Maria Sama Ga Miteru:Volume12 Chapter3

Midsummer Greetings with a Pressed Leaf (押し葉の暑中見舞い)

Part 1.1

We are soon arriving.

Hearing Sachiko-sama's voice, Yumi looked around, and found the scene outside the window had changed completely since some time ago. She had been alseep again, she realized.

The watch read almost 10am. If everything goes well it would take less than two hours, it was said. However, taking into account that it was the summer season, and they had taken a break, it was normal to take almost four hours.

Slender and tall trees with unknown names proliferated on both sides of the road, blocking the mid-summer sun. The trees were not very dense. Shadows from branches and leaves form a natural ceiling, and lace-like shadows dropped on the road.

Stone steps surrounded by trees. Old stone fences covered by moss. The scenes were exact copies of scenic photos on a travel guidebook.

A group of young ladies were taking one another's pictures in the lush green. Couples were taking a stroll holding hands. Here and there tourist-like groups could be found.

"This areas has been a summer resort since way in the past."

Sachiko-sama squinted her eyes in pride. She must be very attracted to the surroundings. Well, Sachiko-sama is known for her extreme faddiness, but she visits this place every year, so she must be very fond of this place. How lucky I am to be invited to such a place! Yumi delightfully thought.

This is Onee-sama's favorite world.

In this one week of stay, Yumi would like to be touched ever more to Onee-sama's favorite. It was related to learning more about Onee-sama, after all.

Sachiko-sama must have fallen asleep naturally after seeing Yumi falling asleep first; she gave a light yawn, and folded up the lap blanket.

"You can be sound asleep even without the car-sickness medicine. I didn't need to worry at all."

"Ha"

Sachiko-sama had given a somehow ackward expression when Yumi refused her car-sickness pills. She seemed to feel guilty that she would go to sleep herself and leave Yumi by herself. However, suffering from lack of sleep, Yumi caught a healthy nap without use of medicine in the end. It didn't turn out as Sachiko-sama had worried over, so it probably meant a happy conclusion to everyone.

The car entered a narrow track and climbed a little up a gentle slope. At the end of the track a building appeared.

The car smoothly came to a stop.

"This is it."

Part 1.2

"...Wow!"

This was just like Alice in Wonderland.

In the woodland stood a house with white walls and tea-brown triangular roofs. The name "Summhouse under possession of the Ogasawara's" made Yumi brace herself a little, but this house looked okay, Yumi thought. It was not that big, and resembled a small resort inn.

"Is it shockingly old and small?"

"No, not at all!"

The design might be old, but it was far from worn. No cracks ran on the walls, and the entrance door panels showed signs of being repaired. All were proof that the house was properly maintained and carefully used. Ivy vines crawled on part of the walls. Moss covered the stone pavement to the entrance like velvet. The whole house exuded the aura of an antique.

And the house is small only compared to the home residence of the Ogasawaras. Compared to the Fukazawa residence, the building is comparable in size... no, even a little bigger.

Gentle breezes could be felt when they got out of the car.

Probably because there was so much green, or because the altitude was higher, the temperature here was definitely lower than that in Tokyo. It is actually cool here. This definitely marks this land as a summer resort. Not only the image of it, but this place is definitely a refuge from the hot summer.

"There is no gate, I can see."

Yumi looked around the surroundings.

"Yes. The stones stacked around this place in abundance can be the sign of private land, I guess. Grandpa and Dad hope to live as close to nature as possible, so there are no high walls encircling this place. This place is not well known as our summer resort, and those who know are old friends who live in this vicinity, so we do not worry at all. Even if a burlgar is to break in, there is nothing like valuables or cash for him to steal here."

Sachiko-sama laughed in delight. Probably she also longed for a worry-free life without tight security.

The driver honked the car horn, and a middle-aged couple got out of the house.

"Welcome back, madam."

"It must have been a long journey for you."

The couple surrounded Sachiko-sama and exchanged continuous greetings. They had not met their dear madam for over a year. Of course, neither of them took notice of Yumi.