Chapter 41: What Mr. Glidden Wanted to Know

　At the “Hideaway” after closing time, I decided to tell Mr. Glidden the story about my grandmother.

　I was a little surprised when Mr. Henry, who came to lunch, told me, “This is the place.”

“Is it at my home? It looked like that person was having a hard time walking.”

"He says he's happy that he can feel traces of your grandmother's magic in the furniture and tableware of this shop. In reality, they are just your traces , but he says it still warms his heart."

　So he could tell what I made with magic? I break out in a cold sweat. I wonder if the people in the magic department are aware of it. No, they aren’t. They didn’t seem to notice at all.

“Mr. Kyrias won’t be coming to tonight’s gathering. When I told him that this was about back when your grandmother didn’t use magic, he lost interest.”

“ That's the expected response.”

　It was a casual remark meant to be typical of Mr. Kyrias, but it elicited an unexpected response from Henry.

“He can be childish and troublesome, but I don’t find that about him particularly bothersome. I think it’s asking too much of a seventeen-year-old to tell him to ‘act like everyone else’ while relying on his superior abilities.”

　Mr. Kyrias, he is 17 years old, right? In Japan, he would be in the second year of high school. And yet he's serving as head of the Magic Department at the heart of the country, which is pretty amazing.

“When I hear that he is seventeen years old, it makes a lot of sense. Henry is an adult.”

“I’m sure he’ll settle down in time, Kyrias. And I’m also like that, being different from others is a burden for me too.”

“Ah……”

“Well, I’m sure Kyrias-kun doesn’t consider his magical talent a burden.”

　Henry laughed jokingly at the end, but I was very ashamed of myself for saying something so insensitive.

　That night, at the sound of seven o’clock, a carriage arrived. An elderly maid got out, supporting Mr. Glidden.

“Excuse me, but I wonder if you would allow me to sit in on this as well. I would really appreciate it.”

“Of course. Please.”

“My name is Sarah. Thank you for allowing me to be here.”

　I didn’t ask why this woman was there. Because I had agreed to only answer their questions. I served them some tea and madeleines and opened the conversation by saying, “Please ask your questions.”

Illustration (By Mitemin)

“I’m going to start off by asking, where is Liyol now? Is she alive and well?”

“My grandmother is …… in a place so far away that I can no longer return. But she’s doing well.”

　I was suddenly asked where she was, and I was flustered. Mr. Glidden continued to speak without taking his eyes off me.

“If Liyol was somewhere on this continent, I thought it was odd that you would be here alone. The girl I knew would have either left a message with you, or crawled back to me. And yet, Mai is the only one here. I had suspected that was the case, but now that I know of your existence, I’m certain.  She must be in a place where it's impossible to contact her. You were sent here by Liyol’s magic, weren’t you, Mai-san?”

“…… Yes.”

　Grandma, I met someone who has always worried about you. He’s a very smart old man.  It meant that you weren’t alone in this world, Grandma. That’s a relief.

“My grandmother is fine. I have never seen my grandmother bedridden.”

“I see… I’ll take your word for it. Was she a good cook as well?”

“Yes, she loved to cook. She also loved going to see paintings, sculptures, and plays. She always said that her greatest pleasure was chatting with her friends.”

　Mr. Glidden pressed a handkerchief to his eyes.

“What kind of person is Liyol’s companion?”

“My grandfather was a office worker. He died of illness when I was a child. He was a mild-mannered man, and I never saw him and my grandmother quarreling. They were a close couple and often went on overnight trips together. I remember my grandmother happily telling me about what kind of scenery they had seen while eating sweets she had brought back as souvenirs. My grandfather would listen to my grandmother’s stories in silence, smiling.”

　This time, Sarah’s eyes were red and she looked down. I wonder what kind of relationship she has with my grandmother. Mr. Glidden put his hand on Sarah’s shoulder and gently patted it as if to soothe her.

　I realized from that gesture that there was love between the two of them, and that it was not just an employment relationship. It was the intuition of someone who has worked in the customer service industry.

“What kind of person is your mother, Mai?”

“My mother had a face similar to my grandfather’s. She was good at making sweets and was a homely person. My grandmother always said, ‘Mai looks a lot like me.’ She would repeatedly say that we looked alike in many ways, not just in face.”

“You seem to have grown up in a happy home.”

“Yes, I did. I had a very happy upbringing.”

　I don’t need to tell you how sad my grandmother was when my parents died.

“If you like, please try these baked goods. They were my mother’s specialty.”

“I’ll have some. Oh, the cookies were good, but these are delicious, too. Sarah, please have some.”

“Yes, thank you. Thank you very much.”

　Sarah elegantly takes a bite of the madeleine and looks at Mr. Glidden with a smile.

“It’s very delicious.”

“It’s delicious. Let’s come back here again.”

“Well, is that all right?　Thank you very much. I look forward to it.”

　They are so close.  I thought it was a blessing to have someone to spend time with when you are old and getting along well with others, and when I looked at Henry, our eyes met. Henry-san was looking at me with a smile in his eyes. I felt a little embarrassed.

"I see, you were living a happy life, Liyol. Looking at you, I can tell you weren't struggling to make ends meet. That's a relief."

“That’s right. We didn’t have any financial problems.”

“Henry told me that Liyol didn’t use magic, is that true?”

“I grew up not knowing that my grandmother was a wizard at all. Due to certain circumstances, I was sent here… to the royal capital, and it was only then that I found out that my grandmother could use magic.”

“I see. If you were sent here by Liyol’s magic, it means she was in very good health.”

　I guess that’s it. I was nervous because I didn’t know how much I should say.

　They didn’t ask me any particularly intrusive questions that would bother me, and the only questions he asked me after that were about what kind of life my grandmother lived and what her relationships with her friends were like.

　After I saw Mr. Glidden and the others off with a smile, Henry sighed. I guess even he gets nervous sometimes.

 "Good job, Mai-san. Thank you.”

“No, it was a lot of fun talking about my grandmother.”

“Mai-san, were your family members nobility over there?”

“No way. What makes you think that?”

“Appreciating paintings, sculptures, and plays are the hobbies of the nobility here. And traveling, too.”

　I am no longer surprised to hear that even hobbies are limited by one’s social status. I'm sure they are.

“My country abolished the class system quite some time ago. There was still a difference between rich and poor, but not as great as in this world. I think my life was quite luxurious considering I didn’t have parents.”

“Yes. That’s the kind of country I want to build.”

　Mr. Henry says sincerely with a deep expression as he gazed into the distance. His profile resembled Carlotta-san’s.

“Mr. Henry looks like Ms. Carlotta.”

“Yes, we do look alike. When I first met her, I thought, ‘That’s definitely my mother.’”

“Your mother is beautiful, too.”

　

　I wrapped up all the remaining madeleines and handed them to Henry, who looked embarrassed.

“this is?”

“For the lodgers.”

“Can I bring something for the magic department?　There’s been a lot going on, and I’ve been forcing them to work too hard for me. There are many young people in the department and they are always hungry. I’m sure they’ll appreciate these tasty treats.”

“Please do.”

　As we were leaving, Mr. Henry took my hand and quickly put his lips on the back of my hand. (It's like a movie scene.) I thought to myself, I looked at him and he smiled shyly.

“It was my first time doing something like this so I was nervous. Good night. Make sure you lock the door.”

　Even though he and I are the same age and I’m always the one being protected, I think Henry is cute.

Tomorrow is Sarah’s time.

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