Editing Maria-sama Ga Miteru:Volume17 Chapter 4 2 (section)

===<noinclude>The Mouth of Truth's Complaint </noinclude>Part 2===

"I have an eyewitness report of Sei-sama."

Mami-san said, while holding her chopsticks like a pen.

"Not just A-san from Sakura class. There are others."

Apparently, Mami-san did not relax in her room during the brief time between returning to the hotel and dinner time. It seems she was gathering intelligence, calling out to students in the lobby, sometimes visiting the rooms of friends in the Sakura and Wisteria classes. Meanwhile, roommate Tsutako-san was in her room, checking remaining quantities of film and carefully going over her camera, just as you'd expect. They were both the "go your own way" type.

"Others?"

Yoshino-san asked, while stuffing her cheeks with stewed vegetables. Tonight was their first Japanese cuisine in a long time. The school knew that they would eventually miss rice, so they incorporated a Japanese restaurant into the plans.

It was not in the spirit of "when in Rome...", and probably heresy, but they were honestly grateful for some food that wasn't cooked in olive oil.

"Some Wisteria class students also saw someone who looks like her at Milano airport. It was quite a topic of discussion amongst the Wisteria class. Someone who looked just like the original Rosa Gigantea walked by."

"At the Milano airport...?"

While listening, Yumi felt like maybe she just might have been there. When she bought the marker pen, the words "Rosa Giganea" had come from a cluster of Wisteria class students. But they weren't talking about Shimako-san.

"And it looks like that was the case even at Narita."

"That was just a similar name, though."

Mami-san herself even admitted that she mistook "Katou" as "Satou." When three people all asserted this at the same time, Mami-san muttered, "I can't say that for sure."

"Now it's not just the same name, but also the same face."

"But, Shimako-san..."

"Yeah. She heard the announcement and said it was Katou-san. But what about the students who said they saw someone who looked like Sei-sama? Do you think it is just a coincidence?"

Too many coincidences. Everyone thought so.

"Sei-sama came to Italy?"

To Yoshino-san's question, Mami-san shook her head and added a correction.

"To Rome"

Rome.

The three people mulled over that word. Sei-sama had come to Rome. Rather suddenly, the mood had shifted.

"What is she up to?"

"A trip, right?"

"What about school?"

"Oh yeah. The university is on post-exam vacation right now."

So there was no problem with the schedule.

"But didn't Sei-sama come to Italy on her school trip? I wonder why she would return to somewhere she had just been two years ago? Wouldn't France or England be better? Because she's spending all that airfare to Europe."

"That's true."

Yoshino-san's argument had an unusually persuasive power.

"So, that person is someone else after all...?"

"Even after hearing about all the people who saw someone who looked like Sei-sama? That doesn't suggest something? Sei-sama looks like a customary Japanese person. That's not someone you'd see around here.

"Naria, Milano, and Borghese Gardens? These are all accidental resemblances?"

"Hm."

The three of them folded their arms and pondered. For the time being, they sipped their Japanese tea and gave their brains a break.

"If it was really her, wouldn't she get in touch with us?"

While nodding in agreement, the four of them all raised their teacups with both hands and drained their cups.

Dinner was over, but this conversation was not.

Because none of them had seen this "just like Sei-sama" person themselves, all four of them were not completely convinced.