Two things before you begin reading, no, I’m not picking up this novel. Consider this a wierd sort of pick-up request or a way to let off steam. And two, yes I’m on hiatus, but there’s enough chapters of Kiss the Black Cat in stock. Ping me on the discord Secret Danmei Confederation server if ya want spoilers for it (might take a few days for me to reply tho).

Haha, on second thought, I don’t think anyone here reads Kiss the Black Cat……

Translator: Hasr11

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06

Rain fell the next morning.
Vio gazed at the storm raining buckets outside from his room.
Despite the gardener having planted the flowers, he worried if it had all gone to waste now.

I wonder if Legion has left the mansion. It’s unforgivable to make him set out for a journey on a day with weather like this……

However, Vio could not bear it no matter what.
He hated showing himself succumb to the attack due to his phobia of going outside to anyone. It was pretty tough to be laughed at behind the back for still being troubled by matters of the past.

“Haa……”

When he gazed at the garden while letting out a sigh, he saw a person’s silhouette there. He wondered if it was the gardener Ed, questioning what he was doing without even wearing a raincoat. Vio, who stared at the person fixedly, left the room as soon as he recognised who it was.
He bumped into Lil when he opened the door.

“Lord Vio, you’ve woken up? Your condition……”
“Lil, what’s that in the garden?”
“What of the garden?”

Lil cocked her head in puzzlement.

“He seems to be doing some self-reflection.”

Jill said. Vio pressed him for an answer.

“Self-reflection?”

Not quite understanding the meaning, Vio gave a perplexed look.

“Why didn’t you stop him?”
“Of course we tried to stop him, but he paid no heed to our words and we gave up.”
“For Jill to give up, he must have been pretty unrelenting……”

Vio was amazed.
Jill’s strong points were having great patience and assiduousness. It was a miracle to make him give up.
Experiencing a slight headache, Vio placed a hand on his forehead. Even though it’d been better if he had left in disappointment on seeing Vio’s state, why was that man convening a conference of reflection?

“He only gives trouble…….”

Unfortunately, Vio wasn’t cold-hearted enough to overlook him. He asked, full of exhaustion.

“I wonder where the bath towels are.”
“I’ll bring them!”

Lil immediately left downstairs. Vio, following her, went down the stairs of the main hall while dressed in his nightclothes. Jill too accompanied them.

“Jill are you so worried about that man?”
“Well. I wonder what it is.”

Stopping halfway down the stairs, Jill turned around. His grey eyes twinkled in mischief.

“Speak truthfully.”
“Yeah.”
He’s only been picked up by the lady of the house. He can become a good shield or pawn for the young master’s use. A loyal dog that has once chosen its master, won’t betray him even in death.^[1]”

Vio had an indescribable expression.

“Why, Jill seems to see him as a dog?”

Looks like I wasn’t the only one.
Jill gave a cough.

“Young master, with all due respect, could I put forth my opinions?”
“Ah, go ahead.”
“As far as I see, there are 3 kinds of soldiers. The first is the kind that pours in all their strength into improving their abilities. The second are the ones who want to succeed in life, aim for the top and wish to have subordinates who heed their orders. As for the third, they feel supreme joy when they are of use to the lord they serve. Sir Legion is clearly of the third kind. Because there are many of the first and second kind in Nada, if they aren’t made use of to the fullest, they’re only a nuisance.

I see, Vio nodded in understanding.
Vio, who could neither go to war nor visit the castle, could not make full use of the first and second kind, and thus the other party too wouldn’t have any work to do.

“That’s an interesting opinion.”
“That delights me no end.”

Once Vio had descended the staircase, Lil held out the bath towel. Vio received it, and sighing to himself, he advanced down the hallway.
He let out another sigh finding Legion in a corner of the garden, down on one knee and performing ‘Self-Reflection’.
Opening the window, he called out to Legion.

“Sir Legion, please come here.”
“No, but I haven’t reflected enough……”

Legion, who gave a mumbling rejection, was called out wasting no breath.

“Legion Salt, That’s enough now, so come!”
“Yes!”

Legion, who abruptly stood up, despite staggering because of having been in the same position throughout, came running like a loyal dog.
He beckoned the sopping wet Legion.

“Um, I’m extremely sorry, you’ll get dirty……”
“If you think it’s inexcusable, then please clean the room yourself after taking a bath and changing your clothes.”

When Vio replied curtly, Legion entered the mansion and closed the window. It was a stone floor with no sort of rug over it, it’d be a closed chapter once cleaned.
Vio turned around to face Legion.

“So, what is Young Master thinking? I’ll set it straight, yesterday, it was my own will to go out. It’s nothing for you to worry over.”
“That’s true too, but it’s not that……”

He thought he was quite worried over him getting a fit and was doing intrapunitive^[2] things, but there seemed to underlying reason.
Legion hung his head apologetically.

“I heard of the reason from the butler. However, despite hearing it, I wished to serve Lord Violant. I do not wish to become a burden, but I feel these selfish feelings of mine are inexcusable.”

“Huh……?”

It was quite a slanted way of reflection.
Vio, who blinked his eyes blankly, burst out laughing. He clutched his stomach and gave out a hearty laugh.

“Y-You were reflecting on such a thing, and decided to stand in the rain? I don’t get it. What with the reason?”

It’d been a long time since he’d laughed like this.
With his head hung down, a blush crept up Legion’s face. He had gotten embarrassed.
After laughing for a while, Vio let out a breath of relief. Legion must have been shocked, for his shoulders shuddered.

“Got it. I lost to you. ——I’ll employ you.”

Legion raised his head, and his hazel eyes turned round. Seeing Legion freeze up, Vio cocked his head in confusion.

“Why, I thought you’d get happy, how odd.”
“Sorry, somehow, the happiness just pierced through me^[3], and I’m just confused.”
“Ahahaha, what’s that, you’re a strange fellow!”

He did not wish to be laughed at any more than this.
Ordering the dumbfounded Legion to crouch, Vio placed the bath towel on Legion’s head. When he rubbed his hair and dried him like he would a dog, as expected, even Legion flinched.

“Wa-, please stop! I shall do it by myself!”
He pulled the towel with both hands in order to cut him off. He lurched forward and staggered, but Legion paused in his steps.
Vio stared at Legion.

“I shall employ you. However, there are two conditions. First, you shall not carry a sword in front of me. And second, you must gladly do any odd jobs that you are asked to. ——Can you keep them up?”
“Of course! I vow to give my utmost efforts!”

Vio took his hands off to look at his eyes so as to ascertain if Legion’s determination was a lie or not. For some reason, Vio stretched out his right hand towards Legion, who, with a blushing face, corrected his posture and tried to stand up.

“Then, I shall be in your care, Legi.”
“Yes! I wish the same, Milord!”

Legi nodded with a smile and grabbed Vio’s hand.

NU Page

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Hasr11:
I kept on mistyping Legion as Legato lol…tell me in the comments if you find any stray Legatos.

I might consider picking it up once I’m done with Kiss the Black Cat…Hope someone picks it up before that welp.

Translation Notes:

1. Lol I spent half a day racking my brains on this sentence lol. Basically, the author tried to use Classical Japanese here and messed up the conjugation. Basically, they used 死せども instead of 死すれども. All hail the wonderful people on the discord 英語と日本語 server for helping me out on this one. (P.S. it’s a great place if you wanna learn JP)↩
2. Even I don’t know what it means, the dictionary just gave me this word lol.↩
3. I can’t get it well in English, but there’s a phrase that pretty much matches the meaning in my language —“Sar ke upar se bouncer”. Tell me if you got something that gets it through better.↩