I Favor The Villainess Chapter 24

While the Order of the Academy has a good reputation, the reality is they also handle miscellaneous jobs.
This place resembles student council rooms of modern j.a.pan.
We have to quietly process complaints gathered from the academy's students one by one.

"Recently, a ghost has been appearing at night"

From these submitted complaints, this is what Claire-sama and I were a.s.signed to.
At any rate, a ghost in the women's dormitory at night… Rather, it seems a suspicious person's figure was spotted.

Claire-sama grumbled about being partnered with me, but as I'm Claire-sama's maid it was almost unanimously approved.
Claire-sama seemed disapproving until the end.

By the way, right now we're listening to the witnesses' stories one by one.
Not having the memory of this incident from the game, I'm immensely curious about it.

"Right, I see. Hee… Hmph…"

Claire-sama appears somewhat shaken, but it doesn't matter.
I asked the girl student to elaborate.

"Around where was it sighted?"
"A friend saw it on a stairway between the second and third floors, but I saw it in the kitchen"
"So there are different spots. What were the ghost's features?"

I inquired further while taking notes.

"Let's see… I didn't notice it was a ghost at first. Thinking it was strange, I approached it and was splashed with water"
"Wa, water was it?"
"Yes. It might be a ghost of a girl who drowned in the river near the academy"
"Hii"

Claire-sama gasped.

"What's the matter, Claire-sama?"
"The, there is none"

It's obvious from her appearance it's not nothing, but I won't retort.

"Thank you for your valuable story"
"Certainly, please get rid of it"
"… Gokigen'you"

We thanked the witness and left.

"Next, should we go to the actual spot"
"… Would it not be fine for you to go alone?"
"What are you saying. Rather than looking for clues alone, isn't it invariably more efficient with two people"
"You, you are right…"

Together with the unwilling Claire-sama, we walked towards the kitchen.

I think those quick on the uptake already understand, but Claire-sama is weak against apparitions.
During summer there's an annual event called Undead Hunt, I was quite infatuated with Claire-sama who was seriously afraid at that time.
I might be the only one.
That being the case, the coincidental spooky complaint that requires visiting several places with Claire-sama trembling in fear filled me with a great joy.

"It's here"
"It is locked? It cannot be helped. Shall we postpone――"
"Ah, I borrowed the key"
"… Is that so"

I opened the traditional cylinder lock.
In the kitchen various cooking utensil were arranged, it was well cleaned.
A faint sweet smell lingered.
Perhaps sweets were baked.

The academy dormitory kitchen is mainly used for the academy students' hobbies and preparing tea.
Because we eat all three meals in the dining hall, it's unusual to use this kitchen.
n.o.bles have people under them make food, commoners cook by themselves.
Well, even if something is prepared, it's probably sweets that go with tea or light meals.

"Claire-sama, please search around the entrance. I will look further inside"
"Do not order me!"
"Then, will Claire-sama look further inside?"
"… It cannot be helped. I shall let you do it"

Even in such a situation, Claire-sama's tsun manner is quite something.
We've been searching separately for a while――.

"Hii!? Commoner! You! Rei!"

I heard Claire-sama's scream.

"What's wrong?"
"Ah… That…! … Hey, why are you faintly smiling?"
"Ah, sorry. Claire-sama is so lovely that I just"
"Do not joke at such a time. More importantly, that!"

Looking where Claire-sama pointed, some kind of gelatinous substance was stuck there.

"What is it… It does not seem to be mere dirt"

I reached my hand to collect a sample.

"Do not touch it! What will you do if something happens!"
"Huuh? Are you perhaps worried about me?"
"I do not want to be involved in it!"

Tsk, her dere is put on hold.

"It can't be helped. Let's send it to the a.n.a.lysis department"

The academy is an educational inst.i.tution, but at the same time it's also a forefront research inst.i.tution.
In this regard, it's similar to modern j.a.panese universities.
The a.n.a.lysis department is one of the inst.i.tutions within the academy, as its name suggests it deals with a.n.a.lyzing.
It seems its role in the past focused on natural history, but with the discovery of magical stones it s.h.i.+fted towards magic a.n.a.lysis.
Some researchers also a.n.a.lyze demons.

"Even so, there doesn't seem to be any more clues here"
"Shall we leave soon"
"You're right. Let's come again at night"
"… What did you say?"

Claire-sama made an expression as if she's heard something unbelievable.

"At night, isn't there a chance we'll discover the truth"
"Ho, however. What will we do if a ghost really appears?"
"We could either catch it or get rid of it"

I'm playing around with the frightened Claire-sama.

"Is, is it not the job for army?"
"It would be different if it was a real undead, but the Order of the Academy is enough for a ghost. In the first place, ghosts don't exist, do they"
"T, that is right, but there was that gelatinous substance a while ago…"
"It's alright. I'll protect you"
"Could you not make a fool of me!? I can protect myself!"

Oh, her liveliness is gradually returning.

"Well then, the real event is tonight"
"Haa… Why do you look so pleased…"

And then around midnight, Claire-sama and I returned to the kitchen.
Opening the door we went inside.

"… There is nothing there, is there?"
"Looks like it"
"See, there is nothing strange. Surely, they must have seen it wrong"
"Just in case, let's observe the situation tonight"
"In this place!?"

Claire-sama made a face saying she can't believe it.

"It's okay. I asked Lene to have bedding arranged"

In the kitchen corner futons were prepared.

"That was your intention from the start, was it not"
"Yes"

It's a pseudo sleepover date with Claire-sama.

"I will lay out a futon"
"Wait a minute! Do you really plan to stay all night here!?"
"That's right?"

With Claire-sama sending me panicked sidelong glances, I got a futon ready.

"Yes, shall we lie down"
"Do not lay out only one! Two were properly prepared, lay out both of them"
"Eh? But then I won't share the futon with Claire-sama"
"That is fine!"
"Selfish, aren't you"
"Me!? I am in the wrong here!?"

I had no choice but to lay out both futons.

"Claire-sama, please get in the futon first"
"What will you do?"
"I want to eat a little midnight snack"

I got the permission to use the kitchen.
I took out the ingredients and started measuring them.

"… So you could cook"
"It's natural for a commoner"
"… That is so, is it not"
"But recently I've been trying out new recipes. It's quite fun"
"I see. It is such a typical hobby for a commoner"

Because nothing happened, Claire-sama returned to normal and said such a thing.

"… Wait, you are always at my side. When do you find the time to cook?"
"I do it secretly in the middle of the night"
"Ah, I… see…?"

Then Claire-sama's expression became firm.

"In the middle of the night… in the kitchen?"
"Yes"
"No way… The kitchen ghost was…?"
"Yes, I think it was about me!"
"I am returning!"

Claire-sama left the futon and tried to return to her room.
A blue object cut her off.

"Hii! It, it came out!"
"Please look carefully, Claire-sama. It's Relaire"
"Eh…?"

Relaire appealed by trembling.
Because I can't keep Relaire company while cooking, I freely let it out of my bag.

"Well then, the truth of that gel?"
"Yes, I think it's Relaire"
"… Truly, both the owner and pet cause trouble"

Claire-sama groaned with a fed-up expression.

"I apologize for staying silent. As an apology, please eat this"

I presented her the finished dish.

"This is?"
"It's my new confection. I hope it will suit Claire-sama's taste"
"What are you saying. To suit my taste, it must be Blume cla.s.s, otherwise――"

While saying that, Claire-sama ate a mouthful.
Well, she might at least try it in order to judge it.

"!? It is delicious!? What is it. It is like a cake with syrup inside…"
"It's a dish called fondant au chocolat. It's a chocolate cake with warm melted chocolate inside"
"Chocolate is the latest confectionery that only recently appeared in Blume. To put it to use in making confectionery… Who are you really?"

Claire-sama once again looked at me with suspicious eyes.
Her almond-shaped eyes are charming.

"Who you say, but I'm a slave to Claire-sama's love?"
"Do not joke to deceive me like that!"
"My my. This confection isn't tasty when it cools down, so please eat it soon. I will prepare tea right away"
"Good grief… But, this confection is wonderful. I shall praise you"
"Thank you"

Among the sweet scent, I shared teatime with Claire-sama.
Afterwards we talked pointlessly about this and that, in the end, she fell asleep in the kitchen.
"I did it, the sleepover date is a huge success"
Watching Claire-sama sleep, I made a little guts pose.
"… You are noisy… Munyamunya"

Claire-sama's sleeping face was angelic.