The door to Firman's private office is thrown open with a loud bang.
At the sudden sound, the servants in the hallway prepare themselves for what is about to happen.

At the same time as the door opens, 'a person in Filman's clothes' runs out into the corridor and starts running as fast as he can.

'Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
'Filman, ......?

The servant couldn't help but raise his voice, but the end of the sentence turned into a question.
It's no wonder.
The person in front of him, dressed in Filman's clothes, was clearly not Filman. There's no resemblance.
He's taller than Filman, and his chest is all puffed up.

No matter who you are, the "person in the Filman's clothes" is really Natalia.

'This way!I'll try to catch you if I can!

' Natalia shouts in a slightly low voice, with a boy's voice in mind.
When I told her to 'try to look a bit like a filmmaker', the end of the sentence and the way she laughs became 'fir'. '......, dude.

'Now, let the game begin!

Like a monster on the run, Natalia sashayed down the hallway.
Some of the servants seemed to have followed her, though they were confused.

A black figure slips out of the room as if to take advantage of the gap.
Wearing a black cloak over his head, he proceeded down the corridor as if to steal the attention of the servants.

However, the servants, who were not caught by such a blatant diversion, immediately surround the black cloak.
Unlike the obvious fake with the puffy chest, this black cloak is flat chested.
Almost all the servants waiting in the corridor judged this one to be the real one.

'Mr. Filman. When you go out, please say something. We'll accompany you.

When the servant called out to the black cloak, the black cloak made a very subtle face--they were completely convinced that he was the real thing, because he was so flat. ...... Pfft! --He ripped off the cloak that covered his head.

'I'm sorry. I'm not Mr. Fillman.'
'Ku, Creamona-sama!

Estella smiled bitterly at the servants surrounding her.



--And that's all I've heard so far.




I had slipped out of the mansion with Filman while the two of them acted as decoys.

Filman has been sneaking out frequently during the night.
I knew that he wouldn't be able to sneak out the front door at night, so I asked him, 'There's a way out, right? I asked him.
Sure enough, there was a way to get out of the house without being seen.
There was a loophole under the floor to the backyard, and a secret loophole in the wall at the end of the backyard.
Filmmann and I had left the building through these passages.

However, there was a high risk of being discovered if the servants did not turn their attention elsewhere, so we decided on a diversionary tactic.

'Will it be alright, Creamona-sama and the others......'
'Well, they won't be blamed. I have a secret plan.

If the servant or butler, Venom, accuses me, I've told him to declare that this is for the good of Filman and, by extension, Donis.
Maybe we can get through this. ...... The servants in that mansion were all a bit of idiots.

He crawled under the floor, pushed his body into a small hole in the wall, and moved in a roundabout way, keeping his head low in a secluded back alley.
It was mentally exhausting to move carefully so as not to be found.

I've let Estella and the others take the bait.
I can't complain about how hard it is or how tired I am.
I'll do whatever it takes to get Filman to the koji factory to meet with Rebeka.

It took us a long time, but we finally reached the koji factory.

'If you go through here, you can get to the main gate of the Koji factory.

Filman brought us to the corner where he had been hiding this morning. No one really found him. ...... It's this kind of careful preparation that scares me. ...... Stalkers. I'm not sure. But I have goosebumps.

'By the way, Percy.
'Who's that?It's Philman!

No, I'm sorry.
I just thought you looked like Percy.

'When you meet Rebekah Whitehead, don't say anything weird out of the blue.

This type of person is likely to break through the critical point of tension in an instant when they see the girl they like, and say something impossible.

'Don't worry, Yashiro-san.

Filman confidently sticks out his chest.

'Do you have any idea how long I've been watching you? I'm sure you'll be smart and graceful when we meet.

...... I'm worried.

He's the kind of guy who'd be happy to hide in a place like this and catch a glimpse of you. ...... He must be nervous as hell.
Now, how do we get him to talk to us? ......



Estella's voice descended from above my head.

'What?Why are you guys here?

I turn around and see Estella and Natalia standing there.
They should be surrounded by Donnis' servants right now, making excuses or something. ......

I'm not sure if you're chasing us or not.That's not good. If the servants find out that we came here,......'
'Ah, yes. I'll be fine.



Estella's face began to twitch.

'I'll explain it to you.

Instead of Estella biting back a wry smile, Natalia began to explain the situation in a matter-of-fact tone.

'We were caught by the servants, and the butler, Mr. Venom, asked us why we had done this. Mr. Venom asked. Depending on our answer, it could have become a diplomatic issue.
'So, what did you say?
'They went to catch Mr. Donati's happiness. ......'

What's with the subtlety of the ...... wording, and the fact that it's not too far off the mark, I kind of hate it.

'In addition, when I said, "Mr. Donati will be very happy if you let us out of here and still let us run free," he let us out without supervision.
'You've got a big security problem, .......'
'They all love Mr. Donati, ............ even a little bit.'

I'm not sure what to make of that.
I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. ...... Is that good for the Lord?
No, well, I don't mean to put Donnis at a disadvantage. ......

I'm not trying to do Donnis a disservice. ...... Honestly, if he understands so easily, what was the point of all our efforts? ...... I feel so empty. ...... ......Hmmm,hmmm......'

Natalia dressed as a man and Estella wearing only a cloak,
I'm not sure what to make of that.
...... I guess that's what's hurting me so badly.

I point to the place where it's probably hurting and say a few words of encouragement.

'That gouge of yours will surely bring us good luck.
'It's my heart you're pointing at now, isn't it?Not my chest.'

Well, the heart and the chest are the same place, aren't they?

'As promised, I've had the clothes we wore disposed of. They were brand new. What a waste. ......'

When dressing up as the Filmmakers, at the Filmmakers' insistence, they decided to use new clothes and cloaks that had never been worn.
The items worn by Estella and the others were immediately incinerated to ensure that they would never fall into the hands of the Filmmakers.

............ No, it's already ...... kind of scary. He's so thorough.

'............I feel like a bad fungus. ......'
'Don't worry Estella. If I were in Fillman's shoes, I'd give him a good smackdown.'
'Is that supposed to be a follow-up!That's why I'm worried about you, in a different way!
'That's right, Master Yashiro. Estella-sama is of the faction that would rather be sniffed than sniffed.
'I don't remember belonging to any such faction!

Estella is buzzing at the gate.

These guys came here on foot from the mansion and are still making noise here without hiding. It's getting ridiculous that we've been trying so hard to hide ourselves here. ......

'Well, let's call him out quickly.
'Ah, ah, um, um!

I was about to leave the corner and head for the gate, when Filman grabbed my arm and pulled me back as hard as he could.

'Bob, Bob, what am I going to do, what am I going to do?

...... Who can be smart and graceful?

'We'll go and call them first, you stay here and watch.
'Oh, ......, I'm getting nervous ......!
'You just told me to watch!
'Well, then, I... I'll leave after I see it.
'Don't leave!I'll call you when I've made some inquiries, and then you can come to our place.
'...... Can it take a while?
'Come quickly. How long are you going to take?
'...... about four years.'
'Natalia. You stay here, grab this guy by the scruff of the neck and drag him out.'
'Whoa!Da, you can't!If he sees you touching another woman, he'll hate you!
'...... Yeah, that's probably okay.'

Every time Filman made a comment, Estella became somewhat dry.
A woman with such extreme fastidiousness would only exist in Filman's brain.
You're worrying too much, you know.

'Then go walk on your own feet and don't let Natalia touch you.
'Ugh ...... that's .......'
'Natalia. If she slumps, carry her under your arm.'
'Okay, sir. I'll give you the s*xiest moves possible.'
'You'll be misunderstood!You're definitely going to be misunderstood!
'Then do your best to avoid that. ...... Let's go, Estella.'
'...... Yeah. Let's just get on with it. ......'

An overly cautious man can exhaust a girl to this extent.

'Wait!Please wait!
'What the hell!



I started to walk away and this time he clung to my waist.
That's not good for the conversation!

I'm getting nervous all of a sudden!I have a feeling that if I talk to you now, I'll be ruined!Let's do it some other day!Let's do that!
'You ...... won't come back to talk to me again if you run away here.
'No, it's okay!I'm a blood relative of the 24th district lord!I'll show my courage when the time comes!
'You're related to Donnis, that's why you're worried!

That old man has had a crush on her for decades!
How can I trust the word of a bloodline that's self-contained and satisfied with itself!

'Well, well!Please tell me something about love!
'Do you also inherit a love story?
'When I hear stories about love, my heart gets all fluffy!Have any of you ever been kissed?
'Too much s*xual harassment, Mr. Fillman.'

Estella made the same comment as she did to the old man.
I thought Filman was Donnis' son.The resemblance is too great.
Environment is a scary thing. ......



Why is this guy ...... talking in his sleep with his eyes open?

'I think I'll have more courage if I can think that the boy I'm in love with is around!
'You're an idiot. Who would do such a story? ......'
'Yashiro.'

A hand is placed on his shoulder.
The owner of that hand is ...... Estella.

'I thought I was helping people.
'...... you'.

When this guy finds out that he's not going to get burned, he'll turn to making fun of me.
It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing. ...... In my case, it's more like 'let them eat'.

You'll be able to find a lot of people who are willing to help you.
'You've always dressed up like a man before, haven't you?
'It's quite uncomfortable to wear someone else's cloak.
'It was brand new!
'It's an emotional problem!

He ...... just wants to hear my love story. ......

'No, I don't have a crush on anyone......'
'......I guess I'm the only one who's anxious about love,.................. ah, The world is dark. ...... I'm being consumed by anxiety. ............'

Filman poked his limbs and his whole body began to emit a dark aura.
If you look hard enough, you can almost see the background of the hellmouth opening and the walkers coming and going. ......

'I'd like to stay in my room for a while ............ so ...... about four years'.

What's that four-year cycle of yours?
I'm sure you're not the only one who's had it.

'Yashiro-sama...... here, I thought I'd help him out ............ with the love story ...... Pupu! I'm sorry.
'Natalia. Do you want to persuade me or do you want to be rejected completely and utterly?

'I'm not into ...... love stories.
It's no good telling an outsider who you like or how much you love them.
That's something you should show to the person in question. ............

'Oh ...... I'm in love with you, I'm a loneliness ......'.
'It's a bit like an Orkio poem, Philman!

The maidens of this town are quick to turn to poetry.
I don't think that's a good idea.

.............

I'll tell you what. ...... I'll tell you what.

I don't usually talk about these things with anyone, but ......

'The woman I care about is ......'.

All three of their gazes converged on me.
Filman with tears in his eyes, Natalia with an uncharacteristically serious expression, and Estella with a slightly nervous look on her face.

Oh well. I'll tell you.
I'm going to tell you about a very special woman who has always existed in my heart.

'...... She's a good cook, kind, and warm.

'...... Ah,' Estella let out a small voice.
Without looking at her, I continue.

'When I returned home, I could smell the delicious aroma of dinner. When I open the front door, I'm always greeted by a friendly smile. No matter how late I come home, he always accepts me. ......'

Just remembering this makes me feel warm in my heart.
The three people in front of me are quietly listening to this story, which is so unlike me, without a single word of interruption.

'She's the kind of woman who makes you feel relieved when you see her face and think, 'Oh, she's back.

I feel a little embarrassed, and quickly end my speech.
Hearing my story, there was a strange atmosphere in the place.



...... someone, say something.

'It's a warm .......'

A smile appeared on the filmmaker's face.

'Yashiro-san's thoughts ...... and feelings ...... pierced my heart!
'Oh, yeah,......, I don't know what you're doing stabbing me in the heart,......, but I'm glad it gave you courage.
I'm not sure what to say.It gave me courage!

Standing up quickly, Filman shouted with hopeful eyes.

'I'll do my best, too!Someday, I'll be given a 'welcome home' kiss like Yashiro-san!
'I'm not!

Can you please not make this up?
There's not a single mention of that, is there?

'I'll do it!Since you've given me this chance, I'm going to be brave and talk to him!

It's as if a switch has been turned on, and the heat is rising rapidly. ...... Honestly, it's too hot.
I'm not sure what to make of it.
I'm sure you're the type of person who is easily influenced by watching movies.



I'll call him before he changes his mind. Let's go, Estella.'
'.................. Yeah.'

'Muha! I'm going to call him before he changes his mind.
This is the second time today.
I'm sure Bertha will be able to talk to you about it.

'............ hey'.

Estella, who is walking just a little further behind me, calls out to me.
Her voice sounded fragile, as if it would disappear at any moment.

'What's wrong?

When I turned around, Estella was staring at me with a serious expression on her face, as if she was about to start crying.
............ What is it?

'............What you were talking about earlier,......'.

You're rehashing that,......

'............That was,............I knew it.

Before she could finish, Estella's gaze fled.
I don't know why she's sounding so serious. ......

'Yeah, that's right.

I know this guy too, he's important and special to me ......

'............ I see. I knew it. ......

'And that person is--'

'I mean the landlady.'
'........................?'

Filman seemed to be obsessed with 'love stories', but I was just talking about a woman I care about. In fact, that's what he started talking about.
It was a selfish misunderstanding on Fillman's part to involve love in it. I'm not going to bother to correct him.

'No, but she's a good ...... cook, and she's waiting for me to come home. ...... What?
'The landlady's cooking was excellent. I can count on one hand the number of times I've had a better meal than ...... that.'
'Yeah, what was it?
'Oh. When I'm late coming home from a club activity - let's see, an exercise group activity - the smell of the landlady's cooking drifts in under the evening sky. I can't get enough of it.

I walked along the dimly lit street, and when the house came into view, I could smell the delicious aroma from the kitchen.
I loved that walk home.

Even when I came home covered in mud and sweat from exercising, he never gave me a bad look and said, 'Welcome home. It's almost time to eat, so go wash your hands. ............'

Oh, no. ............ I'm starting to cry.

'............The landlady's boiled fish was delicious. ......'

............!I'm going to cry!Shut up for a second, my mouth!

'Was it a woman you cared about ............?'
'Oh, yes.'

I spit out the words while trying to hide my sniffling.

'The landlady is my mother's replacement...... no, she's my mother. I'm sure it's a woman.

I've done a lot of filial disobedience, but ...... I cared for her. That much I can tell you is true.

But I'm not a motherf*cker, okay?I think it's the people who don't care about their own parents that are out of their minds.

I can't say they're not important to me after all they've done for me.
The same goes for the master.

'Well, it seems that Filman mistook it for a love story.

I'm the one who made him think that, but I'll just keep my mouth shut.
If you've got the courage, it's all good.

'I see. ............ Yeah, I see.'

I felt her voice, which had been strained, round out a little .......
Estella's voice sounded different, and when she turned to look back at me, she said.



'It's confusing.'
'Ouch.'

He hit me in the shoulder blade.
'Geez, ...... not the bone, the bone.

'I'm ............ tired.'

After such an incomprehensible complaint, and an accusing look that put the blame on me,......, Estella finally laughed.

'Come on, let's go.

This time she walked away without me.
Maybe it's just my imagination, but her gait is bouncy.



............ Well, let's just leave it at that for now.


I'm going to remind you to keep your back to the road ahead.
I'll pretend that I didn't understand the reason for your bad mood.


When you get involved in other people's love affairs, there's a high probability that your spirit will be worn down.
That's why you want to stay out of it if at all possible.

This time, I have no choice.
I'd like to do what I have to do and get it over with.

Before any more painful retribution comes my way.


Estella, who is ahead of me, is calling out to the gatekeeper.
She's in a friendly mood, having visited this morning.
After exchanging a few words, the gatekeeper bowed lightly and walked into the factory.
Another person came out from the gate and ran toward the back of the factory.
He was probably delivering a message.

'He'll see you.

Estella comes back to me with an even more smiling face than usual.
When I look at Estella's face, which seems so happy, ...... I feel embarrassed for no reason. There's nothing meaningful about it at all.

So I leaned my back against the gate.
Then, Estella imitated me and leaned against the gate next to me as well.

It's like a scene from a ...... coming-of-age movie.
At any rate, let's wait and have a conversation.

'What did you say?
'Nothing. He just wants to talk.'
Is that it?
'And that me and Yashiro are here.'

If I don't tell them Assunto's not here, they'll think we're having another business meeting.
Estella seemed to have let him know that it would be more casual.

'Thank you for your patience, Miss Claremona--'

In a matter of minutes, a voice called out from behind the gate.
I sat up and turned around to see Bertha.

'--and Yashiro-sama ...... Pop.'

She's wearing a tight, super-mini skirt.

'Out!

I gave her a red card for her appearance, but it didn't reach the ears of Bertha, who had begun to run wild.

I've heard that Yashiro-sama has come to see me, so for the first time in my life, I've taken a paid vacation!...... I'm available until nightfall today.'
'Listen, what people say!And don't hold my hand without my permission!...... is a very powerful old lady!

After this, Estella and I explained the situation and desperately tried to suppress Bertha's outburst.
It took us about thirty minutes to get Riveka to come and get us.