I
muttered to myself on the way back from the stadium, when I was left alone with
Ui-chan after leaving the others.
We
were on the rural road from the station to our house.
On our
way, as it still summer after the Obon festival and the time was evening, many
dragonflies were flying around.
I
think it was because the scenery made me feel sentimental...
「Ah,
it's over」
Ui-chan
replied, and we were silent again.
Today,
we finally retired from our club activities.
When
it's over, I don't know if it was long, short, fun, or painful.
In the
last competition, the number of the members had decreased drastically, and the
results were not so great.
Takasago
won the high jump, and Ui-chan won the third place in the 3,000m. These are the
only two results we can be proud of.
As for
me, well, I guess I don't need to say anything.
One
more person, Shiratori, who was sure to win the prize, gave up early because she
was sick. I think she just became uninterested.
（I
really don't understand my niece, but that girl always...）
Besides,
when I called out to her that I was leaving, she said she had something to do.
（...where
did she go with her bad health?）
The
next captain of the club is Amemiya, and the vice captain is Ninagawa.
The
only other second-year students are Shiratori and Takasago, so it's a process
of elimination.
Amemiya
was very reluctant to accept the position, but there is no one else, so it
can't be helped.
Anyway,
this is the end of our club activities.
What
awaits us is the entrance exam.
「Oh
no... studying for exams from here. It's so hard... I haven't decided where to
go yet... Ui-chan is going to a national law university, right?」
「No, I
changed to the same university as Confinement King」
「Huhhhhh!?」
This
made me blink.
「No
surprise there. He wanted to go to a prefectural literature university. Of
course, it's not within commuting distance from home, so he'll be living on his
own. Then, as his wife, I'll have to take care of him!」
「No,
no, no! What do you mean, you're lowering the rank of the college you want to
go to?」
「After
all, First Favored Princess is going to a women's college because of her
parents' policy. Third Favored Princess is going to Tokyo to pursue her career
after graduation. Which means, unfortunately, I'm the only one left!」
（She
says sadly, but her mouth is so slack! She's so excited to live with him!）
I was
a bit taken aback by this.
On the
other hand, I think it is typical of Ui-chan. Once she made up her mind, she
goes straight for it.
To
tell the truth, if she wants to see Kijima, all she has to do is enter that
room, no matter where she goes to school or get a job, so there is no need to
choose the same university.
But...
（I
wonder if I can manage to get into the literature department of a prefectural
university if I work hard from now... Aside from Kijima, I'm worried about
Ui-chan. Of course, aside from Kijima...）
As a
result, our college of choice was decided on the spur of the moment.
↓ Continue to Read ↓
↓ Continue to Read ↓
◇ ◇ ◇
「Terashima,
I'm going to leave」
The
chair creaked and Inomoto-senpai stood up with his jacket under his arm.
「Where
to?」
「Oh,
to deal with that harassment. It seems somone threw in a dead cat last night...」
There
was a request for more patrols at night. But it doesn't seem like a case the
detective would go out on.
Perhaps
when I was thinking about it and my face showed it, Inomoto-senpai scratched
his head and opened his mouth.
「The
wife was frightened out of her wits when I interviewed her. Maybe a word to her
while patrolling will make her feel a little more secure. I'll leave the late
nights to the patrolmen」
「If
you're nice to other women, your fiancé-san will be jealous」
「She’s
not the kind of person who would be jealous of that, that's why we got engaged」
I
sniffle as I look back at him when he walks away with a wry smile on his face.
（Phew...
what a nosy gorilla）
Reaching
out to a poor woman may seem like a noble thing to do, but if one doesn't have the
strength to protect her, it's nothing more than self-satisfaction.
（In
this sense, Master is the true man）
When I
think of my Master, my heart beats faster. As if to deceive myself, I looked
down at the report in my hand.
A cat
carcass had been thrown into the garden, and a suspicious woman was seen
fleeing.
Last night was the fifth. I'm
not sure how she manages to catch so many cats...
（I
wonder if I should report to Master just in case...）
Thinking
about this, I trace the victim's occupation with the tip of my pen.
Teacher.
Moreover,
he's a teacher at my Master's school.
◇ ◇ ◇
「What
do you think? I think it was the angel who saved me...」
「Yes,
that's right. It was an angel」
An
uninterested reply. The red color dances around Shiratori. That was a lie.
Apparently, she doesn't believe in them at all.
Well,
it's not so easy for ordinary people to believe in angels, is it?
Currently,
we are in a park with streetlights. We had left the stadium and were sitting on
a bench by the pond.
In the
distance, a lingering sun scorches the sky with a reddish-black color that is
being swallowed by the dark night sky.
「Leaving
aside who rescued you, if it was Fujiwara-senpai who kidnapped you, it's not
good. We have to assume that they know where you live, and we don't know when
they will attack you」
Shiratori
said calmly. Then my sister interrupted her.
「Don't
worry. I'll take care of the devil tonight」
「Take
care of what?」
「It's
obvious. I'll go and beat it」
Shiratori
looked at me like, "What is this brainiac talking about?" and I
chuckled.
「I
know it sounds absurd, but it makes sense. Attack is the best defense. We know
exactly where the enemy is」
「You
mean going to the Fujiwara residence?」
「Yes」
My sister nodded loudly, and I caught her slurring her words.
「It
doesn't mean going in head-on. Even though Onee-chan looks like this, she's
good at sneaking. I mean sneaking in and getting rid of Mai Fujiwara while
she's sleeping」
Then
Shiratori put her finger on her chin and made a thoughtful gesture.
Probably,
she was worried about the change from the original arrangement of the TV
special.
↓ Continue to Read ↓
↓ Continue to Read ↓
「Since
it's Fumio who's going to be hanged in the show, it's okay if we take care of
the devil first, right?」
「Yeah,
well, I guess so. I've asked the TV station to bring in a show about the
kidnapper and how they exposed the lie. I went through an entertainment agency
that I have contacts with」
「You
just told them? I thought there was a contract?」
My sister looks exasperated, and Shiratori accepts it with an ugly face.
「It's
almost a done deal. The producer is in a flutter. I've given him the video of
you chasing down the scammer, and he wants to start the discussion right away」
I saw
a blue light. There's no lie in Shiratori's words now.
Shiratori
is good.
「Ahaha,
I guess the day when we become a big name is just around the corner. Shiratori,
when that happens, will you officially become our manager?」
Then
she said, choosing her words carefully.
「Sorry,
but there's a boy I'm interested in. I'd like to focus on him, so I'll have to
decline」
Surprisingly,
blue, she wasn't lying.
It was
quite unexpected that she was interested in romantic affairs.
◇ ◇ ◇
「Mai-sama,
your meal is ready」
「Yes
yes, I'll be right there」
I
heard Maid's voice outside the door, and Annabelle, the devil doll, replied in
a very stupid way.
When I
glared at her as I heard the Maid's footsteps moving away, Annabelle cowered
exaggeratedly.
「Don't
be angry, it's not my fault」
Ulrich
had not returned to the appointed place.
The
useless puppet had simply confirmed that one of the foreign women whom she had kidnapped had returned to the
stadium, and had simply left the scene.
「In
the first place, I'm not good at fighting, and there were signs of other devils
at that place」
That's
unacceptable.
「You
mean Liliamos was there?」
「Well,
I don't know. It was a very small presence. It's hard to identify it. But I
felt it near the foreign woman, so maybe it was there」
If
that's the case, then it's safe to assume that foreign woman who was almost kidnapped by Annabelle has told
Liliamos about it.
While
thinking so, I pat my swollen belly.
Even
if I lose Ulrich, if I can buy a little more time, our strength will be fine.
The
baby will be born soon. Ophirus has recovered and should be here soon.
（Only
a few more days... I'd better lay low）
