Chapter 998 – Aftereffects

000

Berlin, where Zita’s remarks made ‘what could have been’ a reality.

Cleon urgently calls out his name as he collapses, shedding bloody tears from severe mental damage.

“What are you talking about?”

Maybelle would raise her voice like that after hearing Zita’s question.

It would be natural, but unlike her appearance, she is a very pure being.

Black hair, pale skin, adult appearance, red lips and eyes.

She exudes an aristocratic aura, looking like a noblewoman, and even if you compare Bei Lin with her, there is a difference in appearance like that of a young mother and her young son.

“Well, our newspaper doesn’t ask such shameless questions! Ms. Maybelle is a great vampire who has inherited her past and is trying to live by joining forces with her people!”

And, Noctis, who was asking Maybelle questions for the interview, was also objecting.

As a result of her interview, she seemed to be edified by Maybelle’s personality and defended her.

Her face turned bright red, and she held the pen in her hand with such force that it made a ‘snap!’ Sound.

However, Noctis himself was surprised by her own actions and raised his voice.

＂Ugh!? No! It’s an expensive pen, but if it breaks!”

＂Shameless…? I don’t know what it means, but the pronunciation is cool! I want to be a shameless reporter!”

“There’s no need to be that kind of reporter!”

Both Mabel and Noctis’ faces turned bright red at Zita’s words and actions, which made them realize more than once today that there is nothing scarier than pure curiosity.

Herti came closer and placed her hands on both of Zita’s shoulders from behind.

＂Zita. Humans have secrets they want to keep. And the act of having sex with someone is considered a secret. “You have a secret too, right?”

＂Well, I see…! All right! Then, whether you had sex with the teacher is a secret I’m not allowed to know!”

Although Zita was embarrassed by Herti’s words, she spoke as if she acknowledged her mistake and bowed her head to apologize.

At that action, Noctis sighs, ‘Ugh’, but appears to calm down a bit, as if he’s finally gotten used to Zita’s antics for the first time in a while.

However, this was not the case with Maybelle, who had only met Zita for a few minutes.

“When you say that, it’s as if I did something like that with Mr. Cleon!? Because I’m still there!”

As her words rang out with her face turning bright red, her living room would have been engulfed in silence for a moment.

And, the eyes of everyone gathered there will be on Maybelle.

＂… Why, why are you doing this?＂

With that kind of attention, Maybelle turns her head as if she doesn’t know what’s going on and asks people around her.

A ‘click’ sound was heard as if the cap of a pen were being opened.

“Well… Can I ask you one thing? I think you just said ‘not yet’…”

When Noctis asked Maybelle a question, already prepared to be her enemy, Maybelle was speechless for a moment and then-

＂Ah-＂

＂Aaaaah!!!＂

And when a loud scream rang out, the companions could not help but be startled.

That scream did not come from Maybelle, as everyone expected, but from Berlin, who was next to Cleon.

In front of everyone, his body physically melted and turned into something like slime, and all he could say was ‘Ah, ah, ah…’.

＂The person melted!?＂

Even Zita made a voice as if she was surprised at the sight, and Cleon recalled a story he had heard from Ilenu before.

＂This is… The vampire couldn’t withstand her mental damage and broke her own form… It’s okay. After time passes, she will return to normal.”

As Cleon explained it, Noctis swallowed his saliva and moved his pen instinctively.

＂I never thought a vampire would have such a strange life… No!＂

Even then, after coming to my senses, I went back to the story I had originally wanted to tell.

＂Mr. Cleon! No matter how mature he seemed, he was trying to build that kind of relationship with a young girl! Ah, no matter what, didn’t you go too far!? Lolicon!”

So, he threw as much criticism as he could at Cleon, and Cleon tried to make excuses for her criticism in his own way.

“Wait a minute, I think you misunderstood, Noctis… Maybelle was just embarrassed and that’s why she said that. Because I’ve never looked at her with her sexual eyes.”

Of course, she did not deny her charm, but it was natural that Cleon, who knew her situation, could not feel that way toward her.

＂Eh…?＂

However, Maybelle actually looked even more embarrassed by Cleon’s words.

It was as if she believed that Cleon was looking at her with those eyes and that she had no doubts.

＂Well, that’s right… If you wear sexy clothes like this, your relationship will progress on its own…”

＂Sexy…?＂

Cleon would be looking at her clothes.

Certainly, the black dress goes well with her pale skin.

And, perhaps because she didn’t have to worry about people’s eyes as she was wearing a dress inside the house, her dress was the type that clearly showed the lines of her body if you looked closely.

Considering her mental age, her breasts and hips definitely stand out, having grown to a level similar to Herti’s even though she is a similar age to Sasha.

In particular, the line from the shoulder to the collarbone, where bare skin is exposed, would have been unbearable for people with that kind of fetish.

But what we must not forget is that no matter how beautiful Maybelle seems to Cleon, she knows her inner self.

From the moment we first met her, she was a bit clumsy, to the point where she tripped over her own cloak.

She, who still had to live with sufficient protection from her elders, could not yet look at her with those eyes.

＂For your information, who said that?＂

Cleon asked that question while pressing her throbbing head with his hand, and Maybelle trailed off, saying, ‘Uh, ah…’

However, Cleon must have let out a sigh when he saw her eyes moving slightly.

＂Is it canon…＂

Having spent a long time confined to her ruins, she has never had anything like a romantic relationship, and this is what she says…

“If Mr. Kanon does that, there might be a possibility…”

“Yes… I guess it’s Kanon…”

After hearing Herti and Noctis say that, Cleon looked at them with an expression like ‘Is this true?’.

It’s scary, being the author of a romance novel that has accumulated fans for nearly hundreds of years.

“Well, well. Anyway. Do you think the misunderstanding has been resolved? So Maybelle, you can rest assured, okay?”

＂…＂

Maybelle was unable to respond to Cleon’s words for a moment…

Soon, she quietly muttered something with her closed mouth.

＂… Mumbling…＂

＂…?＂

Cleon may not have heard those words, but Noctis, who was right next to her, must have heard her, and he couldn’t help but look at Maybelle for a moment.

Then, after looking back and forth between Cleon and Maybelle a few times, she cleared her throat and put her pen and notepad into her bag.

“Oh, thank you so much for agreeing to the interview today even though the time is different! When the newspaper with the article comes out, I’ll bring it to you. That’s it!”

Others must have been suspicious of her appearance as if she was in a hurry somewhere.

But still, in order to follow Noctis, Cleon stood up from her position.

“Then, let’s go too.”

“I see. I think I also really taught Zita what kind of job it is to be a reporter.”

When Herti spoke in agreement with Cleon’s words, Cleon could not help but wonder for a moment whether he should agree with her words.

＇… Did you really understand?＇

Because she couldn’t help but doubt it.

But, it seems like she remembered the things she needed to pay attention to, so I guess this was her own experience.

Thinking like that, she ended up being Cleon who couldn’t help but shake her head vertically at her words.

Noctis quickly prepares to leave her mansion, and the three people follow her.

Berlin had melted into slime, and Kanan and Kanon were canned, so they couldn’t properly see them off, so Maybelle, as the owner of the mansion, went to greet the three people at the front door.

Just as Cleon was about to leave the door, Maybelle grabbed her hand and stopped her for a moment.

＂Mr. Cleon… Next time, please come and visit us as friends, even if it is not for work. Along with everyone else at the party. We will serve you our family’s traditional dishes and other dishes.”

Cleon nods his head while feeling a little uncomfortable at the way she touches his hand in a somewhat sticky manner.

“Okay, I’ll definitely come back when the remaining big requests are finished.”

Maybelle would smile at Cleon’s answer, but-

Feeling as if something was pulling her collar, Cleon glanced behind her.

Then, Noctis was still there, seemingly in a hurry, secretly pulling on Cleon’s clothes.

“… What’s wrong, Noctis? If you need a bathroom, rent it here…”

“Well, it’s not like that! It’s because my next job is scheduled to be close, so let’s go!”

Despite Cleon’s joke, Noctis said that and went through the front door one step ahead.

＂Why are you doing this… I had a good interview.＂

＂Because a girl’s mind is complicated~＂

To Cleon’s question, Herti gives such an appropriate answer.

“I think Mr. Noctis is ‘jealous’ of Mr. Cleon talking to Miss Maybelle!”

Zita said that she had come to understand human nature, but was there an element of jealousy?

Cleon shook his head at the two people’s words, let go of Maybelle’s hand, and walked out the front door.

Meanwhile, Noctis, who left the front door first, took a quick look around the mansion, his body trembling.

It seemed as if the sound of Maybelle’s muttering earlier was still echoing in her ears and head.

‘There are so many attractive women around Mr. Cleon…’

Up to that point, it could have been passed off as a simple complaint, but-

‘If you don’t reduce your rivals…’

I don’t know the true meaning of those words, but her eyes and quiet voice were more than enough to make Noctis’ warm blood freeze.

The kind of respect she felt for her earlier when she finished her interview, that feeling had somehow turned into fear of her…

001

“It seems difficult to be a reporter, so I’m quitting!”

After leaving the mansion, what Cleon asked Zita was, ‘So, what do you think the job of a reporter is like?’

Zita’s answer to that question was her declaration of giving up, accompanied by her bright smile.

With those words, not only Cleon, but also Herty would have felt slippery and almost fell.

No, was it Zita who was so motivated?

But there was also someone who reassured her when she heard those words: Noctis himself, who had set an example for her in her work as a reporter.

＂Right? Not just anyone can be a reporter! The aesthetics of a reporter is to dig up information while walking the fine line of what the other person seems likely to say but hesitates to say!”

Looking at Noctis, who seemed a bit flattered, Zita let out an exclamation of ‘hehe’.

“What! It’s not a skill you can learn overnight, so don’t give up and just practice enough!”

In addition, Noctis speaks as if to tell you not to give up.

‘My behavior is a little strange, but if I take this opportunity to recruit new employees, I will finally be able to get rid of being treated like the youngest in the company!’

There was a slightly secular reason.

However.

＂~~~♪＂

“Huh!? What does this mean!? “

At the sound of singing coming from somewhere, Zita immediately turned her head and diverted her attention.

＂…＂

Noctis froze for a moment without saying anything at her reaction, and Cleon would pat Noctis on the shoulder.

＂… Is it a singing voice? It’s a tone that isn’t easily heard in Eastern countries.”

And when Herti also spoke as if she was curious, Zita’s ears perked up, and she immediately looked up at Cleon.

＂Teacher!＂

＂Okay, okay, okay. It seemed like that…”

Cleon nodded as if he could guess what she was going to say next, and Zita chuckled at Cleon’s answer.

I was running towards the direction where I heard the singing sound.

＂Then… Shall we go too, Herty? Noctis, thank you for today.”

＂Yes?＂

Cleon’s March Here Is Farewell. At the same words, Noctis tilts his head as if asking what she means.

＂… I heard the next interview time is near? ＂

“Ah! Ah,~”

At Cleon’s words, she remembered what she had said and immediately answered, putting on the hat she was wearing.

“Bird, now that I think about it, there are still a few hours left.”

“… Are you okay with that? Even in the interview with Maybelle, you didn’t check the time properly…”

To tell the truth, there is no such thing as a next interview.

All she wanted to do was get out of that house as soon as possible.

＂It’s okay, it’s okay! More than that, I’m also concerned about the sound of singing, so if you go that direction, can I go with you?”

Still, I haven’t been able to get any significant scoop from Cleon and Herti.

It’s too early to break up now.

Noctis thought so and asked Cleon, and of course Cleon responded that it was okay.

Then, the three of them all chase after Zita, who ran first, to the place where the song was heard-

I would have headed to a slightly wide open area in the middle of the market.

As I walked, remembering that this was a place where I had been busy running around with Noctis during a festival that took place not long ago, there was someone standing in the center of the crowded place with a musical instrument in his hand.

He was wearing a grey-brown wide-brimmed hat, had long white hair, and had golden eyes.

Although his face had thin lines, it would have been impossible to determine his gender based on his appearance alone, as he appeared to be either male or female.

Moreover, it was even more so because what he was wearing was a wide robe.

What you are holding in your hand is not an Eastern country-style stringed instrument, but a kingdom-style stringed instrument.

And the melody that flowed from the mouth was also far from that of the Eastern country.

The voice, like the appearance, makes the gender of the person unknown.

＂It’s a song!＂

＂I see.＂

Cleon would have nodded his head in response to Zita’s report.

You could tell by looking at him that he was not from an eastern country, and he must have been thought of as a bard from a kingdom with good skills.

Looking at the coins lying in front of him, he could tell that he was performing to earn money for his travel expenses.

But the next moment, Cleon’s body couldn’t help but stiffen a little when he heard the lyrics he said.

＂And the boy grabbed a jet-black sword to chase the distant star…♪＂

The lyrics seem to be telling an old story while plucking the strings.

However, in that sentence, Cleon felt something different and looked at the bard with a strange expression-

＂…＂

I made eye contact with him.

But the next moment, he smiled brightly, looked away, and continued singing.

As if meeting Cleon’s eyes was a coincidence.

＂…＂

＂Cleon?＂

Herti called out Cleon’s name as he became quiet, but for a moment, Cleon looked at him as if lost in thought.

… No matter where I looked, he didn’t look like an ordinary bard.