She and the Unexpected Reunion A few days have pa.s.sed since I had a shocking reunion with the singer… s.h.i.+on-senpai.
From the report I received from Cain since then I learned that s.h.i.+on-senpai is staying in the southern town.
He doesn"t look to be going back to Tarim, be that as it may he"s not returning to Marquis Muller who he received patronage from some time ago either.
"How strange"
"If you look at his actions alone, he feels like a simple traveler, you know? Is that man really the tactician"
"Hm… I would also prefer if he wasn"t"
He stays in a cheap inn, he walks around the town day by day.
Just, there"s one place he visits every day without fail, that is――――.
"Yesterday he went to the curry shop too, you know?"
"I see…"
That curry shop is of course the one Lars is the shopkeeper and I"m the owner of.
I"ve heard that s.h.i.+on-said visits there frequently, almost every day now.
Come to think of it, I often made curry for s.h.i.+on-senpai…
I especially made it on weekends as I often stayed over.
Because Senpai didn"t feel like going outside, curry was convenient as it could be made in large quant.i.ties.
I wonder if he perhaps finds it nostalgic.
Curry.
There"s nothing that reminds of j.a.pan more.
I"m not so conceited to think it reminds him of me, but it isn"t strange for s.h.i.+on-senpai to become addicted to curry that has a firm j.a.panese taste.
I truly think it would be good if it could comfort s.h.i.+on-senpai even if a little.
"And? You"re going to granny"s place today?"
"Yup"
I nodded to Cain"s question with a firm expression.
I"ve received Freed"s permission. When I said I want to go Ms. Delris"s place, saying "I also received help from her. It can"t be helped" he allowed me.
That"s why I can confidently go outside.
"If you don"t want to tell, don"t, but… Why are you going there?"
"Sorry, it"s a secret"
Talking with Ms. Delris comes first.
Thinking normally, if I said I reincarnated I"d be suspected that there"s something wrong with my head.
In any case, I"ll first talk with Ms. Delris and see her reaction, then consult with her and then I"ll make a decision.
I guess he understands I have no intention of talking. Cain obediently backed away.
"Got it. Then I won"t ask. So, will I be secretly following you?"
"Yup, please"
Freed"s subordinates he arranged are supposed to escort me until the middle gate.
Even if they followed me into town, they"d be disturbed by Ms. Delris.
Knowing that, the escorts received an order from Freed to wait in front of the middle gate, and despite their mystified faces they nodded.
"Um, listen. Princess…"
"Nn? What"
"No, actually…"
He seemed to find it hard to say, still at the timing he was about to speak I heard sounds of multiple footsteps and a voice from outside.
It"s the soldiers in charge of escorting me today.
"Princess Consort, the preparations have been completed"
"Thank you. I"m coming now"
Hurriedly raising myself from the sofa, I replied towards the door.
Freed should be busy at work around now.
Today"s outing. I was sure Freed would come along on it, but he quickly shook his head.
"Unlike Lidi, I am not allowed to go out whenever I want. It was a great kindness that I was allowed to go out with you the other day, so I don"t want to cause trouble with insignificant matters"
"Is that how it is?"
"Lidi doesn"t need to worry. Go"
"Yup…"
We had such an exchange.
"Princess"
"Ah, sorry. Cain. What?"
Once again called out to by Cain, I came to my senses.
Cain shook his head like he was amazed, and turned his eyes towards the door.
"They"re waiting. Go on. As I said, I"ll be following behind you"
"Y, yup. But weren"t you trying to say something before?"
"No, it"s fine. It was nothing important. If there"s time I"ll talk tonight"
"Is that so? I understand, sorry"
I picked up the gift I"d prepared.
Youkan I prepared for this day. Since Ms. Delris hasn"t eaten it yet, I made it.
Leaving Cain behind I opened the door.
There five young men who appear to be knights were impatiently waiting on their knees for me to come out.
I took a breath, and showed a gentle smile becoming of a high-cla.s.s young lady.
"I am sorry for being late. Please take care of me today"
"Not at all. It"s the highest honor to be entrusted with escorting Princess Consort who"s in His Highness the Crown Prince"s favor. We shall work to the best of our abilities"
"… Thank you"
When the knight who seemed to be their representative told me that in a firm voice, the other four further bowed their heads to nod.
I generously nodded to them, and went to the carriage.
I parted with them outside the middle gate and walked along the road with the feeling of relief.
Escort knights can"t go any further due to Freed"s order, however in case something happened and I wanted to immediately contact them, I was given a sheet of formula paper.
They would be able to immediately understand where I am if I activated it, but… I"m sorry. I can use neither magic nor magical arts, but as expected I couldn"t say that, so I could do nothing but silently nod.
As I stared at the sheet of formula paper with a complicated expression, Cain told me sympathetically.
"Are you alright? I think if they knew, they"d never hand Princess formula paper…"
"I"m alright. I know it"s because they worry about me"
"What if something happened to Princess Consort was written on their faces. I think if not for Princess"s husband"s order, they"d absolutely follow you?"
As Cain pointed that out, I vaguely nodded.
Freed knows I"m safe in town thanks to Ms. Delris, but those who don"t would never let the Crown Prince"s fiancée loose in the middle of the town.
I think that"s natural, so I"m thankful to the knights for respecting my feelings and stopping at only giving me formula paper.
"Now then… I"ll go to Ms. Delris"s place, and then…"
I was told the time to come back.
Of course, it"s only if I have time, but should I peek into Lars"s shop.
I thought such things while carefreely walking.
Today I"m wearing a newly purchased dress and coat for going to town.
They completely follow current fas.h.i.+on without being flashy, I could only think it"s as expected of Clara to choose them.
Since it"s the second time she also understood my makeup, so there"s truly nothing I can complain about.
I"m a perfect simple town girl.
… I think it must"ve looked strange for that town girl to come out of a luxurious carriage escorted by five knights that seemed to be from the Royal Palace.
Only the sound of my footsteps resounds. I can"t hear Cain"s.
But, I know he"s by my side, so I walk without worrying.
And, on the other side of the road I saw a young man wearing black clothes.
Reflexively I came to a stop.
"… Eh?"
"Princess? What is it?"
Cain reacted to my movement, but that"s not what matters now.
Thinking I might be mistaken, I rubbed my eyes. Then I looked at that place again.
But, that figure didn"t disappear.
A tall, slender man was there.
Wearing a cheap light coat, he was walking dressed in all black.
If it was only about his appearance he"d blend with the residents around, without looking like he noticed me he was walking at his own pace.
His expression as he slightly hung his head was tinged with sadness.
"Princess? Aah…"
Perhaps finding me coming to a complete stop strange, Cain appeared and approached.
Having followed my gaze, he nodded like he understood who I"d seen.
"It"s almost the time for lunch, isn"t it? It seems he comes for either lunch or dinner depending on a day"
"I see…"
Even though I nodded to Cain who urged me by saying Let"s go, I couldn"t move.
I couldn"t move a step, as if my feet were glued to the ground.
I just stared at him - at s.h.i.+on-senpai.
Getting impatient over me, Cain produced a slightly loud voice.
"Princess!"
"! Ah, yup. Sorry…"
When I blinked my eyes, Cain made a troubled face.
"What is it, Princess. When it comes to this man you become strange? It"s not like he"s your acquaintance, right?"
"Yup…"
It"s exactly like that.
In this world I and s.h.i.+on-senpai aren"t acquaintances.
We"re only a singer invited to the Royal Palace and a person in the audience back then.
We aren"t a senpai and kouhai at the university, we aren"t lovers who were dating, we aren"t even friends, we"re nothing of those.
Still, I couldn"t take my eyes off s.h.i.+on-senpai who was heading towards the curry shop with a sad expression.
The figure of him walking alone makes me feel awfully lonely, just looking at him makes my chest hurt. It"s not that I love Senpai. That"s already long over.
Still, as a person who knew him in the past, I couldn"t pa.s.s by him like this no matter what.
"… Sorry. After all I"m worried. I"ll talk with him a little and then go to Ms. Delris"s place"
"Oi! Princess!"
Seeing me who hadn"t been making a single move break into a run, Cain raised a fl.u.s.tered voice.
But, I"m not stopping.
Without taking eyes off s.h.i.+on-senpai, who appeared to have a grim air about him, I ran towards him. What is s.h.i.+on-senpai thinking right now. I wanted to know that.
"… Umm!"
"…? Yes"
When I tried talking to him while out of breath, s.h.i.+on-senpai looked back as if he only noticed me now.
My eyes met with his dark brown eyes.
My heart strongly leapt from this chance meeting with Senpai after about twenty years.
After staring at me curiously, with "Aah" s.h.i.+on-senpai eventually nodded like he was convinced of something.
He extinguished the grim feeling from before, and gently smiled.
That expression shook my distant memories.
Aah, this face.
Taking a good look, it"s s.h.i.+on-senpai… from those past days.
Thinking so I stared at him as if drawn in, when s.h.i.+on-senpai spoke intentionally slowly.
Feeling like I witnessed it in slow motion, I just stared at him absentmindedly.
That is until I understood the meaning of his words.
"It"s unexpected to meet you at a place like this, isn"t it? His Highness the Crown Prince"s Princess Consort. You are carelessly all alone today. And? Do you have some business with me?"