Atelier Tanaka

Book 6: Chapter 1 (8)

Lolita and Bitch

Sophie-chan and I finished greeting everyone at the party and were looking for Richard before we left for the night.

As we were wandering through the hall, a loud crack cut through the noise filling the hall. It came from the stained glass windows that ran down the length of the wall. They ran from the floor to the ceiling and were of a blue reminiscent of the stained glass in Sainte-Chapelle Cathedral.

Everyone’s attention was naturally drawn to the windows.

The cracks spread before the windows all shattered at once. Large shards of glass came crashing down on the floor before splintering into hundreds of tinier shards. It was as if something had jumped into the hall from the outside.

Not something, but someone. Her figure landed on the ground along with the glass. She was prone for a moment before forcing herself up.

It may have been from the pain of crashing in through a window, but it seemed like an unseen force was trying to hold her down. She struggled to her hands and knees before, finally, desperately forcing herself to a standing position. She was on her feet, but her legs trembled and gave way as she collapsed to the ground. She was like a fawn that had just been born.

“Liz!”

Richard was the first to react.

Just as he said, the person that had come crashing in was his daughter.

“W-What are you doing here!?”

He rushed towards his daughter and I followed quickly after him.

What happened to the lolibitch? I know she can use flight magic and she should be able to handle her own in a fight if she was attacked. Why did she come flying through the window?

Ah, right. The ring around her neck.

I think I can figure out what’s going on.

Naturally, the attention of the nobles was also drawn to the bloodied lolibitch. Their eyes weren’t playing tricks on them. The daughter of the leader of their faction, who is a man known for spoiling his daughter, had just come crashing in through a nearby window and looks as if she’s on death’s door.

Everyone was unsure of what to do.

“Th-That…belongs to….”

Everyone wanted to hear what she had to say.

Her eyes searched the room before quickly finding both Sophie-chan and myself.

“Liz!? How did you make it this far with that collar on!?”

“I’ll…never forgive…Cyan…. I…hope…you die…Papa….”

“….”

The lolibitch’s eyes looked demonic as she glared at Sophie-chan.

I’ve seen her jealous before but this is something else entirely. The way she’s desperately crawling through broken glass to get to the object of her ire is more reminiscent of a Demon rather than a maiden in love.

There’s an overwhelming pressure coming from her.

“F-Fine! Just be quiet and once we get you back to your room, I’ll remove the collar!”

“I loved you so much…. I’ll…never…never forgive…you….”

There was foam spilling from the lolibitch’s mouth as she desperately tried to tell her story. She was severely wounded from the glass and subsequent fall. Her arms and legs were bent in strange directions. Large gashes covered them as well and I could see something white peeking out through the crimson. She must have used them to protect her body from the fall.

Despite all of this, Ester-chan never looked away from Sophie-chan and showed no signs of the pain she was clearly in. The memory of having Allen stolen from her in the past must be making her blood boil. This is something more fitting for a horror story.

Richard was at a loss for what to do. He panicked and reached out for the collar at her neck. As he had explained to me before we were led to this hall, that collar is the cause of the ‘fawn mode’ she’s currently in.

Ester-chan had given up on trying to stand. She slowly raised a shaking arm in the air and pointed her palm at Sophie-chan. She had to have been in incredible amounts of pain, but the only emotion on her face was determination and rage.

Her arm was broken in several places and this made it impossible for her to raise her arm enough to aim perfectly at Sophie-chan. She realized this and turned over on her back to get the right shot.

This isn’t going to end well.

This is the same as when she launched the fireball in the dining room.

“Ester-san wait!”

“L-Liz stop! Don’t force yourself to use magic in that state!”

Mine and Richard’s voices overlapped.

A complete disaster.

However, the explosion I was dreading never manifested. She seemed to be moments away from launching a fireball, but the spell quickly disappeared with a poof, leaving behind a sound that sounded similar to a car running out of gas.

“!?”

A sharp crack rang out through the hall.

And everyone’s eyes focused on her, wondering what would happen next.

The collar around her neck shattered in two and fell to the floor.

“I love you..more than…anyone…else….”

Her body slowly started to sink to the ground as both her words and strength faded. The arm she held out to attack Sophie-chan with fell to the ground and her head, which she had been holding up with all of her strength, collapsed to the glass covered ground. Then, she stopped moving altogether.

“Liz….”

I think she’s passed out from her rage.

***

Ester-chan’s sudden appearance cut the party short.

This busamen followed after Richard as the lolibitch’s unconscious body was carried to her room. Goggoru-chan came with us but kept to herself in a far corner. This room was large enough that she was out of range of everybody.

“Thank you for using your recovery magic, Tanaka-san.”

“No, I’m sorry that’s all I could do….”

Ester-chan had no pulse for a few seconds, but after I poured all of my mana into my recovery magic, I managed to revive her. It’s hard to believe that this bitch is capable of pushing herself so hard that she dies.

I’m slightly envious of her straightforward personality.

“….”

She was quietly sleeping on her bed, her chest gently rising and falling. There’s no denying her beauty and her soft breaths almost sound like music to me. But it’s all a fraud. If only her hymen were still intact.

“I never imagined she was capable of breaking her restraint.”

Richard looked disappointed in himself as he muttered something to no one in particular.

He’s disappointed in himself for forcing his daughter to do something like this. He is a doting parent, but I’m sure he can understand how she felt. I’m not sure if I were in his position if I’d be able to hold myself together.

“I’m so sorry, Richard-san.”

Unsure of what else to do, I apologized and bowed my head.

A bow that held no real meaning.

“Don’t apologize. My daughter told me about your relationship with her, Tanaka-san. You never took advantage of her and treated her with respect, always keeping her best interests in mind. I am grateful to you and would never blame you for this.”

“Facts and emotions are two separate things. Sometimes, it feels good just to vent.”

“…I thought you said you were never married, Tanaka-san.”

“That’s right. I’ve never been married and I’ve never had children. However, I can imagine how you feel. Maybe that sounds ridiculous to someone like you that actually has a daughter.”

“….”

“Which is why I should apologize to you, Richard-san.”

If she had never met me, Ester-chan would’ve been able to live her life a little more peacefully. She still would’ve had her hymen broken by Allen, but at least she’d be safe.

“I…see….”

His beautiful daughter was now covered in scars. It must be hard to see. The first time I ever read a rape doujinshi I felt the same way. Seeing a character I cared about so much getting gangraped by a group of men was tough to look at. Now, it’s my favorite genre.

“Richard-san, did you receive a letter from His Majesty yet?”

“Yes, the matter concerning the Great Holy Land, right?”

“I plan on leaving the capital as quickly as possible. Can you assist me with my preparations?”

“….”

“Richard-san?”

“…can you give me a minute, please?”

“Is there something I can do?”

That’s strange.

If I were in his position, I’d want to get rid of me as quickly as possible. Instead his eyes left mine and he looked back at his motionless daughter. The normally calm look he held was gone and he now seemed deep in thought.

” Tanaka-san.”

“Yes?”

He turned back to me and stared straight into my eyes. Straight at my flat yellow face.

“It’s difficult for me to say this….”

“What is it?”

“Please, take care of Liz. Take care of my daughter.”

“….”

Seriously?

This is the route Papa has decided to go down?

I never expected this.

What is he going to do about my marriage to Sophie-chan?

Earl Bitch won’t easily accept it either.

“Richard-san, you aren’t thinking clearly. Your daughter’s feelings for me are just a passing phase. In six months, I guarantee you she will be back to her normal self. It’s your job as her rather to guide her down the right path and be there for her when she needs you.”

“…you really believe that?”

“I really do. You’re also being affected by the same fever as her. After seeing her like that, it’s understandable. Get some sleep tonight and think about it tomorrow. Your daughter is a wonderful young woman deserving of the best.”

Ester-chan was so desperate she was even foaming at the mouth.

I can understand why Richard would be doubting himself after seeing that.

I know I’m starting to have doubts.

It was the first time in my life I had ever seen a girl so desperate to be with me. I was more than a little taken aback, but the sight made my chest feel warm.

Honestly, it made me really happy.

I’ve been hiding from it and trying to lie to myself, saying it’s only my imagination, but it’s real and it makes me happy.

Her feelings are real.

I can’t imagine anyone else feeling that way for me in the future.

With that in mind, then the matter of virginity….

“I don’t feel I’m as emotional as you believe. I’d say for the first time in a while, I’m rationally considering what’s best for my daughter.”

“Even if that’s true, that isn’t a decision you should make so suddenly and without first consulting her. I think you should take the time you need to think it over, do the research you think necessary, and finally make a decision after hearing what the rest of your family has to say. Isn’t that exactly how you got to the position you’re in today?”

“…I’ve already done all of that.”

“You may think you have, but I promise you, it’s impossible for you to know everything about me. I can tell you this and it is the truth: I am not a man capable of making your daughter happy. This isn’t me being modest either.”

“You are the same man that took my immature daughter and transformed her into one of the most respected viscounts in the country in only a matter of days, correct?”

“I can’t deny that.”

“I see. Then, let’s arrange for another meeting tomorrow.”

Papa gave me a slight nod but seemed far from changing his mind.

I could tell that he was set on this idea and it would take a lot to change his mind.

And, just as I was getting ready to leave, the small body lying on the bed shifted slightly. A few moments later, her eyes snapped open revealing the glittering red of her eyes reminiscent of an expensive jewel.

“L-Liz…?”

Richard’s voice trembled as he spoke.

As her father, I’m sure he’s desperate to hug her, but he knows what he’s done and how she felt about him before she passed out.

On the other hand, the blonde loli casually glanced around her room before asking him a simple question,

“Papa, why is there a commoner in my room?”

“Eh?”

The only person in the room that could fit the role of ‘commoner’ was me dressed in traveler’s clothing.

She’s talking about me.

Both Richard and I took a step back and fell silent.

***