parentshiftbook #247 - I, Natsuki Subaru, have a dream
#247 - I, Natsuki Subaru, have a dream
“Lord Natsuki Subaru.”
When an unsuitable person suddenly intrudes upon a lively banquet, even Crusch, who is usually very composed, becomes somewhat displeased. She even changes her form of address for Natsuki Subaru from ‘Subaru’ to his full name.
“Even if you are a distinguished guest, you cannot rashly intrude upon a meeting. I hope you can be a little more considerate.”
“Now, now, Lady Crusch. Subaru must be in a hurry about something, look at him, covered in sweat. I’m sorry, perhaps Ferris is still an unskilled healer. Is there still pain somewhere?”
The cat-like man walks towards Natsuki Subaru with a smile, gently stroking his cheek to smooth out his furrowed brow.
Crusch sees the man's unpleasant expression and does not blame him, but—
“Lord Natsuki Subaru, allow me to correct something. Treating you as guests seems to have led to a misunderstanding, for which I apologize. To be precise, I…”
“We aren’t being treated as enemies, but Emilia-tan is already a political rival to you, Crusch, right?”
“Eh?”
Natsuki Subaru's words leave the three people in the guest room temporarily speechless.
Honestly, although various reasons lead them to treat the man before them with kindness and friendliness, they really didn’t think that such a reckless person, who would shout and scream during the Royal Selection ceremony, would have any political acumen, and that he would grow so quickly in just a few days.
“I understand. Crusch is trying to say that she’s so kind to me because she signed a contract with Emilia, so she’s so friendly to me, but the position of mutual competition hasn’t changed. I understand. I sincerely apologize for intruding on your meeting, I'm sorry! Please, in your great generosity, forgive me!”
The man decisively bows deeply and apologizes loudly.
“Hey, hey, hey, what's going on, nya? Are you really Subaru? Speaking of which, could you have been replaced by someone?”
Ferris jokes while probing his body.
No mistake.
It is Natsuki Subaru himself.
Crusch receives a signal from the cat-like man, and she closes one eye and says helplessly: “Subaru has already apologized, so I can't quibble, can I?”
She clearly forgives Natsuki Subaru's rudeness, and the form of address returns to ‘Subaru.’
“Thank you so much. To be honest, if you were to punish me, I really wouldn’t know what to do.”
Natsuki Subaru suddenly relaxes and says this in a frivolous tone.
They thought he was being so respectful because he had found his place, but it seems that nothing has changed. Was what just happened an illusion?
No…
ZunZun realizes that this man has been staring at him.
“Hey ZunZun, who am I?”
“…Has your brain broken?”
“Never mind that, just say it. Who am I?”
Natsuki Subaru's eyes reveal anxiety, the kind of eyes that fear not getting the desired result. ZunZun seems to realize something.
“You are Natsuki Subaru, my compatriot.”
Hearing this, Natsuki Subaru's face turns from gloomy to clear. But—
“You are still shameless, thick-skinned, carefree, without boundaries, always causing trouble without regard for other people's feelings, and even disregarding your own life, you idiot. Oh, I forgot, you are still a hopeless simp.”
“That's called devotion! My heart is only for Emilia-tan!”
Natsuki Subaru stomps his feet in anger, but quickly relaxes and lets out a long sigh: “Hearing your usual venomous words makes me so happy, thank you, ZunZun.”
“…Subaru, are you Do-M?”
“Maybe, I don't even know if I’ve awakened. But I know that if I don’t have someone to spur me on, I really won’t go far.”
“You're quite self-aware.”
ZunZun thought he would retort loudly, but unexpectedly he simply admitted it, causing the cat-like man to tease him for a while.
Then Natsuki Subaru suddenly strikes a JOJO pose and shouts: “I, Natsuki Subaru, have a dream, and that is to become a Kingdom Superstar!”
“Enough, what on earth are you doing!? And shouldn’t you be pointing to the sky, that pose doesn’t suit you!”
ZunZun can’t hold it in anymore.
Natsuki Subaru grins: “Oh, I just wanted to change my mood.”
This guy has been doing these weird things since just now. ZunZun has already guessed that he has experienced many deaths and returns, but for those who don't know, his approach is really abrupt, giving people a great sense of contrast.
He was wrong, completely wrong.
In terms of contrast, Natsuki Subaru is the strongest, but he's not cute at all.
“Alright, enough playing around.” Crusch crosses her hands, tilts her head and examines the uninvited guest who rashly broke into the room, and asks: “Subaru, you rushed in so hastily, surely it wasn’t because your brain went crazy, but because something important happened, right?”
“Ah, yes, there is something very important.”
“Tell me about it. If it’s reasonable, I can forgive your rudeness, Subaru.”
Natsuki Subaru nods seriously, then looks at his compatriot with red hair and black eyes on the other side.
“ZunZun, stay for dinner.”
“…What?”
“I said, stay and have dinner with us.”
Seeing him barging in despite being chased away and looking so serious, they thought he was going to say something earth-shattering, but unexpectedly he just wanted ZunZun to stay for dinner.
“Okay, Ferris, bring me my sword, I’m going to chop Natsuki Subaru to death right now!”
“Okay, Lady Crusch!”
“Hey, wait a minute, I'm serious!”
“Forget the sword, let’s just chop him directly!”
Crusch angrily gestures as if to attack, while Natsuki Subaru cries out and begs for mercy, and the cat-like man watches the show with a smile.
ZunZun says he deserves it.
Although Natsuki Subaru’s idea of wanting him to stay is simple, using such a cliché excuse will of course make people angry.
However, after Crusch said that she also wanted to invite ZunZun to stay for the dinner party, ZunZun dismissed the idea of leaving Crusch’s mansion as soon as possible to catch up with Reinhardt and the others.
And then Natsuki Subaru said something strange.
—ZunZun, you have to thank me.
During a break, ZunZun asks Fulaam a question: “If we want to go to the Astrea territory, will we pass by the Flugel Tree on the way?”
“The Sage's Tree? Yes, because we are chasing after Lord Reinhardt and Lord Felt, we will pass by there according to the planned route.”
“…I understand.”
Accompanied by a slight sigh, his voice slowly falls, and the room returns to silence again.
Until evening.
The dinner party prepared in ZunZun's name should have been very grand, but due to someone's scheming, not only was his banquet gone, but the dinner time was also delayed.
“The reason for delaying dinner time and gathering here, I can finally understand it.”
Sitting on the main sofa with her hands crossed on her lap, Crusch breaks the silence, and a stern look of understanding appears on her face.
“Is that so?”
The cat-like man's playful voice rings out, “To be honest, little Ferris is still suspicious, nya. Such a timid man suddenly became so decisive and tough, no matter how you look at it, there’s a problem.”
Even though his tone and expression are pretending to be frivolous, the way he looks at Natsuki Subaru vaguely contains some wariness, obviously wary of Natsuki Subaru playing tricks.
And Wilhelm, who is standing behind Crusch, also has the same expression, his sharp eyes falling on him, seemingly examining some kind of flaw.
If it weren't for ZunZun putting his arm around Natsuki Subaru's shoulder, he would definitely be crying and raising his hands in surrender.
“Don’t say that, Subaru must have his own ideas, right?”
“I was also really surprised by Lord Natsuki Subaru. Clearly, this is only his first visit to Lady Crusch, but Lord Natsuki Subaru seems to have expected it long ago. You really aren't an ordinary person, are you?”
The speaker is Russell.
He is a representative figure of the Commercial Guild with great influence in the royal capital. His features are dull blond hair and a neat goatee. Although his appearance is that of a gentle and refined middle-aged man, there is no smile in his eyes at all.
After all, if one's whereabouts are known, especially in the case of a merchant, it means that there must be spies from the other side.
However, what Russell doesn't know is that Natsuki Subaru was able to know his whereabouts by using an even more bizarre method.
Russell's words, which seemed to be meant to contain him, are brushed off by Natsuki Subaru with a relaxed shrug.
“Sorry, Rem is now calling another person over, please wait a moment longer. I'm not sure if they will come… but the probability is high.”
“You were obviously waiting for them to arrive, can you please tell me the basis for your certainty?”
Even when faced with Natsuki Subaru's pretentious remarks, Russell's response does not compromise in the slightest.
Facing the businessman who completely overwhelms him, Natsuki Subaru says with a slightly presumptuous upturn of his lips: “It’s very simple. She is very sensitive to the smell of money—or so she herself has said. If that’s true, then she will definitely show her face. Mr. Russell is the same, right?”
“Oh dear, you've hit a sore spot.”
Russell puts his hand on his forehead with a wry smile.
He seems to want to say that his intentions have been seen through, but Natsuki Subaru seems to not listen to the lies in his words at all, and instead opens his mouth again on his own.
“Actually, this time it's not money, but something else. Although it hasn't been confirmed in the past, I don't think she will refuse.”
After speaking, he looks at ZunZun.
Huh???
Just as ZunZun is confused, wondering what he has to do with this, the door of the reception room happens to be opened, and a girl—Rem—appears.
Under everyone's gaze, she takes small steps and quickly runs behind Natsuki Subaru, leaning close to his ear and whispering.
“She will be here soon. As Subaru said, when she heard that Lord ZunZun was here, she ran over without stopping.”
“I see.”
The corners of Natsuki Subaru's mouth rise wildly, and that [Keikaku doori. JPG] smile makes ZunZun feel a strong sense of unease.
“Subaru, I seem to have heard my name just now…”
“ZunZun, this is the first time I've felt that a honey trap can go so smoothly! I'm sorry for using you, but what I said before was also true, so just think of it as your return gift!”
“Hey, you wouldn’t be…!”
ZunZun's eyes widen, and he realizes that this guy Natsuki Subaru seems to be using himself as bait, and he has even caught a big fish!
“Good!”
Natsuki Subaru slams the table forcefully, suddenly stands up, and says to everyone in the room: “The last participant said they will be a little late, but the main members are all here, and it would be really rude to keep everyone waiting any longer. Let the meeting begin!”
His voice trembles slightly, but he still speaks so firmly.