Chapter 24

At the Border of an Adult (5)

Translated by Wook

Edited by Wook

In the fall of the following year, the trip to the capital was finally decided.

The day I left the duke’s residence, the whole family came out and saw me off.

“My lady, please take care of your health. Don’t be picky eaters. Don’t ever go to suspicious meetings.”

“Alright, alright. I’ve already said yes for the fifth time, Martha.”

“Agoth, when you get there, you have to pull yourself together and take care of our lady, okay?”

“Don’t worry! I will take care of her with all my life!”

Mother, who was watching this scene, came to me with a happy smile.

“Is there anything missing, Helena?”

“No, Mother.”

“It feels so empty to think that you’re leaving the main house, too.”

“I will come often.”

“You should tell this mother of yours if you ever find a young man you fancy, alright?”

“I know.”

But Mother…

Your daughter, who grew up looking at the faces of Leonard and Caesar, is no no longer satisfied with modest looking young men.

“Well, you’re going to be late. You have to go now.”

“Yes. Then I’ll be on my way.”

I waved to everyone, and after a long hug with my mother one last time, I got into the carriage.

After leaving the duke’s residence, the carriage began to accelerate, and the scenery outside the carriage window changed rapidly.

It wasn’t the first time I was leaving, but my heart was pounding.

“I feel strange.”

“What are you talking about?”

As I said to myself, Agoth asked with her eyes wide open.

“My heart is pounding and I feel stuffy, even though there is nothing to be anxious about.”

“I guess it’s because you’re sad to leave home.”

“Is that so?”

It’s an emotion I, who lived like a wanderer, have never experienced in my previous life.

“That’s definitely what it feels like to move away from the people who are waiting for you.”

Agoth said maturely. It felt somehow commendable, and I smiled briefly and looked at Agoth.

‘People who wait for me.’

It was probably something that Dante Renatus, who had everything and enjoyed it, did not have.

“Helena Peresca is a blessed person.”

“Why do you talk like you’re talking about someone else? It’s you, my lady.”

Agoth said with a grin. It looked lovely, so I replied with a smile.

***

“Welcome, Lady Helena.”

It was around evening when we arrived at the villa.

Kegor, the manager and butler of the villa, came to the front door and welcomed me. The waiters diligently moved my luggage from the carriage.

I took off my gloves, my hat, and my cloak, left it to Agoth, and greeted Kegor briefly.

“Why do you guys look so busy?”

“Because you’re not going to stay here only for a while. You’re going to be the owner of this house.”

I will probably be the first in this generation.

My father used to stay in the capital only when he had work. This place was originally a mansion for that purpose.

In other words, the initiative of this villa is now in my hands. But that’s annoying, so let’s leave that to Kegor.

“Nothing will change. I’ll leave all management to Kegor. All you need to do is report to me.”

“I understand. Then what about the meal arrangements?”

“I’ll leave that to you as well.”

As I walked into the mansion, Kegor followed me at pace.

“By the way, I want to create a proper space for sword training.”

“We have already renovated and prepared the garden house because you were paying a lot of attention to that place the last time you came.”

“Good. I like it.”

“The bedroom is the one you always use, and the curtains and sheets have been replaced.”

“Is there enough space for social gatherings?”

“It is small compared to the main house, but there is a duplex hall.”

“Let’s take a look around there later.”

“How should I introduce the employees?”

“Let’s take it slow and do that later. Oh, by the way, the weapon bags should be organized separately. Agoth, you go and… Agoth?”

“Oh, yes!”

Agoth, who was trailing behind me, was surprised as if she had just woken up at my call.

“What’s the matter? Are you tired?”

“Oh, no. That’s not it.”

Agoth’s face turned bright red.

“That… Aah, my lady and the butler’s conversation was so cool, so I looked at it with admiration…”

…Umm.

I don’t know what kind of expression to make at this time. You cute little maid.

“Did you see that? She’s a very nice servant who boosts my self-esteem.”

“I understand. Then the new employees of our villa should also do their best to help the lady improve her self-esteem.”

At the playful conversation between me and Kegor, Agoth’s face flushed, and she quickly disappeared from her position like a squirrel. Whoa, how cute.

“Well, if there’s nothing urgent to report, shall we call it a day? I’m a little tired.”

I said with a smile, and Kegor coughed.

“Is there something else?”

“There are things.”

“What is it?”

“First of all, Master Leonard said he would visit the villa next weekend.”

“Aha.”

I nodded my head lightly in affirmation.

No surprises there. He already knows that I’m coming to the villa today, so he will come to say hello.

“What about the second one?”

“On the same day, the Crown Prince will also visit.”

“Aha…”

I nodded slowly to acknowledge my understanding, but Kegor smirked bitterly at my reaction.

“It’s the same ‘aha’, but they feel different.”

“Because Caesar is more likely to bring troublesome things with him.”

“If my lady doesn’t like it, we can turn it down. What should we do?”

I mean, that’s really weird.

It’s annoying, but it’s not that I don’t like it. Rather…

‘Am I a little bit relieved?’

Of course, I knew that he would come too. In the corner of my heart, I was even confident.

“A teacher cannot refuse a student’s visit.”

In the end, leaving behind an ambiguous answer, I hurried up the stairs as if running away from Kegor’s next question.

***

As the weekend came, Leonard and Caesar came to the mansion one after another, as predicted. Somehow, four people, including Agoth, sat facing each other in a room.

“It seems like it’s been a long time since we’ve all been together like this.”

Leonard said with a still gracious smile.

“It reminds me of the past. When the three of us got together, we often played cards.”

“I’m sorry, Leonard. We’re too grown up to play cards now.”

Caesar shook his head and murmured. I snorted at the absurdity of the exaggerated serious tone.

“Then what should adults do to have fun?”

“This, this.”

As if waiting for my words, Caesar took out the paper bag he had brought and placed it on the table.

Wow, what is this?

“…This is alcohol, isn’t it?!”

Agoth exclaimed in astonishment.

As Agoth said, it was alcohol. It was also a distilled wine.

“Helena is an adult now. You should drink some alcohol. Oh, by the way, your birthday hasn’t passed yet, has it? Why don’t you drink some juice?”

Caesar grinned and mocked Agoth.

“I-I can drink alcohol too!”

“Uh-huh, but children cannot get in the way of adults.”

“But, Your Highness, are you sure it will be okay? This looks very strong…”

“We’ll be drinking at home. Who cares?”

Caesar said with a confident smile. He must have drank several times already.

On the other hand, Leonard had an anxious look that said, “I think we will make another dark history.”

And as for me.

“What are you waiting for? Go ahead and pour it.”

I was excited.

When I was a mercenary, I would drink with my comrades almost every night. Because of this, I was a strong drinker in my previous life.

I haven’t even tasted alcohol since I was reincarnated, so how can I not be excited? Come now, my student. Go ahead and pour my glass full of the water of life.

“Oh, as expected of Helena. You’re so confident.”

Caesar rejoiced and filled my glass with wine. A strong scent of alcohol wafted through the room.

After Leonard and Caesar’s glasses were filled in succession, and fruit juice was poured into Agoth’s glass, we raised the glasses as if we had promised.

“Okay then, congratulations on Helena’s entry into the capital.”

I’m not sure if that’s something to celebrate.

The four of us raised our glasses high and clashed them together.

‘I can finally drink alcohol.’

Maybe this will alleviate the boredom in my life a little.

With that certainty, I brought the glass to my mouth. The hot sensation running down my throat made my whole body tingle. It feels like an awl-like liquid running through the blood.

And when the glass was half empty, I realized.

That this body is different from my body from the previous life.

“Helena!”

“Master!”

“My lady!”

After a half glass of distilled wine.

I collapsed.

***

Dante was a strong drinker, but Helena was not.

How did I feel when I first drank in my previous life? Was I drunk this fast? I don’t understand. I don’t remember.

It’s such an old memory.

“Are you okay?”

There was a buzz in my head as if there was a bug in my head. My eyes were spinning and my heart was burning.

I barely opened my eyes and looked at the man in front of me.

Black hair and red eyes. My vigilance is naturally relieved by the kind eyes toward me.

I asked in a sleepy voice.

“…Erez, why are you standing there?”

I questioned the face of the man who was looking back at me horizontally. My tongue was dull and my pronunciation was strangely muffled.

At my words, the man laughed as if it was ridiculous.

“I am not standing. I’m sitting down.”

“What?”

“You are lying on my knees.”

Huh? What does that mean?

“And let me ask you, which dog is Erez?”

“…Uwaaaaakh!”

It took about 5 seconds until I realized that this is not my past life, but reality.

I got up from my seat like I was having a seizure.

But as soon as I got up, I had to lie down, because my head was spinning and I felt dizzy.

“Ugh, my head…!”

“It’s because you woke up all of a sudden. Close your eyes. Leonard and Agoth are bringing ice and blankets.”

“Ugh… I’m dying…!”

“Right, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you to be so weak with alcohol.”

Caesar chuckled.

“But anyone will have a problem if they inhale it like you all at once. Aren’t you supposed to taste it first?”

“It’s been a while since I drank, so I forgot…”

“It’s been a while?”

“Huh? Did I say it’s been a while? Why did I say that?”

“As expected, you’re drunk.”

Caesar said, covering my eyes with his large hand. Fortunately, it seems that my words will be passed on as nonsense uttered in drunkenness.

“…Caesar, I like that your hands are cold.”

I murmured in the dark. The sound of Caesar’s light laughter was transmitted through the trembling of his hands.

“By the way, who is Erez?”

Don’t you know your ancestor’s name, idiot.

Indeed, is it more reasonable to think that Erez is another man of the same name than to think that he is his ancestor?

“It’s… It’s the name of the main character from a book.”

“I even lost my share to a fictional character. How unpleasant.”

It’s your fault that you look so much like your ancestor.

I grumbled like that inside.

‘By the way, Caesar’s hand…is really cool and nice.’

Now that the heat has subsided a little, I can calmly look back on the current situation.

‘With this, another dark history is added. I really hate it.’

In the future, I will try not to drink alcohol when I go to social gatherings.

As time passed and the headache subsided, I gently lowered Caesar’s hand that was covering my eyes.

When I opened my eyes, I saw that Caesar was still looking down at me. When our eyes met, Caesar grinned.

“What is it?”

“…You are really handsome.”

I mumbled that in a hoarse voice.

One talks nonsense when they’re drunk.

But it is an honest opinion. I’ve been thinking that way for a long time. This guy is a mess personality-wise, but his face is a different story.

“You are blessed, you bastard.”

“Where did a noble princess learn such words?”

Caesar smiled bitterly. The relaxed expression on his face somehow made me feel a little embarrassed.

“Handsome guy.”

“Is that Helena’s drunken compliment?”

“I don’t care what you think of it. I have a headache.”

“I told you to close your eyes.”

Caesar tried to cover my eyes again, so I blocked it with my hand.

“No. I want to keep seeing you.”

I want to keep seeing you.

The reason? Because he’s handsome. It feels good to see something well made. I’ve always been weak with handsome faces since my previous life. Why do you think I snooped around swordsmanship school back then?

Yes, just to be clear.

“I like it.”

“…Yes?”

I could see Caesar’s eyes shaking. For some reason, he was nervous.

“I like it. Your face.”

“…Fuhaha.”

Caesar burst into laughter.

“What, why are you laughing? Is my taste funny?”

“No, it’s not. Uhm. Right. Master sees my face, yes. What did you say?”

“I like it.”

“What? One more time.”

“I told you I like it. Actually, I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.”

“Haha. Helena.”

“Mm?”

“I like it too.”

Caesar spoke to me with a faint smile.

…Uh.

Is it because of drunkenness? Why does it seem to be getting hot all of a sudden?

“What do you mean? My face? Your face?”

“Helena.”

“Mm?”

“Quickly close your eyes.”

Caesar covered my face again with his large hand. This time, I didn’t put his hand away either.

My heart started beating like it was going to explode. My ears were buzzing.

I never thought alcohol was this bad. I will never drink anything like alcohol again. I’ve made up my mind over and over again.

By the way, I don’t think I’ve heard an answer yet.

My face? Your face?

‘…What is it?’

My mind is still spinning.

We didn’t talk any more until Leonard and Agoth returned.

But even in that quiet silence, my heart felt like it was spinning round and round into a deep rabbit hole.

Aah.

Is it all because of alcohol?