Chapter 35: The Touchy, Villa Conversation

Chapter 35: The Touchy, Villa Conversation

Translator: LynneSuzuran

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After Taiga-san returned by flying in the sky, we entered the villa. Since Godou-san was also away, I thought to help with unloading the luggage, but I was stopped by Oriza-san.

“This is the job for us, the servants-. If we let our master’s family member help us, we would think that we are incompetent-. Your good intention alone is more than enough, okay?”

…But. In short, it seems like it will be a bad reputation if we were to help them out.

Well, I hate to deprecate everyone who has been kind to me, so I went inside while saying sorry in my mind. Or rather, everyone here is really hardworking, that I feel guilty.

Oriza-san and Minoa-san tidied up my luggage, while Kanna-san was glancing here and there for some time ago, but perhaps she was in the middle of tidying up Saryuu’s luggage, as well. In the end, when I walked towards the door on top of the wooden stairs, the one who opened it was Godou-san who just returned.

“I ought to guide and lead you here. Then, please come on here.”

“Yes. Excuse me.”

Since somehow my parents and Saryuu hadn’t entered, I became the one who entered in first. The door was also made of woods, and the thickness was amazing. As expected, since the winter is cold, it is designed as a protection against cold, I think.

“…whoa.”

“How do you think about it?”

The moment when we entered inside, I thoughtlessly raised my voice. Godou-san’s voice when he asked me about it sounded quite boastful, but it was pretty much bragging.

The interior which was cleaned up thoroughly, felt comparatively like a log-house. The plain wood wall and ceiling wrapped up the room, and the floor was as expected, made of woods. Besides that, a flower-patterned carpet was laid out on top of it, a simpler one compared to the one in the mansion. Ah, in the deeper place, there was a big hearth.

Also, perhaps due to being made mainly out of woods, it also smelled of woods in peculiar. Aah, it felt like the smell was blended with the air inside the room.

Compared to the mansion which was largely made up of stones, I feel more affinity to this villa. Since I was brought up in such a world, something like that.

“It’s a good house. The smell of the wood feels so affectionate, …I like it.”

This is bad, I almost said ore instead of watashi.1 Safe, safe.

Godou-san who heard my answer, and my family who was besides me before I even noticed, all of them seemed extremely happy. …Could it be that they wanted me to be delighted?

Ah, did I smile properly? I didn’t have a stiff expression before, right?

“If you say that you like it here, this villa will also be delighted. Ah, Seiren-ojousama’s room is in the inner part of the second floor.”

Un, it seems to be okay.

Even then, for a moment, I noticed that Godou-san’s manner of speech was similar to the other world’s. That the villa would also be delighted, I think not many people in this world would say something like that. Perhaps, their way of thinking is different, though.

Anyway, the inner part of the second floor, huh?

“Thank you very much. If it’s the second floor, the view from there seems to be good.”

“Yes, of course. After all, we thought that it’d be great if you could make great memories during your first stay here. Now then, I shall show you the way.”

We headed towards another stairs that was in the further side slightly ahead of the entrance, and Godou-san lent me a hand. Then, Saryuu hurriedly followed and stepped next to me.

“Ah, since I will be in the room next door, let’s go together. Tou-sama and Kaa-sama’s room is located in the inner part of the first floor, right?”

“Yes. Saryuu, please accompany Seiren.”

“Don’t be overly excited just yet. After all, it will take quite a long trip to get there.”

“Ye~s!”

Eh, then the second floor will be used by me and Saryuu, huh. Is that okay, I wonder… But well, if Saryuu says so, then I guess it’s the custom here.

The stairs were finely made of woods too, and when we stepped on them, they gave off the typical sound as we passed through it.

Going up towards the second floor, what lies in front of us seems to be our rooms, while there is a corridor behind us… huh, the dining room is there? Perhaps, it is just right above the entry hall, I think.

“Ah, the scenery here is really good. Also, the dining room of this house is in the top floor.”

“Which means, the kitchen is further inside here?”

Because Godou-san informed me of it, I became curious of the dining room and tried to take a peek of it a bit. Un, there is also the warm feeling because the room was fully made of the woods, and overall, I prefer it. The furniture is as expected, no matter how you look at it, they seem to be expensive that only the rich people can obtain them.

“To be more precise, we have made it a little lower after considering the luggage being loaded.”

“So it has the feeling like a middle second floor, huh. Then, wouldn’t it be quite a hassle to carry the meals?”

“For such a matter, we have wagons.”

Well, so that’s how it is. Since there won’t be something like lifts in the other world, if there were no wagon, we don’t have any choice but to carry them by our hands.

Or rather, since the scenery is good, the dining room is on the top floor, and since it might be difficult to bring in the ingredients, the kitchen was made in the middle second floor, huh. Our ancestors had thought of interesting things, eh.

While thinking about it, Saryuu shifted his attention towards me with a wondering expression.

“Nee-sama, you asked a lot of things, huh?”

“Oh well, there are lots of things that I don’t know. Don’t you also get curious, Saryuu?”

“Eh… Aah, I haven’t really thought about them. I see, Ane-sama is a studious person, so of course you would like to know about various subjects.”

…It’s as Saryuu said, I guess.

I still don’t know much about this world, so I have become used to asking about things that piqued my interest. There is a saying from the other world, [to ask is but a moment’s shame, but not to ask is a lifetime’s shame], but in the end, I do want to know about various things.2

After all, I have to live in this world from now on. As Shiiya Seiren.

“Saryuu-sama. If you follow your big sister’s example, you would be able to become a good feudal lord in the future.”

“I, I will try my best!”

Godou-san said that, and my little brother then strongly clutched his fists.

See, Saryuu is brimming with his intention to succeed as the heir of the family and is doing his best. Kaya-san, I think there’s no need for you to be worried. Really.

“Whoa, amazing~!”

Inside my room, or rather, at the window further inside—it was the first words I uttered when I saw what was over there.

Nah, the window itself isn’t that big, though. Precisely beyond the window, there seems to be meadows at the hill.

The spacious greenery, the mountains that can be seen in the distance, and then the beautiful sky. Since the sun is setting, the reddish light is shining from the side, but that’s what made it look amazing.

Uwaa, I’m glad I came here.

Both Saryuu and Godou-san seemed to be happy to hear my reaction. Uhm, they seem to be really paying attention to my feelings. Especially Godou-san who actually didn’t even know me until just recently.

Yeah, I have to be very careful so that it won’t bring about questions regarding my circumstances during my stay. Although it is summer, the area around here seems to be more refreshing.

Then, I suddenly remembered.

“Ah, that’s right. During the winter, the snow will be piling up a lot, right?”

“Yeah. That’s why at the beginning of the winter, I usually do a major cleanup, and then the villa will be closed after that. It is quite a harsh environment to be living all alone by yourself.”

“Eh, all alone?”

“I have to bid my farewell to my wife quite early. Danna-sama then was willing to appoint me as this house’s manager comfortably.”

“Is that so. Uhm, I’m sorry for my impoliteness to ask such a sensitive question.”

Ah-, I heard something unexpected.

In a panic, I bowed my head, but Godou-san laughed and said, “Please don’t mind it.” Perhaps he has gotten over it, I think.

Someday, I will have to get over the other world, or else, it won’t be good. Yeah.

“Then, I will be preparing for dinner. I will call you when it’s dinner time, so until then, please take a rest.”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

“Yeah, thanks. We’ll be looking forward to it.”

After bowing down very deeply, Godou-san cheerfully went down through the stairs. After this, will he be carrying in the ingredients? I feel like they have prepared them in advance, but could it be that we brought something from our mansion? Take the pepper that Tou-san gave to Taiga-san, for example.

“Ane-sama. Godou’s cooking is a bit different than our house’s cooking, but it’s also delicious.”

“I see. As expected, the cooking depends on where you live, huh.”

Well, that is right. This is the territory managed by Shikino-san, and looks like the things produced here are delicately different from our territory.

Since we are in the middle of the mountains, I wonder if there will be freshwater fishes? I like the landlocked masu salmon and the sweetfish that the orphanage director occasionally managed to fish.

While the face of the director comes up to my mind for a while, suddenly Saryuu’s face approached me. Hey, this little brother of mine, is it fun to take a close-up look at your sister?

“…by the way, Nee-sama.”

“Eh, what is it?”

“It’s about Taiga-niisama, but… what do you think of him, Nee-sama?”

“Ha?”

Saryuu abruptly asked me such a thing. What do I think, so he asked.

He seems to be kind, but I can’t see his true motive… I understand that there’s no way it’s the answer he expected to hear.

In this case, my answer should be something like this, maybe.

“…Uhmm. He is good as a friend, I think. He seems to be remarkable and hardworking, and he seems to be a great person.”

“No, that’s not what I mean.”

“If that’s not what you mean, then what is it?”

Nah, there is no point in asking.

If it’s not about how he is as a friend, as I am his big sister, there is only one meaning, and that is, to ask about my opinion on him as a person of opposite gender.

Uwaa, what a pain.

“Could it be, are you curious whether I’m being attracted by him at first sight or things like that?”

“Eh, ah, uhm…”

See, bingo. Or, how should I put it, Saryuu, why are you turning bright red until your ears? I am simply just your elder sister. Although I feel like an elder brother in the inside.

“Anyway, I’m not falling in love at first sight with him, let’s just say that I don’t feel any affection towards him for now. That’s it for my case.”

I can’t help but flatly answer him like that. To be honest, I don’t know how to look at Saryuu who felt relieved as he stroked his chest and said, “Hoo…”.

In the first place, why would I be worried about being my little brother’s subject of romance?

Nah, even so, he is not my real younger brother. But then, Saryuu, you are real brothers with Taiga-san, so… huh.

Could it be that I have become the cause of the two brothers’ competition? No, no matter how you look at it, I think I don’t have that any kind of bad fetishes at all. Yeah.

Or rather, for me right now, Saryuu is only my younger brother, while Taiga-san is just an acquaintance that I made unexpectedly.

Be as it may, I don’t think the two of them would just give up even if I clearly told them that. Or more precisely, the two of them seem to be the stubborn type.

…Somehow, I was worn out in various meaning.