A Bad Day for Outings
So what on earth was Kaeya actually after?! Conan had originally spun a conspiracy theory that Kaeya was planning to use the Black Organization to eliminate Diluc and claim the Ragnvindr family for himself—but now that clearly wasn't the case.
And if a man like Diluc had chosen not to stop it, then whatever Kaeya was doing probably wasn't anything as ugly as murder or arson.
Haibara watched Conan tearing his hair out over it from the side and rolled her eyes.
Serves him right. That's what he gets for being so insufferably curious back then.
A few days later, in a maple grove somewhere in the mountains.
Three figures moved in and out of view among the silent, scarlet trees.
"Miss Lisa, maybe I should head back after all. I still feel bad about leaving all the work to Xiangling by herself," Noelle said, hurrying after Lisa. Halfway up the trail, she caught Lisa's arm with an anxious look.
"Noelle, it's quite all right. This outing is something Xiangling arranged especially so you could get away and unwind. Besides, the work will never run out—a proper rest now only helps you work better later." Lisa rested a hand on Noelle's shoulder, her voice soft and soothing.
"That's right. When I heard from the Traveler that you've been driven half-mad by an overeager admirer, that's exactly why Lisa here decided to take you out for a breath of fresh air. Though, speaking of which—just what did he do to trouble you so much, Noelle?"
The moment Kaeya heard the Traveler's account, he'd guessed that Noelle's admirer was that Mr. Takano. He was genuinely curious what the man could have done—what could possibly fluster even Noelle, with her endless patience and eagerness to help—enough to make her want to hide from him.
"An admirer? What admirer?" Noelle was utterly bewildered.
"Eh? You don't know?" Kaeya hadn't expected her to be completely unaware that someone was courting her, and he gave her an odd look. "That Takano Hideki fellow."
So how exactly has this Takano Hideki been courting her, that the woman herself doesn't even realize she's being courted? Is it something even more absurd than that botched confession he gave the Traveler?
"Mr. Takano?" Noelle's face went from surprise to sudden comprehension. "So all those strange things Mr. Takano did before—they weren't some kind of illness, they were him courting me!"
"Oh my, now you've made me curious too, Noelle. Just what did this Mr. Takano do?" Lisa had been idly admiring the scenery, but at Noelle's words her interest was thoroughly piqued.
"Nothing much..." Noelle thought back. "On the first day, Mr. Takano left a huge pile of roses outside my door—it blocked the whole walkway, and dealing with the flowers made me late for work."
"On the second day, Mr. Takano came to Wanmin Restaurant and told Xiangling he wanted to buy the place. When he learned the building belonged to the Traveler, he left."
"On the third day, Mr. Takano came to the restaurant and gave me a card. He said he was sorry that he couldn't buy the restaurant and spare me from working, and that the card held the money he'd set aside to purchase it—his way of apologizing to me. Then he left. I only came to my senses afterward and had to chase him down to return the card, which took quite a bit of doing, and it cost me more work time."
"And then on the fourth day, Mr. Takano showed up at the restaurant again during the dinner rush and announced he would pay for everyone's meal. The customers ordered dish after dish that day—Xiangling and I could barely keep up."
Kaeya had been listening with great relish, but when Noelle stopped mid-story, he couldn't help pressing her. "And then?"
"Um... there is no 'and then,'" Noelle explained. "After that, Mr. Takano never did anything strange again. Xiangling was actually a little disappointed—apparently she'd been planning to teach him a lesson behind the woodshed if he interfered with Wanmin's business one more time."
"Wow, that was quick surrender," Kaeya said, shaking his head. He'd assumed Takano Hideko would hold out for at least a week. Still, call it his lucky day—at least he'd dodged that bullet.
"So he just suddenly vanished and stopped showing up?" Kaeya asked.
"Oh no, not at all. A few days later Mr. Takano appeared at the restaurant again and said he'd come to apologize to me. He said he had met a princess, and feared he could no longer ride at the ready as my knight..."
At the time, Noelle had been completely lost when she heard it—she'd had no idea what he was trying to say, and after agonizing over it for several days, she had resolved to ask him the next time they met.
Only today did she finally understand what he'd meant back then. And as she replayed Takano's idea of courtship in her mind, she found herself worrying whether the "princess" he'd spoken of would ever be able to endure his methods of pursuit.
Ah. So he's simply found a new target. No wonder he gave up so fast, Kaeya thought.
Lisa's eyes glinted. Something told her that with this Mr. Takano's taste, the "princess" who had caught his eye was likely an "old acquaintance" as well.
But the matter was already behind them, and Lisa had no intention of dwelling on it. She let her curiosity about the "princess's" identity rest after only a moment's wondering.
"Oh, right—Kaeya, haven't we reached the spot Albedo mentioned yet?" It was on Albedo's word that there was some remarkable scenery nearby that she'd dragged Noelle out here to relax in the first place.
As she'd said before—a little relaxation is good for body and soul, and she had no intention of giving up her life for her work.
"Almost there. Just a little farther ahead." Kaeya pointed off down the trail. "And as for 'getting away and unwinding'—couldn't the two of you ladies have managed that on your own? Why did you have to drag me along?"
He'd been planning to enjoy a few good drinks today, and now that plan lay in ruins.
"Ah, well, Mona's divination said that going out today would bring us a bloodbath—so naturally we needed a knight like you to protect the two of us ladies." Lisa sighed.
She had originally invited Mona along on the outing too, but before they set off, Mona had cast her water divination and declared the journey inauspicious, refusing to come.
Noelle had finally, after much coaxing, agreed to set her work aside—Lisa couldn't let the girl's trip be for nothing. So, left with no choice, she had gritted her teeth and come herself.
"...Lisa, you need someone to protect you?"
Kaeya's mouth twitched. Whatever bloodbath Mona had divined, it surely wasn't meant for Lisa—it was meant for somebody else.
"A lady never handles such things with her own hands," Lisa said, miffed.
Kaeya couldn't win the argument, so he simply conceded in silence.
A few more steps on, voices drifted from somewhere ahead.
The voices sounded familiar. Kaeya listened closely and recognized them as Suzuki Sonoko and Mouri Ran—Suzuki Sonoko's the louder of the two, currently shouting something about "the red handkerchief."
Kaeya's eyes lit up. If Mouri Ran and Suzuki Sonoko were here, then that boy Conan was bound to be nearby as well. Which meant a murder was about to happen right here. I do wonder which poor soul the Death God Conan will curse to his death today.