WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Natty

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◈ The Regressor and the Blind Saintess ◈

Chapter 80: the Empire - 3

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“All done!”

Mari’s voice was brimming with excitement.

Rene rose from her seat at Mari’s words and asked,

“H-how is it?”

“Oh, do I even need to say it? Our Saintess is a million times prettier than those young ladies in the capital!”

“Is that so...?”

The corners of Rene’s lips began to twitch upward. Mari’s praise filled her with confidence.

Rene ran her hands over herself once more, checking her outfit.

A wide-brimmed hat, a blouse, and a long skirt that fell below her calves. She had dressed up for the outing with Vera that was planned for shortly.

It was her very first date since she had begun living with Vera.

She wanted to show him a side of herself different from usual on such a day, so she had asked Mari to choose her outfit. This was the result.

Feeling her grip tighten around her cane, Rene thanked Mari.

“Thank you, Mari. I’ll definitely...!”

I’ll come back with results!

Mari let out a chuckle at Rene’s determined expression.

“That’s right, that’s right! And while you’re out, interlace your fingers with his! Ask him to feed you while you eat, too!”

“I-I...!”

Interlace their fingers? Ask him to feed her?

Rene’s imagination ran wild at Mari’s words. Her face gradually reddened as scenes rose in her mind.

“I’ll be going now!”

Unable to endure her mounting embarrassment, Rene said that and hurried out of the room.

A deeper smile spread across Mari’s face as she watched Rene leave.

She was thinking of what she would say to Vera, who would be waiting outside.

‘You little brat, you’re going to have a hard time today.’

Mari was certain. No matter how much Vera usually acted like a blockhead, he would not be able to act as usual today.

* * *

At the entrance to the residence, Vera stood with a stiff expression as he watched ahead.

When he sensed someone approaching, he turned toward the door.

It was Rene.

Having finally sensed the arrival of the person he was waiting for, Vera straightened his posture and waited for the door to open.

Then Rene emerged, and his entire body froze.

“Have you been waiting long?”

His expression was so vacant that anyone could see he had gone completely blank.

Vera’s thoughts abruptly cut off as he took in Rene’s outfit.

‘Her clothes...’

They were different from usual.

Rather than the dark robes she always wore to conceal her identity, she looked like the daughter of some noble family. No, even that comparison felt like an insult to her radiant appearance.

A dark navy, wide-brimmed hat covered half her face. It could have seemed suspicious, yet all it evoked was mystery. And the outfit beneath it was equally striking. Her white blouse and dark navy skirt came together to create an elegant, refined impression.

If he had to compare her to something, she was like a morning glory in full bloom.

A morning flower too shy to flaunt itself, yet somehow impossible to look away from.

‘...No.’

That was not enough. There had to be a better comparison, but none came to mind. For a moment, Vera let out a deep sigh at the poverty of his own expression.

Then Rene’s voice reached him again.

“Vera...?”

Vera startled and hastily replied. His voice came out in broken fragments.

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry.”

“No.”

Rene shook her head, her heart pounding.

For some reason, she had become embarrassed, and she lowered her head again.

Was her face red? After thinking about it, Rene decided that it probably was.

Her cheeks, ears, and the back of her neck were all so hot. And since she was wearing a hat, it could not be because of the sunlight.

‘C-calm down...!’

Rene drew in a deep breath, searching in vain for composure. Then she held out her hand and moved her lips.

“Um... shall we go?”

“...Yes.”

Vera took Rene’s offered hand.

Rene flinched. She could feel Vera’s fingertips trembling.

That tremor brought her worries back.

‘D-do I look strange?’

Mari had praised her extravagantly, but perhaps Vera did not like this sort of thing. Perhaps it did not suit his tastes.

It was the worry of a first love that had lasted more than three years without fading in the slightest.

Every little thing made her self-conscious. The rise and fall of his voice, the warmth of their clasped hands, his trembling, and the way he matched his steps to hers.

It hurt her pride that she assigned meaning to all of it, yet she could not bring herself to ignore it.

With all sorts of worries pressing down on her heart, Rene spoke.

“Um... Mari chose these clothes for me.”

It was her roundabout way of asking, How do I look today?

She said it, hoping dearly that he would tell her it suited her.

Vera gave her a thoroughly satisfying answer.

“...Yes. You are truly beautiful.”

Thump.

Her heart leaped. It felt as if someone had struck her chest with a hammer.

Rene pressed her lips together for no reason and lowered her head.

She was thinking how fortunate it was that she had chosen a wide-brimmed hat.

If she had not worn it, Vera would have seen the expression on her face.

“That is a relief. I should be sure to thank Mari later.”

“...Yes.”

Vera gave that brief answer and walked forward, staring straight ahead.

Rene’s concern that he might see her expression was useless, at least for this moment. Vera could not bring himself to look at her.

Vera did not know why it was so hard to face Rene today when he had seen her as recently as yesterday, and the confusion left him stifled.

For some reason, looking directly at her felt wrong. If he tried to steal a glance, it felt as though he were committing an unspeakable sin.

Her voice alone threw his thoughts into disorder. Whenever he tried to form a reply, he worried that his meaning might come across strangely. He found himself weighing even the most trivial things, so only short answers came out.

In truth, the reason was easy to find. His perception of Rene had changed with her clothes, but Vera did not realize it.

In a way, it was only natural.

Three years had been too long for a single change of clothes to overturn his existing perception.

Until now, Rene had been a girl to Vera.

It was not about their age difference. Vera felt that Rene had not changed at all since the girl she had been at fourteen.

There were many reasons he felt that way, but the greatest was likely the ceremonial vestments Rene had always worn.

Ceremonial vestments were loose formal garments that covered the entire body, so a woman’s figure could never show through them. That was not all. They concealed growth as well.

No matter how much she grew taller or how defined the curves of her body became, all of it was hidden when she wore ceremonial vestments.

Vera had always been taller than Rene, so he had never truly noticed her growth. It had remained the same even after they left the Holy Kingdom.

After leaving the Holy Kingdom, Rene had always wrapped herself in dark robes. Vera had been unable to see any different kind of feminine charm beneath them.

That was right. Until this very day, Vera had never regarded Rene with any romantic awareness at all.

Fortunately, that fixed perception ended today.

The magic of her outfit was shaking Vera’s perception at this very moment.

Seeing Rene in ordinary clothes for the first time since their first meeting in Lemeo, Vera was finally realizing that Rene was a woman.

After three long years and several months, Rene was finally becoming a woman to Vera, rather than a girl.

* * *

Third Street, where the National Library stood, was quite far from First Street, where Mari’s estate was located.

In other words, they had that much longer to walk while holding hands.

Tap.

Rene’s cane touched the ground. Then she took a step forward.

The same motion had continued for several dozen minutes already.

The two of them walked hand in hand without speaking a single word.

Of course, their silence did not make things awkward. Rather, there was a subtle atmosphere between them.

They were both keenly aware of each other. The warmth passing through where their skin touched. Their quiet breathing from nearby. The faint tremors passing between them. Together, it all formed a strange rhythm.

Vera simply looked forward as he walked. Rene walked with her head lowered.

As they continued on for some time, one particular sentence kept replaying in Rene’s mind.

-Interlace your fingers with his! Ask him to feed you while you eat, too!

It was what Mari had said just before Rene left the estate.

Most of all, the part about interlacing their fingers.

Rene could not stop thinking about it, so all her attention was focused on their clasped hands.

Of course she wanted to do it. Why would she not? It would only change how they held hands, but would that not change its meaning as well?

Could it not give this act of holding hands an affection beyond merely helping her, who could not see?

Still, it was difficult for someone as shy as Rene.

Was Rene not the sort of hopelessly shy person who had failed to advance their relationship by even the slightest bit for over three years?

It would be wonderful if Vera interlaced their fingers first, but Rene knew.

That would never happen, not even if he came back from the dead.

As she continued to hesitate, her heartbeat only grew louder. She worried that if they reached the library like this, her chance would disappear. After agonizing over it for a long while, Rene finally steeled herself.

‘I-I’ll do it...!’

She squeezed her eyes shut and moved her hand.

It was the movement of someone who knew that nothing would ever change if she remained shy all her life, mixed with the desperate thought of, To hell with it.

Her hand slipped away slightly, then turned and pressed against his.

Their palms met. Rene’s fingers slipped between Vera’s long fingers.

Then she squeezed tight, curling her hand into a fist.

Vera reacted quickly. It was not merely a flinch. His entire body jolted, far too obviously.

“Saint...”

“Do not say anything.”

Rene cut Vera off before he could continue. Lowering her head even further, she added,

“...Let us just walk like this.”

She did not have the composure to explain it.

If she tried to explain why she was doing this, her heart might really burst.

She wanted it to be nothing more than this action itself.

“...Yes.”

Vera did not object to Rene’s words and nodded.

His palm was hot. The thin, soft sensation between his fingers, along with the touch of her fingertips against the back of his hand, made his chest tighten for no reason.

Vera did not think.

Rene had told him not to say anything, so he reassured himself that it was right not to ask questions. He tried to maintain a calm expression.

His thoughts, which had been in disorder until then, had abruptly shut down. Vera continued walking for a long time without even realizing the rhythm his heart was beating.

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