Beauty in a Rotten World (III)

“Hold on tight! I’m going turbo!”

“Yayyy! Faster, faster!”

“Me next, me next!”

With a giant grin on my face, I run around to the uplifting sound of child laughter.

After getting over the shock of Freila’s marriage, I joined in on the party and began playing with the kids. Perhaps thanks to Freila vouching for me, they warmed up to me pretty quickly and I was able to get past the initial barriers between us in no time.

Now, I’m playing Horsey with some of them, giving them piggyback rides as I run around the courtyard.

It’s pretty tiring, but I don’t mind. I don’t know how to talk to kids or anything, so if this alone makes them happy, I’m just glad. As long as my body holds up, that is.

“Hey, girls. Mamoru must be getting tired. How about you let him rest for a bit? Come in and have some juice too.”

Freila appears just in time for the save and softly gets the kids to give me some room.

““Okay~!””

They all obediently follow her directions and scamper back into the orphanage.

With that, it’s just me and Freila out here for a bit.

“Phew… man, kids have so much energy.”

“Fufu, good work. Here take a seat. And have some juice too.”

She motions for me to sit next to her on the patio and hands me a bubbly yellow liquid.

Oh, it’s delicious. I wonder what kind of fruit this is. Tastes like a fusion of lemon and orange.

“Oh. You’re sweating like crazy, Mamoru. Here, wipe your face.”

“Oh thanks… wait, is it okay for me to use this handkerchief? It’s yours, right?”

“Don’t worry. I carry multiple around with me at all times.”

She gives me a thumbs up as she pulls out another one and uses it to freshen herself up.

Following her lead, I do the same with just a little guilt and awkwardness.

“You know, I appreciate the juice and handkerchief and all, but you don’t have to look after me so much. This is your party. You should just be having fun.”

“Fufufu, don’t worry about that. I’m having plenty of fun. Just seeing you getting along with the kids makes me elated.”

I wonder how true that is. She certainly does seem genuinely happy. But still, shouldn’t she be more focused on her own enjoyment on a day like this?

“Say, Freila, do you have any hobbies?” I ask out of curiosity.

“Hobbies? Well… I love cooking, of course. I enjoy gardening too. And… I’m also rather fond of reading.” She answers thoughtfully.

“Oh, reading? Me too.”

“Really? I never would’ve guessed.”

“Hahaha, I guess I don’t look like the type. Actually, my little brother was a huge bookworm. I just got it from him.”

Back home, my little brother was a huge indoorsy type who had nothing better to do, so he would read books like crazy. He’d read and reread his favorites over and over again, until he got bored of them and passed them over to me. I basically had no choice but to become a big reader at that point.

In fact, he’s the one who got me into light novels. He always loved fantasy world stories and basically forced me to like them too. Well, with this personality, I guess I was always suited for that genre anyways.

“I see. I didn’t peg you for an older brother … But that must be nice. Sharing an interest with your sibling. What kind of books do you like to read?”

“Oh, well… probably nothing you’d know. Hahaha.”

Yeah, can’t exactly tell her about novels from my world, can I?

“Oh, that’s true. I forgot you’re from the East. You must not know any of the books popular here in Gabritannia.”

“Y-yeah…”

And I still have no idea what that backstory implies about me.

“In that case, I can recommend some to you. That way we can share our thoughts on them with each other.”

“Really? You would do that for me?”

“Of course. Or rather, it’s all part of my plan. I’ll make you read the things I like and convert you to all my fandoms, so I can have someone else around who I can talk to about them. Hehehe~”

She cackles mischievously, tapping her fingers together like an evil cartoon magistrate.

Sorry, Freila. Even when you’re trying to act devious, you just look super cute and sweet.

“Well if that’s the case, I’m glad…” I let out a sigh of relief.

“Hm? What do you mean?” She wonders.

“Well, you see… I guess I was worried you didn’t have any interests for yourself. You seem like the type who’s always looking after others, so I was concerned you never did anything fun on your own.”

“What? Geez. You make me sound like I’ve got no life. I have things I enjoy doing too.”

She pouts cutely, clearly not actually that mad.

“Yeah, I know. I know that now. I was just… worried. I mean, it’s the day before your wedding. On such a day, shouldn’t you be having fun and doing whatever you want with your friends?”

Instead, she’s here baking a cake for orphans. She even went out of her way to take care of me. It’s like she’s sparing no care for herself.

Yet, saying this only seems to make Freila pout even more.

“Geez, geez, you really don’t get it at all, Mamoru. Isn’t it obvious?”

She gets up from her seat and stands before me with a confident smile basked in the sun.

“This is me having fun and these are my friends! I wouldn’t want to do anything else for my last day as a single woman!”

Straightforwardly. Sincerely. Amazingly.

She declares it like it is the one truth of the universe.

I see… so that’s how it is. Maybe she isn’t as hopeless as I thought.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. This is definitely the best way to spend your day.”

“Hehe, glad you understand~”

Satisfied, she plops back down next to me.

“Oh. Actually, speaking of my marriage, there was one more thing I wanted to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

“Well…”

Freila’s cheeks turn a little rosy and she looks around to confirm no one else is near before she whispers to me.

“If you ever meet him, could you not tell my husband that we kissed?”

“Phwuh!?”

My entire face turns red in an instant.

That was the last thing I expected her to ask. I thought she hadn’t even noticed or cared about that. But to bring it up now is an unfair sneak attack.

I immediately nod my head vigorously in a flustered response.

“O-of course. Absolutely. I wouldn’t dare. I’m not suicidal.”

“Phew. Thank goodness. I was afraid of it turning into a scandal. He might kill both of us if he found out.”

“Oi, is your husband that scary? Am I in danger just being near you?”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. He’s a nice and kind-hearted guy. But I do think it’s better to keep this under wraps to avoid misunderstand. It can be just our little secret~”

She chuckles somewhat mischievously.

“Oh, but if you want to be safe, perhaps I can ask you to forget it ever happened to begin with?”

“Uhhh… sorry. I can’t promise that. Or rather, there’s no way I could ever forget.”

“Hm? Why’s that?”

“Well, y’know… it was my first kiss…”

I look away as I say it, embarrassed to admit my complete lack of experience.

Ahhh, why’d I say that out loud? Now it’s gonna make things more awkward. She’s gonna think I’m total loser.

“Oh.” Freila gasps with a surprised expression.

But after noticing my reaction, she smiles lightly. As if something mischievous and childish had possessed her, she gives me a cattish look before leaning in dangerously close.

With a sweet, excited tone, she whispers into my ear.

“Actually, it was my first kiss too.”

… … … huh?

Those words echo in my head over and over yet I can’t seem to grasp them.

Did she really just say…? No way…

“Hehe. Remember. Our little secret~”

Freila swiftly gets up and gives me a charming wink before running off.

I am left all alone on the patio to bask in the wake of what she just dropped on me.

When it finally all sets in, I sink my burning face into my hands and let out an exhausted sigh.

Geez… don’t say stuff like that to a guy.

I’ll get the wrong idea…