DECEMBER 21, 2016?~?KITAKAMI OOI

Chapter 8: Sink or swim

Do not rush when in a hurry. When you are trying to do things in a hurry take a safe and secure detour rather than a short cut containing danger.

Our ancestors often said. I feel like I thought something like this before, but now is not the time to look back on the past. I cannot turn back now. Strike while the iron is hot.

「Mother, father」

「Maria-chan, where have you been?」

By the time I finished discussing the plan with Keito, the party was already over, and only my parents who were waiting for me and the servants who were cleaning up were left.

Originally I suppose it should have been the leading role of today to dissolve the party, but it is only a birthday party of a 4 year old child after all. There will not be people waiting for the child who went out to play.

Besides, it is more convenient this way.

「Did you eat some of the dishes and cake? You suddenly disappeared midway through the party..」

「E ~e, I was resting outside because I was so full from all the food」

「Is that so, then that’s fine」

Mother who was looking tense let out a sigh of relieve after hearing my words.

Apparently it seems that she was worried when she could not find me at the table where all the dishes were lined up.

She sure is a worrywart, I though for a moment. You would feel uneasy if your daughter who just reached 4 years old today suddenly disappears from your view.

Even if the child is not a daughter, having a little child wandering outside alone is dangerous. Even if it is within the premises, the inside of the premises of such a large mansion is practically the same as the outside. Of course security is perfect, but that is not the problem.

「Today must be tiring, the bath is ready, so you should rest early tonight」

「Thank you mother」

A little bit behind mother, father is talking to the secretary Orsseine-san.

Un, I did not see anything.....

While carefully checking the distance of father, I cup my hands over my mouth. Understanding from my motion that it was a secret, mother brought her ear to my mouth.

「Ano ne, Maria, I have a request to ask of mother」

「Request?」

Being as childish as possible, as cute and young at the heart. This is an innocent wish of a child, I do not have any other will.

Is it really a good idea to use this plan, essentially this plan is just capitalizing on the fact that I am a four year old child.

I will forsake logic and reason and hope this time luck is on my side.

「Ano ne, tomorrow —-」

So that no one....especially my father could not hear, I whisper my request in a voice so quiet that only my mother could hear, and my mother nodded with a gentle smile as usual.

At the noon of the next day, I carried a big bag on my back and led mother by the hand.

「Maria-chan, there is no need to panic so much」

「Though I am not upset, I must hurry」

「....？」

My mother tilted her head puzzled but did not say anything, and I continued leading her down the corridor.

What children are capable of doing, is something adults should not take lightly. It is wonderful because any unforeseen circumstances can be explained with “Because it is a child.”

For me now my greatest advantage is being a 4 year old child.

「Over here, mother」

「Did you want to come to the courtyard?」

The destination is a courtyard surrounded by four sides. There are a lot of large and wide courtyards at our house, but this time I selected the smallest place in the center of the house among them.

The reason? Because it is easy to escape? It is disadvantageous if it is wide and there are no obstacles.

I strongly pulled my mother’s hand to the person who is sitting on a bench in the courtyard.

「Sorry to keep you waiting, father」

「Maria .. you」

「Kirua-sama....?」

My parents stared at each other unable to hide their surprise.

They seem to be surprised so much just to have met each other even though they live in the same mansion .... Are you two really couples? Well I was born, no really.

「Maria-chan, this is ..」

「Father, mother」

While my mother was surprised, I let go of her hand and withdrew behind step by step. Once I withdrew to the entrance way I said clearly to the two people watching there.

「Maria will be running away from home」

×　×　×　×

Yesterday, in the bath which is too big I was not able to relax as usual. But because of nōmen maid’s assistance, it is extra large.

Children ‘s hands are small, I hate it. It is better if I compare it with the sense of shame from when I was a baby.

A small head suitable for a small hand is washed, in addition the body was washed, after being wrapped in a fluffy towel, I was wearing silk pajamas that were unfit for a 4 year old child .. and now.

I am not at my own room but at my father’s secretary’s room.

A voice replying “Yes?” was returned after several knocks, and the owner of the voice who opened the door looked around several times before glancing down.

Sorry for being small.

「....Maria ojōsama?」

「Sorry for intruding so late, Orsseine-san」

Father’s secretary, Orsseine?Eric.

A slim figure and orange hair, with bright eyes the same color as the hair, and a black eye patch over one eye emphasizes a mysterious youthful appearance.

Apparently also a childhood friend of my father.

To be truthful I do not need to address him with any honorifics... but I cannot bring myself to do so after all he is my father’s friend and classmate.

I guess it would be possible to brush it off as the innocence of a four year old child, but I cannot adapt to that. I’m sorry.

「....For now please come inside. You must not catch a cold after taking a bath. 」

「Yes」

Good, I was not turned away.

I was a bit worried because I was a ojōsama and the other a servant, but if I think about it carefully isn’t it even worse for the other party.....?

A rumor like inviting a four year old girl into their room could spread.

If a rumor spreads that Orsseine-san is a lolicon that would be bad....actually the appearance of Orsseine-san is rather childlike or youthful so it should not be a problem.

A women’s ikemen filter is amazing.

「Because I only have coffee, would you like to get something else to drink」

「It’s fine .. because I only came to talk」

「....understood」

He leads me to the sofa and stoops down so that his eyeline matches mine. He is skilled with the handling of women.

His soft and thin orange eyes are kind and gentle....for ordinary four-year-old girls he would be like a prince that would make their heart throb.

I am an adult just mimicking a 4 year old child, so I don’t feel any of that excitement.

「I came to make a request to Orsseine-san」

「Yes」

「Please make father take a day off tomorrow」

「.... Yes? 」

A request from me, that is to make my father’s schedule empty tomorrow.

Actually I did not want to limit it to just tomorrow, but....my father is the head of our house and he is a great person. I cannot wait for my father’s holiday because I do not know what time it will be.

It would be fine if the situation does not move while waiting, but the possibility of the situation worsening persists. My heart is not durable so far.

「....I’m sorry if I was letting you feel lonely Maria ojōsama. I will coordinate with Kirua and adjust the schedule so until then ─ ─ 」

「I will run away from home tomorrow」

「Eh....？ 」

「Father and mother should talk. The two of them will not talk without me, but they will still not let out their feelings even if I am there」

The two people talk through me, but because it is through me they will not talk heart to heart. Of course you would not be able to tell your 4-year-old daughter the conversation between a couple.

Then, it is best for me to leave home.

「I asked by my friend. Do my parents not get along with each other?」

I felt like saying I was asked rather than I was told.

「I also thought so」

They do not talk, do not go out, their eyes do not even meet.

Couples are suppose to be close, and their exchanges is even lower than that of acquaintances let alone a couple.

“My father and mother are close”. Is not something I, let alone a real four-year old child can even say. At this point I would say it is a good time to escape from reality.

「I would like the two people to talk by themselves, so I will only tell Orsseine-san that I am running away, so would you please help me?」

Please assist me.

With that in mind, I lowered my head. Because Orsseine-san was below me It may have looked like drooping though.

How long has it been? Because I was awfully tense it seemed to me like a long time had passed, even though it was actually a few seconds.

「....I understand」

The voice was gentle and my eyes meet the orange eyes.

「I will work hard to make up for Kirua-sama’s share from the day after tomorrow. I was also concerned about those two.... to make Mary ojōsama worry like that as parents is definitely a problem now isn’t it?」

「T..thank you very much!!」

「Not at all」

I feel a gentle sensation on the back of my head as my hair is stroked and when I slowly raised my head.

My head is patted.

If I was a high school girl, it would be -kyun point, but now it is not so much.

「Well...could you tell me what strategy Maria ojōsama has in mind?」

「Yes! 」

Anyways, I was able to get a reliable ally. Based on my plan, Orsseine-san will prevent the escape of father and mother, covering all the information of father I did not know....it is safe to say that the strategy including information?is perfect.

If this fails, there is no choice but to give up.