Translator: OkubyouKunEditor : FluffthoughtsChapter 20: It"s Raining
Good morning, I slept well.
Even though the weather continues to be cloudy, both my mood and my body feel refreshed.
Sleep is important after all. I now understand how not getting enough sleep is undermining to my health.
It"s amazing how Aleph and Ciel don"t get tired even though they get less sleep than me.
I guess getting called weak can"t be helped.
It"s either tolerable or bad back in j.a.pan, but the difference really shows here. I need to build up strength, too.
I leave my room, enter the dining hall that seasons have pa.s.sed, and sit down.
As expected, Aleph and Ciel are sharply awake as always.
The inn"s uncle made our breakfast in an unmotivated fas.h.i.+on. Like yesterday, it tastes neither good nor bad.
I felt someone staring at me, and I saw that it was Ciel when I looked up.
He always frowns whenever he looks at me, but his eyebrows are closer to each other this time compared to the previous times. It"s going to leave wrinkles behind, you know?
[….What is it?]
Even when I asked, he just turned his eyes away without answering.
Because I was focused on myself yesterday, did I perhaps unconsciously do something to p.i.s.s him off?
[Rei, is your body alright?]
[Yup, I made you worry, didn"t I? My body is doing well today.]
[That"s great. We will go shopping today so it"s best if you take this time to rest.]
[I will also go, what are we going to buy? I can at least carry some baggage.]
[No, please reserve your strength. Even if there are inns and other resting areas we will frequently see from hereon, it will be bad if you will end up in the same situation yesterday.]
"I will still go", was what I wanted to say, but there really had been a lot of times that I dragged them both down.
Honestly, the only thing I"ve been helpful with is cooking.
If I will just get in the way, the best decision will be to just stay here patiently.
[…. That"s right. I understand, I will wait here.]
[We"ll be back immediately. Ciel, let"s go.]
[I"m staying here. The Little Kid should be able to look after himself better, and I will try to teach him healing magic. The problem is whether he can remember it or not, though.]
[Is that so? Got it. You"re the best when it comes to magic so I"ll leave it to you.
[Yeah, leave it to me.]
It"s unusual for both Ciel and me to be together alone. Healing magic, I can use it already, but since I use it secretly I guess they don"t know.
Or perhaps that"s just an excuse, and his real intention is to warn me.
We saw Aleph out of the inn, and then his expression quickly turned back into a cold one.
[Hey, there"s something I want to talk to you about.]
He gestured with his chin, as telling me to get inside the room.
He looks quite angry, but I don"t remember anything.
Have the actions I made in the past been sitting in his stomach and is exploding this morning?
After we entered the room and the door has been closed, he grabbed my neck and pulled me up.
"Brother, are you going to extort me for money? You"re richer than me." doesn"t sound like the best thing to be told with an atmosphere like this.
He looked down at me, in a way that I couldn’t evade his gaze from the top. At that time, I realized that he was really angry at me.
No, like I said just hang on one second, I really don"t understand what"s going on.
[Stop treating Aleph so halfheartedly already. If you keep treating him coa.r.s.ely, I also have my own idea.]
[….What are you talking about?]
[It"s useless even if you try to deny it. Yesterday, I saw you. The moment you were kissing that demon.]
Although I certainly did. But I was coaxed into it, I was so sleepy I couldn"t help it so I wasn"t thinking clearly.
Ah, so he saw that…. Oh boyー.
[You can"t accept Aleph"s feeling, I know about it. However, you also became close with him later on. Aleph is probably holding some hope, that perhaps you will return his feelings. Hiding something like that…. You"re being insincere towards Aleph! If you like another guy then say it, making him hold onto a half-hearted hope, don"t do something so cruel!]
His green eyes are burning with the flame of anger. my heels have been raised I"m barely standing on tiptoes.
A terrible misunderstanding has been made!
I quickly wanted to say something to defend myself but, "I kissed him because he"s disrupting my sleep", I feel as if saying something like that will just be like adding oil to the fire.
While I was still searching for the right words to say, Ciel has continued to heat up.
[Say something…. Or are you thinking of some lame excuses? Try saying it, but if don"t get convinced by it, I don"t know what will become of that pretty face of yours, though.]
Holding my fists tight, I prepared myself to get hit.
Just when I closed my eyes, a knock sounded out of nowhere.
[Ciel, were you able to teach Rei magic? I need your judgment on something…. what are you doing?]
His hands let go at the same time the voice came, and I coughed violently.
Aleph was patting my back as if to soothe me while protecting me, and he gave Ciel a hard look.
[What is the meaning of this? I clearly said to have Rei rest, how did it come to this?]
[It"s because this brat is slighting you.]
[What….?]
[This brat kissed that demon yesterday himself. He gave his heart to that demon while playing with your feelings.]
[That"s wro, Ciel… You, you"re misunderstanding something.]
[Rei… you must have your reasons, right?]
Aleph asks me with a taut expression. And yet his imploring gaze that he poured onto me, made my heart tighten with pain.
[…. It"s because Dy wouldn"t let me sleep, and he said that he will play a prank. that"s why I….]
[I see…. Ciel, Rei doesn"t like the demon. Nor are they lovers. In order for the demon to take his magic power, he coerced him to do the act with that meaning. He"s a victim.
[….Even so, he could"ve consulted either you or me if he really didn"t like it. Enduring it alone, then selfishly playing the victim…. I"m sure Aleph is also having a hard time.]
[Ciel. If you keep attacking Rei like that then I will act together with Rei. I will disband our party.]
[No way…. why do such a thing, for someone like him.]
[Ciel, can"t please somehow understand?]
Those jewel-like eyes dropped down on the floor, and looking sad, he left. I can feel him leaving the inn.
[Rei, don"t mind it. It doesn"t bother me. You"re not playing with me. The one at fault is the Demon King who was behaving audaciously, right?]
[Aleph, I…]
To the swordsman who s.h.i.+elds me even if he gets hurt, I can"t find words to say.
[You take a rest. I will try talking to Ciel. That guy easily gets blood into his head, so he will definitely realize that you did nothing wrong after he has calmed down.]
He held my shoulders to rea.s.sure me, then went out to go after Ciel.
I dazedly watched as his footsteps went farther.
I…. I didn"t hate it either.
While saying it can"t be helped, I was feeling good from the pleasure.
I got swept away, and accepted the kindness the devil set up.
[I am also guilty….]
The word I muttered reverberated in my eardrums, then disappeared in the corners of the room without anyone else to hear it.