Part 3

“And so, I once again failed to escape. I’m seriously losing confidence in my legs here…”

“Oh dear, you must not say such things. You must first of all believe in yourself. Or you will not be able to draw forth your power when it is necessary.”

“Even though you’re saying that sort of thing, you’re still one of the people interfering with my escape, granny…”

In this manner, Felt complained with her jaw on the dining room’s table in response to which the old woman laughed pleasantly.

She was a woman who had aged well and gave off an elegant impression. The reason she looked so dignified despite her plain clothing was most likely because of the sharp beauty her figure possessed as she stood up straight, her back’s posture immaculate.

This woman was yet another obstacle to her attempts to escape from Reinhard’s devilish clutches ― She was one half of the old married couple who would impede Felt’s attempts to escape whenever Reinhard wasn’t around. Even though Reinhard called her grandma or whatever, she was clearly no ordinary person considering her movements did not show her age in the slightest.

Regardless, except for when she interfered with her escapes, she was always kind to Felt and the food she made was also exceptionally delicious due to which Felt could not dislike her, and thus their strange acquaintanceship continued.

It was to the extent that on days on which Felt sincerely admitted defeat, they would get together to have tea and snacks like this.

“However, it would be troublesome if the snow were to fall too heavily. I am getting on in years myself so I would end up worrying you and the young master if I were to fall and get hurt.”

“Don’t just decide on your own that I’d be worried… I would be worried, though!”

“Fufu, I am well aware. Because you are a kind child, Felt-sama.”

Saying this, she gently stroked a sullen Felt’s head without reservation. It felt somewhat ticklish, but it also felt rather pleasant, so Felt would not shake her off of anything.

“It would seem that you are not especially fond of snow, Felt-sama.”

“… Did you hear that from Reinhard? It’s not like I particularly like or dislike the weather, you know? It’s more like asking whether it’s easy to live in or hard to live in, isn’t that right?”

“You might be correct. Certainly, clearing up all of this snow is going to be hard for grandpa, that is troublesome indeed.”

“Snow is unexpectedly heavy when it piles up too, gramps’ll have to be careful about his back.”

“Oh dear, I’ll have you know that he is still plenty strong despite his age. In both body and soul.”

With a hand against her mouth, the old lady giggled. Her voice and expression clearly displayed her overflowing love for her husband.

The image of the old man giving it his all shoveling the snow around the mansion naturally manifested in Felt’s mind.

He could not speak, but he was hale and hearty despite his age. As one would expect, this old man was also one of the people impeding her escape, but just like the old lady Felt could not dislike him.

His aura was of the same sort as Rom’s, he was kind and gentle and just seemed like a good person.

― Felt wasn’t very good at dealing with good people. Or more accurately, she felt that good people were taken advantage of by those around them and she couldn’t bear that sort of environment.

The awareness that she herself was depending on Rom would take this even further.

“Tch.”

“Come now, you must not click your tongue. It makes you appear to be one of poor character.”

“I had a poor upbringing. So it shouldn’t be a problem to overlook something like clicking…”

“Your upbringing has no bearing on the matter. It is a matter of consideration for the other party. Or do you not mind if the old lady you are speaking to is hurt? Aah, how sad, oh dear, oh dear…”

“Oh, come on! That was my bad! I get it! I won’t do it in front of you anymore!”

Felt panicked as the old lady lowered her head and placed her hands against her eyes.

It was not that she actually thought that she would cry over something like this, but it was often the case that such words of lament came from the heart. Felt knew a lot about the elderly. Old man Rom himself did this sort of thing on a regular basis.

“Man, I’m just no match for you, granny. Have you been toying with people that way for a long time or what.”

“Well, that is not the case. I was terribly hard headed when I was young… To the extent that I myself was put off by it. If it weren’t for grandpa, perhaps I never would have married.”

“Heeh, how unexpected. Have you and gramps been working here long?”

“Do you perhaps mean the Astrea family when you say ‘here’? If so, I have been serving the Astrea family from the day I was born. Because that is the lineage I was born into.”

“Hmm, that seems pretty rough too. Then you probably knew Reinhard back when he was a brat, huh?”

With a sour expression, Felt carefully considered the old lady’s feelings from the bottom of her heart. Felt’s words caused the old lady to raise her eyebrows slightly, after which her expression suddenly changed into a relaxed smile.

“Do you dislike the young master, Felt-sama?”

“I certainly do, what about it?”

“Oh my, fufu.”

She was wondering what she was going to say, this instant response from an exasperated Felt made her giggle.

Felt had never seen this sort of reaction from her before.

“What’s so funny, to make you laugh like that.”

“No, no, I was just surprised. Because it is very rare for the young master to be disliked by anyone.”

“Is that so? Although I get the feeling that if you asked around the slums and back alleys, you’d find any number of people who hate the guy?”

In truth, in the slums which had very many people of self-debasing character, merely being born into the commoners’ district would make one an object of envy. To come from a family of knights, and moreover bear such a celebrated title as ‘Sword Saint’ meant that there would be no end to those who bore jealousy or envy towards him.

“None of them could say it to his face. That is why I am certain I can place my trust in you… Just like I trusted that man with Theresia-sama.”

“―?”

She couldn’t quite hear what the old lady had whispered towards the end. But when Felt tilted her head, the old lady shook her head, still smiling,

“Oh dear. When I speak with you, I somehow seem to end up thinking back to my past.”

“Your past, how many decades ago was that?”

“Ah, how cruel… About forty years ago, perhaps?”

“That’s more than double my age…”

It wasn’t as much as old man Rom, but she could definitely feel this lady’s age. Unfortunately for Felt, she was a long ways off from broaching the same territory as them. Of course, they must have in their own way had their immature periods just like Felt.

“I was that way too, you know. I was once but a young maiden in love.”

“―? You’re still a maiden in love, aren’t you. When you’re getting along that well with ol’ gramps, are you not aware of it?”

“… Well now.”

The sight of the old lady’s bashful smile with her cheeks slightly flushed made Felt smile as well.

She would occasionally spot the two of them while they were alone, what an intimate couple they were. Felt didn’t have much experience when it came to this sort of thing, but she thought that that was what a loving couple ought to be like.

Having this pointed out, the old lady nodded any number of times as if reflecting on her joy. Her eyes then narrowed and gently stared at Felt.

“Granny?”

“Felt-sama, did you know that there exists a special flower that only blooms on snowy days?”

Felt thought that this was an extremely sudden change in topic, but she did not point this out and instead offered a straightforward response, “Yeah?”

A flower that only blooms on snowy days, meaning its composition was rather troublesome.

“Flowers only bloom when they have water and sunlight, don’t they? For one to only bloom on snowy days, why does it grow in such a troublesome manner?”

“Why is that, I wonder. It is a flower so elusive that there is doubt as to whether or not it even really exists. All that is known about it is that it is a flower as white as snow itself.”

“… It kinda feels like you’re talking about something really memorable, doesn’t it?”

She couldn’t imagine that the old lady’s explanation came from some passing memory. The old lady nodded when Felt pointed this out, “Yes.”

“After all, I went looking for it several decades ago. With the then head of the Astrea family and his wife… My former master and grandpa came along too.”

“Hmm, sounds like quite the large scale expedition. So, did you manage to find the flower?”

While smiling faintly, the old lady lowered her brow as she shook her head. Felt accepted this answer as if it was only natural. Had she seen in person, she would not describe it as an elusive flower or whatever.

A white flower that would only display its full glory in the snow, one that might not even really exist.

“There was even a legend going around that if you found it, your wish would come true.”

“A wish, huh.”

“Supposing you were to find it, Felt-sama, what do you suppose you would wish for?”

“I guess I’d have that damned Reinhard punished properly and then run away from the mansion with you. And then you’d make me snacks every day.”

“Oh dear, I could not go on living if I were to be separated from grandpa.”

“Then I’ll bring him along too. Reinhard can probably manage this huge place on his own, anyway.”

Someone like Reinhard could probably somehow manage something even if he were left on his own. Perhaps he would even find it easier to live this way.

Considering how he always had to be worried about his surroundings, taking care not to break anything.

“What about you, granny? If you found that flower right now, what would you wish for?”

“My wish, is it…?”

“It’s not like I’m the only one who has the right to make wishes, right?”

On the contrary, Felt couldn’t bring herself to like the idea of entrusting her wishes to such a supernatural force. If merely wishing actually did anything, there wouldn’t be such a thing as slums in this world.

Wishes would not save anyone. Even if that hope kept them alive.

“If my wish could be fulfilled…”

“If it could be fulfilled?”

“…　I wanted to try living together with two close friends of mine, that perhaps.”

“――”

“That we would somehow deal with things together. If I could entrust a wish to the past, I would surely wish for something like this…Oh dear. It seems I really am getting old.”

The old lady giggled as she made this joke.

However, to Felt, that fleeting smile of hers somehow seemed to reflect her true feelings.

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