It Seems That I’ve Slipped Into a Different World. Also, My Gender Has Changed - Chapter 76

Now then, the next day. Uhm, it’s also the third day of the harvest festival.
It’s relatively easy to wake up in the morning because it’s autumn. I mean, since it’s either hot or cold, the morning is quite tough. I managed to pass the summer just fine here, but I’m going to prepare for winter from now on. I mean, it will snow, after all.
Yup, well, let’s leave that aside.

“Seiren-sama, Saryuu-sama.”

When I went for breakfast, Saya-san talked to me and Saryuu. I met Saryuu when I was in the middle of heading to the dining room, so we decided to go there together. Anyway, Saya-san seemed to have been waiting for us in front of the dining room.
She seemed to be in a good mood, so it doesn’t seem to be about the assailants.

“It’s about the harvest festival. As a result after consulting the garrison station, it seems very likely that we’ll be able to manage it somehow if it’s a day before the festival’s last day.”
“The day before?”

Oh-, it seems like we will be able to go there to play. I’m glad.
Which means, it will be in three days’ time, huh? Saryuu tilted his head because it’s not the last day, but well, I see.

“Aah. On the last day, there will be a tidying up after the festival ends, so I think that the shop people are going to be very busy.”
“I see. Since they’re going to return to their normal life on the next day, right?”
“I think that the garrisons will be quite busy watching over them as the downtown will be quite chaotic at that time. If not, it will still be quite messy from the shops and the carts’ proceedings.”
“Ah-, the number of thieves might increase, is it? As expected from Nee-sama.”

Putting aside about what he meant by as expected from me, Saryuu seemed to understand about it now. Well, if there is a cleaning up after a party at the mansion, it’s not like we’d want to see that, too. He’ll surely understand about it, too. I think that he’s originally smart, but it might be my biased view as his elder stepsister.
But well, I thought that it would be impossible so I wanted to request a permission to go outside and play once more, but that didn’t seem to be the case. While thinking about it, I answered Saya-san, “Thank you very much.”

“Then, I’ll be looking forward for that day. Please convey my best regards to the garrisons, and thank you for your hard work.”
“Understood. Ah, today is Taiga-sama’s rest day, so what would you like to do?”
“A rest day… Does that mean he’s free today?”
“I somehow managed to get him agree to it under the pretext of having to go quite far away for tomorrow’s meeting with the dairy farmer’s representative.”

Saya-san also told me about it while smiling in a good mood. For her to be able to get him to take a rest forcibly like this, it’s somehow amazing.
…Eh, what did she mean by what would I like to do? Well…

“Eh-… Uhm…”
“I’m going to be quite presumptuous as to propose you with the idea of relaxing together in whoever’s room, since you two have already been engaged after all. Yes?”

Saryuu and then the other maids except Saya-san simultaneously whistled. Incidentally, me too.
Eh, uhm, in other words, that, yup.
In short, she’s telling me to have a date within the house, right? Nah, since we’re not yet married, we shouldn’t do anything beyond that point.
…I’m still feeling quite uncomfortable when I’m reminded of the fact that I’m a woman. After all, I still addressed myself as “Ore”.[1. Ore = a masculine way to say “I”.]

No, no, no, let’s focus on the question at hand. It’s not the right time to escape from the reality.
At least, I can just leisurely drink tea together with Taiga-san, and with that alone, I feel quite happy or relieved.

“…That proposal is quite attractive. As expected, since we’re only still engaged, going to Taiga-san’s room is a bit…”
“Then, shall we do so in Seiren-sama’s guest room?”
“Ah, yes, please…”

Oi, Saya-san, you planned to do that from the very beginning, right? I feel like your words quickly covered my words just now. Nah, that’s also fine, though.
But well, that being the case, it’s necessary for us to do the preparations to invite him. Thinking that I need to ask my maids of it first and the foremost, I turned around and tried asking them.

“Can you prepare us some tea? Though I think it’d be quite difficult since everyone’s also going to have a breakfast soon…”
“Yes. The tea and the tea cakes will all be prepared by the Shiiya’s side.”
“If it’s only preparing for tea, we can do it quickly, so it’s no problem-. Seiren-sama, please be rest assured.”

Ah. Alica-san and Oriza-san seem to be brimming with eagerness as they seem to be enjoying it. Meanwhile, Oriza-san who remained silent alone was… whoa, she showed a bold smile that seemed to say, ‘just leave it to us.’ Hahaha, aah, well, I’ll entrust everything to them. Yup.

“Then, I’ll be relying on you. I’m going to eat my breakfast now.”
“Yes, take care, Seiren-sama.”

After receiving my maids’ bows, I entered the dining room. As I entered, Saryuu quickly approached me and whispered a few words to my ears.

“Nee-sama, your expression is getting softer.”
“S-shut up.”

Ah-, even my younger brother is teasing me. This is not good, I can’t become a stupid woman in love like this.
Yes, a woman.

With Taiga-sama being here, the breakfast’s atmosphere turned livelier in a sense. Thanks to that, I managed to remember the food’s tastes well.
When I returned to the guest room, I took a breather and exactly 10 minutes after it, the bell rang.
Alica-san who had finished preparing the tea was leading the way and Taiga-san entered the room with a somehow timid feeling. Hey, this is your own house’s guest room, okay? Though I’m the one using it.

“Excuse me, Seiren-sama. …That, Saya has done something uncalled for…”
“Aah, no. Though I thought that it was quite sudden, but I’m happy for being able to leisurely drink tea together with Taiga-san.”

Ah-, what’s wrong with it? That’s why I tried to voice my honest feelings, trying to convey that it was all fine. I wonder if it managed to get conveyed… ah, his expression loosened. I’m glad, it seemed to have gotten through to him.

“I-if you say so, then I’m relieved.”
“Is that so? Ah, please sit down.”
“Yes, well then.”

When Taiga-san sat down across the table, the tea and the tea cakes were quickly carried. Eh, this is the shortbread that I ate for the first time when I arrived here. Alica-san brought this out, huh? I feel a bit happy.
Then, we began talking little by little. Nah, if we’re being silent, then it seems like we’ll just pass the time with being completely silent until the noon.

“Taiga-san, you’re having a day off today, huh?”
“Yes. I managed to somehow empty my schedule for a day. Though it’s quite unfortunate that I can’t go together with Seiren-sama to the harvest festival…”

I see. Taiga-san can only take a break today, while Saryuu and I will go out to the harvest festival again in three days’ time.
Well, this can’t be helped too. I think it’s good enough that we managed to spend the time together during the first day, even if it was only for a short while.

“Your work seems to be quite difficult, right? Please don’t overwork yourself, okay?”
“I understand.”
“If Taiga-san don’t mind, please be at ease in my room. Though I said so, this is still Taiga-san’s home.”
“No, no. Then, I will be at ease here.”

Oh my? It looks like that Taiga-san’s smiling face is quite similar to Saryuu’s. As expected of brothers, huh.
After that, we talked about various trifling matters. As one would expect, there’s no way he’d want to talk about his work during his day off, so we mainly talked about what Saryuu had been doing, or my story ever since I came back to this world, etc.
During the time, sometimes Taiga-san dozed off for an instant. Is he sleepy? It’s not like your drowsiness will all go away once you drink the tea.

“Are you sleepy?”
“Ah, no, not that sleepy. It’s just that my sleeping hours were quite insufficient.”
“As I expected-.”

After all, there were lots of paperwork to do even when he returned to the mansion. Moreover, the deadline seemed to be tomorrow morning. I’ve helped the orphanage director with his household account book before, so more or less, I could understand.
Then, I also know a bit of replenishment method to do when one is tired. However, there are the eyes of the maids here… ah.

“Ah. Minoa-san, Alica-san, Oriza-san, can you please pretend not to see anything for a moment?”
“Yes? Ah, I understand.”
“Y-yes.”
“Ye-s. Hey, hey, Minoa, let’s go to the front room for a moment-.”

Alica-san immediately understood. Together with Oriza-san who pushed Minoa-san’s back as Minoa-san seemed to not being able to comprehend it for a moment, they went back to the front room. No, really, sorry. As expected, there’s no way I can do it with them watching-.
Since they have to monitor the circumstances here, they can’t completely clsoe the door. However, after confirming that they have entered the other room, I corrected my posture on the sofa. Then, I arranged my knees together.

“Taiga-san, Taiga-san.”
“Eh?”

Look, he dozed off again. Towards Taiga-san who raised his face at my voice, I tried to clap my knees. …Wait, I wonder if they also have this kind of habit here?

“Uh-m. Is there no such thing as sleeping with your head on someone else’s lap here?”
“Eh, no, there is… b-but…”

Ah, so it also exists here. I’m glad, I’m glad.

“It’s what the orphanage director often did to me when I was tired. At that time, I was still a male and I was still a child, so it felt to me like my own father did that.”

The current Taiga-san is the head of the Shikino family and the feudal lord of this area, so he doesn’t have anyone else to rely on. Though I don’t seem like someone he can really rely on, but I can at least lend my lap like this. Or more precisely, I want him not to borrow someone else’s lap other than mine.

“Come, come. If it’s your fiancee’s lap, nobody would complaint even if you’re borrowing it. Or more precisely, I don’t mind at all.”

After all, isn’t that right?
Even if I were a man right now, I’d lend my lap. Since Taiga-san is someone important to me. Also, thankfully, I am a woman, so I think that the tenderness of my legs will be good to provide Taiga-san a sleeping comfort. Yup.

“Eh, ah, t-then, e-excuse me…”
“Go ahead and feel free.”

Taiga-san who was sitting next to me timidly placed his head on top of my lap. Ah, as expected, it’s quite heavy Well, that’s quite obvious.
Then, when I tried to stroke his hair, he closed his eyes partly as if he was feeling good. …Are you a dog or a cat, huh? Or rather, I haven’t seen such pet animals with the excpetion of the small horses. Shall I try asking about it next time?
Speaking of trying to ask…

“Have you heard about the harvest festival?”
“If I’m not mistaken, you’ll be going there once more a day prior to its last day?”

Ooh, I’m glad. It seems that he has heard of it from Saya-san. Or did he just hear about it right before he came to this room? Saya-san is so fast at doing her work.

“Yes. If there’s an opportunity, would you please try to talk with Leo-san and the others? I wonder if it’s alright to believe in that person?”
“Yes, I understand… I will tell… That person is… all… right…”

I wonder if he really understands? He went on asleep so quickly.
Or rather, I see. To Taiga-san, Leo-san seems to be a good person. I was slightly relieved.

For some reason, I’m also getting sleepy. I wonder if I should just sleep… Ah-, but, after this, what are we going to do…