ARC 4THE EVERLASTING COVENANT Chapter 2 [Insults and Grat.i.tude]—Oy, Subaru, dying here would be pretty miserable.
Still muddled, lying there shaking his head, Subaru lifted himself up and looked around.
He was usually good at waking up, but the reason he couldn’t get his thoughts together was simply because he wasn’t exactly “sleeping”. He tried hard to remember what had happened before he lost consciousness, but the first thing that occurred to him was that he was in a very familiar room.
[Subaru: This is the Mansion’s living room… isn’t it?]
[Oh, Subaru, you’re awake?]
A voice mumbled as if trying to make sure, then the door opened and Emilia’s face poked through.
Her silver hair in a braid, she had a slightly bright expression on her face as she walked over to Subaru on the couch, and bending over, she met his gaze.
Being stared at so intently by her wide, round eyes, Subaru shrank down a little.
[Subaru: Uhm, Emilia-tan, what happened?]
[Emilia: As soon as you entered the mansion we heard you scream. Otto and I were really shocked. Then when we ran inside to see…]
[Subaru: I, was sleeping?]
[Emilia: Saying it like that is a little deceiving……but it’s not technically wrong, I suppose?]
Emilia put a finger to her lips, and tilted her head slightly to the side. There was no sense of urgency in her reply.
Scrambling when he just woke up, now seeing her in this relaxed manner, Subaru realised there was no emergency. Yet even so, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was out of the ordinary.
He was certain that just before he lost consciousness, some kind of animal with sharp fangs had—–
[Miss Emilia, might I have a moment?]
There was a knock on the door from the outside, followed by the sound of a woman’s voice calling out to Emilia. Looking in the direction of the voice, she gave her a.s.sent with a small [Sure], and the door opened slowly.
Looking at the door casually opening, Subaru couldn’t help but feel mystified.
—I don’t recall ever hearing that voice before.
His doubt was soon confirmed when he saw what stood just outside the doorway.
[I brought drinks and additional hand towels —Oh, I see you are awake already]
The form of the smiling woman imprinted itself into Subaru’s eyes.
It was a woman with long, almost translucent blonde hair, the lines of her back was in perfect posture. Her appearance and behavior was in every way refined, and in her fluid motions there was not a hint of unnecessary movement.
She was wearing the same familiar outfit as other servants of the Roswaal Mansion —the cute and practical maid’s uniform, with not so much as a crease or wrinkle visible.
The plate in her hands held a water pitcher and hand towels, which she placed softly down on the stand in the center of the room without making a sound. —If she were being scored, she would have pa.s.sed with flying colors…
…that is, only if you overlooked her ferocious-looking physique and her fiendish smile.
The uniform may be worn perfectly, but the one wearing it was slightly taller than Subaru, with an athletic build similar to his. If she were a he, it would have seen as healthy and strong, but when it was on a female, everything instantly crumbled.
What’s more, the smile at the end of her perfectly fluid motion —was completely ruined by the set of sharp fangs peeking out through the corner of her mouth. Looking even closer, there was something unnatural about the sharpness of her gaze, and her greens pupils seemed to give off a glinting light, like a carnivorous, feline beast eyeing its prey.
[Frederica: It is a pleasure to meet you. I am a servant of the household of Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers, Frederica Baumann…]
[Subaru: Scary face—!?]
Her respectful introduction was interrupted by the overly candor words that slipped out of Subaru’s mouth. Upon hearing this, the woman’s expression congealed, and after her fiendish eyes blinked several times ——tears began to form.
[Frederica: …sniffle, sniffle…]
[Subaru: Wha…?]
[Emilia: Subaru you dunce!!]
Without a word, the woman turned her face away, and even Subaru was shocked. Right after, he was a.s.saulted by both an angry voice, and the painful sensation of having his ear pulled. [Ow, ow!] Letting out a cry and turning to look, he saw Emilia with her usually gentle brows curled up angrily.
[Emilia: That’s a terrible thing to say to a girl! Frederica did so much to take care of you and you…]
[Frederica: I-I ask that you might let it go, Miss Emilia. It is quite alright. I was…I was the one in the wrong after all. I was so happy to have been called back to the mansion, I got too over-excited…and forgot that my looks are usually unpleasant for many…]
Pulling on the hem of Emilia’s sleeve, she— the woman called Frederica was shaking her head. With her other hand she was covering her mouth.
[Frederica: I apologize for startling you so. More than that, I did something very inappropriate a short while ago. I never thought I would mistake Natsuki Subaru-sama for an intruder]
[Subaru: Intruder….ah, wait a minute. I think I understand what happened now]
Released from Emilia’s chastis.e.m.e.nt for the moment, Subaru ma.s.saged his ear while taking in her words. In fact, he kind of realized the gist of what happened.
Basically, the mysterious figure he ran into into right after entering the mansion was—
[Subaru: When I returned to the mansion, Frederica-san thought I was an intruder, and so tried to take me out. Then, Emilia-tan came in after me, and cleared up the misunderstanding, and that brings us to now…right?]
[Frederica: That’s exactly right…you really can process things quickly I see]
[Subaru: There are things I can’t read from just the situation though…no, before that]
Frederica’s agreement confirmed his thoughts, Subaru then turned his gaze to Emilia who was now standing behind Frederica, nudging her chin to point in Frederica’s direction. He was painfully aware of the meaning behind Emilia’s action. So Subaru stood up from the couch, and facing Frederica, said
[Subaru: Nice to meet you, I am very sorry for saying something so uncalled for all of a sudden. I know I can’t make excuses like having just woken up, or was just joking around and expect to be forgiven. You can decide whether to boil or fry me…though I would be really thankful if there wasn’t much pain involved]
To say he was acting like a man, it was more like Subaru dipped his head while saying this somewhat limp apology.
They definitely started off on the wrong foot, but unlike her, who had only attacked a suspicious intruder, Subaru’s words were just completely rude. So, just as he said, if it would clear up her anger, Subaru would willingly accept any kind of punishment.
Preferably without physical pain, and his hopes were rather leaning toward emotional abuse instead…
That much was the commitment of the man Subaru’s rather effeminate apology.
[Frederica: —-Haha, you really are a funny guy]
With those words, her smile hiding behind the hand covering her mouth, Frederica blew it all away.
At the question mark floating above Subaru’s head, Frederica bowed, the translucent, golden hair flowing around her face.
[Frederica: I should really be the one apologizing. On Miss Emilia’s request, I have been testing you]
[Subaru: Testing?]
At Frederica’s words, both Subaru and Emilia tilted their heads. They had no idea what she was talking about.
It’d be fine if Subaru was confused, but if he were to believe her words, then it would strange to see Emilia showing the same air of confusion as well. Looking at their synchronous response, Frederica’s smile deepened.
[Frederica: Even though I may have been acting according to my sense of duty to protect the mansion, what I did to Subaru-sama was still rude. I was prepared, or rather left with no other choice, but to be relieved of my position after such an act]
[Subaru: No, I think you jumped to that conclusion way too soon. I’m a guy who will understand if we talk things out, right?]
[Frederica: Then, Miss Emilia a.s.serted herself ever so firmly. She really tried so hard, I thought for sure even my face would turn red from the flowery things she was saying about Subaru…]
[Subaru: Wha!?]
Shocked by what she had just said, Subaru let out a strangled cry, looking towards Emilia. While Emilia was standing there trying so hard to hide her own deep scarlet countenance.
[Emilia: Fre–de–ri–ca–!]
Hands on her hips, Emilia uncharacteristically let out a hysterical voice, glaring sharply at the maid. On the receiving end of all that, Frederica calmly retorted
[Frederica: Oh my, so scary… I see Miss Emilia hasn’t changed, still not cute at all. Normally, whether what I said was true or not, turning red and getting fl.u.s.tered would have been the prettiest response]
[Emilia: Eh, really…? Wait, I’m not going to get tricked today. Even someone like me, always getting tricked, would learn to know better! That’s right, I know when you’re lying, one of your eyes goes lazy!]
[Frederica: I had no idea that was the case. By the way Miss Emilia, did you know that whenever you lie, your ears get a little longer?]
[Emilia: No way!?]
Emilia’s expression of victory, an arm outstretched and a finger pointing towards Frederica, was interrupted when she darted her hands back to grab both her ears. Getting this response, at that point Frederica’s victory was complete.
Still fl.u.s.tered, Emilia seemed not to have realized she lost, but Subaru, who had been watching her intently, let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulders.
[Subaru: Seems like I’ve been completely defeated… My name is Natsuki Subaru and… do I even need to do an introduction?]
[Frederica: Yes, of course. I would love to hear it. Let’s start over and get to know each other properly this time]
With those words, Frederica removed the hand covering her mouth, revealing a smile lined with pointed fangs. This time, seeing her weaponized-smile, all the wind left Subaru’s lungs.
This one is translated by Tynkerd! He’s done the draft for the entire Chapter 2 and I’m still in the process of revising through it! (Just the draft is really fun to read! Most of the dialog are straight from the draft it’s so hilarious! :3 Really awesome!)
For those who don’t know, our team is now is me, Tynkerd, Nicholas, and Safin! I can’t properly express how fortunate it is that we got together, at precisely the right time!
We should do an introduction post next time!