Translator: Nonon
Proofreader: Silavin
After hearing from Lady Violet that Gray’s whereabouts were unknown, we decided to split up and search for him. It’s because it would be a problem if he were in some kind of trouble. Also, because I’m genuinely worried about him.
I’ve told him to not follow strangers, but he might have followed a familiar person. He looks easy to deceive anyway.
“Mr. Bligh and you, Azalea academy student, did you kidnap Gray?”
“That’s both very straightforward and very rude.”
“Yeah!”
So I tried hitting up suspicious people.
A female student wearing a black uniform for nobles was talking about shotas with Mr. Bligh. I don’t seriously think that they kidnapped him, but they might have keenly reacted to Gray’s existence and remembered where he went.
“I was joking about kidnapping, but we don’t know where Gray went. I’ve been asking everybody about him just in case.”
“No, I don’t remember seeing him. What about you, miss?”
“No, I could tell within 100m radius if there aren’t any obstacles, but my sensor isn’t catching him.”
“Yeah, there was no scent I could detect outside either.”
“Exactly. He’s a superb boy, so we would notice if he were outdoors.”
Gray aside, I’m worried whether these two are really okay. In other words, if Mr. Bligh wasn’t at the smithy back then, he’d be able to sense Gray’s presence?
And who in the world is this noble lady?
“Clo, didn’t I tell you that for us, shotas are something to be admired and not something to be plucked?”
“I know that.”
I know that well.
It would be better if their ways of adoration were non-problematic, but their words and actions are a big problem.
“That’s why, if anything happens to Gray, call us right away. We will not forgive anybody who wants to hinder his healthy growth!”
“That naturally goes for me too, Lord Heartfield. I will use all my authority to eliminate everybody who causes him harm.”
Her face and the tone were serious. I can only pray that this passion won’t turn into a desire to touch.
But she reminds me of my younger sister in my previous life. She used to say that she only admired her OTP (One True Pairing) and didn’t actually want to be a part of it. Everybody has their ways of having fun, but maybe it’s good that those people are of the same thought too.
“But, it’s not like I don’t understand the feeling of wanting to gently guide those without knowledge only to tease them as they panic from their first sensation of pleasure …”
“…What’d you say?!”
Ah, things turned tense.
One side wants to watch over young boys grow up healthily, and the other side wants to encourage their growth and dye them into their own color. Whether those are mutually exclusive – is something I don’t know.
Differences in viewpoints within people who have the same hobbies and tastes can sometimes even lead to war. My younger sister was generous, but there were still people who she used to clash with, so I understand. I was like that too.
“Looks like you need a revolution, miss…!”
“OK, I’ll play along all you want.”
Okay, time to run away.
I simply thanked them and left. I don’t think they heard me though.
“Another place he might’ve gone to is…”
After that, I tried checking places where Gray might have gone to.
I searched the church, the inn, houses of the children close to him in age, Apricot’s house, the academy students – but I couldn’t find him anywhere. There was also a chance that I missed him so I returned to the mansion once, but he wasn’t there.
At the entrance there was a memo left by Lady Violet, so if Gray had seen it, I’m sure he would have left a note or stayed here. In other words, Gray hasn’t come back.
“Al that’s left is…”
I started thinking about all possibilities.
It’s fine if he’s hiding as some kind of a prank, but when I think about how he might have gotten into an accident, it makes me uneasy. I don’t want to think about this being a handiwork of some other person, just like that time with Ms. Schwarz, but I still have to keep it in mind.
Although Gray is excellent at magic, he’s very gullible–.
“Hm?”
Suddenly, I felt something strange.
The atmosphere in the mansion that I was familiar with was too different … I don’t know what it is, but I just know that something is different.
I tried thinking in a positive way — that Gray is hiding in a mansion to surprise us, but this sensation I’m feeling is more negative.
I took a quick look around the mansion to make sure that my feelings were wrong. As I looked around the needlessly large mansion, the feeling of discomfort receded… I wanted to fully get rid of it, but I just couldn’t do it.
I looked around my and Gray’s rooms, and as far as I remembered nothing was missing, so I decided that it wasn’t a robbery.
“Excuse me.”
And lastly I arrived in front of Lady Violet’s room.
I apologized and bowed slightly to the door. I understand that entering the room without consent is rude, and I’ll apologize to Lady Violet later too, but I wanted to confirm something at all costs.
I opened the door and entered inside. From what I saw inside…
“… Nothing seems to have changed.”
There were no signs of anybody breaking in and the inside wasn’t ransacked in any way.
I was just about to leave the room, feeling relieved that it was just a groundless fear and that I didn’t have to stay long inside – when I spotted some papers on the desk.
I know that if the content is personal, I shouldn’t look at it, so I tried to avert my gaze immediately, but the words that stood out caught my eye even if I didn’t want it to.
There was a single sentence written on the first piece of paper.
‘You don’t deserve happiness’.
―― Ah, shit. Here we go again.