I was heading back to Gilbert-san’s house, where he had been so kind to accommodate me. The sun started setting because I had walked around for a long time. It is still too early to call it evening.
I was about to open the front door… hmm? The door is heavy. However, if I pull it open at once in a single push, it seems to open. To avoid the “Is it sliding or push doors?” I try to push the door. I also checked to see if it slides sideways.
“You’re making too much noise. I’ll open the door!”
From behind the unopened door, I heard Gilbert-san’s voice.
Not long after, there was a clatter and the sound of the lock opening, and the door moved slowly.
“Don’t you know how to use a door knocker?”
“Door knocker? Ah, this one.”
Was this metal ring hooked to the door a door knocker? I had always called it ‘the ring on a lion’s mouth.’
I never get a chance to use it much. Guests to my place are handled by servants first, and when I’m invited to someone’s place, I don’t remember using it because I haven’t been to many people’s houses.
We learn something new every day. Looking at me, who had become wiser, Gilbert-san fumbled with the key repeatedly while holding the door ajar.
“Should I tell you why the door didn’t open? It’s because of this key.”
“I didn’t think it was locked.”
There was a lock on the door. I almost broke the lock and broke in.
It’s something peculiar to nobles. Since servants staff the mansion, it is not customary to lock the door. Private rooms aren’t locked to prevent accidental destruction.
There was no reason for that. The device that blocks the door and uses a lock was out of my awareness.
He could see me looking unbelievably at the door.
“Are you serious?”
“Where I live, there aren’t any houses with locks on them.”
“I see; some places are like that.”
Gilbert-san quickly convinced me.
My previous residence in Japan wasn’t in such a rural area. Although it isn’t in the city, I lock my door. And the neighborhoods that don’t do it are now encouraged to lock their doors after being a target for burglars from other areas.
Thinking that I should add the rurality of where I came from to my false identity, Gilbert-san turned away and went back inside. I followed him, closed the front door, and locked the key.
Without a thought, I walk after Gilbert-san.
Moving further down into the first floor, we go to the kitchen. There are no ingredients, but I see a magic stove.
Observing the kitchen with zero sign of life, he said without looking back,
“…I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but didn’t you lock yourself in your room last night as well?”
“I did.”
Gilbert-san looked at me with a big sigh, and in a tone laced with dismay and tenderness, he said,
“You should have a little bit of self-preservation. It’s too late to walk to a stranger’s house….”
“What self-preservation?”
“If I were a bad guy, I could do whatever I wanted to you, a country bumpkin.”
“I see. I’m a fragile maiden who can’t possibly compete with men regarding strength. It’s important to know how to manage the danger, right?”
“That’s what I mean.”
The conversation felt like it was ending. But there was an uncomfortable feeling leaving me unsatisfied. We both seemed to have the same understanding, and he nodded.
Though it would be clearer if there were one more person here…. Who is missing? Not a stranger who is an acquaintance of one of us because that would be awkward for the other. There is no way Gilbert-san and I have any acquaintances in common.
Ignoring the strange discomfort, I observe the kitchen-like area.
Looking into the crates placed messily, I saw an array of hard-looking bread wrapped in paper. There were several similar boxes with lids closed and contents hidden from view.
“Are you sure this is all preserved food?”
“Yeah. You can eat whatever you want… don’t tell me you haven’t eaten anything since last night?”
“…Maybe.”
Despite being told to do as I please, I can’t do something like opening someone’s fridge without permission. The moment I broke through the roof, it was too late for that. I was going to explore the house while Gilbert-san was gone.
But I’m not that hungry. It has not been a whole day since my last meal. One would think that the basal metabolism would increase as one’s level increases, but rather, the tolerance for thirst and hunger is rising.
For this reason, I wouldn’t eat preserved food that wasn’t particularly tasty. It would be tastier if I cooked it myself.
“You don’t need to restrain yourself.”
“I’m not restraining myself. I’m just not hungry….”
“…Alright. I’m about to eat dinner. How about we eat together?”
I’m sorry I made you fuss over nothing. I know he is just being kind.
Since it would be awkward to refuse, I shall accompany you.
He pulled out two flat wooden plates and held one to me as I was about to help him prepare.
“Here, help yourself out.”
It is rare to find a buffet with this small excitement.
Following Gilbert-san’s lead, I put the preserved food on my plate.
Crunchy bread, bottled pickles with a smell that is already too sour, and dried meat that looks hard. Those are the three dishes. Both Gilbert-san and I conquered all three dishes.
The dining area has four chairs, which seem disproportionately likely to be found in a typical household. We sit down facing each other.
There is enough food for two people on the table, also provided with a glass and water pitcher. The atmosphere could be more pleasant for dinner, as it is still early in the evening, and the room is slightly dark but not dark enough to turn on the lights.
“Itadakimasu.”
First, let’s try the hard bread. It’s not bread, sweet biscuits or dry bread…. It made me realize that dry bread in Japan is tasty. The package has a guy playing the bagpipe, and I miss that thing with the konpeito sugar in it.
I bite a small amount and chew it, letting it fluff up in my mouth. The more I chewed, the more water drained from my mouth, and I couldn’t help but drink some water.
When I looked over, I saw Gilbert-san silently bringing the bread to his mouth.
“…Is it delicious?”
“It’s normal, how about you?”
Can I honestly say my opinion here? It is hard to say whether the food is good or average. It is a test to see how well one can rephrase a not-so-good food review into something else.
“When I was little, I found a cave and went inside. It was cool and refreshing, even though it was summer. Since it was so comfortable, I just plopped down and laid down. While rolling around the rocks, I stumbled into a hollow puddle, and my clothes got muddy. It tasted like… when I washed those clothes in the river.”
Huh? I’m a good food reviewer, am I not? When I was shocked by my hidden talent, Gilbert-san contemplated for a moment with a straight face and then said,
“Are you saying it tastes bad?”
“I explained the tasty part… don’t you understand?”
He fell silent again. Meanwhile, we are munching and chewing the bread with our mouths.
After some silent moments, Gilbert-san finally opens his mouth.
“You said… you ran away from home.”
He blatantly changed the subject. I have no problem explaining the situation if I gloss over it to some extent.
And then the usual small talk began.
“It is true that I ran away from home. My fiance and I fought or disagreed over the wedding.”
“Enough to make a woman like you travel through the roof. I thought it was an extraordinary circumstance… but a lover’s quarrel.”
He said it’s a bunch of crap. No, I don’t think it’s a lover’s quarrel, but from his side?
He continued, his anger seeping into his voice.
“I have people in my family. The wedding was interrupted, and they keep bringing it up again and again—”
“Eh?! The wedding was interrupted? That’s nice!”
I would love to know how to disrupt a wedding. Then, I would like to put it into practice.
My eyes sparkle with a big smile on my face. Ah, but I remain expressionless on the surface. These days, I almost forget, but my facial muscles remain as dead as ever. Subjectively, it is easy to forget because I change my facial expressions normally, and Patrick and Eleanora notice the changes.
“Huh? Tell me the details of your wedding dispute.”
“I suggested we call it off or keep it small, but my fiance wanted to do it big and didn’t want to hear it….”
“There are women like you. I’m sorry, I misunderstood.”
Gilbert-san said that awkwardly. Did he think it was the opposite? The image of women being very particular about their wedding is very strong.
“Why was your relatives’ wedding interrupted? I want to ask for future study.”
“During the ceremony, large numbers of uninvited guests arrived. This was before I was born.”
So many uninvited guests…. It’s going to be hard to recreate it.
Even if they came, the servants would do their best to turn them away. Maybe a group that will cause Patrick and me to travel… like an army? Monsters would be good, too.
Have the wedding celebration and play the flute… hmm, unless we have something like what Duke Hillrose used before, it will not be successful. I can’t use an ordinary-sized monster calling flute in the town; the monsters won’t appear.
“Thank you so much. I will keep that in mind.”
“Why do you hate weddings so much?”
I almost said, “Because it’s too much trouble,” but I stopped myself.
Until recently, I would never have considered canceling the wedding. I believe the trigger was….
“My fiance has an older brother who won’t attend the wedding.”
“How can you be a brother and not celebrate your brother’s start in life?”
Gilbert-san’s voice became slightly more animated. Didn’t he say he has a younger brother? As a fellow brother, he probably couldn’t stand Patrick’s brother.
“My brother-in-law doesn’t seem to think highly of me.”
“Did you have a beef with him?”
“Not at all. We have never met. It seems he just overheard some bad rumors about me….”
“The brother seems unreliable if he believes the rumor. Whatever rumors they spread about you, I would know they are false after seeing you in person.”
He is quietly angry as if it were his own.
It is nice to know that he trusts me enough to assert that it’s a lie when all I have said is it was a nasty rumor.
The conversation got heated. Not wanting to talk too much and slip up, I returned to my meal.
I’ve only had a few bites of bread. Continuing to eat this tasteless lump of flour is painful, so I grab a piece of dried meat.
It is called dried meat, but it’s more like jerky. The dried meat is several times harder than you would imagine, requiring the strength of your jaw to bite through it. The meat is beyond salty. There is no meaty flavor, and it is almost as if there is a whole mouthful of rock salt in it.
Besides, it is hard. I couldn’t swallow this unless I moistened it in my mouth. My throat is parched due to the salt overdose. I drink my second glass of water.
“Your jaw strength is amazing.”
“We don’t always eat soft foods like city people do.”
Woah. I had no idea that the chewing strength could potentially expose Yumiela. I was glad to have a good excuse for taking advantage of my rural background.
It’s only polite to give an opinion on the food’s taste since we are being treated to a meal. Let the food review begin.
“This one… tastes like the tree tops.”
“Hmm?”
“Despite my appearance, I’m a nice young lady who has climbed a tree. I believe it was a maple tree. When I climbed up into the tree’s branches, a symbol popped into my head—”
“I get it. No need to tell me what you think anymore.”
Right. Real-life preserved food tastes terrible, and no matter how appetizing the opinions may be, you don’t want to hear them.
Back to the meal. Silence prevailed for a while. The hard-preserved food was processed silently.
It was Gilbert-san who broke the silence.
“Me too, I’m sort of a runaway from home, too. Because of a relative’s marriage.”
He was suspicious, so I didn’t expect him to cut himself out of the picture.
Considering the puzzling nature of this house, he likely didn’t just run away from home. But there is no need to tell a false story here. He must have sympathized with my situation.
Gilbert-san begins to speak slowly.
“I have a younger brother. He’s a good brother. He’s going to get married soon.”
“Doesn’t sound like something you want to celebrate.”
“Yeah, I have a problem with my brother’s soon-to-be wife. She’s too violent, and her thought process is way out of the norm.”
Violent and out of the norm…. So, not a good person to have in a family?
He must have been furious because he continued as if the dam was breaking.
“She’s the type of woman who settles everything with a fistfight. She summons monsters and leaves people deep in dungeons without a second thought.”
“Wouldn’t that raise objections from the entire extended family?”
The story was like an attempted murder. She is an incredibly terrible woman, coming from a peaceful person like me who tries to resolve everything through discussion.
Under normal circumstances, I expect the whole family to hold his brother back, but they aren’t because Gilbert-san has run away from home.
“Both my father and mother are in favor of marriage. My mother is especially eager….”
“Is this your brother married to someone crazy?”
“I thought so, too. Both my brother and parents agreed, and I was the only one who disagreed, thinking that I was the one who was crazy. Objectively speaking, that woman is crazy. Even my younger brother admits that she is crazy. And yet, he still wants to marry her because he loves her. Please be serious.”
Hmm, I don’t know what is unusual about that woman, but I hear stories like that from time to time. Regardless of gender, it may be a common occurrence that a person with good looks and excellent inside marries someone like that; people would react and say, “Huh? Why would someone perfect marry someone like that?”
“Ah—I hate to say it, but your brother tastes….”
“I know. I always thought he was a good brother, but he has the worst taste in women.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
The only thing to resent is his brother’s poor taste. And the woman who wooed his brilliant brother.
Gilbert-san, the only one in the family with his own opinion isolated from the rest of the family, was not comfortable staying at home?
“An excellent brother. Unlike my twisted self, he is an upright person. He used to call me Nii-sama and come after me, but now he’s called me Aniue (older brother). I want him to call me Nii-sama again.”
Gilbert-san seemed pent up. He felt slightly unpleasant as he uttered his lamentations as if the dam had been broken.
He has a little brother complex. He didn’t honestly congratulate him on his marriage, no matter what kind of woman she was.
“Your brother must be significant to you.”
“Obviously. It was only natural since we are siblings. No, I would have liked him even if he wasn’t my brother. If you met my brother, you would understand how good he is.”
“Ah….”
I responded half-heartedly. He likes his brother too much and has even started proselytizing me. I already have Patrick; no introduction, please.
The meal ended with Gilbert-san telling me how wonderful his brother was.
There was a sense of deja vu in some of the old stories. Patrick had told me similar stories before. I thought to myself that two brothers anywhere are similar.
Just as I was finishing my satisfying meal, which was more like a nutrient intake, I heard the sound of metal striking metal.
It was the sound of the door knocker, whose name I had just learned.
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Wow
It’s Patric coming in, isn’t it? If i am right next chapter is going to be funny af
you guys tell the same person but you don’t realize it?