Chapter 99
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 99 – It’s Nice to Have a Day Like This Every Once in a While
——It was the day Ain parted ways with Lloyd and the others and set out to investigate, returning to the inn without incident.
Krone, his assistant, had so much to do that she didn’t have time to sleep.
“That’s why I’m here to help you.”
After receiving some reports from Ain, who had returned to the inn, and having dinner with Ain as usual.
Even Krone’s mouth twitched at the sudden influx of work.
“Don’t be silly… Ain should get some rest for tomorrow.”
It was after midnight, and normally, there would have been no work to be done.
But there was a pile of papers on the table. That proved Krone couldn’t rest yet.
“No, no… there is nothing else to do tomorrow, right? Even Lloyd-san and the others will not be back yet.”
It was a kind of vacation, and there was no special business to take care of. But that was only for Ain, and for Krone, who was in charge of putting it all together, it was of little concern.
“You never know what’s going to happen, do you? That’s why Ain has to rest well… Right?”
“Well, I think it’s the same for Krone… Look, if we do it together, it’ll be over soon.”
It was a mutual consideration, but neither of them was willing to back down.
Of course, considering their positions, Krone’s idea was the right one. However, there was no way that Ain could be convinced so easily.
“No. Ain has his job, and I have mine, right?”
“I understand what you say. But I think we should be flexible and change things as we see fit.”
Krone understood that Ain was a stubborn man.
And she also knew that he would offer to help as soon as so much work piled up.
“…Don’t you trust me?”
She didn’t want to say these things too much, but she would like him to have a little more faith in her abilities.
After all, she had worked so hard to get this assistant position.
“I do trust you. But this is a different matter, isn’t it? Because this is really…”
It’s certainly a lot of work. Krone understood that the pile of paper was not an easy amount to finish.
Still, she refused to admit it and said that this was her job.
——A similar exchange followed. In the end, Ain decided to back out, and while looking dissatisfied, Krone confirmed that he had returned to his room. Seeing that Ain had gone to rest, she also began her work.
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“Huh… what time is it?”
The servants and researchers were brought along. All information given to Warren needed to be confirmed by Krone. Since Ain was the leader of the investigation team, it was her duty as an assistant to confirm the information.
“At three o’clock… But there is still no end in sight…”
A pile of papers piled up in front of her. Ain saw this and said, “I’ll help you,” but Krone’s pride would not allow it. As an assistant, it was out of the question for her to ask her master for help.
Looking at the pile with her weak eyes, she did not feel that the pile had diminished at all, even though she had been working for several hours.
“I’m done with mine for now. I’ll split the last one I need…”
The investigation period would soon be over. The month-long Baltic investigation would come to an end for now.
Then, they would all return to the royal capital. Once that happened, the report for Warren would be waiting, and no matter what happened, delaying it was unforgivable.
The worst-case scenario, in Krone’s mind, would be a dismissal for such a lapse of attention. This must be avoided at all costs.
Though not directly related, the work to connect August Trading Company to Mouton had also been completed. What she now had in her hands were the documents detailing the contract. Since the Crown Prince’s budget was used, it was necessary for the assistant to confirm the contents of the contract as well.
She looked over each one carefully to make sure nothing was overlooked, and she never let up, even when the work was done.
“Everyone works so hard. I can’t show my weakness in a place like this.”
Today’s workload was especially heavy, but she still managed to get a fair amount done each day. Sometimes, her face felt tired, but she was careful not to let anyone see it.
She took care of herself in places where she could not be seen, such as showering in the morning and taking care of the area around her eyes so that Ain would not notice.
Therefore, it was also true that fatigue was building up.
“…It’s not just Warren-sama, but His Majesty, Laralua-sama… and even Grandfather.”
All those who made a name for themselves were always able to handle this demanding schedule with aplomb. She resented her physical and mental strength, which had not yet fully matured.
But they were all seasoned professionals and have been doing this for a long time, so they were used to it. Krone was in no way slack, and that was quite natural.
And no matter how competent she was, it was only natural that she would lose out in the speed of work compared to those who had made a name for themselves.
“My face… I’m going to wash it.”
After taking a shower, she would feel sleepy. So she decided to wash her face with cold water to refresh her mind.
Then, she would relax with a hot drink. And then let’s start on this mountain again… She tapped her cheeks lightly and made up her mind.
——She doesn’t remember much of the rest. After washing her face, she prepared a drink and sat back on the sofa, and from that point on, she had no memory.
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“Nn… now…”
She lost track of what she was doing for a moment.
She moved her brain frantically, trying to make her foggy mind work to see what was going on.
“Ah, I see, this is here… and that’s the end of it.”
She could hear “his” voice in her ear… or rather above her. What she saw through her slightly open eyes was a boy dressed casually in a shirt and pants.
She had no idea what was going on, but it was easy to understand that she could see his face from a distance of only a few dozen centimeters.
“Surprisingly, helping my grandmother came in handy.”
When she heard him repeat to himself in a low voice, she felt at ease, for example, “Now, even if the God of Death comes, she won’t be afraid.” That was how she felt.
Although she was still in a fuzzy state of consciousness, she could well understand that this situation was favorable.
“Now that I think about it, this could be my signature, right? …Ah, yes, it’s okay. I looked closely, and it says so.”
Now, she puts her right cheek down and her left ear up.
She can feel the warmth on her right cheek. She loved the exquisite height and hardness as if it were made just for her.
The scent was like a drug that filled her nostrils.
“Well, if it was a mistake, I can just say that I did it on my own. It doesn’t matter… It’ll be fine.”
His voice sounded cheerful. It was tempting to listen to it all the time and not want to leave this place. But more than that, the feeling of duty to get up prevailed, and Krone finally started to wake up.
“W-what time is it now…?”
“Oh. You’re awake, Krone? …It’s already 9:00 in the morning. Did you get a good night’s rest?”
Looking closer, she could see that a blanket was draped over her own back, an obvious attempt to keep her from catching a cold.
“I’m sorry. I know I should have taken you to your room, but I didn’t want to go into your room without your permission… I held you a little to make it easier for you to sleep, but I hope you’ll forgive me.”
The rhythm of his hand patting her head was pleasant.
‘I see. In other words, I was on his lap, and I was exhausted and had fallen asleep. That’s what it means, I guess’, thought Krone.
“…M-my job!”
She wanted to get up vigorously, but Ain held her body gently. He said in a whisper, “Lie down a little longer,” and she couldn’t resist the tone of his voice.
“It’s okay. I’ve done similar work before. I helped my grandmother. I know how to do it, so there’s no problem. If anything goes wrong, it’s my fault, and I’ll take responsibility.”
No problem, huh? Yes, there was a problem.
She was so tired from working that she fell asleep and let her master do the work for her. What part of that could be called “no problem”?
Even the stout-hearted Krone was so pitiful that even she was moved to tears.
What did she say to herself? She said that she had her own work to do, and Ain had his own work to do.
But in the end, she was not able to do her job perfectly, even with Ain’s help. This made her a bad assistant.
“…..”
Ain stopped writing and stared at the paper in front of him.
But his mind was elsewhere, on Krone, who was resting on his lap.
From the corner of his eye, he saw a look of self-condemnation on her face. If he tried to follow up by pointing it out, she would feel guilty.
Of course, that was not Ain’s intention. So what should he say to her?
“Hey, Krone.”
“Y-yeah. What… is it?”
He remembered her words.
“…Don’t you trust me?” A line that stayed with him.
“Don’t you trust me?”
To trust or not to trust people. Ain did not like to talk about such things.
But he knew that “feelings” alone were not enough to make her feel safe.
“Of course, I trust you…”
She said this in a strained voice while she grabbed Ain’s pants. The thoughts the voice was trying to convey reached Ain, who was right next to her.
“There are different ways of thinking, and I know it’s hard to admit everything honestly. It’s also a matter of position, so I know it’s wrong to be too lenient. But you know…”
Continuing to stroke Krone’s head, Ain paused gently.
He repeated the confirmation in his mind.
“It’s just me and Krone here. I like to do things with you. Do you not like it, Krone?”
“I-I don’t dislike it… mon.”
Seeing that she ended her words with ‘mon,’ An smiled.
He also decided to gently stroke her head. That tone of voice was probably a mixture of various feelings, such as embarrassment.
“I guess it’s okay then. We won’t be a burden to the other party by being too lenient.”
Krone agreed.
They both knew it was easy to show that kind of concern.
“I think it’s okay to be someone else. I’m a crown prince, and Krone is Krone. …Hey, I have an idea.”
Ain clapped his hands, convinced of something. Meanwhile, Krone, looking at Ain’s expression, still had a face that lacked a sense of control.
“Let’s leave the other royals out of this. Let’s leave ‘us’ out of this, shall we, Krone? I know it’s short notice, but I’m going to make a decision, okay?”
His voice was soft as always, but his words were full of strength as if he was not saying whether or not.
The strength of his voice made her heart beat faster, and she replied, “…Yes.”
“I would be in trouble without you. And just in case you’re wondering. Krone wouldn’t want me to break down either, would he?”
“…I might collapse from worry, along with you collapsing.”
Seeing her being so straightforward made him think she’s cute in contrast to her usual appearance. This was not to say that she was not usually pretty, but the word “beautiful” rather fit Krone. That was probably why he felt that way.
“I mean, it’s the same for me. I can’t do without you, and I can’t help but worry about you when you break down. So here’s what we’re going to do: When the schedule is as tough as this, we’ll both do our best.”
“Well, but it was just for today. I don’t usually push myself too hard…”
“I know you lied to me sometimes about getting up early. How long do you think we’ve been together? Even if you hide that much, I can easily find out.”
He knew she had worked all night. She was surprised that he noticed, but she was glad that he understood her so well.
As for Krone, it was a rather mixed feeling.
Words didn’t come to her, but she moved her body to try to explain herself somehow.
But Ain would not allow it, and she was not allowed to raise her body.
“I’m almost done. Just rest a little longer.”
“…Yes.”
He would not allow her to get up anyway. Was it wrong to give in to such a feeling?
She asked herself repeatedly, but it felt right, to be honest, so she finally fell into his lap.
“Let me be cool once in a while. ——My Krone, that’s what I said.”
Ain muttered in a serious tone, not in jest.
It echoed in her mind, and her heart started to beat fast. She tried to hide her heartbeat by moving her body so that Ain would not notice it.
Ain has good instincts, and he might already know. Even though she thought so, she couldn’t stop it out of embarrassment. Of course, she couldn’t show him her current face. Because she was sure that she would look pretty sloppy.
“Hey, Ain.”
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
——Krone loves you.
Her heart was filled with this thought.