Translator: LynneSuzuran——

  “Eh?”


  The next morning. Taiga-san, who ate his breakfast faster than us as usual, seemed to have gone to work.

  After the slightly lonely breakfast that went on without the master of the house present was finally ended, I settled in my room. At that time, Fubuki-san entered while holding some documents. The documents seemed to be related to yesterday’s incident.

  “There was a call from the garrison station some time ago, saying that the magician had committed a suicide.”


  Whoa, the one who had aimed from the clock tower? I hadn’t expected that.

  Or rather, is it really a suicide, I wonder? The security officer who attacked us at the parking lot seemed to play a principal part in the plan, but…


  …Well, it’s not like the detailed information will just come to me by thinking about such things. I have no choice but to trust in the garrisons who walked those people off yesterday.

  Or rather, how do I put it…? I think that my own reaction is too indifferent. It should be shocking to know that someone dies before your own eyes, but… uhm…


  “What about the people who attacked us near the carriage?”


  While I was busy thinking about many things, Alica-san asked. Which reminds me, there were more people there, so I wonder if we’d manage to hear something from them. My consciousness was brought back to the reality in a fluster.

  “The people who were hired with money seemed to have gotten the negotiation from the security officer. The people who belonged to the restructured group also heard the story of Seiren-sama from the same security officer, as expected.”


  “I see… If that’s the case, the investigators deduced that the security officer was the ringleader?”


  “There doesn’t seem to be any other conjecture than it. The security officer seemed to be shouting about something like how the retirement of the previous family head who appointed himself was Taiga-sama’s intrigue.”


  Fubuki-san showed a slightly troubled face. Well, certainly.

  The security officer that Touka-san counted on held a grudge against the reason behind Touka-san’s retirement. Then, since the successor, Taiga-san seemed to be quite difficult to attack, he targeted me who was Taiga-san’s fiancee and attacked me after gathering up a large number of people, either by money or by something else. That security officer, just where did he manage to gather a sufficient amount of money that he took out to that large number of people? No matter how you think about it, isn’t it strange?

  The magician who committed suicide also seemed to be the kind of a person who’d do anything for money, so I think that it was how he went along with them in that direction.

  So I thought, but dead men tell no tales… right? No matter how you put it, there’s no such thing as necromancer over here.

  Anyway, the group of assailants that was started by the security officer and their source of funds, huh? This isn’t something within the reach of my hands, yup. Let’s leave it up to the garrisons.

  “Is that so? Sorry for the trouble and thank you very much.”


  “No problem. I will leave the detailed written report over here. Well then, I shall excuse myself now.”


  Fubuki-san bowed her head deeply, placed the documents on top of the table, and exited the room. A short while after the door was closed, everyone including me heaved a long sigh. As expected, it seemed that we got nervous when Fubuki-san was here. We really need to get used to it, huh?

  Putting that aside…


  “The previous family head’s retirement, Taiga-san’s intrigue, eh…?”


  “The retirement couldn’t be done without any fuss, huh-?”


  “That’s right. Though it appeared so in public, but the previous family head couldn’t just retire peacefully.”


  At my words that contained an improbable thing, Oriza-san and Minoa-san nodded. Alica-san was silent, but I could see that she slightly nodded. Well, as expected from having the previous family head suddenly retired and then the position of the Shikino family’s head was quickly handed over to Taiga-san, so I think that it’s no wonder people would think so.

  …Or maybe the family head succession from the previous head, Touka-san, was seen as a very unexpected thing.

  “It might be off topic, but…”


  Suddenly, Alica-san raised her voice. It seemed that she was silent because she was thinking of something.

  “But Seiren-sama and Saryuu-sama have finally arrived here with such troubles, and now for you to just remain inside the mansion, it feels a bit… It’s only my opinion, though…”


  Ah, that, huh? Certainly, when we wanted to go out today right on the heels of yesterday, Saya-san softly stopped us. Taiga-san was busy with his job as usual and went out flying with Genjirou, but Saryuu also remained in his own room. He likes to run around training himself, so I bet he’s turning sour by this time, right?

  “But, there was that incident yesterday, after all.”


  Oriza-san folded her arms and pondered. That’s right, as expected, even if we wanted to go out today, the atmosphere wasn’t so supportive.

  “I still want to go to the harvest festival, although it’s not today… Isn’t the security quite tight?”


  “Saya-san said that the feudal lords and their relatives often slipped into the mass and Taiga-sama was also used to it, so it’d be fine. However, the problem is located at whether or not the incident like yesterday’s incident would occur again or not.”


  Minoa-san seemed to have heard those words very firmly from Saya-san. I see, so that was how the garrisons arrived quite fast yesterday.

  Or rather, so that person had often go out to play that the surroundings were also used to him, huh? Well, that doesn’t seem to be a bad thing, and that’s why he becomes so famous among the fief population. Let’s just consider it as a good thing.

  However, putting that aside, I want to at least turn up once again at the harvest festival. Regardless of Saryuu, I want to do that.

  “Well, shall we try asking whether we could adjust things somehow, so we could go there? Alica-san, can I ask you to discuss it?”


  “Understood. I’ll try asking.”


  After all, it seems to be easier for the other party if we were to appear in public.

  …That’s why I was told that I brought myself to a tough predicament.

  *Ring, ring*

  The bell rang. This house uses bells in exchange for knocking. Anyway, Oriza-san vigorously leaped and said, “Yes, ye-s?” After opening the door and exchanged some words, she turned around and called out to me.

  “Seiren-sama. It’s Taiga-sama.”


  “Eh! Ah, yes-, please come in.”


  Whoa, so he has come home? I stood up in a hurry and brushed off my skirt. No, well, it’s not like there’s some sort of dust on my skirt, but still.

  Taiga-san who entered the room seemed to have a slightly stern ambience, but after noticing me, he relaxed himself. Ah, I’m glad. For some reason, if his face stayed as it was, it seemed slightly scary. For a handsome man to be making such a grim face, it’s terribly frightening, after all.

  “Taiga-san, welcome home.”


  “Yes, Seiren-sama. However, I need to go out again soon in order to continue the meeting from yesterday.”


  “Whoa, you’re very busy, huh?”


  Yes. However, I feel energized after looking at Seiren-sama’s face. So, it’s going to be okay.”


  “Don’t say something like that. Don’t overdo it, okay?”


  “I understand.”


  Do you really understand? Rather than being similar to his father, Touka-san, Taiga-san seemed to have a similar personality with his uncle, the orphanage director. He is the type of person to work too hard without letting it show on the surface.

  Taiga-san took out a white envelope from within his mantle which was not too long as it was hanging from his shoulders. He then presented it to me with both of his hands.

  “That’s right, Seiren-sama. A letter from your acquaintance has arrived. It seems like the sender wants you to read it here with just your maids, with other people cleared out.”


  “Eh? Ah, yes.”


  After reflexively receiving it with both hands, I pondered about from who it might be. However, it seems that it’s being kept a secret from other people.

  Sucha person, I don’t think I know someone who fits the bill.

  “Well then, I’ll be leaving. About the harvest festival, I’ll tell the security to make it stricter.”


  “Ah, yes, thank you very much. Take care, Taiga-san.”


  When I spontaneously sent him off in front of the door, Taiga-san lightly pat my head and said, “Be careful, Seiren-sama,” and went out of the room. Uh, is this the expected treatment since he’s 10 years older than me?

  Well, I will just do exactly as he said… Although I might say, Fubuki-san doesn’t even come inside and only stays outside the door. For the moment, I’ll just shut the door tightly and check the outside from the window.

  On the envelope, there is a neat writing that’s different from Taiga-san’s, and “To Seiren-chan” was written there. Oi, I only know one person who’d call me like that. Ah-, as expected.

  “…It’s from Leo-san.”


  “Oh my.”


  “Oh?”


  “Oh dear.”


  All 3 maids responded in similar connotation although their pronunciations were different. Saying as if it was as expected.

  I wonder what’s so expected of this? While thinking about it, I returned to the sofa. I removed the wax seal and took out the writing paper and spread it out, now then.

  “Uhm. I’m coming to visit here right now, and though I am a little bit preoccupied with some feudal lord’s business, there’s nothing else other than that, so rest assured. …No, no, no.”


  Before that, there was a normal greeting, [Seiren-chan, are you doing well-?], so I omitted it. Or more precisely, wait a minute.

  “He’s going to have some business to do with Taiga-san’s work?”


  What’s up with him being preoccupied with another feudal lord’s work? In the first place, isn’t Leo-san going to come here to play?

  His identity was unclear from when he first came to our house, but I became unable to understand it even more after him saying that he’d come here. Just what kind of person is he?

  For now, let’s read on ahead.

  “The harvest festival is really fun, and I’ve been having a good time. Sometimes there were some quarrels, but the garrisons are properly doing their work, so it’s basically safe and I’m so relieved… Leo-san seems to be having fun.”


  I see, so it’s safe. I was wondering whether the people who targeted me and Taiga-san would be coming again or not, but if that’s the case, then it seems to be all right.

  “Ah, lastly. This is only a secret between me and the feudal lord, and then Seiren-chan, so he said.”


  So this is what Taiga-san warned me about, huh? I don’t quite understand about the situation, but it seems that Leo-san wants to keep this secret.1

  In this case, there are my three maids here, too. They have been accompanying me for more than half a year already, so it’s going to be fine. Besides, I also think that Ayato-san and Maito-san are automatically included whenever we’re referring to Leo-san.

  “…Which means, this is also a secret from Saryuu-sama, Saya-san, and Fubuki-san?”


  “If that’s not the case, then the letter won’t be handed over through Taiga-sama-, I wonder what kind of a thing it is?”


  “After all, he visited us here specially, even when he had to quickly go out again of the mansion.”


  It seems that what Alica-san said is right. I also shouldn’t inform Taiga-san’s maids. I don’t understand why, but if Leo-san and Taiga-san wanted it to be like that, then we’ll just have to do so, right?

  Yosh, as I was determined, I looked out over the three people.

  “Well then, shall I trouble you to do as we’re told to? First of all, this is a secret only known to the four people present here. I think that it might be something that Taiga-san and Leo-san didn’t want others to know.”


  “Of course. I don’t quite understand, but it seems that Leo-sama and Taiga-sama had their own considerations, so…”


  “Understood.”


  “I understand.”


  I have become more or less familiar with my three maids’ differing answers like this. Now then, I wonder what will happen after this?