Giving a sidelong glance at the Isky residence’s tall trees, we walked along the brick path.
As we did so we reached a beautiful garden with pretty flower beds all over the surface.
It was one with a fountain in the middle, and was as large as a school sports ground.
“Amazing.”
I gave my honest impressions.
“Ah–, but the trees around it are blocking the sunlight, it’s a bit of a bother. If only they weren’t there–”
The trees were all crowded like a wall, giving a gloomy impression, the flower bed is the only thing bright this place.
“Marquis Isky is in charge of a national border territory. These trees are necessary for defense,” Lady Demy told me.
Naruko-like crime alarms were stretched out between the trees, if there were an intruder or monster they would be able to immediately deal with it.
We left the gardens and reached the building beyond it.
It was the chapel.
It was the size of a single private home.
The multicolored gla.s.s mosaic and the ornaments giving off a feeling of dignity was not so different from the “chapels” of my world.
Lady Demy gripped the handle
—whoops.
“Ojousama, I’ll open it.”
“Oh, will it be alright?”
“I’m tentatively your ‘attendant’ after all.”
Lady Demy didn’t look like she minded much, but if I keep forgetting my job here I’m going to seriously be a sponger, ewh.
The door was considerably stout, it opens with a wooden *creak* sound.
Inside the chapel there were seats for the congregation and in the innermost part a place to lift prayers, as I thought, the ‘general’ structure is similar.
If I recall correctly, there isn’t a definite standard for the inner structure of a church or chapel, right?
In that case… it look so similar I can say it’s ‘almost the same.’
“Is there belief in G.o.ds in Yuuki-san’s world?”
While we enter inside, Lady Demy said so.
“Well, there are. There are people who believe in one G.o.d, and there are people who believe in many G.o.ds including G.o.ds of the land.”
“In our world a great number of people believe in the [Faith of the Born Light].”
“Bornlight?”
“The ‘Light’ of our world isn’t a G.o.d, but the teachings borne by our ancestors.”
“Hee—”
That’s a little bit different.
Whether it be monotheism or polytheism, our world has various religions large and small. However, in every one of them, light and earth, countries and creatures are all creations of the G.o.d(s).
A religion where humans create things by themselves, at least there are none that I know of.
“Is is strange?”
“Well, in my world it is.”
“I’m sure that would be so. It’ll be strange if it isn’t.”
“???”
Lady Demy probably understood my confused expression and chuckled.
Then she stood at the innermost altar and started to tell a story.
“This is our creation story.”
The World of Legends.
G.o.d gave the name ‘human’ to a fragment of himself.
He divided it into two.
Then to the two humans, he made them live in different, adjoining, worlds. To one he gave the gift of light, and the other he forced to live in the darkness.
The people given light,
and the people not given light.
The trials began from there.
The people not given light had no day nor night, they only had to continue on living in the darkness.
They longed for light.
The people given light know none of it, and were taught to be fruitful and multiply, and built culture.
Then one day.
The people not given light noticed a certain change.
Light dwelt in their hands.
It was a small, faint light, but it was a warm light.
For living in the darkness, dreaming and longing for light, they were granted the power to bring forth their own light.
The people not given light were able to weather the test.
They met together.
They made light together.
Then they sent the light up into the sky.
The sun, the creation of light…. it was the moment the light was born.
“Eh…. that ‘world given light’ is… our world?”
“Not without reason. Since Yuuki-san’s world doesn’t have magic or magic cores, the story checks out.”
“Uh huh…”
If we believed in the same G.o.d, then certainly, I can accept the structure of the chapels being similar.
The polytheism like in j.a.panese shrines and temples was each nation’s diverse evolution.
They were born out of fear of the supernatural, the flavor of local teachings are strong.
A lot of monotheistic religions, however, historically broke off from a single faith.
It’s possible to say that this Faith of the Born Light is one of those offshoots.
“That’s true, but… why did G.o.d do something like that?”
“The thoughts of heaven are immeasurable and unknowable to us.”
I thought so….
“Rather than that, even in our world different monks and scholars interpret this ‘world given light’ differently in the first place. There are those who say it’s a paradise where the dead go, and those who suggest it’s a h.e.l.l of depravity. —even I thought it was a dubious fairy-tale.”
Lady Demy descended from the altar and walked to my side.
It might have been the heavy and divine design doing it, but she looked like the descent of an angel… Lady Demy walking towards me had that kind of mysterious air about her.
While I was a little enraptured she finally stopped before my eyes.
“I believed in its existence when I met with Yuuki-san. So the world given light really exists,” she said, smiling.
c.r.a.p. Hot d.a.m.n she’s cute.
“W, well… since I can’t use magic that’s a reasonable explanation.”
I said while hiding my trembling.
…… hm?
“Huh, then how about Arina? Why can she use magic?”
“That is…. I don’t know. Arina-san is a person from Yuuki-san’s world, right?”
“T, that’s right. We’ve been together since we’re small.”
“But, there’s no magic in Yuuki-san’s world.”
“There isn’t. At least as far as I know.”
“Hmmm….”
Lady Demy looked a little troubled.
“This is just a thought, but maybe among Arina-san’s relatives there are people who wandered from this world?”
“That’s it! I completely forgot. She, seems to be the hero’s daughter.”
“Eh?”
Lady Demy was caught off-guard.
“The goal of our journey was to defeat the Demon King as ‘heroes’. We got thrown into this world not knowing anything, I don’t know if that’s true or not. Is there something like ‘heroes’ in this world?”
Lady Demy then made an incredulous face.
“Arina-san is the hero’s daughter?”
“That’s what her mother said.”
“There is a great man who was called a hero in this world. His name was Bacchus.”
What’s with that name. Sounds like baka.
«TN: baka means idiot»
“So this Bacchus person, could he be Arina’s dad?”
“That would be weird. —Bacchus, died young 150 years ago. He didn’t leave any descendants.”
“Huh? … the story doesn’t add up.”
“That’s how it is.”
“So that person’s line doesn’t continue.”
“No, I can’t say that for sure. Bacchus can use magic from a young age, it is said he uses it to face off against monsters. If Arina has the blood of Bacchus, then I can see how she could master magic to such a high degree like that.”
I’m becoming more and more confused.
While Arina possesses the same power as the hero Bacchus, her relations with him is chronologically impossible.
“I think we might be able to figure something out once we get back to Ivan castle…”
So before that, we have to settle the problem at hand.
As I was about to conclude with that, the scenery outside the window became lively.
3, 4 maids came along to take care of the gardens.
Seeing that, Lady Demy sighed and said:
“……. so this place doesn’t have gardeners.”
“So this is usually done by specialized gardeners?”
“Well, simple care can often be done by maids, but even when I came here as Rosé I’ve never seen a single gardener.”
“Hmmm….”
I don’t know this world’s common sense and exceptionalities, so I just threw in noncommittal answers.
The maids weren’t taking an attentive meeting-the-guests stance like earlier, but did their work while leisurely chatting as befits their age.
In things like this girls aren’t any different no matter what world they’re from, I guess.
As we carefreely watched them, one of them said a disturbing line.
[I’m telling you! Lady Demy is definitely Princess Rosé!]
“Ugh”
“Oh”
[Well, they do look similar.]
[She must be investigating Glenn’s affairs!]
[Ah! You’re right!]
“”…………………………….””
*chiing*, they found us out.
“What do we do? Looks like we’re getting in a pinch from day one.”
I asked Lady-Demy-slash-Princess-Rosé.
“W…. what should we do….”
She asked me back, pale in the face.
“Humm, if you ask me…. should we barge in and say [Demy is not Rosé]..?”
“N, no, that would backfire.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“I, it’ll be …. alright. Since we look similar there will obviously be suspicions. A, a, acting like Demy boldly should take care of the problem!”
“It’ll be a suspicious act right after being talked about.”
“U, umm…!”
[But, I think she’s not.]
With no idea of the panic the princess was getting into, one of the maids said so.
[Eh—. Why?]
[Well, you see. Lady Demy was getting all frisky with her attendant in her room just now. That pure Princess Rosé wouldn’t do something like that.]
“THAT’S. IT!”
Lady Demy’s eyes shined with a dim glimmer.
Then she faintly smiled and turned towards me.
Ah—. I have a bad feeling about this.
The chapel is furnished with a back door, we could leave it without being noticed by the working maids.
From there we followed the wall towards the main gate and went where we were barely unseen by them.
Standby OK.
“……. You’re really all right with this?”
Before we carry out the plan, I confirmed with her.
“A, asking me this late, is rather impolite you know…”
Is that really true?
I don’t get it.
“Well then, umm…. Commence Plan!”
As I gave the signal, Lady Demy raised her voice.
“YOU BEAST! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!”
She continued.
“JUST WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? I’M ARCHDUKE MERRY’S THIRD DAUGHTER, DEMY CHAMPAGNE BLANC DE BLANCS MERRY! I’M NOT SOMEONE A COMMONER LIKE YOU CAN TOUCH SO CAREFREELY!”
With a voice this loud the maids are sure to notice us.
That was fine.
That was the plan.
t.i.tle:
[The Show The Maids A Love Affair Through A Hole In The Wall And Make Them Think That That Shameless Ojousama Couldn’t Possibly Be The Pure Princess Rosé, Yeah, Absolutely Plan]
It’s possibly an insane plan, but well, I’m sure I can expect results from it.
But still, Princess Rosé, that act scared me out of my wits.
I was so surprised I was somewhat baffled.
(Yuuki-san! Come on!)
She whispered in protest.
Her cute face teared up and blushed a little.
I couldn’t possibly let the Princess be embarra.s.sed alone. I promised her I’ll act the gigolo… I prepared myself for the act.
The outline was….
Eh—, Ahem.
“You sure can talk. Wasn’t it you who asked me out to a place where no one can see us?”
As I said that I brushed Lady Demy’s cheek.
She did say I can do whatever I like……. This is alright, right? I thought. Then…
“I said Don’t TOUCH ME!”
*slap*
I received an open forehand slap.
“I, I… was only asking for a little walk!”
Uuh—, that hurt a bit.
Well, I should expect this much from a tsundere lady….
“Really?”
I faked being calm and approached her with that. The thing called a kabe-don in my world.
“I was pretty sure you had enough of playing in the room and wanted a change of scenery.”
(U, umm…. just now in the room, er… the two of us were r, reveling?)
She asked to confirm the setting here.
(I was going to make it a continuation from before. Is it bad?)
(Not at all. It’s quite delicious.)
What do you mean by that, you.
“YOU BRUTE! We’re right next to a holy chapel you know…. tsk! So I guess a manservant like you can’t even tell a good place from bad.”
“Doesn’t the immoral feeling feel good? You like this kind of thing don’t you?”
“I don…”
“Don’t lie to me. I know everything.”
“……….!”
Unable to deny, Lady Demy looked away.
“See,” I said as I threw her a triumphant smile.
“Now, since we both have come to an agreement…. Let’s do the usual thing.”
(T, the usual… thing?)
(Just ad-lib it….)
(Mou! You’re being too reckless!)
(Sorry), I said, then Lady Demy’s expression changed.
Ah. c.r.a.p.
It was the smile I saw in the chapel just now.
(I’m not going to be responsible for anything that happens next, okay)
Lady Demy, who just had her switched set to something other than on or off dropped to the floor with a thud.
Then she looked up at me with teary eyes and blushing cheeks, hiding her lips that were trembling in shame with her small fist.
“Uuuh,” she showed hesitation for an instant, then slowly she said with a weak voice….
“……. With Sir Commoner’s hand…. please, umm… d, discipline this sefish n.o.ble Demy…!”
As if her true emotions had burst out, she then clings to my leg.
“Please…! Paint this arrogant Demy in Yuuki-sama’s color by Yuuki-sama’s scolding and punishments!” she begged. Hold on…
Eeeeeeee——h?
These two, do they always do something like thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis?
T, this can’t even be called outrageous anymore!
It’s way too deep it’s making my brain melt out of my ears!
“Demy, can’t live without Yuuki-sama. Demy wants Yuuki-sama more than bread or water!”
“Ojousama”
I spoked to Demy, and her eyes shined like a puppy.
“Yes…! What will it be!? Please tell me to do anything you want!” she replied.
“About the maids. They already ran away in surprise.”
“Eh.”
“They all went pale in the face.”
“………………………………”
There was an awkward silence.
Lady Demy rose to her feet and brushed away the dirt clinging to the hems of her clothes.
“……………………….”
More awkward silence.
“Will it really be all right now?”
“Eh, ah… I think it’ll be fine, maybe. Thanks for your cooperation.”
“Ah, no… that was nothing.”
“………………………..”
“There’s something I’d like to ask.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“You couldn’t possibly have just wanted to do that, could you?”
“………………..”
“……………….”
“………d, d”
Lady Demy said thus with a teary face.
“……… don’t hate me!”
She begged with her eyes teary for a different reason that before, to which I can do nothing but nod.