Kiss the Black Cat

Chapter 18: The Meeting Dances 2

Translator: Hasr11

Editor: Gold Swallow

Seeing the meeting room still brimming with excitement, I got a headache.

I wonder why they’re all so excited without feeling any sense of incongruity. I could understand it if it were a man-woman couple. But Legato and I were both men, and our country had no culture of welcoming same-sex couples with open arms. Of course, there existed a certain number of same-sex couples, but they couldn’t be together out in public and simply restrained themselves. The people around also had an unspoken agreement to nonchalantly accept them— it was that kind of an atmosphere.

But for that to…

「How long have you two been going out?」

「Hey, who confessed first?」

「Tell me how you first met!」

Facing Legato, everyone sent questions flying as they laughed. He’s totally being teased. Legato being made the victim instead of me was because it was more worthwhile to tease him than me. In a sense, you could say they were actually doting on him.

I felt things would go needlessly out of hand if I tried to awkwardly interrupt them thus I pulled my hood over my eyes and stuck to remaining silent. Sorry, Legato.

「So then, what does Nidel like about him?」

「Well, um—」

Everyone else attending the meeting was older than me, and their positions were also fairly high. Accosted and forced by such people, Legato seemed pretty shaken up. Was he all right? I was worried. Whenever Legato got flustered, his words would become a little strange. Don’t blurt out untactful things, I prayed in my heart and kept an eye on his standing figure.

「Um—, I’m always the type to get the short end of the stick, so…」

Just as I’d feared, the words Legato had blurted out while blabbering after being shaken up made me guffaw, and I had to pull my hood further over my eyes.

Why did he bother to make such a gaffe!? I wonder if…it’d remained on his mind after me telling it so often…I’ve said something along the lines of I like that part of you that always gets the short end of the stick.

In the midst of my shock, the meeting room had turned silent for a moment at Legato’s words.

And then, I heard some people snigger. However, there were also many who didn’t laugh.

「Legato-dono, no matter how you look at it, that isn’t the case.」

It was a voice laced with a bit of anger— I couldn’t believe it belonged to the Royal Palace Magic Order.

「Then, do you mean going out with Nidel-dono is getting the short end of the stick?」

「No, that’s not it! I didn’t mean it in that way—」

「It’s cruel as expected. Even if Nidel-dono is from the Tech Order, to say that about your lover is something you should never do! And right in front of Nidel-dono too!」

The Royal Palace Magic Order seemed to be defending me for some reason, and I ended up laughing at the development that I’d never imagined, but I didn’t know whether to sympathise with Legato-dono or not.

「That’s right, Legato. It’s cruel no matter how you look at it. Poor Nidel-dono.」

The King rebuked Legato with a serious face. Legato turned pale and accepted the King’s scolding while standing at attention. Everyone from the the Royal Palace Magic Order nodded their heads in agreement at the King’s words, whereas the higher-ups from the Knight Order were clutching their stomachs in laughter.

I wonder if the lot from the Knight Order got on their nerves so much, that this time the Royal Palace Magic Order lashed out at the Knight Order.

「You all are laughing, but it’s because your attitudes are normally like this that it’s a problem! Aren’t you making a fool of magicians?」

「No, no, what’re you saying. I regard magicians in high esteem.」

At the Royal Palace Order’s snapping, the Captain of the Knight Order waved his hand in denial as he laughed. I thought it was an attitude that didn’t show much sincerity, and of course, everyone from the Royal Palace Magic Order thought so too.

「Basically, isn’t it because there’s such an atmosphere within the Knight Order that Legato-dono said something like that this time!? Nidel-dono too is an outstanding magician. To say such words treats him too lightly!」

No, no, you’re the ones who treat me the most lightly usually, I rebuked in my mind, though I remained silent.

「Everyone, calm down for a minute, please stop fighting!」

The Prime Minister raised his voice in exasperation.

The meeting room could hardly be in more chaos.

The meeting seemed to have more or less ended, and I prepared to leave the meeting room that seemed to be still buzzing with laughter. I was worried about Legato, who was being scolded by his higher-ups in the Knight Order who were still grinning, but I didn’t have the courage to speak out at this place.

I left the room in an attempt to escape.

I drooped my shoulders in dejection and returned to the gloomy tower. The gazes of everyone in the Royal Palace I passed on my way to the tower bothered me. I wondered if they all knew about me and Legato.

No, they definitely know about me and Legato. It’d reached everyone for sure.

I give up… thinking so, I let out a sigh and set foot into the tower

「Welcome back, Nidel.」

When I entered the room, Hunon sent me a smile. Seeing his face, I realised. There’s no way the well-informed he doesn’t know of it.

「How was the meeting?」

「How, you ask…」

When I hemmed and hawed, Hunon gave a sly grin.

「Did they make a fool out of you??」

As expected, he knew.

I drooped my shoulders further in dejection. Just how far has this story spread? Listening to Hunon and me talk, my colleagues who were absorbed in their work nearby raised their heads in ones and twos.

「Make a fool out of…what does that mean…?」

「Look, it’s that. Nidel’s personal matter. With Captain Legato.」

「Ahh,that…」

「Such a topic arose in the meeting …? It must have been unbearable for you…」

My colleagues looked at me with eyes of sympathy. Seeing that nobody seemed to be surprised, I realised that everyone already knew of it and I once again got a headache. Even though they knew it, nobody came to tell me. I‘m grateful for that, but I wish they’d told me instead. A complex feeling arose in my heart,

「But Nidel, isn’t this the first time we’ve been a hot topic since the Tech Order was started?」

「That’s true. We caught a leader of the Knight Order. Moreover, it’s the young and most promising Captain Legato. Well done!」

「We have some pride too!」

The people who’d gathered around me spoke in excited and somewhat happy voices. That reminds me, everyone seemed to be in a good mood as of late. Maybe it was because of this news.

「Wait a minute, isn’t it strange!?」

When I reacted, everyone around me made an confused face.

「Why is everyone talking as if it’s normal!? We’re both men! Isn’t that bigger news? Doesn’t it go against the Royal Palace’s public order and morals!?」

When I voiced my doubts that had appeared in my mind during the meeting just now, everyone looked at each other and gave a half-smile. Hunon, grinning widely, turned to me and spoke.

「That’s because it’s interesting. The fact that you and Legato are together beats you two being men and such by far. The whole Royal Palace knows it now. Just give up.」

At Hunon’s words, I sank onto the floor.

For now, let’s not leave the tower for as long as possible, I decided in my heart.

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