While I spend my daily life with swordsmanship practice and being absorbed in my magic book studies, there was never any real information about the fugitive Gray.
The counselling was once a week.
Father and mother came for a meeting once a week as well. However, mother seemed to be displeased with the situation not changing, and I was uneasy.
Every day flew by. But I had a problem.
“Pardon, what are you talking about?”
I borrowed a guest room that morning and sat face to face with my parents.
Claire was waiting silently in the corner of the room, too.
Through father didn’t change and tried to smile calmly all the time, worry and fatigue could be seen in his eyes.
Even though I made a difficult expression while chewing on my lips, mother made an effort to always put on a smile when talking to me.
“Even though the people of the judicial station are doing their best and I am able to spend my time without inconvenience here.”
“That’s natural!”
Mother interrupted me a little. But I continued immediately.
“What if Gray……If the criminal runs away to a far-off place and can’t be caught, what should I do?”
“What should you do, is it?”
Father furrowed his eyebrows.
“My body is the one of another person and……Isn’t it strange for me to return to the mansion?”
“You’ll always be our daughter”
As my father said something he let out a snort.
But I was uneasy.
This was a realistic problem.
“Do you not care if strange rumours pop up? I……Ariel is missing and in her stead an unidentified boy starts to live in the Augustine house.”
“Isn’t that fine?”
Mother gave a bright smile.
“When something like that happens we could just say that we are taking care of you as a favour for some relatives. Well, even if they suspect us we could just make them believe you are our illegitimate child, that’s fine as well.”
“Illegitimate child……”
Father looked at mother with a troubled expression but didn’t say anything further.
Mother continued on.
“But Ariel was to be sent to a boarding school for the sake of bride training, I wonder if the boy who would be your fiancé is fine with this?”
I opened my mouth after I stayed silent for a bit.
“What you said is rather unpleasant, if I can’t return to my original body……I am the only daughter of the Augustine house, an heir……That is”
“That’s a talk for later.”
Father looked bitter.
“In these times you should just believe in the Judiciary Station”
“But what if they don’t find anything. You should prepare the worst”
I said calmly.
Taking a bridegroom when I can’t return to my original body as is …… that’s impossible.
In other words, the blood line of the Augustine’s would die out.
My family is a venerable clan – – that’s what I heard from mother many times.
“If it is possible, adopt a child……That would be better”
From an early age I’ve always caused mischief, I worried and bothered father and mother.
Still, as a member of the Augustine house, I had to be careful how I presented myself. Therefore I knew the do’s and don’ts.
With that in mind, I hit this problem when I thought about my present status.
“Is there someone in father’s lineage?”
“Ariel”
Father opened his mouth and looked at me with sharp eyes.
“It’s still too early to think about that. For you to have become like this it’s not that long”
“I understand that. But”
“If you understand it all the more. First, let’s think about how to get you out of here quickly and return to the mansion. They didn’t tell you when you’re able to do that?”
“Yes”
I seemed to have clenched my fists too hard earlier. My fingernails cut into my palms.
“But it’s impossible for the time being. It’s safe, though”
As I said that I gingerly looked at mother. Mother only looked down and seemed to be lost in thoughts.
“May I say something selfish?”
I turned my eyes to father.
Father and mother watched me.
“Could you allow me to learn magic?”
“Magic?”
Mother’s and father’s voice overlapped.
“It’s necessary to protect this body. That criminal is a magician, that’s why.”
“But isn’t it the duty of the judiciary station to catch him?”
Mother lifted her eyes.
“I understand that. But it’s still necessary. Maybe I could even reverse the spell with my own hands.”
I didn’t tell them that personality transfer is a taboo spell.
It’s probably impossible to reverse it on my own.
“Therefore I have a request. I want to attend a school with a magic department if possible. If you say that being a magician would shame the family, I won’t mention the name Augustine then. I would even think about entering the dormitory. I will try not to cause any trouble for you. That’s why, please.”
I kept on talking before I lowered my head.
At any rate, I was desperate.
“Uhm, Ariel”
Mother sighed in amazement.
“I think it’s a good mind-set, not wanting to bother us. But this doesn’t feel like a nuisance”
I rose my head and looked at mother. Mother looked at me with awfully earnest eyes.
“Even if your appearance changed you are still our important daughter. If that is what you need we would cooperate no matter what. Even if I think that a girl shouldn’t attend the magic department, is it necessary for you?”
“Yes”
“Then you will attend Wexford academy next year as planned. They should have a magic department, too. It should be reassuring for you that Rachel is there”
“Is that okay?”
“What is? This would be rather convenient. We can’t hide it from the Harris’ anyway, so we should explain it to them and ask for their cooperation.”
Is that really okay?
But I’d be really grateful. Even though I looked forward to attending the Wexford academy, I thought I wouldn’t be able to because of my situation.
That’s why any small school with a magic department would do – – that’s what I thought.
“We will prepare for it”
Mother said so and stood up from the sofa.
“Thank you”
When I stood up mother softened her expression while looking at me and just said.
“……Though I am strict with you in various ways, I’m not saying this for the sake of the Augustine family. You don’t have to hold back.”
I hesitated for a bit……but I wanted to say something.
I wonder.
“If there’s anything bothering you, you can talk to me anytime. Don’t think about it alone.”
As mother said so she patted my head. And I laugh.
“……I wonder if you’ll be something like a son.”
After father and mother left I went to the dining room together with Claire.
“When the young lady attends the Academy……”
Claire said quietly.
I watched her profile while walking.
I see.
So far I was together with Claire, who is like a sister to me, every day.
That won’t be possible when I’m attending the Academy.
I somewhat felt lonely. But I would be able to meet her in the mansion.
“When the young lady decided to do something there isn’t a single person who could stop her……”
“What are you worried about?”
Because it was so unexpected, I momentarily said it in a woman’s way of speaking. Oops, that’s wrong, that’s wrong.
“I’m just feeling uneasy”
“Claire. I’m alright. I recently thought about various ways to act.”
“Aren’t you uneasy?”
Claire sighed.
“Recently, the young Lady acts like a completely different person.”
“This is the body of a different person after all.”
“Please don’t make fun of me.”
“I’m sorry”
“This happened so suddenly and I know it’s hard. But I can’t see it as anything else but overdoing it.”
Clare seemed depressed for some reason. Or was it simply her worrying about me?
“I probably can’t keep up with my situation as well.”
“I wish you good luck”
I laughed.
I probably overdid it. I spend my time practicing swordsmanship and reading just to avoid thinking about this situation.
But this is better.
“Thank you, Claire”
I smiled at her.
“I was saved because you were there. When I was alone in the Judiciary Station it was mentally really hard for me. Really, thank you very much”
“Good grief!”
Claire suddenly stopped and looked down. When I stopped and looked at her with furrowed eyebrows she suddenly glared at me.
“Young lady! Please, at least take some time for a feminine hobby! Like embroidery or knitting!”
“Eeh!? What’s with that all of a sudden?”
“I hate seeing the young lady steadily turning into a man!”
Calm down!
I didn’t really understand it well, but it seems her head was full of different things other than me.
After I somehow coaxed Claire I brought her to the dining room.
While I spend my daily life with swordsmanship practice and being absorbed in my magic book studies, there was never any real information about the fugitive Gray.
The counselling was once a week.
Father and mother came for a meeting once a week as well. However, mother seemed to be displeased with the situation not changing, and I was uneasy.
Every day flew by. But I had a problem.
“Pardon, what are you talking about?”
I borrowed a guest room that morning and sat face to face with my parents.
Claire was waiting silently in the corner of the room, too.
Through father didn’t change and tried to smile calmly all the time, worry and fatigue could be seen in his eyes.
Even though I made a difficult expression while chewing on my lips, mother made an effort to always put on a smile when talking to me.
“Even though the people of the judicial station are doing their best and I am able to spend my time without inconvenience here.”
“That’s natural!”
Mother interrupted me a little. But I continued immediately.
“What if Gray……If the criminal runs away to a far-off place and can’t be caught, what should I do?”
“What should you do, is it?”
Father furrowed his eyebrows.
“My body is the one of another person and……Isn’t it strange for me to return to the mansion?”
“You’ll always be our daughter”
As my father said something he let out a snort.
But I was uneasy.
This was a realistic problem.
“Do you not care if strange rumours pop up? I……Ariel is missing and in her stead an unidentified boy starts to live in the Augustine house.”
“Isn’t that fine?”
Mother gave a bright smile.
“When something like that happens we could just say that we are taking care of you as a favour for some relatives. Well, even if they suspect us we could just make them believe you are our illegitimate child, that’s fine as well.”
“Illegitimate child……”
Father looked at mother with a troubled expression but didn’t say anything further.
Mother continued on.
“But Ariel was to be sent to a boarding school for the sake of bride training, I wonder if the boy who would be your fiancé is fine with this?”
I opened my mouth after I stayed silent for a bit.
“What you said is rather unpleasant, if I can’t return to my original body……I am the only daughter of the Augustine house, an heir……That is”
“That’s a talk for later.”
Father looked bitter.
“In these times you should just believe in the Judiciary Station”
“But what if they don’t find anything. You should prepare the worst”
I said calmly.
Taking a bridegroom when I can’t return to my original body as is …… that’s impossible.
In other words, the blood line of the Augustine’s would die out.
My family is a venerable clan – – that’s what I heard from mother many times.
“If it is possible, adopt a child……That would be better”
From an early age I’ve always caused mischief, I worried and bothered father and mother.
Still, as a member of the Augustine house, I had to be careful how I presented myself. Therefore I knew the do’s and don’ts.
With that in mind, I hit this problem when I thought about my present status.
“Is there someone in father’s lineage?”
“Ariel”
Father opened his mouth and looked at me with sharp eyes.
“It’s still too early to think about that. For you to have become like this it’s not that long”
“I understand that. But”
“If you understand it all the more. First, let’s think about how to get you out of here quickly and return to the mansion. They didn’t tell you when you’re able to do that?”
“Yes”
I seemed to have clenched my fists too hard earlier. My fingernails cut into my palms.
“But it’s impossible for the time being. It’s safe, though”
As I said that I gingerly looked at mother. Mother only looked down and seemed to be lost in thoughts.
“May I say something selfish?”
I turned my eyes to father.
Father and mother watched me.
“Could you allow me to learn magic?”
“Magic?”
Mother’s and father’s voice overlapped.
“It’s necessary to protect this body. That criminal is a magician, that’s why.”
“But isn’t it the duty of the judiciary station to catch him?”
Mother lifted her eyes.
“I understand that. But it’s still necessary. Maybe I could even reverse the spell with my own hands.”
I didn’t tell them that personality transfer is a taboo spell.
It’s probably impossible to reverse it on my own.
“Therefore I have a request. I want to attend a school with a magic department if possible. If you say that being a magician would shame the family, I won’t mention the name Augustine then. I would even think about entering the dormitory. I will try not to cause any trouble for you. That’s why, please.”
I kept on talking before I lowered my head.
At any rate, I was desperate.
“Uhm, Ariel”
Mother sighed in amazement.
“I think it’s a good mind-set, not wanting to bother us. But this doesn’t feel like a nuisance”
I rose my head and looked at mother. Mother looked at me with awfully earnest eyes.
“Even if your appearance changed you are still our important daughter. If that is what you need we would cooperate no matter what. Even if I think that a girl shouldn’t attend the magic department, is it necessary for you?”
“Yes”
“Then you will attend Wexford academy next year as planned. They should have a magic department, too. It should be reassuring for you that Rachel is there”
“Is that okay?”
“What is? This would be rather convenient. We can’t hide it from the Harris’ anyway, so we should explain it to them and ask for their cooperation.”
Is that really okay?
But I’d be really grateful. Even though I looked forward to attending the Wexford academy, I thought I wouldn’t be able to because of my situation.
That’s why any small school with a magic department would do – – that’s what I thought.
“We will prepare for it”
Mother said so and stood up from the sofa.
“Thank you”
When I stood up mother softened her expression while looking at me and just said.
“……Though I am strict with you in various ways, I’m not saying this for the sake of the Augustine family. You don’t have to hold back.”
I hesitated for a bit……but I wanted to say something.
I wonder.
“If there’s anything bothering you, you can talk to me anytime. Don’t think about it alone.”
As mother said so she patted my head. And I laugh.
“……I wonder if you’ll be something like a son.”
After father and mother left I went to the dining room together with Claire.
“When the young lady attends the Academy……”
Claire said quietly.
I watched her profile while walking.
I see.
So far I was together with Claire, who is like a sister to me, every day.
That won’t be possible when I’m attending the Academy.
I somewhat felt lonely. But I would be able to meet her in the mansion.
“When the young lady decided to do something there isn’t a single person who could stop her……”
“What are you worried about?”
Because it was so unexpected, I momentarily said it in a woman’s way of speaking. Oops, that’s wrong, that’s wrong.
“I’m just feeling uneasy”
“Claire. I’m alright. I recently thought about various ways to act.”
“Aren’t you uneasy?”
Claire sighed.
“Recently, the young Lady acts like a completely different person.”
“This is the body of a different person after all.”
“Please don’t make fun of me.”
“I’m sorry”
“This happened so suddenly and I know it’s hard. But I can’t see it as anything else but overdoing it.”
Clare seemed depressed for some reason. Or was it simply her worrying about me?
“I probably can’t keep up with my situation as well.”
“I wish you good luck”
I laughed.
I probably overdid it. I spend my time practicing swordsmanship and reading just to avoid thinking about this situation.
But this is better.
“Thank you, Claire”
I smiled at her.
“I was saved because you were there. When I was alone in the Judiciary Station it was mentally really hard for me. Really, thank you very much”
“Good grief!”
Claire suddenly stopped and looked down. When I stopped and looked at her with furrowed eyebrows she suddenly glared at me.
“Young lady! Please, at least take some time for a feminine hobby! Like embroidery or knitting!”
“Eeh!? What’s with that all of a sudden?”
“I hate seeing the young lady steadily turning into a man!”
Calm down!
I didn’t really understand it well, but it seems her head was full of different things other than me.
After I somehow coaxed Claire I brought her to the dining room.
