Chapter 10 – I’m sorry.

Hello everyone!! It’s me, Isabella Ali Rottenstein, the 6-year-old Ninja☆. Right now, I’m actually in the middle of clinging to the ceiling ♡. Truth is, I’m in a biiit of a pickle at the moment (> <). Why, you ask? Because beneath this ceiling...

"Shaun-sama, I'm being serious about this. Please don’t treat me like a child, and say that my feelings are that of a whim..."

"Even if you ask me of that, Marie... as you can see, I’m but an old man–I even have a son older than you. You’re a very kind and charming young lady, which is why I’m sure you’ll be able to find a more suitable… a young man of your age to live a long life together. I’m certain of it.”

"But I!! But I... want you, Shaun-sama. I don’t want anyone other than you..."

"Marie ..."

"Even if the time I can stay by your side is short, I want nothing more but to spend the rest of my days with you."

..........Crap. I can't get off.

I can't get off the damn ceiling.

With this kind of atmosphere in place, I can’t just jump down from the ceiling, open the door, and run like the wind even if I use《Presence Obfuscation》.

Even so, moving to the corner of the room while scampering around the ceiling like a spider, was also likely to ruin the mood.

Well! The mood was probably destroyed the moment a Duke’s daughter was stuck on the freaking ceiling anyways!!

In any case, moving isn’t an option.

I don't exist in this room.

Yes, I don’t exist.

Stilling my movements, I’m becoming one with air.

But still… of all the places they could be doing this, why did they have to choose the room where I was practicing my spying skills?

I didn’t intend for it to be a hands-on practice. So… awkward.

Also, give up already, Shaun. Give up and get together with Marie. Truth is, you really do like Marie, right?

Marie was a girl who often met with difficulties, but she always faced them head on, with a heart full of conviction. There’s no way she would proclaim her feelings for an old man like Shaun half-heartedly…

Well, the man in question probably already understood that himself, though!!

….Ugh, this is so vexing. But I can’t afford to get off the ceiling just to admonish Shaun. A duke’s daughter dropping in from the ceiling would kill the mood–absolutely destroy it.

I am one with the air. Yes, the air. I do not exist in this room. I can hang in there for just a bit more.

─────────────── ・ ・ ・

"Those two... Even after 30 minutes of them bickering back and forth, there's no progress at all!!"

Ah, now that I think about it, I’m not in any position to point fingers either.

My relationship with Ursch-kun hasn’t made much progress after that as well.

In the first place, Ursch-kun easily accepted my proposal even though it was our first time meeting each other, but what does he actually think of me?

I mean, from Ursch-kun’s perspective, he was suddenly proposed to by a kid he’s never met before... Perhaps he wasn’t thinking anything, and went with the flow by just accepting it.

But now, with our parents involved and him formally declared as my betrothal candidate, he’d surely be feeling confused right about now…

For me, if at all possible, I would like to be mutually in love with Ursch-kun before marrying. And for him to like me back, I’d like to spend my time showing my appeals to him, yet…

Well, it’s not every day you get the stealthiness of a ninja, maybe I should sneak out of the mansion and go meet him?

Rather than bringing Ursch-kun here, to a Ducal mansion, where he’d no doubt feel like an outsider, it might be better to meet up in a place he’s more familiar with, where he can be himself and act more naturally.

Which begs the question, where does Ursch-kun even live?

Will I be able to meet him if I paid a visit to the Schneiver Company?

─────────── Hello again. It's been three days since then.

I'm currently making full use of 《Presence Obfuscation》 by tailing someone.

Who, you ask? The maid, Marie-chan of course.

This morning, I gave Marie-chan a letter addressed to Ursch-kun.

Then, if I secretly followed her when she’s out delivering it, I’ll be able to finally locate Ursch-kun’s house!!

If all goes well, I might even meet Ursch-kun!!

How’s that for a brilliant plan? I really worked hard and used my head for this one!!

However, there was a problem: Marie-chan was taking heavy steps, and with every deep sigh, she’d stop and stare off into the distance.

Yup. After that incident three days ago, Shaun-san has been subtly avoiding Marie-chan. Furthermore, the only ones who have noticed this are probably only Marie-chan herself, and me.

Due to that, Marie-chan seems to be less energetic day by day, and has come to sigh more often. Even right now, whether it be because she’s lost in thought, she’s barely paying attention to her surroundings while walking.

"If she keeps daydreaming like that... it's dangerous... will she be okay?"

"Probably not~. Especially since it’s the morning, many people are out and about with work. It really is dangerous."

"Certainly, it’s different from the liveliness of the afternoon streets I’ve seen from inside the carriage, there’s much more hustle and bustle.”

Ah!! Marie-chan just bumped into a wooden pull cart!! She looked like she was about to fall over, but she just barely managed to steady herself in time!!

And thus she continued, daydreaming...

"Oh dear, she’s not paying attention to her surroundings at all. Even the old man with the wooden pull cart is sweatdropping..."

"Is it possible to reach the destination in such a state? Where is she heading?"

"She’s headed for Ursch-kun's home. She’s delivering my letter for him."

Although, with the state she’s in, I don't know how long it will take to deliver the letter and return.

"I see~. But, we’ve already passed my house quite a ways back?"

What did you just say––?! We’ve already passed it?!

"Eh!! Is that true?!"

At the surprising truth, I forgot that I was in the middle of secretly following someone, and loudly asked for a confirmation from Ursch-kun who was beside me.

Unfazed by my sudden shout, Ursch-kun softly smiled as he pointed back to the way we came from.

"Yep. If you walk back about 10 minutes on this road, there was a bookstore with a blue sign at the corner, right? If you turn left at the crossroad there... Ah, it’d be a right from this direction. Anyway, you go that way and... "

Hm Hm, I see.

After passing the Schneiver Company’s brick warehouse, and another 5 buildings down, the three-storey building with the green roof is Ursch-kun’s home.

Thank you ever so much for the easily understandable directions.

With this, I can go visit Ursch-kun whenever I want!!

────────── ・ ・ ・ Ursch-kun, since when have you been there?

I mean, all this while I’ve been using《Presence Obfuscation》.

Even when I was walking in the middle of the streets, clearly dressed as a noble, no one noticed me. Not even my house’s gatekeeper noticed when I brazenly walked all the way from the front door to the mansion gate, you know?

Not to mention, I had also activated《Presence Detection》and 《Magic Detection》.

After all, as a daughter of a Duke, I have to take measures against kidnappers.

And yet, you’re standing beside me as though it’s natural.

Even though Ursch-kun has been beside me for such a long time, to think that I didn’t notice at all...

What a wasteful thing I’ve done!! All those precious minutes of happiness down the drain!!

Even though Ursch-kun was able to find me while I had 《Presence Obfuscation》activated!! I didn't notice my dear Ursch-kun even when I had《Presence Detection》activated!!

What self-centredness!! What a fool I am!!

"Why are you suddenly depressed~? Are you okay?"

Ursch-kun... To think you’d worry about me, even when I displayed such self-centredness in not noticing you… Kuh!! That head tilt is adorable. I want him to hug me.

Wait, no. That’s not it. First, I have to apologise.

"Ursch-kun noticed me right away, but to think I didn't notice you when you were right next to me up until now... I'm so sorry."

"Oh, so it’s about that~. I have a special skill that allows me to be unnoticed by others even if I were to sneak into their homes and eat a meal with their family, so don’t worry too much about it.”

Ursch-kun… In another world, you’d be called a "Nurarihyon".

Also, I think they probably noticed you, but because you were so cute, they let you eat with them anyways.

Perhaps. Highly likely. That's definitely it.

"But Ursch-kun was able to notice me ..."

"Hmm~. I can always tell where ‘my possessions’ are no matter where they are, so I’ve never lost what’s mine. Maybe that’s why? This might be a special skill of mine too.”

So that's it! Ursch-kun is the type to properly manage his belongings, and is also someone great at finding things!! That’s amazing, Ursch-kun!! You were meant to be a merchant!! I’m sure you’ll be a very reliable man in the future!! How lovely ♥

"By the way, that maid… Is it okay that she went straight ahead?"

"Ah…..."

I completely forgot about Marie.

※Nurarihyon: A Japanese youkai. His appearance is said to be that of a bald-headed old man wearing a kimono or a robe. The Nurarihyon is often depicted as a youkai who enters people’s houses as he pleases, eating their food and drinking their tea, but will be perceived as family by the homeowner.

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. The love story between the butler and maid will appear in the story every now and then. I’m glad you’re all interested (lol)

There was a comment about the lack of the SAN value in the status window, but the SAN value is planned to be mix in with the other status conditions, so there’s no detailed classification for it.

If the SAN value was added into a story about Otoge reincarnation, I have a feeling it’ll be blown out of proportions (lol). Please think of it as a difference from the game.

Thank you everyone for the continuous support. I’ll keep doing my best from now on.

winter: youkai is like the spirits and demons of Japanese folklore btw

fun fact: all those fun facts with the ※ symbol abt Nurarihyon and HP and Medusa were all written in the raws
In other words, the author researched abt all that and gave the readers a summary so that we don't have to look it up ourselves (´ ∀ ` *)