I Start with a Bad Hand!

“It’s not funny.”

…Regardless of how I look, he cannot commit the rudeness of mocking a lady’s appearance. With those words, Klaus’s demeanor grew even more somber, and I could feel the atmosphere sag even further. Somehow, I ended up behaving more childishly than Klaus, who I often thought lacked sensibility. Embarrassed, I tried to lighten the mood with a brighter voice.

“Really? If I were in your shoes, Lord Klaus, I couldn’t have held back my laughter.”

It seems I would never be able to become a gentleman like Lord Klaus, even if I were born again. My attempt at wit seemed too twisted. Klaus’s expression darkened so much it almost turned black. Seeing him like that made me feel a lump in my throat, even though I hadn’t eaten anything.

‘What’s the big deal about getting a bit wet? To wear such a morose expression at his own birthday…’

Although it was inappropriate, I gently patted Klaus’s shoulder as if to console him. I could feel the tension in his solid back.

“Really. I actually once wanted to look like this.”

I spoke, hoping it sounded sincere. After all, it wasn’t a lie. At some point in life, everyone dreams of being a rock star, and I was no different. Although, I hadn’t hoped to only emulate their appearance.

“Like this?”

“Yes. Back in my homeland, there are people who perform music looking like this.”

“…There are such people in Heylem?”

If the old residents of Heylem tried headbanging, they probably wouldn’t be able to get up again, not to mention losing whatever hair they had left… But I couldn’t just deny it. I ended up selling out the Heylem folks once more to talk about my real hometown, Earth.

“Yes. They are incredible people. Sometimes they even play instruments with their teeth.”

But they wouldn’t accept me as a member. I was lacking in many ways.

Of course, my deficiencies weren’t just in looking like them. I lacked rock spirit, playing skills, performance experience, public communication skills, healthy teeth, and even an instrument.

“Now that I’ve ended up looking somewhat like them… maybe they’ll cut me some slack. When I can play with my teeth, I’ll invite them to our domain for a celebration.”

I meant not to invite them. But that bizarre offer seemed to lighten Klaus’s mood a bit, and he finally managed a slight smile and played along with the joke.

“I’d like to join that band someday too.”

Nonsense. But I just chuckled and responded.

“You need to have hair as long as this.”

“Uh… I’ll do my best.”

“And inside, a bit of… anger towards the world, that sort of thing.”

“I’ll try my best at that too.”

Klaus was now smiling a bit, his face relaxing. It was a good day for him to be smiling; it suited him better. I smiled back at him, hoping it didn’t resemble the manic grin of a mad jester…

As we reached the side door leading to the annex, Klaus unfolded the umbrella he had been holding all along. However, the rain was still pouring down heavily, and the umbrella he had just opened seemed too small for two people.

I scratched my eyebrow momentarily, then made a rational decision inside. As soon as I had made up my mind, I tapped on the umbrella Klaus was holding with my dry fingers.

“Please use the umbrella.”

Klaus had already tilted the umbrella towards me quite a bit. If he kept that up, his shoulder would definitely get wet. At my words, I saw his expression, which had just eased, furrow again.

“I cannot do that.”

“It’s better that one of us is wet than both. Please use it. I’m fine.”

I was already beyond salvation. Getting a bit more rain on me wouldn’t make much of a difference. It would just get a bit more moist.

‘I can’t let the guest of honor at today’s reception get wet again.’

I had now reached a state of resignation. After all, it was just a party where I had to give a gift and leave. After hearing my final refusal, Klaus hesitated for a moment and then folded the umbrella back up. Then, after catching his breath, he extended his hand to me with a trembling voice.

“In that case, may I lift you up, Lady Dietrich?”

“…What?”

Lift me up?

“That would get your clothes all wet.”

Klaus’s offer missed my point entirely, but I responded calmly.

“We can change clothes. More importantly, it’s crucial that you, Lady Dietrich, don’t get any wetter.”

As I stared at him in response to his words, he spoke in a shrinking voice, “If my suggestion has offended you, I apologize.”

Is it really inevitable that one of us, or perhaps both, will end up getting wet in the rain? Isn’t there a way for both of us to avoid it? And then, considering the area of this single-person umbrella and our respective physiques, I devised the best possible plan.

“Don’t hold the umbrella side by side, hold it front to back. So, I’ll stand in front, and since Klaus is taller, he can stand behind me, right?”

And we would match our steps. Left, right. Left, right.

“Uh…”

“Does it sound impractical?”

Klaus hesitated for a moment, then unfolded the umbrella with a slight smile.

“Let’s give it a try. After all, I would prefer any method that keeps you, Dietrich, from getting wet.”

So, I took the first step with the method I suggested. Soon, I thought that what was being washed away by the rainwater might not be makeup, but perhaps intelligence.

“Ah, wait a minute, there. My foot just…”

“I’m sorry, so sorry. There’s mud here, and…”

Let’s step in sync like a band of knights. Left, right. Left, right.

Filled with determination, it immediately became apparent how foolish it was to not consider the muddy ground and our strides.

Take two steps, then pause. When trying to step again, the steps would tangle. Eventually, halfway through the garden to the annex, Klaus and I burst into laughter.

“I was really foolish to think this would work.”

I said laughing hysterically. Then, a silent laugh from behind caused a vibrating sensation. Hm, Klaus cleared his throat.

“If we try to keep the rhythm a bit tighter, it might work.”

Thump, thump, thump. Klaus slightly bowed his head and whispered near my ear, guiding me like an escort without holding the umbrella.

“Like this…, stepping as if dancing.”

Dun, dun-dun. Dun, dun-dun. Klaus hummed an unknown waltz in time with the rhythm. The soft sounds mingled with the noise of the rain.

However, as our steps became more tangled, the moment came when we both slipped on the wet ground. In a panic, Klaus grabbed me but ended up dropping the umbrella.

“Oh, oh!”

Despite our earnest but foolish attempts, today’s protagonist ended up getting soaked in the rain. We would have been slightly wet anyway if we had just walked normally. Both of us, with our rigid minds, ended up stiffening up without saying a word.

However, Klaus soon swept back his wet hair and burst out laughing, “Ahaha.” The sound of the rain complemented his refreshing laughter perfectly.

“I’m really being foolish too.”

But Klaus, on this cloudy day, had a face that seemed clear and bright. I ended up laughing along with him.

“Please thank the senior for me. I wanted to see her face.”

Fortunately, I received some clothes that Irene no longer wore, and I managed to change safely. I was disappointed that I couldn’t meet her because Klaus’s sudden absence required Irene to fill in.

Klaus’s hair had now completely dried. The tuxedo tie, loosely draped around his neck, suited him well. Staring blankly at him, I remembered the purpose of attending today’s banquet.

‘Ah, I almost forgot.’

I pulled a gift out of my coat pocket. The wrapping was a bit wet, but the box inside was intact.

Thankfully, I sacrificed my whole body for this.

“Happy birthday.”

I handed him the box. Wow, I’m curious. Klaus, who had been grinning broadly, was surprised as he unfolded the carefully wrapped gift.

“How did you manage to find this?”

Klaus’s eyes, already sparkling, became even more lively.

“Our domain seems like a place where time stopped about 50 years ago.”

There are some craftsmen who handle old items. I shrugged my shoulders.

One day, when we had gone to see a play together, Klaus mentioned that collecting watches was his hobby. There was just one he had never been able to add to his collection—an old watch.

Thinking that Heylem, a place where all sorts of old and worn things gather, might have it, I immediately wrote to Baron and Baroness Degoph upon being invited to the birthday banquet. Fortunately, the Baron and Baroness Degoph sent the watch along with their letter.

“Please make sure to invite me to your birthday celebration, Dietrich.”

Klaus, unable to take his eyes off the watch for a long time, turned to me with a choked voice, his cheeks flushed. Though the words were thankful…

“Uh… but I don’t know my own birthday.”