Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Appeasing Lize
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"Lize, are you really that mad?"
Back in the room, I whispered that from behind Lize, who was cleaning by herself.
No, whispering isn't quite right... It was more like I just asked.
This time, I was genuinely asking if she was really that upset with me, because I was really worried.
"It was because you didn't have to come along no matter what... huh?"
"......"
Unlike this morning when she frantically called out to me in the hallway, Lize had changed back into her maid uniform and was silently, expressionlessly doing the housework.
Even though I was speaking right behind her, there was no response.
It seemed like... she was really upset because I left without a word this morning.
Of course, it wasn't like I did nothing wrong, but wasn't this a bit too much...?
I'm not some delicate flower who trips and falls while wandering alone and bursts into tears like a baby.
"Urgh..."
So how should I talk to Lize here to cheer her up a bit?
She was angrier than usual, so just poking her or striking up a conversation wouldn't cut it.
So... what method? For now, nothing came to mind.
Situations where Lize got this seriously mad were rare, and even when she did get upset... it was never to this extent.
"Lize, you're really not going to get over it?"
"...Young Lady, you're in the way of cleaning. Could you step aside for a bit?"
"Lize?"
"I'm sorry."
...Wow. No way. She's really going this far?
The usual Lize would have given in easily if I kept following her around and apologizing like this.
The Lize I knew would make an awkward face and say something like 'be more careful next time'... and that would be it.
Today's Lize definitely seemed way more upset than usual...
"Lize?"
"Liiize~?"
"Lizeeee~?"
...I kept following Lize around as she cleaned the inn room, calling her name over and over. But there were no results at all.
Unlike the usual Lize, today's Lize was so mad that... I couldn't even get a proper response.
But this room wasn't even mine to begin with—it was an inn room, so we could just ask the staff to clean it... Why was she cleaning it anyway?
Separate from being upset, her actions were so quintessentially Lize.
Seeing her like that made me feel even more sorry, and I kept worrying about what to do...
Of course, she was mad, but her expression and behavior didn't show it that obviously.
She was expressionless, but every time I spoke, her mouth would twitch open just a little, or her eyebrows would flicker... and she wasn't frowning or anything.
"......"
Observing her as I trailed behind, I became convinced.
Lize was upset right now, but not to the point where she hated me.
She was probably acting like this to make me worry about what I'd done and fix it.
Of course, it might not be intentional—just a crash after worrying about me so much.
Yeah... objectively speaking, Lize had made me worry a ton...?
From her perspective... yeah. I got it.
*
I trailed Lize for another ten minutes or so, calling her name nonstop, but she remained the same.
She still didn't respond properly to me, focusing as much as possible on the housework inside the room...
Well, now it was a situation where she couldn't anymore. Anyway, Lize was diligently putting on this act—not quite an act—to make me reflect.
"Lize."
"......"
"You're really not going to answer me?"
I asked her one last time.
Because now I was going to stop trailing her and calling out?
"Huh?"
"........"
Of course, as expected, Lize gave no reply to that.
And just like before, she kept organizing and handling the clothes in the wardrobe without turning toward me.
Lize had always been weak to my persistence. More so than I was weak to Rozalin, even.
Even after spending so much close, intimate time with her, it always took Lize forever to fall asleep when we lay in the same bed.
Surely it wouldn't be any different now that she was mad like this.
"Eek!? Ah, Young Lady...?"
Once I'd made up my mind, I hugged Lize from behind as she organized the wardrobe.
Hmm. Her waist is incredibly slim.
Lize was tall for her age among girls, and her looks were outstanding, but the best thing about her figure was her body shape.
A body that slim and elongated... was really rare.
"Why?"
Anyway, the moment I back-hugged her, Lize reacted, and I answered nonchalantly.
As if it were no big deal, just like the occasional playful hugs we'd done before.
"What is this all of a sudden..."
"You hate it? You really hate it?"
I looked up at her and asked.
With that usual expression... the one that said 'I'm so innocent~'.
I'd used it often, but because my face was so pretty and cute, it always worked.
"No, it's not..."
Even now, Lize was clearly flustered, just like always.
She could barely speak, her eyes trembling... Hehe.
Holding back a laugh, I kept hugging her.
Lize was still showing flustered expressions and reactions. She was as weak to this stuff as ever.
"You hate it...?"
"...That's not it."
"But why won't you answer me at all and keep ignoring me..."
I kept up the act, to the point where even I felt sorry for the poor girl it portrayed.
Looking up at Lize, who was much taller than me, while hugging her from behind.
"I know I was wrong... but I didn't think you'd ignore me this much, or hate me."
...Of course, doing this act didn't leave me free of self-loathing.
Even as someone who'd lived as a twenty-something adult man, I couldn't help feeling some embarrassment or worry about acting like this.
Of course...
"If you're mad, at least tell me exactly what upset you more... instead of ignoring me... That's too much."
"That wasn't my intention..."
"...I want to keep being close with Lize."
"Young Lady..."
"There's no friend as close as Lize, no one I've spent as much time with..."
Anyone hearing this would think Lize had done something terribly wrong, but actually, it was all my fault.
But me clinging completely to Lize like this and speaking pitifully...
"I'm sorry... I just..."
Naturally, Lize couldn't ignore me like before anymore.
Man... she's so easy in these situations.
"...I'm sorry."
"All better now?"
"I wasn't mad to begin with. Just... you worried me so much. So..."
"Yeah?"
"...I'm sorry."
Lize turned her head toward me, stopping her hands from organizing the wardrobe as she spoke.
It didn't even seem like she'd been ignoring me moments ago.
I always thought this, but Lize seemed so prim and proper usually, yet once you found a slight opening, she became incredibly easy to handle.
Just like now.
"So you won't ignore me anymore?"
"Yes..."
"You'll stop half-answering and respond properly from now on, right?"
"Yes..."
I kept back-hugging her, kept looking up at her, and continued talking.
Lize was still embarrassed by the situation, but I stayed like that a bit longer.
Until her face turned from red to beet red, and she told me to back off just a little.
*
"Hehehe! What do you think?"
"What?"
"I'm talking about this dress I'm wearing, obviously!"
"Ah."
By lunchtime, I'd gone out with Ella.
Naturally, Lize and Ella's maid were following behind us.
"I have to wear the academy uniform for a while once we go, so I'm making the most of it by trying on all sorts of clothes beforehand!"
"It looks pretty."
"R-Really!?"
"Ellla's cute to begin with. It suits you perfectly, even if it's plain."
I was just sincerely complimenting her.
Ella had always liked showing off or getting praise like that, and the dress she was wearing really did suit her.
"That's a cape from the Northern Region, right?"
"You knew?"
"Yeah, they make them with that pure white fur up there mostly. The quality looks amazing."
"Hohoho! Really!?"
Even now, seeing how happy she was at the praise made it enjoyable to watch.
Her pure, blank-canvas innocence was so cute.
A different kind of cuteness from Lize's, I suppose?
"Hehe."
"You think so too, since you're smiling! You don't smile much, Camellia!"
"Yeah, it looks really pretty."
A cute girl with sea-blue hair smiling brightly in a pure white dress and cape.
Anyone with normal taste would think it was pretty, cute, right?
Was it just my imagination that lots of young lords and ladies would take interest in Ella after entering the academy?
"Hmm..."
"Why are you staring like that?"
"Just 'cause Ella's so cute?"
"E-Even if you praise me that much... you're way richer than me anyway!"
"That's true."
It wasn't praise for any ulterior motive anyway.
Well, even if Ella made other friends at the academy, I wouldn't mind.
"Ella, there's a great dessert cafe nearby. Wanna go?"
"Really!?"
"Yeah, they have cakes you like and tons of great desserts."
"Let's go right now!"
After all, I'm closer to Ella and know her better, aren't I?