Reasons why I want to adorn you
The mansion where Mitina and Kyelse live is located close to the royal castle. Because of that, I thought it was possible that I might bump into a familiar face heading to the castle.
It was a holiday when she had made a promise to go shopping. As she left the mansion and walked for a while, she stopped in her tracks when she saw a familiar blonde haired woman, who waved back at her. Then she ran up to Mitina with a happy look on her face.
“Good day, Mitina. Are you working outside the castle now?”
“No… I’m off today.”
“That’s right!”
Istaria clapped her hands as if to say, “It’s perfect timing.” It seemed that she had business with Mitina.
However, it was Kyelse, who had been completely ignored, who spoke up.
“Istaria, it’s true that today is his day off, but he has something to do. Don’t get in the way.”
“What is your business?”
The normal response would be to ask what Istaria wanted, but when asked that question, Kyelse made a clearly displeased face and hesitated.
“Shopping. This guy is… well, he’s the baggage carrier!”
(The bed is out of the question… are you really going to make me carry it for you…?)
Mitina looked at Kyelse with a suspicious look as she tried to carry the bed on her back. It was probably possible if she tried hard, but she didn’t want to do such hard work on a day off she had made the effort to set aside. She immediately wanted to go home.
“What are you buying?”
“This is none of your business, just get out of here.”
(If you treat me so roughly… Istaria-sama will start to dislike you.)
Mitina couldn’t say it out loud, but she muttered to herself and took a small breath. In the first place, if they were thought to be close enough to go shopping together, Istaria might mistakenly think they were a couple.
“Did you need something from me, Lady Istaria?”
“Yes, that’s right. I wanted to talk to Mitina.”
“Are you talking? If it’s something that can be finished quickly, we can do it here and now…”
Hearing Mitina say that, Kyelse turned a displeased look towards the two of them.
However, Istaria doesn’t seem to mind and answers all my questions in a good mood.
“Today I want to talk about love.”
“Uh, uh… a love story. To me?”
“Yes. I’m very interested.”
From the looks of it, he was probably planning to capture Mitina, who was working at the royal castle, and have a chat with her. As always, I was amazed at Istaria’s freedom.
“There’s nothing to ask me though…”
“I don’t particularly want to hear about your experiences. I just want to know what you think about love.”
Mitina was taken aback by this strange interest. When she saw her behavior, she seemed a little naive.
“But, is this not a topic that can be resolved quickly? I see… I’m sorry, Lady Istaria, but we’ll see each other again another day–“
“Okay, I’ll join you.”
“picture?”
Cutting off Mitina, for some reason Kyelse replied.
“Is that okay? You’re going shopping now, right?”
“You can go shopping after we finish talking. But don’t talk too long. And once you’re done talking, go home quickly.”
“I don’t really mind though…”
Istaria also seemed surprised at Kyelse’s change in attitude. Given his personality, she thought there was no way he would be able to tolerate others interrupting his plans.
However, having received permission, Istaria didn’t seem particularly suspicious of Kyelse, and instead, she smiled and took Mitina’s hand.
“There’s a good restaurant nearby. Let’s talk there.”
“Yes, I understand.”
With that said, I let myself be led by the hand and we were about to head to a recommended restaurant in Istaria, but…
Looking at Kyelse who was following behind, Istaria frowned slightly.
“Don’t come with me, Kyelse. When girls talk about love, boys are not allowed.”
“Wh-why should I have to follow such a stupid rule? I’m the one who gave it to you, you have no right to complain!”
“No. Kyelse, go kill time somewhere.”
“turn down!”
For some reason, Kyelse wouldn’t give in, and Istaria also looked displeased.
Thinking that a fight would break out if things continued like this, Mitina hurriedly stepped between the two of them.
“Now now, please calm down. It’s fine, Kyelse-dono is probably just listening too.”
「That’s right, I’m just listening. I’m not even remotely interested in your conversation. I’m not!」
Mitina said this with the sole desire to avoid any rift between Istaria and Kyelse.
Besides, if it was a talk of love, it might even be an opportunity for the two of them to get closer. So, he should drag Kyelse to this seat no matter what.
“If Mitina says so… I guess there’s no other way.”
Istaria seemed to have somehow come to terms with it, and the three of them stepped into a fancy looking cafe.
Mitina, the only one who is not used to this kind of situation, sat awkwardly. Then, while I was looking at the high-quality coffee that she rarely sips, Istaria immediately began speaking.
“I wonder if there’s anyone that Mitina is interested in right now?”
Being asked a straightforward question right from the start, Mitina lowered her eyebrows. She also noticed that Kyelse, who was sitting next to her, was fidgety, and found herself wanting to know what his intentions were.
(What, don’t say something unnecessary…? No, could it be that she wants to know who Istaria-sama has in mind, so she wants me to skillfully change the subject…?)
I don’t really understand, but Mitina has nothing to do with romance, she doesn’t even have anyone she likes, let alone anyone she’s interested in. That’s what she made very clear.
“No.”
“…”
“Who’s the cool guy next to Mitina at the evening party the other day?”
“!”
“Commander Zeffen? That person is… well, well… I respect him, but in terms of love…”
Vite had said something similar to this a few times, insensitively. Perhaps it was because of their close relationship as the captain and assistant captain that the two of them were in love.
Of course, Mitina agreed that Zeffen was a good person. But when asked if she felt affection for him in the sense of love, she found herself tilting her head a little.
“How can I put it? He’s the kind of person I want to keep watching and chasing after.”
“I see, so that’s something you admire.”
“…………”
Hearing Mitina’s answer, Kyelse sighed in relief. Then she snorted in high spirits, and said while looking down at Mitina.
“If a woman with little charm like you keeps a passive attitude, she’ll end up getting left behind. The only person who can act like that is me, who is beautiful, elegant, and talented, who is constantly chased by women, and who is the one who chooses them.”
“Hmm… is that so…”
“Be more proactive. There’s no way I’d ever fall in love with a girl.”
(Thinking like this is why I’m still a virgin…)
As Kyelse was still talking like usual, I noticed that Istaria, who was sitting in front of me, also had a sulky look on her face. Even Istaria was probably annoyed by what I had just said.
“See, that’s why I told you not to come, Kyelse. Besides, Mitina isn’t lacking in charm. … Somehow, I feel like her fur is shinier than it was last time.”
Mitina smirked, hearing that expression somewhere before. This was probably Istaria’s true nature.
“Now that I think about it, Lady Istaria doesn’t like knights who put on an impressive front…”
“It’s fine, Mitina doesn’t come across as pretentious. Besides, when I say she’s good-looking, I don’t mean that in a superficial sense.”
The reason she didn’t seem pretentious was probably because Kyelse had done most of the changes to Mitina’s appearance. Mitina was still as lazy as ever when it came to her appearance, so it wasn’t going to be that easy for her to change.
“Kyelse, since Lady Istaria has kindly given you permission to accompany me, please be a bit more serious.”
“I’m not saying anything weird. Rather than that, if you’re going to start a conversation with me, then you should do it yourself.”
“Yeah… what else do you want me to say?”
Mitina, who has absolutely no knowledge about romance, looks troubled. However, Istaria also joins in on Kyelse’s words and gleefully begins asking questions.
“So, what type do you like?”
“What type do you like…?”
“Like, they’re taller, richer, or stronger than me!”
“You mean the conditions you want in a marriage partner, huh…?”
She folded her arms in thought for a moment, realizing that she had never thought about such a thing before. In the first place, she had no plans to get married, and planned to live alone for the rest of her life, so there was no need for her to think about it.
“Well, I guess it’s better to have someone who is strong. He doesn’t need to be stronger than me, but I’d like someone who can keep up with my training… I’d like someone who can move their body together with me.”
“Yeah yeah, so that’s it?”
“Money… it’s good. But as long as they don’t complain about how I spend my money, I don’t have any particular standards. But of course, it would be a problem if I had to support them.”
Whenever Kyelse heard the conditions Mitina mentioned, she would give her a meaningful look and smile in a good mood. Mitina, who was somehow annoyed by that expression, let out a small sigh.
“Well, if we don’t get along in terms of personality, then there’s no point in talking. For example, I don’t want to deal with someone who is arrogant, narcissistic, and always looks down on others.”
“Wh, what did you say?! I, too, don’t want a poor, ugly, mean-spirited woman like you who only spews poisonous things!”
Kyelse was clearly upset and glared at Mitina angrily. Of course, she was used to such reactions and simply glared back at him without flinching.
Istaria chuckled at the two of them, then reached out and took Mitina’s hand, smiling happily.
“I think we could be good friends.”
“Um, yeah… I’m honored.”
It seemed that Istaria had been put on a good mood, and Mitina felt relieved. However, Kyelse was completely upset, and remained completely silent throughout the rest of the conversation.
A little while later, after enjoying a fun love story with Mitina, Istaria returned home as promised. Mitina thought that there was still plenty of time and that it would be okay to go shopping now.
“I’m going home now.”
“Oh, are you okay with shopping?”
“Good. That dampened my enthusiasm.”
“How selfish…”
Even though the other person had taken a day off, Kyelse was acting all out of whim and messing around with them, which left her with her head hanging as always.
However, the reason Kyelse got upset was probably because she had the bad luck of meeting Istaria and wasting time talking to her. Thinking about it, she thought that maybe she had a problem with not ending the conversation sooner.
“Sorry, I should have tried to end the conversation sooner.”
“Wh-what’s this all of a sudden?”
“Nothing. I just thought it would be best to apologize, so I did.”
If I told her honestly, Kyelse would make a difficult face and go quiet. However, she looked away from Mitina for a moment, lowered her head, and spoke in a weak voice.
“Just when I thought you were being cold to me, you became kind to me… what is with you?”
“What is it?”
“Fine. Let’s go.”
“I’m going in the opposite direction to the mansion though.”
“It’s fine, just follow me.”
Saying that, Kyelse grabbed Mitina’s wrist. Istaria had done the same thing, and while she was feeling warm and fuzzy at the resemblance of her childhood friend’s words and actions, she was taken into an expensive-looking clothing store.
“Oh, aren’t you going to buy a bed?”
“What? Why do you need to buy a bed?”
“picture?”
Since he was currently sharing Kyelse’s bed, he would need a new one. Without any time to make such a remark, he began looking around for women’s clothes.
“Oh, perhaps it’s a gift for Lady Istaria?”
“…your clothes.”
“My? No, I don’t understand.”
“Okay, just wear this.”
Kyelse quickly and accurately chose a dress, and then handed it over to Mitina by a friendly store clerk. Mitina was forced to change into her clothes in a partitioned fitting room without knowing why, and was stunned when she was brought to a full-length mirror.
“It suits you very well.”
“Hmmm…”
The dress, which was not too flashy but was decorated with elegant frills and lace, did not look awkward even when worn by Mitina now. It must be because her hair, skin, and even nails are now so well-groomed. And even though it was just a change in clothes, it seemed like her impression had changed greatly.
“It would be better if you had some makeup on, but… well, it’s not bad.”
When I looked towards Kyelse, he was smiling with some satisfaction. His gentle expression made my heart skip a beat, strangely.
Noticing Mitina’s gaze, he frowned in a panic and looked down at her in his usual tone. However, his voice sounded almost cheerful.
“Finally, you’ve just about reached my level. You can thank my perfect judgment for finding an outfit that suits you, even though you’re ugly.”
“Ugh, ugly…”
The store clerk nearby muttered with a strained smile. Mitina, who had heard it, bowed her head slightly and apologized.
But in truth, Kyelse’s judgment was frighteningly good. Even Mitina, who had no interest in flashy outfits, thought it might be quite good.
So she is.
“Thank you very much. It certainly is cute.”
“…!!”
Mitina smiled softly, and Kyelse’s face went red and she stiffened. Then, perplexed, her eyes wandered around until her eyes landed on some clothes displayed on another shelf.
“Okay… I’ll still buy some clothes. I’ll also buy some accessories.”
“Huh…? No, I don’t have a chance to wear it, so it’s fine.”
“You can wear it when you’re at the mansion. No, only wear it when you’re at the mansion.”
”You should dress like this when you go out.” Such words didn’t reach Kyelse, and she pulled out some new clothes again, matching them with Mitina.
“If you’re in my line of sight, that’s reason enough to dress up.”
(As tyrannical as ever…)
However, even though she was behaving selfishly, Kyelse had a small smile on her face and whispered to Mitina.
“…I’ll get mad if you wear it anywhere else. You should only dress up for me.”
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