Housekeeping Mage from Another World: Making Your Adventures Feel Like Home! Volume 7 [Parts 1 to 2] by You Fuguruma

Author:You Fuguruma
Language: eng
Format: epub

The business discussion proceeded smoothly, at least on the surface—Shiori maintained her ever-polite smile, but her face remained pale, and her body tense. Having watched over her for the last few months, Alec knew immediately that Shiori was struggling to contain the emotions that threatened to wash her away completely. Behind her breezy smile lay a fierce internal storm.

However, it was her pale expression that stood out clearest to him, and so the business talks were kept short and sweet. The overnight gathering expedition would take place two days from today, with the cooking class set for three days after. Annelie also asked to join the cooking class, and though it was clear there was much catching up she wanted to do with Shiori, she too could see how her friend was feeling. She kindly elected to return to her lodgings early.

After Annelie and Dennis left, Yae and Shonosuke said a few words and followed suit, leaving to check on the pop-up sale next door. Silence returned to the guild master’s office. The three people left inside—Zack, Alec, and Shiori—all listened to the excited voices of adventurers enjoying the pop-up sale. Shiori stared at the closed door for a time before finally speaking.

“I’m sorry. I really killed the atmosphere, didn’t I?” she said.

“Don’t sweat it,” replied Zack, rubbing her head. “Everyone has some things they don’t want to talk about, and parts of themselves they don’t want others to know about.”

Alec looked at Shiori—her glossy black hair stood in stark contrast to her pale expression.

“Shiori, are you okay?” he asked.

His question was the straw that broke the camel’s back. She had fought so hard to maintain her composure, but now her face scrunched up, and tears flooded from her eyes like a dam that had burst.

“Shiori...” Alec said, wrapping her shivering body in his arms.

“It doesn’t exist...” Shiori sobbed. “Japan, it doesn’t exist. Somewhere inside of me, I’d hoped otherwise. I’d prayed that it was somewhere, even if it wasn’t on any maps. Maybe I just didn’t know, and maybe it really was somewhere out there. I wanted that so badly. And when I heard a place existed with a similar culture, I thought that maybe that was it. Maybe that was Japan, but...!”

Alec watched as, through the tears, a deep despair and a fierce sadness rose in Shiori’s eyes.

“It doesn’t exist! Yae said as much herself. Japan is small, but it’s an affluent and wealthy place among the world’s leading nations. She couldn’t not know it! And now I know for certain. Now I know that this really is a different world!”

Alec’s heart ached to see the woman he loved so deeply weeping such painful, bitter tears. And yet, he could not help but be taken aback by the core of what she was saying, which hit him immediately.

“Shiori, you... You mean...”

He put a hand to her cheek and she looked up at him, her teary eyes wavering with fear.

“Alec, Zack, I’m so sorry I kept this from you for so long.

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