Fish Don't Know About Water - Chapter 57

“Please get the Crown Princess’s permission first.”

“Are you really going to kick out a friend of ten years into the cold hallway?”

Cecilia slightly lifted her sunglasses and met Phenelity’s eyes. Phenelity, feeling sorry for her slightly swollen eyes, waved her hand.

“No? Of course not!”

“I’m heading straight to the funeral hall, what’s your schedule after returning to the country?”

“I have to go to the funeral hall right away too. And Viett probably…”

Phenelity trailed off with a gloomy face. Lieutenant Peter explained on her behalf as she slumped her shoulders.

“His Highness must prepare a memorial speech immediately after returning to the country. Originally, His Majesty the King was scheduled to give the speech, but due to His Majesty collapsing from the shock, His Highness will be giving the speech instead.”

Phenelity’s complexion darkened a bit. She gazed at the desolate scenery passing by outside the window for a moment, then turned to Lieutenant Peter with a determined look.

“Lieutenant, I’m sorry, but could you bring my phonograph from the luggage compartment?”

“Phonograph?”

“It should be on the mobile trolley. Please.”

“…Please wait a moment.”

Lieutenant Peter hurriedly left the first-class cabin. He ran straight to the luggage compartment and managed to find the prince and princess’s luggage among the piles of cargo. After removing the cloth covering the phonograph, he brought it to the first-class cabin with the help of a porter.

“Thank you.”

Phenelity greeted him holding a crumpled piece of paper. Cecilia was dozing off with her head resting against the window.

“If you combine all these records, it makes nine hours of music.”

She took the records out from the metal basket attached to the bottom of the mobile trolley. Lieutenant Peter nodded blankly.

“Yes? Yes… Quite long.”

“There are about seven hours left until we reach the capital, Lechen, so it means we can be alone comfortably until then.”

“What…? What are these records?”

Cecilia woke up groggily, rubbing her eyes.

“They don’t look like something for sale.”

“They’re pieces of music Viett recorded for me in his spare time.”

“Oh my, don’t tell me he didn’t even play with you? Aren’t you supposed to be newlyweds who go straight to bed every time you make eye contact?”

Cecilia’s exclamation was loud and exaggerated like that of an untalented actress. She looked up at Lieutenant Peter with a pitiful face, making a fuss.

“My goodness. Lieutenant Peter, what do you think about this issue?”

You’ve decided to mock me. Lieutenant Peter rolled his eyes, understanding her intentions.

“His Highness has always been incorruptible and without greed since his days as a cadet…”

“…Overflowing to the point of spilling over…”

Phenelity muttered quietly. Overflowing what? Lieutenant Peter raised his voice, thinking he might have misheard.

“What did you just say?”

“Nothing. I’ll be out for a moment.”

He hurriedly blocked her path as she tried to leave.

“Where do you intend to go?”

“To Viett.”

Phenelity answered as she pushed the mobile trolley with the phonograph. She placed the records on top of the phonograph and pushed the trolley out of the first-class cabin.

“See you all in Lechen!”

Then she left without hesitation, closing the door behind her. Lieutenant Peter stared at the closed door in a daze. Cecilia Rosti, who had been resting her head against the window with her eyes closed, chuckled.

“Consider yourself lucky, Peter. Otherwise, you would have been tormented by the Crown Princess’s chatter all the way to Lechen.”

Lieutenant Peter sat back in his seat, bewildered.

“Cecilia. The phonograph the Crown Princess took is…”

“A phonograph enchanted with a safe house spell. You’ve heard about that spell from the Minister, right?”

“Yes. I’ve heard of it.”

“Those two always play the phonograph.”

Cecilia opened her eyes wide and looked up at him with a twinkle in her eye. Peter stared at her blankly, then blushed as he realized the implication of her words.

“Cecilia!”

“Instead of letting readers count how many times the prince and princess have slept together, they protected themselves in the safest way.”

“…What a tiring life.”

“Exactly. I couldn’t live such a tiring life. Having even the number of times a couple sleeps together exposed in a novel… Ugh, it’s too horrible.”

Cecilia shuddered as she leaned back against the window.

“If I had been chosen as the Little Lady, I would have hanged myself a long time ago.”

“Don’t carelessly say such horrible things.”

Lieutenant Peter looked at her with a troubled face. Cecilia sighed tiredly with her eyes closed.

“I’ve lost the will to live anyway. I really wanted to personally deal with that bastard Minute… But now it’s all so futile…”

“War inherently takes all lives meaninglessly. It doesn’t matter if they’re royalty or criminals.”

He hesitated for a moment, then said what she wanted to hear.

“And Minute Hartmann. That bastard deserved to die.”

“Hmph. Right. By now, my brother must be hitting that bastard’s butt in hell, right? Ah, how satisfying.”

Cecilia’s brother died young due to drug addiction. The day she found out that Minute was the one who led her brother down the path of addiction, Cecilia decided to join Aisad.

“No, wait. My brother is in heaven, and Minute has fallen to hell. So they wouldn’t have met.”

Lieutenant Peter wanted to point out that her brother, who caused their parents much grief with his drug addiction, might also be in hell with Minute. But not wanting to get his hair pulled by Cecilia, he said something else.

“There’s a listening device hidden in His Highness’s first-class cabin too, right? The Minister said to record all conversations during the safe house spell.”

“You do it. I’m not in the mood to hit the typewriter right now.”

“Cecilia. That’s your job.”

“Are you going to be petty with a fellow trainee? Remember, you wouldn’t have even set foot in Aisad without me.”

She began rummaging through her large luggage with a delighted face. She pushed aside the ashtray and water bottle on the low table with her arm and placed a typewriter and a desk clock she took out from her bag on it.

“Please!”

Lieutenant Peter sighed as he watched her insert new paper into the typewriter.

“Just this once.”

“Yes, yes. Thank you, Lieutenant Peter.”

Cecilia turned the knob on the desk clock. She set the hour, minute, and second hands to match the communication code and pressed the knob loudly.

— I, I, I…

Viett’s trembling voice flowed from the desk clock.

— I, I, I promise you. Our dear… King… His… Majesty’s… o, o, orders…

Cecilia frowned as she listened to the pitiful voice.

“Doesn’t he stutter more than usual?”

“He’s nervous.”

Lieutenant Peter adjusted the volume of the desk clock with a bitter face.

— O, orders… o, orders… I, I, I will… in, investigate… the death of the former Crown Prince…

Even though he increased the volume, Viett’s speech grew quieter. Cecilia, who had been listening quietly, muttered with an embarrassed face.

“This is… It’s so awkward and painful to listen to…”

She stared at the desk clock and furrowed her brow.

“Can His Highness really endure this?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Although I’m not in a position to say this, having joined Aisad out of revenge…”

Cecilia continued, making eye contact with Lieutenant Peter.

“I’ve never understood why the Minister struggles so hard to put someone like His Highness on the throne.”

“Watch your mouth, Rosti.”

Lieutenant Peter lowered his voice and warned.

“Ears are everywhere.”

At that moment, a noise of someone banging on the door was heard from the desk clock. Then a loud voice followed.

— What the, this place is huge!

With the sound of the door bursting open, Phenelity entered the first-class cabin. The sound of footsteps walking towards Viett followed.

— Viett. Do you feel better sulking alone away from me?

— Wh-why are you here? I told you to stay with L-Lieutenant Peter.

— Let’s start with some music.

After a clattering sound, a lively piano performance began. It seemed Phenelity had played the phonograph. Viett spoke in a flustered voice.

— Wh-what are you doing?

— Let me see. This is the speech draft, right?

The sound of the seat being pressed down and the rustling of paper followed. Phenelity muttered in a surprised voice.

— Oh my. The speech draft is all worn out…

— ……

— Should I watch you practice? You’ve been practicing alone and haven’t shown it to anyone.

— No, I don’t want to.

Normally, she would have persistently asked ‘Why don’t you want to?’ but today she seemed to be quietly waiting for Viett’s words. In the silence, only the sound of their breathing could be heard.