Chapter 98: Chapter 2, Episode 23
Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV
The first day after leaving the hut. We just kept walking. It was not on a regular road, but on an animal trail that could hardly be called a road. From here, Keith said, it would take two days by foot for the men to reach their destination, a town near the mouth of the river. But I am a woman who is not accustomed to traveling, and I have no idea how long it would take us to get there, especially if we had to travel along a roadless route. I shudder just thinking about it.
「Hey, are you alright?」
Keith looked into my face and asked me a question. He must have noticed that my steps had slowed down as time passed.
「…I’m fine. I’m just a little tired.」
My body is terribly heavy. I am thirsty out of desperation, and I get occasional chills down my back. If this is from fatigue, that’s okay. But I had been wearing a wet dress all day. No wonder I caught a cold from it.
「Hey, I was wondering if you could tell me something.」
「Tell you?」
「Yes. Anything, please.」
I wanted to somehow distract myself from this chill. With that one thought in mind, I asked Keith for help.
「Well, let’s see… Whatever is fine?」
「Yeah… that’s right. I wish we had something in common to talk about.」
I was taken aback by myself for saying that. There was no way I could have anything in common with a man I had just met yesterday. Neither of us knew anything about the other. And yet Keith said, “Oh.”
「Then there’s only one topic. Let’s talk about my wife.」
「…Eh?」
What part of that would be common talk? I tilted my head.
「You’re really not very perceptive, are you?」
No, that should have been withdrawn earlier.
「When I say my wife’s story, I’m talking about Marshallie Gracis, of course, right?」
「H–Huh!?」
Yes, it is a common topic of conversation between us, but I am not his wife. I don’t remember being a wife at all, but what are you confidently insinuating, you overconfident misunderstood person?!
「E–Ehh～?」
All that spills out of my mouth was complaints of dissatisfaction.
「Well, listen to me. I want you to know how I feel about Miss Marshallie Gracis. It’s special, you know?」
It’s not that special at all. What I want is a pleasant topic of conversation to distract me from this illness. I don’t want to have feelings for me in his fantasies. But I don’t have the energy to argue.
「Do whatever you want…」
It was all I could do to say so in a weak voice. Keith nodded his head in satisfaction at my response and began to talk about me, the non-existent me, in a hawkish manner.
「The first time I felt destined for Miss Marshallie Gracis was when I heard about her successes when I entered Quanda Institute. That was my first encounter with her.」
We haven’t met. I wouldn’t call it an encounter. I’m really bothered if he feels like it’s fate on his own.
「Do you know. How she has been working in the academy. She was a dashing foreign exchange student from Gran Kingdom who surprised not only the students but also the professors of the institute by being at the top of her class in all her studies in Quanda!」
Did I achieve top grades in all my studies? No, only in my areas of expertise. I do not reign supreme. That’s quite an exaggeration.
「Furthermore, even though she is a first-year student, she was allowed to join the student council, which is the governing body of the school. Incidentally, she is the first foreign student to join the student council. Don’t you think that’s true? She’s been studying abroad for two years. You would know firsthand how much was expected of her, since she begged to join the student council for that period of time alone, wouldn’t you?」
I don’t feel it on my skin, that kind of thing. Because I’m not in the student council. I’ve been invited, but not begged. “I’m a little busy, so will you help us?” It was a light talk of the order of a few words.
「When I heard this, I thought to myself. I was shocked that such a wonderful woman could exist in this world.」
It’s a shock that he doesn’t need to take. Because it’s a woman only in his fantasy. The wonderful woman according to Keith doesn’t even exist. I want to say so.
「And I fell in love with her when she told me what happened at her graduation party in the last year of her study abroad period.」
「…Ehh.」
My voice sounded incredibly flat. He had fallen in love with a woman he never even knew existed. It is a word of pity.
I think it was that time at the graduation party. I think it was the time I told Gaspar about. It’s the only thing I can think of.
「She and Her Majesty the Queen, who was the first princess at the time, defeated the disturbance caused by the foolish prince and saved the poor lady, just like a hero in some story. Her resolute attitude in the face of fools, her courage to fight without fear of differences in status, and the victory she won. It is no exaggeration to say that this is a legend that will be handed down to future generations at the institute!」
That is Her Majesty the Queen, not me. I am tremendously curious as to why it has been replaced by me. I did not confront the disturbance caused by the foolish prince with Her Majesty the Queen, but only the result of working as I was ordered. I did not do anything praiseworthy at all, I was just a gold-digger for Her Majesty the Queen. It is not the stuff of legends. It is not even an exaggeration.
「But Keith never met the legendary lady, did you?」
I don’t want to say that the woman who is the legend in my mouth was Marshallie Gracis.
「That’s right. Unfortunately, she had returned to her home country by the time I entered the school and I never got to see her again. The only time I can feel her is when I hear all about her.」
That’s why he made such a misunderstanding. He must have been mistaken for a long time, and he had become so entrenched. I feel so sorry for him.
「I was already longing for her. I spent my days wetting my pillow with the sadness of not being able to see her as a child. I sighed when I thought of her back in Gran Kingdom, and I suffered from my growing infatuation during my school days.」
「Heh, that’s such a conundrum.」
Yes, yes, I think you can go as yellow as you want now. No one will stop you. Ah, I see. When I thought I was getting a sense of deja vu listening to Keith, I realized that this was a self-indulgent theatric. It is exactly the same as if he is happily telling a story that is far removed from reality, but only in his own mind.
「A year later. I had another fateful experience with her.」
Nhn? A year after I returned home? How could it be, I hadn’t visited Quanda country during that period? Question marks flew around in my head.
「I heard that Princess Myra has married into the Kingdom of Gran, and that Miss Marshallie Gracis has become her lady-in-waiting.」
Ah, I see. So this is another story he had heard passed down to him.
「She began working as a lady-in-waiting and protected Princess Myra by exposing and deporting the then princess’s head lady-in-waiting, who was lining her own pockets. It is not so easy for a 16-year old lady who has just become a lady-in-waiting to throw herself into the Lord’s service without regard for her own peril.」
Yes, I do remember something like that. It was back in those days when Myra-sama was so cute and melodramatic. I still love her dearly, but the cuteness of Myra-sama at that time was exquisite. It is true that I kicked out the head lady-in-waiting at the time who was insolent to Myra-sama, but if anything, the memory of Myra-sama’s angelic cuteness remains so vivid that I don’t even remember her face. For me, it is not such a big event to be exaggerated.
「You see? I fell in love a second time there.」
He has fallen again… I wonder if he fell too easily. I just heard the story. Yeah, I don’t understand.
「Heh, love is blind, isn’t it?」
My tone is as flat as ever.
「Of course. She is my destiny. I’m sure of it.」
Why are you sniffling and looking so smug? See, don’t waste your sex appeal on me. Haah, goodness me, goodness me. I’m not Keith’s destiny. In other words, I will take the liberty of interpreting that I am not the person of his destiny, who does exist. I’m sorry.
「Don’t take this the wrong way.」
「What?」
Oops, I shouldn’t have done that. The voice of my heart just leaked out.
「No, it’s nothing. I hope you don’t mind.」
「Hmph, very well.」
Yes, yes, I’m just being honest, so don’t worry about it, yeah, yeah.
「And so!」
「Eh, you’re still going?」
I’m already full of it.
「You told me to talk. I have more to tell you.」
「Eh—…?」
I asked him to tell me something, but I don’t want any more delusions.
「There’s more to come from Miss Marshallie Gracis. Her rapid progress never stops. That’s my wife!」
「You were never married.」
「It doesn’t matter, because it will happen eventually.」
「It does matter.」
I may not have a problem with Marshallie Gracis in his fantasy, but it’s a reputational hazard to me in real life. It would be a nuisance to have them declare that they are married without your permission before you know it. Please be aware of that. I’m begging you!
「You know, Keith. Marshallie Gracis is not the woman you say she is. I can assure you of that.」
「…What?」
Keith’s voice is filled with anger. Somehow my mouth slips out against my will that I don’t have to say anything unnecessary.
「Heroes, legends, and such, you’re mistaken. You’re just making up your own mind. You’ll be disillusioned when you meet her in person. She’s not that noble, she’s a disappointment. You’ve been duped.」
「Watch your mouth. She’s not a woman you should be talking to like that.」
What’s wrong with what I say about myself?
「So what are you going to do if she’s not the woman Keith envisioned when you actually meet her? Do you still love her just because she’s Marshallie Gracis? Even though she is not your ideal woman?」
It was a strange sensation. I should have left him alone to do as he pleased, but once the complaints started coming out of my mouth, I would not stop.
「That’s awfully rude. Because I guess you can say that you only like the name Marshallie Gracis. How can you like someone without knowing who they are or what’s inside them?」
I’m not really mad at him, but somehow I’m imitating Keith as if I’m trying to pick a fight with him.
「That’s the kind of you you know. Marshallie Gracis is——」
「Of course. I know more about Marshallie Gracis than anyone else in the world.」
Keith doesn’t believe me, but I am the person.
「Is that because you are her double…?」
「Ahaha, I don’t care what you think. But I’m not lying.」
The Marshallie Glacis that Keith refers to and I here are two completely different people with no resemblance. Sadly, I cannot be that superhuman.
「Marshallie Gracis was dumped by her fiancé. She’s flunked as a woman.」
How many times have I uttered this line? The more I say it, the more pathetic I feel.
「And none of the recognition that Keith was talking about, none of the things that Marshallie Gracis has accomplished alone. She can’t do anything on her own without help from someone else.」
And yet, the name alone speaks for itself, and people come to expect it on their own. It would be a lie to say that I am not happy about it, but the pressure to live up to expectations is even heavier than that. It is too hard for a person who cannot do anything on his own.
「I’m really looking forward to seeing Keith’s face when you find out the reality. I wonder what you will look like.」
Having said all this, I felt nauseous at my own bad character. Regret passed through my head as I wondered why I had said it when I didn’t have to say such mean things.
I heard a loud sigh of suppressed anger from Keith, and my body cowered, feeling even more guilty.
「…………I’m sorry. I was out of line.」
It is too late to apologize. I can’t take back the words I’ve released.
「I forgive you, I can’t say I do. But it broke my heart to hear you speak of her…」
「Yeah, so I’m sorry. I apologize.」
I insulted someone Keith likes, and that’s how it should be.
「Don’t get me wrong. I’m angry at you for your outburst against her, but the only reason my heart aches is because you seem to be in pain.」
「……」
「Then I realized that I must have said something to offend you. But I will never apologize. Apologizing is the same as admitting your outburst. I don’t think Miss Marshallie Gracis is that kind of woman in the slightest, and I won’t change my opinion just because you told me to.」
「…Yeah.」
Keith was okay with that, it seemed to me, this time honestly, without twisting.
「But I accept your apology. And I hope that satisfies you.」
「Yeah. Thank you.」
I felt as if Keith, whom I had unconsciously looked down on as an overconfident, misunderstood narcissistic bastard, had shown me the difference between human beings. He is much more mature than I am at his age. I might as well be treated like a little girl. Somehow, I was mocking myself.
「…Let’s hurry a little. It’s going to start raining.」
「Eh?」
When I looked up at the sky, I saw rain clouds in the distance. It would not be long before it started to rain, judging from the direction of the wind.
「Hey, you don’t look so good. Can you walk?」
「Don’t worry, I’ll lean on you. Let’s proceed as planned.」
「All right. Take it easy.」
I nodded. I knew it would be annoying to push myself, but I couldn’t stand this atmosphere. Even though I had brought it on myself.
「………I’m sorry.」
I muttered in a voice so small that Keith couldn’t hear me.
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