༺ Gift (2) ༻
Preparations for the coming-of-age ceremony were taking place elsewhere as well.
“What did Aisha get?”
“A hairpin! What about you?”
“Me too.”
Jenny and Aisha revealed their gifts in a room.
What a remarkable coincidence.
It was almost a miraculous coincidence. The gifts they prepared for were two identical hairpins.
An ’oh’ sound squeaked out of Aisha’s mouth.
“We think the same!”
“Yeah.”
Jenny’s cheeks turned red.
She felt excited from the fact that she had finally found a connection with her first friend of the same age in her life.
“Wanna wrap them together?”
“Yes…!”
Jenny nodded her head up and down enthusiastically.
Aisha giggled with satisfaction and gathered the hairpins.
Then…
“By the way, did the old hag prepare anything?”
As Aisha suddenly recalled Annalise, who Jenny was holding and asked, Annalise snorted and turned her head.
[What’s so pretty about that bitch?]
Although the term ’old hag’ could have provoked anger, she was already used to Aisha’s way of speaking, so she also answered in a calm tone.
“Not okay.”
Jenny hit the top of Annalise’s head.
The Annalise’s head turned wildly.
[Didn’t I tell you not to do that?!]
“Gift.”
[Why should I!]
“Because, coming-of-age ceremony…!”
It was rare for Jenny to be this stubborn.
Annalise felt frustrated to death.
Of course.
It was an unbearable request to celebrate the coming-of-age of the very person who sliced off her head.
[Damn brat…!]
A sound of grinding teeth came from the doll.
Meanwhile, Aisha, who had been quietly watching, taunted Annalise.
“You don’t know how to pick a gift? Has the old hag lived so long that she doesn’t even have a friend to give gifts to?”
Annalise’s body froze.
It was as if a nerve had been struck.
[Wh-what…?]
…Indeed, it was as if she had been stuck on a nerve.
A bad-tempered and self-righteous personality.
Even though she had always been surrounded by young people, the wizard known as Annalise never had the occasion to celebrate anyone’s coming of age.
This was something she could not admit.
The epitome of arrogance and self-righteousness.
Unable to bear such humiliation, Annalise, who had made it this far with nothing but pride, suddenly lost her temper.
[Ah, this half-beast brat doesn’t know what she’s talking about? Hey, kiddo! Go fetch the dragon scales! Bring them and do as I say!]
Was it because she had been only around young people, or was it because she had been trapped in a doll for too long?
Annalise fell for Aisha’s trick, showing none of her usual insight.
From an angle that Annalise could not see, Jenny and Aisha exchanged glances… and she was completely unaware.
***
In a corner room of the annex.
“What did you guys prepare?”
Miller asked, and the twins answered.
“Krek prepared a gift for the Saint’s safety.”
“Marek thinks contraception is important.”
Miller closed his eyes tightly.
“…I knew it.”
It seemed a good choice to have examined it in advance, thinking they might cause some trouble.
He didn’t even want to imagine what catastrophe would have occurred if the twins had given that gift to Renee.
So, instead of imagining it, Miller vented his anger.
“You damn fools!”
“Professor, calm down.”
“That’s right. Getting excited at random places is a bad habit. The professor is an ill-mannered dick.”
“You fuckers!”
Crash—!
A fight broke out.
Norn, who had been watching from a distance, shook his head disapprovingly, then looked at the embroidery he was working on.
‘…A handkerchief would be a good gift.’
Practical and heartfelt, it was the best choice from any angle.
His gift would be much more normal and ordinary compared to those three.
Already picturing Renee’s happy face, Norn felt delighted as he continued embroidering.
‘Ah, gifts are all about sincerity.’
Little did Norn know that his gift was the most sane among them.
***
The day of the coming-of-age ceremony dawned.
Vera stood in the middle of the hall where the ceremony was prepared with a tense face.
‘This much is….’
They had rented a hall mostly in white and arranged white decorations and fresh flowers.
There was no argument regarding the decorations as they only chose clean and clear translucent colors to create an atmosphere resembling Renee as much as possible.
As for the food and alcohol at the banquet…
‘…It’s quite good.’
It was excellent.
With a flushed face, Vera looked at the rum displayed on one of the tables.
The rum, decorated with a red ribbon at its cork, was named ‘Vera’.
It was the origin of his name.
It was a clever play on words inspired by Rohan’s words, ‘The gift is me.’
Of course, he couldn’t give a cheap rum as the main gift, so he had set aside something else.
“How is the Saint?”
“Yes, she doesn’t even know today is her coming-of-age ceremony. It will surely be a surprise.”
Vera made a satisfied expression at Norn’s answer.
He felt that everything was going according to plan.
Renee, unaware that today was her coming-of-age ceremony due to past events, was in Oben where they could hold a grand ceremony for her.
They could procure as many supplies as they wanted.
They could also mobilize as much manpower as they wanted.
As such, they could surely create a ‘memorable moment’ that they couldn’t in Eirene.
Of course, these decorations might not matter much to Renee, who couldn’t see, but it did not matter.
Vera’s love and greed drove him to insist on perfection down to the smallest, unseen details.
Vera calmed his pounding heart and regained his composure.
‘It will be a success.’
This time, definitely, it will be the best.
***
In the hallway of the annex.
“Hela? What’s happening all of a sudden? You even asked me to get dressed up.”
When Renee, puzzled at Hela’s unusual request to get dressed asked that, Hela responded.
“The former Sovereign Lord has organized a muscle beauty contest. He has requested your presence there.”
Renee’s expression hardened.
“Beauty… What?”
“It’s a muscle beauty contest.”
Is there a contest like that?
Renee, who couldn’t comprehend the competition’s name with her sensibilities, made an even more bewildered expression.
Upon seeing this, Hela silently breathed a sigh of relief.
‘…Success.’
Wary of the perceptive Renee catching on to anything strange, the bizarre name of the contest had been effective.
Hela felt a tightness in her stomach from her nervousness.
Hela continued, trying to control her nervous heartbeat, preparing for the decisive blow.
“I heard that Sir Vera will also participate.”
Thud—
Renee’s steps stopped.
Her expression disappeared.
“…What?”
“His Majesty the former Sovereign Lord has requested for Sir Vera’s participation.”
“…”
Renee thought for a moment, then asked.
“What was the name of that contest again?”
“It’s a muscle beauty contest.”
“A muscle beauty contest is…”
“A contest where people show off their muscles in front of others.”
A picture formed in Renee’s head.
A large banquet hall.
A bright stage.
In the center, Vera was showing off his muscles without any clothes on.
“…No.”
Suddenly, a deep despair escaped from Renee’s mouth.
“No!”
Smack—!
Renee struck the floor with her cane as if to break it.
Hela tilted her head.
Being as slow-witted as she was, she naturally couldn’t understand Renee’s reaction.
“Hela! Let’s go quickly! We have to stop this!”
Smack! Smack!
The cane struck the floor.
Renee’s steps quickened.
Alarm bells were ringing inside Renee’s head.
‘How dare he show something even I haven’t seen or touched!’
This is unacceptable!
This should not be allowed.
With that thought, Renee vented her anger towards Vera.
‘How could a man be so immodest!!!’
Rage surged within her.
Her movement increasingly resembled that of an enraged bull.
The oblivious Hela simply followed Renee, her face flush with the thought, ’I did it!’
***
“The Saint is coming!”
At Norn’s hurried words, everyone went to their respective places.
Vera stood at the end of the red carpet in the middle.
People stood in order of height on both sides.
Norn belatedly took his place behind Vera.
Then, Renee entered.
Thump—!
There was a sense of urgency.
Just as the group was about to congratulate her, thinking that Hela had performed her role successfully…
“Congratu—”
“STOOOOOP!!!”
Renee shouted loudly with a desperate voice.
A stiff silence emerged.
In the midst of it, Jenny’s small voice reacted late and came out.
“…lations.”
…It wasn’t an easy start.
***
The commotion settled only after a short time, following the late arrival of Kalderan, reigning Sovereign Lord Aksan, and Hegrion to the venue.
“Hoo… a muscle beauty contest, eh…”
Kalderan showed interest as he stroked his beard.
Hegrion’s eyes sparkled.
Aksan’s face turned pale.
“…That’s right, there’s no such contest.”
Renee finally realized the full context and was trembling with embarrassment.
Vera licked his lips at Renee’s appearance, then hung his head low.
“…I am deeply ashamed. We were trying to prepare a surprise party for the Saint.”
Who would’ve known there’d be such an overreaction?
The idea he would participate in a muscle beauty contest, even begrudgingly, was so off the mark that it was laughable.
“No, I was…”
Renee could not finish her sentence and trembled with a flushed face.
Vera’s head sank even lower.
“…Even if.”
“What?”
“Even if such a contest existed, I would never participate.”
“Hm? Why?”
Kalderan, who seemed to find this incomprehensible, received an elbow nudge from Aksan.
Vera did the same.
After casting a resentful glance at Kalderan, Vera then spoke to Renee.
“I have no interest in showing off my body to others.”
“I see…”
The atmosphere remained downcast.
Vera, thinking about how to uplift the atmosphere, thought of an idea to lighten Renee up.
However, at the same time, he also hesitated.
Vera swallowed hard.
Is it fine to say this?
Isn’t this too embarrassing?
It was a natural reaction as all kinds of thoughts came to his mind.
‘…Let’s do this.’
Vera decided.
Thinking that it was improper for the main character of the day to be trembling in embarrassment, he moved closer to Renee and whispered softly so only she could hear.
“…However, if you wish, you may touch me anytime.”
Suddenly, Renee’s body trembled.
Her head snapped up.
“What?”
“We can talk about it later…”
Even though he said that, Renee’s mind was already somewhere else.
Her face flushed red again, but for a different reason this time.
‘A-anytime…’
‘Whenever, wherever, however…’
Freely.
An all-access pass.
Even what Vera didn’t say miraculously became a matter of fact inside Renee’s mind.
The envisioned scene was indeed a great creation, worthy of the Apostle of the Lord.
“Urgh, err, ah…”
Renee, whose mind was already in the gutter, let out an odd sound as she nodded her head.
“…Y-y, euhh, eees.”
Vera closed his eyes tightly.
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