TranslatorCorner
Minasan oideyasu. This is Yukkuri demasu!
Today is a day of many release.
Also, I want to try a new thing!
CLICK THE b.u.t.tON!
DISCLAIMER: There is noguarantee that my translation is 100% correct. Please correct me if I waswrong.
Author:
Dozeumaru(どぜう丸)
Translator:
Yukkuri Oniisan
Editor:
SMS
CLICK ME!
Enlightenment Arc
Chapter 5 As a Person D
Call me Ishmael. Some yearsago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, andnothing particular to interest me on sh.o.r.e, I thought I would sail about alittle and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving offthe spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grimabout the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever Ifind myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up therear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such anupper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me fromdeliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people"s hatsoff—then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is mysubst.i.tute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himselfupon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising inthis. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other,cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.
There now is your insular city ofthe Manhattoes, belted round by wharves as Indian isles by coral reefs—commercesurrounds it with her surf. Right and left, the streets take you waterward. Itsextreme downtown is the battery, where that n.o.ble mole is washed by waves, andcooled by breezes, which a few hours previous were out of sight of land. Lookat the crowds of water-gazers there.
Circ.u.mambulate the city of adreamy Sabbath afternoon. Go from Corlears Hook to Coenties Slip, and fromthence, by Whitehall, northward. What do you see?—Posted like silent sentinelsall around the town, stand thousands upon thousands of mortal men fixed inocean reveries. Some leaning against the spiles; some seated upon thepier-heads; some looking over the bulwarks of ships from China; some high aloftin the rigging, as if striving to get a still better seaward peep. But theseare all landsmen; of week days pent up in lath and plaster—tied to counters,nailed to benches, clinched to desks. How then is this? Are the green fieldsgone? What do they here?
But look! here come more crowds,pacing straight for the water, and seemingly bound for a dive. Strange! Nothingwill content them but the extremest limit of the land; loitering under theshady lee of yonder warehouses will not suffice. No. They must get just as nighthe water as they possibly can without falling in. And there they stand—milesof them—leagues. Inlanders all, they come from lanes and alleys, streets andavenues—north, east, south, and west. Yet here they all unite. Tell me, doesthe magnetic virtue of the needles of the compa.s.ses of all those ships attractthem thither?
Once more. Say you are in thecountry; in some high land of lakes. Take almost any path you please, and tento one it carries you down in a dale, and leaves you there by a pool in thestream. There is magic in it. Let the most absent-minded of men be plunged inhis deepest reveries—stand that man on his legs, set his feet going, and hewill infallibly lead you to water, if water there be in all that region. Shouldyou ever be athirst in the great American desert, try this experiment, if yourcaravan happen to be supplied with a metaphysical professor. Yes, as every oneknows, meditation and water are wedded for ever.
But here is an artist. He desiresto paint you the dreamiest, shadiest, quietest, most enchanting bit of romanticlandscape in all the valley of the Saco. What is the chief element he employs?There stand his trees, each with a hollow trunk, as if a hermit and a crucifixwere within; and here sleeps his meadow, and there sleep his cattle; and upfrom yonder cottage goes a sleepy smoke. Deep into distant woodlands winds amazy way, reaching to overlapping spurs of mountains bathed in their hill-sideblue. But though the picture lies thus tranced, and though this pine-treeshakes down its sighs like leaves upon this shepherd"s head, yet all were vain,unless the shepherd"s eye were fixed upon the magic stream before him. Go visitthe Prairies in June, when for scores on scores of miles you wade knee-deepamong Tiger-lilies—what is the one charm wanting?—Water—there is not a drop ofwater there! Were Niagara but a cataract of sand, would you travel yourthousand miles to see it? Why did the poor poet of Tennessee, upon suddenlyreceiving two handfuls of silver, deliberate whether to buy him a coat, whichhe sadly needed, or invest his money in a pedestrian trip to Rockaway Beach?Why is almost every robust healthy boy with a robust healthy soul in him, atsome time or other crazy to go to sea? Why upon your first voyage as apa.s.senger, did you yourself feel such a mystical vibration, when first toldthat you and your ship were now out of sight of land? Why did the old Persianshold the sea holy? Why did the Greeks give it a separate deity, and own brotherof Jove? Surely all this is not without meaning. And still deeper the meaningof that story of Narcissus, who because he could not grasp the tormenting, mildimage he saw in the fountain, plunged into it and was drowned. But that sameimage, we ourselves see in all rivers and oceans. It is the image of theungraspable phantom of life; and this is the key to it all.
Now, when I say that I am in thehabit of going to sea whenever I begin to grow hazy about the eyes, and beginto be over conscious of my lungs, I do not mean to have it inferred that I evergo to sea as a pa.s.senger. For to go as a pa.s.senger you must needs have a purse,and a purse is but a rag unless you have something in it. Besides, pa.s.sengersget sesick—grow quarrelsome—don"t sleep of nights—do not enjoy themselvesmuch, as a general thing;—no, I never go as a pa.s.senger; nor, though I amsomething of a salt, do I ever go to sea as a Commodore, or a Captain, or aCook. I abandon the glory and distinction of such offices to those who likethem. For my part, I abominate all honorable respectable toils, trials, and
tribulations of every kind whatsoever. It is quite as much as I can do to takecare of myself, without taking care of ships, barques, brigs, schooners, andwhat not. And as for going as cook,—though I confess there is considerableglory in that, a cook being a sort of officer on ship-board—yet, somehow, Inever fancied broiling fowls;—though once broiled, judiciously b.u.t.tered, andjudgmatically salted and peppered, there is no one who will speak morerespectfully, not to say reverentially, of a broiled fowl than I will. It isout of the idolatrous dotings of the old Egyptians upon broiled ibis androasted river horse, that you see the mummies of those creatures in their hugebake-houses the pyramids.
No, when I go to sea, I go as asimple sailor, right before the mast, plumb down into the forecastle, aloftthere to the royal mast-head. True, they rather order me about some, and makeme jump from spar to spar, like a gra.s.shopper in a May meadow. And at first,this sort of thing is unpleasant enough. It touches one"s sense of honor,particularly if you come of an old established family in the land, the VanRensselaers, or Randolphs, or Hardicanutes. And more than all, if just previousto putting your hand into the tar-pot, you have been lording it as a countryschoolmaster, making the tallest boys stand in awe of you. The transition is akeen one, I a.s.sure you, from a schoolmaster to a sailor, and requires a strongdecoction of Seneca and the Stoics to enable you to grin and bear it. But eventhis wears off in time.
What of it, if some old hunks ofa secaptain orders me to get a broom and sweep down the decks? What does thatindignity amount to, weighed, I mean, in the scales of the New Testament? Doyou think the archangel Gabriel thinks anything the less of me, because Ipromptly and respectfully obey that old hunks in that particular instance? Whoain"t a slave? Tell me that. Well, then, however the old secaptains may orderme about—however they may thump and punch me about, I have the satisfaction ofknowing that it is all right; that everybody else is one way or other served inmuch the same way—either in a physical or metaphysical point of view, that is;and so the universal thump is pa.s.sed round, and all hands should rub eachother"s shoulder-blades, and be content.
Again, I always go to sea as asailor, because they make a point of paying me for my trouble, whereas theynever pay pa.s.sengers a single penny that I ever heard of. On the contrary,pa.s.sengers themselves must pay. And there is all the difference in the worldbetween paying and being paid. The act of paying is perhaps the mostuncomfortable infliction that the two orchard thieves entailed upon us. Butbeing paid,—what will compare with it? The urbane activity with which a manreceives money is really marvellous, considering that we so earnestly believemoney to be the root of all earthly ills, and that on no account can a moniedman enter heaven. Ah! how cheerfully we consign ourselves to perdition!
Finally, I always go to sea as asailor, because of the wholesome exercise and pure air of the fore-castle deck.For as in this world, head winds are far more prevalent than winds from astern(that is, if you never violate the Pythagorean maxim), so for the most part theCommodore on the quarter-deck gets his atmosphere at second hand from thesailors on the forecastle. He thinks he breathes it first; but not so. In muchthe same way do the commonalty lead their leaders in many other things, at thesame time that the leaders little suspect it. But wherefore it was that afterhaving repeatedly smelt the sea as a merchant sailor, I should now take it intomy head to go on a whaling voyage; this the invisible police officer of theFates, who has the constant surveillance of me, and secretly dogs me, andinfluences me in some unaccountable way—he can better answer than any one else.And, doubtless, my going on this whaling voyage, formed part of the grandprogramme of Providence that was drawn up a long time ago. It came in as a sortof brief interlude and solo between more extensive performances. I take it thatthis part of the bill must have run something like this:
“Grand Contested Election for thePresidency of the United States. “WHALING VOYAGE BY ONE ISHMAEL. “b.l.o.o.d.y BATTLEIN AFFGHANISTAN.”
Though I cannot tell why it wasexactly that those stage managers, the Fates, put me down for this shabby partof a whaling voyage, when others were set down for magnificent parts in hightragedies, and short and easy parts in genteel comedies, and jolly parts infarces—though I cannot tell why this was exactly; yet, now that I recall allthe circ.u.mstances, I think I can see a little into the springs and motiveswhich being cunningly presented to me under various disguises, induced me toset about performing the part I did, besides cajoling me into the delusion thatit was a choice resulting from my own unbiased freewill and discriminatingjudgment.
Chief among these motives was theoverwhelming idea of the great whale himself. Such a portentous and mysteriousmonster roused all my curiosity. Then the wild and distant seas where he rolledhis island bulk; the undeliverable, nameless perils of the whale; these, withall the attending marvels of a thousand Patagonian sights and sounds, helped tosway me to my wish. With other men, perhaps, such things would not have beeninducements; but as for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for thingsremote. I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts. Notignoring what is good, I am quick to perceive a horror, and could still besocial with it—would they let me—since it is but well to be on friendly termswith all the inmates of the place one lodges in.
By reason of these things, then,the whaling voyage was welcome; the great flood-gates of the wonder-world swungopen, and in the wild conceits that swayed me to my purpose, two and two therefloated into my inmost soul, endless processions of the whale, and, mid most ofthem all, one grand hooded phantom, like a snow hill in the air.
It was nightfall by the time the audiencewith Mary was concluded. Roroa and Junsan welcomed us when we returned to theoffice room. I also could see Carla in her maid uniform at the corner of theroom.
「Welcomeback Darling…… Eh, did something happen?」(Roroa)
「Ano,what happened, Your Majesty?」(Juna)
Though both welcomed us with smilingat first, they became worried the moment they noticed my expression. Ahaha, surely my face looks horrible rightnow…… May be it really does. Junsan touched my forehead with her cold andsoft hand.
「There’sno fever…… But, are you feeling unwell? Would you like to rest for a while?」(Juna)
「Wait,Cinee! What happened to Darling!?」(Roroa)
「E-evenif you ask me, I also don’t know!」(Liscia)
Just as Roroa pressed Liscia foran answer, I replied, 「No…… I’m alright」, and gently brushed Junsan’s hand aside, before sittingdown on my “desk”. And then,
「Sorry.Liscia, Aisha, Junsan, Roroa…… Come over here.」
I beckoned my fiancées closer. Thefour of them exchanged glances and then slowly approached me. When they stood closeenough by my side, I wrapped them all together in a hug.
「Hyah?」(Liscia)
「What!?」(Aisha)
「Aw……」(Juna)
「W,Darling!」(Roroa)
All four of them yelped, but I kepthugging them without minding it. From a distance, this would look like a teamhuddle, so there would be nothing romantic about it. Even so, I could feel theirwarmth…… I finally calmed myself down. After a minute or so, I released them. Whilemending her disheveled clothing, Liscia asked with a hint of anger.
「…… Youbetter explain what’s going on, okay?」(Liscia)
I was glad that behind her angrytone, there was a heart that genuinely cared about me.
「Yes.I shall explain everything.」(Souma)
「Souma,you became like this after the last conversation with the Holy Maiden, right?Did something happen?」(Liscia)
「…… Ifelt… a sense of discomfort, the whole time during the audience.」(Souma)
「Senseof discomfort?.」(Liscia)
I nodded.
「WhenI saw Mary for the first time, I thought that she was pretty. But at the sametime, I felt that something was strange. She should have come across as a very attractivegirl, yet I couldn’t bring myself to see her that way.」(Souma)
「But,from her appearance, she looks like a beautiful girl in my eyes.」(Hakuya)
Hakuya said so. Yeah, perhaps, otherpeople wouldn’t able to notice it.
「I alsodidn’t notice at first. However, the moment I thought that this emotionless girl’sface is 『Like a Doll』, or perhaps I should say, 『seemsartificial』, I noticed the true cause of that sense ofdiscomfort. She…… resembled someone.」(Souma)
「Resembledsomeone? Who?」(Liscia)
Liscia ask me, and so I pointedmy fingers at her.
「You.Liscia.」(Souma)
「M-me!?」(Liscia)
「Yes.Furthermore, Aisha and Roroa too.」(Souma)
「Eh,really?」(Aisha)
「Metoo?」(Roroa)
Upon hearing my answer, Aisha andRoroa stared at each other face. I then turned my attention to Hakuya.
「Hakuya.How you would describe Mary’s appearance to someone who was not in the AudienceRoom?」(Souma)
「…… Let’ssee. A well proportioned face. Silver hair, braided into two……Wh-!?」(Hakuya)
Hakuya widened his eyes, so heseemed to notice it too. I then let out a sigh.
「Forme, I will describe her like this. Her well proportioned face resembles Liscia.Her silver hair is reminiscent of Aisha’s Dark Elvish characteristics. Herhairstyle is similar to that of Roroa. In other words, Mary"s appearance seemsto be a composite of features from Liscia, Aisha, and Roroa.」(Souma)
「Li-likeus!?」(Liscia)
Yeah. The reason why I did not getcharmed by her at all, even though she was a such beauty, perhaps because my faceperception processing gave off a red flag. If one day, Aisha suddenly had ahuman face, then I would be surprised. If Liscia or Roroa’s hair became silverthen it would be natural if I felt uncomfortable. Then, Aisha tilted her head.
「Waita moment. If she has our characteristics, then where is Junsan’s part? Herbody appearance is also average, right?」(Aisha)
「That’sit!」(Souma)
I slapped my knee, as I realizedsomething.
「Judgingfrom her look, Mary doesn’t have any resemblance to Junsan. Though perhaps, onlyher big black eyes are similar to Junsan, but as a characteristic, this istoo weak. Then, what is the difference between Junsan and the other three?」(Souma)
「I amthe only candidate as a Royal Consort. And…… it is only my engagement which stillhas yet to be announced to public.」(Juna)
I nodded at Junsan’s reply.
「For Liscia,Aisha, and Roroa, their engagements have already had been announced to public,but out of consideration for Junsan’s activities as 『SongPrincess』, Junsan’s engagement hasn’t been announced yet. That’swhy no one knows that Junsan is my fiancée. Following that, if we considerthat the dispatched Holy Maiden possesses the characteristics of my fiancées,excluding Junsan, and the active movement of the Orthodoxy State’s spies inthe Capital, we could speculate that what the spies gathered was informationabout my fiancées’ appearance. It was so that they could send a girl as theHoly Maiden that matched my preferences, or at least won’t be disliked by me.」(Souma)
「Souma,then.......」(Liscia)
「Yeah……Do you remember what Mary said, when I mentioned whether she was here 『tooffer herself as a bride』?」(Souma)
『If YourHighness Holy King desires so, you may do whatever you please to me.』
Mary replied without any objections.To send a girl who matched my preference, and that girl said, 『Youmay do whatever you please to me』. And then, as quid pro quo, in exchange for her, theOrthodoxy State could try to press on their demand. In other words, for theOrthodoxy State, the Holy Maiden was
「Somethingsimilar to national scale honey trap.」(Souma)
「Whatthey attempted is similar to how the n.o.bles try to peddle their own daughters……」(Liscia)
Liscia spoke in astonishment.Truly, for a country governed by clergymen, this was a vulgar doing. As anation, the Orthodoxy State is just as worldly as any other country.
「AfterI noticed the true cause of the sense of discomfort…… I asked Mary about howshe was selected as a Holy Maiden, and she gave a very thorough and detailedexplanation.」(Souma)
It seemed that the Holy Maiden ofthe Orthodoxy State was chosen from among the nuns who work in the Central Churchby an “oracle” from the Moon Stele 『Lunaris』. It seemed that most of the nuns were originally orphans.They numbered around 50 people. Perhaps, they were trying to have a diversestock of Holy Maiden candidates for the rulers they wanted to ensnare. At the CentralChurch, a place separated from the secular world, the nuns received theirtraining and were raised into obedient believers of the doctrine. And when theycome to a certain age without being chosen as a Holy Maiden, it seemed that theywould be dispatched as Priestesses to various churches.
「Thisis…… a horrible story, isn’t it?」(Aisha)
Aisha spoke up.
「Doesn’tthat mean they are like real dolls? That they have no free will at all?」(Aisha)
「No,no, Ai-nee. I’ve heard worse stories.」(Roroa)
Aisha found this unacceptable,but Roroa had a different opinion.
「Nomatter what the country is, a proper orphanage is difficult to operate. Afterall, even when the children reached the working age, without any education, theywould end up as cheap manual labor. A place that teaches reading, writing, and basicarithmetic is rare. Especially for women who come from the orphanage…… There aremany who have no choice but to sell their own body. If they could escape fromthis circ.u.mstance by living in the church so that they can have enough food,clothing, and shelter, then for the person themselves, this would be happiness,right?」(Roroa)
「Evenso! They are being raised to become tributes to rulers of other countries as HolyMaidens!」(Aisha)
「Calmdown, Ai-nee. I also find it unpleasant like you do, but using children in marriageis something that is common practice for any n.o.ble or Knight House. Even I…… Ialso use myself for political reason.」(Roroa)
「Rorodono.」(Aisha)
「Besides,in her story there are several Holy Maidens. In other words, there are othernuns who experience the same story. It would be pitiful to call the Holy Maidenas a tribute, but if they were handed to a ruler, they are marrying into wealthand status. Just like me, who used myself for political reason, am perfectly happy,whether or not they are happy or sorrowful is not something that can be decidedby another person.」(Roroa)
Roroa gave her honest answer.Really…… She is a strong girl.
「Ialso agree with what Roroa has said. Although I don’t find this method agreeable,I have no complaints with the system itself.」(Souma)
「Then……why does your face have such a horrible look?」(Liscia)
Liscia asked me and put her handson my forehead.
「Whatshocked me…… was the fact that Mary accepted that “I am a Holy Maiden” and completelyembraced everything about it.」(Souma)
◇ ◇ ◇
At the end of the audience, Iasked Mary something which had been bothering my mind.
「Mary-dono,don’t you have any problem with being treated as the Holy Maiden? To suddenly becomeburdened with the country"s prestige, to stand in front a king of anothercountry, and then to a.s.sure that king 『youmay do whatever you please to me』. This burden is too much to bear for a single person,even more so for a mere normal girl; this will be utterly unbearable. Isn’tthis way of life too grueling?」(Souma)
In response to my question, Maryanswered while smiling.
「I havebeen graciously bestowed with the position of Holy Maiden by the Lunarisama’sWill. The Holy Maiden is the face of the Orthodoxy State. I, who had beenbestowed with that duty, rather than my own sentiment, I would like to carry outmy duty as the Holy Maiden that has been conferred to me. Not just for mycountry, but also for the people.」(M)
「……Areyou forsaking yourself for others’ sake?」(Souma)
「Isn’tthis a natural obligation for those who have received a higher honor than otherpeople? Does Your Majesty Souma as a Great King not understand this?」(M)
「.........」(Souma)
「 To live according to other people’s expectations, Ithink, is an extremely magnificent and wonderful way of living. I am willing todevote myself for the sake of those who revere me as a Holy Maiden.」(M)
For those who revere her as a HolyMaiden……? When I saw Mary’s smile who believed that it is wonderful to live upto other people’s expectation, the word of the other Holy Maiden came into mymind.
『Althoughmy station is that of an Empress who governs over the Empire, in the end, I am justa human. Rather than being worshiped as a Holy Maiden, I want to be loved by otherpeople, as a human, as a person.』
One Holy Maiden takes pride to bea Holy Maiden and behaved as such.
The other Holy Maiden refuses tobecome a Holy Maiden and tries to be a mere person until the end.
『DoesYour Majesty Souma as a Great King not understand this?』
――― I……
◇ ◇ ◇
「Thereare times…… when I had the same thinking as Mary.」(Souma)
I informed my partners as if Iwas confessing in a church.
「PerhapsCarla remembered? Our conversation during the battle with Amidonian Army.」(Souma)
「Thattime……?」(Carla)
Carla who was standing in thecorner of the room muttered and I nodded.
「I wassuffering from the magnitude of responsibilities because I am merely human. As such,I was worried about the decisions I had made. Actually, I didn’t want enactthem, but I was obligated to. Being forced by the war at that time, I…unconsciously behaved like a machine…… A system called a 『King』.After all, a machine would neither suffer nor worry.」 (Souma)
「Souma……」(Liscia)
I smiled wryly and shook my headto Liscia who looked worried.
「Atthat time, thanks to Carla who pointed out to me that 『Won’tyou become broken?』, I realized how warped I’d become on the inside. I wasbarely able to stop it from progressing further…… However…… perhaps if at thattime, Carla didn’t point this out…… Just thinking about it makes me shiver. Perhaps,I may have also ended up like Mary.」(Souma)
When I thought what if I, who becamea system called King, stand up in front Liscia and others…… I was afraid. WillI, who will throw everything away for the Kingdom, be able to notice Liscia andothers’ tears? Will I able to make Liscia and others smile?
―――I want to be loved by otherpeople, as a human, as a person.
.
(Yes…… You are right, Maridono)(Souma)
If I don’t notice Liscia and others’tears,
If I can’t make Liscia and otherssmile,
Even if I was suffering from the heavyresponsibility, even if worried about my decision,
I don’t want to become just amachine, a system.
「Yes,I am fine as a mere person.」(Souma)
「Souma?…… Hyah.」(Liscia)
I stood up, walked to Liscia’sside and hugged her.
「Ano……Souma? Can you release me? This is, you know…… embarra.s.sing, in front ofeveryone……」(Liscia)
Liscia raised an objection, but Iignored it. If she really disliked this, with her strength, she could easilythrust me away. While still hugging Liscia, I spoke to Hakuya.
「Iwill not become a Holy King. Furthermore, I won’t let the Orthodoxy State as theyplease. However, all the plans that I’ve thought up can only stall them and notbe a permanent solution. The Lunaria Orthodoxy believers inside the Kingdom arebound to become a problem. I hope that they can be rendered powerless, orperhaps, become harmless.」(Souma)
「Wait,why are you having a serious discussion in this manner!?」(Liscia)
「Then,please leave the countermeasure to me. I have an idea for it. Therefore, pleaselend me Kagetordono and the Black Cats Squad.」(Hakuya)
「Youtoo, Hakuydono? Why are you replying to him!?」(Liscia)
「Iunderstand. Then let’s work it out tomorrow.」(Souma)
「Thywill be done, Your Majesty.」(Hakuya)
「Am Ibeing ignored!? Are you ignoring me!?」(Liscia)
「Yes,I’m depending on you, Hakuya. Then,……」(Souma)
While scratching my cheeks, thistime I turned to face the girls.
「I amsorry, but please leave me with Liscia alone for tonight.」(Souma)
「「「!?」」」(Aisha)(Juna)(Roroa)
Aisha, Juna, and Roroa were openingtheir eyes wide from surprise at my request. Liscia who had been protestingfrom the beginning,
「……*open mouth*close mouth* open mouth*closemouth*.」(Liscia)
There were no words coming out fromher mouth anymore despite opening and closing like goldfish. To think Liscia, whowas always gallant and confident, would make a face like this was quitefascinating.
「DDarling.That means……」(Roroa)
「Rorosan.」(Juna)
Roroa who was trying to ask mewas stopped by Junsan who placed her hand on Roroa’s shoulder, whispering somethingto both Roroa and Aisha. She, then, turned to me and bowed with her usualelegant manner.
「Then,Your Majesty, Liscisama. We will excuse ourselves from this room.」(Juna)
After saying this, Junsan gracefullyleft the room.
「Etto…… Pleasehave a good rest, Your Majesty, Princess…… Liscisama.」 (Aisha)
「Muuu……Cinee! Tell me what happened later ‘kay!」(Roroa)
After that, Aisha and Roroafollowed Junsan.
「Untiltomorrow. Please have a good rest.」(Hakuya)
「S-sinceI’ll stand outside the room as the guard…… M-my Lord and Lady, take your time.」(Carla)
Finally, Hakuya and Carla also exited,leaving only me and Liscia in the room. I lifted the completely stiffenedLiscia into my arms.
(She is so light……)(Souma)
She had some muscle, but overall herbody was lean, so I was able to comfortably lift her up by our weightdifference. When I put her down in the small bed that was always placed in thecorner of the room, Liscia finally regained her senses.
We sat side by side on the bed,under the candlestick’s light.
「ano,Souma? Is this…… that thing, right?」(Liscia)
When the face-flushed Lisciaasked me like that, I felt my cheeks warm up, too.
「Ah……Yeah. I intend…… to do so……」(Souma)
「I-Isee……」(Liscia)
「………Ican’t?」(Souma)
「No! Youcan! After all, I have been waiting for this……」(Liscia)
Liscia quickly shook her head. Herwords became weak at the end, though.
「B-but,why this sudden? Haven’t you been hesitating all this time?」(Liscia)
「Ah,yeah. Well…… I had thought that 『after the country has become more stable』, 『afterI am able to take the responsibility』, or 『after I took a proper steps』……」(Souma)
Aw, geez. This is so embarra.s.sing!I scratched my head.
「However……After seeing Mary and realizing that I want to be a mere person…… I couldn’thold back anymore.」(Souma)
「I-Isee……」(Liscia)
There was also some influence from Maridono’s words:『Iwant to be loved by other people, as a human, as a person』. Iwant to love Liscia and the others as a person. I want to be loved by theLiscia and the others as a person. When I thought deeply about this, I couldn’thold back anymore…… Well, as expected, it would be untactful to say, 『I amdeeply impressed by the words of another woman』 in this scene.
Both of us were slightlyembarra.s.sed and we began to excitedly take off our clothes while avoiding eyecontact.
「But,well…… for the First Time, an office room is not that romantic.」(Liscia)
Liscia, who was folding her undressedouterwear so it wouldn’t wrinkled, said this while being bashful.
I also removed my outerwear andhugged Liscia who was only wearing white underwear.
The one who’s trembling. Is itme? Or Liscia? …… Or perhaps both of us?
Because both of us wereinexperienced, we embraced each other awkwardly.
For now, after we exchanged a kiss,
「Then,should we change the location?」(Souma)
I teasingly whispered into Liscia’sear.
Then Liscia made a wide smilewhile slowly shaking her head,.
「No. Thisplace will do. After all this……」(Liscia)
―――Is the same place where youand I met.
read from yukkuri literature service blοgspοt okay? or I will Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo,
Aureli pathice et cinaede Furi,
qui me ex versiculis meisputastis,
quod sunt molliculi, parumpudic.u.m.
Nam castum esse decet pium poetam
ipsum, versiculos nihilnecessest;
qui tum denique habent salem acleporem,
si sunt molliculi ac parum pudici
et quod pruriat incitare possunt,
non dico pueris, sed his pilosis
qui duros nequeunt movere lumbos.
Vos, quod milia multa basiorum
legistis, male me marem putatis?
Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo.
☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽
SERIOUSLY CLICK THE b.u.t.tON!
NEXT CHAPTER! HOT SHIP TO SHIP ACTION!
The author says:
No… There is no 18+ scene.
Go and draw or write the doujin yourself.
What? No footnotes, how boring.
Next chapter: The morning after + Souma and Hakuya’sevil scheme that even made Mary’s expressionless face showed an expression.