The Fat Aristocrat Waltz in the Labyrinth - Chapter 88
Chapter 88: The fat aristocrat hears a nostalgic voices
It’s shaking, Kou thinks vaguely.
Something soft and warm was guiding his body. There was a scent of sweat mixed with the smell of a deep forest and flowers. Kou recognized it as the smell of soap.
His feet were floating, and he felt like he was moving forward without walking.
He feels like he experienced the same thing a long time ago. As he gradually wakes up, he feels the desire to sleep a little longer. He wants to immerse himself in nostalgia. It’s much better than reality…
“Dad——”
“I’m not even married yet—It’s too early.”
As he replied with a retort to the boy on his back, he groaned. Eventually, he started to move, and it was clear that he had woken up.
“…What’s going on with my head?”
“I’m carrying you—If you’re up, get down.”
“…Why am I being piggybacked?”
His bewildered voice sounded innocent. At that moment, Mitrof chuckled unpleasantly to himself, finding him cute.
“Kou! Are you awake?! Does your head hurt?”
“My head? It shouldn’t… Wait, it hurts!”
It seems like she stimulated the bump on Kou’s forehead when she touched it. The bump on Kou’s forehead has swollen noticeably because of the strong impact.
“W-What’s going on? Am I being kidnapped?!”
“A kidnapper without proper eyesight would have to resort to that kind of thing.”
“You! Where are you taking me?!”
“Kou, please calm down! These people are taking you to a hospital because you fainted.”
“What?! Idiot! The hospital told us not to bring strangers!”
“It can’t be helped! We couldn’t leave Kou unconscious on the street!”
As soon as the boy woke up, the two noisy children caused Mitrof’s lips to form into a frown. Mitrof was also not happy about the situation. Canule chuckled quietly.
Even though they didn’t know each other, they couldn’t leave an unconscious child alone on the back streets. When they asked where to take the child, Kai suggested the “hospital” as a safe place.
“…So, how much further?”
“We’re almost there—just turn at the corner over there.”
Without Kou’s consciousness, Kai and Mitrof had become somewhat friendly. According to Kai’s story, there was a “sensei” in the “institution” where children gathered to live.
They had already come so deep into the complex maze of paths that it was impossible to remember their way back.
As they turned the corner that Kai pointed at, Mitrof’s eyes widened.
So far, the path had been narrow and dimly lit, but there was a bright patch of sunlight there.
It looked like a decaying church. A wooden fence surrounded the vacant lot, with flowers blooming on well-maintained plants. Several laundry poles with sheets and children’s clothing hung across the garden, beyond the plants.
As they approached, they could hear the playful voices of children and the sound of a harpsichord being played. The volume was constant, and the sound did not stretch. It was an unexpectedly cheerful place in the back alley.
“I’ll go call sensei!”
Kai ran out, pushed open the iron gate, and entered.
As Mitrof slowly walked towards the structure, he listened to the sound of the harpsichord. It was a well-known children’s song. Some of the notes were off, not due to the player’s skill but because the harpsichord was out of tune. The note “fa” did not seem to play at all.
By the time Mitrof and Canule arrived at the gate, Kai had come out with another adult. He was a tall, skinny middle-aged man, wearing worn-out but unmistakable priest’s robes.
The man looked at Mitrof and Kou, who were on his back, and bowed deeply with a calm demeanor.
“I’m sorry for any trouble my student has caused.”
“…Sensei, I’m sorry.”
Kou apologized earnestly.
The man, addressed as “sensei,” looked up and looked kindly at Kou.
“You’re apologizing to the wrong person, you know that?”
“…Sorry, fatty.”
“Hey!” Sensei scolded, but Mitrof was satisfied with that.
“This kid twisted his ankle and hit his head hard—I think he should rest.”
“That’s very kind of you—I really appreciate it… I’ll take him.”
As the man approached, Mitrof leaned back.
Kou reached out both hands and clung to Sensei’s neck. Despite his earlier tough behavior, he seemed meek in the presence of someone like a parent.
“Could you please wait here for a moment while I carry him to the bed?”
“No, my job here is done—I will take my leave.”
“But I have not thanked you or apologized properly——.”
“Mitrof?!”
Mitrof was surprised when his name was suddenly called.
At the voice’s beckoning, he turned to see a person approaching from the yard next to the building where laundry was hung, holding a basket of leftover laundry.
Without a doubt, it was Grace.
“——Grace, I knew it was you after all.”
Mitrof smiled. It hadn’t even been half a year, but it felt nostalgic to see her.
However, the expression on Grace’s face wasn’t just joy. It was confusion, embarrassment, and somehow troubled.
“…I see, you found out.”
Mitrof was a noble. He had been fond of reading and theater since childhood, so he was able to see through Grace’s expression and attitude to the truth immediately.
“No, it’s okay—please don’t worry about it…The promise we made to each other is now fulfilled—there is nothing more empty than an unfulfilled promise, even if there is no continuation after the promise.”
Mitrof sighed mournfully and put his hand on his forehead.
“What are you talking about? Are you mistaken or something?”
“Have—have you found true love?”
“You idiot.”
Grace cut him off shortly and exhaled deeply.
She put a white finger on her temple, raised her eyebrows, and glared at Mitrof. Her delicate face seemed to express discomfort without reservation, giving him an imposing presence as if he were being looked down upon by a statue of a god.
Mitrof’s spine shivered with numbness.
“Tell me why you thought of that.”
“…Yesterday, when you saw my face, you ran away.”
“Yes. I ran away. I didn’t expect to meet you in a place like that. I was shaken.”
“When we met face to face just now, you had a complicated expression—you couldn’t be completely happy.”
“That’s right—I was also surprised—I never even dreamed that the two of you would come here.”
“Women often show distant behavior towards men—often, that’s because they’ve found true love elsewhere.”
“Why is that?”
Grace narrowed her eyes and asked in a bewildered voice.
“…That’s how it is in a play.”
“A play? Can’t you distinguish between fiction and reality?!”
“B-But, you know, the plays that emphasize the personalities of real people are, in other words, a condensed version of the joys and sorrows that could happen in reality. I learned about the relationships between people through that.”
“Which means you are naive or ignorant. It’s good and bad…”
Grace, while exasperated, loosened up and softened her gaze.
“I don’t know about those women in plays—but I am who I am, so don’t measure me against other women; judge me by looking at me.”
“Y-Yes… that’s true.”
Mitrof nodded in agreement.
If asked if something was wrong, Grace shook her head as if there was no other way.
“To be honest, I have a bit of a problem—I thought I couldn’t meet you until it was resolved, and I already have a big debt to pay off—first, I have to repay that.”
“I understand—I will help you with your problem.”
“Did you hear what I just said? Do you understand?”
Mitrof puffed out his chest as a response to Grace’s exasperated expression.
“I only heard the parts that were convenient for me.”
“…you’re an idiot.”
Grace let out a laugh as if to exhale.