Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Translator: sleepingjay

“Is that why your skin is so white it seems transparent?”

“What the heck, are you trying to call me soft? Even if you don’t say it, I already know that I’m lacking in masculinity.”

Turning away, I stood up from my seat and headed towards the door.

“Well then, I’ll be going back to my room. Sorry for causing such a clamor. Knight Commander Moorwright too, you shouldn’t stay up late doing work, it’s better to go to sleep.”

“Aaa. I’ll do that, Lilius-dono. Besides that, I apologise for my butler and servants’ somewhat rude behaviour this afternoon. I’ve instructed them to treat you as a guest, so tomorrow they’ll make sure to transfer you to a proper room.”

“……It’s fine. That room is sufficient for me. The house I’d been living in for years is far more shabby than the room I’m borrowing now, you know? This isn’t that bad. Well then, excuse me. Good night.”

After leaving, as soon as I reached my own room I flopped down onto the bed, and just like that, I fell asleep.

The following morning, after their arrangements were complete, the butler Belus came to me to enquire.

“Lilius-sama, have you awakened?”

“Aaa.”

“Although you’ve said it’s not necessary yesterday, just to be sure, we have prepared breakfast. If necessary, we could also send it to your room.”

“……Is that right.”

At my slurred words, Belus raised his thin eyebrows.

Since they’d already gone the lengths to make it for me, I didn’t want to waste it. But, it was really true that I couldn’t eat it. “Sorry, I should’ve explained this clearly yesterday…….

I can’t eat food from all animals like meat and fish. Normally only eat vegetable dishes, and the rest I make up with high-nutrient candies I’d created myself. It’s not that I’m rejecting your efforts, I refused yesterday because my own constitution is the problem.”

After explaining my circumstances, my head hung low.

I was sure that after this, their impression of me would become even worse.

I couldn’t help but anxiously wonder if the chef, Belus and other servants might be punished because of my wilfulness, but this wasn’t my birthplace. It was that knight commander’s house, so no way it would happen.

If this were my birthplace, even if food were wasted due to our selfishness, it was the servants who would receive punishment.

“Since that’s the case, you should have informed us ahead of time. Is salad alright for you to eat?”

“Aaa.”

“Then, please wait a while. Or, should we prepare the dining hall for your use?”

“No need, bringing it to this room is already a great help.”

“Understood. Then excuse me, please wait here while we get the meal ready.”

I was surprised. Yesterday, Belus’s attitude was only superficially polite, but today was different.

Belus truly loved his master from the bottom of his heart, didn’t he?

In the short time that I waited for my meal to arrive, I absently gazed outside the window.

＊　＊　＊

“Well then, shall we go.”

“Eeh~ I still haven’t finished eating, y’know.”

“I don’t care.”

Seth, who came back with Belus, ate the morning meal with me as there was a large excess.

Although Belus sharply scolded him, Seth just feigned ignorance.

I only heard about it later, but it turned out that Belus was Seth’s father. That fact deeply surprised me.

Most likely, Seth’s lazy character was the result of leaving things like pressure and tension behind in his mother’s womb. When I said that, Seth sulked like a child.

“Village head, I made these pastilles yesterday. You have to make sure to distribute it to everyone in the village!”

“What’s this? Medicine?”

“No. It’s not medicine. But, it’s something that can help with heatstroke.”

For now, I entrusted three days worth of pastilles to him.

With this, I could take a look at how much the pastilles could improve the villagers’ situation, and I also planned to improve the taste.

“As usual, you’re using us as guinea pigs?”

“Yep. You should be honoured.”

“Tsk, you’re really…”

A soft smile floated on the village head’s face, and he poked my head. Then, as always, as if soothing me, he patted my head which he had just poked.

Since long ago, I’d always thought that since he was going to pat it anyways, why not just stop poking my head? But, I didn’t hate being treated like this either so I wasn’t going to say unnecessary things.

After a day’s work, I once again returned to the residence.

In the afternoon, the residence was full of people going back and forth. However, similar to Belus, almost everyone began to hide their malice towards me.

Well, even though that was the case, there was still a small fraction that couldn’t keep it hidden.

It was after I parted with Seth and headed back to my room to take a look at the medicine.

When I was standing at the landing of the staircase, someone pushed my back from behind.

I, who was sent into the air, disorientedly veered off the staircase and tumbled down headlong to the floor.

Fortunately I protected my head, so nothing important was hurt, but a sharp pain shot through my left ankle. A wound like this wasn’t that big of a deal. With this situation, I could use healing magic. But before that, I looked around to confirm if there was anybody around me.

More than being pushed down, it grated more on my nerves that somebody had sneaked up on me without me knowing.