Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy-Chapter 714: Ordinary conversation (11)
As the sunset painted the sky and the night slowly approached, I knocked on the door of a clothing shop, having moved there with Erin’s help.
“Who... Oh, it’s the young lady of Allen. Please, come in.”
The elderly woman, who had worked with the perverted priest to create various garments, greeted me with a bright smile as soon as she saw me.
“Are you in need of new clothes for an official event? I’ve already prepared a few outfits, thinking of your achievements...”
“I’m not here to find something for me. I’m here to find something for Erin.”
“I see.”
The woman tried to hide her disappointment with a professional demeanor, but the stark difference in her emotions when discussing my clothes and when looking at Erin was as if she were advertising her dissatisfaction.
“Pick out something for both Erin and me. Make sure it suits her well.”
“...Please wait a moment.”
With a tone that clearly expressed her excitement, the woman left her spot, and when I looked over, Erin was holding onto a maid’s uniform tightly.
“Lady, is there really a need for me, just a mere maid, to wear proper clothes?”
“Idiot. Are you just an ordinary maid? You’re my personal maid. If you’re dressed all dowdily, it makes me look like a fool too.”
“However...”
“Don’t tell me you’re worried about standing out more than me? If you’re thinking such arrogant thoughts, wake up. Even if a crow lands next to you, it won’t matter to me.”
I knew Erin felt burdened by my kindness.
But today, I was going to insist and give Erin a proper gift.
She was just as important to me as my other friends, yet she had been treated with less regard than them.
The favor Erin had shown me was by no means something I took for granted.
When we first met, Erin had felt great fear toward me.
She had heard many rumors from the servants and had personally endured my verbal abuse, so it was understandable that she was scared.
Even so, Erin didn’t hold any prejudice against me. She acknowledged that I had changed and showed me kindness.
That kindness saved me. Even as I endured others’ contempt, I gained the strength to walk confidently forward.
Erin truly was my savior. So she deserved the proper reward for what she had done.
“If it’s because you dislike me and don’t want anything from me, I can’t help that.”
“Of course not! How could I not feel gratitude when my precious lady is giving me a gift!”
“Then just accept it quietly. Got it?”
Seeing me smile, Erin hurriedly turned her head and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, then looked back at me.
Her eyes, tinged with red, looked like they could burst into tears with just the slightest touch.
“Hey. Don’t cry. If you cry like this, I’ll look like the bad one.”
“I’m... sorry. I’ll try my best to control my emotions.”
“Ugh. Really.”
I wiped Erin’s eyes with a handkerchief, then sat her down next to me and patted her shoulder.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine. If you’re going to cry, just do it properly.”
Each time Erin’s sobs grew louder, I quietly withdrew my hand, and Erin sent me a hurt look through her fingers.
“Are you really crying? You’re not acting, right? Right?”
After some time, when Erin had calmed down, the woman returned as if waiting for that moment.
She was holding two black dresses, and just from the size, it was obvious who they were for.
“Lady, how about this outfit? Considering how great both of your appearances are, I emphasized simple elegance rather than unnecessary extravagance.”
Not knowing much about clothing, I turned to Erin for her opinion. She was carefully inspecting the dress, her eyes red, and after a moment of thought, she nodded in agreement.
“It’s excellent. It will definitely suit the lady.”
“What about you?”
“...I think it would suit me as well.”
Smiling at Erin’s shy reply, I took a dressing room and changed into the clothes.
Since I was used to having others dress me, as soon as I stepped out, the woman approached and adjusted the clothes here and there.
Lucy! Look at us!Aren’t we pretty!?It’s the same outfit as Lucy!
As I surrendered my body to the woman’s touch, the fairies flew around me, proudly showing off their new clothes.
“Yeah, it suits you well.”
Lucy praised us!Wow!Hehe, I’m so happy!
Did the fairies even make their own outfits in that short time? This lady’s hands are incredibly fast. At this point, it’s almost like a divine power!
“Lady.”
While I was marveling at the woman’s skill, Erin cautiously emerged.
Erin, who now looked radiant as though she had been chosen by a goddess, bowed her head again at my compliment.
I took her with me to our next destination, the most famous restaurant on Academy Street.
Tier La Mas.
It was the place where I first met Joy, and even now, after tasting many dishes, it remains in my memories as a great place.
A famous restaurant with a line outside every day.
It’s a place where both nobles and commoners have to stand in line, but today, for me, there was an exception.
As soon as I stood at the very back of the line, people naturally moved aside, without me having to say a word.
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It’s something I’ve always caused, but what was different this time was the way people looked at me.
Those who had stepped aside to avoid being associated with me were now doing so with a sense of awe and respect.
It felt almost like they thought it was sacrilegious to stand in front of me.
I was embarrassed by the worshipful atmosphere, but still, people were waiting for me to move forward.
<They won’t move if you just stand there all day.>
‘...I feel like I’m losing my mind.’
It felt like a sign of how my future life might unfold.
At least, the good part was that the restaurant offered me a private room.
Perhaps my reasoning that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy a proper meal because I would be the center of attention was convincing enough, as they provided a space for just Erin and me.
‘Grandfather, this is completely different from the food I ate before, right?’
<It’s clear they’ve put a lot of effort into it. I’d believe it if they said it was food for the royal family.>
It seemed like Tier La Mas was just as concerned about me as I was about them.
Sigh. I wonder if I’ll even be able to live a normal life with all this attention.
Well, I can’t waste food, so I’ll just eat.
With a sigh, I took a spoonful of soup, realizing that it tasted just as grand as it looked.
Wow, I didn’t think there could be something more delicious than the food I had before!
Was it because they were so nervous about my presence?!
...If it’s like this, maybe receiving special treatment isn’t so bad!
Just as I was about to take another spoonful, Erin, sitting across from me, put down her spoon and spoke.
“Lady.”
“What’s wrong? You don’t like the food? Want to give it to me? I’ll eat it for you!”
“Huh? Oh, of course, if you’d like, I’ll gladly give it to you, but that’s not what I meant!”
“...Tch. Then what is it?”
“After hearing that you feel gratitude toward me, I’ve been thinking about how to express my gratitude. And I’ve concluded that I should just say what I think honestly. I know that if I try to embellish my words, you wouldn’t like it.”
Erin came from a small rural noble family.
In reality, although they called themselves nobles, Erin was born into a family that was no different from the surrounding peasants. She was sold off under the pretense of needing to be more modest and became a maid in the Allen household.
Thus, when she first started working in the Allen household, Erin had very low self-esteem.
She saw herself as a worthless person.
“Since then, I’ve changed because of being with you, Lady.”
To become a necessary presence for someone noble gave Erin a reason to live, simply because of that fact.
“If I hadn’t met you, I would still just be an unknown maid. But once you called my name, I gained value, and now even the goddess speaks to me. It’s all thanks to you.”
Lucy said she was grateful to Erin, but Erin felt that she had already been repaid more than enough by Lucy. Because of that, her gratitude felt burdensome.
“Just treat me like you always have, as a maid. That alone will allow me to live my life in glory.”
Hearing Erin’s words, I put down my spoon and chuckled.
“No.”
“...Huh?”
“No. You idiot.”
“W-Why?”
“I want to be friends with you.”
Lucy smiled slyly as she spoke, and Erin trembled and bowed her head.
Her ears turned red, and it seemed like she couldn’t contain her happiness and embarrassment.
“Think about it. All the people around me are amazing. I need a friend I can just chat with without any pressure.”
“Do you think I can take on that role?”
“It’s an order from your master.”
“...Then. Yes. I understand. Lady, I’ll do my best to be your friend.”
“The moment you start saying things like that, you’re already disqualified from being my friend.”
“...Is that so!? Then what should I do?”
Having lived her whole life in the workplace, Erin seemed to find the word “friend” quite awkward.
So, as I thought about how to explain it, a playful smile crossed my face.
“For example, something like this. Erin, do you prefer Karl or Frete?”
“Puhh! Cough. Cough. What kind of...”
“Oh, you don’t like either? You’ve got high standards, huh?”
“That’s not what I meant! Lady! I’m just surprised by the sudden question!”
“Well, friends have these kinds of conversations.”
“Somehow, this feels very distorted.”
“Shut up and answer. Which one? I’ll happily support my friend’s love.”
“...That... That... Uhhh.”
Now I see why Joy is so obsessed with romance stories.
Let me know if you need more translations or have any questions!
