Chapter 59 – Episode 59. Cute When Drunk (1)
‘What is the alcohol? You really… Really… No, it’s okay, it’s okay let’s not talk I’m a fool for believing what you said.’
【Excuse me. Yesterday, in the end, I was the one who stayed until the end.]
‘What are you talking about!?’
When I woke up this morning, Astrid was the only one who was fully asleep in bed. Others were sleeping on the floor, not even properly changed.
Yesterday was Friday, so today is Saturday. Even though it was a weekend morning, Astrid was active alone. Seeing that, the real Astrid insisted that the other people were obviously drunk and stretched out first to sleep, and only Astrid leisurely came to the bed and slept and woke up.
‘Does that make sense!?’
【But that’s true.】
‘Because it’s not… You really got drunk as soon as you had a drink, and it was a complete mess of crying.’
【Do not lie. I can’t do that.]
Astrid decided to just stop talking about him.
She doesn’t remember everything about last night either. She remembered sparsely, including the real Astrid wailing loudly among the dogs. But the problem is that she’s not sure if it’s an accurate memory or not, or if she’s dreaming in her sleep.
So now, despite the real Astrid’s claim, Astrid couldn’t properly refute it. She would at least refute it if her memory remained clear, but that wasn’t the case.
I remember drinking until after I switched with the real Astrid, but I can’t really remember what happened after that.
I remember Astrid wailing loudly and shouting something to Leopold, but I couldn’t remember what she said. The real Astrid insists that she stayed and drank until the end, but that doesn’t make any sense.
As for the real Astrid’s claim, she couldn’t explain the generals who were scattered around them in the morning when they were sleeping.
‘Let’s not drink alcohol from now on.’
【Why? Is it because you’re drinking? If you have something to drink, you can take turns with me, right?]
‘No, that’s more dangerous.’
Astrid does, but when she gets drunk, she controls herself. That, as she did the last time she had a drink with Leopold, has precedent to prove. However, the real Astrid was more dangerous because she didn’t know what she was doing as both of them had vague memories.
‘Because I don’t know what I’ll do to Leopold when I’m drunk.’
【Hmm… Well, I don’t want to have my first experience while drunk. If you don’t control your strength, you’ll be in big trouble.]
That was undeniable.
Astrid thought again and again that the real Astrid shouldn’t be drinking when she was alone with Leopold.
More importantly, he couldn’t remember what he said or did to Leopold last night.
【Let’s go eat for now.】
‘Okay. I’m hungry right now… ‘
There is still time for breakfast.
Weekend breakfast was free. You can’t just skip meals, but all you have to do is go to the restaurant and eat within the set time period.
Astrid opened the door, squeezing her temples with her hair still greasy. She couldn’t see where Elaña, who had been in the room with her until a while ago, had gone, so she waited and thought that she would be checked as an absentee.
“Ah.”
And, of course, we just met.
This used to happen from time to time because the rooms were facing each other, but now the timing wasn’t good.
My hair, which hadn’t been dry since I had taken a shower, was shining brightly. Leopold, whose skin was moist after washing his face, was facing Astrid.
Unlike before, subtle emotions such as rejection disappeared from those eyes, but Astrid did not notice Leopold’s gaze.
“Ast… “
“Mmm, I’ll go first.”
You shouldn’t run into Leopold now. It was just that idea.
Leopold was about to call to stop Astrid’s back, who was quickly moving away. Leopold, who was staring blankly at Astrid’s back as he hurriedly walked away, smiled.
Suddenly, she thought that her appearance from the back was cute.
It was almost time for breakfast, so there were not many people in the restaurant. Astrid entered the dining room, picked up one of her plates and walked over to her tummy.
The breakfast menu is creamy soup with white bread, and butter and egg salad. It was a fine combination. Since there is cream soup, it will be a relief, so Astrid filled the soup generously.
Just like that, I was sitting at an empty table with a plate full of breakfast, and I was just about to pick up a spoon. Across from Astrid who was about to eat the soup, someone sat down and greeted her.
“Hey, you look fine. Cadet Astrid.”
“… Cadet Violet?”
A wrinkle formed on Astrid’s forehead. One of the characters she doesn’t want to meet is Violet, whom she never expected to meet here.
“Isn’t it a little strange to make that impression as soon as you see someone? It’s against etiquette.”
Violet seemed to have a nice smile, but Astrid wasn’t very comfortable with her.
【Why did this villager come all the way here?】
‘I know yeah.’
Strangely these days, I felt that the real Astrid and her opinions often coincided. I don’t know yet if this is good or bad, but it probably wasn’t a good sign.
“I don’t think it’s a bit off-putting to attend another squad’s dinner party and then look for etiquette.”
It was Astrid’s calm voice, but her opponent, Violet, didn’t seem to care at all. Rather, as if she didn’t care at all, she cut the bread in half and dipped the soup into a large one and took a bite.
“That’s it, don’t be like that. Rather, thanks to you, I got penalty points and went to the parade ground. It’s not just me, everyone except you. That’s why I’d rather apologize to you.”
【What is this again?】
‘I understand?’
“What do you mean?”
“Well, okay. Don’t mind.”
Violet, who had been chewing and swallowing the bread, lifted the entire tray and put her mouth to the soup compartment and inhaled. Violet drank in the soup with a gurgling sound that was hard to believe came from a noble lady’s mouth, put down the tray, and stuck out her tongue to lick the soup off her lips.
“It’s okay. What is it? You seem to have a bit of a misunderstanding, so I thought about how to say it, but I didn’t expect to meet you like this.”
“What?”
“Well, actually. I wanted to tell you that I am on your side.”
Even though I suddenly said that I was on your side, Astrid couldn’t understand it right away. Who can understand what is on your side? Astrid was staring blankly at Violet with an expression asking for a detailed explanation.
“Well, I don’t think I can explain it at length. Let’s eat together at lunch later. I have something to say.”
“I don’t see any reason why I should.”
At Astrid’s thorny words, Violet smiled as if she had expected it.
“It would be nice to eat together. What I just said, that I’m on your side. It will never harm you.”
“…”
“It’s a preliminary call later. They said that they would tell you something before entering first grade. It’s lunch time after that, so let’s eat together then. I’ll find you.”
【Let’s listen first, right? Seeing that you’re on my side, wouldn’t that sound like something to lose?]
‘Is it so… It’s a bit like that because the more I look at it, the more I hate it.’
【What can I do? But if you know the enemy and know yourself, you won’t lose the battle.]
It’s something I’ve heard somewhere.
Astrid sympathized with the real Astrid’s words, nodded silently and ate the soup.
The taste was fine.
*
The auditorium was crowded with cadets.
After 10 of the 250 cadets were discharged, the 240 cadets looked quite disciplined. Despite the large number of people, the sight of them lined up in perfect order without unnecessary noise was quite satisfactory to the instructors who eventually appeared.
“Gentlemen, congratulations to the trainees for successfully completing the course.”
The instructor who came up to the podium looked over at the audience and opened his mouth.
“Now next Monday, you guys will be first year cadets. Escape from the form of a training cadet and now become a member of the proud Imperial Military Academy of the Eindhafen Empire. All of the education so far has been to lay the foundation, and from now on you will enter the regular course.”
With those words, a large curtain spread from the auditorium’s presentation table.
A tent with the things that have changed compared to the trainee days, the new curriculum to be learned, and the daily schedule.
The instructor went on to explain the process step by step.
In the first year, the class was focused on common subjects, and in addition to each branch, tactics/operations/strategy, weapons, war history, military education and training, military administration and policy, and military law were included.
If the course up until now was a course where you couldn’t tell whether you were a soldier or an executive, from now on, it consisted of subjects that you could know well that it was a course that laid the foundation for becoming an official of this empire.
After that, various explanations such as dormitory allocation and precautions continued.
*
“I will finish the preliminary call with the above. So, I hope you have a nice weekend. More. Dissolution!”
This was the start of the real weekend.
Violet looked around. Thanks to her tall stature, she could easily find the silver-haired Astrid without tiptoeing.
Violet smiled slightly as she found her. It’s different from the images I’ve had so far, and different from how I’ve met several times. She has changed quite a bit.
She used to be sharp and even nervous, speaking and acting straightforwardly, but now, in a way, she has a pretty cute side to her.
For example, the appearance of a girl who is at a loss in front of Leopold like now.
A look she would never have seen before.
Violet moved her steps towards Astrid. As she promised, I was going to have her lunch with her today.
