Bonus release, courtesy of SFcipher’s Ko-fi donation.
Holy Night’s Dream
“Hora~, Hardt~, wake up~”
“Uun~, five more minutes”
As I listen to Kaa-san’s devil’s voice, I cover myself to the head with the futon and sleep. The wind that comes in from the gap between the walls is cold, I have no desire of leaving the futon.
‘I will continue to sleep like this!’, I thought and shut my eyes and, loud footsteps approach my room.
And the door opened vigorously. Still, I ignore that and
“Koraa! Didn’t I say wake up!”
Kaa-san who tears the futon off with all her strength. The inside of the futon that was warmed up with my body temperature was suddenly cooled by the outside air. Co, cold!!
“Wha, what are you doing, Okaa-san!”
“It’s because Hardt doesn’t wake up at all, right! Today is the festival’s preparation, right!”
“……I, hate the festival”
I turn away as I rub my chilly body. Thereupon, ‘Haa’, Kaa-san sighs. Uuu, I’m bad with Kaa-san’s sighs. Whenever Kaa-san sighs, it’s always because she’s worried about me. But, this time, what I hate is what I hate.
Once every year, there is a festival where God gives us gifts but, in any case, Kaa-san and I can’t participate. Not only that, because most of the villagers participate, Kaa-san who doesn’t participate is made to keep watch in the cold. I hate that fact and it’s intolerable.
“Geez, what a worrisome child”
Kaa-san smiles bitterly at me who turns away as she sits beside me. And she embraced me gently.
“I understand that Hardt is thinking about me but, I think I would hate it if Hardt gets left out because of that”
“But……”
I hang my head and, Kaa-san gently pats my head. And then, she slaps my back with all her strength. Ouch!
“Horaa, don’t make a face like that and go! Listen properly to what Stella-chan and Lig-kun say!”
I leave the room unable to say anything to Kaa-san who’s smiling. I wash my face with the bucket that’s outside but, it’s harsh in this cold season. Nevertheless, I bear with it, wash my face, and head towards the destination after eating my breakfast.
Over there, Lig, Stella, the other kids and I prepare for the festival in accordance with the adults’ instructions. However, there were various differences between Lig and the others, and I.
Lig and the others are able to be forgiven with a smile even if they mess up but, if I mess up, I get scolded, beaten in worse cases. There are also occasions where Stella would stick up for me but, she stops saying anything when Lig says it’s my fault for being slow.
Only amongst Regul and the others are there those who laugh when they see that sight of mine. Regul is the village chief’s son so he’s being exempted from the preparations and so forth.
The preparations finished one way or another before night but, I can’t participate. What was the reason again. If I remember correctly, this is a festival that’s celebrated by the entire family, those without family members can’t participate or something like that, that’s how it was.
There’s probably no such rule. However, in actuality, only my family is without a father, there’s also no way I who is powerless can say such thing, I merely watch as everybody eats delicious-looking food and have fun.
Lastly, there’s something like giving presents to the children but, naturally, there’s none for me. I eat the usual black and tough bread, salty dried meat, and return home.
Kaa-san can’t leave because she’s still keeping watch so there is only me alone in the house. The fire isn’t lit as well so it’s extremely cold. So that when Kaa-san comes back, she can spend the time in warmth peacefully, I light the fire and sat waiting in a chair.
When I realized, I was seemingly sleeping on the chair, what I can hear faintly is the Kaa-san’s crying voice and, her apologies towards me. Aa, don’t apologize, Kaa-san. Kaa-san didn’t do anything wrong. So don’t apologize…….
◇◇◇
“……What is this”
The first thing that entered my sight when I woke up was something soft and skin-coloured. Because my face is held between the pair soft things and I’m embraced from the back my head, I can’t move. The sensation of the gentle patting on my head occasionally is itchy.
Amazingly soft sensation and sweet scent. I thought what in the world is this and try to somehow raise my face up and, over there was the figure of Mylene who cried……why is she crying?
“Aa, have you woke up, Hardt-sama”
“Ah, aa, good morning, Mylene. So, this situation is?”
“Good morning, Hardt-sama. To begin with, there is something I need to apologize to Hardt-sama for”
Mylene who says that and lifts her body up. Because she got up without covering her beautiful blemishless skin, I cover her with the sheets in a hurry. Mylene who give her thanks as she apologizes. Why is she apologizing?
“Ever since Hardt-sama let me spend the night together, there were occurrences sometimes where Hardt-sama has nightmares. Do you remember?”
“No, I don’t remember but……I have?”
I have no recollection at all. I am basically sleeping with Mylene every day and it feels like I wake up pleasantly every morning.
“Frankly, I have used magic that calms the mind when Hardt-sama is having nightmares”
Fumu……nn? Isn’t that something that’s good to me? And yet, why is Mylene apologizing?
“During that occasion, I……am looking into Hardt-sama’s dreams every time!”
……Ahー, that’s what it is huh. She’s apologizing for the fact that she looked into my dreams as she pleased huh. But, don’t be bothered by that at this point in time. Since I have shown it to Mylene when I made her experience my pain.
Perhaps remembering the contents of my dreams, Mylene says embarassing stuff like the young me is cute as well and so forth but, she changes to a serious expression and looks at me.
“Firstly, there is no rule that one cannot participate in the Holy Night Festival if they are not family members”
Holy Night Festival? ……Ahーabout the village’s festival huh. It’s called Holy Night Festival huh. I didn’t know that.
“In actuality, that village’s village chief naturally knows of that. There are various things during the Holy Night Festival and, handing presents to the children is also one of the events. For that reason, the festival’s share of tax is subtracted from the village’s tax, the money for the presents should be included amongst that as well. That is why……”
“Which means my share became the Village Chief’s, or otherwise Regul’s?”
Mylene who nods at what I say. She is laying bare a furious expression that I have never seen before. Don’t make a face like that. I want to see the smiling Mylene.
Indeed, now that I think about it, my treatment was the worst in that village. I don’t know the reason for that treatment but, I guess it was strange enough for Mylene who knows of other lifestyles to make a face like that.
“Well, it’s already this point in time. I who didn’t try to resist that is at fault. So, don’t make a face like that. It’s a waste of your beautiful face. Furthermore, I will definitely destroy that village”
“Yes! I will also help! Aa, but please let me stay like this for a little”
When I thought Mylene returned to her smiling face, Mylene once again embraces my head like she’s hugging it. And then, she gently pats the top of my head going,「There, there」. This sensation……it’s like when Kaa-san did it to me. My tears were about to come out unconsciously but, I endured it somehow. It’s somewhat embarassing to cry in front of Mylene.
After that, my head was pat by Mylene until she’s satisfied, and we changed our clothes. It’s great that Mylene’s face looks satisfied but, it’s terribly embarassing. I almost instinctively say ‘Kaa-san’. It was close.
Mylene and I are currently living in a guest room that’s on the castle’s first floor. Nero and the others created a basement and are diligently increasing the number of soldiers there. There appears to be a forest nearby and they are apparently bringing over corpses that died inside there.
Afterwards, they are bringing over little by little from the graveyard or something like that. If they were to bring it over all in one go, the ground would collapse and there would be a big hole or something like that.
“What do we do today?”
“I want to investigate the countries in the vicinity. To gather strength, this country alone is not eno……”
“Wha, what are you doing, Henrir!? Let go of my hand!”
We walk down the corridor as we talk about today’s plans and, Fia’s voice was heard. Followed by a man’s voice. Unable to ignore it, I turn the corner and, over there was a man who grabs Fia’s arm and was about to bring her somewhere. That, if I’m not wrong, is the Crown Prince. I see he has returned to the capital. However
“What are you doing to my property”
I can’t have him try to bring my thing somewhere.
