Author: Himezaki Shiu	Original Source: Syosetu
Translator: PunishedLyly	English Source: Re:Library

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

Or perhaps we’re just completely out of touch with normal society. After all, we’re not particularly fixated on the distinction of a country.

『How do I describe it? People always seem to keep how others perceive them in mind when they do things, don’t they?』
『Which is precisely why “Ailneige” was created to begin with.』
『Right, now I understand the necessity even more.』

If Ciel really does understand it now, then it’s another reason to be glad we came to Ausente.
After all, Ciel has a fatal lack of interest in her surroundings.
I might not be the best person to criticize Ciel about that, but this is this, and that is that.

『Nonetheless, being too concerned about others’ perceptions can also be a problem.
After all, it may limit the actions you can take.』
『That sounds difficult. Ain, are you good at adjusting to that?』
『I wouldn’t call myself good at it.』

Thinking back to my previous life, I don’t think I was the type who could blend in seamlessly with others.
That said, I managed to live a fairly normal life, though maybe that’s only because I didn’t go beyond the student experience.

Ciel, however, didn’t seem particularly concerned with my strengths or weaknesses, as she happily replied, “Then we’re the same,” before turning back to Mia.

「By the way, Ain had another first experience without me again.」
「You mean dancing in public?」
「Yes, that’s right. Don’t you think that’s unfair?」
「The princess of a nation she might be, but it must have been an envious sight.」
「That’s right, that’s right!」

As suspected, Ciel was quite upset about it earlier. Before I could talk to her about it, she ended up venting to Mia.
If venting to Mia makes her feel even slightly better, I’ll simply keep quiet and watch over them.

Having people talk about something concerning me right in front of me feels… extremely embarrassing.
Still, I’m glad that Ciel now has someone she can vent to. While I’ll always lend her an open ear, I know there are topics she might not feel comfortable discussing with me.

「And how was Lady Ainsel’s dance earlier?」
「It was so precious. She was a bit clumsy at some parts; it was so adorable!」
「Lady Cielmer, while it might appear that way in your eyes, Lady Ainsel is quite good at dancing.」
「Yes, yes! I know that, of course. I only saw a few others, but there weren’t many who could dance better than Ain.」

For some reason, they suddenly started praising me; I couldn’t help but purse my lips.
From Ciel’s perspective, my dancing might indeed seem adorable in comparison. And, perhaps for someone 12 or 13 years old, I’m considered good, so I suppose they aren’t wrong. But still.

「But the most unfair part is how Ain’s dance looked the most beautiful it ever had while she was dancing with Princess Leshimiiya.」
「It appears that Princess Leshimiiya is knowledgeable in how to make her female partner look good.」

Ciel’s lips formed a slight pout. That’s so cute.
Now that they mentioned it, I did have an easier time dancing with Princess Leshimiiya.
Part of it was how skilled she was at dancing, but I think the main reason was purely that I had never danced with a partner close to my height until then.

That’s why I don’t think Princess Leshimiiya was particularly special, but Ciel probably doesn’t care about such details anyway.

「However, Lady Cielmer, if you were to dance with Lady Ainsel, wouldn’t you be able to make her appear even more beautiful?」
「That’s right, I just have to be able to make Ain look the most beautiful myself.
I just have to figure out how to bring out the best of Ain’s charms. That’s somehow… just wonderful. It’s a different kind of fun from choosing dresses!」

As Ciel formulated a new goal, Mia muttered, “Come to think of it,” as if recalling something important.

「You said “again” earlier. Was there perhaps a similar incident in the past?」
「There was. Viviana beat me to being the first to take a bath with Ain.」
「I see, Viviana did…」

Is it just me, or did Mia’s tone sound a little frightening just now?
Perhaps she feels a sense of responsibility as the older sister, and Ciel’s phrasing certainly invites misunderstandings, so I’ll follow up on this later. Otherwise, I’d be worried for Viviana.

「In exchange, Ain and I helped wash each other, so it’s fine.」
「That’s quite sweet. I’ve never seen you two next to each other, so I’d love to witness it someday.」
「Come to think of it, Mia doesn’t know, does she? I’m hoping to try my best to make it happen in the near future, you know?」
「Is that so?」
「There’s a course in Puppet Sorcery, you see? And I was thinking maybe I could make a body for Ain through it. Even if it isn’t possible, it might still lead to some breakthrough.」

Ciel was actually thinking about this? Now that I recall, she was awfully interested in puppet sorcery from the very beginning.
I believe I’ve mentioned that I’ll eventually gain my own body in the future, but I guess she just couldn’t wait until then.

To be honest, I’d love to be able to hold Ciel as soon as possible too.
Now that I think about it, Ciel also showed interest when Shusii made a mannequin of me.

「While I’m not the most knowledgeable in this topic, unlike golems, the appearance of puppet sorcery constructs can apparently be customized, so that’s quite promising.
Still, I wonder why puppet sorcery is its own course.」
「Is that strange?」
「I feel it’s a bit narrow in scope for a standalone course. Puppet constructs can be considered an offshoot of golems, so wouldn’t it make more sense to study them together? To put it differently, it would be similar having separate courses for each elemental affinity: fire, water, wind, and earth.」

That did also bother me, but I don’t think there’s much we can really do about it. It exists because it does. As for the underlying reason, I don’t plan on delving into it.
It’s also curious that our first source of information about this course was Mother Fii. Still, since Mother was the one who told us about the puppet sorcery course, we probably don’t need to worry about it too much.

「Even if there’s a reason for its separation, I wouldn’t know what it is.」
「Right, speculating about it now won’t lead to any real resolution. My apologies.」

Mia dismissed herself with a bow, but I think I’ll keep that topic tucked in the back of my mind. It’s entirely possible that Mother Fii threw us into something troublesome as a prank, after all.

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Fii be like “It’s just a prank, bro”
*Seemingly creates a hyper-specialized course for a niche branch of sorcery just for Ciel to take interest in*
Her goals are truly beyond our understanding (Yes, my brain was fried while typing this, how did you notice?)

Also, we have more Ain teasing, as unintentional as it may be. Many Ains there be today, pouty Ain, embarrassed Ain, threatening Ain, Ains all around. Mia’s presence really helps with the Ain teasing, since she really can’t see how Ain is reacting to all her encouragement for Ciel. Meanwhile, Ciel now has someone she can gush over Ain with. Anyway, once again, Happy New Year everyone!

Now then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to comment. Stay healthy, stay safe, and have a nice day~!