“Geez. You can be so mean sometimes, Satsuki.” Miharu stopped resisting and turned in her seat to look up at Satsuki with a rare pout.
“Ahaha, I’m sorry. It’s been so long since the last time I saw you... I just had to have some skin-to-skin contact with you. Which means it’s Aki’s turn next, yes?” Satsuki said, turning to look at Aki, who had been watching their exchange.
“I-I’m fine as is!” Aki covered her body with both hands, shaking her head in a fluster.
“Ahaha, I see. That’s too bad,” Satsuki giggled.
“You’re exactly the person that Miharu and the others described to us, Satsuki.” Celia smiled with a giggle.
“Really? Hmm, I wonder what kind of things they said.” Satsuki grinned, whispering into Miharu’s ear.
“I-I didn’t say anything weird!” Miharu clarified in a fluster.
“It’s okay, I know. Anyway, Haruto and Masato must be two happy people. Being able to live here surrounded by so many cute girls,” Satsuki said, turning around to look around at all the girls in the bathroom.
“Ahaha, it’s a house full of women, so we might actually be causing them more mental exhaustion than anything,” Celia said with a faint smile.
“Maybe for Haruto, but you don’t need to say anything nice about Masato. He’s weak to older, beautiful women,” Aki said with a sigh.
“That’s boys for you. It can’t be helped. And aren’t women weak to handsome men too? Men like Haruto.” Satsuki giggled as she brought up Rio as an example, making some of the girls flinch. A fair number of them did, actually.
Hmm. Haruto said there was nothing romantic going on at all in this house, but could he be... No, he’s very clearly thickheaded, isn’t he? Satsuki thought to herself.
◇ ◇ ◇
After their bath, Satsuki and the others continued their conversations until it was finally time for Satsuki to return to her room at the castle. All of the occupants of the house gathered out front to send Rio, Miharu, Satsuki, and Aishia off.
“I’m so sorry for intruding and making such a fuss in the middle of the night. But I’m honestly so glad to have met everyone. Thank you very much,” Satsuki said in parting, facing the residents of the stone house and bowing her head deeply.
“Come again anytime, Satsuki!” Latifa called out. She had grown a lot closer to Satsuki in the short time they had spent together.
“Yes. Let’s all take a bath together again,” Celia said cheerfully.
“Hopefully we’ll have more time to talk next time,” Sara added.
“Next time, we’ll have a meal prepared!”
“It’ll probably require sneaking out at night like today, so that would be bad for the figure... Well, maybe something light would be fine,” Orphia and Alma added.
“Please do! If there’s another chance, I’d love to visit again! I’ll be relying on you two to make it happen again, Haruto and Aishia,” Satsuki replied happily, then shot a teasing wink at Rio and the others.
◇ ◇ ◇
Afterward, Rio and Aishia returned Miharu and Satsuki to the tower of the castle, entering Satsuki’s chambers through the balcony. Incidentally, Aishia made as though she was returning to the stone house when she returned to Rio in her spirit form.
However, dawn was already upon them, and sleeping right now would make it quite difficult to get up when it was time to be woken up, so Satsuki used her quick wit. There were guards in the passage outside her quarters, so she informed them that she’d stayed up too late that night, and that she wanted to sleep until midday in preparation for the banquet. Having secured enough time to sleep, Satsuki, Miharu, and Rio retreated to their rooms.
“Good night then, Haruto.”
“Good night, Haruto.”
Satsuki and Miharu headed for the same bedroom.
“Yes, good night.” Rio headed for another bedroom alone and sat down on the bed. He proceeded to take off his shoes and flop backwards.
Today was a little tiring... though that’s to be expected, Rio thought vaguely.
“Haruto.” Aishia suddenly appeared in her material form before Rio.
“Thanks for today, Aishia. You must be tired too — you should get some rest.” Rio wasn’t particularly surprised, replying as though he expected Aishia to be there.
“I have something to say,” Aishia said, revealing the reason for her sudden materialization.
“What is it?” Rio cocked his head and asked, as though he expected something when she had gone out of her way to appear.
“It’s about Miharu.”
“...Go on,” Rio said slowly.
“Will you tell her? About being Haruto,” Aishia asked bluntly.
“I guess you saw through me after all, huh? That’s right — she’s met up with Satsuki again, so I think it’s about time to do it. I’ll tell them about how, at worst, they might not be able to return to Earth, and everything about me. I can’t stay silent about it forever,” Rio said, looking gloomy in self-depreciation.
“Miharu wants to be with you, Haruto.”
“Miharu wants to stay with everyone, not me.”
“But you’re definitely included in that,” Aishia said smoothly.
“If so... I’d be happy... But...” Rio said sadly, a conflicted expression on his face.
“Do you think you’re not allowed to be with Miharu?” Aishia read what Rio was about to say and said it first.
“...I’m trying to enact revenge. Anyone too close to me may get dragged into it. It’d be best to have her live somewhere safe, no?” Rio said guiltily, as though he was giving an excuse.
“Don’t you want to keep Miharu with you as well? Don’t you want her by your side?”
“I can’t turn back anymore. That’s why I can’t get too deeply involved with Miharu,” Rio replied, neither confirming nor denying her statements.
“Miharu said she wanted to stay with you, Haruto.”
“That’s because Miharu doesn’t know my true self yet. I’m not the Amakawa Haruto Miharu knows right now.”
“Haruto is Haruto. Even with your previous life as Haruto mixed into your current personality, you’ve inherited the essence of that Haruto,” Aishia said encouragingly.
“Thanks, Aishia,” he said with relief in his expression.
Aishia walked up to Rio and gently placed her hand against his cheek. “When you tell Miharu the truth, make sure you listen to her words properly. The same for everyone else. Even if you’re scared, you can’t run. Listen to what they say to you carefully.”
“...All right.” Rio gave an anxious smile and nodded his head slowly.
“Then all that’s left is for you to tell Miharu and everyone else the truth,” said Aishia.
“...Either during the banquet, or afterward. If there’s a chance, I intend on telling her. There’s a lot of things I need to do, but once everything’s settled, I’m going to start searching for that man seriously,” Rio said a little hesitantly, before taking a deep breath, as if in resolve.
Chapter 5: Banquet, Day 1
Thanks to the plenty of rest they got after returning to the castle, Rio and the others were able to welcome the first day of the banquet in perfectly alert condition. Shortly after they got up at midday, a light meal was brought to their dining room to serve as breakfast and lunch, which the three of them ate.
“Before we dig in, let me tell you the plans for today that were passed on to me. We’ll be preparing for attendance at the banquet in the dressing room after this, but Miharu and I will take longer to get dressed up, so we’ll be separated for a while. Haruto, once you’re done changing, you’ll be meeting up with Liselotte. The details will be given to you by your assigned guide, so ask that person anything you have questions about,” Satsuki informed Rio. Servants of the castle had brought a light meal to their room earlier and passed that message onto Satsuki.
“Understood. Please look after Miharu before and during the banquet.” Rio smiled with a nod, lookin
g at Miharu.
“Of course. But it’ll be your role to escort Miharu during the banquet, so make sure you fix yourself up real handsomely to be worthy of standing next to her.” Satsuki puffed up her chest and winked at Rio to urge him on.
◇ ◇ ◇
Several hours later, Rio changed into his formalwear early and was led to the waiting room of the hall for social events, which was adjacent to the royal castle. He entered the waiting room to see the members of the Duke Cretia family present.
“Hello, Haruto. Good to see you again.” The head of the family, Cedric Cretia welcomed Rio warmly.
“I apologize for my tardy arrival. Thank you very much for your hospitality yesterday. I’m also very sorry for causing an inconvenience by suddenly changing our plans. Please forgive me,” Rio said, placing his right hand over his chest and bowing his head deeply.
“Hahaha, how sincere. There’s no need to let it bother you. It was an order from His Majesty and the hero, after all. No one imagined you’d be invited to stay in the hero’s quarters, but it’s fine. Now, come this way. I shall introduce you to the family members you haven’t met. This is my son George and his fiancée, Colette,” Cedric said, inviting Rio over to the sofa where they were seated. There, seated beside Liselotte and Cedric’s wife Julianne, was a young man in his twenties and a girl in her mid-teens, each wearing formal outfits.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Liselotte’s older brother, the second son of the Cretia family, George. It’s an honor to meet the rumored hero. Thank you for saving my little sister from her predicament.” George stood up and introduced himself to Rio cheerily.
“I’m Lord George’s fiancée, Colette Valier. I’ve heard Sir Haruto is the same age as me—it’s very nice to meet you.” Colette also stood up, pinching the hem of her dress in a graceful greeting.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Haruto. I unfortunately do not have a last name I can offer you, but I ask that you treat me well today nonetheless,” Rio said respectfully with his right hand over his chest.
“No one here will look down on you for not being of nobility. Please, have a seat,” Cedric said warmly.
“Thank you very much. Excuse me, then.” Rio approached the sofa where Cedric’s family was gathered.
“Sir Haruto, your outfit suits you very well,” Liselotte complemented, then offered Rio the seat beside her. “Please, sit here.”
“I’m honored. I purchased this from a Ricca Guild branch, actually. I’m sure you’ve heard this many times already, but you look very beautiful today, Lady Liselotte.” Rio smiled as he praised Liselotte. She was truly a lovely sight all dressed up — elegant and somewhat mystical. Her pale blue hair that reached her back was set in an upswept style, held in place with a rose hair brooch. Furthermore, her dress was an even paler shade of blue, matching her similarly-colored hair. A large ribbon was attached to her back in a way that resembled another rose. There was no doubt she would attract the attention of all the men present as soon as she entered the banquet.
“Why, thank you very much.” Liselotte smiled happily.
“Oh? It’s rare to see Liselotte this shy,” her brother said with a teasing smile.
“George?” Liselotte looked at him cheerfully.
“Hahaha, pretend you didn’t hear that, Haruto.” George laughed loudly to cover up his comment.
Liselotte pouted faintly, then pulled herself together. “Geez. That aside, how was your stay in Lady Satsuki’s chambers?”
“Yes, we had the privilege of chatting about many things. Lady Satsuki was also delighted to be reunited with Miharu and be able to speak to her again. She said it was all thanks to your efforts, Lady Liselotte,” Rio said. For the record, Liselotte wasn’t aware of their plans to sneak out of the castle.
“That’s good to hear, but I was merely the mediator. If anything, I was given the chance to meet the hero before the banquet through you, Haruto, so I was very happy with that,” Liselotte said with a pleased smile.
“I did nothing... but Lady Satsuki was also delighted to be able to talk to you, Lady Liselotte. She seemed to hold quite some interest in the Ricca Guild, so Miharu and I told her all about it.”
“Is that so? Thank you very much.”
To an outsider listening in their conversation would have seemed mundane, but in reality, Rio was informing Liselotte that Satsuki had noticed the secret of the Ricca Guild through his words.
Just then, someone knocked on the waiting room door.
“Oh, that must be Lady Satsuki and Miharu,” Cedric said, prompting Rio and the others to look at the door. The soldier that had been posted before the door entered the room.
“Excuse me. Sir Hiroaki Sakata, Princess Flora Beltrum, and Lady Roanna Fontaine from the Kingdom of Beltrum are requesting permission to give their greetings before the banquet. Shall I allow them entry?”
“Why, if such important people are visiting, we must greet them. Please, let them through.”
“Right away!” At Cedric’s order, the soldier swiftly exited the room and invited Hiroaki and the others inside. Cedric and his family, meanwhile, stood up to await their entrance.
When Hiroaki entered the room and spotted Liselotte, he greeted her with a pleased expression. “Hey, Liselotte.”
Liselotte raised her head. “It’s been three weeks, hasn’t it? Welcome, great hero,” she replied with a smile pasted on her face.
“...Yeah, but that aside...” Hiroaki stared at Liselotte in her dress. He seemed to become a bit shy. “That dress looks really nice on you,” he said in a somewhat flustered tone.
“Thank you. It’s my favorite dress.”
“Huh — is that so. Well, I think it’s cute.”
“Hehe, you flatter me as always. Princess Flora, Lady Roanna — I’m glad to see you are well,” Liselotte replied to Hiroaki with a friendly smile, before turning to address Flora and Roanna cheerfully. Of course, Hiroaki was also in his formal outfit: a pure white military-style suit with gold embroidery.
“I apologize for intruding on your valuable relaxation time. And, umm, it’s nice to see you again too, Sir Haruto.” Flora apologized for the sudden visit while looking around the room in search of someone. When she spotted Rio’s face, she addressed him nervously.
Flora was currently wearing a pale purple dress to match her hair color, which was half-tied up. Her appearance was cute enough to compare favorably with Liselotte.
“It’s been a while, Princess Flora, Sir Hiroaki, Lady Roanna.” Rio showed no particular change in expression as he greeted Flora and the others.
Hiroaki belatedly noticed Rio was beside Liselotte and spoke up with a small shrug. “Ah, I knew you’d be accompanying Liselotte here to this banquet.”
“Both Lady Liselotte and Sir Haruto took great care of us during our stay in Amande. I’m delighted to see you both again.” Roanna grasped the hem of her yellow dress and addressed Liselotte and Rio in a friendly manner.
“No, you helped us out a great deal then too. Is Duke Huguenot doing well?” Liselotte asked, frowning.
“Yes, the injury in his abdomen has healed completely, so he will be in attendance tonight at the banquet. I believe you’ll be able to meet him yourself later,” Roanna informed her.
“I look forward to that. Oh, that aside, allow me to introduce you to my family. This is my father, Cedric, and my mother, Julianne. And this here is my older brother, George, and his fiancée, Colette.”
“I am Cedric, Liselotte’s father and the current head of the Duke Cretia house.” Cedric respectfully placed his right hand over his chest. “I have had the honor of being in the presence of Princess Flora several times while fulfilling my duties as the ambassador of the Galarc Kingdom. It has been a long time since we last met. Furthermore, I believe this is my first time meeting the hero and Miss Roanna.”
“It’s been a long time, Duke Cretia,” Flora said.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Roanna Fontaine.”
F
lora and Roanna both returned the greetings in an experienced manner, acting like the royal and noble ladies they were. Meanwhile —
“Yeah, sure. Oh, I’m Hiroaki Sakata. Nice to meet you.” Hiroaki seemed to be a little nervous in front of Liselotte’s father, as his tone was a bit stiffer than usual as he introduced himself.
“Please don’t feel nervous before me, great hero,” Cedric said in a friendly manner.
“No, it’s my bad. I’m just not very good at speaking politely and there’ll be tons of other kingdom royals in attendance at the banquet, so Roanna warned me to be aware of things like that.” Hiroaki gave a bitter grimace as he looked at Roanna, who heaved a small sigh.
I see. Like Liselotte said, there’s no mistaking that she’s practically acting as the hero’s assistant, Cedric thought, seeing through Hiroaki, Flora, and Roanna’s relationship in an instant.
“However, the one dubbed as hero is an existence on par with the king. While it wouldn’t be favorable to be too disrespectful, I doubt there will be any problems with how you spoke just now,” Cedric said with a sociable smile.
“As expected of Liselotte’s father. You sure get it.” Hiroaki’s mouth turned upwards in a pleased smile. Just then, another knock came from the door.
“Oh, it must be Lady Satsuki and Miharu this time. Enter.” Everyone inside the room turned their gazes towards the door as it opened.
“Excuse me. The hero, Lady Satsuki Sumeragi, her friend, Lady Miharu Ayase, and Princess Charlotte have arrived. Please enter,” the guard said. With the exception of Hiroaki and Flora, everyone present lowered their heads in wait.
“My, this is quite a gathering. And if it isn’t Princess Flora. Long time no see,” Charlotte said.
“It’s good to see you again, Princess Charlotte,” Flora said, bowing. Meanwhile, Hiroaki was entranced by the sight of Satsuki, Miharu, and Charlotte in their dresses, ogling them intently. Satsuki was in a deep purple dress, Miharu was in a pale black dress, and Charlotte was wearing an orange-tinted dress, each emitting a mature feminine charm.
“Everyone, please raise your heads. There’s still a little time before the banquet commences, but I’d like to introduce you all first. This is the hero, Lady Satsuki, and her good friend Lady Miharu,” Charlotte said.
Heroes in the Moonlight Page 14