Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Moody Puberty Blues
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"...Hmm."
What can I say.
Puberty, secondary sexual characteristics...
"I feel kinda shitty."
It was a time when everything just made me feel off in multiple ways.
I'm not some perfect teenage girl, and while I could suppress it to some extent...
"Haa..."
Physically unavoidable, my mood was a bit... no, overall just crappy, and these bad days kept dragging on.
This summer too, especially sensitive to the heat and stressed out, and even deliberately going to the Rose Family when I could've skipped it...
Was it all because of puberty?
Well, I couldn't know every single thing happening in my body or the reasons behind my actions, so... it was just a guess.
"Ah, I crave something sweet."
I was really feeling how amazing hormones are.
"Haa... damn."
Even with nothing going on, just sitting idle, stress was piling up.
Of course, I tried my best to hold it back in front of Rozalin... but these past few days resting alone in my room... I didn't even feel properly rested.
I just kept strongly feeling this stuffiness...
"...Tch."
Something was frustrating.
Tired of just sitting in my room doing nothing, I decided to head outside.
A very impulsive decision.
But it seemed better than staying cooped up alone in my room all the time.
*
I planned to go out alone, but when I stepped out of my room, Lize happened to be passing by.
"Young Lady, may I ask what you're planning to do?"
"Just bored, so I'm heading out."
I ended up bringing Lize along too.
Well, whenever I went out, it was usually with Lize anyway.
Nothing strange about it.
"Lize."
"Yes, Young Lady."
"Does Lize handle spicy food well?"
"...Pardon?"
"No, just... you ate spicy pasta with Older Sister Karen once before. She found it super spicy. That's why I'm asking."
I hadn't even had lunch yet.
Something... fiery, something to vent this stuffiness... I wanted food like that.
"What do you think?"
"Um... I think I handle it okay. I don't eat it often, though."
"Okay, then let's go eat."
The thinking process was short, the decision quick.
Even if Lize couldn't handle it, I was going anyway; I'd just order something else for her.
And so, I decided to head with Lize to a famous restaurant in the city for spicy pasta, and off we went.
"Young Lady, if you feel cold at all, please let me know."
"Why?"
"I've packed a scarf and gloves in my bag... just in case..."
"Ah."
I hadn't understood why Lize brought her bag.
So that's the reason?
It was winter, so I got why Lize was concerned...
"I'm fine. Personally, it's refreshingly cool right now. No need for a scarf or gloves."
I didn't feel like wearing them now.
Staying cooped up at home felt stifling... and the south has mild weather even in winter anyway.
"Hmm..."
"What's wrong, Young Lady?"
"Nothing. It's nothing."
Was it because I was really feeling puberty in every way?
Suddenly, I wondered if Lize had gone through puberty when she was my age.
At least to me, Lize always seemed... normally like Lize.
No sudden behavior changes, no snappiness... she was just always the same Lize, especially so.
"Lize... umm... never mind."
"?"
"It's nothing."
I thought about asking for a second, but decided not to.
It felt like advertising 'I'm in puberty!' too blatantly?
Even if I was in puberty now, I hadn't snapped at anyone on purpose yet.
Sighing and feeling frustrated only happened alone in my room; I never showed it to the other servants or mansion staff.
Of course, a few days ago during menstruation...
"Hmm."
I decided not to think about menstruation.
Just thinking about it made my mood plummet.
-Step, step...
Like that, Lize and I walked alone to the restaurant I'd set as our destination.
[Moon, Stars, and Restaurant]
"Young Lady, is this the place?"
"Yeah. What do you think? The interior looks nice, right?"
"Yes, it seems decent. Compared to that expensive place we went before with the ridiculous decor... definitely better."
"I didn't know about it either, but a southern businessman recommended it."
Lize and I were chatting like that in front of the restaurant.
I don't go out much unless it's business, but occasionally Lize and I scout good eats.
I wasn't showing it, but I had some expectations for this place—maybe even spicier and tastier than the pasta with Karen before.
"Shall we head in then?"
"Yes."
With those hopes in my chest, I reached for the restaurant door...
-Clunk.
To open it...?
-Clunk...! Clunk!
"........"
It wouldn't open.
I'm not that weak; no way I couldn't open this.
"...Young Lady. There's a small notice on the side."
"Yeah...?"
Following Lize's words, I looked at the notice just above the door handle I'd been gripping.
Not just any notice—it was one saying they couldn't open today due to an emergency.
"........"
I get it.
Running your own business, stuff happens, and you can't open sometimes.
I've had to reschedule meetings for business reasons too...
I understand... in theory...
"Damn..."
"Young Lady...?"
"Lize!"
"Y-Yes... Young Lady..."
"...Let's find somewhere else."
...My mood soured even more.
Just because the one place I wanted to go was closed.
"Tch..."
It really wasn't something to get this upset over.
My mood was so bad... I started stomping my feet as I walked.
"Young Lady, if we go a bit further from here, there's that restaurant you really enjoyed before..."
"Let's go there."
"......."
"...Sorry, let's go there."
I snapped at Lize without meaning to.
It wasn't anger at Lize at all, and it wasn't her fault anyway.
I just blurted it out unconsciously.
Of course, I apologized right after.
...Hormones really are scary.
For real.
*
Lize and I went into that nearby restaurant and ordered two pastas and some French fries as a side.
I asked for extra pepper on the pasta, stronger seasoning than usual.
Even with the fries, I slathered on more sauce than normal... overall, a meal different from my usual.
"Huu..."
"How is it...?"
"Yeah, delicious. Good choice coming here."
It wasn't a spicy pasta specialist, but they handled arrabbiata pasta decently.
Maybe not as good as the original place, but I had a satisfying lunch.
In the end, eating this tasty food lifted my spirits for sure.
A total different vibe and mood from just 30 minutes ago.
"Right, Lize?"
"Yes, it's delicious."
"Heh heh heh..."
Ah.
I feel really good now.
In my past life, I never got why high school or middle school girls loved spicy food all the time.
Now, it kinda makes sense.
It's spicy for sure, but every bite lifts the mood a bit.
Really...
"Huu... Should I buy a field and grow only spicy ingredients?"
My mood was so, so, so, so good that I even thought that.
"Young Lady."
"No overspending?"
"Yes."
"But one field isn't hard."
"Still..."
"Ah, no. We've already given Niesista plenty of fields, so maybe ask them to grow a few more crops there..."
That should settle it, right?
Just grow tons of spicy stuff like peppers, black pepper, sansho, mustard.
Sell spicy foods little by little in Niesista Territory, especially to the Adventurer's Guild, build fame slowly...
Expand the business like that...
"...Young Lady, how about business planning at home?"
"Yeah?"
"Yes, and didn't you say you wouldn't until after Academy graduation?"
"That's true, but a good idea just hit me."
And my mood improved too.
Truth is, after wrapping up most business lately, I've had nothing to do... so yeah, time to plan new ones...
Couldn't help it.
"Hmm..."
For now, as Lize said, I dropped the business thoughts and looked at her.
Lize quietly eating her cream pasta.
She'd grown taller than before, and even prettier.
When we first met, Lize was a bit taller than me, but not giving off that clear older-sister vibe... lately, she definitely did sometimes.
"Hmm..."
"Young Lady?"
"Lize, how tall are you now?"
So I got curious.
I'm not even 150 yet, let alone 160, so height differences are hard for me to gauge.
"Um... Probably early 160s, I think."
"Definitely around Mother's height."
"Yes, probably."
Somehow... she felt taller than I thought.
Of course, I'd always known Lize had great proportions and was tall, but knowing the exact number...
Made her seem even taller.
"Hmm..."
"Is something wrong...? Any issues..."
"No issue. Yeah. Lize being tall isn't a problem."
It just bugged me how tiny I seemed compared to Lize's height.
Now that puberty and secondary sexual characteristics were kicking in properly... I had slight hopes of shooting up from my current height to match Lize.
Looking at my current height and growth rate so far, it didn't seem likely...
"Sigh..."