"Can't you be a little more polite?"
The grumbling voice had less strength than before. Cider laughed low and lightly pressed Esperanza's wet lips with his fingertips.
"Based on my experience and mory, you don't like polite things."
"That's complete slander. You can't mislead soone's preferences like that."
"So it's a matter of preference?"
She'd been caught. And this wasn't the first or second ti either. Esperanza rolled her eyes.
Cider slid his hand to her earlobe as if familiar with this. As he went past her round ear down to her earlobe with its pearl earring, her now-dry lips were pressed firmly against her upper teeth.
"I'm glad you seem to like this."
"It's pretty. It's also convenient to wear. And it's not common."
"It resembles you."
Does it? Esperanza brought her hand to her ear and rolled the pearl with her fingertips. Displeased that her thoughts were drifting elsewhere, Cider lightly touched Esperanza's nose tip.
"I need to pack quickly."
"Not everything can go according to plan."
"Why do all your plans work out but only mine fail?"
"That might be because you also like my plans."
Esperanza burst into a hollow laugh.
"I think I'd have to see the plan to know that."
Her head tilted diagonally. The pearl earring fell onto the carpet with a thud.
??????°??☆????°??????
"Really now, does it make sense to pack several months' worth of luggage in one day?"
Annie, who had been grumbling, suddenly raised her voice.
"Rita, you're wrinkling the clothes! Goodness, how can you crumple lace like this? Oh my, didn't I tell you to be careful when handling jewelry boxes? Goodness, look at this earring. The pretty pearl is scratched!"
Esperanza, who had been watching the young maid getting scolded from the corner of her eye, turned her head. She had no intention of adding words and damaging Annie's authority as a superior scolding her subordinate, but she couldn't let her be scolded for the wrong thing.
"That was my mistake. Just leave it."
"Miss, no, Madam did that?"
"It happened while I was just wearing it around."
"It could happen while wearing it around! It's not noticeable anyway."
Annie, who imdiately changed her tune, carefully placed the earring in the jewelry box. She soothed the cowering young maid and gave her other tasks, then checked Esperanza's luggage once more.
"There are clothes there too, but it's a sha we can't take all the pretty dresses bought this season."
"This is enough. I never wear even half of what I always take anyway."
At Avondale, Esperanza and Cider mainly did their own work in Cider's laboratory. It wasn't an environnt that required pretty clothes. Sotis they sat by the lakeside in front of the mansion chatting, browsed the small shopping district, or went out by carriage, but these weren't frequent occurrences.
"But would it be alright if I don't co along?"
"I'll feel lonely, but there are servants and maids there too, so don't worry."
Annie and Millen were to co to the mansion two days later. To move as quickly as possible, it was more convenient for just the two of them to head directly to the mine area.
Since they were trying to get tickets in a hurry, the tickets they managed to get were different from usual.
So this ti they were taking a train that departed from Bellingham, a major city in southern Osdern, passed through Nine Holder and Avondale, and headed to Talmine—a train that crossed Osdern's vast territory.
"It would be perfect if only a murder happened."
She shouldn't have said such a thing.
??????°??☆????°??????
Nine Holder Central Station had changed beyond recognition in the past few years. Esperanza thought this while declining a newspaper offered by a brass-colored automaton that ca up to her waist.
Many of the freckled young shoe shiners and newspaper boys had disappeared. Automatons had filled their places.
The people who used to carry luggage had all been replaced by steam-powered automatic carts. You just had to input the platform number and they would safely deliver your luggage with no worry of theft, so many people seed to use them.
Since automatons were cleaner than people and didn't sll, even gentlen who used to kick dirty little kids would graciously accept newspapers from automatons and put in coins.
Such sights made her heart ache for no reason, so Esperanza deliberately took a detour to buy a newspaper from a newspaper boy. During this, there was an incident where the boy reached for Esperanza's wallet, but she pretended not to notice.
'There's not much in it anyway.'
As she thought this and turned her head, Cider suddenly stuck his head out.
"Generous lady, shouldn't you at least say sothing before leaving?"
"Ah, sorry. Did you find it?"
"No, I expected it."
Nine Holder Central Station was the place with the highest daily traffic in all of Osdern. Various people gathered and departed. From laborers to shipping magnates, from pickpockets to Dukes.
A lawyer walking arrogantly with a briefcase and a young girl with chubby cheeks, a young woman with a tired face running like flying to board a train. An old gentleman holding a pocket watch at a distance with a frowning face and a young man who seed new to the city, standing dazed and looking up at the giant clock tower for a long ti.
It was more peaceful than Nine Holder in the ga. Unlike that place where disasters struck like the common cold, people here didn't fear monsters that might attack in the next 10 minutes.
Esperanza didn't optimistically believe that everything had improved because of her choice. But seeing the faces of strangers here made her think that more things had probably improved.
A light flashed on the cream-colored electronic board announcing that a train had arrived at Platform 7.
"Let's go."
With lighter steps, Esperanza left the train station.
The train with its dark green body wrapped in a golden band was large and luxurious. A uniford automaton stood in front of the train. Checking tickets and stamping them took quite a long ti.
"Why does it seem more inconvenient even though machines have co in?"
"What could be wrong with the machines? The problem is that people are stupid."
Cider, who had put the train ticket in his jacket's inner pocket, replied. It was quite a sympathetic tone.
"Ah, don't empathize with machines."
"Alright. It's because the machines aren't smart enough."
This was deflating in its own way. But as they crossed the passenger car that was as luxurious as the interior of a noble mansion, Esperanza thought that both answers were surprisingly quite accurate.
It was a large train with even sleeping compartnts. The two quickly arrived at their cabin. Though the interior wasn't visible, it looked very large at first glance. From Bellingham to Talmine would take two or three days, so it was natural. Their actual destination, Avondale, was at most half a day's distance from here, but—
"Wait a mont."
"Why?"
Cider, who had been holding the open door, turned his head and asked. Esperanza looked at the empty cabin. The cabin was very clean.
...Excessively so.
"It seems like a cabin no one has ever ridden in."
"It would be. Since we bought the tickets that way."
So they bought the entire route from the first station to the terminal? It would be less surprising to say they had rented the entire train. Why make such unnecessary expenditures?
"It's better than riding in a cabin others used, isn't it?"
"What's wrong with that..."
"Now, lady. Don't block the way and hurry inside."
Cider casually pushed Esperanza into the cabin and closed the door. Esperanza, sitting on the sofa covered with velvet that gave off a soft luster, clicked her tongue at the cabin that had a table, a bed for two, and even a small bathroom.
"Anyone would think we're going on vacation."
"Since we're not going for good reasons, we should at least have this kind of pleasure."
Cider said while untying the ribbon of Esperanza's hat and hanging it on the hat rack.
She looked around the passenger car again. Even the cushions on the sofa, each carefully prepared, weren't bad.
'Long rides are tiring and unpleasant...'
Esperanza settled on the sofa with a good view of the window and took off her shoes.
"This train is bound for Talmine, Talmine! Departing in 5 minutes!"
A conductor passed by ringing a bell. At least they use people inside the train.
The sound of steam was as loud as trumpets. The scenery outside the window began to retreat with rattling. Like walking, like running. Soon a mild floating sensation arrived. It seed like the sll of burning oil ca through the window. The city quickly receded.
Cider, who had been resting his chin and watching the shrinking city and growing forest, turned his head and asked.
"Was that all you heard about the mine situation? You don't know who's behind it?"
"I don't know about the masterminds. It might just be misconduct by a few managers."
Though workers entered the mine shafts, the mining itself was all done by automatons. Since mining amounts were recorded, it was difficult for day laborers to steal mined magic stones. But it was possible for managent-level people to manipulate the books.
"That could be, but as you know, there aren't many people who buy rare magic stones."
Research wasn't sufficient, and even when research was done, since mining amounts were so small, it was difficult for ordinary people to use them. Sotis patients with rare diseases sought them, and generally researchers or collectors bought them. In other words, no one else bought them.
"Perfect for being tracked. If it were , I'd steal regular magic stones."
Reviews
All reviews (0)