The Alchemist-nim Being Taken Away

The identity of the strange feeling I had from Claire ultimately remained unknown.

Because I didn’t feel it from Claire when I met her again in the morning.

Watching Claire smile sweetly and prepare breakfast for me, I shook my head inwardly.

‘I’m definitely exhausted.’

It felt as if the thought of needing rest had been obsessively hammered into my mind… but that just meant I really needed a break.

Considering what I had gone through since coming to the Capital, it somehow made sense, didn’t it?

‘Now that I think about it….’

Rest was included in the original purpose of coming to the Capital, so why did things turn out this way?

‘Where did it all go wrong….’

I fiddled with the money in my pocket and ate the food Claire had brought me. Warm, savory soup and soft bread.

“What are you thinking about?”

It seemed Claire had noticed I was lost in thought.

Claire’s worried eyes looked at me with an inquisitive expression.

With an awkward expression, I twisted a strand of hair by my ear and replied.

“Just… thinking about taking a vacation.”

“A vacation?”

“Yeah.”

Even before my body became like this, I felt like I had been running forward, looking only ahead, like a horse pulling a carriage.

Perhaps I had missed out on many things just to live comfortably in my old age?

‘…This feels strange somehow.’

I chuckled at my uncharacteristic sentimental thoughts, then looked up to see Claire chewing on her bread, staring intently at me as if waiting for me to continue.

…Am I still not noticing what’s right in front of me?

What I needed right now was… perhaps some breathing room. I might be missing the clue to return because of my impatience.

“I’m thinking of going to the Sea.”

“The Sea?”

“Yeah. It just occurred to me that I’ve never actually seen it in person.”

“Really…?”

Even in my previous life, I had only seen the Sea in photos or videos, though I had been to swimming pools, so I felt a strange excitement.

‘Would Cecil… like it too?’

A fond smile spread across my face as I imagined Cecil bouncing around.

Of course, I’d need Her Highness the Princess’s permission first, but she seemed to feel responsible for this incident… so surely it would work out somehow.

After finishing our meal with Claire, Claudia arrived at the Temple as if on cue.

Leaving the seemingly regretful Claire behind, I stepped out of the Temple.

Claudia looked at me with eyes that seemed to see a troublemaker, then extended her calloused hand and gently took mine.

“It’s time to go home, Young lady.”

“Ah, Young lady, what do you mean? You know everything now….”

I said, waving my hand, but Claudia just smiled silently, held my hand, and slowly led me down the street.

Walking closely, fingers intertwined like lovers, made my face flush slightly.

Claudia’s voluminous tail swayed and wrapped around my body as if marking her territory.

My feelings were already strange due to the warmth emanating from beside me, and with her tail added, I felt completely enveloped by Claudia.

Feeling as if people were staring, I stood on my tiptoes and whispered softly into Claudia’s ear, which seemed higher than usual today.

“Could you… move a little further away?”

At my words, Claudia tightened her grip on our intertwined hands and shook her head.

“How could I leave a troublemaking Young lady who could run off anywhere? I’d be too anxious.”

“Wha, what trouble did I cause….”

“…Did you forget where you just came from?”

“Th-the Temple….”

“You know it well.”

My face flushed hot again.

I covered my face with my free hand and slowly walked, guided by Claudia.

Then I realized that covering my eyes looked even stranger, so I naturally let my hand drop.

“You just realized that now, did you?”

“…Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Kukuk….”

Fanning myself with my free hand, I arrived at Veronica’s Workshop, and the first thing that greeted me was Cecil’s hug.

“Asha-nim!”

“Ce-Cecil.”

Cecil hugged me tightly in her arms.

It was so tight that it felt suffocating, but.

“Cecil, I was worried because Asha-nim said she was sick….”

At Cecil’s subsequent concern, I stroked Cecil’s head with my remaining hand.

“Sorry for worrying you… I’m fine now, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah….”

…Could that also be considered being sick?

Thinking that I was worried about for something like that made me feel… well, strange.

Anyway.

Holding Claudia’s hand in one hand and Cecil’s in the other, I entered the Workshop to find Veronica and Master waiting.

“You’ve arrived.”

“Yes….”

Veronica, who had quickly walked over, placed her hand on my forehead.

“…No fever, so it seems you handled it well.”

“Ah… Uh, uh-huh….”

While Veronica was kneading my face from the front, Master, who had approached from behind me, gave me a light tap on the head.

“You rascal, stop causing trouble.”

“Wha, what did I do….”

Even as I grumbled, warmth emanated from all directions.

Not just the warmth of four people, but various distinct body scents flowed into my nostrils.

I felt somewhat hazy.

Only after Master tapped my head again in response to my retort did I snap back to attention.

“Talking back… are you rebelling now that you’ve grown up a bit?”

“Th-that’s not it….”

Surrounded by body heat and scents, I babbled incoherently before finally shaking off the four people and sitting down.

Their gazes, all directed at me, felt quite burdensome.

Then Veronica cautiously opened her mouth.

“Her Highness the Princess left a message.”

“…Oh, really?”

I swallowed hard and stared only at Veronica’s red lips.

Her small lips parted, and her tongue moved.

“Her Highness the Princess said to tell you that you don’t have to come to work anymore.”

“…I see.”

I had been racking my brain trying to figure out how to get permission, but it worked out like this.

“Instead… she asked you to visit her once… so you should go see her soon.”

“Okay.”

Perhaps thanks to her previous words, being asked to visit once didn’t feel so difficult.

She was probably going to apologize, and thinking that, the burden was lighter.

I nodded and looked around again, and all four people were still looking at me.

Cecil was smiling brightly.

Claudia had a strange look in her eyes.

Veronica seemed to have something to say.

…As for Master, well.

She was looking at me with the same expression I often saw when we lived together.

I didn’t know what they were all waiting for, but I felt it was the perfect situation to announce my vacation plans.

“Um….”

I felt the subtle gazes intensify.

Were people’s gazes always this blatant?

I felt goosebumps prickle all over my body.

Regardless, what I had to say remained unchanged, so I slowly opened my mouth.

“Since Her Highness the Princess also said so… I plan to rest for a while.”

“Then, will you be staying at home with Cecil?”

“Uh, yeah… but rather than home… I’m thinking of going to a resort.”

“A resort, you say?”

“Yeah… for example, the Sea….”

At the mention of ‘Sea,’ Cecil’s eyes sparkled.

The others also looked surprised when I said I was going to rest.

“…Yes, sometimes you need a change of pace, don’t you? It sounds like a good idea.”

Master nodded, looking as if to say, ‘How did you ever come up with such a thought?’

“We’ll have to prepare.”

Claudia nodded, as if she would naturally come along.

How long was she planning to follow me around?

Well, of course, it was reassuring… but did she earn a lot of money during that time…? Is it okay if she doesn’t work?

‘…Claudia will figure it out, she’s not a child.’

Still, I earned quite a bit of money this time… so it would only be right to give her some compensation for her efforts.

“The Sea, huh….”

Veronica murmured with a somewhat wistful expression.

From the atmosphere, it seemed everyone would come along.

…That was a truly strange feeling.

Without realizing it, I got excited and started laying out our travel plans.

“First, we’ll take the Magic Train to the Port City and then-“

I laid out various plans, and we planned the trip together.

Since I had no history of traveling, I had to rely on the help of Claudia and Master, who had traveled to many places.

Cecil seemed simply happy to be going to a new place.

…Though she wasn’t much help with the planning.

Surprisingly, Veronica was well-versed in the matter of choosing accommodations in various places.

“…Well, it’s not entirely unrelated to the Family’s business.”

Looking back now, it seemed Veronica… wasn’t exactly on bad terms with her family.

‘…Was there really a need for her to come to the Academy?’

Well, she was younger then, so maybe she was going through a late adolescence.

Thinking that, a slight laugh escaped me.

“What? Why are you suddenly laughing?”

“Uh, it’s nothing.”

I gave Veronica a hearty laugh and chatted with my companions, losing track of time, until it was lunchtime and we all ate together.

‘…I guess I was someone who could talk for this long.’

After lunch, the conversation had more or less concluded.

Strike while the iron is hot, so first, I prepared to visit Her Highness the Princess.

Choosing clothes was, once again, something Veronica helped with.

But… this time, she dressed me up, wrapping me in clothes from who knows where.

‘…If she had these, she should have given them to me sooner.’

Or maybe she bought new ones?

Either way, it was a good thing for me, wasn’t it?