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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: A Drunken Confession
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[See? Told you they’d be here getting wasted.]
[This brings back memories. Lady Lian used to get just as drunk as them back in the day.]
[He’s about to start crawling on all fours, isn’t he? Fucking hilarious. Is booze really that good? Gnome, wanna try some?]
[…….]
Luspell never showed up, even after the appointed time.
Furious that my day had been wasted, I sent someone to the Academy.
But when they couldn’t find Luspell there either, I started to get anxious.
I was worried he might have gotten himself into some kind of trouble again.
If Undine hadn’t mentioned Charles’s Beer as a place Luspell might be, I would have ended up searching the entire capital in the middle of the night.
In any case, I came here half-doubting, but I never imagined I’d actually find them like this.
“What a sight.”
Leonhart was passed out on the table, while Luspell was unconscious, having crawled underneath it.
He was clutching tightly to Leonhart’s leg.
He could have at least slept gracefully on the table like Owen. What a mess, lying on the filthy floor like that.
“It’s certainly strange.”
For them to be this dead to the world, men who could usually hold their liquor so well.
“Just how much did they drink?”
Sure enough, several beer kegs were rolling around next to the table. It looked like they had drunk the entire establishment dry.
“Are they insane…? Were they trying to drink themselves to death?”
Charles’s Beer was a regular haunt of mine back when I was Adela.
The craft stout they sold here tasted similar to the canned beer I used to love, so I came here often.
Before they met me, these guys were young masters who had never even touched beer.
They didn't even like it at first.
‘As if the commoners’ drink would suit their pampered palates. They only went along with it because I liked it.’
Luspell, in particular, used to scowl whenever I suggested we go for a beer.
To think they now liked beer so much that they’d gather to drink it on their own, without me.
The passage of time hit me anew. I felt a little left out, too.
‘Ah, the smell of beer after so long. It’s heavenly.’
I swallowed hard.
I want some, too…
As I stared at the heavy pint glass, Charles approached me cautiously.
I quickly pulled my hood down to hide my face.
“Excuse me… miss, I’m terribly sorry, but we’re all out of alcohol. Please visit us again another time.”
“They seem to be drinking just fine.”
“Ah, they’re an exception. They’ve rented out the entire establishment to commemorate the deceased.”
“Commemorate? Did someone die today?”
Charles’s expression turned peculiar, as if he couldn’t believe I didn’t know what day it was.
“You must have forgotten. Today is the fifth anniversary of the day the hero, Lady Adela Helsington, passed away.”
“Uh…?”
“No matter how busy life gets, we must not forget the hero who gave her life for us. Though we can’t all be like those gentlemen, who rent our pub every year to honor her memory.”
Charles delivered a long speech with a solemn expression.
It was mostly praise for me, but honestly, I didn’t hear a word of it.
‘Today is the day I died.’
I just blinked blankly before asking again.
“Wait… every year?”
“At the very least, as a human being, yes?”
“I mean them. They do this here every year?”
“Ah, yes, well, that’s right…?”
The happiest day for me since I was transmigrated was this very day, five years ago.
But for them, today must be the most painful day of the year.
‘What am I going to do with you all?’
Charles suddenly stopped his speech and asked cautiously.
“But… you refer to them very casually. Are you… acquainted?”
“I’m… their friend.”
“What? A f-friend? With… with them? B-but I’ve never seen you before, miss.”
“I was away for a while. I only just came back.”
“Ahh! So that’s why you didn’t know what day it was…”
I walked past Charles, who was busy surprising himself and then coming to his own conclusions, and sat down in an empty seat.
“H-hey! W-wait a moment, miss!”
“What is it?”
“Even if you’re their friend, I don’t think you can join them. That gentleman asked me not to let anyone else in… And as you can see, the three of them are in no state to hold a conversation. Honestly, they probably wouldn’t even recognize you.”
“I’m not here to talk. I’m just going to watch.”
“What? No, if that’s the case, you could come back another day…”
“It has to be now.”
Because I can only comfort them when they can’t recognize me.
I took out my coin purse and tossed it to Charles.
Charles snatched the purse out of the air as it flew in an arc.
“I’ll just sit for a moment and then leave.”
“But…”
“I won’t do anything. You can watch me if you’re suspicious.”
After a moment of hesitation, Charles handed the coin purse back to me.
“Please, put this away. I’m sure the three of them will understand, seeing as their friend has returned after so long. Say… would you like some beer? I think I can spare a glass or two.”
“A glass of the craft stout, please.”
“Oh? You really must have been to my pub before. To ask for the stout right away.”
“Mm… a few times, a long time ago.”
A moment later, Charles brought me the beer.
“Take your time. Our beer is a little stronger than most.”
“I know.”
I stared at the beer for a moment before taking a sip. A sharp taste, along with a rich floral aroma, filled my mouth.
“Still delicious.”
I slowly savored the beer, silently comforting my friends who were grieving my death.
I couldn’t tell them I was Adela, or even greet them warmly.
I could never express how much I had missed them, how much I had longed to see them.
Sitting here for a moment like a thief, taking advantage of a time they won’t even remember.
This was all I could do.
When I was about halfway through my beer, the spirits’ dejected voices echoed in my head.
[Lian, are you upset?]
[Are you sad that they do not recognize you, Lady Lian?]
[Fuck, did our contractor force-feed these guys booze? They’re the ones who chugged it all, so why are you upset? Right, Gnome?]
[…It’s okay, Lian.]
Gnome, comforting me? What a surprise. Do I really look that pathetic?
I smiled bitterly and finished the rest of my beer.
I should probably get going. I didn’t know when one of them might sober up.
Thanks to their powerful abilities, they got drunk slowly, but they sobered up incredibly fast.
I finished my beer cleanly and set the glass down.
“Ah…”
Whether it was because I hadn’t had a drink in so long or because Adrian’s body was a lightweight, my head was spinning after just one glass.
I gripped the table and shook my head.
Just as I was fumbling to leave some money for the beer and stand up, a low voice spoke.
“Adel, you’ve got foam on your lip.”
“…!”
My breath caught in my throat.
Leonhart, who must have woken up at some point, was staring intently at me.
No matter how drunk he got, Leonhart never showed it on the outside.
He spoke clearly, and his complexion was the same as always.
But I knew.
I knew how to tell just how drunk Leonhart was.
“Leona.”
“Yes, Adel.”
“What illness did you have when you were a child?”
“Asthma.”
“Who do you hate the most?”
“Adrian Ivrante.”
“How drunk are you?”
“Very.”
Leonhart’s dark eyes curved into a beautiful smile.
When he was drunk, Leonhart had the endearing habit of answering any question truthfully. When he was completely wasted, he would just fall asleep.
And for him to wake up from sleeping like that, smiling dazedly while being so honest, meant he was in a state of blackout.
I clutched my chest in relief.
“Geez, you scared me. My heart almost stopped.”
“Were you surprised? Why?”
“Ah… it’s nothing. There’s just something I’d be in trouble for if I got caught.”
“Sorry, I don’t know what you mean.”
“It’s fine if you don’t.”
“Should I wipe your lip for you?”
“Huh?”
“The foam. It’s bothering me.”
“W-wait…”
Leonhart reached out and wiped the foam from my lip.
He casually licked the foam from his thumb and gave me a dazzling smile.
“Delicious.”
The alcohol rushed to my head in an instant.
Even after all the times I’d drunk with Leonhart, nothing like this had ever happened.
I was so flustered I didn’t know how to react.
I just sat there dumbly before blurting out.
“You… I-I told you not to smile like that!”
“Yes, you did.”
“My, my, Leona is so good at answering. I told you, other people might misunderstand and think you like them! A man needs to be proper!”
“But what can I do when just looking at you makes me smile?”
“And saying things like that with that face is against the rules! Have you no shame? You’ll make me misunderstand, too!”
“Misunderstand me. Please, misunderstand me.”
“Uh…?”
Leonhart reached out and cupped my cheek. His hand slid gently to the back of my neck, pulling me closer.
His hot lips brushed against the shell of my ear.
“But Adel, it’s not a misunderstanding.”
