Third Arc: Twelfth Chapter

"Milady, off you go, then. This is a foreign land, so do please take the greatest care. And go easy on the street food. Oh, did you bring your medicine? You always overeat and upset your stomach, milady, so... and also..."

"That's enough, enough, Sissi! I'm keeping Lady Julia and the others waiting!"

"But milady... oh, your handkerchief..."

"I've got it!"

Escaping Sissi as she rummaged out a third handkerchief, I headed out of the room.

Today was the day after we arrived in Ringosta. Reluctantly, we had decided to let Michael show us around the city. I had told Michael in no uncertain terms to come in plain clothes, so I doubted he would show up as outlandish as yesterday. But still. His looks draw the eye enough as it is, so for the peace of my own eyes, I at least wanted his clothes toned down. Fluorescent green flickers and hurts to look at.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Good morning, Lady Cosette. Not at all. This drink is delicious, so I've been enjoying it."

Out of the travel clothes she had gotten so used to and dressed for going out, Lady Julia smiled brightly.

Beside her, I had the feeling some creature painful to look at was sitting. Was it my imagination? No, it had to be my imagination.

The cup cradled in Lady Julia's hands held a drink the color of café au lait.

"Coffee...?"

"Oh! How well informed you are, as ever! Well, you do run a coffee house, so perhaps that's only natural."

"Oh ho! Lady Cosette runs a coffee house! Yes, this is coffee! It's widely loved here in Lumelica! Ha ha!"

"Coffee... it's been a while. Might I have some too?"

In Altria, tea is the norm, so I had never come across coffee there. The rising aroma filled me with a fierce nostalgia.

"Of course! By the way, aren't your maids with you today?"

"Sissi is busy with Anje, developing and researching. ...By the way, Michael. I told you to come in plain clothes, didn't I?"

Pressing a hand to my head, which ached, perhaps only in my mind, I asked. Michael blinked, tilted his head, and spoke.

"Huh? I thought I dressed plainly enough?"

"How is this plain?!"

Today Michael wore a huge silver-white hat that set off his straight black hair. It looked like someone had turned a cushion straight into a hat, and it was very fluffy, perhaps stuffed with cotton. The silver-white cushion-shaped thing, embroidered with red stars scattered at random, was trimmed with red silk, and from its crown, like the mouth of a volcano, hung a red tassel.

To match, perhaps, his clothes were silver-white all over as well. In a glittering, spangled suit embroidered here and there with red stars, Michael seemed almost to give off a holy glow.

When I glanced over, there was Lady Julia with the eyes of a dead fish.

"Whaaat? But it's white! Isn't that plain?"

"It's loud! And what even is that hat! It looks like nothing but a cushion, and it's just like a volcano!"

At my words, Michael, for some reason, made his obsidian eyes shine and nodded over and over.

"You understand?! Yes, this is a cushion!"

"Nnngaaah! A cushion is not something you wear on your head!"

S-so, so irritatingggg!