Chapter 149 – Just Like A Siren

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Chapter 149 – Just Like A Siren

“If only Cordelia-sama were present during yesterday’s fashion show, it would be easier, but…”

“Ilva, Cordie has taken a good look at Cain’s lovestruck face.”

“Ilvareno, even I can maintain appearances in front of others just fine.”

Even when both of them spoke against him simultaneously, Ilvareno merely shrugged.

“Yesterday was the first time in a long while that I felt worried, you know? When Diana-sama was wearing her… dragon? No, wyvern? Whatever costume that is, Cain-sama–”

“Gyaah!”

The moment Ilvareno mentioned ‘wyvern’, Cain pressed his palms to his face, tilting his head skyward with a force that might have snapped his neck.

He flailed his legs while seated, and cries leaked out of his mouth, “Precious. How moving. Cute, lovely, how adorable!”

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“You’re reliving it and getting anguished over it, aren’t you?”

“I knew that she would look cute in it! I thought that it was a bit expensive, but since I had saved up on my homecoming cost, I decided to buy it! And as expected, it looked cute on her!”

Kielz watched, utterly taken aback, as Cain rolled off the stone he’d been using as a chair and tumbled across the gravel, writhing and moaning, “Aah… so cute…”

“I thought that he would often make a sloppy face when he was with Diana, but… Wow.”

“Yesterday, when Diana first tried out the costume, every orifice on Cain’s face was practically leaking. If you have doubts about it, you can confirm with Sasha.”

Ilvareno stared seriously at Kielz. Kielz could feel an uncomfortable sweat trickling down his spine as he saw Cain arching backward as he let out a loud and drawn-out moan, “Haaaaaaaann…”

“No, I mean… I just want Cordie to quietly give up. It’s not like I want her to be utterly disappointed or disillusioned…”

“Is that so?”

As Kielz said with his eyes wandering around, Ilvareno only nodded meekly, showing his understanding.

“Hey, should we play ‘wyvern’ this afternoon?”

“Wah!”

Cain had returned to his senses before one even noticed, as he leaned towards Ilvareno’s shoulders and said. He slipped between Kielz and Ilvareno and whispered, as if they were having a secret talk.

“What do you mean by ‘wyvern play’?”

“It’s a roleplaying game where you play the roles of a wyvern who’s raging at the stupidity of humans, and the humans who could do nothing but getting defeated by the wyvern. Diana would be wearing her wyvern costume, while we would be writhing around on the floor–”

“Won’t play.”

“I decline.”

Cain clicked his tongue, returned to his spot, picked up his rod, and cast the line into the river. He seemed to have calmed down.

For a while after that, the three boys were calmly fishing as they engaged in typical boy conversations.

“Cain, let’s light a fire soon. Let’s eat some grilled fish.”

“Got it. Ilvareno, gather some branches that can be used as firewoods.”

“Understood.”

The makeshift fish pen by the river held a decent number of fish. 

Kielz pulled out thick skewers from his fishing bag, grabbed a fish, stabbed two skewers through its mouth, and twisted them to remove the innards. The gutted fish was then dumped into the river in order to wash off the excess blood, after which a new skewer was used to prepare the fish for grilling, impaling it upright in the ground. 

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Cain scraped gravel into a mound as a windbreak and dug shallow holes in the soil with his heels. Ilvareno shaved the bark off the branches he brought to make kindling, stacked the woods, and ignited them with fire magic.

By the time the fire became stable, Kielz had finished preparing and skewering the remaining fish, and so they divided the skewered fish and arranged them around the fire. 

“Shall we wake the princesses up soon?”

“…Cain, this is what I’m talking about.”

Ilvareno was watching the fire while Cain and Kielz went to wake the napping Diana and Cordelia up. However, Sasha stood in their way.

“No one shall see a lady’s face while they are sleeping and getting up.”

“Sasha…”

They were the sleeping girls’ brothers, though. They were about to mention that when they were stopped by Sasha’s outstretched hand. She then took out a small-lidded jar from the basket and lightly handed it over to Cain.

“It’s salt. Sprinkling it on the grilled fish will make them even more delicious.”

“Ah. Yes. That’s right.”

“I will wake the ladies up while you grill the fish.”

“Ah, alright.”

Holding the jar of salt, Cain and Kielz trudged back to the bonfire. 

By the time the fish’s skin began to crisp, Diana, Cordelia, and Sasha finally arrived at the bonfire.

Sasha went ahead and placed cushions on stones that were suitable for sitting. She was quite a considerate maid.

“We give thanks to god for today’s meal.”

“We give thanks to god for today’s meal.”

After they expressed their gratitude for the meal, they started to bite into the fish. Since the innards were removed, there was no bitterness, although small bones still got stuck in their teeth. Sasha placed the fish on the small plate that she brought for the light meal, eating the fish with a fork. As expected of a viscount’s daughter. Ilvareno blew the fish to cool it down before eating it.

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“Diana, you have some fish on your cheek.”

Cain said as he took the fish from Diana’s cheek and nonchalantly popped it into his mouth. Looking at Cain, Diana smiled and thanked him. As the wind blew and the trees swayed, the sunlight filtering through the trees shifted position, causing Cain and Diana’s golden hair to sparkle.

While eating the fish, Cordelia was looking at the siblings with a conflicted feeling. She thought that she liked Cain. When she met him for the first time, she thought that he was a prince. Unlike her brother and the local boys, he never spoke ill or jested rudely, gently treating her with kindness, making Cordelia’s heart race as she thought that she was treated that way because she was special. 

Yet, her heart also raced when she saw Diana posing around with her knight costume yesterday. Diana was always bright, energetic, and fun, and she always tried to share her fun with Cordelia. 

Although Cordelia was a bit unkind–though not to the extent of treating her meanly–, because she had wanted to be alone with Cain, Diana still adored her just like one would to a friend, or to an elder sister.

Now, seeing Cain and Diana’s figures as they got along together also caused her heart to race. Looking at their similar faces huddled together as they laughed with gentle expressions caused her chest to tighten. 

“Watching Cain and Diana together somehow makes me feel… weird.”

Picking up Cordelia’s whispers, Sasha approached Diana and whispered into her ears.

“Cordelia-sama, there’s no need to be troubled over it. We have a term for that kind of feeling.”

As she was absentmindedly staring at the siblings, Cordelia turned around in surprise due to the sudden whisper. Sasha was there, smiling gently, like a loving mother embracing everything.

“That kind of feeling is called ‘hako-oshi’¹, Cordelia-sama.”

Sasha has a hobby of going to theatres. She especially likes tragic love stories in which a beautiful woman dresses up as a man, playing the role of a knight. She doesn’t have any favorite actor in particular, but she likes the knight and the princess set itself. Seeing all those beautiful faces lined up together is a treat to her.

Sasha’s gentle smile is a welcoming smile that could easily draw one into a comforting but inescapable web. 

“…I think that’s different, though.”

Ilvareno muttered under his breath, unheard by anyone else.

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Kielz’s method of gutting the fish is called tsubonuki². He discards the removed innards into the river.