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Chapter 39
The decisive day had finally arrived.
Even though it was the tail end of winter, it was still cold. Karin put on a wool coat over her dress and headed out.
When she arrived at the capital’s central plaza, she practically flew out of her carriage.
People busily preparing for the festival were everywhere. Some were setting up tents, some were bringing out stalls, and others were arranging merchandise on display.
Karin pushed through the crowd and made her way toward the fountain. Beside it stood Iris, waiting for her.
“Karin!”
The moment Iris saw her, she bounced up and down like a rabbit that had just spotted a carrot. Her violet eyes, filled with anticipation, sparkled like stars in the night sky.
And it was understandable.
“Just the two of us at a festival? Then is this a date? Wow, Karin! It’s my first time going on a date with a friend!”
When Karin had asked what their shopping trip had been, Iris had insisted that it wasn’t a date because it had a specific purpose. She was surprisingly firm about her principles.
That was why, when Karin had invited her to the festival, Iris had been so excited at the thought of going on her first date.
It was both pitiful and adorable. Just how starved for friendship had she been to react like that?
Iris wasn’t bad at all, even if she lacked awareness. People could have spent more time with her. They were all too harsh.
“Where should we go first?”
Iris linked arms with Karin affectionately.
Karin curled a finger and tilted it toward her mouth.
“How about a nice cold drink first?”
“But it’s winter…?”
She had a point. Every time Iris spoke, white puffs of breath escaped from beneath the furry hat covering her ears.
“W-Well, I’m thirsty.”
“Oh, you’re thirsty? Then that sounds good to me too!”
Seeing Iris smile so brightly made Karin feel a little guilty.
But if it was for meeting Arken…
No, come to think of it, it was for Iris’s sake too.
According to <Clueless… omitted>, on the day of the Asite Flower Festival, the Duke took Iris to an upscale bar he frequented.
That was where Iris drank alcohol for the first time. After Lucas drank enough wine to become pleasantly tipsy, he and Iris shared their true feelings with each other, bringing them much closer together.
That was what happened in the original story, at least.
From Karin’s perspective, the current Duke Lucas didn’t seem to have any special feelings for Iris. Still, if the two of them were left together, things would work out somehow.
After all, in <Clueless… omitted>, they had been a match made in heaven.
‘Duke Lucas is a heavy drinker. He’ll go to the bar whether Iris is there or not…’
All she had to do was bring Iris to the bar, leave her alone with Duke Lucas, and then leave.
Well, after taking Arken with her, of course.
Then she could gently coax the secret out of Arken, while Iris got some private time with her crush.
How would she leave the two of them alone together?
She had a plan.
Karin immediately dragged Iris along. She had already looked up the location, and the bar’s unusual name made it easy to find.
“I’ve never been to a place like this before.”
That was the first thing Iris said as she cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.
Outside, it was bright daylight.
Inside, the bar was dim and shadowy.
Now then. Where were those two sitting?
By now, Karin was practically a professional at finding Duke Lucas and Arken.
To what extent?
She felt like she could find them even in a packed subway car during rush hour with her eyes closed.
Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration.
Still, after all this experience, locating them inside a dark bar was easy.
Ah, there they were.
Karin spotted Duke Lucas sitting at the bar and happily approached. Naturally, Arken was standing behind him.
“Duke Lucas? Fancy meeting you in a place like this!”
She wasn’t happy to see him at all, but courtesy demanded she pretend otherwise.
“What brings a young lady here?”
“What do you mean? I’m here for a drink. Nice to see you too, Arken!”
Arken had been staring at the floor, but he lifted his head at the sound of her voice.
Apparently he hadn’t expected to see Karin here. A faint look of surprise crossed his face.
He gave her a slight nod.
At first glance, he seemed no different than usual.
But Karin could tell.
His inner state wasn’t normal.
‘His eyes are completely dead.’
The vivid blue she was used to seeing had vanished, replaced by a dull, cloudy shade.
On a festival day, he should have looked happier than this.
Was it really related to that secret?
She needed to get him outside and ask him as soon as possible.
Iris was lingering hesitantly by the door, so Karin called out to her.
“Iris, over here!”
Iris looked at Karin, then at Duke Lucas sitting beside her. Her eyes widened, and she hurried over.
“Duke Lucas? Mr. Aide?”
“…So you were here too, Miss.”
“It’s nice to see you! Wow, Karin, I’m so glad I listened to you. I’ve been seeing both of you so often lately, and it makes me really happy.”
Iris looked genuinely delighted.
Karin graciously gave Iris the seat next to Duke Lucas.
She took the seat beside that one.
The spot closest to Arken and farthest from Duke Lucas.
“One orange juice, please! Iris, what would you like?”
From beside her, she heard Duke Lucas mutter,
“You said you came for a drink, and you’re ordering orange juice?”
She ignored him.
“Hm… I guess I’ll have some juice too?”
“Why not try alcohol instead?”
“Hmm… But I’ve never had alcohol before.”
Iris rested her chin on her hand and thought for a long time.
Karin swallowed nervously.
‘Please say yes.’
Otherwise her plan wouldn’t work.
“I can’t drink because alcohol doesn’t agree with me. If I could, I’d have started a long time ago. But you’ve never tried it, so you don’t know yet. Why not take this opportunity to see whether alcohol suits you or not?”
Karin put all her effort into persuading her.
“When else are you going to get a chance like this?”
“…Okay. I’ll try it once.”
Success.
Iris had finally given in.
Karin called over the waiter, who had been polishing glasses.
“One light gin, please.”
A few minutes later, the waiter returned with orange juice for Karin and gin for Iris.
Good.
Now all she had to do was gently encourage Iris to take a sip—
And then it happened.
Iris stared curiously at the transparent gin before her.
Before anyone could stop her, she tilted the glass back and emptied it in one gulp.
Karin was so shocked she forgot everything she had been about to say.
“……”
“Ugh, that’s awful. Karin, if that’s alcohol, I never want to drink it again.”
Setting the empty glass down, Iris pressed a hand to her forehead.
“I’m dizzy… Is alcohol supposed to do this?”
‘If you drink the whole thing at once, yes.’
Iris finishing the entire glass in one shot had been unexpected.
Still, she’d drunk it.
Now came the important part.
Duke Lucas was staring intently.
At Iris?
At the empty glass?
At the orange juice?
Who knew.
Either way, Karin shifted slightly so he would have a good view.
Then she pretended to reach toward Iris’s shoulder and casually bumped her own glass with her arm.
The tilted glass sailed gracefully through the air and landed perfectly in her lap.
All that practice at home had paid off.
“Ah!”
Oh dear, whatever should she do?
Karin looked down at herself miserably.
Her coat and even the dress underneath had been completely soaked with orange juice.
“What am I going to do? I have to walk around all day, and I can’t spend the whole day wearing wet clothes in this weather.”
The performance felt a little like reading from a textbook, but it was convincing enough.
Karin took off her coat and examined it.
It was hopelessly soaked.
The dress underneath was stained orange in blotchy patches.
Perfect.
“I guess I’ll have to go buy some new clothes—”
“Ah! Karin, there’s another coat left in the carriage. Should I go get it?”
Of course.
Iris.
The unpredictable variable.
If Iris had been even slightly more predictable, Karin would have asked for her cooperation from the beginning.
But Iris was a runaway locomotive with no brakes.
Karin quickly waved her hands.
“N-No! I’ve been meaning to buy a new one anyway. This old one was getting worn out. The timing is perfect, really.”
“Ah… Okay then.”
Iris didn’t argue any further.
Though the way she nodded while her head swayed from side to side looked a little dangerous.
According to <Clueless… omitted>, Iris had a peculiar constitution.
The more she drank, the more sober she became.
Well, that explained how she had managed to keep up with Duke Lucas in the original story.
This was just her first time drinking.
She probably needed time to adjust.
Besides, Karin wouldn’t be gone long.
She would buy new clothes, take Arken to the flower fields, set the mood, and then ask him about the secret.
An hour at most.
In the meantime, Iris could enjoy her time with Duke Lucas.
“Then I’ll be back soon. I saw a clothing shop nearby. I’ll just buy something off the rack. It won’t take long.”
As she picked up her soaked coat and pushed in her chair, Karin suddenly spoke.
“Iris, I guess it would be hard for you to come with me, right? You drank alcohol, so walking around would probably be difficult for a while…”
“Mmm… Sorry, Karin.”
“No, no. There’s nothing to apologize for. I’m the one who told you to try it.”
Karin patted Iris on the shoulder and turned toward Duke Lucas.
Then she let out a dramatic sigh.
“I suppose… I’ll have to go alone? In this cold weather, wearing wet clothes, all lonely and miserable, with no one to rely on, trudging along such a long road…”
Iris was tipsy.
Pass.
Duke Lucas couldn’t leave Iris alone for the sake of appearances.
Pass.
That left only one person.
Duke Lucas slowly raised one corner of his mouth and spoke with obvious reluctance.
“Arkenas. Go with her.”
“Understood.”
Success.
Karin mentally shouted Yes! about ten times.
Arken obediently approached her and removed his own coat.
It was the blue frock coat he always wore.
The inside was lined with soft fur, and it was surprisingly thick.
It looked incredibly warm.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“It’s cold outside.”
“Ah… Thank you.”
She hadn’t anticipated this.
‘I really need to buy clothes quickly.’
She couldn’t make Arken walk around in this weather wearing only a shirt.
Draping the coat over herself, Karin turned toward Iris.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Iris slowly blinked.
Instead of answering, she simply smiled dreamily.
She wasn’t completely drunk.
But she was definitely getting there.
Will she be okay?
She had to be.
Karin felt a little guilty.
Duke Lucas gestured toward Arken with his chin.
“Don’t take too long.”
“Understood.”
Who did he think he was, ordering people around like that?
Every time she saw him, Karin had the same thought.
Why had Arken of all people become Duke Lucas’s aide?
The fact that meeting Arken always meant seeing the Duke too was endlessly frustrating.
Leaving Duke Lucas and Iris behind, Karin exited the bar with Arken.
Now the real, real beginning was about to start.
