you suddenly left the room, I thought it was because I had caused you unhappiness, so I came to apologise.”
Finally, Helmut said smilingly:
“I have ~ truly ~ never imagined, that there would be a chance for me to behold the sight of Glinda, hair dishevelled, gripping the hems of her skirt and fleeing wildly in a teary flight, and even see the omnipotent genius almost falling into a pit while screaming for help. Right, ‘Glinda’, have you any self-conciousness about being the National Treasure of our country the Winstoria Empire – Glinda Doyle? Do you realise that every single thing that you do would affect the reputation of our country? Or perhaps, the you that dwell among the clouds have a different way of understanding things far from what we commoners could possibly imagine?”
Boohoohoo, the words of everyone struck me painfully like stones.
But, so that was what it was… I felt lines of sight all over my body and heard so many crying voices and footsteps because it wasn’t only one person at my rear, but several.
I see… So they weren’t assassins.
I see… so that was the reason.
So that was it…
Hey, this was so embarrassing!
When I realised what was going on, my face turned completely red.
I could no longer lift my head. If this was my own room, I would probably be rolling around the floor in shame. If I had known about that, I should have just fallen into that hole!
“S, sorry! I thought I got targeted by assassins… I, if I became Haran’s concubine, maybe many people would be at a disadvantage, so my imaginations somehow spiralled out of control…”
I immediately apologised with lowered head.
“What, What’re you talking about?”
“You actually thought that an heir to the throne like me would be an assassin?”
“Glinda, you are so naughty.”
Words of indignation or surprise came from above me, and only Anneth protected me:
“Uhm, is it because I told you that the conflicts between women in the harem is very vigourous that you got worried? Sorry, Glinda.”
Haran was silent, or perhaps, like Helmut, was staring at me like I was crazy.
As I thought about this, she suddenly hooked my shoulders, gently holding my right hand.
Haran remained kneeled on the ground, and lifted my body, and then – she lightly carried me up.
Jerome, Prince Ryuuju, Anneth and even Helmut… All of their eyes widened, and I also became frantic.
T-t-t-t-that, wasn’t that what every girl dreams about: the legendary princess-carry?
I got princess-carried~~~
Merely the embarrassment from earlier was enough to make me hide from shame, and now I was being princess-carried. This was humiliation upon humiliation, and my brain was nearly to its boiling point, my heart close to exploding.
“That, that, that, Haran…”
I could only manage to utter ‘that’, but Haran directed her honest golden eyes towards me and said:
“Besides you, I have no intention of marrying any other concubines, so you would not have to fight for my affection with any other women. My love belongs to you right from the beginning.”
I was dumbfounded.
This was such a blatant and outright love confession! It’s so cool!
“From now, I would be your sword and shield. I swear upon the name of our absolute high God Sharrah, to protect you all my life and never let assassins or anyone else touch even one of your finger. So I hope you would walk with me and swear beside me.”
Golden eyes burned brightly with passionate but also sad light.
My eyes wavered, and my chest felt as though it had been squeezed tight.
With such astonishing and charming moves, one could probably conquer any girl? Even a man like me would soon be pregnant.
This was the feeling of being chosen by a sparkling absolute conquerer, loved and protected.
Was this the so-called happiness of women?
Was that it?
“Haran, I…”
I had been drowned within the atmosphere of a scene right out of some romance novels, my mouth opeining to speak…
Just then, the empty open ground suddenly resounded with a desperate call.
“No! Don’t go! I don’t want you to leave!”
I turned in fright to see the caller.
Seira had her face twisted in unhappiness. Her upper body bowed forward, and was crying with all her might.
“Don’t go! Teacher! Don’t go anywhere else! Please don’t go! Teacher! I’d be a good child, so please don’t go!”
What used to be icy cold eyes now dripped tears that were clear like ice. Lips that had been pulled tightly and expressionlessly now trembled as she cried ‘Don’t leave! Please don’t go!’
A small pale hand clutched her chest tightly, the long sleeves pulled below her wrist, revealing a thin arm so frail as to seem like breakable, and around her right wrist gleamed a hand-bracelet of crystals.
Seeing the bracelet, I realised everything.
The heavy bracelet around the small thin wrist of a child had been decorated with an amethyst crafted in the shape of a flower.
That’s…
The bracelet that I had gifted Seira on Lana’s Day and even put around her wrist.
-- I would be your companion.
I swore that day.
When you heard that, you shyly called me ‘Teacher’.
-- Teacher… Sherlock.
My mind was replenished with such fresh recallations that I was taken aback with the realisation about why she was always touching her right wrist recently.
When I understood what was hidden beneath your long sleeves, and also why you were gripping it tightly, I realised what you must have been feeling.
You had not forgotten about the vow that day.
But I had shown myself to be indecisive, causing you much unease.
You held the bracelet that I gave you, in order to convey your thoughts.
You were hoping that I could notice.
-- Is there something with your hand?
-- Don’t… You know?
When you heard my careless question, you displayed immense hurt, and said so in a low voice.
You must have been enduring for a long while now.
And now you had reached your limit and cried out.
Prince Ryuuju stared in astonishment at his usually-calm and ingenius little sister crying.
Jerome and Anneth were also both stunned speechless.
Even Helmut wiped off his smile of deceit, revealing an expression of sterness.
Also, the twin princesses Sarasa and Orie who had arrived with undeterminable timing, as well as the Queen who was craddling Princess Suzuna and Prince Shin behind her, all revealed expressions of shock.
“Truly unbelievable... This has to be the first time that I have seen Big Sister Seira crying.”
“Me, Me too.”
The twin princesses said in voices that had lost their tone.
“Seira actually...”
Even Her Majesty lowered her brows and murmurred.
Seira was still crying.
Her voice was tight, fluids flowing from her nose, and her entire face had twisted.
“No! I don’t want you to go!”
She repeated those words.
Teacher! Teacher – She called to me.
“Me too! I don’t want Glinda to leave!”
Prince Ryuuju also cried out while gritting his teeth.
“Me too! Glinda hasn’t fallen in love with me yet! She’s trying to run away after I have fallen for her, and I can’t accept that!”
Jerome frowned and shouted loudly.
“Me too! I still have many things to talk with Glinda, and also want to go shopping outside with her!”
Anneth cried out with tears in her eyes.
“Glinda, actually we also do not wish that you would go elsewhere, we hope you would stay with us.”
“That’s right. It’s so boring without Glinda here.”
The twin princesses also showed faces of disappointment, and even Prince Shin came out from behind the Queen’s skirt and stared straight at me.
Then, Seira who was crying loudly shouted out:
“Teacher~~~~ Don’t go~~~~”
Oh that’s right. To you, I had always been ‘Teacher’.
I had long become your ‘Teacher’.
At first, I was only Glinda’s replacement, forced to play her part.
But, along the way, I had read beside all of you, ran marathon together, organised a performance on Lana’s Day, and the one that was always at your side was not Glinda, but myself.
Sherlock Dolye.
“Haran, please put me down, I can stand on my own.”
I smiled and said in a soft voice. Haran stared at my face for a little, then bent down wordlessly.
Both my feet touched the ground, and I straightened my body.
“Sorry, Haran, I can’t leave with you, because I’m a ‘Teacher’.”
I told her with in a confident and lively voice.
Haran seemed to have predicted my answer earlier.
She said with a lonely voice:
“Before meeting me, you have already promised.”
Thus saying, she smiled a little, as if to say ‘It can’t be helped then’.
I walked towards the crying Seira.
Seira’s left hand tightly gripped the crystal bracelet on her right wrist, touching it on her small lips. The small thin shoulders trembled.
As I approached, she lifted her head to look at me with a pair of wet tear-soaked amethyst pupils.
She had called me ‘Teacher’, let me become her ‘Teacher’.
She was my student.
Under the infinite cloudless sky, i happily reached out and softly wiped the tears on her face, saying:
“I won’t go anywhere.”
I felt incomparably delighted.
Epligue: You small small world.
A few days later.
I obtained a permit to leave the castle, and went to the harbour.
I stuffed my hair into my hat along the way, put on spetacles and changed into clothes of a male.
Haran was going to depart from Eren today.
I hoped to say my goodbyes to her as Sherlock, and not Glinda.
When Haran saw my appearance, she seemed a little shocked, but smiled a smile with some loneliness that also looked a little happy.
“Thank you for sending me off, Sherlock. Even now, I still feel that it is my fortune to have met you. Because of you, I could find hope.”
“Are you still trying to look for boys that cross-dress?”
“En. But there probably won’t be many that look like you.”
She said with some pity, and then said with a serious expression:
“Perhaps... Maybe there can be a way to change myself, not just in mind, but in body into a man. Maybe there is a world outside of this world... I am determined to continue to look for it.”
-- a world that change the impossible into the possible.
Haran said that she had once discussed with Glinda before, about the world outside of this world, a dream world.
She and Glinda swore to reach there one day.
I don’t know whether there could be really a world like that.
I also did not know why Glinda would want to go there.
Once there, maybe both Haran and Glinda could fulfill their respective wishes and obtain happiness.
“I believe that one day, I can meet the companion that truly belongs to me.”
As Haran spoke, golden eyes shone with honesty.
So I also believed her words.
There must be a place in this world, or outside of this world, someone that could stay at the side of Haran, and be her fated lover.
“Haran, this is what I would give you as a parting gift.”
Lace white as snow drifted down from below the light blue sky, falling atop the head of the wide-eyed Haran.
Rose patterned soft lace had sufficient volume, bathed in the sparkling bright sunlight, softly wrapping about the head and shoulders of Haran.
White of purity.
White of happiness.
Haran swallowed hard and was speechless, her face gradually turning pink. At this point she was not the suave prince, but a shy bride.
Golden eyes looked troubled by the lace that caressed her face gently. She reached out to touch the lace with her finger softly, and then revealed a small smile.
Seeing her action and expression, i remembered the enchanted look Haran had while in that room and realised that it was not an illusion.
Back then, when she replaced the lace with some regret, she must have felt that someone like her who could not be a girl should not hold such feelings or preferences.
“It really suits you.”
I said to her in a happy tone, and Haran also revealed a shy expression like an ordinary girl.
“This is something that I have no need of. When I find a bride, I would use this as the shroud.”
“Hmm. But, who knows, maybe you would end up putting on the gown. After all who can tell what might happen in this world. A weak repeat student would cross-dress to become the royal tutor to the King’s children, and then get proposed to by the prince of a desert kingdom. Such things can hardly be imaginable in the real world, right?”
I happily told her in an open mind.
If it was possible to change the impossible into possible, then, Haran would return to being a girl one day.
Haran also smiled.
This was not a smile of passion or dignity, but a simple open smile.
It was a smile of an ordinary girl.
“Sherlock, You won’t be my bride, but can you be my bridegroom?”
She honestly asked me.
I was troubled and scratched my head.
“Uh, That... At least, not for now. Glinda is a well-known omnipotent genius, but I am not as powerful as her, and can’t handle so many things at once. By my own strength, just keeping promise with one person is too much.”
But, I want to keep this promise faithfully for now.
I naturally straightened my back, eyes filled with power.
Haran admired my face and said:
“I finally understand why Glinda evaluated you so highly.”
“Oh?”
Didn’t Glinda look down on me as a worthless, self-depreciating little brother that no sister would want?
Haran narrowed her eyes, saying with some amour:
“Actually I very much wish to push you on board and abduct you, but I don’t want to make kids cry, so that’s all there is to it.”
Pure white lace floated in the sea breeze.
“Good bye, Sherlock”
This was a sad but glad parting.
The bright light bathing from above made the lace seem like golden roses. Haran, wearing the lace shroud, walked up the ladder to the ship like a bride walking up to the altar in a gown.
Then, she revealed a lovely smile towards me from the boarding plank, and finally left.
Until the flying white lace became so thin and small that it eventually disappeared, I watched her departure without blinking an eye.
“Haran, no matter whether you find a bride, or become a bride, I pray that you would continue to be yourself.”
I murmurred.
At that moment --
“So that’s the reason.”
A voice filled with deception came from my behind, and I was shocked into looking back.
“Hel-Helmut!”
When had he come?
And nodding as if he understood everything now, he couldn’t possibly have been eavesdropping on our conversation?
Then, he would also know that Haran is female...
“The world is really filled with all kinds of people with different backgrounds. If you entered the harem, the two of you might turn out to be the most special emperor and empress in the whole world. If something like this were to happen, it might actually turn out rather interesting.”
Whoa! He really found out!
Helmut said as though nothing had happened, and then smiled his usual scary smile.
“But, that’s just me talking to myself.”
D, did that mean that he would keep it a secret?
But then, it would be like letting him into our weakness, which was actually pretty terrifying.
He said to the me who was covered in cold sweat:
“I must now depart toward another difficult mission. Even though I’m really worried about Sher-chan who’s always carelessly scattering pheromones all over the place. Who knows what monster you’d seduce the next time...”
He sighed on purpose.
“Stop talking as if I’m some nymphomaniac! Just buzz off!”
“Sigh, can’t you say good bye properly to me?”
Why was he pretending to be hurt and looking so disappointed. After all, he’d be back again soon.
“Then, good bye, Sher-chan, hope you won’t keep doing things that would drag the Winstoria Empire’s name through the mud.”
He gave a seemingly kind smile before boarding a ship to leave.
Alright, I too must put on suffocating clothes that would make me trip easily, and then return to the castle.
^^^^^^^^^^
“Teacher!”
As soon as I returned to my room in the palace, Seira who had been waiting anxiously at my door ran to hug me.
“Luckily... you are back.”
She hugged my waist tightly, saying unsteadily with a weak voice.
“I kept worrying... what if Teacher decides not to return...”
“I just went to send off Haran. Haven’t I told you last night?”
To sooth her heart, I gently touched her shoulders and said. Seira lifted her head, her eyes filled with tears, and said:
“B, But, there’s a chance that you would still decide to leave with Prince Haran in the end... And I’m not as handsome as Prince Haran, I don’t have golden eyes, not an heir to the throne, and can’t princess-carry Teacher.”
How could she say such ridiculous things.
“It’s alright even if you can’t princess-carry me, Seira.”
If I were to be lifted by a 9-year old girl, I would probably be so embarrassed that I could never lift my head up again.
“But...”
Seira knitted her brows without much confidence.
From the day she cried and yelled ‘Please don’t go~’ at the construction site, she had been in this state.
Cold eyes and expression disappearing completely, she was now sticking at my side like a baby duck that kept following its mother.
If I were to even depart from her line of sight a little, she would begin to search for me with a look of despair, gripping my waist tightly and asking me: “You truly won’t go anywhere?”
So last night I told her, I would be sending off Haran today, and coming back immediately. But, within her small heart, she seemed to be worried that I would elope on Haran’s ship.
It was incomprehensible that the Seira that was usually even calmer than adults would become this weak. It must have been because of all the worries that I gave her due to the things that happened with Haran and the others....
I lowered my head to look at Seira whose eyes were red from weeping, and my chest ached.
I led the crying Seira into my room, and promised to her again:
“Listen to me, Seira, I am your Teacher, and have sworn to help you no matter what happened. That promise is effective forever. For as long as you need me, I will be your Teacher. The reason why I was shaken by Haran’s proposal was because I thought I was hated by you...”
“No... such thing...”
Seira shook her head.
“Absolutely... no... such thing. I, I would... never hate Teacher... I, I could only ... watch after Teacher, even if I wish to speak... I could not say it... Because... I thought that... Teacher was afraid of me...”
She weakly squeezed out a broken voice, and large drops of tears continued to flow from her eyes.
Her thin shoulders kept trembling, and I felt as though my chest was being squeezed tightly.
-- Because I thought that Teacher was afraid of me.
This sentence accurately exposed my weakness and carelessness.
She was absolutely correct.
Seira was similar to Glinda in that they were both very special girls. She had been blessed since young by intelligence and ability that had far exceeded the capacity of her small frame, and had become introverted. She was isolated but afraid of loneliness, and always troubled by the difference between herself and those around her. Me too, had no idea as to how to relate to such a pure little girl.
I had thought that Seira was far more intelligent that I, and could ‘see’ far more things than I could.
When I was harassed by Jerome’s nightcrawling, and appearing indecisive towards Haran’s marriage proposal, I was more afraid of appearing stupid before Seira so that I would loose her respect as a Teacher.
I was afraid of the trust that I had obtained turning into contempt, and could no longer take action of my own.
I had not noticed that Seira was always touching the bracelet that I gave her.
“W, When I... wanted to help Teacher escape from Jerome... Teacher said, said that I’m very scary... So I thought that Teacher is really afraid of me... Because, I’m not like Elder Brother Ryuuju and the rest...”
Seira’s face twisted into a ball because of despair and sadness.
I felt as though a hole was being dug into my chest .
Sherlock Dolye, how careless could you be.
‘You feel a little scary like this.’
‘Hmm?’
My one sentence could cause so much damage to Seira.
“I... I hated Lord Father’s cold side... Lord Father is so gentle towards us and Queen Mother... But at work, he is so scary... I do not understand why he can give orders so coldly... It is as though he is not the real Lord Father... B, But, when I thought about myself, I had no idea what to do. If I would be detested by Teacher, then I... I”
Seira covered her face completely with both her hands.
“Please, Teacher! Don’t detest me! I won’t look at Teacher any more... nor would I talk with Teacher. I, I would be a good child and keep quiet. So, please don’t hate me...”
“Seira...”
I softly held the small hands that covered her face and bent down to look at her at eye-level. Her tear-filled eyes shakily looked back at me.
“You can do anything that you want to do, I won’t hate you because of something like this. Your Queen Mother know the true face of His Majesty too, but still love him, right? I’m the same.”
But, Seira still could not find her confidence as she replied tremblingly:
“That, That’s because ... Mother loved Father. But Teacher is not the same?”
“Of course, if we are talking about love, there would be a lot of problems...”
If I were to say such things seriously to a 9-year old girl, I might get imprisoned by Helmut in a dungeon for the rest of my life. No, probably even before that, King Cecello would have me torn to bits.
“See, it’s really different.”
Big drops of tears continued to roll down.
“Hear me out, Seira, caring about others comes in many different forms other than just ‘love’.”
“Then, how does Teacher look at me?”
She stared and asked me.
I could feel that if I were to reply her carelessly she would feel insecure again, so I used both hands to lift her tear-soaked face, and replied with a serious face.
“Seira – to the me right now, you are the most important girl.”
She was my important student.
The girl that I was determined to take responsibility for.
Seira’s face turned red immediately.
Although tears remained in her eyes and her face looked very anxious, her head lifted towards me in concentration as if to digest the meaning of my words.
This child’s world was really small.
Within her small, small world, I must have occupied a large part, so the words that I said could support her, or shake her.
This princess carried both the fragility of a child and the loneliness of being the chosen one. To have gained her admiration, I could feel the burden of a great responsibility.
I, too, must work harder.
Must not be tossed to and fro by the current like the past, giving up on hard work.
I must become fitting of this child.
In order to be the private tutor of 1st Princess Seira, I must have such determination.
I told my student in a steadfast and warm tone:
“When you decided to help me get rid of Jerome, I should have told you: ‘I can take care of my own problems. The methods you are using are too extreme and must not be applied.’ You should not do such things any more, ok?”
Your world is still very tiny right now.
In order to help you understand the greatness of the world, I too must work hard.
“I understand. But...”
Seira lowered her head with some trouble, and then looked as though she was unable to reconcile with her feelings, twisted uncomfortably her timid face towards me to say:
“If Teacher feels troubled or hurt, I would definitely be unable to maintain my composure... So, Teacher, please don’t do anything dangerous, or be chased after by men, or be alone with naked women. Teacher makes so much mistakes that I am always very nervous, and can’t just leave you alone.”
Her words made me dumbfounded. At last, I blushed and said:
“... I would do my best’est’.”
“What? To... apologise?”
“Mhmm. Seira, because of Jerome and Haran, I had caused you much worries. So to apologise, I am willing to listen to one request from Seira.”
“You would... really... listen to... any request?”
“Mhmm, as long as it’s something that I can do.”
“I, I... want to go outside with ‘Teacher Sherlock’!”
Dress Boku Vol. 2
Chapter 1 P1: The RomCom days of Sherlock Dolye ~ Please LISTEN to me!
Chapter 1 P2: Even so, we should not share a blanket!
Chapter 1 P3: It’s better to maintain decency even in romance
Chapter 4: His Highness, the legendary handsomest, highly-successful individual
Chapter 5: Disqualified once the clothes are off!
Chapter 6: Bride target for assassination! Hidden blades in all corners!
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