114. Festival (1)

Time passed slowly and relentlessly.

As the festival day approached, Shione often talked with the others.

Until today, I had time separately with Ainel and Siabelle, and Aria Allenar personally came to congratulate me. At first, I laughed all the time because I liked the interest. People are said to be creatures of adaptation. She had grown accustomed to the attention, and she whined that she was tired of receiving formal congratulations.

I wondered if something would happen to me as Shione moved so fast. Fortunately, is it because the recent Shione shone too brightly? She was obscured by the light, so it didn’t bother me that anyone showed interest in me.

If there is a difference from what happened before, it is that Shione is trying to embrace me more deeply, and a new quest appeared to me before I went to sleep last night. The former is now accepted by me too, so anyway. I needed to think deeply about the quest I received yesterday.

With that in mind, I looked at the hallway where the busier than usual servants came and went.

“You look busy.”

Today, the day before the festival. Even if it was early in the morning, the meaning of the festival was to honor the victory of the first head of the count family. It seems that they are going to celebrate their own grand anniversary not only in the city outside, but also in the count’s residence.

Servants were moving quickly to prepare for the festival.

Their faces showed fatigue even though it was a happy anniversary. If I had been sold as a regular servant doing chores like this rather than Shione’s cherished exclusive servant, I would have been beaten up like that. Speaking of my job, all I have to do is go to the kitchen, grab cookies and tea, and chat and play with Shione.

I was feeling skeptical about my life, going to get cookies and tea as soon as I woke up. Seeing them struggling now makes me think that my current life is pretty good.

Unlike them who are slowly busy, two servants were walking around the hallway enjoying their leisure time, while moving diligently while chatting. I was able to overhear a little of their story.

“Anyway, it’s really a matter of wailing to a ghost. I never thought that Shione-sama would already tear down the wall.”

“… Wasn’t that just a floating story?”

“Jaina passed by the gymnasium and told me she saw it. She said that even the knights in the gymnasium bowed their heads. If it was just a floating story, would the proud knights bow their heads to her second daughter?”

“Ummm… ….”

As expected, their story was about an anecdote my master made up not too long ago.

Indeed. That incompetent and ruthless aristocrat has been absolutely calm for about a year. If I show off my presence with the news that I suddenly jumped over the user’s wall. There is no story more exciting and fun than this one.

Centering on this incident, Sione’s achievements in the royal castle are also ignited and are even spreading around the count’s residence. To them, the story of Shione is something that only the main character in a novel can do. More than anything, it must be a stimulating and fun story.

‘The speed at which the story spreads is considerable.’

At the count’s residence, I could hear Sione’s name everywhere.

Since there are not a few people who commute between the outside and the inside of this place, the news is probably spreading outside as well. Even though Shione has such a bad reputation that even the locals know about it, she is definitely a woman who inherited Cianella’s blood. On a happy festival day, of course, you need a story to enjoy with alcohol. It is certain that it will spread more intensely and rapidly as it coincides with the anniversary of the feat of Countess Cianella.

And thanks to Shione, I was just about to get a quest.

‘Because he turned that bipedal bear into a human. I never thought they’d ask me to care about my reputation.’

It was literally.

Now that she has grown to the point where she can stand proudly on her own two feet, take it easy and salvage the reputation she has destroyed over the years. Because I got an oxygen respirator on this occasion. I was told to drive this momentum and make it a more dignified aristocrat.

Of course, the reward is mana improvement and—

‘I have to clear it somehow.’

From noble mtl dot com

Fully unlocked a certain level of my blocked abilities.

It’s not just a small amount of release, it’s even said that it will definitely release a large amount.

No matter how difficult and annoying this quest was, it was right to do it.

Because there was no specific time limit.

You can calmly lead her through a conversation with her Shione.

For now, I decided to focus on what I have to do today and my date with Shione tomorrow.

I went into Sione’s room.

“Excuse me.”

“Ah… Ray, you’re here…….”

I heard Shione’s sleepy voice.

Even if her appearance has changed to the difference between heaven and earth since she lost weight. When I was a bear, I couldn’t erase the habit of hibernation. She rarely wakes up first unless I wake her up myself. For some reason today’s Shione was up before I shook her to wake her up.

“Haam… ….”

Shione raised her upper body and rubbed her eyes. The slumber that permeated her face faded.

Dori Dori!

Then, she turned her head around and looked at Shione, who stretched her back like a cat, and simply set the teacup and refreshments she had brought.

“I just woke up, so I must be thirsty. Why don’t you come over and have some tea?”

“Umm… Okay….”

Shione moved her steps as she gently moved and came closer to me.

She hugged me once, stood on her tiptoe, kissed her with mine, and sat down in front of her table.

Opening her sleepy eyes and checking her teacup, Shione tilts her head with an innocent expression.

“The tea hasn’t been poured yet.”

“… Isn’t that too natural?”

“Ehehehe.”

Shione let out a foolish laugh instead of an answer.

I shook my head and poured fragrant tea into her empty teacup.

She also one-shotted it. As if the amount in such a small teacup was not enough, Shione held out her cup to me pretending to be hers.

“Give me more.”

“… ….”

“… Give me more, brother.”

“… Yes, yes.”

After drinking tea several more times, Shione finally put down the teacup.

While she was smiling again, she came running towards me, who was sitting across from me. Even so, she sat right on my lap and leaned her back against my arms.

… She has her own place, so why should she be hugged by me?

Although I’ve been hugged quite a lot for a week, I’ve never been so shameless since morning.

“Hmm~”

Seeing that Shione, who was sitting on her lap, even hummed her uncharacteristically, I could tell that she was in a very excited state unlike usual.

No matter what I say, just laugh it off like an idiot. Or maybe it’s just plain ignored. My legs aren’t so weak that one Sione would get crushed just by sitting on them.

I stroked her hair roughly to match her.

“Did you have a good dream?”

“Um, I had a nice dream too…. It’s a festival day from tomorrow. I can’t help it because I’ve been looking forward to it since last night.”

“Ah.”

“Don’t you have high expectations for your brother?”

“Festival? If it’s a festival, of course I look forward to it.”

In this world, the only festival I’ve experienced is a banquet held by noble nobles in a royal castle. And the next day, there was only Adelheit’s coming-of-age ceremony.

Cultists broke into the middle of the coming-of-age ceremony and caused a mess.

Rather than enjoying the banquet alone, the impression is greater that I was just working next to Shione.

I was looking forward to this festival as I thought I would be able to enjoy it too.

But why?

Shione shook her head as if my answer was wrong.

“No, not a festival.”

Shione turned her head to her side and looked at me with trembling eyes.

“… I mean a date with Sione.”

In the end, she even referred to herself as Shione in the third person.

I smiled at her figure and just hugged her tightly without saying a word.

Reddish ears peeking through the fine silvery white hair. In the end, Shione couldn’t overcome her embarrassment. It wasn’t long before she slipped out of my arms and into my bed.

I’m just doing that again. I just tasted a cookie while smiling emptyly at something insignificant.

How long has it been?

Smart.

“Shione, I want to talk to you for a moment.”

Siabelle came to us.

“Sister, why did you come here?”

“It’s nothing special. I thought it would be nice to take this opportunity to make memories with each other.”

“If it’s a memory… Didn’t you decide to tour the festival with the lady of the Marquis of Allenard?”

“I don’t plan on hanging out with Aria every day during the festival. If possible, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to set aside time for a day and play with each other. How is it?”

While Shia Belle thought for a moment, she waved her hand at me in the room.

Sia Belle’s eyes moved quickly as I bowed her head to say hello.

Focus is on the left hand.

She got caught on the index finger of my left hand, and she nodded her head while looking at the ring she gave me.

I moved the ring Shione had put on her ring finger to her middle finger. She put the ring in her eyes, which had been newly put on her finger.

“Whoa.”

Soon after, she noticed the same ring on Shione’s right hand, and her eyes sparkled with interest.

Siabelle looked at the ring on Shione’s hand in front of me while touching my lips for a moment.

Shione finally spoke to her.

“If you do, I will do it. When would you like a good day?”

At Shione’s words, Sia Bell deftly suppressed her curiosity, and just smiled at her as a good older sister.

“The festival was said to last for a total of five days. I think the third or fourth day would be appropriate. Are you okay?”

“Um… I think you should do as you say.”

“Okay, then let’s skip those two days. I know some pretty good restaurants or streets. You can look forward to it.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

After saying that, Siabelle playfully stroked Shione’s hair.

Shione just closed her eyes and accepted her stroking.

“Then let’s come back later.”

After saying that, Siabelle took a step back and looked at me.

“See you next time, disciple. Oh, I’ll start training right after the festival, so make sure you know that.”

“… All right.”

After that, Siabelle quietly disappeared.

Again, silence began to hang in the room.

I asked again, enjoying my share of tea.

“Shione, do you know of any good restaurants like Siabelle?”

Dori Dori.

“… Distance?”

Dori Dori.

“Then, where is the right place to go…… ?”

“I’ve been in my room for years, how do I know that…….”

“Ah.”

The image of Yeongji she knew stopped a long time ago, before she locked herself in her room.

Now that it’s like this, I’ll have no choice but to go out and walk and experience each one myself.

I should tell you to look at the right timing and prepare a lot of money when the time is right.