Chapter 22: Noisily, One Week Later

Chapter 22: Noisily, One Week Later

Minoa-san opens the sliding storm shutter—or rather, the louver door. After I gently washed my face with the bucket Oriza-san prepared, I lightly bent myself at the opened window and my eyes met with my younger brother who’s under the window.

“Saryuu.”

“Ah, Seiren-neesama.”

Saryuu was swinging his wooden sword wholeheartedly but upon seeing me, he suddenly stopped his hands. He slightly bowed his head to me who waved my hands.

“Good morning, is it already at this hour?”

“Good morning. That’s right, you’d better quickly return.”

“Understood. Well then, excuse me.”

“Yes. See you at dining room—“

After seeing off my younger brother who ran after correcting his posture firmly, I nodded.

My younger foster brother’s early morning self-practice has been continuing ever since we found out about it. I haven’t told our parents and the maids, and he seems to notice it as well.

It seems now is the sign to close the louver door in my room that was opened. Looks like it has become a daily routine for him to return to his room after exchanging greetings with me, and then preparing himself to get breakfast. The maid who is accompanying Saryuu had a talk to my maids about it. As I thought, it has been exposed completely, eh.

“It has completely become a habit, eh? Morning greetings with Saryuu-sama.”

After tidying up the bucket, Oriza-san who is preparing my clothes seems like she is having fun. Today is Alica-san’s holiday, and Minoa-san is making up the bed.

“Isn’t it fine? …or rather, how did he measure time before I returned here anyway?”

“It looked like Saryuu-sama returned after hearing his attendants’ voices looking for him, didn’t it?”

Oy, oy.

This maid-san completely knows what Saryuu has been doing, doesn’t she?1

Even though if this were the other world, then you’d be able to measure time by setting an alarm in a watch or cellphone.

“There is no clock in a carriable size over here, eh?”

“Yes-. There is no clock that can be worn conveniently on the wrist like what Seiren-sama said, by any means…”

*flap flap* Oriza-san who shook her hand made me think again that this world is really different.

The smallest clock here is a table clock whose size is bigger than 2 liter PET bottle. Moreover, it is insanely tall, and I was told that it was approximately as tall as my father’s private room.2

There is also a type of clock that operates on magic power, but it seems to be very expensive, at a price level that is not a joke, as expected. In addition, it is said that time is not easy to adjust and can deviate easily unless it is adjusted according to people who use it and according to the environment. It is very troublesome, in many ways.

Well then.

One week has passed ever since I, Shikino Seiren—let me revise that, Shiiya Seiren came to this world.

By the way, 1 week is 7 days, and 1 year is 364 days. 4 weeks equal to 28 days and one month, as it makes up 12 months and the remaining 4 weeks are added to the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th month as a special week, so it seems. One year here is a bit shorter than the other world’s.

At first, there is only the Sun God in this world, and being all alone and feeling lonely, the God created the sky, the earth, and the living beings. The day where there was only God is the first day of a week, a day of Sun (Sunday). And after that, the (day of) sky, the earth, the sea, the mountain, the rain, and the last day where the living beings came into life is the day of life.

There is a proper calendar or almanac, but since the number of days in a month and year can exactly be divided by seven, it is not necessary to think about what day is it next year, or what day of the week is it going to be like in the other world. In other words, there is no need to renew the calendars, and in rich houses just like mine, it seems like a tradition to have a luxurious calendar hanging and decorating the wall.

In our situation, each room is decorated with a not-so-big, but one year’s worth of a calendar, that is sized around 1 tatami. Because of the fabric, if you didn’t know it was a calendar, then you wouldn’t get it. I also did not notice it at first.

Also, there was a huge calendar sized around two tatami mats on the wall between the ceremony room’s walls. I am told that when I was born, my parents made a special order to the artisans to weave my birthday in golden string. Of course, by the time it was completed, I was no longer in this house, though.

Upon hearing that, I quickly had to take a look. Day 19th of the 3rd month, the day of the Mountain, was in golden.

The day I returned to this world was the exact same day. Whether it was a coincidence or whatever it was, it happened on the same day here and there.

In other words, I was reborn in this world on my 18th birthday.

By the way, my birthday in the other world was the 1st day of April. I wonder if the director is still looking for me?

Well now.

Thanks to Jigen-san, the me who disappeared in the middle of Shiiya family’s residence was finally returned as the rightful daughter of the family. Except for the fact that I was a male, then all is well.

Then, what kind of existence am I outside the residence?

[Soon detected with an illness after her birth, the eldest daughter of Shiiya family who was recuperating in the deep of the mountains until very recently] like that. Since being abducted from the feudal lord’s family might bring about various problems. Or rather, since when did that rumor spread around?

Everyone in the residence has been ordered to keep silent regarding my abduction and so on, as Jigen-san said, “We just saw to it that they do not want to talk about it.” The old magician comfortably laughed, but I wonder what did he do.3

I can explain well why my “recuperation” became the reason to adopt Saryuu. It was because they did not know when will their sickly daughter die, and so they needed to adopt a healthy boy from their relatives to take over as the heir.

Well, since that daughter—me—have returned to my parents’ home after making a full recovery, it cannot be helped that the problem about the heir or the problem regarding my marriage would arise. But, I don’t care about being the heir, okay?

While trying carefully to not be worried about such circumstances, I spent my time while gradually being able to write my own name using this world’s alphabets that are similar to Roman alphabets, to not spread my legs when I sit down and got scolded.

Ah, also to be able to call myself with “watashi” whenever I am going out. For the time being, I am pardoned when it’s only in front of my family and the maids. The habits from my time as Shikino Seiren haven’t faded out yet.

With various things going on, this morning too, I have breakfast with everyone. Sometimes, Saryuu would look at me, and I get happy whenever my smiles get returned. Could it be that this younger foster brother of mine is having a siscon (sister complex) on me? Although I do not think that I have any likeable factor…

In the middle of the meal, my mother talked to me with a very wide smile on her face.

“Ah, that’s right, Seiren. Later today, I will send Kaya to get you, so I wonder if you could come to my room?”

“Ah, yes. What can I do for you?”

Uwa, the one who will come to get me is Kaya-san, so I thought while I asked mother in return. My face doesn’t turn weird, does it?

I am sorry, but it’s difficult for me to deal with Kaya-san. For you see, she sees me with the eyes that seem to be testing me. Like I said, I understood that Saryuu is more suited to be the heir than I am.

Even though I am favored by mother and the maids, there is really nothing special to say, though.4

“Yes. It’s just that today, Coda the jeweler5 is coming. And that is why, I am thinking of buying something for you.”

“Eh, for me?”

“Yes. You should decide what you’ll wear for yourself.”

“Haa… the jeweler, eh…”

…In that instant, I became dizzy.

The ones called as the jewelers are people who have various colored gems and gold accessories lined up inside their bag and the ones who ask, how about this one…, that kind of person, right? Oh well, the things they sell are expensive, so it’s no wonder they would come to rich houses.

I wonder what if they are assaulted by some burglar en route? In this kind of world, things like insurance won’t work. If it is like the same old story, then usually the merchants are traveling around with some guards.

“I am sure there will be some things that will suit Nee-sama!”

“Oh my, Saryuu. Do you understand about jewels and precious metals?”

“Ah, no, I don’t really…”

What are you doing, man. Nah, even I do not really understand about them.

In my room, there are various accessories en masse. But, they were all the things chosen by my mother, and since she chose it before I returned, she did not know whether they suited me or not. Although I will not know about it even if I were to wear them.

Also, since I was a man in the other world, I am not so accustomed to wearing accessories. Well, I am alright since the maids are the ones who put the hair clips for me. Look, such as this necklace and this ring.

“I will also buy good brooches and pins for Saryuu, as well. But unless we ascertain the items ourselves, we might get some poor quality goods, you know?”

“…Yes, Kaa-sama.”

Ah, so overwhelming.

Well, certainly it is not good if we cannot make a judgement of things. Even if I said that, I wonder how can we have those kinds of discerning eyes. I have no choice but to deal with a large number of them.

After breakfast, Oriza-san and the others followed mother’s talk. Oriza-san said as if she was having fun, “Seiren-sama, please choose something cute.” Minoa-san also laughed a bit, so I wonder if women like to see those kind of things.

In the middle of my writing practice inside my room, there was a knocking sound. Minoa-san moved silently and opened the door. Oriza-san did not move and gazed at the surroundings.

After having a few words of conversation outside the door, Minoa-san looked back over here.

“Seiren-sama. Kaya-san has come for you.”

“Ah, yes. It’s fine.”

That was fast. While wondering whether the jeweler has arrived, I wiped off the ink from the pen nib. By the way, I am using a quill pen whose head is made of a huge bird feather along with a normal black ink. No, I do not know how to make the ink, though.

“Excuse me. As per Madame’s instruction, I have come to escort Seiren-sama.”

“Alright, I will go now.”

While I answered Kaya-san, Oriza-san moved simultaneously. She went before me and extended her hand to help me stand up.

To the standing me, Kaya-san added, “Ah”, as if she just remembered something. I became a little bit flustered, thinking that I might be forgetting something.

“Seiren-sama. I was told to tell you to bring the amulet pouch that you had when you returned here.”

“…The amulet pouch?”

You mean, the one where I put my ring in? When I sleep, I keep it at the bedside, other than that, I usually carry it around, so there is no problem.

Although it is bad if you forget to mention the message from mother. It’s good that you remembered, yes.

“I understood. Since I am carrying it around, we can go right away.”

When I answered in consent, Kaya-san bowed her head, feeling relieved.