CH 103

A month has already passed since school started. Since I heard about House Lingerburg, I have taken various measures, but so far there has been no good progress. Other than that, both the quintet and Helene are quiet, and my relationships with Katharina, Louisa, and Claudia are going well. I am living a really good student life. If only I could do something about Alexandra…

What should I do? Even regular contact from Ignaz didn’t seem to collect very good information. Again, no progress has been made in the investigation, and no countermeasures come to mind. Right now, the royal family hasn’t approved the marriage, so it’s somehow managed, but the other party will probably lose their patience and make another move. I’m able to buy time, but if I don’t find a way to do something in the meantime, I’ll run out of it.

“Umm~… today, I’m going to introduce a transfer student. Please come in.”

While I was thinking about it, the class professor said something like that. I was only half-listening, but I’m sure I heard that much.

Even so, for a transfer student to come in now, of all times… I don’t know what kind of person they are, but they’re pretty easygoing. It’s halfway through the semester, and I don’t really understand why you would bother to come to school like this with that timing. For the nobles of the Kingdom of Ploiss, graduating from this school seems to be a kind of status symbol, but I don’t think it’s worth that much.

Rather than that, I have to think about the stalemate with Alexandra…

“Good morning, everyone. I am Mikoto Vandenlissen from the Kingdom of Del. Thank you very much for accepting me.”

Everyone was clapping and greeting back, so I clapped along with them, and as I glanced at the lecturer’s desk… I froze.

“Mi-Mikoto…?”

“Professor… I’d like that seat. May I please have it?”

The transfer student was a beautiful girl with her hair in twin tails, glaring at me intensely as she pointed at the seat beside me. The male student who was originally sitting there launched up to his feet in no time.

“We have prepared a separate seat for you, Lady Vandenlissen, but…” the professor said.

“I’ll sit over there, then,” Mikoto said.

The best seat in this class has been freshly vacated, the one right next to Helene. Apparently, it was the first seat in the order. The student sitting next to me was told to change his seat and was now flustered. That’s how it usually happens. Mikoto also says unreasonable things. That’s why I don’t think I’m going to help that male student, but…

They were arguing a bit, but when Mikoto insisted on taking that seat, no one was able to say anything. Mikoto pushes aside the male student and comes to my side.

“Mi… uuh!”

“…………”

When I tried to call out “Mikoto”, I was glared at. Her face certainly looks like an older version of Mikoto’s, but there are some differences. First of all, the Mikoto I know should have black eyes and black hair, but this beautiful girl has brown hair and brown eyes.

Also, in the introduction earlier, she called herself Mikoto Vandenlissen, not Sumeragi Mikoto. Her surname is completely different. No way, she looks just like Mikoto, but she’s a completely different person… that can’t be possible. As Mikoto sat down next to me, she continued glaring at me. I guess she’s angry about that time…

Mikoto glared at me, but I wasn’t in the mood to talk to her. We seem to have no choice but to calm down and wait until the two of us were free to talk…

It’s finally lunchtime. If it’s our lunch break, I should be able to talk slowly with Mikoto. Some people seemed to be trying to talk to Mikoto during the break, but they were all blocked by Mikoto’s Aura of Rejection and they couldn’t even speak properly.

“May I borrow you for a moment?” Mikoto asked.

“Huh…? Sure…” I said.

While I was wondering how to lure Mikoto out, Mikoto spoke to me first. She seemed to be looking for the right timing as well. I also wanted to talk to Mikoto, so there was no reason to refuse. Mikoto, who had rejected everyone up until now, started talking to me, and the surroundings were in a bit of a fuss, but I hurriedly chased after Mikoto who’d left the scene without even being bothered about them.

Where we ended up was an empty classroom with no people. Here, some sounds and conversations will not leak outside. But I feel like that’s not enough. Some of the passersby who are curious about us are following us. If you talk or do anything here, you will be seen and heard.

I thought that would be the case but… huh? What was that just now… magic? Did I feel like a spell had just been triggered? Did Mikoto use magic? How?

“Come on, let’s go,” Mikoto said.

“Huh?”

After seemingly casting a spell, Mikoto is gone! I opened the window and leaned out. No, no, no! Is it okay for a lady to go out the window? Well, when I went to see Mikoto from Caanburg, I also escaped through the window… it will be different now than it was then. And if other people see us, it will affect your reputation.

“It’s okay. Those who were chasing us are now seeing an illusion. Come on, let’s go,” Mikoto said.

Illusion? It seems that it wasn’t just my imagination that I felt like some kind of spell had been activated just now. I guess Mikoto used some kind of Illusory magic to deceive the people who were chasing us.

Either way, I have no choice but to follow Mikoto, so I also go out the window. Mikoto then pointed up. Apparently, it seems to be time to start climbing up the wall…….

Can we do it dressed like this? Aren’t we usually using skirts?

“You can do it on your own, can’t you, Floto? I can fly,” Mikoto said.

“Ah!”

Mikoto jumped up with the Flight spell I saw her use so long ago and went up to the roof. I have no choice but to go after her.

“Haa… does she still not have enough sense as a lady…?” I asked.

Since long ago, Mikoto has lacked self-awareness and behavior as a lady. It looks like it still hasn’t been fixed several years later. If I have to climb anyway, let’s climb quickly. There is also a fear that the male students will see me from below if they squint too much.

It’s just a waste of time if you climb with your hands and feet like rock climbing. I picked some footholds, kicked off the ground, and jumped up. After reaching the footholds, I plant my feet on them and kicked off again. After jumping against the wall and off the footholds, in a few seconds, I was on the roof.

“As expected of you, Floto,” Mikoto said. “You’re as inhuman as ever.”

“Excuse me…” I said. “What is it about me, a weak person, that makes me so far from normal humans…?”

When she says inhuman, she means people like my father and mother. If anything, I’m nothing more than a weak maiden.

Or rather, from a while ago, she called me Floto, Floto, she said… this is that Mikoto after all…

“Mikoto… it’s been a while… huh?”

When I tried to speak to her, Mikoto hugged me tightly. Her body trembles slightly.

“For so long… I’ve wanted to see you for so long!” Mikoto cried.

“… Mmn,” I went.

I can’t say anything, I was the one who wronged Mikoto that day. So now all I can do is let Mikoto do what she wants. That’s the least I can do.

“Didn’t I make a lot of friends? And yet you didn’t come to see me, Floto!” Mikoto yelled.

“Sorry……” I said.

That’s true……. why did I want to check whether the promise was fulfilled when there was no way to contact her? I was just thinking that I had to do something about our relationship, which was becoming codependent. Without discussing how to overcome that problem, I decided on my own and acted on my own, causing Mikoto a painful experience.

Thinking about it now, I guess I wasn’t thinking calmly, either. I can now say that there could have been a better way. But at that time, I didn’t know what to do anymore, and I was desperate to make Mikoto independent of me. Later, when I went to the usual place to see Mikoto, there was no sign of Mikoto coming, and I went to see how it was for a few days, but eventually, I gave up.

What did I want, after all? Making Mikoto feel lonely and hurting Mikoto… but looking at Mikoto’s current state, I think that might have been a good thing. I feel like Mikoto has returned to the way she was when we first met.

“You’re an idiot, Floto, an idiot! I won’t let go of you anymore!” Mikoto yelled.

“Yeah…” I said.

Has she not healed at all? Isn’t it getting worse? What is this? Then why did I do all that for…?

“… Now I know why you did that, Floto,” Mikoto said.

“Huh?”

Her face is still buried in my chest but she’s still speaking.

“At that time, I was hurt, and I thought I would hate you,” Mikoto said. “But now I know what you did was for my sake, with all your heart and soul…”

“Mikoto…” I said.

What the? Mikoto must have grown up properly. Did I worry too much?

“But I was still hurt and lonely! That’s why I won’t forgive you, Floto! Stay by my side until I say you can go!”

“…Yeah. I’m sorry…I’ll be by your side from now on…” I said.

My chest is a little damp. Mikoto’s face is still buried in it, so I don’t know what face she’s making. But even I can tell from the trembling voice and that damp feeling there, what sort of expression Mikoto is making now. That’s why all I can do right now is to gently hug her head and stroke it.

“Huh? But why did you change your name and the color of your hair and eyes, too, Mikoto?” I asked as I stroked Mikoto’s hair.

There are so many things I want to ask her. What happened to her after that? Why is she here? Why did she change both her name and appearance?

“I bleached my hair using a method passed down in my hometown,” Mikoto said. “My eyes are just magically changed, so if I remove the spell, they will go back to as they were before.”

Huh. I wonder if this bleaching is like modern bleaching. It seems that the eyes are just an illusion now, and I understand the change in appearance.

“As for my name… well. Do you know the Kingdom of Del?” Mikoto asked.

“No. I don’t know,” I said.

“I see… well, the Kingdom of Del is a country in the north, beyond the sea. Vandenlissen is the name of their royal family.”

""

I see. So Mikoto borrowed the name and citizenship of that country.

“I’m wondering how you managed to have contacts with that country,” I said.

“Huh?! Aren’t you surprised? I mean, you do realize that I’m not a member of Del’s royal family, right?” Mikoto said.

“I know that, don’t I? The Kingdom of Del is a human country, isn’t it? And you’re a demon so you can’t be, Mikoto.”

“Huh…?!” Mikoto gasped.

“What…?” I asked.

Mikoto looks at me with a surprised face. Did I say something funny? As I tilted my head, Mikoto let out a big sigh and shook her head.

“Did you already know I’m a demon?” Mikoto asked.

“Yeah. Somehow…” I said.

You would think it would be strange if such a little girl was wandering alone in such a mountainous area. If it’s the first time, I think it’s a lost child or someone related to a woodcutter or a hunter, but it’s only possible that someone living in that area came there before I left Caanburg and returned later.

I’ve researched that forest quite a bit, so I’ve already confirmed that there isn’t even a single mountain hut, let alone a village where people live. A person who can come to a place like that can’t be an ordinary human being.

And the direction Mikoto always seemed to return to was toward the northwest mountain range of Hexennacht. Beyond that is only a place that is said to be the country of the demons.

“Is it because of my black eyes and hair, after all?” Mikoto asked.

“Huh? Do all demons have black eyes and black hair?” I asked.

“…………”

“………………”

Mikoto inhaled and let out another massive, “Haaaaahhh~…!”

“Did you know I’m a demon without even knowing that? All demons have black eyes and black hair,” Mikoto said.

“Heh! I see now. That’s why you changed the color of your hair and eyes,” I said. “You know it’s not normal for a little girl to wander around in a place like that alone, right? If you think about it, you had to have come from the other side of Hexennacht, I can’t even imagine humans living there.”

“Then what about you, Floto…?” Mikoto asked. “You were a little girl who was wandering around that place, too…”

Well, I’m a reincarnated person, so I’m not the child like I look, right? It’s frustrating that I can’t explain it to Mikoto.

“I-I wouldn’t be out of place there,” I said. “That place is my territory… besides, why did you go to this school at this time of year, Mikoto?”

“Listen up!” Mikoto snapped. “I have been chasing you, Floto! Even though you call yourself Floto von Caan, you lied to me! You’re actually Flora Charlotte von Carruthers, aren’t you? Thanks to that, I had a hard time finding you. And just when I think I’ve finally found you, you go and attend a school in the royal capital! Of course, I’d transfer here just to meet you again, Floto!”

Ah… was that so…? She had to go through such a hard time. But… Mikoto might get angry again if I say this, but I’m happy. I couldn’t be happier that Mikoto would go that far and come see me.

“Floto and Flora are both me,” I said. “Let’s talk more properly from now on. Tell me more about you, Mikoto? And ask more about me, too. Let’s talk more about the important things. So that we don’t repeat all that mess.”

“………… Okay,” Mikoto said. “I don’t want to feel those feelings ever again. And I want to know more about you, Floto!”

“Yeah……” I said.

Oh, what a wonderful day today, huh? Mikoto and I listened to what we had to say without stopping until the end of our lunch break.