Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 111

111

“Who are you?”

Lapis seemed to sense something too, giving a cold glare. The man, who had been approaching, flinched and stopped in his tracks. He seemed taken aback that his presence had been detected so quickly. Regaining his composure, he straightened up and quickly approached. It seemed he had decided to come clean since he had been discovered.

“I came, braving discourtesy, because I have something to ask. I heard there are foreigners asking about Lady April. Are you the ones?”

His voice was as deep and thick as his burly frame. However, it felt out of place, as if it didn’t quite fit. He didn’t seem to be a soldier, so I slowly nodded.

“Yes, we are. What’s the matter?”

“That’s what I want to ask. Who are you and where are you from, that you’re digging up rumors about the Lady?”

“Oh, we don’t have any ulterior motives. We’re just curious.”

“Just that? Don’t you realize your actions might seem suspicious?”

I frowned slightly at his accusatory tone. When a stranger first approached, I thought we might get some useful information. It seemed he had a reason to come all the way to us. But he started lecturing us out of the blue. The development was too sudden.

“Suspicious? I don’t particularly want to hear that from you.”

“What do you mean?”

Lapis’s intriguing gaze scanned the other person up and down blatantly. I was taken aback by what he said next.

“In my opinion, a woman disguising herself as a man is far more suspicious.”

“Huh? Disguise?”

Only then did I realize the source of the discomfort I felt. The voice, the manner of speaking, and even the physique all felt artificial, as if forced. As everyone stared in surprise, he looked very flustered.

“W-What nonsense are you spouting? A disguise? What makes you think I’m a woman in disguise?”

“Are you definitely a man?”

“Of course! Don’t state the obvious! I won’t tolerate any more insults!”

He sounded genuinely offended and enraged. But Lapis snorted.

“Hmph, you might fool others, but you can’t fool Lapis-nim’s [Lapis’s honorific] eyes. You must have picked up some cheap magic somewhere. Let’s see if you’d be so confident if your magic were to break here and now. I can dispel such elementary illusion magic right away.”

“……!”

The words spoken with a smile were calm, but the content was merciless. The other person, receiving the cold gaze, froze stiffly. Judging from how they weren’t moving an inch, they didn’t even seem to be breathing. Lapis, losing interest in the honest reaction, withdrew his gaze and said quietly.

“I don’t know what your business is, but if you want to talk, reveal your true identity first. Your clumsy disguise doesn’t work on us, so don’t bother with pointless tricks.”

“…….”

He clenched his fist silently. The confident demeanor from the beginning was gone, and he seemed to have completely lost his will to fight.

I looked at him with a nervous feeling. If he couldn’t counter Lapis’s words, it meant he really was a woman.

“Um…….”

As I tried to speak, he flinched. His eyes, shaking under the hood, quickly scanned me and my companions, revealing a sense of dismay. He seemed to regain his senses, looking confused.

“S-Sorry. I was rude.”

As soon as he apologized, he turned to run away. I quickly got up and grabbed his arm.

“Hey, wait a minute.”

“W-What?”

He seemed surprised that I grabbed him, giving me a wary look. But I was just as surprised. The bone structure under his arm felt very thin, unlike what I expected. The touch of his skin was soft, not firm.

So he really was a woman. It was an unimaginable result based on his appearance alone. His shoulders and height were much larger than average, and his physique seemed covered in muscles. Thinking about what Lapis said, he probably used magic to disguise himself.

“Well, why don’t we talk calmly? Didn’t you have something to say to us?”

“N-No, it’s okay. Now that I think about it, it doesn’t seem like something I should share with foreigners.”

“Is it about Lady April’s death?”

He flinched.

The arm I was holding trembled noticeably. Not missing it, I watched him as he bit his lip.

“Isn’t it strange? The Lady’s whereabouts have been unknown for two years, but no one in the village seems to know anything about it. You know something, don’t you?”

“I-It’s none of your business…….”

“It seemed like Duke Clowmore was being threatened because of it.”

“……!”

Perhaps it was because of the unexpected answer. He turned back to me, frozen again.

“Surely…… you didn’t…… see the Duke?”

“I didn’t see him directly. I found out by snooping around the mansion.”

“N-No way. The mansion’s lockdown is so thorough, there’s no way you could snoop around. There’s no way to get inside…….”

“Well, I used a slightly special method.”

“A special method?”

“Looks like you’re in the mood to talk now.”

Realizing what I said, she bit her lip again. I smiled brightly at her eyes, which were cautiously looking around.

“Shall we go somewhere quiet first?”

* * *

The lodging we quickly secured wasn’t as good as the special room at the inn we stayed at first, but it was clean and tidy. However, Lapis grumbled the whole time, dissatisfied.

“It’s too small. It’s unclean. It’s not elegant at all.”

“Stop complaining. It’s the best room in this inn.”

“Who told you to choose this inn? Just because we needed a place to stay right away doesn’t mean we had to come to the inn right in front of us. I have never carelessly chosen a place to lay my body down. Let alone a commoner’s inn without a special room……!”

“Okay, okay, we’ll move later. Is that okay?”

“Just a special room won’t do. It has to be exclusively for nobles.”

“I got it!”

Watching Lapis quiet down, finally satisfied, I made a disgusted face. He was more like a master than a contractor. I realized once again how convenient Isana had been as a companion. Meanwhile, Isana and Kaitel silently put down their luggage, pretending not to notice. I sighed and said, noticing the figure still lingering in the doorway,

“It’s okay, come inside.”

“…….”

“I said it’s okay. We’re just going to talk, so you don’t have to be so wary.”

“But…….”

“Weren’t you curious about the Duke’s well-being?”

At those words, the person at the door seemed to make up their mind and slowly stepped inside. Still wearing the hood pulled down low. Unlike her confident stride, she had her hands clasped demurely near her chest. She was probably unconsciously acting like a woman because she was nervous, but since she looked like a sturdy man to everyone else, it was quite awkward.

“Now that I’m inside, tell me. How did you snoop around the mansion? Did the Duke look healthy? And who are you that you’re interested in this?”

As soon as she came in, she fired off questions as if she had made up her mind. I flinched a little and smiled awkwardly.

“Um, you seem to have a lot of questions. Shall we introduce ourselves first? My name is El.”

“Are you kidding me? I’m not asking for your name, but……!”

“El, if we’re moving the lodging, should we leave the luggage as it is without unpacking?”

At Isana’s question, her shoulders twitched greatly. The other person, raising their head in surprise, fixed their gaze on Isana.

Isana looked bewildered as the person who had been angry suddenly showed interest in him. She was frozen as if she had seen a ghost.

“What’s wrong?”

As Isana asked, she shrank back again.

“T-This voice…….”

“Yes?”

“Could it be…… Your Majesty?”

“……!”

That one word, which no one had expected, plunged everyone in the room into shock. All movement around us stopped, and the air in the room turned cold.

Perhaps sensing it from the atmosphere? She hurriedly approached Isana.

“Am I right? Are you really His Majesty?”

“What…….”

“Your Majesty! It’s me!”

With a desperate cry, she threw back the hood covering her head. Then, an amazing thing unfolded before our eyes. The surrounding air seemed to change, and her sturdy physique rapidly shrank. It seemed that it had been set up so that the magic would be released when she revealed her face.

From within the thrown-back hood, a small, white face was revealed. Violet eyes resembling violets, and features prettier than expected, were undoubtedly those of a woman. Golden hair flowed richly from the hood, half-covering her head.

“Do you remember me?”

Her voice also changed to a soft tone. It was hard to believe that she was the same person who had been uttering a rough and low voice just a moment ago.

However, Isana seemed surprised in a different way as he looked at her. With a face frozen in disbelief, he managed to utter a voice with difficulty after a long time.

“Good heavens…… Could it be…… April…… Sister?”

What?

I looked at the woman in confusion. April? Could this woman be the very person we were looking for?

Seemingly unaware of the gazes around her, the woman seemed to be reacting only to Isana. Covering her mouth with both hands, her large eyes filled with tears.

“So it was Your Majesty! Ah, God of Fate, thank you! Thank you so much!”

“Are you really my sister? Is what I’m seeing really true?”

“Yes, that’s right, Your Majesty! I am the April that Your Majesty knows. April de Clowmore, the only younger sister of Duke Clowmore!”

Tears began to soak her face, filled with emotion. Her hands, clasped together as if in prayer, were trembling pitifully. Isana, also overwhelmed with emotion, approached her.

“What happened? Why are you here in this form, Sister? What has happened in the meantime?”

“It would take too long to tell you the story. I never even imagined that Your Majesty would be here in disguise. I thought there would be no more expectations or hope…… I’m so glad. I’m so glad…….”

“Sister!”

With a sobbing murmur, her body collapsed to the floor. It seemed to be due to the shock of all the tension being released at once. Surprised, Isana quickly rushed to catch her. But before he could take a step, a hand reached out to support the woman. It was Lapis.

“Ah, thank you, Lapis-nim [Lapis’s honorific].”

“It’s okay. More importantly, is this woman April?”

“Yes, this face, this voice. It’s definitely my sister.”

“Hmph, she was said to be dead, but she’s alive and well?”

April’s shoulders twitched slightly at his blunt words. Tears were constantly flowing from her tightly closed eyes. Lapis lightly clicked his tongue.

“Anyway, it seems like it will take some time for her to calm down. Take her somewhere to lie down until she comes to her senses.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“I’ll help too.”

While Isana took April, Kaitel, who had hurriedly approached, politely helped with the support. The two carefully laid the limp April on the bed. Even then, she was still sobbing. She seemed to have forgotten her sense of reality due to complete exhaustion, and she also showed an extremely anxious appearance.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty…….”

“Yes, Sister. I’m here. It’s okay. Rest assured.”

Whenever April called out while crying, Isana calmly held her hand and reassured her.

Should I give them some space? I couldn’t help but be concerned about a woman crying alone in a room full of men. April would surely be very embarrassed by this situation once she came to her senses. It would be good to give the siblings some time alone until she calmed down.

I looked at Lapis, thinking of telling him to go out. As if sensing it, his gaze also reached me. As soon as our eyes met, he nodded as if he knew it.

“See? The bed is very shabby, right? That’s why you shouldn’t stay in inns like this.”

“…….”

Perhaps the difference between a 4D personality [someone with an eccentric or unusual personality] and individualism is just a piece of paper. That’s what I thought.