owlsbooks Chapter 1023 The Last Routine 202
Chapter 1023 The Last Routine 202
Chapter 1023 The Last Routine 202
"I don't know either!" Xiaolin shouted in a panic. "Wow, what are you selling? This should be a regular jewelry store!"
"Because it wasn't handsome enough, I adjusted it to suit my style." You said this so matter-of-factly, even asking with a strange look, "Is there a problem with that?"
"Of course there's a problem!!" Kobayashi shouted angrily, then ordered her, "Alright, quickly restore the original product!"
"It's really sad that I can't understand this kind of emotion."
She shook her head helplessly.
After much persuasion, they finally managed to get Yougou to replace those bizarre products.
"Really, that's why Kobayashi...!" Claire said angrily, but looking at the bustling scene on the street, she had to admit, "But the people are surprisingly enjoying it."
Although it's unwilling, it's the truth. The royal capital is never usually this lively, and of course, Christmas is not a regular occurrence there either.
Darkness nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, everyone says that Princess Alice cares a lot about the people, so she's received rave reviews. In any case, it's wonderful that the people like her."
Her goal was to increase Kobayashi's favorability with Claire. Regardless of whether Alice made the request, Kobayashi was the one who ultimately accomplished it, so her contribution was undeniable. Claire also cared a lot about increasing Alice's popularity among the public, and this naturally owed much to Kobayashi's efforts as well.
“…Yes.” Claire said noncommittally, though she was still unwilling to accept it, she could only apologize, “Lady Alice, I’m sorry for my unnecessary worry… Strange, Lady Alice!? Where, where did you go!!!”
She had assumed Alice was always with her, but when she turned around, she found she had vanished. Panicked and bewildered, she looked around frantically, hoping to spot Alice. Unfortunately, she saw nothing.
"Ah...!" Darkness suddenly said somewhat awkwardly, "Well, speaking of which, it's been a while since I've seen her. Oh dear, where did she go?"
The tone of her voice immediately revealed where Alice had gone. However, Claire was too worried about Alice's safety to notice the unusual tone in Dax's voice, and could only scream and shout while holding her head.
"Could she have been kidnapped in the crowd?! This can't go on! If we don't find her quickly...!" Claire grew increasingly frightened, screaming excitedly, "Aaaaaah, if anything happens to Lady Alice, I...I!!"
Does this guy really want to find Alice? Or is he just trying to make a scene and let everyone know that Alice has disappeared? Could she be a spy sent by someone else?
"Wait, wait a minute, don't be so nervous." Kobayashi stopped the excited female guard who was about to close off the street and turn it upside down, saying, "I think she just wants to see how happy the people are up close, that's why she's wandering around—"
"Hey, stop talking!!" Claire clearly had no intention of listening to his explanation, grabbing Kobayashi's collar and shouting angrily, "In the end, it's all your fault for bringing this event to the table! If anything happens to Lady Alice, I will absolutely not forgive you!!"
"Whoa, that's dangerous! Stop it right now, put the sword down!!" Kobayashi shrank back in fear. Claire, that crazy woman, really would put the sword on his shoulder when she got angry.
"I knew it... we shouldn't have held Christmas...!" Claire said through gritted teeth, her face contorted with heartache. "If we had tried harder to stop it...!!"
"Enough, you crazy woman! If you have time to fool around here, you should go find Alice!" Kobayashi slapped Claire's longsword away and ran towards the street without looking back, though her posture looked more like she was running away.
So Darkness, Claire, Kobayashi, and the others searched the entire capital for Alice, who had suddenly disappeared, but they still hadn't found her...
"I asked Rein, and she said she didn't go back... Lady Alice!!" Claire was on the verge of tears, choking back sobs as she said, "If... if I hadn't left your sight, this wouldn't have happened...!! This is a disqualification as a guard...!"
"Lady Claire, please calm down!" Darkness, seeing Claire about to harm herself, quickly dissuaded her and comforted her, "Well... Lady Alice must be enjoying Christmas in the capital alone."
"...Hmph." You Gouhui nodded in agreement and said with a smile, "Some realms can only be reached by experiencing true solitude. Only in this way can one reach the truth."
“…The truth!?” Claire grabbed Darkness’s shoulder excitedly and demanded, “Lord Darkness, where is Lady Alice going!?”
"Claire, Claire... Lady Claire! Don't mind her eloquent words!!"
Darkness, who was being shaken, was also extremely nervous. It took a lot of effort to break free from Claire's frantic shaking, and she was in a very bad state.
At this moment, Kobayashi leaned over and whispered, "I'm telling you, Darkness, this can't go on like this any longer, can it?"
“Perhaps so, but Alice asked us to buy as much time as possible and not give up so easily…!” Darkness was also distressed, but it was Alice’s request, so they could only agree, couldn’t they?
Just as they huddled together, Claire keenly sensed something. She glared at them aggressively and demanded, "What are you whispering about? Are you two hiding something...? Confess now, Kobayashi! Otherwise... I'll make you regret ever being born!"
She drew her longsword again and slashed down without hesitation, startling Kobayashi who quickly raised his hands to block. Claire didn't seem to want an answer from Kobayashi at all; she seemed more interested in killing him.
"What do you want?!" Kobayashi clasped his hands together, pressing down on the longsword in the posture of Li Jing receiving a sword, and shouted, "We haven't been hiding anything, have we, Darkness?!"
"Eh, eh... nothing special..."
Darkness was clearly bad at lying; she couldn't even manage a cover-up when faced with Kobayashi's questions, and Claire saw right through her. Claire herself looked at her in disbelief, seemingly not expecting the other woman to lie to her, but her expression quickly changed, becoming serious and dangerous.
"Is that so? I didn't expect even Lord Dustensis to..." She nodded and said, "I understand. In that case, I can only ask about Lord Kobayashi's health!"
"Hey, hey, hey, what exactly do you want to do! Stop, stop, I know, I know! I'll tell you, so hurry up and put your sword away...!" Xiaolin was really afraid of her. This girl had no intention of hiding anything at all. She pulled out her long sword and was about to kill people on the street without any regard for others. I really don't know who made the festival so bloody and dangerous.
"I said, Kobayashi!" Darkness grabbed his arm anxiously, trying to stop him from revealing Alice's whereabouts.
"If this continues, my life will be in danger!" Kobayashi also indicated that she had something to say, and even had to voice Darkness's objections, so she quickly explained, "Um, Alice is at the hotel right now—"
"Lady Alice!!!"
Before she could finish speaking, Claire turned and ran towards the hotel without looking back. This girl clearly didn't know which hotel it was, yet she dared to be so agitated?
After much persuasion, Xiaolin led us to the hotel.
Then--
"No! This can't go on!! If this continues...!"
Alice's suggestive words drifted from the room.
Clayton's eyes widened immediately, and he cried out anxiously, "Lady Alice!? I know this is rude, but it's still impolite!!"
After saying that, ignoring Alice's attempts to stop him, he forcefully pushed open the door and barged in.
Then--
Claire was stunned when she saw what was happening in the room.
"...Eh!? What, what is this...!?"
"Ah... it's been exposed before it's even finished?" Aqua said with some regret when she saw Claire barging in. "Seriously, they found us way too fast."
"Waaah..." Alice sighed regretfully, saying, "It's all because it wasn't done well in the end, it looks terrible..."
"What...what are you doing...!?"
"Hmph, let me tell you, Alice—"
"Wait, Aqua."
Just as the foolish goddess was about to do it for him, Darkness walked into the room from outside and said, "It would be better if Princess Alice told Lord Claire directly."
Then, under Darkness's encouraging gaze, Alice shyly pulled out a woolen item from behind her back and said, "Actually, I wanted to give you, Claire, a hand-knitted scarf as a Christmas present, so I asked Miss Aqua to teach me how to make it. Unfortunately, you came before I could even finish."
"What!?" Claire's mouth dropped open, and she said with a mixture of joy and surprise, "For...for me...!?"
"However, because the progress is very slow and we're running out of time, please all agree to secretly weave in the room..."
"Ah, so that's what happened, Rein said, Lady Alice didn't go back."
Claire seemed to understand why Rhine had lied; clearly, she was part of the same narrative. In other words, everyone was deceiving her alone. However, she felt no anger whatsoever; on the contrary, she was extremely happy, even ecstatic.
"Then..." Alice timidly took out the half-finished scarf and said softly, "Although it's a scarf, it's a bit of a failure. I'll redo it and give it to you another day, okay?"
“Lady Alice…” Claire wiped her eyes, slightly moved, and said, “Could you give me this unfinished product…”
"Hey, is this okay? We don't need anything better—"
"That's fine," Claire said happily. "Because Lady Alice put so much thought into it, and most importantly, this is a Christmas gift, right?"
“Hehe, that’s true.” Alice laughed happily. “Well then… Claire, Merry Christmas!” As she spoke, she wrapped the half-finished scarf around Claire’s neck.
"Okay...! Merry Christmas, Lady Alice!" Claire's eyes welled up with tears of emotion.
The master and servant seemed to be having a great time, and they didn't know what to say.
Aqua, somewhat oblivious to the humor, said, "Well then, work's done. Let's go back to the streets and enjoy Christmas!"
Come to think of it, she hasn't enjoyed Christmas yet because she was teaching Alice how to knit scarves, no wonder she wants to go back so much.
Xiaolin said she understood her eagerness; after all, as a banquet goddess, how could she not be anxious?
Back on the street.
Although it was late at night, the streets were still bustling with people; in fact, it was the time to celebrate Christmas.
Kobayashi and his friends arrived at a tavern and enjoyed the hard-won holiday.
From the moment she started, Claire was rubbing her scarf with a touched expression, thinking to herself: Christmas and all that... that's what I was thinking, but it's really great that it can be held...!
Aqua took a big gulp of sparkling wine and exclaimed happily, "Puha—! They sell Christmas-themed sparkling wine! It's so lively everywhere!"
"Those merchants who didn't open a shop this time will regret it, won't they?" Kobayashi's lips curled up slightly. Recalling the scene of being refused when he asked those merchants to open shops before, he couldn't help but say this maliciously, "This will become a regular event in the capital from now on, but I will resolutely not let them participate...!"
At this moment, Claire looked at him somewhat seriously and said, "Lord Kobayashi! I'm truly sorry for doubting you. This scarf I received from Lady Alice is also wonderful—"
"Speaking of which, Miss Claire, did you give Princess Alice any gift?" This unexpected question made Claire gasp. "I heard that these things are used for exchange, you know?"
"...What!?" Claire was clearly unaware of this, and she cried out in panic, "I'm so sorry! I'll go buy it right away—"
"It's alright, Claire."
"...Lady Alice?"
Claire, who was in a hurry to run out to buy a gift, was stopped by Alice, who gently said that it was okay even if she forgot the gift.
"But as an alternative, please give me a gift that Claire has carefully prepared for next Christmas. So, this holiday must be celebrated again, okay?"
Oh... such a cute smile from me, I... I... ahh ...
"Yes, ma'am!!" Claire immediately shouted, "I, Claire, will definitely prepare a return gift that matches the scarf next time!!"
No, no, no, the point of a gift is the sentiment, not its monetary value.
However, Kobayashi could foresee that this guy would rack his brains trying to come up with a gift for Alice.
(End of this chapter)