CH 127

After leaving Yurina-san’s place, I immediately asked Margo to install a fireplace in my bedroom-cum-living room. According to the information I received from Yurina-san, it seemed the winter in this whole region was cold enough that you could even see diamond dust. 

I should be prepared for the Hokkaido-level cold. If it could get as cold as winter in Hokkaido then spending the winter without a fireplace would be tough. I gave gold coins to Margo in order to pay for my request and then I went to Sarasa’s store in order to buy the materials I needed to make a present I promised Yurina-san. 

It seemed there was really no problem between Margo and Sarasa anymore. I felt glad to see that. Margo was the one that brought my shut-in self to that place after all.

“Go take a look at the outside for a little bit.”

And it was really through Yurina-san that I developed an interest for the world outside. Sarasa didn’t seem to have any particular problem with me going to see Yurina-san at the bar either. In fact, I felt like she was looking at me warmly instead. 

As for Juno and Elsa, it seemed they had somehow settled their issue themselves too. Juno and Margo must’ve prepared a plan for me in secret. Sarasa and Elsa definitely had noticed and understood that.

23:00

When I arrived home, I spread out a piece of paper on a wooden board in the chicken coop. Then I started writing with the light from the lantern illuminating the place. On the left side of the table, there was my note that I wrote on a daily basis. In that note, there were the characteristics and information of plants and monsters I received from appraisal along with the drawings of the said plants or monsters. 

There was various information about this world I had collected and their folklore too. My observation of the stars alignment, cooking recipes too. Though I excluded any kind of recipe that might attract the attention of the noble. 

I took only the part in Lancaster language and copied it down smoothly on that piece of paper. The thing I wanted to give to her, my favorite thing, was a ‘book’. It might seem like it was a bad idea to give a woman a book I made myself but this was my most favorite thing. I couldn’t think of anything else since we were set on giving each other a thing that we both most liked. 

Which reminded me, I once gave my past girlfriend a thing that I liked the best and her response was.

“It’s too cheap.”

She complained. Then things suddenly became so cold between us. I chuckled wryly at the memory of that time. They weren’t interested in what kind of things I chose, they cared more about the price of the things I gave them instead. 

In other words, I came to the conclusion that…

“Ah, so she’s not actually interested in me.”

Well, the price of a book in this world was not as cheap as in Japan so I doubt she’d complain to me because it was too cheap anyway. I had seen books being sold in Sarasa’s store but they were all handwritten and the price was way too expensive. 

I was a little worried at how Yurina-san would react to my gift but I didn’t want to earn a point from her by buying her an expensive gift that a girl would like just so I could get along better with her. If I did that, she’d become interested in the gift, not at me. Giving gifts to a woman was a very complicated thing to do. 

Finally, I wrote a preface. 

“To Yurina-san, from Keigo.”

I bound the paper together with a leather strap and the book was finished. Yurina-san had given me a bottle of liquor I had partially drunk for me, so I decided to dilute it together with some cold water and drank it. The weather was getting cold so I sat down by the bonfire and stared absentmindedly at the blue moon. 

For some reason, the night sky looked a little bit different than usual. I wondered what kind of thing Yurina-san liked the best. I wanted to know more about her. 

Taking a few more sips of the liquor, I patted Ash’s head, who was already curled up on the bed then I also slipped into the cover and fell asleep. 

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T/N: My only concern is… Out of all places in his house…. From his actual house to the blacksmith workshop…. Does he really need to make that book inside the chicken coop??? Won’t the smell of the chicken get stuck on the book???