TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 102
Another peaceful morning.
Yuria, who had just woken up, was in the midst of battling the Hangover Monster.
“Ugh…”
How much did I drink yesterday?
The raging Gut Trouble was tormenting Yuria’s stomach, and the throbbing headache briefly brought back fragments of yesterday’s memories.
-Let’s… be friends again.
“Aaaah!!! Crazy woman…!”
Yuria kicked the blanket like a Girl recalling an embarrassing memory from her Adolescence.
“Ahhh!”
Yuria looked at the clock.
[10:10]
Wanting to hide her flushed face, Yuria covered her burning face with the blanket and let out a deep sigh.
“Ahhh…”
The memories of yesterday were vivid.
She drank alcohol.
She talked with Ricardo.
And Ricardo got hurt.
Though she hated him, the feelings she had when she saw him injured weren’t pleasant. It’s natural to feel happy when someone you dislike faces misfortune, but strangely, her heart ached.
And she hated Ricardo for always getting hurt.
That’s why she must have blurted out the embarrassing words, “Let’s be friends again.” It was the only thing that came to her mind in that moment.
She couldn’t say anything harsh.
Apologizing for the past felt awkward given their strained relationship. Who would take kindly to an apology like, “I’m sorry for stabbing you while we were close”?
Ricardo would surely say it’s fine.
Yuria wanted to apologize.
She wanted to apologize to Ricardo for her mistakes in the Dungeon. So, she thought it was necessary to redefine their relationship once more.
To apologize, their relationship needed progress, and deep down, she wanted to get closer to Ricardo.
So, she didn’t regret it.
Though it was something said on impulse, she felt relieved that they could clarify each other’s positions.
And.
Ricardo’s hand, too.
On the way home.
Ricardo, carrying me on his back, kept saying to me. He said over and over, “It’s not Miss Yuria’s fault, really. Don’t worry about it,” until it felt like my ears would fall off.
I didn’t believe his words, but thanks to his constant reassurance, I felt like I could let go of some of the emotional burden.
Yuria, blinking her eyes while lying under the blanket, hugged the Handmade Doll with Red Yarn Hair tightly to calm her burning heart.
Her heart was pounding.
Realizing that hope had sprouted in a relationship she thought had ended, Yuria smiled softly.
About ten minutes passed like that.
Lying on the bed, Yuria pulled off the blanket and stared blankly at the clock.
“I feel like I’ve forgotten something important.”
Looking at the ticking Clock Hands gave her an oddly ominous feeling. Like she’d forgotten a very important Promise.
Yuria looked at the round clock on her Desk.
The clock, ticking away as usual, was silently doing its job as always.
10 o’clock…
“I feel like there was something important I had to do…”
Staring at the clock, it felt like a forgotten memory would resurface. Something related to Time…
“What is this…!”
She couldn’t remember.
Feeling uneasy, Yuria furrowed her brow and stared down the clock.
After about five minutes of pondering.
“Ah…”
As the forgotten memory surfaced, Yuria felt a chilling Shiver run through her Entire Body. It was as if Cold Sweat was breaking out all over her.
Yuria quickly got out of bed and looked at the clock again.
[10:25]
“You… idiot…!”
-We’ve arrived.
-…So, are you not going to answer me?
-Answer what?
-About being friends again. You didn’t answer me.
-Hmm…
The conversation with Ricardo on the way back to the Dormitory last night came to mind.
-That’s a bit…
-You don’t want to be friends with me?
-No, it’s not that. I just wonder if it’s really okay.
It wasn’t okay.
Though it was something I said in the heat of the moment, the lingering bitterness in my heart was something only Time could resolve.
So, I had made a rather unreasonable request of Ricardo yesterday.
-Then… we can start tomorrow.
-Start what?
-Our relationship. Start over from the beginning. Then slowly become friends again. If it doesn’t work, we can cut ties then.
-Pfft… That would be a disaster. I’m so charming, I might end up closer to you than Mikhail or Ruin.
-I know…
-What?
-Nothing… So, how about tomorrow?
-What?
-Tomorrow at 12 o’clock… I’m suspended, so I have some free Time.
-That sounds like a very improper reason to have free Time.
-Anyway… How about it?
Yuria roughly opened the Wardrobe.
There was nothing to wear.
To be precise, the Wardrobe was full of clothes, but none seemed suitable for today.
No matter what she picked, clothes chosen in a rush wouldn’t feel right.
She should’ve started thinking about what to wear at least two hours ago. Now, there was barely any Time left.
Even if she rushed, it would take 30 minutes to shower and dry her Hair. Another hour for makeup.
And it would take 30 minutes to get to the Meeting Location at the Fountain Square. There was no Time to leisurely pick out clothes.
Yuria grabbed her Hair in frustration, cursing her Past Self for procrastinating, and dashed into the bathroom.
“Haah…!”
The Worst.
Truly.
“Idiot…!”
***
[12:30]
The grand Clock Tower pointed to 12:30.
Standing alone In Front of the Fountain, I faced the Cold Breeze of winter, feeling lonely.
Just in case, I had arrived 30 minutes early at the Meeting Location, but Yuria still hadn’t shown up, causing me to let out a Deep Sigh.
“Did something happen?”
Yuria, who always kept her Promises punctually, being 30 minutes late put me in serious contemplation.
“Hmm…”
I wondered if she couldn’t wake up because of yesterday’s overdrinking or if she forgot the Promise due to alcohol-induced Dementia. Both seemed reasonable.
The Worst-case scenario was that Yuria had changed her mind and wouldn’t show up at the Meeting Location…
But since I hadn’t expected much, I decided not to resent Yuria for making that choice. With my hands in my Pocket, I blew warm breaths to match the rhythm of the Cold Breeze.
“It’s a bit chilly.”
As expected, stepping outside the Blanket is dangerous.
There were many people passing by the Fountain Square.
Since it was near the Academy and a bustling Marketplace, standing alone by the Fountain Square, surrounded by couples and Students, felt unnecessarily self-conscious.
The people who had been standing near me gradually left to meet their companions, but I had been standing here alone for an hour. I could even hear murmurs.
-Hey, look at that Man… He’s insane.
-Is he waiting for his girlfriend?
-Probably… With a face like that, it’d be strange if he didn’t have one.
-But, he’s been standing there for a while. Did he get dumped?
-Really? Should I try hitting on him?
-Are you crazy~
-Why not~ You never know. He might be a lifelong single who’s never had a girlfriend.
‘That oddly stings.’
The murmurs of the female Students passing by the Fountain Square brought a slight smirk to my lips. The comment about being a lifelong single was annoying, but since it was true, I couldn’t refute it.
And they did say I was handsome.
That’s enough to justify it.
‘Being handsome really is the best.’
For the first time in a while, I wasn’t wearing my Butler’s Attire but Casual Clothes. A Black Suit paired with a Black Coat. I had bought these trendy clothes on my way here and was now wearing them.
I had earned plenty of money.
And since I had made a Promise to meet Yuria, I thought it would be impolite to show up looking the same as usual.
I even secretly sprayed some of the Young Lady’s Perfume on myself, worrying whether the Scent of Perfume might be too strong. I brought my Sleeve to my nose to check.
‘Seems fine.’
Nodding slightly at the faint Lilac scent, I reassured myself.
‘When will she arrive?’
It was already 12:45.
The effort I had put into dressing up seemed on the verge of being wasted.
“Is she not coming…?”
I should’ve just followed the Young Lady.
The Young Lady had gone for a stroll With the Head of the Household and the Next Head of the Family. They planned to visit the Hospital and spend some money while they were at it. I had declined their invitation because of this prior engagement, but now I felt like I might’ve made a mistake.
Not because I wanted to follow them.
But because I was worried they might cause trouble.
I considered whether I should go now, concerned that the Desmond family might do something unusual, but since the Next Head of the Family was with them, I thought nothing major would happen.
Kyle, with his rational judgment and cold personality, would handle things on his own.
Time passed.
Ten minutes went by.
Fifteen minutes passed…
When thirty minutes had elapsed and the Clock Tower at the center of the Fountain Square pointed to 1 PM, I felt like I had been stood up.
Since it was a Promise made rather suddenly, Yuria might’ve forgotten, or perhaps she wasn’t emotionally ready and decided not to come.
‘Should I head to the Proprietress?’
Having nothing else to do, I considered working part-time as I turned to head home.
“Wait a moment!”
Huff, huff…!
The Promised Meeting Partner, breathing heavily, appeared across the Fountain Square, running toward me.
Pink Hair flowing down to her waist.
Wearing a White Turtleneck that clung to her body.
And a Pink Cardigan over it, Yuria, panting heavily, shouted toward me.
“I’m sorry…! I’m really late, aren’t I?”
I replied with a small smile.
“Not at all. I just got here too. Ah… More importantly, I’m freezing to death.”
“Huh?”
Yuria looked at me with startled eyes.
“You’re dressed far too lightly.”
I took off the Black Coat I was wearing and draped it over Yuria’s shoulders.
“You look beautiful. Truly.”
Yuria blushed and murmured softly.
“You’re so sly…”