Outaishihi ni Nante Naritakunai!! Chapter 371

"I'm sorry for calling you on short notice."
"N-No. I don't mind."

In the afternoon, Tiris came to the Japanese café I'm the owner of.
After discussing with Freed and Cain, I picked up a quill and sent her a letter asking to come to the Japanese café.
It was so sudden that I worried she wouldn't accept, but Tiris obediently agreed and came like this.

"… Tiris, I'm sorry. ―― Cain."
"Eh?"
"Alright! Got him!!"

Cued by my words, Cain got down from the ceiling. He quickly moved behind Seth and twisted his arm behind his back.
Everybody aside from me and Cain couldn't react to the sudden event.

"Eh, eh, eh…"

Tiris alternately looked at the captured Seth and me, who had given the order.
Not understanding why Seth was caught, her other two escorts tried springing at Cain.

"Stop."

The guards stopped when they heard my sharp voice.
I'm not their employer. But knowing who I am, they couldn't disregard my order. They looked at their master, Tiris, for instructions.
While trembling, Tiris said to me.

"L-Lady Lidiana. Why did you…? … Seth hasn't done anything. Please let Seth go."
"I'm sorry. I can't do that… Freed."
"Yup."

At my call, Freed and Brother came out from a blind spot.
I explained the situation to Brother in a hurry, so he came too. Hearing the explanation, Brother turned pale, but as expected of Freed's close aide, he immediately recovered and came with us.

"Ah! Y-Your Highness…!"

Seeing Freed, Tiris turned ghastly pale and deeply bowed her head in a fluster. Seeing their master's state, Tiris's escorts fell on their knees and similarly bowed their heads.

I walked in silence and stopped before Seth in Cain's hold. Pinned down to the floor, Seth looked up at me with a face saying he didn't know what happened.
I stared at him and said in a calm tone.

"… It might be strange to say nice to meet you. But, I still will. Nice to meet you, Mr. Kaleidoscope."

For a moment nobody said anything.
Tiris and her escorts looked like they didn't understand what I said, and Cain, Freed, and Brother watched Seth with harsh faces without saying anything.
Seth looked flabbergasted after hearing my words, but before long he blinked his eyes and tilted his head.

"Er… What are you talking about? As soon as I entered the store, I was caught. I don't understand this at all. I haven't done anything, have I? I wish you'd release me."

I seriously don't know. He had such an expression on his face.
For an instant I became anxious that my guess was wrong. That's how natural his expression was and how he didn't feel out of place.
However, if my guess is correct, I shouldn't be wrong about him being the information broker Kaleidoscope.
I smiled without averting my eyes from him.

"Unfortunately, your act won't work on me. You are without a doubt 'Kaleidoscope'. Certainly, you look completely different, but… your habits are still there."
"Habits?"

He asked back with a puzzled face. I nodded to that.

"Yeah. So you haven't noticed. You have a strange habit with pronunciation. Other words didn't really attract my attention, but I found your pronunciation of 'violet' strange. The intonation is subtly different from other people's. Seth, I thought you had strange pronunciation since we first met, and I noticed the same thing when I met you at the masquerade ball last night."
"…"
"Should I tell you more? I wonder if it's hard to say violet? I don't think so, but when you pronounce it, you have a habit of briefly licking your lips. Your appearance is certainly completely different, but I've never seen anyone with both such a habit and pronunciation. Your specialty is disguise, so when I wondered if you hadn't slipped in somewhere else, you came to my mind first. The Crown Princess's friend's, Tiris's amnesiac footman."
"… Pronunciation, huh. Did you conclude that I'm an information broker with such a trivial thing?"

He looked at me defiantly. However, I won't lose.

"Yeah, of course. Because, I received varied education for the sake of becoming the Crown Princess since I'd been young. Diplomacy is part of my official duties. Do you think it's allowed for the Crown Princess of a major country to have flawed pronunciation? I was educated in that area particularly strictly. That's why, I'm a little particular regarding pronunciation."

Everything I told him is true.
Regardless of my will, Father gave me high-grade education since I'd been young for the sake of becoming the future Crown Princess. In particular, I had to put insane effort into subjects related to culture. They prove useful now that I became the Crown Princess, pronunciation is just one of them.
I clearly declared that and looked down at Seth being pinned down by Cain.
He looked dumbfounded, but before long he looked down and tried to hold back his laughter.

"Seriously!? My disguise was seriously seen through? Moreover, by a sheltered Crown Princess? It sounds like a joke! Haha! Hahahaha!"
"Seth!"

Tiris raised her voice in a shriek. I felt sorry for shocking her with the sudden event, but I needed her to know he was acting as a fictional person, so I did it here.
However, I can't let her hear any more. From here on, a lot of things that Tiris mustn't know will come up. That's why I spoke to Brother at Freed's side.

"Older Brother, please."
"Got it… Oi, you're coming too."

Brother supported the shocked Tiris and took her outside. Urged by Brother, both Tiris's escorts went after them. There were only four people left in the store, me, Seth, Cain, and Freed.
Realizing only the people involved were left inside, Seth grinned, still pinned down by Cain.
His form changed in the twinkle of an eye.

"Ah…"

His light brown hair turned black. The short hair became a black ponytail, his eye color didn't change, but a black eye patch appeared on one eye.
His physique also changed. He was clearly shorter than before. When I was so surprised by the great change that my eyes widened, Seth shook his head as if to shake something off.
Then he looked at me and Freed and said confidently.

"There are no outsiders, so isn't it fine? We met last night, Crown Princess and her husband. And, Red Shinigami."
"…"

We met let night, meaning he realized my identity after all.
When my face stiffened, he waved his hand.

"It's alright. I won't spread around that you went to a masquerade ball. If I did, I'd be instantly erased by Red Shinigami, who you are the master of. My life is too precious for that, so I'll keep silent."

Then he stared at Freed and exhaled.

"So it was you. The man who disappeared half a year ago. I only knew about it from rumors, so I could only imagine the appearance. But, I think I copied it unexpectedly skillfully? I'm a genius. But it was a coincidence that I chose you. A coincidence. After all, if I'd known your identity, I'd have absolutely chosen somebody else. I'm not so reckless as to pick a fight with the Crown Prince of Wilhelm myself."

As the man chattered, Freed looked at him with cold eyes.

Chapter end