Dress na Boku ga Yangotonaki Katagata no Katei Kyoushi-sama na Kudan Volume 1 Chapter 8

Even when mom and dad were still alive at the Orlando Kingdom, Glinda had stopped playing with the other kids.

"—Because they steal web content from me."

Glinda just coldly replied, continuing to design her website that I could hardly understand anything of.

"Because they stole."

Hearing this, I felt as if I had been abandoned by Glinda just like the other kids, and felt so pathetic.

"Am I also a thief?"

When I asked while trembling, Glinda coldly looked at me, and said.

"Yes, a thief. But you are my subscriber, so if you would visit my website, I would give you exclusive content I promised."

Even when mom and dad were still alive at the Orlando Kingdom, Glinda had stopped playing with the other kids.

"—Because they are from me."

Glinda just coldly replied, continuing to read a thick old tome that I could hardly make heads or tails out of.

"Because different."

Hearing this, I felt as if I had been abandoned by Glinda just like the other kids, and felt so pathetic.

"Am I also ?"

When I asked while trembling, Glinda coldly looked at me, and said.

"Yes, different. But you are my little brother, so if you would obediently listen to me, I would play with you."

I was as delighted as a little puppy wagging his tail with all my might, nodding: "En!"

"Sigh….. Ahhhhhh! Now is no time to reminiscence about sad memories of childhood!"

I sat on my bed in my western dress, gripping my head and sighing.

Since the day I b.u.mped into Princess Seira and shed tears, three days had gone by.

Due to shame and embarra.s.sment, I could never look her completely in the face during every lesson.

Helmut who returned home the day before calmly said.

"She hasn't threatened you; saying that she would reveal your ident.i.ty immediately if you cannot find the answer, neither has she set a time limit for discovering the solution, right? If that's the case, you can just take your time to patiently figure a way out."

Princess Seira never did set a deadline, and since she had helped me keep my secret to this day, she might just continue to keep mum about it.

But, I had already promised the Queen :"Just leave Princess Seira's issues to me."; And more importantly, Princess Seira seemed to be waiting for her answer, silently applying pressure on me with her icy quiet stare at all times, and scaring me almost into spilling my guts.

"Uwuwu… If the real Glinda were to come to Eren, maybe she would have been very compatible with Princess Seira…"

No, maybe they would have begun their plot to conquer the world together already, so scary.

My mind was filled with illusions of horror, and I was so upset that I could not sit still, running out of my room.

Oh, but if I were to go out to the courtyards, I might b.u.mp into the princess again; as for Anneth, she had just said "I need to deliver something to the publishers.", and went back home, yet to return.

So lonely.

Cold breeze swirled within my skirt.

As I slowly walked with head overcast…

"Hey! Glinda! How dare you just ignore me! Outrageous!"

A furious-looking Sir Jerome appeared in a huff.

"Huh? When have I ever ignored you?"

For someone with such flamboyant dress-sense, pompous and exaggerated att.i.tude, how could I possibly ignore him?

But Jerome just became angrier.

"Huh? Stop playing the fool! Last night when I called at you at the new diner at the Silver Lamb Street, you just coldly stared at me! Even if there was a woman at my sides, b-but don't you misunderstand! That was just a normal girlfriend… no, she's my cousin… no, my elder sister!" (T/N: SKP2017: "way to go, bro... (claps)")

"I did not leave the palace at all yesterday, did you mistook someone else for me…"

"I did not mistake anyone else! The face that looked at me is truly yours!"

Jerome pointed at my face and shouted, then his own face began to redden.

"That, maybe because of the moonlight, you looked more enchanting than normal… I have never thought you lovely before, but for some reasons, the same face in the city felt completely different, so, so I was stunned for a moment, thinking that you looked beautiful…" (T/N: SKP2017: "The moon sure is beautiful today...")

I was shocked breathless.

A girl with the same face as mine, but more beautiful, there could only be one in this entire world!

Could it be that Jerome had b.u.mped into…

At this point, Jerome's uncle, the Chief Minister who saw me as a pain in his sides, strode over in large steps.

"I heard that you have been trying to unearth information about our country, and about our king. You must be a spy from Winstoria Empire!"

"When did that happen?"

"Stop acting as though you know nothing about it! I received reports that, this morning you were at the marketplace, not spending even a single cent and just with sophistry alone, made off with half a dozen eggs, two oranges, a string of sausages, hard bread, squid and roast scallops!"

"I must take my leave!"

I turned and ran when I heard.

"Wait! You trying to escape?!?"

"Glinda! The woman last night is truly only my sister~~~~"

I ignored the shouts that came from behind me.

This morning I had breakfast with the royal family, and then had lessons as normal.

So, there could be no way I could have appeared in the market.

There could be absolutely no doubts about it! Glinda had come to this country! And was very nearby!

I ran back into my room, threw on some craftsman's apparel that I had prepared just in case, tugged my hair under my cap, and put on those pair of spectacles that I had not worn since I got kidnapped by Helmut. These were gla.s.ses that I bought on purpose to hide my face which looked exactly similar to Glinda.

It was no simple feat to enter the castle, with its thick high walls, water-filled moat and guards.

But it was a simple thing to leave it.

I pretended to be a lowly craftsman's apprentice, leaving the castle to buy some stuff for my master.

"Thank you for the hard work. It must had been tough at work with Lana's Day just around the corner, huh?"

The guards chatted with me as they let me pa.s.sed outside.

Once out of the palace, I picked up my legs and began to run.

Where to look for Glinda?

Let's just begin at where the crowd would be. Glinda was so glaringly outstanding that even mere pa.s.sers-by would be deeply impressed by her appearance.

I made my way from my memories of the marathon race, and immediately found a large crowd forming a ring around something.

I tiptoed to try peering in from above their heads.

A clown-themed clockwork toy was being displayed in front of a clock-maker shop. The clown with his hair stuffed on his back hammered on his drums while a dove flew out of the drum with every hit.

This was identical to the toy we had in our home back in the Winstoria Empire, which had been crafted by Glinda when she was just 6.

I pushed through the crowd to ask the shop owner.

"Who made this toy?"

The shop keeper excitedly replied.

"Yesterday, a beautiful young lady came over to our shop and crafted this object in a second. She said that there were some materials she needed, and would exchange them with this."

"Where has she gone to?"

"She asked me the location of the nearest shoemaker, so I directed her to George's shop nearby."

"Thank you!"

I ran over to enquire at the shoe shop…

"Hoho, oh yes, she took a few pieces of top quality leather, and gave me many lovely designs of shoes. She asked me for some pen and paper, and just drew the designs on the spot. How terrific!"

After that, I heard that Glinda went to an antique shop.

Clockmaker, shoe shop, antique shop… Just what did Glinda want?

I followed the map that the shoe maker drew for me, rounding a street corner…

"Ah!"

"Wha! Sorry!"

I clashed heads-on with another who was also walking around the corner, and the objects in her hands fell, flying all over the place.

A large amount of paper flew about, and the two of us quickly tried to pick them all up.

"T-that, it's alright."

The girl I b.u.mped into shyly said in a small voice.

"No, it's my fault entirely for b.u.mping into you in a hurry."

"I am at fault too, for not being careful when rounding the corner. There's no need to help me pick them all up."

"How can I just leave like that?"

What were on these papers? They seemed to be filled with words… A doc.u.ment? Or a diary?

I had actually no intention of sneaking a peak into another's things, but I took a glance by accident, and lost all colour on my face.

 (T/N: SKP2017: "R21+")

"I-it's really alright… I can pick them all up on my own."

I looked up to check out the other person.

Blus.h.i.+ng from head to toe while picking up the pieces was none other than Anneth who had just went home!

That probably meant that, these papers were Anneth's novel? That 'thing' about Helmut being Top and King Cecello being Bottom?

Waaaaaaaah! If they were to be blown away by the wind and seen by other people, all h.e.l.l might break loose~~~

I picked up the papers all over at three times, no, five times the speed, while Anneth watched with widened eyes.

"T-that..."

At that moment, a piece of paper was picked up by the wind and flew towards the path of a pa.s.sing horse-drawn carriage.

"Oh no!"

Anneth let out a cry of dismay.

I kicked against the ground, jumping forward with all my might.

"Ah! Danger!"

I heard Anneth's screams, grabbed the flying piece of paper, and held the rest of the papers close to my chest before hitting the ground and rolling over a few times.

The horse neighed in surprise, and the huge wheels rolled over the stone pavement just beside me.

"Oh… You, are you alright? Have you gotten hurt?"

Anneth ran over and said in a frantic voice.

"Here."

I climbed up and pa.s.sed her the stack of paper with a full-faced smile.

"These things are important, right? Luckily they haven't gotten squashed by the carriage."

If someone were to see these by accident, she might be arrested for disrespect of both Eren Kingdom and the Winstoria Empire, and might even cause an international incident.

Anneth said with a blus.h.i.+ng face.

"Thank you…"

She looked at me with eyes filled with adoration.

"Huh?"

And then tilted her head.

"Looking more carefully, you looked very similar to someone I know."

I was so stunned that my heart nearly leapt out of my mouth.

G-gla.s.ses?... Oh, luckily they were intact on my face.

"Really alike, no matter how you look at it, there has to be some relations.h.i.+p. Have you just arrived from the Winstoria Empire?"

"Haha, I grew up here in Eren. Ho, I am still in a hurry, please excuse me."

"Oh!"

Anneth seemed to want to say something more, but I turned and fled immediately.

Uwah! Did I manage to get away? The next time I meet with Anneth I must be careful not to expose myself!

I ran breathlessly to the antique shop.

"That lady? She had been around here until this morning. She said that she wanted to read an ancient tome in this shop, and completed it all within a single night. How terrifying."

I heard there that Glinda had prescribed a list of herbal medication for the shop owner who suffered from chronic shoulder aches. The shop owner was very satisfied with the results of the medicine after trying it out, and was thus gratified.

Glinda had been here just until this morning?

After that, I ran to the diner that Jerome said that Glinda had ignored him in, as well as the places in the market where Glinda had bought stuff.

Everyone there remembered Glinda, and I heard that she purchased stuff by wagering with the shop owners with scissors-paper-stone, offering to pay ten times the price for loosing but taking the food for free if she won. Naturally, she won them all, and so left with a large pile of food without spending a single cent, going next to the arts museum and the library.

I was getting closer to Glinda!

As the prize in my eyes became closer, my head turned feverish and my chest felt the thumping beats of my heart. (T/N: SKP2017: "That's what we call love...")

Since I was a child, I had always had to rely on Glinda for every single thing.

Every time when I ran into trouble, I would run crying to Glinda; if there were any joyful or sad happenings, Glinda would be the first one I would report to.

Even though Glinda was so cold, she would always listen to me, giving me support.

In the end, Glinda knew every bit about me, but I knew nothing about Glinda.

Glinda would never tell me anything about what was in her heart.

That's right, even three years ago - when we turned fourteen, it was also the same.

One day nearing Lana's day, Glinda sat and played a gentle tune on the piano.

"—Could that possibly be Lana's Day music? Wow! Who are you going to confess to?"

No matter how I asked and cajoled, Glinda would not reveal who that lovely music was dedicated to, nor would she tell me where she would gift this song to anybody.

It was the same this time.

She just disappeared after leaving these words.

How could she just do that! This is preposterous! I must definitely scold her bitterly!

I continued to run while panting profusely.

No matter how fiercely I was to scold her, Glinda would simply carelessly reply "I was just going for a trip, what's the big deal."

Then, I would just dump all my frustrations and bitterness I suffered from all this time on her.

Just like before…

Ohhh! I would finally meet with Glinda again! Everything would be restored!

It was just noon when I departed from the castle, but the sky had somehow turned bright red now without my realising it.

I chased after the trail of Glinda, arriving at last at the port.

Huh, why did it end at the port…

I looked at the sailboat that was anch.o.r.ed there with disquiet in my heart.

When I asked about Glinda from the labourer there…

"You're asking about that lady? She had left on the s.h.i.+p bound for Rubinia, saying that she wanted to get to the Gilian Islands."

I felt darkness falling before my eyes and my entire body went cold.

"How can that be! Glinda!"

It was so close that I thought I could see her! I thought that Glinda came to find me because she was actually worried for me… But in the end she just left without a word!

I shouted towards the sea.

"Glinda! Glinda! Come back!"

"The s.h.i.+p has been gone for over an hour. She won't be able to hear it."

The labourer probably thought that I had been ditched by a girl called Glinda, and so said in a consoling voice.

Glinda abandoned me.

My heart was completely empty, but my body somehow felt like it weighed a ton.

By the time I dragged my feet that felt as heavy as lead back to the palace, it was already night-time.

When I was barred by the guards at the entrance to the palace, I just nonchalantly pulled down my cab and took off my spectacles.

The soldiers, upon seeing my long hair on my shoulders, cried in surprise.

"M-Ms Glinda!"

The crossed spears before me immediately parted.

I emptily walked pa.s.s them.

That's right, Chief Minister Gaston seemed to be suspecting me of being a spy… If he heard about this again, he might think I was out spying again… Muah, whatever.

Upon returning to my own room, I had no energy left to even change back into female clothes, but just sat cross-legged on the bed and scratched my head violently.

Would I be stuck in this place forever?

I did not wish to cross-dress any longer.

I did not want to act as Glinda's replacement any more.

That's because after all my efforts of waiting for her to come back, she just abandoned me.

Since Glinda came to Eren, she must have heard about the news of Ms Glinda in the palace, and definitely realise that that would be me.

But, she never visited me once, but just left behind a big pile of trails, and left Eren. Even if I were to be exposed as fake in Eren and got sent to prison for being an imposter, she would probably not have bothered either.

Something hot began to rise in my throat, and I had a splitting headache.

I don't care about Glinda any more! I want nothing more to do with Glinda for the rest of my life!

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"… It's me. May I come in?"

A flat monotonous voice came in, was it Princess Seira?

I got down from the bed and went to open the door to see those emotionless clear eyes observing me.

What did she come here for?

Princess Seira beheld my craftsman's getup and hair in disarray, but displayed no clue of surprise and just coldly asked.

"… Where did you go to today?"

Had she already known about me leaving the palace?

That un-childlike cool expression reminded me of Glinda, causing temper to rise in me.

"Are you here to check if I have escaped? What business is it of yours wherever I go?"

I was stirred by my own words, and my emotions became more unstable.

Glinda was also like that.

Apparently knowing every single thing about me, but letting me know nothing about herself.

"… it is my business, because I have yet to hear your answer."

This tone that felt as if questioning the results of an experiment, along with the disrespectful use of a simple 'You', drove heat to the very roots of my ears.

Ever since this princess had discovered that I was not Glinda, she no longer called me 'Teacher', but simply addressed me as 'You', as if calling something useless.

I became so angry that I could no longer breathe.

This girl was just like Glinda!

"The answer is ! You have never wanted anything! To , there is no need for anything! You guys have everything, but just wanted to abandon it all and be all alone! You are like that! So is Ophelit!"

So was Glinda!

What these people dreamed off, saw, was the where nothing else lived except themselves!

"Go ahead and expose me as an imposter! After all I am sick and tired of cross-dressing already!"

I shouted in anger, and completely lost control. Princess Seira slightly widened her large amethyst eyes and looked at me defencelessly.

I turned and shut the door, threw the pillow atop the bed, kicked away my shoes, upper coat and pants. Then I took out the dress, corset and pantyhose and threw them onto the bed.

"I've had enough! Booohooo! I've really had enough!"

Wearing just a pair of shorts, I cried non-stop.

When I finally realised the severity of the situation, it was already deep in the night.

After shouting loudly to the maids that "I am not eating!", I had fallen asleep atop of the embroidered western gown.

Now, I sat cross-legged on the bed with both hands holding on my head.

"Uwwaaaaaaaah! What have I said! She is only a child of 9!"

Being abandoned my Glinda was such a severe blow to me that I had completely forgotten about that fact.

When I thought about how the tiny hand that had covered my lips was so small, so fragile and soft…

"Fool! I am such a fool! The worst kind of knave!"

I could not help but began to knock my own head.

To say such horrible things to a child of such small cheeks and soft hands, I was truly no better than a rat! Rubbish child bully! I should just go disappear into a ditch! Even if Glinda and Princess Seira were alike, they were still different people.

To be glared so fiercely at by a transvest.i.te and then angry scolded, she must be really frightened.

If it was Glinda, she might repay me three times in kind, but Princess Seira was probably more defenceless… it m-might even leave a psychological scar…

When I thought back to my mad shouts earlier, and her fragile, lost eyes, I could almost feel knives slicing in my chest. Waaaah~~~~ I was just bullying children~~~~

As I imagined the scene of Princess Seira hiding into a corner, covering her face with both eyes and crying sadly, I was further filled with a sense of guilt.

"Go- go apologise already!"

Now! Immediately! Not one more second of delay!

I was still overwrought, and never considered whether it might be better to wait until later or tomorrow to apologise, as my mind was filled with the images of Princess Seira weeping alone.

Right, let's go to her room, even if it's just to peek from the door outside.

If Princess Seira had already slept, I would just leave her a message.

I placed a note saying "Really sorry for yesterday", and placed it into an envelope, then quickly b.u.t.toned up in a lacy female night gown and combed my hair. Just in case I b.u.mped into someone, I could at least say that I lost my way in the dark while sleepwalking. (T/N: SKP2017: "Nightcrawler's guide, pg 27: how to disguise yourself as a cross-dressing pervert")

Alright, preparations complete.

Relying on the candlelight in the halls, I shuffled forward in the corridor.

The castle at night was a little scary, but pangs of guilt overcame fear, so I could not care any more about that.

Ho, this must be Princess Seira's bedroom.

I gripped the handle and slowly twisted it.

Luckily my current ident.i.ty was female, or I might even be taken to be a night-crawling lolicon… but wait, Princess Seira knew I was male!

No, I was not here to night-crawl, but to apologise and seek forgiveness. I had absolutely no dishonourable intent towards 9 year old girls. (T/N: SKP2017: "Of cos not, that's what all pedos say.")

I profusely explained myself in my heart as I gently opened the door.

In an instant, I was taken breathless.

In the bedroom with pulled-open curtains, moonlight flooded in from the balcony outside.

The floor that had been furnished with soft carpeting was illuminated like a lake of silver, while the patterns on the gla.s.s window cast shadows like a thick forest, glittering all over with tiny sparkle.

The scene within the room was one that was directly ripped out of the fairy tales.

At the centre of this lonely world laid a pile of white object.

That was Princess Seira.

Her body was wrapped in a blanket, back towards me, motionless.

"Your Highness…"

Even though I called her, she did not reply.

I swallowed and moved into the room.

Something small stuck between my feet and the surface of the ground.

Picking it up, I found that it was a crystal bead. So the sparkling glitter I saw was this? But, why were these beads all over the place? They couldn't have fallen from the ceiling chandelier, right?

I felt increasingly uncomfortable, and so went around to the front to steal a glance at her face, thus discovered that the girl who had been clad completely in white and wrapped in a thin blanket was, in fact, weeping in silence.

Her sad eyes were downcast, lips tightened, and tears as round as the crystal beads on the floor were rolling down her cheek.

This doll-like appearance was quieter and calmer than the scenes I had imagined, but the impact of it was a hundred times more tragic and lonely.

"S-sorry!"

I fell to the ground and lowered my head in apology.

"Truly, really sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!"

I apologise continuously.

"As an adult, how could I have said such outrageous things to you! You are not wrong, the fault is with me, all due to my own foolishness! Really, truly sorry!"

Princess Seira continued to cry non-stop.

She pouted, and tears continued to fall from her eyes.

Ohhhh! … Did this child always hide and cry alone? All this time?

And I had thoughtless hurt her. At this time, I was utterly filled with regret, apologising profusely with "Sorry", "You can hit me", "If you would just laugh, I would do anything", "I would even be your slave", "Please, I beg of you, stop crying".

But no matter what I said, the princess did not react.

Like her heart had been s.n.a.t.c.hed away, tears just ran liberally from her eyes.

Perhaps after hearing my words, Princess Seira's spirit had flown off to another world, and I was only left with an empty sh.e.l.l… When I considered this, my heart shattered.

What must I do?

I had no idea that I had caused such deep wounds in her.

As I felt shocked, the blanket wrapped about her body slipped and fell to the ground.

Princess Seira remained motionless, and as I helped to pick up her blanket, I suddenly noticed an open book at her side.

A thick, large book written in ancient language.

That was the book which Princess Seira often carried around close to her chest.

The page which the book had opened to had not only words, but ill.u.s.trations as well. It was the picture of the back of a sage playing a flute in a black cape blown by the wind… This was apparently a replication of the artists' impression of Ophelit as represented in excavations of the ancient ruins.