Chapter 609: Rachel's Situation
Chapter 609: Rachel's Situation
“Oh, what do I do! What do I do! What do I do!”
“Elder Sister, please calm down. If we get ready quickly now…”
“That’s not the problem right now!”
“Huh? No, I mean, if you’re late, the right thing to do is hurry up and go.”
“That’s not it! It’s not that!”
The Elder Sister stomped her feet in frustration, looking at me as if she couldn’t believe I didn’t understand.
But no matter how you sliced it, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Just a moment ago, she herself was shouting about being late, so what did she mean by reacting as if being late wasn’t the problem anymore?
“Don’t you get it?! Leaving early like that yesterday, and then showing up late today in the same clothes…!”
Ah, ahh… Only after she said that did I finally realize why she was reacting this way.
In other words, while being late was a problem, the fallout from being late was the bigger issue.
People would definitely whisper behind her back.
But things like this can happen when you’re living your life. It’s not strange for two grown adults to have a relationship. Especially in this world.
Well, not that we actually slept together last night.
In any case, she was an Elder Sister who was subtly… or rather, blatantly inexperienced with romance.
“…Should I go with you and be your shield?”
Having grasped the situation, I felt a little pleased, but I kept my inner thoughts from showing on my face as I made the suggestion.
Just my being at the guide’s desk alone yesterday had caused such a commotion, so I calculated that if I went with her, the attention would be focused more on me than on her.
“D-Don’t do that! It’ll just be even more embarrassing!”
But she waved her hands frantically, as if begging me to stop.
It seemed my suggestion was just as embarrassing to her.
“Embarrassing… Am I embarrassing to you, Elder Sister?!”
Her flustered expression was so cute that I couldn’t help but tease her, just like I do with my girls.
“N-No! Th-That’s not it! That’s not what I meant!”
Honestly, I regretted it the moment I said it, but thankfully, she fell for my prank completely.
To be honest, yesterday she was the one clinging to me openly inside the Guild, so I couldn’t have predicted how she’d react.
It seemed that yesterday, she had been so relieved to see me safe that she’d acted that way without caring who was watching.
In any case, seeing her reaction gave me a boost of confidence, and I decided to press my advantage.
“Then what is it! I wouldn’t mind at all if rumors like that spread about us! No! In fact, I’ll take the lead and spread them even more…!”
“Kyaaah! Kyaaaah! I-I told you to stop! Are you going to take responsibility?!”
“Huh? No. I was planning on taking responsibility from the start.”
She seemed to have blurted that out without much thought, but for my part, the question of taking responsibility was what I found baffling.
Our relationship was already at a stage where I was trying to coax her into letting me take responsibility, and she was the one refusing.
So I ended up answering with a straight face, purely out of reflex, which seemed to have an effect on her as well.
“Th-…! Ughhh! Ughhh!”
She stomped her feet even more fiercely than before and glared at me as if I were the most annoying person in the world.
She was clearly angry, just like yesterday, but unlike yesterday, it wasn’t scary at all. No. If anything, it was cute.
But that didn’t mean I could keep teasing her.
I still hadn’t finished explaining what happened yesterday.
“Alright, alright. Don’t glare at me like that. First, you need to get ready for work, right? You go wash up and get ready, Elder Sister. I’ll go and have a carriage prepared.”
I decided to take a step back for now. With that, I left her room.
Then, to get the carriage ready, I headed straight for the dining hall where Vanessa would be.
“Vanes—! Let me just say. It’s a misunderstanding.”
The moment I entered the dining hall, I immediately grasped the situation from the icy glares I could feel from all directions.
Looking at the table, it seemed they had all finished their meal, yet they had deliberately waited here for me.
To think they predicted I’d come here. Clever.
“I haven’t said anything yet.”
“All of you are talking with your eyes! It’s true! If you don’t believe me, Leia can smell me herself! Anyway, Vanessa! Elder Sister Rachel is… Leia?! Are you really going to smell me?!”
Acting weak would only invite more misunderstanding. I deliberately came on strong as I spoke, then tried to get back to my original purpose of asking Vanessa for a favor.
But before I could, Leia smoothly rose from her seat and began to approach me.
“Hm? Hehe. No. I believe you, Guwon.”
But contrary to my expectation, Leia approached me with a warm smile.
“Then why are you coming over to me…?”
“But, it would be a waste to miss such a perfect chance to cling to you.”
She then brought her lips to my ear, which was filled with confusion, and whispered an angelic answer before wrapping her arms tightly around my body.
An angel. There’s an angel right here.
“Wait! Leia! That’s cheating!”
“Hm? I’m just smelling him, you know? Mmm. It seems nothing really happened. Just a tight hug.”
…Dear angel. Are you actually smelling me right now?
I feel this every time, but it gets a little scary whenever she’s this accurate.
It’s a good thing this ability belongs to an angel.
“Liar! I heard you whispering!”
Sara, with her sharp ears, must have heard Leia’s whisper again, because she shouted and rushed toward me.
“Hey. Why are you clinging to me now?”
“What?! It’s okay for Leia but not for me?!”
“N-No. I was just going to say, if you’re going to hug me, hug me a little tighter… Ouchouchouch! It hurts! It hurts!”
“Honestly, this idiot. The moment he feels Leia’s chest, he gets all goofy.”
“Sara, you’re being just as unfair!”
“That’s right! That’s right!”
I was the one who wanted to complain, but I ended up being the one complained about.
Whatever. That’s not what’s important right now.
Seeing Sara clinging to me, Diana was about to cling to me out of jealousy, and seeing that, Matilda subtly tried to join in as well. I gave up trying to stop them.
I just accepted all of them as they clung to me and fixed my gaze on Vanessa.
Ah, before that, Silvia. You don’t have to get swept up by everyone else and try to cling to me, too.
So you don’t have to approach me with a look on your face like you’re prepared to die. You silly girl.
Especially after what you went through just a little while ago.
No. I’m not sure if “went through” is the right way to describe it.
“Anyway, Vanessa. Elder Sister Rachel overslept. It seems she’s late for work, so could you prepare a carriage in advance? Oh, and if you could, please pack something simple to eat on the way.”
“……”
Despite my request, Vanessa just stared at me intently without responding.
“Vanessa?”
“…Understood.”
Only after I called her name a second time did Vanessa nod, turn on her heel, and exit the dining hall.
Was she actually jealous?
No. Hey. Miss Butler. My misunderstanding should have been cleared up by Leia’s comment just now, so what’s with that reaction?
I mean, I’m happy that you’re jealous, but still.
While harboring an indescribable feeling about Vanessa’s reaction, I felt a sense of accomplishment at having gotten the job done and decided to grab a bite to eat.
“…So. Why did you come with me, Guwon…?”
A little time passed, and now we were in the carriage.
I was riding with Elder Sister Rachel on our way to the Guild.
She was looking at me with an expression that seemed to hold a hint of resentment, as I had insisted on coming along even though she’d clearly told me not to.
But within that expression, I could also glimpse a faint trace of joy, which was also cute.
So, despite her words, she wasn’t entirely against me coming along.
“Because I still haven’t finished explaining what happened yesterday.”
“That… it’s fine now. It was my fault for misunderstanding, anyway.”
“No, I can’t accept that. How is that your fault, Elder Sister? It’s my fault for creating the misunderstanding. Anyone would have thought the same thing in that situation, you know?”
“……”
“To be honest, a lot has been going on lately, so it’s been a while since I last slept with Diana. So yesterday, since I was finally getting to sleep with her after so long, I was anxious not to disappoint her. That’s why I was in such a rush and dragged you along without explaining properly. I’m sorry.”
As I apologized, she made a face that seemed slightly disappointed, yet at the same time, resigned as if there was nothing to be done.
“…But if that’s the case, instead of taking me with you, couldn’t you have just parted ways there?”
But while saying that, she also seemed to be expecting something, asking me the question with a look that was almost pleading.
Of course, I had already prepared an answer that would satisfy her.
“Well, you see. I didn’t want to disappoint Diana, but at the same time, I wanted to be with you for even just a little longer. It’s not like I’d be alone with Diana the moment I got home anyway. I wanted to have dinner together and spend time like that. Of course, that doesn’t change the fact that I was in the wrong. So, I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”
“……”
As I spoke, slowly stroking her hand, she lowered her head and remained silent for a long time.
“Elder Sister?”
Growing a little anxious at her lack of response, I called her name again, knowing it might sound like I was rushing her.
Of course, she still didn’t answer.
“Elder Sister?”
With her still not responding no matter how many times I called, I grew even more anxious and finally leaned down to try and peek at her face from below.
But even that was blocked by her two hands and ended in failure.
And after covering my face—my eyes, to be exact—with her hands, she suddenly raised her voice as if flustered.
“Aah! V-Vanessa! This is fine! Please stop here!”
Her tone made it feel a little like she was doing it on purpose, though.
“Ma’am? But we still have a little further to go to reach the Guild.”
“Th-That’s… everyone knows Guwon lives with Lady Diana, so riding all the way there in this carriage is… A-Anyway, this is fine! I’ll walk from here!”
“…Yes. Understood.”
At the Elder Sister’s request, the quick-witted Vanessa seemed to have grasped the situation and stopped the carriage. The Elder Sister then got out without even looking at me, her face turned away.
“Well then, I’m off! Thank you for the ride!”
“Huh? Wait! Elder Sister! Did you forgive me for yester—!”
“See you next time! Guwon, you absolutely! Absolutely must not follow me!”
I hastily called out to stop her, trying to confirm if she had accepted my apology, but she just shouted that and vanished from my sight in an instant.
Telling me not to follow her. I mean, if I did follow her, it would obviously draw a lot of attention, so that makes sense.
…That is what she meant by telling me not to follow, right?
“She did accept my apology, right?”
“…Do not ask me.”
The only answer to my muttering was Vanessa’s voice, which sounded even stiffer than usual.
But seeing Vanessa’s reaction, I was able to relax a little.
Her reacting this way also meant that things went well with Elder Sister Rachel.
My eyes had been covered, so I couldn’t see Elder Sister Rachel’s reaction, but it seems that from Vanessa’s perspective, at least, things had gone well.
“Hey. What’s with you now? Are you jealous?”
Relieved, I brought my face to the small window leading to the driver’s seat and decided to tease Vanessa on the way back.
“Hah.”
“Oh? That was a big reaction for you. I guess it’s true then? Stop the carriage for a second.”
“I refuse.”
“Come on, don’t be like that. Let me come sit in the driver’s seat.”
“Do not come. It is crowded.”
“There she goes, pretending she doesn’t want to. You know you’d like it.”
“You will be in the way.”
“Don’t be like that, just stop, will you? If you don’t, I’ll just come over to the driver’s seat as we are. It could get dangerous, you know?”
“If you know it is dangerous, then please stay still.”
“Alright, I’m coming over n—.”
Crack!
Just as I actually opened the carriage door and tried to cross over to the driver’s seat, Vanessa swung the whip she was holding with great force.
Naturally, the carriage sped up, and having opened the door, I was nearly thrown out.
Of course, it’s not like I’m fragile enough to get hurt by something like that.
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
Still, when I protested, Vanessa let out a deep sigh and brought the carriage to a halt.
There we go. That’s more like it. She actually likes it, too.
I took the opportunity to get out of the carriage and move to the driver’s seat, but before I could, Vanessa turned her head and looked at me through the small window.
“The driver’s seat is crowded. You will be in the way. Please behave.”
“…Yes, ma’am.”
It seemed Vanessa was being completely serious.
Sorry. I guess I got too excited that things went well with Elder Sister Rachel.