Above Nine Holder. An airship crossed the blue sky.
Spring light had sohow mixed into the air that gently embraced the body. It had already been three days since the spaceti machine sent Cyrus back to his original world. The world was peaceful as if nothing had happened.
Esperanza lay sprawled on the sofa, looking up at the roof that had been repaired not long ago. Yesterday's newly published magazine was placed face-down on her chest.
"Co to think of it, there must have been an incredibly loud noise when that thing exploded. But not a single person has said anything about it."
The employees who weren't there at the ti aside, why weren't any of the precious neighbors around the house saying anything? Or had there been talk that only Esperanza didn't know about?
"Who would say anything about
blowing up my own roof? At most, there was just so noise."
It probably wasn't noise that could be dismissed as 'just so noise.' Moreover, even after that, the house shook as if it would collapse every few days, so the neighboring houses couldn't have avoided damage.
"It's not like no one ca to investigate."
"See?"
"They had a cup of tea and went back. What could they do?"
Cider said while putting down his book. There were no injured people, and they couldn't send a count to prison for blowing up his own house roof.
In the end, this matter was resolved with Count Avondale sending small apologetic gifts to the surprised neighbors. Those gifts were naturally chosen and sent by Butler Howard, and Cider didn't even know what the gifts were.
"Public prejudice about eccentric magical engineers is quite useful."
"I don't think it's prejudice."
Cider shrugged as if to say 'think what you want' and got up from his seat. Esperanza reflexively took a defensive stance.
Cider approached slowly with an unreadable expression. If she let her guard down, she'd be done for. It was just yesterday that she had ultimately been defeated after being tickled until she could barely breathe.
"What am I going to do to you?"
The shaless magical engineer approached with both hands raised to shoulder level and sat at her feet. Then, while Esperanza was slightly off guard, he grabbed her ankle with his hand and pulled.
"Ah!"
Her head, which had been leaning against the armrest, fell onto the sofa with a thud. How cowardly, grabbing soone's ankle! Esperanza struggled and twisted her ankle, but it was of little use. Of course, if the opponent had been an enemy, there would have been many other ways to shake him off. Unfortunately, however, the opponent was her lover.
Well, there are thods suited for lovers. Esperanza, who had quickly raised her lying upper body, pulled Cider's shoulder. Lips pressed softly. Gray eyes narrowed. When she tilted her head a little more, the hand gripping her ankle lost strength.
Taking advantage of that gap, she slipped her ankle out and got up to straddle his thighs. The magazine fell to the floor with a thud. As the position was instantly reversed, Cider clicked his tongue with an amused face.
"I can't win."
"I won't fall for it twice."
Large hands grabbed her ankle again. This ti, without applying force, they gently stroked above her ankle bone. Each ti the back of his hand moved, it made a sound hitting her skirt hem.
"Cordelia will be here soon..."
"It's just a tea ti appointnt."
"Because I've postponed just a tea ti appointnt for three days."
Even though no one had directly protested, in addition to the major accident of blowing up the roof, the house had shaken to its foundations twice, so there was no way people wouldn't talk. Naturally, contact ca from people who could guess the situation. People like Cordelia Mabelwood, for instance.
Esperanza, who received a letter full of worry, sent a reply with the gist of 'everyone is healthy without injury, and it would be nice if you could co for tea ti in three days.' Cordelia readily agreed.
However, Cordelia's visit didn't only have the aning of personal concern. After the peace in society since that accident in Sterling, an interesting incident had occurred for the first ti in a while. Cordelia carried the heavy duty of bringing a plausible story to the society people who must be stamping their feet.
"Have you thought of an excuse for the roof explosion?"
Esperanza had delegated the entire excuse departnt to Cider. Cider had no thoughts about it until now.
"Just say it exploded during research. They probably won't ask what kind of research."
"Sothing more interesting... isn't there a story that could give Cordelia so strength with the society people?"
"Do you think that's necessary?"
It probably wasn't necessary. It would be better to use the prejudice about magical engineers that wasn't really prejudice. Cordelia probably wasn't expecting much about that part either. Esperanza buried her cheek in Cider's shoulder and nodded.
Just giving vague answers was easiest. The explosion was during research. The battle ended well, and the red-haired man who had saved Cordelia and Alastair took those guys and left. Where they went was unknown.
"Miss, instead of useless thoughts, think about what new machine to put in the shooting range."
"Huh? What are you going to put in?"
"Anything?"
"Then a cara, and, um, wait a mont."
What could there be? There seed to be several devices she had vaguely thought would be nice to have whenever she trained at the shooting range, but now that she was about to say them, she couldn't think of them.
"Think about it more."
"But there will be many devices you don't know about."
"Don't worry. I'll make them well. We have plenty of ti."
Cider's eyes shone with joy as he said that. That was right. They had plenty of ti. There was more than enough ti to fix and improve wrongly made machines.
Esperanza took out a notebook and pen from the drawer. It was a place she'd use for a long ti. 'My space' to cultivate with affection. A smile appeared on her lips.
Ti passed quickly as she wrote down various things that ca to mind. The sound of Cordelia arriving ca from the first-floor entrance. Esperanza put down her pen on the roughly drawn shooting range layout.
"This isn't a good look for receiving guests."
"Say you were sick."
Cider, who had been reading a book across from her, said while only raising his eyes above the book.
"You should co along too."
"Do we need two people to et Lady Cordelia?"
"You're the host of the house."
Cider clicked his tongue and got up from his seat. What he said was right. For now, at least.
"Fine."
Cider knocked on the reception room door. Cordelia, who had been sitting holding a teacup, jumped up when she heard the door and approached with large strides. Her cream dress, golden hair, and white face were bright like an angel.
"Ugh."
Cordelia, who confird that the person who appeared before her eyes wasn't Esperanza, reflexively stepped back two steps. Cider's face, which had almost collided with her, wasn't very bright either. He stepped aside and asked Esperanza, who was behind him.
"Do you still think it's good for
to be here?"
"That's about right."
Cordelia spread her arms wide and embraced Esperanza. When there was no sign of the embrace ending, Esperanza stood up as she was and headed to the sofa. Cordelia, who found herself dangling without knowing it, scread "Kyah!" and quickly let go of her arms and returned to her seat.
"Excuse ."
Cider clicked his tongue and approached to sit next to Esperanza. Not in the head seat's armchair. Cordelia's eyes busily scanned between the two people.
"It's been a while. Actually, not really that long, but..."
"You're not hurt anywhere, right?"
Esperanza suddenly asked. Cordelia tilted her head.
'Isn't that what I should be asking?'
However, that question had context. On the day Daria had called Cider to Augustus Palace, Cordelia had gone to the palace together to guide Esperanza.
Due to the battle that followed and the spaceti machine problems, she hadn't been able to think about Cordelia's safety. Only after seeing her face did she realize that Cordelia had been at the palace that day.
"If you're talking about what happened at the palace, Lady Cordelia wouldn't have even seen the shadow of those two people, so there's nothing to worry about."
Cider answered before she could bring up an explanation. Cordelia also nodded belatedly.
"That's right. Neither I nor grandmother were hurt at all. Though we did have so trouble that day being caught by His Majesty's maidservants. Talk of breaking off the engagent and such, hmm."
Her face seed to beco haggard with each word she spoke, representing her hardships. Cordelia shook her head vigorously as if trying to shake off those thoughts.
From then on, it was the conversation she had expected. Esperanza gave the safe answers she had thought of before. And she added this:
"Actually, the roof collapsed during the battle. Those people tried to create another dungeon or sothing, but instead got sucked into it."
She explained the battle story without omission. Cider added comnts in between, and Cordelia listened with sparkling eyes. Where in life would one have the chance to hear such a thrilling story?
'Ah. I experienced it too.'
But didn't Esperanza handle all the people who caused that incident? Cordelia, who nodded, was absorbed in the story again.
"But Esperanza. Are you really not hurt at all?"
Just listening to the story, it absolutely wasn't a battle that could end without injuries. Sharp eyes scanned Esperanza's body. Then Cordelia glanced at Cider. However, she couldn't find any clues from that shaless face.
She turned her eyes back to Esperanza. Esperanza, unable to overco the intense gaze, sighed.
"Um, there were so. I got treated."
"You were hurt after all!"
"It wasn't a big deal."
She rolled up her sleeves as if to show off. Cordelia, who confird the clean arm without a single scratch, nodded with a suspicious face.
"You do look fine."
"That's what I'm saying."
"Hmm. Alright. Anyway, then there won't be any more incidents like what happened in Sterling!"
Cordelia, who clapped her hands as she spoke, frowned. Her cheerful voice, which seed to be retracing mories from Sterling, sank a little.
"You're not always there. You can't prevent everything either. It's really fortunate."
"Strictly speaking, it's not that there won't be any."
The one who answered was Cider. Even Esperanza was surprised and turned her head.
"More will appear?"
"I told you when you were at Avondale last ti. About cracks and wounds. Since the sa thod was used, they'll exist in this world too. Moreover, from the last battle, Daria completely tore open the wounds. Probably dungeons will appear frequently for a while."
Though he spoke as indirectly as possible, it was easy to understand. This was a place where two Golden Claws had existed at one point in ti. Esperanza nodded blankly. Now both had been disassembled by Cider's hands, with the main body in Cider's laboratory and the magic stones placed in Esperanza's inventory, but...
"Mabelwood was lucky. Right? It'll be hard for other places to be as lucky as Mabelwood. Perhaps they might be unluckier than Sterling."
"But I'll promise to do my best."
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