Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

The small rear garden of the villa was not perfectly designed like the gardens of Jurnova Castle, but was a place that possessed a natural beauty reminiscent of an English garden, overgrown with herbaceous plants like wild grasses.
Rosemary with its distinctive thin leaves, oregano bearing pale pink blossoms, fennel with delicate foliage, and various other plants formed their own clusters, releasing a refreshing fragrance.

“Ekaterina.”

In front of a cluster that appeared to be a kind of sage, vivid with bluish-purple flowers, Mikhail turned and smiled.
Ekaterina quickened her steps and approached his side.
There was no one else in the rear garden.

Mina the maid, who had followed Ekaterina, stopped at the entrance to the garden and waited there. Since Mikhail’s valet Luka was doing the same, she remained in the same position as a matter of proper conduct for an attendant.

“Prince Mikhail. Earlier—”

As Ekaterina began to speak to thank him for saving her from the Great Horned Auroch, Mikhail quietly raised a hand to stop her.

“I’m sorry. There’s something I want to ask you first. May I?”
“Y-Yes. Of course.”

Nodding, Ekaterina braced herself.

What does he want to ask?
Why I was there, maybe. Or perhaps, why I was dressed like that?
Neither was because I wanted to!
I was there because that little fairy trapped me. And my thighs were visible because the Great Horned Auroch was glaring at me and I couldn’t look away while trying to escape somehow. It wasn’t my fault!
How am I supposed to explain that?

As Ekaterina mentally simulated how she would answer if asked, Mikhail spoke.

“It’s about when I encountered the Great Horned Auroch. Just before that, by the riverside… I think I saw an Undine.”

Hm?

What?
What?

Just before he encountered the Great Horned Auroch.
By the riverside.
No, that was me….

“By the riverside, sitting on a large stone.”

I was sitting on a large stone. So that was me, but….
But.

In a gentle tone, Mikhail said:

“Does a water spirit dwell in that river? If you know, I hoped you might tell me.”

Um….
Basically….

That means—

You’re going to say that what you saw by the river wasn’t me…?
You’re going to say it was a water spirit—an undine…?

Mikhail looked calmly at the stunned Ekaterina with eyes the color of a summer sky.

“Prince Mikhail…”

Prince—
You’re such a good guy!

Emotion surged up in a rush, and Ekaterina felt close to tears.

As a noble lady, it had been a potentially fatal blunder. If the wrong person had seen it, it could even have become leverage for blackmail. Even if it didn’t go that far, there was more than enough possibility of becoming a laughingstock, or carrying shame for life.

Of course, the prince wasn’t that kind of person.
She had expected him to say something like, “I’ll pretend I didn’t see it.” But instead of saying that, he was telling her that what he saw wasn’t her, but a water spirit. And he was telling her in this way.

How refined.
Wow. Incredible. A sixteen-year-old boy showing such refined consideration. There are hardly any high school boys who could do something like that. Even among adults, there aren’t many.

Thank you, Prince.
Once again, you’re amazing.

I’m really sorry I wanted to smack you with a paper fan earlier!

“I… do not know whether an undine dwells in that river,”

After a long silence, Ekaterina spoke slowly.

“However, if you say you saw one, Prince Mikhail, then surely one was there.”
“Yes. I’m certain.”

Nodding, Mikhail flushed slightly again.

“Um, the undine I saw, she… was very beautiful.”

Ah.

Wait.
Just—wait a moment.

Aren’t I turning really red?!
I’m used to my brother’s flowery praise!
But this is, uhh, it’s completely different. It’s… troubling! I can’t find the words!

Damn it, what a terrifying boy, making someone in her late twenties blush!
Ah, that’s right—he was the embodiment of a ruin flag. Is this overwhelmingly awkward feeling because of that?!

Covering her bright red face with both hands, Ekaterina’s thoughts raced off in an unfortunate direction.

.

“Ekaterina… may I ask one more thing about water spirits? It’s a different matter.”
“Y-Yes. If it is something I can answer.”

At Mikhail’s words, Ekaterina raised her face.

“There’s a statue of an undine in the duke’s residence bath, isn’t there? I asked the butler, and he said the West Wing where I’m staying and the North Wing where you live use the same model of statue. But I felt that it resembles you slightly…. It doesn’t seem particularly old or particularly new, but—I thought perhaps it was installed during the time of Duke Aleksandr—your father, and Aleksei’s. And I imagine that in the northeast wing, which is said to be used only if an imperial princess marries into the family… the bath where your great-aunt, your grandmother, lived—if there is a water spirit statue there, it would be a different model, with a different face.”

“—”

Ekaterina lost her words.

Come to think of it, Flora-chan also said that statue resembled me….
If it resembles me, that means it resembles Mother.
When Grandfather was duke, Grandmother and Father lived in the ducal residence, Jurnova Castle.
If the bath sculptures were replaced during that period, then surely Father’s wishes would have determined what kind of statue was chosen.
That would mean….

Ekaterina instinctively covered her mouth.

She had never thought about it before. Had Father secretly been remembering Mother?
The old hag who lived in the northeast wing would have had no reason to enter the other baths. That statue would be hidden somewhere beyond her sight, quietly.

No. I won’t accept that. Not some story that sounds that nice.
If that were so, then why didn’t he live with her? Why didn’t he come to see her? Mother had been so enamored. She had waited so long that on her deathbed she mistook my brother for Father.

“I’m sorry. It seems I’ve said something unnecessary.”

At Mikhail’s voice, Ekaterina looked up abruptly.

“N-No. I, um, I do not know when that statue was installed. However, if we ask the butler, I believe we could find out.”
“No, it’s not worth troubling you over. I’m sorry. Please forget it.”
“No…”

…Mikhail must have noticed he was putting me on a spot, and brought up something impactful to make me forget the previous matter for the moment.
How grown-up can you be? Honestly. Even someone in her late twenties has to take her hat off to you.