Chapter 4.4

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Chapter 4.4

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Although he inwardly took offense at Clotilde’s provocation at the place of the dinner, Dimitar had no complaints about the cuisine itself. It might be better to not carelessly talk about the splendour of that menu to Bettina who couldn’t get the same cuisine.

Dimitar, who was prepared a room beside Valeria’s party, opened the window and tried checking left and right. This place was the third floor above ground, and a beautifully maintained green garden spread out under his eyes. In case something happened by some chance, he might have to carry Valeria’s party in the arms and escape from this height.

Gulping down the water of the pitcher, which he had gone to the kitchen, taken it and then came back by himself, a little, Dimitar sat on the bed.

No sooner had he sat down than the sound of a reserved knock was heard.

「……」

Immediately standing up again, Dimitar removed the crosspiece and opened the door with a sigh mixed in. He had a rough idea of who had come.

「…Ano」

The one who was at the other side of the door was, as expected, Valeria. Gazing at Dimitar with upturned eyes, she was being bashful somehow.

「…Do you’ve some business with me?」

「Rather than business—」

「I want to rest when it’s time to rest. Quickly get it over with」

Muttering curtly, Dimitar returned to the bed.

Was she comparing it with her room where she was living together with Karin and Petra? While looking around the area restlessly, Valeria appeared to be choosing her words carefully.

「Um…a little while ago」

「Are you talking about the matter during the meal?」

「Un—」

Even though she nodded so, she didn’t continue beyond that point. However, if he were to consider the stout-hearted Valeria’s personality, it might be a matter of course.

Dimitar had sent a timely help to Valeria who was one-sidedly cornered in an argument by Clotilde at the place of the dinner. He thought that she had come to say a few words of thanks for that matter, but if she couldn’t honestly say thanks, then it was a mere waste of time.

Getting slightly irritated, Dimitar began to talk of his own accord together with an exaggerated sigh again.

「…If you’re thinking of saying thanks to me, that’s not necessary」

「Eh?」

「It’s unnecessary to say thanks. Though with respect to timing, it became a state where I seemed to have followed up for you, it’s my job to follow up for you; to begin with, I didn’t lie. I just told the truth」

「T, that’s a lie! In the first place, what was it, hora? “Pure Jewel”? I’m not called by such a second name!」

「Maa, that certainly felt a little too exaggerated, but it’s fine, isn’t it? We just have to suitably spread rumours like that and induce everyone so that you’re really called so when we return to Roma. …First, even though Babel-geika and Rudbeck-geika have second names like those, it isn’t good, with regard to your position, that only you don’t have it」

「However, such a thing isn’t something that is given to me by ourselves, is it…?」

「What’s important is the image. It’s a fact that Dominas has a symbolic aspect; it doesn’t mean that somebody becomes unhappy because we’ve just manipulated it a bit」

「That’s true, but…」

Valeria, who was complaining unintelligibly, was looking downwards, seemingly embarra.s.sed in some respects. Even though her desire for improvement was strong, to be reserved only at times like this was neither a virtue nor anything. Dimitar knitted his brows and pointed at the bed.

「Sit」

「…Hai?」

「It’s fine, so si

t. We’re going to Haiderota’s capital after this; if it turns into a situation like just now again, so that you can come through it even if I’m not beside you, I must get you to become conscious of yourself without fail」

「…Y, yes」

Looking down on Valeria who had demurely sat down with a meek expression, Dimitar cleared his throat slightly.

「…Can you quarrel with Rudbeck-geika and then win?」

「…Eh?」

「You can’t win」

「U…ma, maa, I’ve the confidence that I won’t be discouraged, but…」

「I won’t call that winning. —Anyway, it’s a fact that that Karin-sama is more eloquent, and seeing the flow just now too, to put it bluntly, you’ve no chance of winning if you’re challenged to a battle of words by Clotilde」

「……」

Although Valeria looked up at Dimitar with a sharp look, she didn’t object. As one would expect, it might be impossible for her to not admit that.

「—That’s why, you can completely leave that side to Karin-sama already」

「…And that’s fine?」

「It doesn’t matter. Even if you do your best now, you can never become like Karin-sama. However, if it’s just simple power, you might be able to surpa.s.s Babel-geika. Besides, I said it just now too, right?」

「W, what was it…?」

「You, who is always speaking carelessly and confidently even without any basis, is an existence that is even easier to get on with than Karin-sama and Babel-geika to the people who similarly don’t understand difficult doctrine and the like. It’s only because there’s an existence like yours that everyone feels at ease」

「…Isn’t that expression somewhat worse than just now?」

Valeria pouted her lips and knitted her brows.

「Don’t mind each and every minor detail. —Anyway, it’s fine as long as you understand the general education and the world’s common knowledge. Be it doctrine or what, you don’t need to use your brain for abstruse things. I think that perhaps Head Director too, isn’t expecting such a role of you」

「Ehh…?」

「What is it, that face which seems so dissatisfied?」

「That’s because」

「Then, shall I say it this way? Frankly speaking, you’re more straightforward than Karin-sama, and your smile is cuter than hers」

「Eh!? C, cute?」

「After all, her smile is a smile that seems to be concealing something behind it. Though men of the type who likes that sort of smile probably exist too, the smile that is widely liked by men and women of all ages is yours. Since only this is a question of natural appearance and personality, Karin-sama can’t surpa.s.s you no matter how much she endeavour」

「…Is, it that so…?」

As she held her cheeks with both hands, Valeria’s face turned red and she mumbled. She probably never thought that she’d be praised like this. Speaking of simple, she was simple, but such a sincere and honest part was surely an important factor to a Dominas who was widely loved by the people.

Stroking the nape of his neck, Dimitar spoke.

「Listen, all right? Remember this properly. So, if that soldier Dominas who seems to have a bad personality tries to start things that look like battle of words again, smile cheerfully and say that you’ll leave that sort of things to Rudbeck-geika」

「I, I see…un. I understand」

「But if she still appear to be persistent, find fault with the other Dominas」

「That plump child?」

「That’s right. Precisely tease about the part of her being fat. If you do so, the other party also have no choice but to be quiet」

「Isn’t that a little…impolite towards the girl? With matters regarding outward appearance—」

「If the other party tries to single out your lack of discernment for criticism, we’ll just single out that Puyol-geika’s figure for criticism. In the first place, that’s probably an important matter for a Dominas as well. It’s because her self-awareness as a Dominas isn’t enough that she becomes that sort of figure. She reaps what she sows」

Although a beautiful appearance was requested of a Dominas who was G.o.d’s wife, in a different meaning from that again, always maintaining the beautiful proportion was also requested of her. Or rather, even if she wasn’t a Dominas, since she was a magic warrior (Furigana: Marefikos), it was also possible to say that the maintenance of her figure was her responsibility.

Dimitar glared at Valeria with a “girori”.

「I shall say this in advance…, but I won’t tolerate it if you become chubby like that girl or conversely become thin to skin and bones, you know? At the worst, I might get stuck with drawing and replacing your entire body’s magic crests」

「Eh!? W, why!?」

Holding her stomach down in a hurry, Valeria became fl.u.s.tered.

「That’s obvious. If your vertical and horizontal proportions change, the proportion of the magic crests which are carved on your skin will also change. If the degree is very bad, you won’t be able to draw the correct magic squares, and the need for alteration will arise」

「Ah, I see…」

「I don’t know whether you’re conscious of it or not, but most likely, your magic crests should have been slightly adjusted to match your growth many times until now. Unrelated to the matter of being fat or thin, girls who are at the age of adulthood will also grow taller in one go at a certain stage」

「…Now that you mention it, my chest also grew bigger in one go about two years ago—」

Valeria, who was looking down on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and speaking to herself in a murmur, raised her face as if she was surprised and quickly hugged her chest.

「Ahhhhh! No, that’s wrong! It’s nothing!」

「Don’t scream」

Shrugging his shoulders, Dimitar shook his head.

「…In any case, Haiderota’s second Dominas should have quite the ability, but it seems that she can’t maintain her figure. In a sense, “a Dominas who lacks self-awareness” may be the cause of headaches for Clotilde. She probably shouldn’t be able to play innocent to that and find fault with you, so remember this well」

「U, un…」

While her face was red, Valeria stood up and started to walk towards the door.

「Ano…sa」

「That’s enough, so return to your room quickly」

I won’t get any benefit even if I’m told thanks, et cetera by you—was what he wanted to say, but if he had said that, this girl might start to scream again. He didn’t want to come to a foreign country and expose Amaddo’s shame.

「This place is the country of those people who are always aiming for an opportunity to stand in the way of Amaddo. …Thoroughly think that your own actions are directly linked to the evaluation of our motherland’s Dominas and then act」

「…I understand」

Valeria, who had nodded admirably, seemed to have said 「Thank you」 in a small voice just before she went out to the corridor and closed the door behind her, but perhaps that might have been Dimitar’s hearing mistake. Either way, since opening the once closed door and going out of his way to ask her back things like 「Oi, what did you say just now?」 might only rub Valeria’s nerves the wrong way, it was definitely better to preferably pretend not to have heard it and then sleep.

When Dimitar extinguished the light of the candlestick, he leaned his body against the bed’s backboard, held Jagieruka in the arms and shut his eyes.

End of Chapter 4

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