Chapter 284 — The Hidden Village Oni Sisters Ex Blessing Day Part 1

Translator: Remonwater

Still editing this a bit. Part 1 of the short story that came out about 2 months ago for Rem and Ram’s birthday, hopefully part 2 will be obtained soon. Thanks typesetter anon/usterm for transcribing, and xrakix for scans. Sorry for the somewhat delayed release again, it was a bit long and I was busy with school. As for the new WN chapters, I haven’t read them yet. There’s a chance I’ll do them after blessing day part 2/Ram is Order, and I might have other side stories too.

I actually did tear up from this story. It definitely made me like Nee-sama more, not that I disliked her before, I think she’s great. Speaking of Nee-sama, I’ll most likely be working on Ram is Order for typesetter anon as a request to show my thanks. If I’m remembering correctly, I think the anon that got the birthday stories on the 2nd was a Ramfag too, so I hope that maybe it can count as a thanks for him too. I want to show the appreciation for those who allow me to translate the content I love. It’s this type of content that just really makes me want to do everything I can for Rem. I always want to dedicate all of my translations to her, and stories like blessing day just makes that feeling even stronger. It feels so much nicer when it feels like you’re doing something for someone you really love. I really wish I was better, because I want to give something worthy. I’ll continue to try my best. I love Rem

[Ram: Let’s celebrate.]

Is what Ram said, in the middle of her morning servant work.

In response to that sudden remark, Subaru widened his eyes as he said “Huh?”, carrying the mansion’s clothes with Ram right before it was time for breakfast.

Ram reacts to Subaru’s stupid voice by squinting her almond eyes.

[Ram: You got a problem with that, Barusu?]

[Subaru: No I don’t really have a problem, but I got surprised since it was sudden. Besides, isn’t it always my job to propose something out of nowhere?]

[Ram: In other words, as a result of me beating you at your own game of coming up with wild ideas, Barusu is vanishing from this world as you’ve lost your own self-worth…….?]

[Subaru: You just said something really science fictiony out of the blue! It’s not something that grand!]

[Ram: Science fictiony…….]

Ram looked somewhat cute, as she put a finger on her lips and repeated a word she was unfamiliar with. However, that was not Subaru’s gesture; when Ram said her sudden idea, he tilted his head as he said “Well”.

Ram would be sudden relatively often, but it was all just her joking. Her quick thinking brought about her evil. And while Ram had that skill to figure out complicated things, Subaru also had the ability to explain things in a simple way.

But still, what was the deal with this insufficient explanation that was even unkind?

[Subaru: Well, I won’t argue against it, but a celebration is for when something happy happens, right? I’m not really informed on them, but is it sort of like a national holiday or something?]

Hearing the word celebration, what suddenly came to Subaru’s mind were “Ceremonies”──it would be partly wrong to call them celebrations, but they were things that reminded him of them.

If none of those were it, then perhaps they could possibly be things like the world’s specific events, or festivals.

In his original world, they would be things like Christmas, New Years, Halloween, Golden Week, Summer break, Winter break, Spring break, stuff like that──,

[Subaru: Why is fall the only one without a break, I wonder……Is it because there are so many delicious things in fall, and they’re afraid of people never working again if they carelessly rest for too long…….or something?]

[Ram: I don’t get what you’re saying, but I feel you’ve gone way off topic.]

[Subaru: I did digress at the end, but up until before that, they were pretty serious questions. The things done and preparations needed depend on the details of the celebration, too. Just try doing something like leave a Christmas tree up until new years. You’ll become the laughingstock of the neighborhood.]

It was Subaru mumbling about his very true feelings that came from experience.

Although in the Natsuki household, the one week between Christmas and New Years──whenever big events came by continuously in short amounts of time, all the events would get mixed together because of his festive father and troublesome mother’s ideas. When things didn’t go well, Halloween pumpkins would get mixed with Christmas and New Years, so it was quite chaotic.

[Subaru: Well, I wonder if we became the laughingstock of the neighborhood, for better or worse……..]

[Ram: Why are you making a distant look?]

Then, Ram glared at Subaru with half-opened eyes, him getting a bit nostalgic, and she sighed.

[Ram: I don’t know why Barusu is uneasy, but it’s neither an idea nor a strange festival, so don’t worry. Besides, normally Rem takes care of things, right? It’s a chance to pay her back.]

[Subaru: ──? Paying back Rem? Something like Labor Thanksgiving Day?]

[Ram: Thanking her for her work would be a perfect way to put it. So, are you okay with it?]

[Subaru: You’re saying that to me, someone who suggested giving Rem a day off before?]

Rem had a very extreme amount of duties put on her at Roswaal’s mansion.

Rem was depended on way too much, so Subaru wanted do something about it so much that he was always thinking about it. In the past, he got all of the mansion together to somehow work out a day off for Rem, and he acted as her representative.

As a result, they all reflected upon Rem’s greatness, but──

[Subaru: And so Nee-sama had a change of heart. If you say that you want to make another day off for Rem, then I will help you with pleasure! There’s a pile of favors that must be returned, after all!]

[Ram: …….I see you have no problem with making suggestions into your own.]

[Subaru: Did you say something just now?]

[Ram: I said it is natural to pay her back, and work hard.]

Ram snorts her nose, her arms folded, and Subaru nodded as he said “Got it”.

He felt like paying Rem back was a very good idea. It felt somewhat sudden, but since Ram said it as her loving sister, it didn’t feel out of place. However──

[Subaru: Huh? But if that’s the case, then isn’t the nuance slightly different than a celebration?]

[Ram: Huh!? Your limits are showing with how you fuss over trivial and small things.]

[Subaru: This is the reply I get even when I simply made a point about national language!?]

Subaru gets treated unreasonably, and he raises his voice. However, Ram didn’t pay attention to that. When she quickly finished her work, she said

[Ram: Also, let’s keep this a secret from Rem.]

[Subaru: A secret……yeah, right. Got it, you can count on me.]

Ram leaves just those words, and she left that place briskly with a quick pace. Subaru sees her off, and while scratching his head with a slightly confused look, he said

[Subaru: A celebration, huh. If I can’t talk to Rem about it…….then I guess I’ll talk to Emilia-tan for now.]

When Subaru vaguely decided on his plan after breakfast, he finished up the rest of his work.

A nice, slight scent of Rem’s homemade breakfast came drifting about.

2

[Subaru: So yeah, Ram said that she wants to celebrate.]

[Emilia: I see. Feels kinda weird. Usually Subaru would be the one to bring stuff like that up……..are you depressed?]

[Subaru: I’m not depressed, but Emilia-tan has that perception of me, too?]

“The erraticness of my ideas truly is my unique characteristic!”, wasn’t something Subaru should’ve been proud of, but he was worried about if he was falling behind in that field.

Of course, it wasn’t necessary for Ram to have that impression of him, someone who even said that his existence would vanish, but he was a little shocked by how even Emilia had that impression.

[Emilia: Ah, kidding, just kidding. Subaru is always mean to me, so I just tried to get back at him a bit. Don’t make such a sad face.]

[Subaru: Really?]

[Emilia: I’m being truthfully truthful. Reeaaally truthful.]

Just for a moment, Emilia followed up on Subaru’s situation in panic, as he was hurt.

Considering how she got tricked by that little act, she wasn’t suited for teasing people.

That meekness makes Subaru forget about his act without thinking about it, and a smile came to his face.

He was in Emilia’s room, and it was right after breakfast ended.

Subaru caught Emilia before she started her work after breakfast, borrowing just a little of her time, and he talked about his conversation with Ram this morning.

As expected, Emilia also was surprised from the sudden suggestion at first, but──

[Emilia: I was like this for the recent day off too, but I am in agreement with doing something for Rem. I agree…….but hmm, it feels reeeaaally sudden somehow.]

[Subaru: Emilia-tan, you think so too after all? Agreed. It is very sudden. I did think that it may have been a Lugnica national holiday or something that only I didn’t know about.]

[Emilia: I’m also still studying, but there probably isn’t one…….maybe. Ummm, Puck, Puck.]

[Puck: ──Hm? What is it, Lia?]

Suddenly losing confidence in herself, Emilia talks to her necklace in the middle of the conversation.

When she did, the green crystal stone stuck onto her necklace emits a faint light. Immediately after the flicker of light, a kitten spirit──Puck showed up on Emilia’s shoulder. The spirit scratches his eyes sleepily, and he yawns with his big mouth open as he said “Fuwaa”.

[Subaru: Just when I thought you weren’t here at breakfast. You slept in quite late today, huh.]

[Puck: I did actually stay up a little late last night……I’m still sleepy, but what’s up?]

[Emilia: Sorry for waking you up, Puck. The truth is that I’d like to ask you something.]

She pats Puck’s head, him waking up, and she explains the previous interaction. It was related to Ram’s sudden suggestion, and national holidays of the Lugnica kingdom.

It was weird how Puck was more informed than Emilia, but this kitten would show his bag of wisdom for rarely understood mysteries, so she thought that maybe he’d give her an answer.

That’s what Subaru and Emilia had hoped for, but──

[Puck: Hmm, can’t think of one. In the kingdom, I don’t think there’s anything like a celebration day to thank someone. If I had to say something, then maybe the moon festival would be close.]

[Subaru: Moon festival?]

[Emilia: Oh, you see, it’s something that happens on the 25th of each month. The founding of the Lugnica kingdom was on the 25th day of the month of Marshba of Laguna history. So, every month on that day, a festival is held in places like the king’s capital and big towns. Humph, didn’t know that, did you?]

[Subaru: Thanks for letting me know, but it kinda felt like you wanted to tell us the knowledge you studied for a lot.]

It was like the fluency of a person that only read guidebooks and would speak pridefully while traveling.

Anyhow, Subaru was convinced with Emilia’s explanation.

This world’s time was about the same as well. It had the one year period, along with the 12 month system, too. However, occasionally the naming would be different, which was the only thing that left slight discomfort.

[Subaru: Well, that discomfort fades with time……..but isn’t this month Arb month? It’s already past the 25th of that.]

[Puck: That’s why I said “If I had to say”. It was three days ago, so it is in fact close, you know?]

[Subaru: But, putting if the event was a previous date aside, the ones in the past were forgotten immediately…….things like the cake after christmas and the chicken were too terrible to look at.]

They should’ve been the same things, and yet what was this sorrow of the products that came after the event days? And yet Christmas is considered to be the cause of excitement for the 23rd eve and the days up to that…

[Subaru: For Christmas, even the day it’s on has a late feeling to it……..]

[Emilia: What is Christmas?]

[Subaru: Someday I want to talk about the holy night and the red good old man, but it will take long, so I’ll put it off for now.]

Subaru digressed himself, but he fooled Emilia with a smile as she had her head tilted. Afterwards, he cleared his throat, and while thinking about Puck’s previous remark again he said

[Subaru: Though, Ram messing up the date is so unlike her that it’s weird. I don’t think she’s celebrating to accommodate for the moon festival passing by.]

[Puck: I also agree. That peach haired girl wouldn’t do something like that.]

[Emilia: Somehow it feels like you two have reeeeaally matching opinions on Ram. ………Though, I also feel the same way.]

Emilia chuckles, finding the matching of their opinions amusing, and she smiles. Subaru and Puck also look at each other, and they smile because of her smile.

The opinion also was that they had faith in Ram’s personality and abilities. Putting her abilities as a maid aside, they could put trust in her humanity.

Subaru didn’t even think Rem’s opinion of calling Ram a prodigy before was an overvaluation, either.

[Subaru: The main doubt won’t be resolved after all, eh. I guess we shouldn’t worry about it too much and we should come up with a solution like we did the other day for Rem.]

[Emilia: It was difficult, but it was fun, so I’m fine with that…….but if you’re worried, then should I ask Ram? Even though she won’t tell Subaru, she might tell me.]

[Subaru: That really seems like what it’ll come down to, so I have mixed feelings. It feels a little like I’ve lost.]

[Emilia: ──? You never talked about winning or losing though.]

Emilia responds to Subaru’s strange stubbornness by putting a finger on her lips in confusion.

There certainly was quite a high possibility that Emilia would get an answer out of Ram if she asked her directly──or rather, she would probably get an answer.

However, that was sort of like a cheat, or maybe a forbidden move, or like attacking a boss after lowering the difficulty in the middle of the game. Anyways, that’s what it felt like.

[Subaru: Well, we men do have backbone. Anyways, it doesn’t seem like there’s any urgency today or tomorrow, so I’d like you to let me do my best for a little longer.]

[Emilia: Oo, then I wouldn’t know the answer and I’d be sad, being the one you guys consulted…….]

[Subaru: Emilia-tan can ask for an answer too……]

“You can ask for an answer too, but…”, is what he said vaguely.

Emilia had a little bit of a childish side, although it was something he understood from his recent socializing with her, so he was worried about if she’d be able to keep silent after finding out the answer.

For some reason it made it feel like she was going to carelessly and happily have a slip of the tongue.

[Puck: Subaru’s concern might be relatively appropriate.]

[Subaru: So you think so too huh, Dad.]

[Puck: Who you callin’ Dad? Well, I am happy that you understand my daughter.]

He guesses the vague parts of his innermost thoughts, and Puck shares a firm handshake with Subaru as he nodded.

Emilia seemed to be a little displeased from the dynamic handshake of Puck being on Subaru’s palm, but she quickly said “Jeez” as she lowered one eyebrow and sighed.

[Emilia: Okay, got it. I’ll count on Subaru’s obstinance of a man. However, I’m also with you in wanting to do something for Rem, so once you get information, let me know.]

[Subaru: Of course I will. She would be happier with everyone doing something for her than if it was just me, anyways. I hate to admit it, but I seriously have poor abilities as a single body, after all.]

[Puck: If it’s Subaru that does something for her, then I’m sure the blue haired girl would be happy even with your poor abilities.]

[Subaru: My poor abilities won’t be enough to show my gratitude towards Rem.]

Subaru thrusted his finger at Puck, who mumbled that while playing with his whiskers.

It wasn’t just about her work at the mansion. There was a ton of things he wanted to thank Rem for. If it was a chance to pay her back even a little, he wanted to pay her back as much as he possibly could.

[Subaru: Thus, I won’t let this chance go with the tenacity of a hyena.]

[Emilia: Doesn’t that kinda sound like a line that would come from someone requesting a favor?]

In response to Subaru’s evil smile, him having nihilistically decided on his intentions, Emilia mutters with a troubled face as she put a finger on her cheek and tilted her head slightly.

3

──Like that, it was at the same time when Subaru and Emilia were talking.

[Ram: Roswaal-sama, are you free?]

After the sound of a light knock, the door slowly opened.

The owner of the room lifts his head in response to that voice and sound, and he closed one of his eyes at the follower that appeared from the gap of the door.

Indigo blue hair, and different colored eyes. It was a man that had the appearance of a clown with his eccentric outfit and makeup──the man sitting down on the business desk was Roswaal L Mathers the Margrave.

When Roswaal put his feather pen on the desk, he smiled slightly at the visit from the follower.

[Roswaal: Unusual of you to come in the middle of work. What is wrooooong Ram?]

[Ram: Sorry. However, I have a request for Roswaal-sama.]

[Roswaal: ──You have one, for me?]

Roswaal includes a rare nuance in his sentence, and he raised his eyebrow at Ram’s words.

Normally Ram would have times when she’d be arrogant towards anyone, but Master Roswaal was the only person she’d always pay her respects to, offering her loyalty. It was rare for her to request a favor of Roswaal herself. ──No, this was just about the first time.

[Roswaal: Disregarding the first time you came to the mansion, thaaaaat is.]

[Ram: …….I was very rude during that time, repeatedly.]

[Roswaal: I don’t mean to blaaame you. I’m surprisingly very happy with you and Rem wanting something from me.]

Ram shrugs her shoulders, having apologized, and Roswaal causes the back of his chair to creak.

Roswaal knew Ram and Rem for close to 10 years. Not once did those two ask for something unreasonable of their position.

That’s why he felt both surprise and delight from this request.

[Roswaal: So, what is the request? Is it something you want me to do, or is it something you want? Considering Rem’s usual services and yours, I would like to grant most of your wisheees.]

[Ram: ──Well then, may I ask for Roswaal-sama’s time, just for today?]

[Roswaal: Oh?]

Having hypothesized if it was an object or an action, Roswaal deepens his smile after having time requested.

Indeed, he did admire her for putting thought into this. However, Roswaal somehow understood the aim of this erratic request.

Therefore, with his closed eye──with his blue eye, Roswaal stared at Ram and said

[Roswaal: Is it for Rem?]

[Ram: Impressive insight.]

[Roswaal: Of course I know. You never ask something for yourself, after all.]

[Ram: …….That’s wrong. If it’s for Rem, then it’s also for me.]

[Roswaal: Then I’ll put it correctly. You never ask something “only” for yourself.]

When Roswaal nodded approvingly at Ram’s reaction, her keeping silent, he put the feather pen back in the pen holder. And then he turns over the papers on his desk, and he goes back to his unfinished work.

Ram sees that, and she gave a deep bow upon him accepting her request.

[Roswaal: So, what do you plan on doing by asking for my time?]

[Ram: Right. There is a number of things.]

Ram squints her light pink eyes that emitted a prudent light, and she said that to Roswaal.

[Ram: ──First, let’s start with returning home, perhaps.]

5

[Subaru: Where did Ros-chi and Ram go off to?]

[Rem: Yes. They ordered me to take care of the mansion for today.]

Subaru opened his eyes wide at Rem’s information, who he came across in the middle of work at the corridor.

Ram’s absence──he was checking out the truth of the “Celebration” she spoke of, and it immediately crushed his plan that he had just made in his discussion with Emilia.

Once Subaru lost his chance to interrogate her, he already had nothing else he could do.

[Subaru: No, it’s still too early to give in. If they just left, then if I run I might be able to catch them……]

[Rem: It might be difficult because Roswaal-sama held onto Nee-sama and flew via magic…….]

[Subaru: I can’t deal with this if they use Flight!]

He saw Roswaal’s flying magic just once before. He heard that it was an advanced technique that combined several magic attributes, but that must’ve been a considerable speed shown.

It took just over 10 seconds for them to disappear at the end of the sky──not necessarily. It was a miscalculation of how long it took Ram and Roswaal to leave, although treating it as Flight was an exaggeration, too. At the very least, Roswaal going out should’ve been unexpected, so it seemed there was a high possibility of this sudden leave and the aforementioned celebration to be related to each other.

[Subaru: If so, then that makes me more sad…….Rem do you know where they went off to?]

[Rem: Right. I did not hear about it in detail. However, they said they’d be back before the day was over, so I don’t think they went that far.]

[Subaru: I see. Hmm, I see……]

[Rem: Subaru-kun, did you need something from Roswaal-sama?]

[Subaru: Yeah, the truth is……….oh, woops.]

Answering carelessly, Subaru shut his mouth while Rem had her head tilted.

He felt bad for Rem’s pure look, but Ram forbade him from speaking about this matter. The celebration was for Rem’s sake anyways, so Subaru was in agreement with keeping it a secret from her.

[Subaru: Everything’s funner as a surprise, after all.]

[Rem: Subaru-kun?]

[Subaru: Ah, that’s not what I meant, ummm…….right! Do Ram and Roswaal go out together like this a lot?]

[Rem: Nee-sama and Roswaal-sama, you say? Let’s see. In a way, they do. With the preparations for the royal selection, Roswaal-sama has more chances to meet with various people………]

Rem honestly answered his half powered question, which he asked to fool her. When she cut off her words once in the middle of it with a “However”, she said

[Rem: But in those cases the other party has their circumstances too, so pre-planning is…….so going out like this today is rare.]

[Subaru: …….During the mabeast commotion, Ros-chi was called from somewhere and he flew, right?]

[Rem: That was a rare exception. It was Garf being selfish in the first place……..anyways, please don’t say mean things, Subaru-kun.]

[Subaru: My bad, my bad.]

Rem pouts with her cheeks, making a bit of a sulky look, and Subaru apologized to her while having a wry smile.

Once he listened to Rem’s answer, he knew that the sudden leave was a rare, strange occurrence.

[Rem: You seem very worried about Nee-sama. Subaru-kun, do you actually……..]

Rem folds her arms. In response to Subaru, him going into deep thought, she puts her hand on her mouth upon suddenly realizing something. That reaction makes Subaru lose his breath, thinking that she may have seen through him planning a celebration.

Rem looks down quietly with her light blue eyes in reaction to Subaru’s state and says

[Rem: No, maybe it just can’t be helped. Nee-sama is perfect, after all……..but Nee-sama has Roswaal-sama, so it might be difficult.]

[Subaru: You are having a really unexpected misunderstanding! No way! It’s not like that at all! That would be way too fearless of me with how Ram’s been treating me up until today!]

[Rem: Yes, I know. I was kidding.]

Rem smiles with a chuckle, and she sticks her tongue out at Subaru, who frantically explained himself. That lovely gesture makes Subaru feel relieved.

The weird misunderstanding bothered him, but above that, it meant she didn’t realize his secret.

[Rem: It’s regretful, but I guess it’s about time we go back to work. Nee-sama is out, so Subaru-kun and I will have more trouble than usual, but let’s do our best.]

[Subaru: Yeah…….even if Ram isn’t there, that doesn’t mean I don’t feel a little concerned about how it doesn’t make that much of a difference in workload.]

[Rem: Just having Nee-sama there gives me power. Ah, Subaru-kun, too.]

[Subaru: Doesn’t that imply I’ve been discharged!?]

[Rem: ────]

[Subaru: You’re not gonna say anything.]

He was so useless that you could say it was upsetting, so she was at a loss for a response. However, when Rem showed a gesture that similar to rolling up her sleeves, being silent with a cute smile on her face, she said

[Rem: Alright, let’s do some work. Subaru-kun gets the garden, while I’ll work on the east wing.]

[Subaru: Boo-hoo…….Rem has been nice lately, so it was a piercing that happened for the first time in a long while.]

Subaru follows Rem’s back, who walked ahead, while cursing his inadequacy and hanging his head. In the middle of that, he suddenly looks out the corridor’s window, and he squinted at the blue sky with few clouds.

──Where were those two that left to someplace while flying in the blue sky, and how were they?

While vaguely thinking about those things, Subaru headed towards the garden to collect the laundry.

5

It was the hidden village that existed silently in the verdant mountains.

Actually, that wouldn’t be accurate. Putting it correctly, it “was” a hidden village. Long after the site of the village became deserted, the place that was a village completely became a mountain forest. If you stared at it, you could barely locate things like the roads and the fields, but doing that would only make you feel sentimental, nothing more.

[Ram: Leaving it alone for many years, how cold-hearted of me.]

Is what Ram let out, sounding as if she was deprecating herself while walking on grass.

Inside Ram’s light pink eyes that viewed the surroundings silently, there were rare emotions that had a complex hue, even though she was someone good at hiding her inner thoughts.

The faint feelings were nostalgia and relief, while the deep ones were self-deprecation and sorrow──perhaps that was it.

[Roswaal: You haven’t returned home ever since you reported the retribution riiiiight?]

The person accompanying Ram calmly walking close to her side was Roswaal.

When Ram nodded with a “Yes” to Roswaal’s question, she said

[Ram: My relative’s souls were put to rest. Since then, there was never any reason to come over here.]

[Roswaal: There are other reasons to come to the graves besides putting them to rest…….although, this is a difference in our individual ways of thinking. Perhaps there’s a difference between races, too.]

[Ram: Roswaal-sama is attached to the graveyard, after all.]

[Roswaal: Oh, now that’s some rare sarcasm coming from youuuu.]

In response to the teasing, Roswaal gives Ram a happy look with his cheeks, and she lets out a small sigh.

The careless word was the cause of the disturbance inside her chest.

This place was special to the sisters Ram and Rem──because it was their home town, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to even call it the place of the Oni clan’s demise.

The Oni were a stoic race that took pride in the fact that they had unrivaled strength, even if you looked look through all of the Demi-Human races.

However, in exchange, the absolute number of the Oni clan was small, and this place was the last of the villages that formed the “Oni Clan” village. That village burned down 10 years ago, and as long as there weren’t even any “strays” that left their families, there were only two survivors: the sisters Ram and Rem.

Rem was essentially the last of the Oni clan because Ram lost her horn during that ordeal.

Afterwards, the sisters were luckily found by Roswaal, and they spent 10 years at his mansion. During that time, the sisters came here only once──.

[Roswaal: You remember where the cenotaph is?]

[Ram: Well, I did get Roswaal-sama to build it at the most visible place. Apart from that, sorry for asking something selfish.]

[Roswaal: Why? I’ve decided to use this time for you. Besides, asking to walk a little at your birthplace doesn’t count as being selfish.]

Shrugging his shoulders, Roswaal says those words, and Ram took a peek behind her.

Ram compares the path they’ve been walking on and the scenery in her memory, and the difference makes her clearly feel that it’s been 10 years.

They came here with the use of Roswaal’s flying magic.

Ram could also count the number of times she was held in his arms and experienced flying in the sky. Although, this time she was thinking more about how she was visiting her hometown, rather than she was feeling happy.

She was thinking more about how this one single time was when the nostalgia was way too much to handle.

[Roswaal: ──Is that it? It’s been awhile since I’ve been here, too. Can’t really say I’m so sure myseeeelf.]

[Ram: Yes, that’s it, no doubt about it.]

Roswaal mutters that while looking far away. Ram nods, affirming his words.

Ahead of the mountain road with slopes, there was a location that showed up just a little from their surroundings. It was a place where you could look over all of the village, and it was also where the patriarch’s residence was built once before.

And then now, it was also the place where a cenotaph was built to put the Oni clan’s souls to rest.

──It was a stone monument made out of white, crystal stone built at the apex of the high ground. Back then, it was big enough so that she had to look up at it. However, now it was about the same size as Ram’s height, which also made her feel the time that passed. However──

[Ram: ──?]

The discomfort that Ram had when the cenotaph was right before her made her frown.

She felt discomfort from the cenotaph itself, and the situation around it. The village’s state of ruin was something that could be understood at a glance, but the exuberant plants completely returned it to a part of nature.

But even then, the greenery had a weak influence only in the area of the cenotaph. At the foot of the stone monument, soil was prepared so that weeds wouldn’t grow, and the monument itself was repaired very beautifully.

As mentioned before, it had been approximately 10 years since Ram came here──Even Rem never disappeared on her own accord in the days that she managed to come here privately.

Before that, nobody had ever trod over the path they went along. Doing something like arriving at the side of the cenotaph without making footprints would be──

[Ram: Roswaal-sama?]

[Roswaal: Whaaat is it?]

[Ram: Earlier, did you say it’s “been awhile” since you came here?]

According to Ram’s memory, Roswaal visited the village three times──one time was when he took Rem out from the burned down village. The second time was when he established the cenotaph in the village. And then the third time was when he brought Ram and her to the village, as they came to the cenotaph.

However, Roswaal stayed at the village’s entrance for the third time. And besides, if he never came here after that, what Roswaal said earlier was inappropriate──it wasn’t like him.

Roswaal quickly raised his hands and said “I give up” to Ram, as she had her doubts.

[Roswaal: Don’t make such a scary looook. Don’t doubt me so oddly. I am the one that repaired this area a little, after all. Also, I think Clind did, too.]

[Ram: Roswaal-sama and that thing did?]

Having nonchalantly listened to the unexpected truth, Ram opens her eyes wide in surprise.

It was natural. Even though this place was Ram and her sister’s birthplace, Roswaal had nothing to do with this place. And yet, instead of these two, why was he──

[Roswaal: ──There are other reasons to visit a grave besides putting souls to rest. It’s a difference in our individual ways of thinking, and a difference between races.]

[Ram: ────]

[Roswaal: I don’t go so often that you could call it periodic. Only when I remember and have the time. As you know, I do not take the time to come here, after aaaall.]

If he used fly magic, it would take around an hour to go from the mansion to here.

That said, it didn’t change how Roswaal had no obligation, and it didn’t change how he took the time to repair the cenotaph, either. It shook Ram up, as she didn’t know about it until now.

[Roswaal: I got to see your surprised face. Thaaat makes it worth it.]

[Ram: …….I am in awe.]

Ram gets her shoulder tapped gently, and she admired Roswaal, him laughing while being unbothered.

Although, she was also irritated by wondering why he was always at a place where he couldn’t be seen.

[Ram: However, it is annoying how I have to thank you for that.]

[Roswaal: Well, it does seem that Clind lost special interest in people like you and Rem ever since he was about 13. This is purely him having good intentions. I know that it’s hard to say it thouuuugh.]

Ram mutters, having curved her lips, and Roswaal changes his smile to a bitter one.

Ram sees that with the corner of her eye, and she sighed as she quietly faced the cenotaph.

[────]

There was no erosion on the cenotaph from the wind, rain, or moss perhaps because of the periodic maintenance. It was also kept away from such foreign substances because of how the highly pure crystal stone encapsulated mana abundantly.

The inclusion of that was Roswaal being considerate. While feeling grateful for that, Ram kneels down at that place, and she prays──she puts her hand on the scar of her forehead that used to have a horn, and she prays briefly.

[Roswaal: …….Making a report again?]

[Ram: ──Yes.]

Roswaal asks a direct question, knowing about the circumstances, and Ram simply gives a short affirmation once again.

The circumstances──yes, it was about a report. Ram came here, returning home, to give a report to the souls of the Oni clan sleeping in the cenotaph.

Ram and Rem’s parents were also included in these solaced souls of the stone monument, after all.

[Ram: I have a right to let them know. ──Rem has been released from her curse.]

She tells it. The truth. To her parents, and to her race.

Although──

[Ram: ──You guys probably didn’t know that Rem was binded though.]

[────]

In silence from the back, Roswaal watches over Ram as she called out to the spirits of the Oni clan.

Rem’s curse──it started with the ending of the retribution towards the cause of the destruction of the oni clan that happened 9 years ago, or 10 years ago when the village burned down.

──Maybe it started 17 years ago, ever since Ram and Rem were born.

[Ram: She continued to bind herself.]

Their race didn’t have bad intentions. Ram understood that, and Rem also must’ve felt the same way.

Their parents at least loved Ram and Rem equally in their conscience. The race of the village also put their expectations and hopes in them. Ram wasn’t so sure about the patriarch’s true feelings, but he was the only one.

That love, expectation, and clear disdain bound Rem with an unnecessary sense of duty.

That completely bound Rem’s heart for a long long time. A really long time, but──

[Ram: Rem has finally been released from it. Although, the one who released her irritates me a little.]

It wasn’t as if she wasn’t thanking him. No, she did feel grateful. She was just a little conflicted inside.

The black haired boy’s foolish smile that came to her mind──Rem just truly being herself and getting embarrassed after looking at that boy was a facial expression Ram had wished to see for a long time.

It was Rem finally going towards happiness without it being because of Ram.

[Ram: That’s why I came to report this. For the sake of the race……and family connections.]

She didn’t love her race that much. Therefore, Ram considered herself cold-hearted.

She didn’t carry out the retribution before for the family out of love. She did it because it was an obligation.

This report about Rem today wasn’t out of love, either. It was also an obligation.

She was pretty much uninterested in her parents and her race.

The only one Ram loved in this village was Rem, her younger sister that she treasured more than half her body. She could love many more things after leaving this village.

But even then, she felt like she had to communicate to relieve them.

[Ram: ────]

Ram stands up, unpacks a package she brought, and she took out a bottle of sake.

Pouring sake on a cenotaph was a funeral that was somewhat unorthodox. The crystal stone brightens in the alcohol, perhaps because of how the sake’s flavor was exceptional after 9 years, and it seemed to be satisfied with the offering.

[Ram: My apologies for making you wait for such a long time.]

[Roswaal: Are you satisfied?]

[Ram: I told them the things they should know. I thank you, and not just for today.]

In response to Ram’s reply, her having finished her ritual, Roswaal closed one of his eyes, and he nodded. While having Ram reflected in his blue eye, Roswaal smiles at the petite follower and he says

[Roswaal: Well then, let’s move on, I guess. The report has been made to your race and the trip back home has been completed……..but there’s more to do, riiiiiight?]

[Ram: ──Yes.]

Ram gives an acknowledging gesture with her chin, and after that she brought her body close to Roswaal, him having his arms spread out. When Roswaal raised his eyebrow at that distance. Ram looked up at him, and she said this.

[Ram: Hold onto me gently, and please bring me to the mansion. ──The next request will happen there.]

6

[Subaru: So Ram is gone and Rem will be doing a clean sweep of the mansion work instead. This means we can also look forward to today’s dinner!]

[Beatrice: ……Even though you are a person with a lot of free time, for you to bother coming to me to say something like that…it’s awful.]

Sitting down on the stepladder, Beatrice sighs at Subaru, him having his thumb held up firmly.

Subaru found Beatrice’ library with lined up bookcases using his usual good intuition──he found the mysterious library in the mansion that she could go in and out of freely, and he was involving himself with that room’s librarian.

Having gotten tired of it, Beatrice also stopped saying anything about Subaru’s guesswork, but she was not in a good mood after having her reading time disturbed.

[Subaru: Well, in your case it’s weird for you to not spend time reading, which means that you’ll be in a bad mood every time I come, right? Eat small fish. Calcium calcium.]

[Beatrice: You not coming would be the best, I suppose. The best in terms of a simple solution.]

[Subaru: Losing your temper too much is unhealthy, too. Aren’t you scared of stuff like adult diseases from raising your blood pressure too much when you’re little? Not that I know much about it.]

[Beatrice: Not only are you ignoring the solution, but you’re also even ignoring what I’m saying, I suppose!]

Beatrice raises her voice in frustration without changing Subaru’s pace.

She opens her big eyes widely, and Subaru laughed frankly with a “Hahaha” at Beatrice acting angry with her long, splendid drills swinging.

[Subaru: So now that I’ve had my quota of playing with Beako, I have a question for you.]

[Beatrice: Did you just say “Playing with me”!?]

[Subaru: You misheard me. I said “Playing along with Beako”.]

[Beatrice: E―either way, I don’t even remember playing with you. You are too selfish, I suppose……]

Being on the stepladder, Beatrice hits her forehead with her hand, and she felt dead with a tired look on her face. Subaru gazed at Beatrice acting like that, and when he put his hand on his chin he said

[Subaru: Alright, calm down. So, can I ask a question? By the way, even if you don’t like it and refuse, I’ll keep on asking until I get an answer, so it would just be a waste of time.]

[Beatrice: I don’t understand what you want when you reduce my will to answer and my will to decline!]

Beatrice suddenly jumps off the ladder, and she started to stamp her feet.

This very reactive girl really was the only one he’d unconsciously get carried away with. He’d always reflect on himself, but when Beatrice was in front of him, the reflections would get smashed into pieces, so it was a problem.

However, at the ending of her period of anger with her floor kicking and heavy breathing, Beatrice sighed “Good grief…….” while hitting her forehead with her hand and said

[Beatrice: Whether it be a question or anything else, make it quick, I suppose. Then leave quickly, and let me return to my healthy reading time.]

[Subaru: In the end, you finally accepted it little by little, so I love Beako.]

[Beatrice: Stop stringing together pretentious words and say what you have to say, I suppose!!]

[Subaru: O―okay okay. ……say, is there a special day coming up soon? Not something like a global event, but something in this mansion.]

It seemed like he was going to be driven out for real, so Subaru abandoned his substitute objective of getting carried away, and he started his main objective of asking his question.

The question was of course aiming at the truth of the “Celebration”──he didn’t understand it even after asking Emilia and Puck, but if it was an extremely private event, then that would be a different story.

And in that case, Beatrice, someone who has lived in the mansion for a long time, should know more details about it than people like Subaru and Emilia, as it hadn’t been long since they came to the mansion.

[Subaru: So, I asked you with that train of thought.]

[Beatrice: An important day in this mansion…….? I can’t possibly imagine Roswaal paying attention to something like that.]

[Subaru: If anythiiing, it seems to be related to Ram more than it is to Ros-chi……..]

[Beatrice: If so, then it’s getting even more impossible to understand, I suppose. It’s not like I’m special friends with those sisters. We don’t even talk that much, I suppose.]

[Subaru: Beako, you…….]

In response to Beatrice’ reply, her looking away as she snorted her nose with a “Humph”, Subaru stiffens his cheeks. Afterwards, he kneels, matching the eyesight of the girl, and he tapped her on the shoulder.

[Subaru: Don’t you get lonely living your life keeping people away?]

[Beatrice: You are getting in the way of my reading. Get the hell oouuuut!]

[Subaru: Yagogergee!?]

The moment Subaru mentioned the misery of that comment, he receives a shockwave from Beatrice’s palm after the disappointing answer as she was enraged, and Subaru gets sent flying to the back, raising cries of pain. The door of the forbidden archives gets thrown open like that, and Subaru gets shot out of the library while rolling.

[Beatrice: Even if you visit, I won’t let you in until I get called to dinner, I suppose!]

The door shuts along with that voice and vibrant sound. Having rolled on the corridor’s carpet while facing down, Subaru manages to sit up while shaking his head.

[Subaru: Until…….dinner? I can’t tell if her rage voltage is high, or if it’s low…….]

His Keep Out time was slightly short, perhaps because he told her to look forward to Rem’s dinner.

However, Beatrice not having an idea meant that he was off. Since he came this far, maybe waiting obediently for Ram’s return would be a better idea than working behind the scenes.

[Subaru: But if I do that, it’d feel like I’ve lost…….]

[Rem: Lost what?]

[Subaru: That is, I lost in a sense of a man’s spirit. I’m lost with what I should do and for what purpose, and no matter how fired up with motivation I am, I don’t get any results.]

[Rem: That’s how it is? I see……]

[Subaru: This time it’s about a celebration for Rem, so I especially didn’t want to slack off.]

[Rem: ……Th―that’s]

[Subaru: Yeah. That’s how it is…….wait.]

Subaru was trying to have a monologue, but he clearly realized that he was having a conversation with someone, and he turned around.

When he did, he saw Rem put her hands on her blushed cheeks, wiggling her hips shyly. Rem closes her eyes, and when she let out a feverish sigh, she said

[Rem: Subaru-kun trying his hardest for me…….that alone is enough to fill my heart.]

[Subaru: D―damn it! For me, of all people, to make a basic mistake…….!]

The situation wasn’t so clever that you could put it as the crafty schemer drowning in his own scheme, but it was him being unlucky.

If Ram found out that Rem heard him talk about the surprise plan for her, then he’d get killed. That’s how Subaru lamented the future and shuddered, but──

[Rem: So earlier Emilia-sama asked me “Rem, is there something you want, or something you want to do?”. The mystery has been solved.]

[Subaru: Emilia-tan isn’t very motivated either!]

[Rem: No, she’d say “Hypothetically speaking, hypothetically speaking?” every time between her questions as a preface, so I also couldn’t go as far as to deepen my suspicions confidently…….]

[Subaru: She has some talent for being so bad at hiding things…… Rem, you don’t have to follow up. You suspected something was up, right?]

[Rem: I’ll keep it a secret for Emilia-sama.]

Rem smiles, and she refrains from saying anything as she tilted her head. That attitude of refraining from speaking showed Rem’s gratitude towards Emilia in itself, but Subaru also didn’t mention that again.

However, when it became futile to keep his secret any longer, he also felt like giving in.

[Subaru: I feel sorry for Ram, but anyways that matter came up, eh…….so I have something I want to ask you, Rem.]

[Rem: Eehh!? I can do whatever I want with Subaru-kun for a day!?]

[Subaru: What did you say!?]

Having a red face, Rem jumped the gun with some sort of remark. Rem responds to Subaru, him being taken aback by it, by clearing her throat as she said

[Rem: Sorry. I went a little too far. I couldn’t help myself. Emilia-sama asked me what I wanted, so I thought about what I’d say.]

[Subaru: W―well, I did want to ask you something in that direction, too. It’d be best for you to want more nice things. And so what I wanted to ask you was…ah! That was it.]

Subaru raises his finger, and he throws a question at Rem, her having reflected on herself. Although, it was weird to directly ask the question to the person herself.

[Subaru: Is there any special day coming up that comes to mind? Although, the celebration I talked about was actually Ram’s idea.]

[Rem: Nee-sama did, you say? Um, let me think…….]

Subaru asks a question, and Rem goes into deep thought. However, it seemed like nothing came to Rem intuitively, even though she had excellent abilities as a maid with each schedule she had in the mansion.

She frowns with her nicely shaped eyebrows, and whilelowering her shoulders apologetically she said

[Rem: No occasion in particular comes to mind……..sorry.]

[Subaru: No, you don’t have to apologize. So I guess it is just something she came up with after all……?]

In the end, if that calmed her down, then that would be it. It didn’t occur particularly at the same time as an event. She just happened to want to thank Rem one day. Still, it didn’t matter.

It didn’t matter, but──

[Subaru: If that’s the case, then the efforts were all for naught, and it would just be Rem finding out about the surprise…….]

[Ram: ──Finding out about what?]

[Subaru: Like I said, the surprise…….in other words, a celebration……..eep.]

Subaru breaks down the loan word, and he turns around to the back where his voice reached. And then, he was captured in light pink eyes that were lighted with terribly cold passion.

The one with the light pink eyes folds her slender arms, and she continues while having Subaru frozen with her look.

[Ram: If I say “Wait”, even a dog can do that. If I say “Don’t talk”, even a baby can do that. What on earth are you doing, Barusu, someone who can’t do either?]

[Subaru: Um, you see, yes I……..]

[Ram: I can’t believe how much shame you were able to show in just a single day. I’m actually impressed.]

Subaru hangs his head in response to the eyes and voice that weren’t impressed at all without even being able to give an excuse.

Taking the place of Subaru and appearing in front of her, the owner of the eyes──the one who confronted Ram was Rem. When she faced Ram, she joins the words “Please wait” and says

[Rem: Nee-sama, Subaru-kun isn’t at fault. He was just a little careless!]

[Ram: That’s not the right way to put it, Rem. It’s the unbecoming mouth of a servant and stupidity.]

[Subaru: Agh, I can’t deny it…….!]

[Rem: B―but…….Emilia-sama also…she was…she was completely terrible at hiding it!]

[Ram: Yes, Emilia-sama got exposed, too. Is the wind clogging your mouth? You are being too lenient.]

[Rem: This is so shameful…….!]

Subaru gets glared at with sharp eyes across from Rem’s follow up, and he sunk instantly. Rem also didn’t let―or rather, it wasn’t a situation she could defend in the first place, so she showed a rare sight of her squirming while opening and closing her mouth.

Then, at the place with a stalemate of those three each doing their own thing, there was a dry, stop sound──there was the sound of a clap and

[Roswaal: Okay okay, let’s stop this unproductive arguiiiiing.]

The one who forced his way in between the three of them with these words was a tall clown──no, it was Roswaal.

Ram had returned. It was natural for him to also be back at the mansion, as he had went out with her. With his usual easygoing behavior, Roswaal looked around at the three of them and said

[Roswaal: Anyhow, this isn’t the first time Subaru-kun was careleeess. Even if you blame him for it, it can’t be helped. Besides, this isn’t something that can be kept secret from Rem.]

[Ram: Roswaal-sama, but…….]

[Roswaal: It’s okay to hide things. However, I don’t think that would work this time, you know?]

Having shown a rejective attitude, Ram did not respond to Roswaal continuing his words. Watching nearby, Subaru could not comprehend what was going on with the interaction between the two that understood each other. However, there was the true meaning of this “Celebration” in the core of the interaction.

Once he understood that, he made Roswaal his focus.

[Subaru: ……..Um, I won’t deny that I am guilty now, and I do seriously feel like apologizing, but what is this all about in the end? I want you to explain that to me.]

[Roswaal: And that is Subaru-kun’s order. He certainly does have a big mouth, but I do think that your insufficient explanation was greatly at fault. I wonder what I should do about thiiiiis?]

[Subaru: Ros-chi…….]

He did also stop the three-way deadlock, but Roswaal was on Subaru’s side this time──or rather, he wanted this discussion to move on smoothly.

It was unusual for him to not stir up complicated situations. Surely the true meaning of Ram’s celebration was behind that unusual behavior.

[────]

Ram receives looks from Subaru and the others, and she went into silence for a little while, appearing to have gone into deep thought. However, the answer should’ve already appeared within the smart girl.

[Ram: ……..Birthday]

[Subaru: ……..What?]

Subaru asks that to Ram, not being able to hear the quiet voice that came out like a whisper. When he did, Ram glared at Subaru unpleasantly and said

[Ram: I said birthday. ──I wanted to celebrate that for Rem.]

Ram looks away when she said the latter half of her words, and she showed an unusual sight of stiffening her cheeks as if she got sulky.

Ram acted like that, and everyone had their own reactions again. Roswaal gave a wry smile, while Rem opened her eyes wide and stiffened up. And then since Subaru was dumbfounded, he said

[Subaru: Birthday…….a birthday! Now that you mention it, that was a blind spot……..or wait, I wish I realized that in the beginning!]

Not having “birthday” come to mind when he heard celebration at the start was his first oversight. It was also probably because he didn’t imagine this world’s customs to be that insistent on birthdays.

However, right after he clapped his hands upon gaining understanding, Subaru puzzled with a “Wait” as he said

[Subaru: You said birthday, but…….since you and Rem are twins, isn’t it your birthday too?]

[Ram: Well, yeah.]

[Subaru: Which means you said that sort of thing to celebrate your own birthday!?]

What an indirectly shameless proposal. However, if it was Ram, then there certainly was a possibility for her to say something like that. Ram reached for Subaru’s neck while he had those thoughts.

He gets caught by that unexpected movement, and he gets pulled firmly. Ram’s face was right by him as she said

[Ram: ──Take a hint. This year’s birthday is special to Rem.]

[Subaru: …….Her heart]

[Ram: That girl’s now definitely able to be happy with her own birthday from the bottom of her heart.]

It was a conversation where they talked with each other briefly and quietly. Then Subaru gets pushed aside, and he finally understood Ram’s deepest thoughts, her turning away coldly as he staggered one step backwards.

He understood Ram’s birthday──it was not for herself. He understood the reason why she wished to celebrate Rem’s birthday.

[Subaru: ……..Shit. If that’s the case, then I really am a damn idiot.]

[Ram: Were you not aware?]

[Subaru: Can you not talk as if it’s an outstanding surprise!? Ahh, jeez, I get it! If it’s like that, then I’ll give it all I got! I’ll help with everything I have in me!]

Subaru resents Ram, who put her hand on her mouth and talked with a trembling voice, being nothing but dumbfounded. Even that reaction also made him realize that it was out of consideration for reducing the awkwardness of the previous conversation.

Seeing that agreement between Subaru and Ram made Roswaal pull his chin in approvingly. The one being left behind instead in that situation was Rem, the person who did not say anything even though the matter involved her.

She looks around at the three of them while nervously putting her hands up and down in disturbance and says

[Rem: U―um…just having you say that makes me really happy. I am so lucky. But, for me to get special treatment……..]

Rem shows her appreciation, and she chooses words to try and firmly decline the celebration, being nothing but grateful.

She was a girl who would be scared of achieving happiness and being rewarded. That was something he understood when he tried to make a day off for her before. Rem got so confused just from him trying to get her to rest for a single day.

Never mind the fact that her birthday was even on the same day as her sister’s, having a special celebration for her would be──

[Rem: I really…can’t make up for…….]

[Ram: ──I love you, Rem.]

[Rem: ────]

She was at a loss for words. Rem touches her thin chest, and she chokes up over the words that came from her smiling sister.

Ram looks towards her sister’s surprised look with eyes full of affection and says

[Ram: The preparations are finally set. The preparations to let you know just how much you mean to me, and just how much you saved me, are finally set.]

[Rem: No, Nee-sama…….I am the one that should….for Nee-sama]

[Ram: If you care about me, let me give you special treatment, Rem. What I want the most in the world right now, is that privilege.]

Ram closes some distance with one step. Rem looks down, being close to her. Meanwhile, Ram gets closer, one step at a time, and when she finally gets close enough to touch her, she brought her little sister close to her.

Letting out a quiet “Ah”, Rem’s forehead settles into Ram’s chest. Then, within the arms of her sister that hugged her affectionately, Rem nervously hugged her back.

[Rem: Nee-sama, Nee-samaa……]

[Ram: There, there, you’re cute, Rem. ──Let me brag about that.]

Ram smiles in satisfaction at the voice mixed with sobbing, and she continues to pat Rem affectionately, so so affectionately.

He felt like it was a cut out moment of seriously picture-perfect sisterly love.

──While looking at those sisters embrace each other, he said

[Subaru: ……But this is a situation where Ros-chi and I aren’t needed at all.]

[Roswaal: Interrupting this would be way too insensitiiiive.]

Then, the two men exchange glances, and they shrug their shoulders, being left behind.

7

[Ram: It was a bit different than what was planned, but I am relieved that we got Rem to accept it.]

[Roswaal: If it was back then, I wonder if she’d decline stubbornly, or if she’d accept it, but not with her true feelings…….either way, I really like the transformaaaation.]

Roswaal and Ram finish the daily healing at night in the office at the top floor of the mansion, and while having that matter lingering in their minds, they look back at the day.

Roswaal was sitting down on a chair. Being on his lap with her light body, Ram looked up at him while leaning on his surprisingly sturdy chest and said

[Ram: Roswaal-sama, thank you too for readily accepting my selfish proposal.]

[Roswaal: Well, I’m not sure how much I can help with the essential preparations, after all. I won’t have any problem with something as a little as approving the plan, or offering a place for it.]

[Ram: Never mind Emilia-sama. Barusu’s actions need to be paid attention to.]

There was sharpness in her voice. Roswaal gave a bitter smile. By paying attention to Subaru’s actions, she was probably talking about how he made a mistake of carelessly letting Rem find about the celebration.

Or maybe it was her talking about how saying ridiculous things came with his personality.

[Roswaal: However, we really do need his help to have Rem be happy with a birthday party. You must also be preeeetty conflicted about it, right?]

[Ram: ……..I’ll try my best to compromise.]

[Roswaal: If you say that, then you might actually do it. But still…….]

While patting Ram’s head, her sitting in his lap, Roswaal closed one of his eyes. With his blue eye, he looks at the girl right by him. Ram raises her head up to his eyes. Pink and blue light cross each other.

[Roswaal: I respect your feelings of wanting to celebrate Rem. However, are you really okay with that?]

[Ram: What I want is to see Rem be happy for the first time. Even if I’m blessed, what I want is for Rem to be happy. Also…..]

Ram stops talking, and she squints. Roswaal chuckles at the true meaning that she couldn’t clearly say.

[Roswaal: What you want is “Time for me, just for today”, riiiiight?]

[Ram: Yes. ──Was it immodest to get a present in advanced?]

[Roswaal: As long as you admit it, I won’t take it back. Buuut I also have my own way to bless.]

Roswaal deepens his smile at Ram, who hesitated to say anything, perhaps because it was an unexpected turn. While feeling the light weight of the girl on his lap, he thinks about the sisters’ birthdays that were coming up, and he said

[Roswaal: I will keep the blessing words you want until that day. So, tonight will be the same as always.]

The moon that drew a semicircle outside the window illuminated their private talk.

The blessing day was close. What would happen on that day, and what could be done?

Ram pouts a little at Roswaal, who strangely just seemed to be happy, and after that, she loosened her lips.