Volume 4 - CH 8

After Gilbert-san went out, I stayed in the room he assigned me. It didn’t occur to me how much time I’d have.

There is no way I can spend three days in an empty room. Looking out the window, I can’t help but think about Patrick.

He must be worried about me. If I went back now and told him I couldn’t make it, he’d be pissed, and he’d force me to get married.

Patrick would get lonely and say, “If this is what happens, I should have never gone through with the wedding, as Yumiela said. And quit complaining about the weird stuff she buys. I’ll record a sleep-inducing whisper voice and give it to her as a gift.”

He needs some time to reflect on the situation.

Going to the moon wasn’t my original plan. We disagreed about the wedding and tried to calm each other down. This led to me declaring that I was going back to my parents’ house and whatnot, which led me to break through the atmosphere alive and fall into the capital of a neighboring kingdom.

Patrick isn’t the only one who needs to cool down.

Think about it calmly. Lost in thought in a quiet place like this, I’m more receptive to another perspective.

…I have laid out all sorts of twisted reasons for the wedding cancellation. Saying I couldn’t eat curry udon in my wedding dress was just a matter of not eating it. There is no curry udon in this world.

Besides not wanting to be in front of many people, I didn’t want to meet His Majesty because of all the attention I would receive. Would you consider this selfish of me?

The wedding is essentially for the bride and groom, so if the bride doesn’t want the marriage to take place, it should be canceled immediately. If the groom wants to hold it, then only half a wedding should be held.

How does a half-size wedding work? Half the bride and groom means Patrick alone. Half the relatives, too, only those related to the Ashbatons. To have a balanced party, half the guests should be His Majesty the King and Queen. The priest half is Remn part.

The King, Queen, and Remn, the God of Darkness, are invited to the Ashbaton family’s home party. The mysterious gathering is celebrated only by the men of the Dolknes territory.

Isn’t it lovely? Since I won’t be there, I don’t know.

…I had enough free time to come up with a compromise that Patrick would never agree to.

My endless thoughts about how to avoid the wedding will only make me miserable.

Shall we explore the house? The homeowner told me I could do whatever I wanted with the stuff in the house. That means I can look through the place legally.

There’s a little excitement. It’s like opening drawers in a hotel room from end to end. There’s also something fun about wandering around, not knowing how to set the alarm clock or use the safe.

Let’s get started. Leaving the bed where I had been lying, I try to quiet my footsteps as I leave the room. However, there is no need to keep quiet.

The next door room is the first one you see when you walk down the hallway. Since the door is closed, I turn the doorknob gently to avoid accidentally breaking the lock.

It was easy to open the door.

The room was in bad shape. It looks exactly like where I was, except it’s wrecked.

Do regular houses have more than one guest room that looks like a business hotel? What’s up with all this destruction? Did some hooligan stay here regularly?

It’s not just the furniture that’s broken. The roof is also missing, so the blue sky is visible…

“Oh, is this where I fell?”

I was aware I was being led next door, but I assumed it was the other way around. Funny how my sense of direction is a little off.

Being rowdy, I quietly close the door. At the same time as a small slamming door close by, a louder one was heard in the distance.

The sound of a front door opening. Like an empty drawer, it’s designed to close in one place and open in another—

“I’m home.”

Or the homeowner’s back home. It was definitely the other.

Gilbert-san went out about an hour ago. I haven’t explored the house as much as I would have liked because I’ve spent so much time thinking about it.

I returned to my room and stayed quiet like I hadn’t been searching the house. I was sitting down on a chair. If I look out the window with a somber expression, it’s perfect.

His footsteps are straight toward me. Not long after climbing the stairs, there is a knock at the door.

“Yes, come in.”

“…You’re here. I was hoping you were gone.”

“I plan to stay for three days. Thank you for your hospitality.”

He sighed and looked troubled. But unlike the previous one, it also seemed to include the sentiment of I can’t help it. They are similar to the ones Patrick frequently does.

“…Have you eaten? You haven’t eaten anything since last night.”

“You shouldn’t have. Thank you for the meal.”

“I have stockpiled some things that can be preserved. Help yourself.”

There’s no sign of anyone else in this house. I wonder if he’s been eating the food he’s kept in the stockpile. He doesn’t seem like the type to cook for himself, does he?

Food that’s preserved in this world is usually tasteless. It makes me worry about his eating habits. Shall I return the favor and pay him back for his hospitality?

“If you like, I can make something for you. Cooking for one or two is easy.”

“Don’t do anything unnecessary. Plus, I don’t want to eat something someone else made, and I don’t want it to catch fire.”

When I can make it taste good, it’s a waste not to eat it.

There was a commotion a while ago when I cooked because people thought I had released poisonous gas, but I’ve grown up. Being banned from the mansion’s kitchen, I haven’t had a chance to show off my skills, but I’m sure I can make it taste good now. There is no evidence to support this claim.

Also, fire…. No one cooks in such an eccentric way. The heroine who burns everything black is long extinct.

He looked away from me, perhaps thinking he had been too harsh.

“And there’s nothing in here but camping cookware.”

Camping cookware? Why does he only have that?

Let’s give up on the cooking since he won’t like me poking around too much. I was trying to kill some time, but now we have to go sightseeing, won’t we?

“Alright. I have one other question, do you have a problem with me leaving this house?”

“Hm? I thought you weren’t leaving?”

“I will look around a bit and be back. This is my first time in the capital.”

“Didn’t you run away from home?”

“No search has been conducted up to this point. It is a mystery if they are looking for me at all.”

Hmm, I hate being searched, but I wouldn’t like it if they weren’t worried about me. No one would ever think I’d be in danger. It makes sense if they’re looking for me because I’ll cause trouble for others if left alone.

With all the inconvenience, Gilbert-san was distressed for a while before opening his mouth.

“No problem. People come and go in and out of this house at random all the time. Not that you would stand out….”

That’s when he focused his gaze on me. Oh, black hair still stands out, doesn’t it?

Remrest seems to have less prejudice against black hair. However, it is still a rarity. Inevitably, they’re going to stand out.

“Do you think it will still stand out?”

“Of course. Especially in Remrest’s capital. If you’re unlucky, you might be reported to the guards.”

Eh? They didn’t report it to the authorities in Balshine, did they?

In neighboring kingdoms, how does the Demon King’s lore spread?

“Will they do that?”

“People in the capital are sensitive to gossip. You will inevitably be mistaken for Yumiela Dolknes.”

Oh, that’s what he meant. I’m sorry, Demon King-san, it had nothing to do with your misdeeds.

It’s me. If they thought I was me, would they report me? Of course. Someone who shares the same gender, age, and hair color as the neighboring kingdom’s ultimate weapon shows up.

“Well, nothing I can do if they mistook me for the Count.”

Behold. Please take a look at my natural acting. I might have a talent for acting, after all.

Gilbert-san’s voice softened after seeing my fragile, sad performance.

“I don’t think you are that Yumiela. Don’t be so upset. You never tried to scorch Remrest, did you?”

No, I’m not upset. Huh? I intended to give off it can’t be helped, this is my sad fate vibe.

The real Yumiela didn’t try to scorch Remrest either.

“A hat would have worked. There must have been just the right one.”

He told me to follow him downstairs.

Despite what he thinks, I’m okay with the outcome.

I wonder if it’ll fit. It’s hard to cover the hair with a man’s hat.

Walking behind him, slightly uneasy. We arrived at a room on the first floor, close to the entrance.

Gilbert-san paused thoughtfully. He then said,

“This is a private room. Inside—”

“I understand. I’m going that way.”

Before he finishes, I make my way to a remote part of the hallway.

The last thing I want is to be curious and not be able to borrow a hat.

Taking a key out of his pocket, Gilbert-san entered the room.

Because the important places are locked, he told me I could use everything in the house. What if I accidentally break the lock?

…Dangerous. Dangerous. Yumiela’s other side has emerged. Right now, I’m not Yumiela. I would never do anything as brutal as Yumiela, such as breaking the lock.

Not long after, Giblert-san comes out and quickly locks the door back up.

Deciding it was enough, I walked down the hallway and approached him. He was holding a bright white hat with a wide brim.

…It was a woman’s hat.

“Ah, the private room…. No, it’s fine. How you dress is a personal choice.”

Everyone has their hobbies. Even if Gilbert-san turns into Gilbert-chan, others shouldn’t interfere, whether they can directly stare at him or not.

The image of him running on the beach with a white hat and showing his bare legs under the skirt. He looked me straight in the eye.

“What’s wrong with you? This is a woman’s private room. I’ve had it unoccupied for a while. You can use this.”

So that’s what happened. It’s unclear what the family structure is in this house, but I’m going out now.

As soon as I got the hat from Gilbert-san, I put it on tight. Everything will look great when I put my hair on my back in my clothes.

“Thank you! Sorry for mistaking you for someone who likes to crossdress!”

Gilbert-san’s bitter face was the last thing I saw as I ran from the house.