Not Entirely Welcome (3)
A sudden chill filled the air. Reflexively, I took two steps back from Daphne. Yet Marianne, the target of Daphne's intense gaze, stood there with an entirely unbothered expression. Daphne took a step forward, staring intently into Marianne's eyes.
"Nice to meet you. I am Daphne Epiphone."
At Daphne's greeting, Marianne gave a slight nod in return. It was almost miraculous how her stoic expression hadn't cracked in the slightest. Feeling as though Daphne might break if I left them like this, I quickly began to explain, almost as if making an excuse. How strange. Why am I breaking out in a cold sweat?
"She was sent by the Holy Church. Her name is Marianne. She's a new addition to the Hero Party, and naturally, she'll be accompanying us on our expedition."
"The Holy Church? Do you mean that bishop sent her?"
I nodded. Daphne still hadn't taken her eyes off Marianne. And Marianne still hadn't said a single word. Soon, the chill creeping out from Daphne began to dissipate, and she returned to her usual self. I watched the scene with a somewhat complicated feeling.
The Holy Sword said, her voice dripping with mockery as if enjoying my plight. What on earth did I do so wrong to deserve being told I reaped what I sowed? I let out a sigh.
"As you know, the expedition was originally supposed to have five members. Since we're down to three, the Holy Kingdom took special care to support us. They assured me her skills are guaranteed."
Daphne turned her gaze back to me and nodded. Then, her eyes fell upon the trunk in Marianne's hand, and her expression stiffened once more. ...Come to think of it, there was still one crucial detail I hadn't told Daphne yet.
"But for someone who just came to see the headquarters, she has quite a lot of luggage."
Daphne seemed to think I had brought Marianne to the headquarters merely to show her around. Her purple eyes began to tremble pitifully.
"...About that. Marianne is going to be living here at the headquarters."
Creak. Daphne slowly raised her head to look at me. Staring into those eyes, the guilt I felt was no joke. It's not like I wanted her to live here either. Daphne slowly shook her head. It was a gesture of pure denial.
"She's living here? In Elroy's house?"
"Marianne will be staying on a different floor. It's nothing strange at all—just think of her as another resident in the same apartment building."
I'm sorry, Daphne. There wasn't much I could do.
"The Holy Kingdom could have arranged separate lodging for her."
"They said finding lodging was difficult. Besides, with so little time left before we head out to face the next Calamity, they suggested we spend more time together to build teamwork. Since she's a combat specialist, she and I will likely be working closely on the front lines."
When the representative of the Holy Kingdom makes such a request, what choice do I have? I just had to comply. Daphne looked at me with resentment. Yes, resent me instead. I'll take all the resentment you want to throw at me.
If Daphne had animal ears, they would have been standing completely on end in high alert a moment ago, only to now droop despondently.
"I understand," Daphne said in a quiet, defeated voice.
She then began to walk away, as if to head back to her room. Without thinking, I reached out and gently patted the crown of her head. Daphne gasped in surprise, her head snapping up.
"See you tomorrow. Thanks for waiting for me."
Her face flushing slightly, Daphne knit her brows as she looked at me, then nodded and headed out. Her expression seemed to have softened a bit, but her silence was likely her way of showing a lingering, minimal protest. I quietly watched Daphne's retreating back as she opened the lobby door and left.
"...Well, first things first." I turned back to Marianne.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the lobby windows. Marianne's silver hair shimmered brilliantly under the warm rays.
"Let me show you around the headquarters and where you'll be staying."
"Understood," Marianne nodded.
I felt relieved that Marianne had remained silent earlier. If she had blurted out something like "I have come to serve you," I didn't even want to imagine how Daphne would have reacted or what kind of disaster would have unfolded.
I led Marianne up the stairs. This five-story building was unnecessarily massive. Even if five or six more people moved in alongside Marianne, it wouldn't feel crowded at all. During Daphne's interview, the place had easily accommodated dozens of applicants.
"Now, here on the third floor..."
The third floor was mostly empty. Guest rooms were scattered about like a guesthouse, and the only other major facility was a large bathhouse. Secretly, I hoped she would show at least a hint of admiration when I showed her the bathhouse, but Marianne merely acknowledged it with her usual flat nod.
"You can choose any room you like. They're all vacant," I said after showing her each of the rooms.
Marianne just stood in the middle of the hallway, holding her trunk with both hands, staring blankly at me. She looked exactly like a finely crafted doll.
"I will take whichever room you assign me."
...So "not disobeying orders" meant she would only move when commanded? Bishop Andre's unpleasant, slimy smile flashed through my mind. I gestured for Marianne, who was standing there with an innocent, blank expression, to follow me.
"In that case, a room near the bathhouse will be the most convenient."
"Is that so?"
"It's uncomfortable after training, right? It's tiring and annoying to pack your things and walk all the way to the bathhouse. It's much better to just wash up quickly and collapse onto your bed."
Marianne nodded soulfully. Then again, you don't look like the type of person who even sweats. I walked down the hallway and opened the door to the room right next to the bathhouse.
"You can stay here starting today. We'll begin training with the others tomorrow, so keep that in mind."
Marianne set her trunk down and nodded. The room was equipped with only the bare essentials: a bed with bedding, a small desk, a chair, and a built-in wardrobe. The space, roughly 160 square feet, didn't look particularly spacious, but it didn't feel cramped either. I gestured to Marianne, who was still standing stiffly, to sit down.
"You can relax. I won't ask you to do anything today."
Only then did Marianne walk over and sit on the bed. The fluffy, puffed-up blanket sank beneath her weight with a soft poof.
"Ah, wait. Should I show you the office first?"
Marianne stood back up with mechanical precision. Watching her move so promptly and emotionlessly made her look like a private first class responding to a senior officer's call.
"...Actually, on second thought, there's no need to rush. Let's just look at the office tomorrow."
Marianne sat back down. Her sculpted, doll-like face remained completely unruffled. Her total lack of reaction only made my guilt flare up again. I felt like I was somehow the bad guy here.
...I ignored the sadistic Holy Sword's amused voice. If it were up to her, she'd probably make Marianne stand up and sit down repeatedly just for her own amusement.
My reliable companion, of course. Answering in my mind, I glanced at the clock on the wall. The hour hand was past four. It seemed I had been unconscious for longer than I thought after wearing the Crown of Thorns.
"Rest here until dinner. I usually eat around six, so you can head down to the second-floor dining hall around then."
"Understood."
I quietly observed Marianne as she nodded. This person, whose head was severed by the protagonist in the original story... what kind of past did she have? Marianne blinked, looking back at me. Well, at least this time, she has escaped that gruesome fate.
"...You're not a vegetarian, are you?"
I suddenly remembered Bishop Andre happily munching on chickpeas. Did the Holy Church's doctrine mandate vegetarianism?
Marianne tilted her head ever so slightly, then shook it.
"No. I am not."
"See you later, then."
I said, closing the door behind me. It felt strange to think that someone else would be living in this building, which I had occupied all by myself until now. I had never cooked for two here before. Tilting my head in mild bewilderment, I slowly made my way down to the second floor.
Cooking. Honestly, my repertoire wasn't very broad. And the number of dishes I could confidently serve to others was even smaller—maybe one or two at best. Even then, I wasn't particularly confident in them.
"...Maybe I should have just suggested we go out to eat."
I frowned, staring at the soup bubbling in the pot. It tasted fine to me, but since I was the type of person who could eat practically anything, I wasn't sure if it would satisfy Marianne's palate. Judging by her appearance, she looked like she would have incredibly fastidious tastes, but considering how obedient she was, she might just eat it without a word.
The Holy Sword said mischievously. I let out a dry chuckle and shook my head.
"To be precise, she obeys my commands. It's not that she follows my words out of her own will."
"Food is the most important thing to a person. Did you know people get angrier when they aren't fed than when they're told to work overtime?"
I said, ladling some soup. Still, with the Holy Sword by my side, I never felt lonely or bored when I was alone like this.
I never said I was grateful. Stop being a coward and speak with your mouth instead of reading my mind, sword.
"...By the way, you said reading my thoughts is simple, right?"
"But you also said you can't hear every single thought?"
So she hasn't heard everything about the original story or my transmigration? Still, the Holy Sword must know to some extent. She might just be intentionally avoiding the topic. I shook my head to disperse the stray thoughts crowding my mind.
The Holy Sword added. The soup was bubbling. I took a sip to taste it, then let it simmer a bit longer. It tasted just like it always did.
When I stepped out with the food, the table was already set. Marianne had even poured water on her own and was standing by the table, waiting for me.
"How can I help you?"
I shook my head at Marianne, who had taken off her hat. "Just sit. You've already helped and prepared everything."
Of course, Marianne did not sit down until I had finished setting everything up. After waiting for her to finish a brief prayer before the meal, I slowly began to eat my soup. Stealing a glance, I saw Marianne pick up her spoon and begin eating as well. No conversation passed between us. Fatigue was starting to catch up to me, and Marianne wasn't one to initiate a conversation anyway. The only interaction between the two of us was me occasionally checking her expression, worrying if she might find the taste strange or dislike it.
Clack. As I closed my eyes for a moment after finishing my meal, I heard the sound of Marianne setting her spoon down. Fortunately, she hadn't left any food behind; her bowl was completely empty.
"...How was it?" At my cautious question, Marianne looked down at her plate and replied.
"Thank you for the meal."
With that, she stood up mechanically and began gathering the dishes one by one. As she carried them to the sink, she suddenly looked back at me and spoke.
"I will prepare breakfast tomorrow morning."
...She's taking a dig at me, isn't she?
The Holy Sword drove the nail into my coffin of anxiety.
The breakfast Marianne prepared was frustratingly delicious. It was made with incredibly simple ingredients, yet the attention to detail was on another level—from the perfect level of doneness to the exquisite balance of flavors. Once we set out on the expedition, the role of party chef was officially decided. I felt foolish for insisting on cooking yesterday.
"Here is your coffee," Marianne said, setting down a cup. The pantry was Daphne's domain, though. I hope this doesn't spark a fight between them. I closed my eyes, taking a sip of the steaming, bitter coffee.
"Elroy, I'm here. You should get ready to—" Georg, who had flung the door open and walked in, suddenly knit his brows. In Georg's hand was a luxurious envelope I had seen once before.
"Who is this now?"
"Marianne Frim. Our new companion. As you can tell by her uniform, she was sent by the Holy Kingdom."
"...Nice to meet you." Marianne merely nodded in response to Georg's greeting.
Georg turned his scowling face back to me. He looked as though he had resolved to just accept whatever absurd thing happened next.
"Regardless of that, the date for the departure ceremony has been set." Georg placed the envelope on the desk. "It's finally time to go and conquer the fourth Calamity."