Chapter 1: Red and Blue Flowers
It was a refreshing sunny day with white clouds in the clear sky. Maria was in the capital, shopping for food for the orphans.
“The vegetables look so fresh!”
“Yes, are you going to buy some, Maria?”
“Yes, please let me get this and this…”
Maria pointed to the items she wanted, paid for them, put them in her shopping bag, bowed to the shopkeeper, and left the store.
After that, she also went to the butcher and bought a large amount of meat. Since she used to be a holy knight, it wasn’t too hard for her to carry the food for all the orphanage children. But her hands were full.
On her way back to the orphanage, she noticed something. The flowers that decorated the orphanage had wilted.
It was no big deal, but having them made the room more colorful, and some kids liked to draw flowers, so she decided to stop by the florist to buy new ones.
“Hmm…what color flowers should I get?”
On her way to the florist, while she was thinking about what to buy, Fei ran past her.
“Oh, Fei! Don’t overdo it, take it easy!”
If she hadn’t called out to him, he would have walked right by. But Maria was worried. Fei was isolated in the orphanage, and she heard that he was overworking himself with his knight training.
As a sister at the orphanage, she cared for all the children, so she couldn’t ignore Fei.
“No…problem…”
“But you look pale…”
“I’m…always…like this…”
‘No, you usually a bit more cheerful. …… “
Fei was so exhausted that he could barely find the words. Maria took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow.
“Don’t overdo it. I worry about you.”
“Is that…all? If so…I’ll go back…to training…”
“W-wait. Lately you haven’t rested at all, and you come home late almost every night. I really think you need a break.”
“No problem.”
“No, I think there is… I know! Come shopping with me for a while!”
“What?”
“Th-these vegetables are really heavy! So come with me for a while? Please?”
She wanted to somehow get Fei to stop his excessive training.
(If I tell him to rest, he won’t listen… Shopping takes less energy than training, right? And it’ll distract him and give me more time with Fei. This is good. But will Fei agree…?)
“…..Don’t take too long.”
To her surprise, Fei picked up her bags of vegetables and meat and started to leave.
“Thank you, Fei. I want to go to the florist. This way.”
(Could he be considerate because I said the bags were heavy? Fei wasn’t so sincere before, but he’s changed. I have to change too).
His former rather spiteful impression was gone. No wonder, since Fei had been reincarnated and mistakenly thought he was the protagonist, suspecting Maria to be the heroine. His speech retained traces of his original character, forcibly translated into curt phrases, but his actions had changed.
“Ah, it’s that florist. Let’s see, they have red and blue flowers. Fei, which do you like?”
“Either one.”
“Gosh, this is the hardest answer… I think I like red flowers.”
“I see. Then buy them and let’s get back quickly.”
“Gosh! It wouldn’t hurt to spice things up a bit!”
“…..Just hurry up and buy them.”
“…..Fine. I’ll take the red flowers.”
As Maria said this, the saleswoman came out and handed her a bouquet of red flowers. Both Maria and Fei thought that would be the end of it. But Maria stopped.
“Um, excuse me.”
“Yes, how can I help you?”
Maria spoke to the florist again.
“Could I just get one blue flower?”
“Oh, uh, sure.”
She bought just one blue flower.
“Did you buy it?”
“Uh, yes. Sorry it took so long.”
“No need to apologize.”
As she walked next to Fei, Maria tilted her head, wondering why she’d bought the blue flower. She didn’t seem to understand it herself.
(Why do I always buy some blue flowers? I like red flowers, so why…?)
“You always buy some blue flowers.”
“Huh?”
“Every time you put red flowers in the garden and flower arrangements…but you always put a little bit of blue flowers too.”
“That’s right… Have you noticed?”
“….. Not particularly.”
“I’m so glad you’re watching me closely, Fei. Thank you.”
“…..It’s not that. I just thought it was strange. You always plant a lot of red flowers, but you add a little bit of blue. It’s strange.”
“….I see. But…why do I do that? I don’t know why…but I’m really glad you pointed it out, Fei. Thank you.”
Maria smiled. She smiled innocently and happily like a child.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
I met Maria during the extra training, since there wasn’t any normal training.
As you would expect from the presumed heroine, Maria. She’s brighter than the others. I don’t know how to put it, her aura is just different, you know?
I thought about talking to her, but since I’m the cool protagonist, I shouldn’t actively start conversations.
And I was in the middle of some self-training, but surprisingly Maria started talking to me.
Hmm, what’s up? Huh? Resting? No way a hard working protagonist can rest.
I’m too exhausted to get my words out well.
“No, I think there is… I know! Come shopping with me!”
“What?”
“Th-these vegetables are really heavy! So come with me for a while? Please?”
Hmm, I was about to go back to training, but… an invitation to go shopping from the presumed heroine Maria…
This could be an event between the protagonist, me, and the heroine, Maria.
Maria’s status as heroine hasn’t been confirmed yet. I should go with her to find out…
While she was carrying her bags, we went to a florist. There she bought red flowers. But for some reason she also bought a blue flower.
Since she’s a suspected heroine, I’ve been watching her, and…Maria always arranges a lot of red flowers with just a little bit of blue flowers. She puts tons of red flowers in flower beds, but only adds a little bit of blue. Her arrangements are also nine reds to one blue.
What’s the intention behind that?
Could it be some kind of foreshadowing? Since I’m the protagonist, I notice things like that. And I’ve seen countless books in my previous life. I’ve become sensitive to that kind of foreshadowing technique.
“I am so happy that you are watching me closely, Fei. Thank you.”
“….. That’s not it. I just thought it was strange. You always plant a lot of red flowers, but you add a little bit of blue. It’s strange.”
“….I see. But…why do I do that? I don’t know why…but I’m really glad you pointed it out, Fei. Thank you.”
Maria doesn’t seem to have much intention behind it. But she always arranges them that way, it must be some kind of foreshadowing. Anyway, her smiling and thanking is cute. It just deepens my suspicion of her as the heroine.
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