***Arc 7 One Who Bare Their Fang on Reason, Chapter 170 A Kind World***
The silver-haired, fairy-like girl shamelessly rolls up the hem of her one-piece dress showing the inside to the servant.
"Bery, what do you think? Does it suit Krische?"
The black lace stood out against her white waist.
From the waistcloth, which is too beautiful to be called a waistcoat, four sock clasps hang down, pulling up and securing the long socks that go all the way to the thighs.
She was wearing very neat light blue underwear with a pink ribbon over it.
"Y-yeah, it looks very good..."
Unbalanced——no, this in itself was a perfect harmony.
Or rather, it looked much too perfect.
It all started with Krische’s waist belt.
It all started when she thought about having a suitable belt made for her so that the belt she carried her sword on wouldn't rub against her waist and hurt her.
She asks the tailor that Kreschenta uses to come along and ask to make Krische’s underwear and socks, and she talks about this and that.
The result was this waistband with a sock clasp——a garter belt.
She thought this waistcloth, which also doubles as a garter to prevent long socks from slipping down, would be good for Krische, who runs around a lot, but when she saw her wearing it in real life, it was quite something.
"…What's wrong?"
"N-no……"
In terms of whether it suit her or not, it did.
However, it could be said that she looked too good on her in a way that wasn’t entirely preferable, and there was something criminal about the combination of her healthy, fleshy thighs, black socks, and garters.
The situation where the hem of the one-piece dress was rolled up, exposing the lower half of the body and thus allowing Krische to show herself off, was probably not good either.
Coupled with Krische’s expression of tilting her head curiously, she couldn't help but feel like she was looking at something worse than looking at a naked body.
‘No, isn't the problem lies with me thinking in that direction?’ Bery's thoughts go round and round.
Krische was the same as always.
She had no shame in this situation and is just reporting on the comfort of her underwear as usual.
The only reason she felt as if she was doing something wrong was because Bery herself had an evil thought in her mind.
But it was never her intention to do anything obscene to her, and it still is.
Then she should had nothing to be ashamed of, and she should face it dignifiedly.
However, the more she look at it, the more Bery feel an inexpressible guilt arises within herself.
“Maybe, it doesn’t suit Krische——”
"No, it's not like that at all...I was so fascinated by how beautiful it was that I was captivated with it..."
"Hehe, that's good. It's not too tight around the waist, so it feels good. The socks also don't slip."
The sight of Krische innocently swaying her hips with her hem rolled up was endlessly immoral.
As expected, no matter how she tried to excuse herself, she was a devious person after all.
Krische seemed to like it a lot, and if things continue as they were, she would probably show it off to Selene and Kreschenta in the same way.
Bery, who had been the cause of the incident, was sure to get a cold look.
She swept her gaze, wondering what she should say, however without being able to tell a lie——
"Hg!?"
——She heard a knock and she scrambled to her feet, sliding her body between the door and Krische.
Krische tilted her head towards Bery and opened her mouth without hesitation.
"...? You can come in, Anne."
"Yes, please excuse me."
It was Anne who entered the room.
Krische looked at Bery curiously as her face turned red and stiffened.
Arne also looked at the ‘admired servant’ who looked strangely panicked, and looked at her suspiciously.
Anne's gaze then went deeper into the room.
Just what were they doing? She moved her gaze to Krische with the hem of her dress still rolled up, tilting her head——Anne's eyes widened as she immediately understood everything.
And she instantly bowed her head.
“M-my apologies, interrupting your enjoyment, Argan-sama, I’ll come back!”
“Please wait, i-it’s a misunderstanding, this is not what you think——”
"I-it's okay! I understand the relationship between the two of you very well, so——"
‘——Probably I, saw something I shouldn't have seen.’
Anne immediately left the room as if to run away, but her opponent was Berry Argan, the kingdom's most talented servant and a talented woman.
Her physical abilities were on par with those of professional soldiers who use magical powers, and her quick judgment and reflexes were far beyond those of ordinary people.
Anne started to run away, but Bery as if a Suiko was eyeing their prey easily apprehended her two steps away from the door, and she was immediately taken back to her room.
"I-I see, that's what you meant...s-so it’s just my hast conclusion."
"No, no. I hope you understand. It's also my fault for causing the misunderstanding."
After that, Anne was made on a chair and Bery had a pasted-on smile on her face, giving a detailed and threatening explanation, such as, ‘This is the reason for this, and I was never doing anything obscene...’, and Anne nodded her head repeatedly to her words.
As for whether her explanation was correct or not——it was really doubtful.
Arne was well aware of the relationship between the two, so even if some perverted act was being carried out here, it wouldn't feel out of place, and the frightening thing was that she herself didn’t even have any doubts about it.
The beautiful princess Krische was extremely obedient to her, and would not hesitate to do whatever Bery desired.
Even if it is an act that would makes her blush just by imagining it, there was no exception to the rule, and when she thought of how Bery would felt being loved by such a princess, it would be no wonder if she was to succumb to the temptation.
Anne had no intention of blaming her for that, and she had already accepted it.
Various speculations about what was really going on here flashed on her mind——but at least she did not ask about it.
Bery Argan, a respected servant who always showed calmness and composure, was distraught.
The feeling of being seized in an instant, was exactly like that of a rat being attacked by a cat.
Even the dull Anne instinctively understood that there were certain things that she should not ask.
The right thing to do as a servant was to keep it to herself, after all.
But Anne's goal was to be a servant who takes it one step further.
"...But, Argan-sama, don't worry. Even if this is not a misunderstanding, the fact that I respect Argan-sama will not change."
"Ah, uh... Anne-sama, like I said...it’s really..."
"No! It's okay even if you don't tell everyone. I'm proud that the hardness of this Anne's mouth is better than diamond..."
"...Ugh"
The womanly, yet somewhat slender and petite body.
As she hugged herself, her graceful face turned bright red, her eyes moistened, and her gaze flickered from side to side, like a young girl's.
Even though she thought it would be rude of her to think her superiors as cute, sometimes she turned out to be incredibly cute.
"Y-you see..."
"yes"
“Of course, it would be a lie if I were to say that it was completely selfless, but really… what happened earlier was not what Arne-sama thought...”
Her voice was thin, as if she was confessing her sin.
As she had watched their interaction on a daily basis she couldn't help but wonder why if there was still any need to be shy about it , but perhaps there was an important line that she drew that Anne didn't understand.
Her face was dyed red enough to match her red hair.
Anne makes a sincere face, nodded and tells to her, half moved by how cute she was.
"I understand, Argan-sama. On top of that, I will swear the same words as before this name, Anne. Please leave it to me."
"......, haa"
Bery sighed in resignation and sits down in the chair across from her.
Krische, who was supposed to be one of the party in this conversation, looked at the two of them curiously and tilted her head, wondering what the they were talking about——but she quickly stopped caring.
Naturally, she sat on Bery and begins to be pampered while laughing ‘Ehehe’.
Bery too being Bery, as expected, she embraced such Krische tightly——Anne once again thought the line Bery’s drew was really a mystery.
“Anne, has Marquis Giterns returned?”
"Yes, earlier..."
When she is asked, Anne finally remembers the topic and stammered.
Bery tilted her head.
"What happened? Being that depressed."
It was said that they had a big fight when she left the royal territory and came to Christand.
It had been a long time since they met again, and there will be plenty of talk to be had.
Argosh sometimes seemed very nervous in front of Krische, so she was considerate and left them alone, but Anne's face didn't seem that energetic.
She wondered if it might have been a bad idea to leave them alone.
"Could it be, another argument..."
"N-no, that's not it, umm...it would be a bit long if I talked about it but"
Anne looked at Bery inquisitively.
Bery nodded with a wry smile.
"It doesn't matter. I've finished my work. Don't worry about it."
"……thank you"
Anne explained the conversation she and her father had——
"The first thing I should talk about is why I decided to pursue the career of a servant..."
"Huh? Eh, uh... yes..."
Not, but instead, she began to re-tell Bery what she had talked about with her father since the beginning.
From Anne’s birth.
How she become a servant and how she get to where she was now.
The words were strangely exaggerated and difficult to understand, like that of a bard telling an epic tale.
Although Bery regretted it a little, she continued to listen to the story, giving a moderate amount of response.
“——In addition to her beauty, Argan-sama is my ideal servant who had everything as a servant. It was as if I had been suddenly struck by lightning in a sunny day…”
"Ah, thank you... I-I understand how you feel, so please leave it at that..."
"No, this has very important implications. Please listen to it."
Bery had wanted to do something about the way she complimented her with fancy phrases, but it seemed to be something very important to her.
For Bery, the "Collection of Anne's moving episodes～Argan Arc" that was halfway a torture was truly half a Koku.
Only when Bery could no longer look up at her due to her embarrassment, did Anne get over that part and get to the point.
Krische began to sleep quietly at the beginning of the story and was happily sleeping on top of Bery.
"...I see, Marriage is it.”
“Yes, Father told me that it was about time to think about it.”
Were all that preamble really necessary?
She wondered so, but didn't show it.
Bery was at least a person who could show that kind of consideration, and she would like to avoid repeating that experience.
"It's a difficult problem for a noble. As a member of the Argan family, I think it's natural to think about marrying somewhere else, having children, and rebuilding the family."
Although the Argan family has collapsed, it’s not like it had been cut off by the royal family, and the Argan name still exists as a noble with no real substance.
The small piece of land she had been entrusted with managing as a noble was voluntarily returned to the kingdom as she was unable to manage it, and the debt was shouldered by the Argan family.
As long as they didn't cause any damage to the kingdom, there was no reason for them to be punished.
‘Father probably tried to recover from that point.’
Although he fell in the middle of his recovery, he surely thought that he would be able to come back again as long as the debt problem was solved.
Now that the debt has been resolved, it would be relatively easy.
For example, if another child was born between Bogan and her olde sister Lazura, and if that child succeeded Argan and achieved some kind of accomplishments, it would have been easy to rebuild the family.
Or if Bery do the same, or if they get a son-in-law.
If she think about it in terms of inheriting her father's will, that should have been her first choice as a noble, but her older sister Lazura probably didn't have that intention either.
Of course, she would have been happy if her child had wished for the restoration of the Argan family, and she would have intended to leave it to him, but she did not want a second child just for that reason.
It was probably a matter of temperament.
In other words, both Berry and Lazura were not sincere as nobles.
"Well, that’s just in general, I think. I don't think I can say anything about that. What do you think about it, Anne-sama?"
"...I haven't thought much about it. I've never met a gentleman that made me thought like that——"
Anne said, glancing at Krische and her cheeks flushed.
Bery looked at her curiously, and Anne shook her head in a panic.
"No...U-uhh...but, I do feel that a gentleman like Gallen-sama has this kind of...adult charm to him."
"Ah...Fufu, Gallen-sama is certainly a wonderful person."
Bery chuckled.
She knew that Anne was very attached to Gallen.
If one say he was attractive, it's certainly true.
Although he had a strict demeanor, he was a kinder man than one might imagine from his appearance.
However he’s old.
And she didn’t think Anne meant it that way either.
“...I like love stories, too, but when I put them in my own hands, I don't really feel it. Marrying a gentleman and had a child...Of course, as you said, it's only natural. I guess that's true. If you say that there's happiness as a woman in that, then maybe that's also true."
Anne said that and sighed.
“However, I doubt if I will be any happier than I am now. Serving Her Majesty the Queen, Selene-sama, and Krische-sama, and I have also learned a lot by living alongside Argan-sama, I’m more than satisfied.”
Bery couldn't say anything.
She listens quietly, waiting for her words.
“...When I think about the fact that many people are forced into arranged marriages, I am aware of how blessed I am. ...In the Giterns family, both of my older brothers are married and have children, so there is no particular problem with for the sake of the family, and father also said I don't have to think about the family either.”
‘Unnn’ Anne tilted her head troubled.
“Even then father still told me to think carefully about how I should live my life from now on.”
Arne was deep in thought, and Bery was also wondering what she should do.
But there was one thing she knew.
"You have a wonderful father huh. Thinking of Anne-sama first."
“...Yes, but I'm sure that he also wants me to get married and to see his grandchildren face. I think it's the right thing for to do as a good daughter..."
Anne lifted her head and looked straight at Berry.
“However, if I marry somewhere else, it will be difficult for me to work alongside Argan-sama, which is my lifelong goal, like I am doing now.”
"I-I see..."
It was an itchy word for Bery, but she gave up, feeling like the more she interjected, the further they would get away from the main topic.
She was happy for her feelings, but Anne was sometimes too direct and it's hard to react.
“Furthermore, considering what happened the other day and Her Majesty's position, where there are only a few people she can trust, it would be difficult to find someone to replace me immediately. ...Given the current situation, there's no need to think about it but"
"……I see"
She must be thinking about Christand and Kreschenta’s circumstances in her own way.
Anne certainly had some flaws, but she was a thoughtful woman.
Although her thoughts were sometimes too deep and often come out for the worse, Bery herself saw her as a hard-working, good-hearted, caring and good co-worker.
Bery didn’t think of herself a good enough person to tell her what she should do.
If even than she need to say something to her, then what would it be?
Bery think for a moment and opened her mouth.
“...I think of it as something like a river.”
"river?"
"Yes. We are like leaves floating on that river I guess. We are just floating, we are being carried away, we are drifting without knowing where we will end up... No matter how much we struggle or worry, we will eventually end up in the sea."
Her sister said it was a fortuitous meeting, a fate.
No matter how much you worry, you couldn’t go back to the past, everything is irreversible, and things just flow.
“In life, the things we can choose are trivial. Should we go with the gentle current, throw ourself into the rapids, or try to flow down to another tributary?”
In everyday life, in honor.
Although the lifestyles may differ, what they seek were probably the same.
"Or maybe...accompanying the petals flowing by side."
Bery smiled bitterly and tickled the tip of Krische’s nose as she slept happily.
She contorts her face, itchy, and Bery shakes her shoulders silently.
“In the end, I think what's important is whether the scenery you see is beautiful or not. Just because everyone follows the flow doesn't mean it's the right flow...I'm a very twisted person, so maybe that's just what I think.”
Bery chuckled and continued.
“What Anne-sama should care about is her own happiness first and foremost, rather than that of others. I am very happy and grateful that you care about me and Her Majesty the Queen. However, it seems like a waste to be caught up and swept away by your role and position.”
“…a waste.”
"Yes. It's much more satisfying to choose where you want to go with the flow, rather than just proceeding with inertia. Even if you regret it later on, if it's the path you chose, you can at least be satisfied with it."
The world will not change dramatically just by choosing something.
The only thing that changes is the way it looks.
And that's what choosing is for.
“Isn’t that what Marquis Giterns said to think about?”
Bery said and looked at Anne.
Her black hair was tied back behind her, unadorned.
However, that kind of appearance was probably her charm.
“No matter what choice you make, I believe that someone like Anne-sama will be happy. Anne-sama has that kind of atmosphere that naturally makes people around her smile.”
It must be something she was born with, Bery lowered her eyes and smiled.
At the very least it was something Bery didn't have.
“If you change how you look at the constraints that you think exist, they are surprisingly trivial and don't matter. Don't worry about it. As long as Anne-sama makes a choice that she thinks is good for herself, I will support it, no matter what choice you makes. I’m sure Ojou-sama and Krische-sama will too.”
And when she looked up at her,
“…So, please make the choice you want…A-Anne-sama…?”
Anne, who was listening to her with a serious face, suddenly began to shed tears.
Bery stared at her, shocked.
Anne covered her face and shook her head.
"I-I'm sorry. I-I was moved by something...I-I can't believe Argan-sama would say something like that to me..."
“I-I didn’t mean to say it with such a big deal…”
“Both Argan-sama and father, to someone like me, when I think about how lucky I am, I feel——”
It was at such a time.
Without knocking, the door gracefully opened and someone with golden hair that shimmered in red walked in.
"The Queen is back you know Argan-sama, the tea..."
Kreschenta, who entered the room with Elvena, looked at Anne, whose face was downcast with tears in the middle of her words, and then looked at Bery with a frown on her face.
"What happened? I wonder if Argan-sama finally couldn't stand Anne-sama anymore and gave her an ultimatum."
"N-no. Kreschenta-sama, you shouldn't say things like that."
"Who do you think you are, giving me an order? But I'm in a good mood today, so I'll forgive you. Elvena-sama, would you please make me some tea?"
"Y-yes, Your Majesty."
While Elvena was concerned about the crying Anne, she hurriedly took the teapot from the desk and went to brewed a new tea.
"Um...is there anything that makes you happy?"
"It’s Elvena-sama, she's very attentive. She doesn't talk nonsense like Argan-sama, and I guess she's comfortable, she reminded me of when I was with Nora. I think I should have Elvena-sama as my side servant from now on.”
"K-Kreschenta-sama..."
What a bad timing.
As she expected, Anne stiffened her body, and Bery hurriedly tried to follow it up.
"Fuaah...that's no good, Kreschenta. It’s already decided that Anne will be by Kreschenta’s side after all."
Did she wake up because of the noise in the room.
Krische, who was in Bery's arms, said sleepily to Kreschenta while yawning.
"K-Krische-sama..."
Arne looked up, her tears still in her eyes, her emotion in her eyes.
"Uh...I don't like it, Onee-sama. I would like to exchange Anne-sama with Elvena-sama."
She froze again at Kreschenta’s words.
“Kreschenta, there are such things as a fortuitous meeting in this world. ...On Kreschenta’s side is Anne, this is also another fortuitous meeting. Fuaah... Kreschenta should be more grateful for meeting the servant named Anne... Right, Bery.''
"Well...that's right..."
What a convenient way to use the word fortuitous meeting.
Krische, who shifted her position on Bery's lap and gave her a wake-up kiss, looked sleepy and completely unconcerned.
Bery gives an ambiguous smile as if troubled.
"Krische-sama... thank you...!"
"...?"
Whatever the case may be, Bery couldn't say anything, seeing that Anne was overcome with emotion.
After being thanked, Krische tilted her head and told Kreschenta while hugging Bery.
"... understand? Look, don’t sulk, there, there."
"Uuuu..."
She beckoned to Kreschenta, who was dissatisfied, and hugged her, patting her head.
"Anne, you're Kreschenta’s personal servant. Krische will gave you the day off today, so you'll have to work harder from tomorrow onwards."
"Yes"
Anne wiped her eyes again at Krische’s words and looks up at her with a look of determination on her face.
Bery looked at her with an indescribable feeling and let out a sigh of resignation.
