Fish Don't Know About Water - Chapter 25

Or maybe the peculiar atmosphere was only felt by Viett. Phenelity had dismissed the incident with the indifferent sentiment of ‘the chain just broke, and my mother’s keepsake is intact, so it’s fine.’

She even took Viett’s promise lightly. Viett, on the other hand, had been wandering around the hospital just to see her face once…

‘Poor guy. How did you end up getting tangled with such a clueless lady… Hang in there.’

Esca wiped the tears welling up in his eyes. A long sigh from Phenelity echoed through the pipe.

— You can only smile when you feel like it. I’m really depressed right now.

— D-depressed? Why?

— I don’t know. I’ve been feeling this way since I missed the train yesterday.

An awkward and heavy silence followed. After a while, Viett asked in a subdued voice.

— D-did you r-run away to the sea because you d-didn’t want to get ma… married?

Esca unconsciously stood up from his seat.

Viett, you idiot! Why are you stuttering more than usual? You’re embarrassing yourself at such an important moment! You pathetic fool who doesn’t even live up to your looks!

Esca unconsciously covered his forehead with one hand. And he unconsciously prayed.

Please let the ‘safe house’ magic the Master mentioned be active right now. So that Viett’s clumsy romantic sense doesn’t get exposed in the novel…

— Oh, how did you know?

But the reply was even more ridiculous. Esca could imagine Viett silently screaming in his mind. He was probably stiffening up and just moving his lips.

Esca’s hand on his forehead increased to two. No!

— R-really?

— I’m kidding. I was just going to see the sea and come right back to Costonia.

Her playful words drained the strength from his entire body. Phew. Esca let out a breath he had been holding and sat down weakly in the chair. This woman is playing with two men at the same time.

— I wanted to see the sea with my own eyes before getting married.

— T-the sea?

— Yes. Once I become the princess, I won’t be able to leave the country easily, right?

— ……

— Why are you looking at me like that?

— I-I’m just surprised you had such a c-commendable thought…

Viett mumbled in an admiring voice.

— Surprised? That’s mean! I know my duties as the princess!

Phenelity’s indignant and agitated voice followed. Esca was as surprised as Viett. He didn’t expect the Little Lady to give such a sensible reason. The duties of a princess…

“The nickname Psycho Pepe makes me cry.”

How did someone so sensible end up with such a humiliating nickname? Esca wondered as he pressed the typewriter keys.

— S-so… you really p-plan to become the p-princess?

— Hasn’t that already been decided? His Majesty the King has already sent my father a pearl necklace and diamond brooch as wedding gifts.

— ……

— What’s with that look?

— W-what… do you mean…

— You look like you just bit into a sour lemon candy.

— D-don’t pinch my cheek.

— Oh? Are you really eating it? Give me some candy too!

— Y-you gave it to me e-earlier…

Esca’s expression gradually relaxed. He couldn’t help but chuckle at their ongoing bickering.

He remembered a time when his wife played a radio show for him. It was a radio drama where a man and a woman with nice voices read a romance novel, and it was quite popular among the noblewomen of Westenia. Now he understood why his wife enjoyed listening to the radio so much.

“This is surprisingly entertaining.”

Esca chuckled as he typed. The childish bickering continued for a while. Then a dull sound of a cane tapping the floor came through the pipe. It was the sound of Hinler Heinz entering the study.

— Your Highness. Miss Cochrun.

After Hinler’s call, the sound of a machine clicking was heard. A piano piece started playing through the pipe. The sound of a record spinning with a crackle followed.

“Huh? Did he turn on the phonograph?”

Esca tilted his head and brought his ear closer to the pipe. The growing sound of the piano drowned out the conversation between the three. He stopped typing to focus on the faint conversation.

— This magic will protect Miss Cochrun from the typewriter of ‘Evening Whisper’…

Hinler’s explanation was faintly audible through the piano music.

— …so, as long as this phonograph is playing, Miss Cochrun’s actions won’t be recorded in the novel…

— Wow!

— H-hey, c-calm down.

Phenelity Cochrun’s pure admiration and the prince’s voice trying to calm her down.

— So the magic typewriter of ‘Evening Whisper’ really can’t find me?

— Yes. At least within the space where the music is playing… Don’t fiddle with the record! You’ll break it!

The piano music grew louder, as if something had been tampered with. Startled by the piercing noise, Esca quickly pulled his ear away from the pipe. Amidst the commotion, he faintly heard Phenelity muttering.

— If I had known about this, I wouldn’t have needed to take those pills.

A strange tone he had never heard before. It wasn’t her usual excited voice that seemed to float. It was an emotionless voice with no inflection.

For a moment, Esca thought he was hearing things. It was hard to believe it was the same person speaking, and it seemed neither Viett nor Hinler, who were in the same room, heard her words.

“Pills…?”

Pills? What kind of pills is she talking about? Esca tilted his head in confusion and resumed typing. The conversation among the three continued for quite some time. Soon, the sound of Phenelity’s sorrowful crying pierced his ears.

* * *

Is there anything more disconcerting than a woman crying like a child? Viett stood there, blinking in a daze.

He was dumbfounded by Phenelity, who had suddenly sat down and started crying. Even a mortar shell landing right in front of him wouldn’t have been as shocking.

“Poisin¹pronounced Pwa-sin, that crazy old man…”

Viett looked down at the sorrowfully crying Phenelity with a blank stare. Phenelity hiccuped and spoke in broken sentences.

“He insisted there was no magic in this world that could protect me, that worthless piece of trash…”

What on earth am I hearing? Viett unconsciously touched his ear and looked at Minister Hinler. Hinler, too, seemed visibly taken aback by Phenelity’s outburst.

“M-Mr. Hinler. If P-Poisin is indeed…”

“It’s the name of Count Cochrun.”

“Could the C-Count have con… concealed the existence of the safe house m-magic?”

“That sly fox could very well have done so.”

Not only was it shocking to hear such harsh language from a noble lady, but it was also surprising that her resentment was directed at her own father.

Of course, Viett also harbored resentment towards his own father. But he had never imagined voicing his grievances as ‘selfish old man’ or ‘senile old fool.’

“Damn him, just wait. I will get my revenge…”

Phenelity didn’t care that the two men were staring at her in shock. She buried her face in her hands and began to cry nervously. Her sorrowful sobs intermittently escaped through her fingers.

“You can cry as much as you want here, Miss Cochrun.”

Hinler said kindly, patting Phenelity’s shoulder.

“This moment won’t be recorded in the novel. So, pour out all your resentment towards your father.”

Viett looked at the kindly smiling Hinler with puzzled eyes. The emotion lingering in Hinler’s eyes was neither sympathy nor pity. It was satisfaction, like that of a gambler holding a winning hand.

“I didn’t realize Miss Cochrun’s sorrow ran so deep. It’s natural to resent a father who fell for the king’s schemes.”

Resent her father? Viett rubbed his chin in thought.

It was hard to define the intense emotions Phenelity had expressed as mere ‘resentment.’ It was closer to deep-seated hatred.

‘This is strange.’

He frowned as he watched Phenelity sob. Phenelity had never openly expressed her hatred towards her father in the novel <Pepe>. There had never been any rumors about discord within the Count’s family.

Viett looked at Phenelity’s round head with suspicion. <Pepe> was a terrible novel that revealed the protagonist’s innermost thoughts without filter. It would be impossible for Phenelity, the protagonist, to perfectly hide her long-standing resentment and hatred towards her father.

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  pronounced Pwa-sin