Volume 12 Chapter 54 Natalia Rosenesta, The Oath Of The White Lily
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Natalia, I entrust you with the leadership this time.”
Today is the day Aqua-sama embarks on a journey to Stars.
I was asked by Kanon, my relative and also his legal wife, to accompany him on this trip.
In other words, I have been entrusted with the role of protecting Aqua-sama from the carnivorous beasts lurking in our homeland and filming locations.
The Duke Rosenesta family has always been a lineage of female knights, fighting on the front lines.
”Natalia, if there ever comes a time when I become a queen, I want you to be my chief knight.”
That was the promise made with Kanon in our childhood. Memories of imitating a queen and a knight in that blooming lily field come flooding back.
Although we can no longer fulfill that promise from back then, let us now fulfill our own oath as two lilies.
Kanon… I will definitely protect the person who is dear to you.
”As the next head of the Duke Rosenesta family, under the name of Natalia Rosenesta, I shall fulfill this duty splendidly, even at the cost of my life.”
Kanon looked slightly surprised at my words.
Well, it seems that she also remember the oath we made back then.
However, back then it was just a child’s play, but now it’s different.
I will also fulfill this task with my family’s name at stake.
So please, think about the children here first and take your time.
”Thank you. Natalia Rosenesta. As the wife of Shirogane Aqua, I express my gratitude as just Shirogane Kanon.”
Her elegant and splendid demeanor, and the overflowing grace, made me believe that no one is more suited to be the queen of the Stars than her.
Nevertheless, as her relative, I am happy that she could become just Kanon.
The warmth overflowing from Kanon is surely something that she gained by coming to this country.
Kirika Kotono, Morikawa Kaede, and Yukishiro Emily… Sometimes, I feel envious of the fact that they became Kanon’s friends.
Since we understood each other’s positions from a young age, we couldn’t form such a relationship, could we?
”Hehe, let’s stop being so serious. Natalia, please don’t do anything reckless.”
Kanon and I broke our serious expressions and embraced each other with smiles.
”I understand. But I will definitely protect your loved ones.”
When Kanon returned to Stars, I was issued a travel ban and placed under probation by the Rosenesta family, so I couldn’t take any action. But that’s just an excuse.
Despite the difficult situation, those three boys and Aqua-sama traveled to Stars and rescued Kanon.
I see now, no matter how hard I tried, I could never become Kanon’s knight or friend.
Aqua-sama at that time looked like a prince, and he was the very embodiment of the knight I idealize.
”Thank you, Natalia. Well then, let me introduce the members who will accompany you.”
”Yes.”
After Kanon came in and said, “Thank you for coming in,” three familiar women came in.
”I think you already know them, but they are our maids, Kazami Rin-chan and Sabato Mikoto-chan, and Kagari Rinon-san, Aqua’s SP.”
”””Nice to meet you!”””
I had heard beforehand that the three were members of the Holy Aqua Religion and were also Twelve Bishops, but I guess they really were working as maids and SPs for the Shirogane family.
Since I had been invited to the Shirogane family’s residence a few times, I responded to their greetings with a sense of familiarity.
I knew that Pegonia-san would stay for Kanon’s sake, and I had heard from the church that an observer would be chosen, but I didn’t know which of the three, including Ruuna-senpai, would be selected.
However, the result is that all the twelve bishops, except for Ruuna-senpai, were chosen. So far, everything is going smoothly, or should I say, as planned. Truly, the Holy Aqua Religion lives up to its name.
”So, there’s one more person…”
”Sorry! I’m late!!”
When Kanon and I turned towards the loud voice, there stood a drenched Yukishiro Emily-san.
Huh? Why are you so wet? It’s not raining, right? And on top of that, you’re covered in mud. What happened?
”While I was taking Shiro for a final walk before leaving, I saw a child drowning in the river on the embankment. So I jumped in and ended up like this.”
”Oh, yeah. That was a really good thing you did. But don’t be too reckless, okay?”
Wow, what an energetic action.
We’re already halfway through March, and the river water is still cold. It’s not easy to jump in just because someone was drowning.
After Pegonia-san made Emily-san take off her clothes, Kanon wiped her face with the handkerchief she was holding.
”By the way, is the child okay?”
”Hmph… Did you forget, Kanon? No, Kanon, the Frog Princess, one of Mary’s Four Great Swimmers, along with Morikawa, the Gorilla Crawl, and Emily-sama, the Mermaid Butterfly, you’d better not underestimate them!”
”Oh, right. I think I remember being told something like that. And stop calling me the Frog Princess just because I’m good at breaststroke, okay!?”
Wow, were they really calling me by such a strange name!? And what is this “Gorilla Crawl” thing?
It seems like there are swimming styles in this country that I don’t know about.
And who could be the last person? Wait, if I search on the internet, will they just come up normally?
Oh, it’s true… it says “Habu” for the underwater torpedo.
”Ah-choo! So cold!”
Emily-san’s body starts trembling uncontrollably, as if she caught a cold.
”Come on, hurry up and take a bath before you catch a cold. There’s still time.”
”S-Sorry…”
”Here you go.”
It felt like a storm just passed.
It’s different from Aqua-sama, but Emily-san is just as noisy, or should I say…
Well, she’s the type of person who can jump in like that, unlike me, so maybe that’s why she was able to go help Kanon. That’s how it feels, at least.
”So, that’s why she’s the last fifth person.”
”I see…”
If all five of them were followers of the Holy Aqua Religion, it would have been easier, but that can’t be helped.
As a devout follower of the Holy Aqua Religion, it’s my duty to protect Emily-san, the ordinary person, after Aqua-sama in case something happens.
After suggesting this to the three remaining bishops who stayed behind after Kanon went to the bath where Emily-san was, they reacted with a subtle expression, like, “Ah, yeah,” for some reason. I wonder why?
”Well then, let’s all head to the airport.”
It seems that Aqua-sama is making an appearance at Beryl’s headquarters and plans to head to the airport later. So, the eight of us moved to the airport first in Pegonia-san’s van.
”Sorry. The road was more congested than I thought, so I’m a little late.”
”It’s okay, we just arrived ourselves.”
After a while, Aqua-sama arrived with President Atori, Manager Kirika, and another woman.
When Aqua-sama looked at me, she seemed a little surprised.
”Oh? Natalia-san? What are you doing here?”
Before I could explain, Kanon stepped forward.
”Natalia is my relative, and she’s well-connected at Stars and proficient in languages, so she’s accompanying you, including for the homecoming.”
”Wow, really?”
Kanon, known as the wisdom of Stars, came up with a clever excuse.
There’s no way we could tell the pure and innocent Aqua-sama that it’s a s*x treatment team for emergencies.
Although Kanon has been given a dishonorable name in some circles, she’s a capable person if she sets her mind to it! Yet, because of that disrespectful Hagetoru, really, she would guillotine for her blasphemy.
“Thank you, Natalia-san.”
“No, Aqua-kun, because you’re only listened to the former president Natsuki’s wishes, but also to my selfishness. This is just natural. Rather, please feel free to rely on me, your senpai.”
“It’s not selfish at all. I should be the one thanking you for that time.”
Indeed, Aqua-sama is different from other men.
Although many men are starting to change now, it’s also because of Aqua-sama.
Because Aqua-sama has paved the way, this country is becoming better even from the perspective of someone like me from another country.
So, Aqua-sama, please keep looking ahead in the future. Before that, we, the Holy Aqua Religion, will kick away all the Rolling Disabilities.
”By the way, Emily-san, are you going too? Huh, why…?”
”Um, well…”
Emily approached Kanon with uncertainty in her steps.
”Hey, Kanon, you got any good excuses like this for me too?”
”Nope. And even if I did, with Emily-senpai, something weirdly miraculous might happen, so you’d better come up with something clever yourself.”
”Geez, this guy’s really abandoning me!”
What are they talking about?
Unfortunately, I can’t hear from where I am.
”Um, well, you know, like, oh yeah! Um, I thought I’d like to study acting or something, you know, haha…”
”Oh, I see! If that’s the case, let’s learn a lot together!! Oh… but, what about Beryl’s work?”
”Um, yeah, about that…”
Emily kept glancing at Manager Kirika.
Manager Kirika let out a small sigh and took out a schedule book from her pocket.
”She doesn’t have any plans, so it’s okay. I heard that this was going to happen in the first place…”
”Uh, yes! That’s right!!”
Emily-san, you’re sweating profusely, are you okay?
Maybe she caught a cold from jumping into the river. This is a little worrying.
”Oh, by the way, I left Shiro with someone more responsible than me, so it’s okay.”
”Emily-san, thank you as always.”
Shiro is the cat that Aqua-sama rescued.
I’m sure Emily-san was taking care of her at home, but who did she leave it with?
For a moment, I thought it was her friend Announcer Morikawa, but if the word “responsible” is true, then it’s definitely not her. Similarly, the possibility of Kohina Yukari-san has also completely disappeared. If it’s these two, the cat will definitely feel bad. Then, the most likely place is Kokucho Agewa-san. Yes, that seems likely.
”Hey, Rin-chan, Mikoto-chan, and Rinon-san are going with you, so take care, okay?”
”Yeah, got it. But are three of them okay?”
”Yeah, it’s fine. Lisa-chan and the others are coming to stay over while Aqua is away. Plus, there’s Ruuna-senpai and Miyamochi-sensei, so Aqua can go without worries.”
”Got it, I understand.”
Aqua-sama tightly embraces Kanon.
Aaaaaaa! It’s the best to see such a sweet couple from this premium seat!!
Hey, there’s only a wall here, so it’s okay to kiss and stuff, right?
”Oh, I’ll introduce someone too.”
A strong-eyed, slender, beautiful woman who was standing behind Aqua-sama slowly steps forward.
I’m pretty sure she was at the pre-audition for the duet audition…
”Kanon and Emily-san, you might know her, but this is Arisugawa Abigail-san, who is our HR manager. This time, Kotono, Ako-san, and Shitori-onee-chan couldn’t come with me, so she will be accompanying me as my manager and contact person. So I would be grateful if everyone could get along with her.”
”Nice to meet you, everyone… Although, Natalia Rosenesta-san, it’s been a while since the duet audition. Long time no see.”
”I appreciate your help back then. From today onwards, I look forward to working with you.”
Abigail-san, who shook hands with me, smiled.
”I’m relieved to hear that the Rosenesta family will be joining us on this trip. I was considering having Hermie-dono accompany us, but she is currently busy… So when I heard that Rosenesta-san will be assisting, it was really helpful.”
”Oh, no, it’s nothing…”
When praised by a woman who seems really competent at her job, I can’t help but feel a bit embarrassed, you know?
”Hehe, oh, and please feel free to call me Abby.”
”Understood. Then please feel free to call me Natalia as well.”
Abby-san exchanges polite greetings with Rinon-san and the others.
I heard from Kanon that Beryl wasn’t sure who would be appointed as the temporary manager, but I feel like things will go smoothly with Abby-san.
”Well then, Aqua-kun, do your best!”
”Yes, Ako-san. I’m off!!”
”Everyone, please take care of Aqua-kun.”
””””””Yes!!”””””””
The seven of us left the waiting room prepared for us at the airport and headed towards the charter plane owned by President Fuji Ranko.
And there, a familiar face was waiting at the entrance.
”C-Claire-san?”
”Claire?”
”Eep!?”
Aqua-sama and Emily-san’s voices overlap with mine.
Why is she here… and behind Claire stands the Archbishop of the Stars Orthodox Church, Sister Kythera.
”Actually, the two of us also had some business with Stars, so we ended up getting a ride together.”
”Oh, I see. By the way, isn’t Claire-san a distant relative of Fuji Ranko, the chairman? You mentioned it before.”
”Yes, a very, very incredibly distant relative.”
Wow, I had no idea. It’s the first time I’ve heard that Claire is a distant relative of the chairman, Fuji Ranko.
But that’s not the issue here. I shift my gaze from Claire to Sister Kythera, who was standing next to me.
She was also a guardian for Kanon, but in terms of position, she is the Archbishop of the Stars Orthodox Church.
It’s clearly suspicious for her to return to the Stars at the same time Aqua-sama is going there, and it seems like she’s plotting something. As a knight of Aqua-sama, I need to be on guard until I determine whether Sister Kythera is an ally or an enemy.
I still don’t fully trust the Stars royal family, who tried to do terrible things to Kanon.
”Okay, let’s go inside here.”
”Yeah, that’s right.”
I turned my gaze back to Claire, and I stare at the attache case in her hand.
Hmm, I feel like I’ve seen that attache case somewhere before. It had something round inside… No, I can’t remember. I’m sure I’ve seen it somewhere, but I just can’t recall.
”Is everything okay, Natalia-san?”
Aqua-sama, who was sitting next to me, looked at me and asked.
Oh, how kind he is!
”No, no, I was just thinking about how it’s been a while since I returned to Stars, so I was lost in thought for a moment.”
”I see, that sounds exciting!”
”Oh, yes.”
After smiling and deflecting, I checked around as the leader.
Emily-san, are you feeling worse than earlier? Perhaps you caught a cold from jumping into the river?
As I approached, Claire, who was sitting next to me, assured me that Emily-san was fine.
Oh, are the two of them acquainted? If that’s the case, I can trust Claire to take care of it; she’s reliable.
”We will now provide information to all passengers. This aircraft will soon depart from the airport. We kindly ask you to please check your seatbelt once again. Also, please return the seat back, table, and footrest to their original positions. I repeat…”
It will take about half a day to arrive at Stars from here.
During that time, there should be no particular trouble, so let’s make sure to rest well.
I put on an eye mask and fell asleep.
Several hours later, we arrived at our destination and gathered at the entrance to disembark from the charter plane.
”Well then, we will go out first, so Aqua-kun, please accompany Natalia-san and Emily-san and get off. Is that okay?”
”Understood.”
Phew, I checked my reflection in the hand mirror once again.
Today, I am wearing a light and simple knee-length white coat with a black knit top and skirt, 110 denier black tights, and short boots. I chose a monochrome and simple outfit to make the insect repellent item attached to my chest stand out.
”So, shall we both go?”
””Yes!””
I stepped onto the connected ramp with Aqua-sama and Emily-san.
Many cameras waiting outside turned towards us all at once.
”Here they come!”
”Aqua-sama, please look this way!!”
”Hey, isn’t that the young lady from the Rosenesta family over there?”
”Oh, is that Yukishiro Mikuni-sama!?”
”Idiot, that’s her relative, Yukishiro Emily-san!”
Facing the media, I showcased a brooch adorned with aquamarine, the same color as Kanon’s eyes, prominently displayed on my chest. On the other side, Emily-san was shining with a Botan chrysanthemum brooch, a symbol of the Sumeragi family.
This is to appeal to Aqua-sama, since Kanon is there and the Sumeragi family is behind him, so don’t do anything weird.
”Can I ask for a quick word?”
”Is it true that there’s a movie shoot going on!?”
”Just a little bit, please.”
”Please look this way!”
Abby-san approaches as we descend to the bottom of the staircase.
”We’ll be having interviews with about three companies starting from now. Can I count on your cooperation as I make my choices?”
”Understood.”
”Natalia-san and Emily-san, please stand next to Aqua-kun and smile. It should be enough to send a message.”
””Yes.””
We follow Abby’s guidance and approach the area where the media is present.
I see, so that’s the case. It seems they have some kind of arrangement with the company they’re going to be interviewed by from the start.
’This is SBC. There have been rumors that this trip is for a movie shoot. Is that true? If it’s alright, I’d like to ask about the purpose of the trip.’
Aqua-sama confirms with Abby-san if they understood the content of the question correctly.
I was surprised. Is it possible that he has been studying Star’s words?
’Well… I’m going to be on the runway for Corolle, where my friend John is the designer. Other than that, I can’t answer anything yet. Sorry.’
Wow! Not only did he listen, but he also responded to the interview using Starz’s own words.
Maybe he studied because there was a photoshoot?
At first, he stumbled a bit, but the second half was really smooth.
’I could answer other questions… for example, how did I spend my time on the plane?’
’How was the flight?’
’I was watching a movie, Stars Wars.’
What a service it was!
Even the media who asked the questions had smiles on their faces.
Admirable sounds leaked from other media people around.
’If you were in Star Wars, would you still be a knight (Jedi)?’
’Yeah. Everyone wants to be a Knight, right?’
Aqua-sama, making a gesture of swirling a sword, received cheers from the surrounding crowd.
’Excuse me.’
When Abby-san stepped forward a while ago, she halted the questions from SBC and said, “Let’s move on.”
It seems that it’s not possible to continue further. Understood.
’I am from Mundó España. How long do you plan to stay here? Will you be visiting our Iberian Peninsula region? Would you mind letting me know?’
Hmm! This is a bit of a peculiar word, commonly known as a dialect. Even for me, it was a little difficult to understand.
Aqua-sama seemed troubled as well, so I thought I should lend a hand.
Just as I was thinking that, Emily-san, who was beside him, leaned in closer to Aqua-sama’s ear.
’Maybe, they’re asking about how long you’ll stay and if you’ll come to the Iberian Peninsula.’
’Thank you, Emily-san.’
Phew… As expected, there’s a reason why she is known as one of the two great geniuses from Mary alongside Kanon.
By the way, Emily-san is also quite high-spec, isn’t she?
’I plan to stay longer than last time. However, I’m not sure how long I’ll be with the Stars. Actually, I plan to go to other places too. Oh, and I’m planning to visit the Iberian Peninsula, so if you see me there, say hello. Vamos!’
Wow! Even the media people who asked the questions were surprised and stunned by his final words.
It’s so mischievous and typical of Aqua-sama to stick his tongue out and wink.
’Thank you very much! If you have the chance to stop by, please try our local traditional dishes.’
’Of course! I’ve always wanted to try authentic paella and tortilla. I also want to make them for Kanon and the others when I go back.’
’That’s a wonderful idea! Thank you for your valuable time.’
’No, thank you! Gracias!’
Alright, with this, the people from that region will be impressed.
There are many fans, so even if he can speak the local language in a simple way, everyone will be thrilled.
Plus, women from that area are really attracted to fun-loving guys like Aqua-sama.
’Paris Haute Couture desu. So, what’s today’s fashion theme, ne?”
’Japanese Passion!’
Aqua-sama said that and showed his bag to the camera.
It definitely looks like a triangular Onigiri wrapped in seaweed, but if you look closely, the name of a famous brand is written in small letters.
’How cute. What’s that about?’
’Well, it was a Valentine’s gift from a fan. Isn’t it nice?’
Oh, I see.
Aqua-sama, with a carefree expression, said in an interview that he should buy the same bag as a present for Kohina-senpai, who seems to like it. But if it’s from that brand, it will definitely cost close to 200,000 yen.
’By the way, it has been rumored that instead of extending the contract with Corolle Homme, you will sign a comprehensive contract with the company that manages Corolle. There were even rumors that just the contract for the perfume Shirogane Aqua-san released before exceeded 9 billion yen. Could you please tell us the actual situation?’
They’ve been talking about some technical terms, so this time I’ll translate the technical part to Aqua-san’s ear.
Aqua-sama briefly looked towards Abby-san and nodded slightly.
’You guys already know, but I’m under contract with Corolle Homme, and I’m the exclusive model for Corolle until March 31st of this year. So, I have a confidentiality obligation regarding the contract and can’t answer. I’m sorry. We plan to announce it in Beryl’s press release, so I’d be happy if you could wait until then.’
Aqua-sama responded with a troubled expression and then relaxed, showing a smile.
’However, our friendship with John will continue, and we plan to work together as partners with the same passion, not just in business. That’s all I can say from my side.’
’As a fan of Mr. John and Shirogane Aqua-san, I feel very relieved to hear that. I appreciate your sincere answers to difficult questions. Arigato Gozaimashita.’
’Thank you, too, Merci!’
Aqua-sama shakes hands with the media personnel and then moves away from the scene.
Abby-san whispers in a small voice, “This is the end,” and guides Aqua-sama to the car parked on the runway.
”Abby-san, do we still have time?”
”We have some… but only 10 minutes.”
”OK!”
Aqua-sama stops in front of the car, looks back, and smiles at the gathered media personnel.
’Ah… Is there anyone else who has something to ask? We don’t have much time, but I’ll answer questions from only two companies, so please raise your hand. Oh, and if possible, it would be appreciated if each company could limit their questions to within 5 minutes.’
Many reporters raise their hands and state the name of their company or their own name.
I hope that we won’t encounter anyone who asks difficult or probing questions, as they have already been somewhat filtered when they entered here.
’Well then, the person wearing the red coat over there, please come this way.’
The reporter chosen by Aqua-sama hurriedly called the filming crew and rushed over.
It couldn’t be helped, considering it was an unexpected event.
’This is Daily Stars. This time, you’re traveling with Natalia Rosenesta-san and Yukishiro Emily-san. What is your relationship with the two of them?’
Daily Star… There are a lot of gossip articles here.
Aqua-sama shook his head from side to side and smiled kindly at me and Emily-san.
’Natalia-san is both my senpai at the same school and a relative of Kanon’s. Since Kanon couldn’t attend this time for an important reason, I asked Natalia-san to accompany me and teach me various things about Stars. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Natalia-senpai. Thank you, Natalia-senpai. And Yukishiro Emily-san is a senpai at Mary, where Kanon used to go, and also a distant relative of mine. She is also a fellow member of Beryl, and she came along this time to study acting.’
Aqua-sama gives a slightly embarrassed expression towards the camera.
’Well, as a senpai from the same company, I should be the one helping Emily-san, but earlier I ended up being helped by her. Ahh, I pretended to understand so I wouldn’t embarrass myself, but I’m glad I was saved. Thank you, Emily-san.’
Media personnel burst into laughter at Aqua-sama’s mischievous response.
Hehe, if he had kept quiet, it wouldn’t have been revealed, but that’s just Aqua-sama, turning it into a laugh.
’Thank you very much. Oh, if there’s anywhere you’d like to go before we finish, please let me know. It would make me happy.’
’If there’s a chance, I’d like to go see the legendary Tenga statue. Thank you very much again.’
Ah, that Poison Chalice…
Abby-san, who was next to me, checks her schedule on the tablet she’s holding.
Hehe, she’s making sure if there’s enough time to go. Beryl people are really kind after all.
’Well then, ma’am in the camel coat over there, please come this way.’
’Sure.’
The next chosen person approaches.
’It’s The Saint. Straight to the point… Do you have any plans to marry Yukishiro Emily-san!?’
Wow, here comes a really pushy person.
I hope everything’s okay.
’Emily-san? Uh, no, not at the moment.’
’I-Is that so? But do you have any plans to get closer to her on this occasion!?’
Hey, iyou’re already pressing Aqua-sama’s cheek with the microphone in your hand!
This is totally out of line. Geez, what kind of shameless media is this!?
Huh? It’s from the Stars’ home country? Spare me already!
’Well, yeah. So, on the contrary, here’s a question: How do you think I could get closer to Emily-san? Actually, I also want to try to go on a date with her if I get the chance, but Emily-san is quite guarded.’
”Huh? How so? Emily-san is as light and soft as it gets…?”
Huh? Claire-san, did you say something just now?
It’s probably best to stop shaking that attache case in your hand. I don’t know what’s inside, but if something falls out, who knows what might happen to it.
’Just push her down like normal… Ugh!?’
Oh, she was grabbed by the security guard and dragged away.
Well, I guess it couldn’t be helped.
’I would like to conclude the questioning at this point.’
It seems they’ve deemed it too dangerous to continue. Abby-san urged us to get into the car.
I got into the car prepared with Aqua-sama and Emily-san.
”Thank you, Natalia-san, Emily-san.”
”No, I didn’t do anything.”
”Yeah, yeah…”
Oh? Emily-san’s face looks pale again. Are you okay?
”We will now proceed to the hotel where we will be staying. There will likely be a lot of media around the hotel, so please be prepared for that.”
”””Yes!”””
Abby-san’s words tightened my relaxed feelings.
And so, our journey, which would last for almost three weeks, began.
* * *
Meanwhile…
”Huh!? Even though I took the trouble to come, why aren’t you here? So, when are you coming back? Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? What do you mean you won’t be here for almost three weeks!? Who will take care of me during that time? This is ridiculous!!”
There were rumors that a giant monster named Yukarigon was stomping around, breathing fire in frustration.
”I’m dead. Yep, I died.”
And there were rumors that a certain top idol, upon finding out that Yukishiro Emily was also not here, fell into despair because she had to take care of Atori Ako and Kohina Yukari, who had zero life skills. But these are just rumors.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.