episode_0111

After my release, the atmosphere at home could only be described as gloomy and depressing, no matter how nicely you put it.

There were many reasons, but the most central cause was me.

While eating, I belatedly realized that the day of my release was my birthday and, without thinking, I joked, ‘Well, at least I got released as a birthday present, right?’ which broke my parents’ hearts.

Thanks to that, I saw my father cough violently and spill food on the table for the first time in my life, and my mother’s eyelashes flutter as she dropped her fork and knife on the floor.

I said it feeling like there was still something good on my birthday, but I belatedly realized that, from my parents’ perspective, it was no different from openly mocking them.

But the words had already been spoken, and the atmosphere had long since turned heavy.

After that, I tried to lighten the mood somehow, but the more I said, the deeper I sank, so I just gave up and ran to my room as soon as I finished eating.

Up to this point, it was just a common slip of the tongue, but the problem was that my father and mother kept looking at me with such wistful eyes that it was too much to bear.

So, as soon as I finished breakfast, I ran away to the atelier with Emily.

“Marie, hello.”

Getting off the carriage and entering the atelier, I ran into Marie, who was walking down the hallway.

“Uh… uh? Uh uh?”

Marie, who was coming out of the warehouse with a pile of fabric, probably preparing for work, made a sound that wasn’t quite words, widened her eyes, and perked up her ears and tail when she met my gaze.

Then, with her fur bristling, Marie approached slowly and cautiously, brought her face close to me, smelled my neck and back, and then opened her lips and stared blankly into the air.

“What’s wrong?”

Her subtle expression seemed shocked, surprised, or even horrified, so I was worried and checked on her. Only then did Marie come to her senses, narrow her eyes, and take a few steps back.

“…Why is it real?”

“What are you talking about?”

It wasn’t like she was asking if I was fake; asking why I was real was a bit strange and absurd.

Could it be that my early arrival is inconvenient?

Everyone seems to be doing well on their own, judging by the fact that they came to work without me saying anything. Am I showing up early without a sense of the situation?

I thought I treated them pretty well…

I’m starting to feel a little hurt.

Am I going to turn into a demon like this?

Should I lock them up and only feed them fried dumplings?

“How did you get out so early? You didn’t escape, did you…?”

“…His Majesty let me out early.”

“Ah! I see. I was worried because I heard you might be imprisoned for a long time, but I’m so glad that’s not the case!”

“Ah, yeah, me too.”

Fortunately, Marie greeted me with a pure smile before my heart turned completely black, so I didn’t become an evil boss.

Phew, if I had been any later, I might have been looking for a warehouse building with a basement.

“Ahem, more importantly, everyone came to work on their own?”

“Elizabeth told us to work as usual for the time being; she said it might cause more problems if we rested.”

“Hmm~ well done.”

I smiled contentedly and patted Marie’s head lightly.

If they had taken a break as soon as adversity struck, they might have been buried in a coffin, but the employees handled it well.

“Everyone must have had a hard time.”

“I did too, but Fanny and Herbert really suffered a lot.”

“Really?”

“Yes, they had to fill in for Sir William and Elizabeth, and they were teaching Elin and Walter how to cut fabric. It looked like they needed three bodies to handle it all.”

“Oh…”

I exclaimed in admiration and glanced at the door of the workshop.

Auto-hunting is so sweet.

“Wow~ does this mean I’m not needed?”

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

Marie stared at me intently after I made a joke without thinking.

Judging by the fact that her pupils became vertically elongated, she seemed very displeased.

“That… it’s just a joke…”

“It’s not funny.”

“Sorry…”

This is awkward.

Did the world change a lot while I was locked up for ten days?

My joke hit rate has been really bad since yesterday.

“Ahem… anyway, everyone came to work today, right?”

“Yes! Everyone except Elizabeth came to work.”

“Good, let’s go in and say hello first.”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t repeat what happened at home, so I quickly changed the subject and entered the workshop.

“Walter, Elin, are you ready?”

“Y-yes…! I can start right away…!”

“Katerina! Today is embroidery, not odd jobs, so you know you have to prepare the sewing, right?”

“Yes~”

“…?”

The first thing that caught my eye as I opened the door was the unusual scene in the workshop.

Herbert, who usually seemed relaxed, looked somehow frantic, and Fanny, who usually showed a gentle attitude even though she was businesslike, looked like a strict female boss.

The other employees were also moving in an orderly fashion, making it feel three times more combative than usual.

“Uh… um…?”

I pointed in front of me with my finger and moved my lips silently, looking at Marie. Marie raised her head slightly with a ‘see!’ expression and glanced at me.

“I told you, they suffered a lot, didn’t they?”

“I guess so…”

Now I understood why Marie was so serious.

This is bad; if I disappear one more time, things will really go wrong…

“Marie! If you’re in, can you set up the fabric quickly?”

“Ah! I’m sorry! Something unexpected happened!”

Feeling a sense of crisis at the atelier’s situation, which was more like a sandcastle than I thought, Fanny’s harsh voice fell on Marie, who was standing next to me.

“Unexpected? We have to start working soon, and if this happens, things will… oh?”

Fanny frowned and turned her head, and as soon as she met my face, she widened her mouth and eyes and froze.

“…Sir William?”

At Fanny’s somewhat dazed words, the employees began to turn their attention to us one by one.

“……”

Their gazes are quite sharp.

It was even eerie to be looking at me without saying anything.

“Uh… hello everyone?”

It was awkward to just stand there while the employees were looking at me with such intense gazes, so I waved my hand lightly and greeted them.

““Waaaaah!””

And everyone jumped up from their seats and screamed as if they had promised to do so.

Then, the employees who rushed to me very skillfully grabbed my arm and began to plead as if they had met a god.

“Sir William! I really, really missed you!”

“I’ll do anything, so please don’t disappear again!”

“Okay, okay, calm down…”

“Sir William…!”

“Sir William…!”

“Aaaagh…”

S-save me…

_

“So, what should we do first?”

The employees held me for about 10 minutes and welcomed me enthusiastically, then looked at me with very happy expressions and waited for instructions.

The eyes, respectful attitude, and expressions of a dog looking at its owner.

“Heh…”

Maybe it’s just my imagination, but it seems like their loyalty has increased a lot since I went to prison.

Why…?

I know they’ve been through a lot, but I don’t know why their loyalty to me would increase.

Shouldn’t they be getting more vicious?

It’s a good thing for me, so there’s nothing bad about it, but it’s scary because I don’t understand the principle of action…

“Um, you know that there’s a masquerade ball hosted by the Marquis of Tweedale this weekend, right?”

I figured that worrying about it alone would only increase my anxiety, so I decided to have a consultation with the employees soon, taking turns, and first brought up the work story as the employees wanted.

“I know.”

“Masquerade ball?”

“Is it like a play?”

The nobles, of course, knew about it, and the commoners didn’t really know what it was.

Unlike the founding anniversary, which is a big event that even commoners know about, the masquerade ball is only enjoyed by nobles, so it was a natural reaction.

“It’s a ball where you wear masks and dance. Nobles often hold it when they want to let go of formalities and have fun.”

“Ah~ but why are you bringing that up?”

“Someone asked us to make accessories to wear that day. It’s a bit unusual, so they said it would be difficult for anyone but us to do it.”

“Wait a minute, Sir William, did you receive guests even while you were in prison?”

“It just happened that way, I guess?”

“Haa… haaa…”

“How can you have such a great obsession…?”

“……”

Herbert and Fanny’s eyes changed in an unusual way.

Somewhere between fanaticism and madness, I don’t think they’d look at me like that even if I walked on water.

“But, what kind of unusual accessories are they? I can’t easily think of something that only we can make.”

I was looking at the noble duo in disbelief when Adelheid interrupted and asked.

Hmm… I wonder how the demihuman will accept the centurion’s request.

Will they be unpleasant?

Or will they be happy?

“It’s like a headband and a belt.”

“Um? Isn’t that a common accessory? Other places can make it well enough.”

“The shape and concept are a bit unusual, they said they want to dress up as a beastkin servant.”

“If it’s a beastkin costume…”

“They asked us to make a cat ear headband and a cat tail.”

“I see.”

Adelheid’s reaction wasn’t bad.

It was rather on the positive side.

I guess she’s okay with anything as long as she can make clothes.

I turned my gaze slightly and looked at the expressions and reactions of the other demihuman employees, such as Marie and Katerina.

“What’s so fun about dressing up as our race?”

“Well, humans like everything, don’t you ever hear about half-elves or half something-somethings?”

“One of my great-grandfathers is human!”

“Oh…”

She didn’t seem to think much about it.

I was worried about what would happen if there was a slightly negative reaction because it was a demihuman costume, but it seems better than I thought.

“It’s a good request, right?”

“It’s definitely a request that I don’t think anyone but us can do.”

“It’s okay.”

“I’m okay with anything.”

“There’s nothing bad about it, right?”

The other employees’ reactions are also good.

Then I can proceed without hesitation.

“Good, then Marie and Katerina will help me, and the rest of you can work as usual, okay?”

“Yes~”

“Yes.”

I pointed specifically to Marie and Katerina, and then gestured to the others that they could go back to their seats.

Then, one by one, they got up from their seats and headed to their work tables, leaving only three people, including me, at the center table.

“Um, Sir William, is there anything I can help you with? I’m a little embarrassed because this is the first time.”

Marie, who pulled up a chair and sat near me, asked hesitantly.

Certainly, it’s a bit embarrassing because I’ve never specifically asked anyone other than Adelheid or Katerina to help among the commoner employees.

“No, it’s not difficult. I just need you to show me your tail and ears.”

“……”

Marie and Katerina, upon hearing my words, shrugged their shoulders and began to roll their eyes quickly.

“…To the root?”

“Yeah, I have to make it the same, but I’ve never seen a beastkin tail before.”

“Wow…”

“Gasp…”

Marie’s face turned bright red.

Did I make a mistake…

“Ah.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and grabbed my head with my hands.

This stupid mouth.

I’m about to get arrested for sexual harassment as soon as I get out of prison…