Editing Kaze no Kishihime v1c4

'''Chapter 4 — Dormitory'''

The next morning…

When Karin opened her eyes, Cendrillon was already awake and eating breakfast.

“Mm… good morning.”

She said this as she started to get up, then suddenly remembered she was only wearing a thin undershirt. She quickly hugged the blanket to herself, letting out a muffled groan.

At that, Cendrillon merely glanced at her.

“Hey, listen.”

“What?”

“I want to change. Could you step outside for a moment?”

Cendrillon stood up. For a moment, it seemed like he was about to leave the room, but he did not. Instead, he walked step by step toward Karin and suddenly grabbed the blanket, trying to pull it away.
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“What! What are you doing! Stop!”

Karin desperately clung to the blanket. Beneath it, she had nothing on but her undershirtno matter how flat her chest might be, if he saw her like that, her identity as a woman would be exposed.

Cendrillon folded his arms and looked down at her.

“How long do you plan on sleeping? What kind of subordinate wakes up later than their superior? I was lenient with you yesterday, but starting today, I will be strict. After all, you are still just a trainee.”

As he said that, he yanked the blanket away.

“Ugh!”

In that instant, Karin became as fast as a gust of wind.

The moment the blanket was pulled away, she snatched up the wand lying beside her and cast a wind spell.

“Whoa!”

The blanket wrapped itself around Cendrillon’s face. In a flash, Karin grabbed her folded clothes, dashed into the bedroom, and slammed the door shut.

Then, in barely five seconds, she changed. The buttons were not even fully fastened yet…

“Hey! What do you think you are doing!”

When Cendrillon opened the bedroom door, Karin had her back to him, frantically fastening her buttons. Once she finished, she turned around.

Her beautiful face was filled with anger.

But Cendrillon remained completely at ease in the face of it.

“I told you already, did I not? I do not like people seeing my body!”

“Oh, you did say that. But so what?”

“What do you mean, ‘so what’?”

She was a young girl, being seen like that was as embarrassing as death itself. But she could not say that out loud, and the frustration building inside Karin became unbearable.

“Th-then name your conditions!”

“My conditions?”

“Yes. From now on, when I am changing, you must absolutely not enter the room. In exchange, I will do anything.”

“Are you serious?”

Cendrillon looked exasperated for a moment, then immediately smiled.

“In that case, I will leave all the housework to you.”

“Housework?”

“Yes. Laundry, cleaning… and shopping as well.”

She had never done housework before, but there was no other choice.

“…All right.” Karin nodded.

When they arrived at Lord Jervul’s residence, it was already crowded early in the morning. Just like yesterday, a rough-looking group gathered, loudly chattering about trivial nonsense.

As Cendrillon and Karin entered the mansion, two familiar faces emerged from the crowd—Bacchus and Narcis.

“Hey, Cendrillon, I heard you are in charge of a trainee.”

As Bacchus said that, he noticed Karin behind him and widened his eyes.

“What? You are the trainee knight?”

“That is right.”

Karin crossed her arms and nodded.

Narcis also widened his eyes.

“H-hey… Cendrillon, are you serious? This one? You are not joking, are you?”

“…No. I wish it were a joke too, but it is not.”

“Speaking of which, brat. You sure ‘took care’ of me the other night.”

Bacchus stepped forward. Karin felt a bit intimidated, but she quickly licked her left hand and then spoke boldly.

“Do you have a problem with that?”

Thinking back, she did lose to Cendrillon, but not to this man. Besides, wasn’t he blown away beautifully by her wind magic the other night?

If this was her opponent, he was nothing.

Karin fixed Bacchus with an extremely cold stare. Being looked at like that by someone as overwhelmingly beautiful as her created a strange, irresistible pressure.

A bead of sweat ran down Bacchus’s forehead.

“Th-this is strange… really strange… why do I feel like this… I…”

Clutching his chest in distress, Bacchus suddenly dropped to his knees before Karin.

“Please allow me to serve you!”

This man, Bacchus, was someone with the rather troublesome ambition of wanting to become “a knight who serves a beautiful princess.” Cendrillon muttered dryly:

“Bacchus, this one is a boy.”

“Ah!” Bacchus snapped back to his senses and immediately stood up.

“That is right… hm. I do not know why I reacted like that… my training is still insufficient.”

“Rather than training, it is more like your brain capacity is insufficient, is it not?”

Karin said coldly, and Bacchus flushed red.

“Hey! You! Think about it, I am your superior! What’s  with that attitude!”

Though Bacchus shouted angrily, Karin did not change her expression at all. She already completely dismissed him.

She stared at him in silence. Her gaze was utterly cold, more like she was looking at a stray dog by the roadside, completely devoid of emotion. A strange silence filled the air. Before long, Bacchus seemed unable to endure it any longer, took a deep breath—

“Haahhh—!”, and once again dropped to his knees.

“Please allow me to serve you!”

“I told you, he is a boy.”

Cendrillon said with a troubled voice.

“Ah! What is happening… my body just moves on its own…”

“You are my friend, but sometimes I genuinely think it would be better if you were dead.”

Then Narcis shook his head in a somewhat alluring manner.

“I see… so now that you have joined, that means the Magic Guard now possesses the two most beautiful people in the history of Tristain. Of course, I am first, and you are second.”

“I do not care about rankings.”

“Anyway! That makes you one of us now! From here on out, let us get along! Boy!”

Laughing heartily, Bacchus threw an arm around Karin’s shoulders, as if he had completely forgotten being blown away by wind magic the other night.

“Your attitude changes quickly for someone after just one day…”

“Well, strong people are popular! They are reliable in battle and duels! Your wind magic was incredible! I was shocked!”

I see… he is a simple, good-natured person, though quite foolish, Karin thought, slightly revising her opinion of Bacchus.

“What a waste that you are a man! If you were a woman, I would immediately serve you! The heavens truly are cruel, to create such irony!”

As he said that, he looked at her with an oddly heated gaze. Being stared at like that by a dull-witted giant filled Karin with intense discomfort, and a faint killing intent stirred within her.

Then Narcis spoke again.

“Second place.”

“What do you mean?”

“Beauty.”

“I told you, I do not care about rankings.”

Hearing that, Narcis shook his head in frustration.

He, too, seemed rather simple at heart.

Karin glanced at Cendrillon. At some point, he moved away and was casually chatting with other members at a slight distance. That effortless composure irritated her for some reason.

He held back.

Just that alone was enough for Karin to be unable to forgive anything about him.

But… looking around, the hall of the mansion was packed with members. They said the numbers were decreasing, so why were there so many people here? As the royal guard, should they not normally be working in the city or out on assignments?

“There sure are a lot of people.”

As she muttered that, Bacchus laughed.

“Well, we have nothing to do, so we just kill time here.”

“Aren’t there various duties? Like guarding His Majesty…”

“Because of the reduced numbers, even the guard duties have been dismissed,” Narcis said with a sigh.

“What did you say?”

They were supposed to be the royal guard, yet it was as if they were told, “You are no longer needed to protect the king.” Was that really acceptable? In other words, the members who should have been stationed at the palace gathered here because they had no work to do.

“No wonder it is so crowded,” Karin muttered to herself.

“Then… who is in charge of guarding His Majesty?”

At that, Narcis and Bacchus both grew serious.

“…The Duke of Estashu’s personal guard.”

I see, the pure white Unicorn Corps is the one protecting the king… that certainly is a formation worthy of guarding His Majesty.

…I still want to join them.

She was lost in thought when— 

“What is that look? Like you would rather be over there,” Bacchus teased.

“N-no, that is not the case,” she said, a bit flustered.

“Ah, those people are all just for show,” Narcis said as if he knew everything.

“You are talking about yourselves, are you not?”

“Anyway, that is why we just spend all day killing time. Ahh, is there nothing fun to do?”

“We really are bored.”

Karin muttered gloomily.

But only the official knights could afford to idle around. For Karin, who was merely a trainee, there were all sorts of chores waiting for her. First of all, she had to go to the stables behind the mansion to take care of the mounted beasts tied there.

The members of the Magic Guard each had their own mounts—manticores, hippogriffs, and griffins… If they were personal familiars, it would not be so troublesome, but ordinary riding beasts were a complete nightmare.

No matter how one looked at it, they were unruly, and up close, every single one had a ferocious appearance that made them frightening. When she brought them chunks of food, they would roar loudly and nearly bite Karin along with it.

After feeding them came the cleaning. Whether they wanted to play or something else, whenever Karin approached, the beasts would lick her, claw at her, and even try to bite her, leaving her completely disheveled.

In any case, taking care of these creatures was extremely troublesome. Karin hasn’t yet summoned her own familiar, but if she ever ended up with something like this, it would be a disaster. Just the cost of meat alone would be enormous. No wonder trainees were not given a salary, Karin thought.

After taking care of the beasts, next came cleaning the mansion.

Since she had been working alone the entire time, she asked Acting Captain Vivian whether there were no other trainees, and the answer was yes.

Apparently, it was because most could not endure the harsh life of a trainee and quickly quit. On top of that, the current state of the Magic Guard was very deplorable, as she saw.

It seemed she joined at quite a disastrous time.

And then, by evening…

Karin returned to Cendrillon’s room, completely exhausted, but more work was waiting for her.

She had all the housework to herself.

Since it was in exchange for the condition that he would leave the room when she changed, there was nothing she could do. But once she actually started doing it, she began to regret it. This deal really did not seem to worth it…

Since he lived here alone, the living room was not too bad, but the bedroom was terrible. First of all, between the bed and the wall there was a pile of unwashed clothes, like a small mountain.

She did not even want to touch them, but she had no choice but to endure it and carry them to the shared water area behind the building. However, she had never done laundry before and had no idea how to do it. Even poor nobles usually hired a few servants.

For now, she filled a bucket with water, threw the clothes in, let them soak, then took them out and wrung them dry. She was not entirely sure, but it should be something like that.

As she continued this process, she suddenly came across something outrageous, and her eyes shot wide open. Wrapping it in a towel, she rushed back into the room and shoved it at Cendrillon, who was sitting in a chair reading.

“Hey! You! What is this!”

Cendrillon glanced at it.

“Oh, it is just underwear,” he said casually.

“Do not make me wash something like this!”

Karin threw the undergarment at him. Cendrillon peeled it off his face and replied in an annoyed tone.

“It is laundry. Of course there is going to be underwear.”

“How am I supposed to wash that! I do not even want to touch it!”

“I accepted your condition. If you are a noble, then you should honor your word.”

At that, Karin had nothing she could say. Dejected, she took it back. However, there was no way she could wash something like that with her hands.

After casting a wind spell, she threw it into the water. That way, the clothes could be agitated and washed as they were spun around.

As she watched the clothes turning, her irritation gradually began to rise.

Why do I—Karin Désirée de Maillart—have to wash that man’s underwear…!

“He held back… He ''held back''!”

“He—he ''insulted'' a sacred duel!”

“He trampled—trampled my pride into the ground, completely!”

“What the hell! Acting all superior! You are only four years older than me!”

Even as she shouted, her agitation did not settle, if anything, it only grew stronger. Karin’s frustration turned into pressure, whipping up into a gust of wind, until even the water in the bucket churned like a storm.

“Wah!”

She hurriedly weakened the spell, but it was already too late.

A shirt was torn apart.

“The shirt tore… but it is not my fault. It was already worn out.”

She reported it awkwardly, and Cendrillon’s expression immediately changed.

“Which shirt?”

Faced with that intensity, Karin instinctively shrank back. There was a faint sharpness hidden in those usually drowsy-looking eyes.

“…This one.”

When she reluctantly held up the torn shirt, Cendrillon seemed to relax.

“I see. Be more careful.”

He stood up, walked over to the wardrobe, checked inside, and took out a shirt. It was just a plain white one, nothing special, but he looked at it with clear care.

At that moment…

There was something warm in his distant, unfocused gaze. Karin could not help widening her eyes.

“…………”

After staring at the shirt for a while, he quietly put it back.

“The shirts in here do not need washing. I do not wear them anyway.”

“G-got it.”

Cendrillon sat back down and resumed reading. With nothing to do, Karin dropped onto the bundle of straw and watched him.

Where exactly was that strength hidden in this absent-minded man?

Cendrillon seemed to be quite the reader. In the living room stood three large bookshelves, all packed with difficult-looking books.

On the wall opposite the shelves was a fireplace, and above it was a wand on display. Just from its design, one could tell it was both old and expensive.

Sitting beneath it and reading, Cendrillon looked like a scholar. But the moment he picked up a wand, he became a first-rate fighter. Karin had personally realized that during their duel. Back in the countryside, there was no one that skilled.

He really was the ideal noble, refined in both intellect and martial ability…

That was the impression he gave off in silence.

And yet, he lived in this creaking, run-down place.

Just who was this man?

Karin found herself wondering.

About a week later, Karin had gradually grown used to living with Cendrillon, and had also managed to gather some of the things she needed.

First was sleepwear.

To save money, she hesitantly borrowed one of Cendrillon’s undershirts. Compared to her, it was far too large, hanging off her like a nightgown. She hated the idea of wearing that man’s clothes, but there was no alternative.

Next was a chair.

This one she brought from Lord Jervul’s residence, something that was already discarded. It was a small folding chair, probably meant for outdoor use, perhaps even for the battlefield. But for someone as small as Karin, it was more than enough.

And little by little, she began to understand what kind of person Cendrillon was.

Basically, he had no interest in other people. As long as Karin quietly did the housework, he would not say anything unnecessary, and as promised, he always left the room when she was changing.

Karin was grateful for that indifferent attitude. It was best that he did not pry into her affairs.

However, there were still three things that dissatisfied her.

The first was the food.

Karin was still growing, and if possible, she wanted to eat something better. But in this house, the meals consisted of nothing but hard bread and bean soup, day after day. At first, she wondered if it was some kind of bullying or mistreatment, but Cendrillon ate the same thing.

She had once asked him why.

The answer was simple.

“I do not have money.”

I see. There was nothing of value anywhere in this room.

Well, I guess I'll just have to accept it.

And the second thing was alcohol.

Cendrillon spent most of his time reading, but as he did, his hand would absentmindedly reach for the glass on the table.

Then he would bring it to his lips and drink.

While reading, he repeated that motion over and over again.

It was not wine, but a rather strong liquor. It seemed to be distilled from the leaves of some Yomongi tree, with a distinctive scent and color.

In any case, Cendrillon drank that strong liquor as if it was water. Bottles of the same brand were piled up on the shelf like a small mountain, and several empty ones were scattered in the corner.

When she saw him at the tavern before, he was drinking in the same way.

It was not the way someone drank for enjoyment. The more he drank, the more he fell silent, as if the world had already ended, pressing his thumb against his forehead with a troubled look.

Karin always thought drunkards were supposed to be loud and cheerful, so the way Cendrillon drank felt strangely unfamiliar to her.

As she stared at him, Cendrillon noticed her gaze and looked up.

“What?”

“Even if you do not have money for food, you still have money for alcohol?”

“Yes. Because this is a necessity.”

Is that not backwards? she thought, but he probably understood that himself. In simple terms, he just could not live without alcohol.

“You drink a lot.”

“Yes.”

Cendrillon answered plainly.

“You must like it.”

“Not really.”

It did not sound like something he enjoyed.

And then… before long, he would prop his elbow on the table and doze off. If he fell asleep in the living room, it would be troublesome, so Karin would help him up and carry him to the bedroom.

Every time she did that, she would think, ''why did I lose to someone like this?'' and feel deeply frustrated.

And finally, the last thing she disliked… was his attitude.

Cendrillon showed no interest in Karin at all. At first, he would scold her now and then, but at some point—perhaps he had given up—he stopped saying anything altogether.

It seemed he saw her as just a child and could not be bothered dealing with her. Karin could not forgive that attitude no matter what, and it always left her irritated.

Her worry about being exposed as a woman had lessened, so there should have been no reason to complain, but it still angered her. Even a drunk like him treated her like a child. Karin was filled with a humiliating sense of frustration.

And then, one day…

As usual, after laying the passed-out Cendrillon on the bed, Karin suddenly felt her hand being gently grasped.

“What—!”

Her heart jumped for a moment. It was the kind of grip one might use to hold a lover’s hand. And besides, it was the first time she had ever had her hand held by a man, her heart nearly leapt out of her throat.

But it seemed he was only half-asleep from the alcohol, and his grip quickly loosened. This guy… Karin trembled with anger.

What did he think he was doing, grabbing a girl’s hand like that!

She felt the urge to hit him, but since he usually did not pry into her affairs, she wanted to avoid being asked, “Why are you getting angry over something like this?”

Then she would just go back to the living room

“…Na.”

Cendrillon seemed to murmur something, then began snoring.

“…………”

I must have imagined it…

For a moment, it had sounded like he called her by her real name.

That could not be possible. There was no way Cendrillon could know it. In front of him, the name “Karina” was never once spoken.

Karin looked at his sleeping face. Sharp yet delicate features… he looked older, but he was only nineteen.

Why did he drink so much?

The question crossed her mind.

Was there some reason? Did it have something to do with that weary, world-worn air about him?

…No point thinking about it. It did not matter.

Karin crawled into her straw bed.

So this is what the knight’s life I dreamed of is like…

A faint sadness settled in her chest.

It was expected, but no one was kind to her. Everyone was strict, always pushing troublesome work onto her, and every day was filled with chores. There was no time at all for training.

It looks like days like this will go on forever… without even a single day to rest…

Images of her warm home in the countryside rose in her mind, her kind parents, her cheerful siblings… She almost started to cry, and Karin pinched her cheeks hard with her fingers.

She must not cry.

She left home with the resolve to become a knight. When she imagined herself in shining armor, riding a magnificent beast, for some reason the image that came to mind was the Unicorn Corps she saw before. If she was going to join anywhere, it had to be there… she could not help thinking that.

…Ah, I really need to earn some merit soon.

Or make a name for myself in a duel!

Once she became a knight, Cendrillon would surely stop treating her like a child. And when that happened, she would defeat him with everything she had. Imagining the look of frustration on his face, Karin let out a small, private laugh.

But…

Each day passed in the same dull routine.

No chances to earn merit, no events to make a name for herself—nothing happened at all.

Was she really going to remain stuck here like this…?

A sense of sadness crept over her.

However, that opportunity came sooner than she expected.