Trails with Cuddle-Cuddle Osbon
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Helen
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Author Note:
Interacting with the members of Class VII Group B in April’s field study again. This time, it’s Jusis’ chapter.
Thank you for your typo reports as always.
Chapter 025 – Fufufu, son. The Osborne Family is Actually a Count [A]
“Jusis, do you have time today?”
During his usual marathon after finishing his usual volunteering activities, Rean went to the riding club on the school grounds.
Jusis, riding on a white horse, looked exactly like a nobleman from a picture. So when Osbon said it was a shame that he wasn’t wearing white tights and pumpkin pants, Rean retorted that only the imperial prince would do that and went to Jusis. 1
Jusis didn’t seem to have expected Rean to come, and his expression changed from his normal haughtiness to that of surprise.
Perhaps surprised by Rean’s sudden appearance, Jusis’ white horse started to make a little noise.
While waiting for Jusis to calm down the white horse, Rean was approached by a female student who was probably a member of the riding club.
“Huh, are you Rean Schwarzer-kun?”
“That’s right…… Are you a fellow club member of Jusis’ club?”
“Yes, I’m Paula. Nice to meet you. I see, so you are……”
Paula was looking at Rean, her ponytail swaying.
She looked bubbly, which also seemed to be fearless, and mixed with a look judging Rean’s value.
Rean didn’t remember having done anything to the riding club, so he accepted it silently, but as if she was satisfied with her observation, Paula eventually smiled.
“I heard you are a dangerous person, but you don’t look like that at all. Perhaps it was because I have heard your story from Jusis?”
“Story?”
“Yes. Not only has Jusis become more approachable, he seemed more motivated than last month, so I was wondering what was wrong with him, but then he said you——”
“Leave it at that. Rean, if you have any other business, I’ll hear of it elsewhere.”
Jusis stopped the conversation and stepped in, pushing Rean to the corner of the school ground.
Paula whined, but Jusis told Rean to ignore her so he did.
“So, what do you want?”
“As I said at the beginning, there’s something I’d like to talk about with Jusis. It’s not good to keep standing here and talking, so I thought we could talk somewhere…… I guess Jusis also has something to tell me, right?”
“Muu…………”
What came to Rean’s mind was the background of Jusis’ birth that Machias had blurted out the other day.
Since Rean one-sidedly heard that Jusis was born from a concubine despite being a member of a duke family, Rean felt sorry to hear that from a third party, so he wanted to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
“I…………”
After saying that, Jusis went silent.
Rean intended to say it casually, but it seemed what Jusis wanted wasn’t something that could be easily resolved to him.
[“Fufufu, son. You are someone who has already solved your worries. I guess it’s only natural for you to feel such sense of incongruity.”]
{“By getting acquainted with Vita, your interactions with witches increased, after all.’}
Since Rean wanted to visit Eryn again someday, he decided to talk to Emma about it without mentioning Vita.
As Rean was thinking about something else while waiting for Jusis, who was frowning in worry, someone else intruded.
“Hey, Jusis. Why are you doing things that don’t suit you?”
It was Paula, the female student from earlier, who had slowly gotten off her horse.
She sternly criticized Jusis in such a tone, which was hard to imagine from the way she handled her horse.
“What’s wrong , where’s your usual bossy tone? It’s not like you to be so fearful, is it?”
“Paula, don’t interfere. This is my personal matter.”
“I told you. I’m interfering because it’s so not like you. Can you talk about your personal matters without being yourself? You didn’t feel like the usual young master at all.”
“So you’ve been listening in.”
“……………I didn’t mean to do so. I will apologize for that, I’m sorry.”
Paula lowered her head and looked away.
Rean suddenly looked around at Paula’s horse and saw that there were trails stomped by hooves on the ground as if it had ran towards them.
It hinted that, her horseback riding wasn’t going well and she had thus ended up approaching Rean and Jusis who were originally far away.
“I don’t expect any horsemanship skills from a beginner like you who just began to ride a horse. Don’t worry about it.”
“Wha-“
“In other words, since you’re a beginner, things like this could happen, so you should be careful. That’s what he means.”
“Hmph.”
“T-that’s hard to understand……”
Jusis’ tone was arrogant, but Rean saw through his nature and could clearly see Jusis’ consideration.
Rean intended to apologize for hearing of Jusis’ past without permission and made follow-up for Paula.
“If you pay attention to your tone, Jusis is actually kinder than most people. I know that you’re angry, but if you consider your words for a moment before opening your mouth, I’m sure the things you’ll say will change before they leave your mouth.”
“Rean, don’t judge me without permission.”
“But you didn’t deny it.”
“It’s a trivial matter.”
“Muu.”
Paula glared at Jusis, but his attitude wouldn’t falter.
Rean judged that things wouldn’t be able to proceed smoothly at this rate and considered borrowing the clubroom of the occult club, but then Paula made a suggestion.
“If you’re going to have a secret discussion, just do it while riding your horse down the road. Can you ride a horse, Rean-kun? Even if you can’t, Jusis could easily let you ride behind him.”
“Oi, don’t decide things on your own.”
“We’re deciding things because you keep worrying without doing anything, so just return to normal already. How about that?”
“Ah~ aah. I can ride a horse to some extent, so that’s not a problem, but there’s no horse for me to ride, you know?”
“In that case, just ride this horse. It’s a horse from Nord, so I can guarantee his legs.”
“Aren’t you trying to slack off here?”
“There are other things I have to take care of. Come on, just ride it quickly. Rean-kun, please take care of him.”
Saying that, Paula entrusted the horse to Rean.
Rean had no objection, so he nodded and turned to Jusis.
“I don’t mind. What about Jusis?”
“……………I can’t refuse after things have already proceeded to such an extent. Let’s go out onto the road through that gate. Don’t be slow.”
Saying that, Jusis straddled his white horse and took the lead.
Even so, Rean could see Jusis’ consideration in his slow pace.
“Okay, oops. It might be only for a while, but please take care of me.”
Rean chased after Jusis, riding on the horse borrowed from Paula.
*
Perhaps because it was on the riding club’s regular course, the white horse driven by Jusis, Strahl, moved forward along the road without hesitation.
Rean also rode the horse for a while and when he got used to it, he rode alongside Jusis.
Although it was Paula’s suggestion, Rean could see that Jusis’ emotions were still unresolved, so he decided to finish what he had wanted to do first.
At worst, there was no problem in just telling him that and saying goodbye for the day.
“Jusis, let me apologize first. I’m sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for?”
“I heard about Jusis’ birth from another’s mouth instead of yours. Even though it’s more of an accident, it’s true that I heard of it without permission. That’s why, I’m sorry.”
Rean stopped his horse and bowed to Jusis who turned toward him.
With Rean’s well-trained sense of balance, there was no problem even if he let go of the rein, but it would seem insincere to apologize while the horse walked.
……There’s no response.
Silence filled the conversation, and a warm sunlight fell on the two.
“I see, I guess it’s from the class vice president——Machias.”
“You knew about it?”
“No, I just reaped what I sowed, so don’t worry.”
“I’m curious, so tell me about it.”
“You……”
Though fed-up, Jusis explained how he was able to guess that Machias was the one who told Rean about his birth.
“It’s simple and clear. While you were recuperating at the Marquis Hyarms’ mansion, I told everyone in Group B about my birth. Machias probably thought that if it was me, I would just quickly tell you and be done with it… Fuh, the person in question is actually less than he expected, though.”
With a self-deprecating smile on his face, Jusis let Strahl walk on.
Rean hurriedly followed suit.
As they rode up next to each other, Jusis spoke words that sounded somewhat desperate.
“I was jealous of you.”
“Eh?”
Rean couldn’t help but cry out.
Even though Jusis was born from a concubine, he still belonged to a ducal family, which made Rean, who was the eldest son of a baron in addition to being a vagrant, wonder what Jusis was jealous about.
“There’s nothing I can do about my status since I was born a noble. In that case, be proud of yourself…… that’s what my elder brother taught me. I followed those words and disciplined myself to noblesse oblige. However, that was just me, as an Albarea. Jusis, as an individual, only wanted to spend a normal time with his family.”
After his mother died of illness, Jusis was taken in by the duke family but what awaited him there wasn’t familial love. Instead, it was only the obligation that the duke had to take Jusis in because his concubine gave birth to him.
This was completely the opposite of the circumstances of the Schwarzer couple, who took great care of the son of someone they thought of as an elder brother.
“But my father doesn’t look at me and kept his distance. For me, my older brother who taught me about the nobility was the hope I had since my father passed away. Yet I can’t meet such a brother casually as of late…… It was at that time. My elder brother became interested in you and ordered me to investigate you.”
Rean’s eyes widened at his confession.
Speaking of Rufus Albarea, he was someone who was known as the nobleman of noble society, and in addition to being Albarea’s successor, he was also one of the directors of Thors Military Academy.
It was beyond Rean’s imagination that such a person would be interested in him.
However, Rean now had a clue on why.
“It’s about the Divine Knight, huh.”
“Aah. Apparently, my elder brother had a deep interest in that. That’s probably why he asked to investigate you. Perhaps in that sense, my elder brother doesn’t care about me anymore——”
“In that case, wouldn’t it be a good idea for Jusis to just obtain a Divine Knight as well? You can just hand it over to him or ride it yourself to help your brother.”
“What…… did you say……?”
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