Two weeks had passed since the second examination ended. Just as before, Peruel and I waited in front of the main gate at dawn for the newspapers. Honestly, the attention I had received for taking first place made me think I should not do that again, so I had taken the second examination normally and come back. My kiss with Furina? It was the second time, so I did not feel much. Though it had gone on for a while. Perhaps because of that, I did not fall ill this time. When Kujavina saw that I had returned in perfectly good shape, she badmouthed me, saying, "You seem fine this time. Did you just throw the exam?" As if I would throw it. Then, the next day, my interview appeared in The Steambird, making it seem as though the exam had been rated as merely somewhat difficult. Lately, Kujavina did not seem to pay much attention to me. She only trained the older children in the underground sparring hall and did not pressure me about anything. But that assumption was about to be spectacularly wrong.
In the distance, the newspaper delivery motorcycle came into view. Peruel and I stood up, ready to receive the papers.
"Well, if it isn’t the top scorer! I had no idea who you were when I first saw you, but I’m getting used to it now!"
"Hello, sir. Where are the newspapers?"
"Just wait a moment. One, two, three, four..."
The man counted the papers. He used to bring only The Steambird, but the newspaper companies had started slipping copies into our orphanage, and suddenly we had a whole pile of them. Kujavina had stubbornly refused to subscribe, so they had resorted to forcing them on us.
"Seven in total? This is becoming a real problem for me too, with so many of them! This place is so remote that it’s hard to make deliveries here!"
"You work hard too, sir. Take care."
"Right. Study hard!"
With a vroom, he rode away on his motorcycle. There were so damn many of these newspaper bundles. I should use them as kindling for a winter bonfire to grill pond smelt.
Let’s see... Today was the day they announced the second examination results, right? Let’s look at The Steambird’s front page...
[Youngest Ever Top Scorer Now the Youngest Ever Runner-Up?! One Point Behind First Place]
[Examiner: The Difficulty Was Average; Examinees: It Was Difficult]
[Lady Furina de Fontaine: Measures Will Be Taken to Prevent Violent Incidents]
Ah, fuck. The reporters were going to swarm us again.
"Is there something you’re hiding?!"
"We would like to know how the director makes him study!"
"Is there anything distinctive about this orphanage?!"
"We will not be giving interviews. Please leave."
Kujavina locked the front gate again. Once again, it was because of Avrora. This time, I had passed the second round as runner-up. I had clearly told her it had been somewhat difficult for me, and had I not returned in perfect health?! Yet I had come in second place as if to rub it in her face. Was I telling her to eat shit? With her head full of complicated thoughts, Kujavina once again raided the room where the four of us were playing cards and took me away. Peruel seemed to have gotten used to it; she merely stayed put, no longer trying to defy her.
"Peruel, your brother got taken away by Mother again. Are you okay with that?"
"It’s whatever... Mother must have her reasons... As long as she doesn’t kill my brother, it’s fine."
"Why would the Demon King die?! Don’t say weird things! One Card!"
"Ah!"
"I believe it may be dangerous to keep you in this orphanage."
Kujavina spoke as she pointed at the reporters visible below the window.
"I need to make you independent as soon as possible, or do something. Otherwise, I fear the House of the Hearth will be in danger."
"Then... am I being disposed of?"
Kujavina startled and caressed my cheek.
"I would never do such a thing, would I? Throwing away a jewel like you would be amateurish. Of course, thieves keep rushing in like moths to a flame to steal you, so I am simply moving you elsewhere."
"Then where am I supposed to go?"
Independence from the House of the Hearth?! Was I being freed from this house that felt like it would kill me?!
"I asked Capitano, whom you went on that mission with, and apparently he bought a house in Fontaine? Go there. Ah, but I will not send you alone. Take that pair with you."
So she intended to have me live with the two Fatui at the Bouf d’ete Residence. But...
"I’m not sure about going by myself... Can I take the other children too?"
"Hmm? Why is that? You must be lonely because you are young. Well, I do not mind. I welcome having fewer mouths to feed in my house as well. Naturally, you mean you will take your slaves?"
"Yes. I’ll take my slaves with me."
"Good. You have the right to dispose of them, so do as you please. But if I get an odd feeling... you know what that means without me having to say it, don’t you?"
"Yes... I understand..."
"Good. I will give you three hours. Pack your things and leave. But, Avrora? You are never leaving the House of the Hearth. I have merely moved the jewel’s location; its ownership still belongs to me."
"Yes... I know..."
"Good. I will call Sergei and Angelina. Go tell those three to pack their belongings."
I closed the director’s office door and returned to where they were playing cards.
"Avrora. What did Mother say?"
The sudden order to become independent left me unable to figure out how I should react, so I simply stood there.
"Brother. What did she say?"
"She told us to leave the House of the Hearth."
"What?"
"Then where are we going?! I have nowhere to go if it isn’t here!"
"Ah. Citra, you do not have to leave. You can if you want to, but..."
"Then what about these two?! What happens to them?!"
"Those two have to follow me no matter what. That’s what she said."
Peruel put the cards she held in her hand down on the floor and raised both arms high. It was probably her way of cheering.
"Then, Avrora... where are we supposed to go...?"
"Remember when I went on that mission last summer? There’s a house I bought then. We can go live there."
"Where is that house?"
"It’s in the Court of Fontaine."
The moment they heard it was in the Court of Fontaine, the other two besides Peruel cheered. It was understandable that they would be happy. Cravie especially.
"Finally... I’m getting out of this hell... Finally..."
"Hey! How is this place hell?! Anyway, the Court of Fontaine! I’ve wanted to visit, so this is great!"
"So pack your things. We have to leave in three hours."
"Okay!"
Three hours later, burdened with armfuls of luggage, we left the House of the Hearth’s front gate with Sergei and Angelina. The reporters? Kujavina was so impenetrable that they had given up and left long ago.
"Doesn’t it feel like we’re going on a picnic, Angelina?"
"Ugh... Having to play nanny to children at my age... I hate it so much I could die..."
"Still better than dying, isn’t it? We’ll be living in the Court of Fontaine from now on, so just think of it as a good thing."
"..."
"Brother... Why aren’t you saying anything? Aren’t you happy?"
"Ah... I’m fine..."
It felt like the story was getting tangled up... How was I supposed to restore it to its original course from here? My thoughts were a mess. I had never imagined I would become independent. At this rate, that walking disaster Furina would probably pop out and say, "What?! You’re moving out?! Perfect! Come to Palais Mermonia at once!" A sigh slipped out on its own.
"Avrora. Are you okay?"
"How about you, Cravie? You’re leaving Mother behind."
"I’m really okay. I’m happy because it feels like we’ll finally be able to go to Snezhnaya!"
Come to think of it, Cravie’s dream was to see Snezhnaya’s aurora together with all of us. It would be nice if that dream came true.
"Hey. What do you mean, you’re going to Snezhnaya? You need our permission to go outside. Except for Avrora, that is."
"But Sergei, didn’t Arlecchino say she was handing Avrora the right to dispose of them? Then shouldn’t they just have to follow Avrora’s orders?"
"Is that how it works? Anyway, Avrora has the right to dispose of you, so you should treat Avrora well, understand?"
"Yes~!"
"Obviously... I protect Brother."
After many conversations, we arrived in the Court of Fontaine. Once we reached the Bouf d’ete Residence, we began unpacking and choosing our rooms.
"I want this one! I can see people passing by outside really well!"
"Then I’ll take this one. The room next to Peruel’s should be fine?"
"I’ll take the room across from Brother’s... Watch Brother..."
"What do you mean, watch me...?"
Thus, of the four rooms on the second floor of the Bouf d’ete Residence, Citra and Cravie took the ones by the windows, while Peruel and I took the rooms across from them.
On the first floor, Sergei and Angelina each took a room by the living room.
"It’s better than I expected, isn’t it? Maybe because I’ve been here several times? Capitano really does have a good eye."
"Don’t get drunk and make a scene in the living room."
"I took the first-floor room because it’s the biggest, but it’ll be a headache if I can hear the kids stomping around upstairs..."
"Then what... We can grab them by the head and scold them, can’t we? Or use the house in front of this one."
The Bouf d’ete Residence consisted of two connected houses. They were linked by a bridge on the third floor, with the two buildings facing each other. Capitano had said it was a bargain property, but there was a reason it had still been expensive.
"Still, who would have thought we would become nannies looking after children? You really do see all sorts of things in life."
"I told you, picking up Avrora was what started this whole mess."
"Who would have known that kid would breeze through even the second round of the judicial examination? My choice was a good one!"
"It is good for the Fatui’s future, but... I can’t help being bothered by the order Kujavina gave us."
"Yeah. She told us to kill the children... They seem like such innocent kids. How did things end up like this...?"
A few hours earlier, in the director’s office of the House of the Hearth.
"Things have become complicated because of that Avrora you brought in. Shouldn’t you take responsibility?"
"But, Arlecchino... Didn’t you see it too? How remarkable that child is..."
"Yes... He is far too remarkable. So remarkable that it is giving me a headache. Even if you install a king, it must be a suitably capable king. If he is too intelligent, he is bound to die early."
"What do you mean by that?"
"He is such a genius that he is difficult for me to handle. To the point where I might be devoured instead."
"Then doesn’t that mean he has the talent to rise as far as a Harbinger? If we produce such talent, even Her Majesty..."
"Enough. I do not want to hear it. Take these four little packets with you."
"Arlecchino. What is inside these little packets...?"
"Arsenic."
"Pardon? Arsenic?"
"Yes. Keep them on you for now. If you see any sign that the children are doing something foolish, feed it to them and kill them."
"What?! You mean for us to kill that child?!"
"He is far too much of an obstacle. If he is meant to become king, another child will appear if we wait a little longer. Let us wait until then."
"Yes... Understood..."
And so Sergei and Angelina left the director’s office and sighed.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register