Chapter 90: CH 89

The season is about to turn autumn.

The wind carries the scent of fragrant olive.

In 21st century Japan people made fun of it as bathroom air freshener, but in the first place, in this world there is nothing like air fresheners.

As I declared I like the scent of fragrant olive, I wasn’t met with opposite opinions.

I was breathing in the sweet aroma while walking along the main road.

Unfortunately, my mood wasn’t good in the least.

The day after we received the explanation of nobles’ wrongdoing, we set out to investigate at once.

It’s mostly me who thinks of investigating, Claire-sama and Lily-sama seem to only want to prove their fathers’ innocence.

First, we’re investigating a noble involved with both Dor-sama and Salas-sama.

That noble was entrusted with supplying military equipment, according to Rod-sama he appears to be falsifying financial information.

His name seems to be Wedge Thompson-sama.

That’s why, we’re now heading for Wedge-sama’s mansion.

We are, but…

“…”

“…”

“U, umm…?”

Seeing our mood, with an awkward expression, Lily-sama let out a voice.

Well, I understand how she feels.

After we met up at the academy, aside from greeting, Claire-sama and I haven’t spoken a word to each other.

Of course she’d feel awkward.

“Wha, what a fine weather we have today!”

“It is cloudy?”

“Tha, that’s right…”

“…”

Rather, the sky looks like it’ll rain.

“Wha, what did you two eat this morning? Lily had corn potage with rye bread”

“I overslept this morning, so I haven’t eaten breakfast”

“Is, is that so…”

“…”

Lily-sama is surely trying to keep the conversation going, but her attempts ended in failure.

Lily-sama is without fault.

The ones in the wrong are Claire-sama and me.

“Um… Claire-sama?”

“… What is it”

“No… It’s nothing”

I tried to talk to Claire-sama to do something about this mood, but Claire-sama only replied curtly.

Since it’s useless, I shut my mouth.

Afterwards, as the silence between Claire-sama and me continued, Lily-sama tried her best to dispel the bad mood.

But, ultimately, the atmosphere remained gloomy.

Meanwhile, we were about to arrive at Thompson’s mansion.

If possible, I wanted to do something about this atmosphere before we reached it.

“Fugya!”

While I was thinking that, suddenly, Claire-sama’s figure disappeared from in front of our eyes with a cute shriek.

As I lowered my gaze, I could see Claire-sama, who perhaps stumbled on something, lay sprawled.

“Muki! Not only Rei, even my shoelace has turned against me!?”

Looking at it, the string of Claire-sama’s pump snapped.

“Rei-san, please give us your impression of being treated akin to a shoelace”

“I want to dye it red and twine it around my pinky”

Of course, the left hand’s.

Despite cracking a joke, I was thinking of something different.

Recently Claire-sama’s emotions have been stable, but originally, she threw tantrums over trivial things.

Seeing her in such an ordinary state, that can also be called disgraceful, I thought ah, I love her.

There’s awkwardness between Claire-sama and me about the courtship, but I should have realized from the start that our value systems are different.

I find her, who has a different value system from me, lovely.

Lately, Claire-sama has been a little too sympathetic.

Even now, despite disagreeing with my view of marriage, Claire-sama doesn’t force her view of marriage onto me.

Claire-sama is trying to respect me as much as she can.

Then, what should I do?

This stiff atmosphere doesn’t suit us.

I decided to change the mood.

“Klutzy Claire-sama is also adorable”

“! What is this k, klutzy!”

Perhaps sensing my aim to start frolicking, Claire-sama broke the silence with her response.

“Please stay still for a moment”

I took out a leather strap from my luggage and thinly cut up a makeshift shoelace.

“… You are skilled”

“Because I was drilled by Claire-sama”

By removing the snapped shoelace and putting in the leather strap, the emergency treatment was complete.

“… After all, I am klutzy”

“That is not the case! The underwear was a sight for sore eyes!!”

“What are you saying so suddenly!?”

“Eh, what… My desires…?”

Angry Claire-sama is immensely adorable.

“Un, unfair! Lily wants to yuriyuri too!”

“What is yu, yuiryuri?”

“Re, Rei-san taught me. When fellow women flirt, it’s called yuri”

“What are you teaching Cardinal Lily!?”

“Te he”

As I stuck out my tongue a little, I stood up, and gave Claire-sama a hand.

“Claire-sama, let’s make up”

“… It is not like we are particularly fighting”

“That’s right. But, it’s the fact that the slight difference in our value systems, or rather the part where we disagree with each other’s opinions makes things awkward”

“… You are right”

Claire-sama took my hand.

I put my strength into pulling her up.

“Kya!?”

“Oops”

With a pomf, Claire-sama’s slender body fell into my arms.

“Nn, this feeling of embracing. I don’t ever want to separate”

“Se-pa-ra-te-fro-m-me!”

“Li, Lily too, Lily too!”

Lively.

“Claire-sama. Let’s put the thing about my marriage on hold for a while”

“Eh!? Rei-san is getting married!? Who’s the partner!? No, no way, have Lily’s feelings reached――!?”

“Lily-sama, please be silent for a moment”

I’m sorry for it, but the talk won’t progress like that.

Or rather, when Rod-sama proposed, Lily-sama was certainly there too.

“Whether I’ll marry or not is not the talk for this time. I also want to have more time to think, I’d hate if it caused my relationship with Claire-sama to worsen”

“… I also do not desire for my relationship with Rei to deteriorate, that is to say, I share the same view”

“Therefore, we’re shelving it for now”

“… It cannot be helped”

Saying so, Claire-sama smiled as if unbound by something.

“Then, should we finish this job quickly?”

“Yes! Gentle Claire-sama is also fine, but after all isn’t Claire-sama a go-getter!”

“What is the go-getter!?”

“How Claire-sama is right now!”

“I will not understand with that!?”

With such words, we frolicked as usual.

I’m glad.

We got better.

“Keh… What’s with this good atmosphere”

“…”

“…”

“Abababa… So, sorry! It wasn’t on purpose!”

“We’re used to it already…”

“Rather, it is a refreshing complete change”

I understand it’s not on purpose already, but it’s still surprising.

“Then, shall we go. It’s the beginning of Claire François-sama’s punishment of immoral nobility”

“It sounds disturbing!?”

“P, please don’t leave Lily behind!”