Chapter 49: The Second Piece (7)

[49] 7. The Second Piece (7)

It goes without saying that what usually follows excessive emotions is the following:

An awkward silence,

An uncomfortable atmosphere,

And a crippling shame that makes you want to disappear from existence.

I lowered my head, trying to avoid looking at Rem fiddling with those goggles. At the same time, a scream reverberated through my head.

*Alain, have mercy! What in the world did I just do?!*

Hugging the boy I liked and stroking his hair?

And even whispering in a caring voice?

Parsley, are you crazy?

Is there even an ounce of concern for your future in that red head of yours?

“Don’t you think this is unfair?”

“H-Huh?”

I stiffened up, glancing at him, unable to look at him in the eye.

He had put the goggles back on. Smiling at me with those green lenses, he said,

“This is practically cheating. How am I supposed to repay you for this?”

“Ah…”

…He really does like them.

The corners of my mouth twitched, as if I had overdosed on Melania solution. Warmth begin to spread through my chest.

Well, of course he’d like it!

It was made by *me,* the next tower master, after five months of painstaking work. I even poured in all my saved-up allowance!

Who could receive such a gift and *not* be touched?

The benevolence of a genius is a miracle to fools, and their praise and gratitude are only natural.

I raised my chin—though I still couldn’t look at him properly.

“Well, you don’t need to repay me. It wasn’t really that hard.”

“Not hard? After spending five months hunched over this?!”

“I-I was working on it during my spare time, that’s why it took so long! If I had focused on it, it wouldn’t have even taken a month, okay?”

This jerk really doesn’t know when to concede… Wouldn’t it kill him to just let me brag a little…

Feeling my cheeks puffing up again, I turned my head away.

“Anyway, you don’t have to repay me.”

It was a way of thanking him for that summer night, but I swallowed down those words.

“Come on, is there really nothing I can do for you?”

He seemed to take this matter more seriously than I expected.

I turned to look at him at his uncharacteristically serious tone. His lips firm.

I can feel the gratitude in his gaze, even with those goggles on.

My lips twitched.

Suppressing the smile that’s trying to escape, I pondered an answer.

Try as I might, I couldn’t come up with anything.

The things I want from Rem.

…Actually, just being together like this is more than enough.

Shaking my head, I said,

“There’s nothing, really…”

Then, suddenly, an amazing idea hit me.

No, it was closer to a stupid idea than amazing. My face felt flushed, embarrassed that I’d even *thought* of such a thing.

An impulsive idea, one far from reason or morality.

But…

I peeked at Rem again from the corner of my eye.

He was trying to act casual, but I could tell. We’re the same kind, after all.

He was gauging my reaction.

The boy, who was always being arrogant and sarcastic…

A wicked pleasure surged through my spine like electricity. I quickly covered my twitching lips with my hand.

Yes, it wouldn’t be polite of me to keep rejecting him now, while he is being this humble.

So, just this once…

I gave into my impulsiveness.

“Well then, are you free this weekend?”

***

“You’re a player, aren’t you?”

“Captain, I’m telling you, that wasn’t my intention at all. I simply wanted to express my gratitude, honestly…”

“You little player.”

“I just thought of her as a little sister! It wasn’t…”

“You little player.”

“No, but seriously, what was I supposed to do? It wouldn’t be right for me to say, ‘Well, that’s kind of…’ in that situation.”

“Why don’t you try being a little honest with yourself?”

“…Fuck, who knew she would actually dress up?”

“You crazy little player.”

***

When the first tower master built the Magic Tower, nothing existed here.

There was only barren land, a harsh climate, and trees with sharp leaves, It was originally a land unfamiliar with human footsteps.

But as soon as the magic tower’s magnificence appeared, people swarmed here like bees. They built houses, roads, and families.

It took less than 50 years for a city to emerge around the tower. 300 years later, the city had become one of the most prosperous cities on the continent.

It was the Magic Tower that turned this barren wasteland into a great city.

That’s why I would sometimes leave the tower, walk through the city, and feel a sense of awe at the Magic Tower’s achievement. I would make a vow to myself:

That I would become the tower master and continue writing the city’s grand history.

And that one day, I would walk these streets with Mother and share her laughter.

But today, I had to let go of that vow.

Standing before the fountain in the main square,

I took out my hand mirror, checking my reflection for what felt like the 132nd time.

I saw a girl with a stiff smile reflected in the mirror, which had become unbearably critical lately.

Gone was my usual blue robe, replaced with a white fur coat that looked as if it belonged to a noble lady. My long red hair, usually free-flowing, was now in a neat braid. Even my face was even covered in makeup, something I’ve never done in my life.

I looked incredibly awkward.

I knew it, this isn’t right after all.

I put my mirror away and turned to leave. I needed to change back into my usual clothes. – this also happened for the 132nd time –

But I stopped after taking two steps, then returned to where I had been standing. I mumbled,

“Well… Marianne did spend a lot of time trying to make me pretty…”

Marianne might be inferior to me when it comes to designing magic circles, but her sense of style is light-years ahead.

I decided to trust her skills and wait patiently.

…

But could I really trust Marianne?

I took out my hand mirror for the 133rd time and looked at my reflection.

Definitely too much.

It was obvious that I had tried too hard for a date!

My pride couldn’t stand it.

But wait, a date?

What kind of blasphemous word was that, a word that mocks both intelligence and experimental spirit!

This wasn’t a date!

This was merely an experiment, an experiment to verify that my ‘masterpiece’ could work properly outside the tower!

To think that I’d use the word ‘date,’ a word only used by hormone-fueled cretins…!!

“What are you doing?”

“Kyaaah!”

I jumped up and turned around.

It was Rem, of course.

He was wearing my ‘masterpiece,’ with a puzzled expression on his face.

And his clothes… they were exactly the same as always.

No, he looked even messier than usual, if that were even possible.

I felt a strange wave of disappointment fill my chest. Avoiding his eyes, I tugged at my skirt.

Right, his choice of clothing was rational.

After all, I’d emphasized time and time again that this wasn’t for fun, but for an experiment. It wasn’t his fault.

…Still, he could have at least come in a robe that isn’t ripped at the sleeves?

I felt my cheeks puffing up and shot him a sidelong glance. Rem tilted his head in confusion.

“What’s wrong?”

“…It’s nothing. Let’s just get moving.”

I stomped past him with a grumpy look on my face.

I was being an idiot.

I, above all else.

I was the one who had gotten all dolled up early in the morning, waiting for an hour before the appointed time. Getting all excited while he, well, didn’t even think about it…

Truly a textbook example of an idiot.

I suddenly wanted to turn back and throw all these stupid clothes away. No, I wanted to just cancel this entire date, no, experiment.

“Hey.”

I looked at Rem, who had somehow caught up to my side. He was wearing an unusually hesitant expression. After mumbling for a while, he finally managed to spit out some words.

“Your clothes… They look nice. They suit you.”

Then Rem quickly looked away. Thanks to that, I could see his ears burning bright red.

At that moment, I felt a light blossoming in my chest. Once again, my lips twitched uncontrollably.

Yes, this was to be expected.

No one with functioning eyes could possibly miss my beauty, and Rem could *see* now.

So how could his face *not* be red?

“Well, anyway, just where are we going?”

Rem asked, his eyes still fixed somewhere else. Feeling my lips curve upwards, I answered,

“Just follow me quietly. I’ve prepared everything.”

***

The plan for this date… no, my ‘masterpiece’ test plan, was what you could call the *ultimate* plan.

For the past few days, I gave up sleep to choose a location, and I designed and divided each step down to the minute. Not only that, but I even asked Marianne for feedback.

It was a brilliant plan, the culmination of two geniuses agonizing over every detail.

And the first step of this grand plan was to visit the Winter Garden.

The Winter Garden is proof that magic is superior to nature.

A place where flowers from all over the Ea continent bloom, regardless of the season.

The sight of bright flowers blooming with the falling snow as a backdrop could only be witnessed here. It was an extraordinary scene.

Perhaps that’s why so many couples visited this place.

Of course, that wasn’t *our* reason. It’s simply… I needed the ‘masterpiece’ to see a variety of colors to fine-tune the saturation.

My personal desire to walk hand-in-hand with him in a beautiful flower garden wasn’t factored into the plan at all.

…Probably not.

Anyway, I headed for the Winter Garden with my heart full of anticipation. The Winter Garden happily greeted us…

[Under Construction]

…With a rusted metal plate bearing those words.

“…Looks like it’s closed.”

Rem, looking at the tightly shut doors, turned to me, his eyes filled with doubt and anxiety.

That’s why I declared in a confident voice,

“I-It’s okay…! We still have plenty of other places to go!”

…

…

…

Step two of the plan was to watch the magic performance troupe.

Those mages, seeking entertainment rather than truth, presented a spectacle that you couldn’t see anywhere else.

It’s practically a given to watch their performances when you come to the Magic Tower.

That’s why I really wanted to show this performance to Rem.

Even a fool watches this performance when they come to the Magic Tower. It just wouldn’t be right for him, a mage of the magic tower, to not see it.

However, it seems like misfortune rarely comes alone.

“…So, there are no performances today?”

The woman at the reception desk bowed her head with an apologetic expression.

“Yes, we’re very sorry, but one of our performers suddenly came down with consumption, so we had to cancel all performances since…” (TL Note: ‘came down with consumption’ is an old term used to say lung disease.)

“…I see.”

Feeling my shoulders slump, I turned around. Rem, who’d been yawning, looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

“What? It’s not open today, either?”

“Y-Yeah…”

I couldn’t help sounding dejected. Slapping my cheeks, I pulled myself together.

“I-It’s okay! We can just go to the next place on the list.”

Again, I had prepared many backup plans. There was plenty of time to turn this around.

…

…

…

Step three of the plan was to visit the Sky Garden.

The Sky Garden, a garden built using levitation magic, a testament to the fact that the Magic Tower’s aesthetic sense is…

“I’m sorry, but the garden’s currently undergoing repairs…”

“…Okay.”

…

…

…

Step four of the plan was the Aquarium…

“I’m sorry, but due to financial difficulties, the aquarium is…”

…

…

…

Step five…

[Temporary Closure]

…

…

…

***

The Magic Tower’s long shadow stretched over the city as the sun set.

The sky above had gradually changed its color from blue to red. People, bundled up in thick clothes, started heading home.

And I just sat there by the fountain, staring at them.

My mind was blank.

My plan was idiotic.

It had crashed like a ship that has run aground on every possible reef.

We set out earlier this morning, and now the sun is setting. All we did was walk.

My stupid plan had completely ruined the entire day.

…And a day with Rem at that.

It’s no wonder that my mother doesn’t look kindly on me either.

I was so pathetic, and yet my eyes started to well up. I kept my gaze fixed on my feet, unable to look up.

I wanted to just disappear.

“I think this is enough experimenting for today.”

“…Hm?”

I looked up at him without realizing it. Rem was taking the goggles off. He continued,

“There were no blurred vision side effects. No temporary malfunctions caused by magic interference. Ah, but I think we should lighten them up a bit. They’re starting to feel heavy on my neck.”

His words didn’t register in my mind. I frowned and asked,

“Just what do you mean…?”

Rem frowned even deeper than me, asking,

“Didn’t you call me here today to test your ‘masterpiece’? Isn’t that why we’ve been running around all over the city?”

“Ah…”

It was only then that I realized that he was approaching this with a completely different mindset. But it was only natural.

After all, that was what I told him when I asked him out. I said that as an excuse.

Because I couldn’t bring myself to ask him out properly.

But why was that fact cut so coldly into my heart?

This is irrational. Unreasonable. Incomprehensible.

I don’t even know what I wanted or what I want anymore.

How on earth did I become such a fool…?

“Anyway, the ‘experiment’ is over now, right?”

“…Yeah, it’s over.”

I nodded weakly, defeated. It didn’t matter what happened to the experiment now. I just wanted to crawl back to my room and hide.

“Then let’s go have fun.”

I looked up at him, confused. Smiling mischievously, he said,

“We’re already outside, there’s no point in just going back after the experiment, right?”