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Notice of the End of Youth Slope — Please look forward to Miss Anne's youth in her next life!!

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

By 6:00 PM, the merchandise was completely sold out. Although it was early for their official closing time, they decided to shutter the shop.

I mean, seriously, that’s incredible. Fahrenheit Butcher Shop is insanely popular.

Since the shop was scheduled to be closed the next day, Hana-chan invited us, saying, 「If you’d like, why don’t you stay for dinner?」

I gratefully decided to take her up on the offer.

Refuse? No way. One shouldn't rudely decline such a kind gesture.

...Truth be told, I was just exhausted and wanted to rest before heading home.

I mean, it's a forty-minute walk back! And whenever I try to plop down and say, 「I’m tired,」 Franz just grabs my hand and forces me to keep walking!

「I'm sorry it's just items from the shop,」 Hana-chan said with a slight, wry smile.

She lined the dining table with meat and potato croquettes, tonkatsu, minced meat cutlets, fried chicken... it was a veritable festival of everyone's favorite deep-fried foods.

「I’ll leave the lemons right here~.」

She placed the lemon wedges next to the plate of fried chicken.

The act of someone unilaterally squeezing lemon over shared fried chicken can trigger a war, after all. Hana-chan’s move was absolutely the correct one.

Additionally, a plain salad (basically just pre-cut vegetables) and some blanched spinach ohitashi were set on the table.

What a dinner table—totally devoid of "other-worldliness," yet filled with nothing but pure excitement.

Hana-chan dished out the rice and miso soup while Taurus-kun busily helped serve the plates.

Ah, yeah. I can really feel them casually showing off their chemistry.

You guys make a great match, dammit! And no, I'm not jealous or envious at all!!

***

Hana-chan and Taurus-kun joined us at the table. We all pressed our hands together for an 「Itadakimasu」 and began to eat.

「Ann-san, Franz-san... thank you so, so much for these past two days!」

Munch munch.

I swallowed the cutlet in my mouth for the time being and told the bowing Hana-chan to raise her head.

「If I was of any help, then I’m glad. I never imagined my past part-time experience would come in handy like this.」

「If you two hadn't helped us, I'd probably be a corpse by now,」 Hana-chan said with a laugh.

I laughed back, calling it an exaggeration, but given how burnt out she looked on the first day, it wouldn't have been surprising if it had actually happened.

I put a little mayonnaise on the vegetables I'd taken onto my small plate.

(Come to think of it, mayonnaise is a regular staple of the 'Knowledge Cheat' genre...)

In stories about spreading Japanese food in another world, mayonnaise is a constant alongside miso and soy sauce.

Hana-chan nodded at my mutterings.

「Right? I mean, I always wonder when reading those: how does everyone know the detailed manufacturing processes for miso and soy sauce?」

「Well, you see... pointing that out would be tacky...」

Incidentally, I do know how to make miso.

Being a country girl, homemade miso was the default.

At our house, Golden Week was officially 「Miso-Making Day.」

So I know how to make it, but more importantly, I wonder how everyone else handles the cultivation of koji mold... Especially since there are closely related species with terrifyingly high toxicity... (Knowledge from a certain manga).

No, I suppose pointing that out is tacky too.

「What's a 'Knowledge Cheat'?」

Taurus-kun looked at Hana-chan curiously. She explained while serving some spinach onto a small plate.

「Hmm... for example, it's like going to a primitive place and introducing everyday items as if you invented them yourself just to get people to say 'Wow, you're awesome!'」

Hana-chan's explanation has way too much of a sting to it!!

「So, following that logic, would people say 'Awesome' over the way you make mayonnaise?」

Franz’s question made both Hana-chan and me nod in unison.

「Exactly. And then they eat it and go, 'I've never tasted anything this delicious in my life!' or something.」

「...What are people in that world even eating to survive?」

Franz-kun, I think that’s what you call being 「tacky」...

***

After the meal, Hana-chan served us some post-dinner tea.

It was brown rice tea. The toasted flavor and aroma were very refreshing.

Taurus-kun had volunteered to do the dishes and was currently alone in the kitchen scrubbing away.

Hana-chan took a long sip of her tea and let out a small sigh of relief.

「Thank you both, truly. You were a massive help.」

「No, no. It’s not something you need to thank us that much for. ...Right?」

I looked at Franz next to me, and he gave a light nod.

「Yeah. Please don't worry about it.」

Hana-chan looked at me with a bit of a teasing grin.

What? Did I do something to warrant that look?

「By the way, you two... are you, by any chance, a couple?」

My eyes narrowed into a flat stare at the grinning Hana-chan.

「Ann-san... you've got a total Tibetan Sand Fox face going on...」

「What’s a 'Tibesuna'?」

Don't get hung up on weird details, Franz-kun.

Hana-chan started explaining, 「It’s an animal called a Tibetan Sand Fox...」 but since she was being vague about our past lives, she couldn't explain it well.

「Hana-san, it's fine. Franz knows everything.」

That should be enough to get the point across.

Hana-chan looked at me, appearing a bit surprised.

「By everything... do you mean everything everything...?」

「Yes. I've told him as much as I can... though, let me ask you one thing.」

I looked at Franz, who took a sip of tea and asked, 「What is it?」

「How much do you actually believe regarding my talk about my past life?」

Franz set his teacup on the table and looked up slightly. He hummed for a bit, then lowered his gaze to look at Hana-chan and me.

「Well, I don't really get it, but I believe it lock, stock, and barrel.」

「Seriously?! You're surprisingly flexible!」

「Not quite as mushy-brained as you, Milady.」

Shut up!

「I mean, if you were the only one saying it, Milady, I'd probably have taken it with a grain of salt—or less.」

How cruel!!

「But if there’s someone else saying the exact same thing, and you both share the same memories as a common understanding, then I figure I might as well believe it.」

「...In other words, you needed a third party besides me.」

「Long story short, yeah.」

「What is this total lack of trust in me?!」

「Maybe it's the result of your daily behavior catching up with you?」

「That is naturally savage!!」

Hana-chan watched us engage in our usual bickering (well, it was more like me snapping at him while Franz just let it all slide) with that same teasing smile.

「You two really are close~.」

Whoa.

Hana-chan, you're so cute, so stop making that weird grinning face...

「We aren't exactly on bad terms, right?」

And Franz-kun... what about you? Are you some kind of naturally dense protagonist...? How serious are you being?

But well...

「I suppose. It's not like we're on bad terms.」

Probably.

「Ufufu~. This is nice~. It feels so 'Youthful'~.」

Still grinning, Hana-chan started singing the jingle from an incense commercial.

That's not "Blue Youth," that's "Blue Clouds."

***

Later, I was told to come by to pick up our wages, which I agreed to before heading home.

Sigh... another forty-minute trek.

But since I was full today, the walk didn't seem like it would be much of a struggle.

...That's a lie. If possible, I'd like a carriage.

Well, it can't be helped. Time to walk.

Franz walked beside me at the same pace.

He’d pull my hand and say, 「Come on, get up,」 if I tried to sit down, but he didn't rush me as long as we were moving leisurely.

He’s being considerate in his own way, I guess.

I suddenly had a thought.

My own youth at the ripe age of sixteen is just beginning, but what about this eighteen-year-old guy who’s at a pretty good age himself?

If he were going to school, he’d have a youth dedicated to club activities or something.

But neither Franz nor I attend school.

Incidentally, you can assume the school system is exactly like Japan's.

Elementary and middle school are nine years of compulsory education. High school is three years, and university is four.

Even though I’m a noble lady, for some reason, I was sent to a public elementary school.

I didn't fit in there, so I stopped going to school early on.

The reason I didn't fit in was because 'my family is nobility.'

I didn't care, but the people around me did, and they kept their distance.

Because of all that, I hardly ever went to school. And once I stopped going, Franz stopped going too, and he’s been at the house ever since.

For me, I was happy to have someone close in age to talk to and play with.

But I have no idea what Franz thinks about it.

「...Hey, Franz.」

「What is it?」

I spoke to him as we trudged along.

I realized we'd never really talked about this before.

「Franz, do you have a girlfriend or anything?」

「I don't... where did that come from?」

Well, I expected that reaction.

「...No, I just thought about it for a second.」

I-It's not like I was thinking about how envious I am of how close Hana-chan and Taurus-kun are! It's not like I thought, 'Must be nice!'

I mean, seeing them smile at each other every time their eyes met or seeing how they cared for one another was lovely... but that's it.

「You're at the peak of your youth, too, Franz. I just wondered if you had a romantic story or two like that...」

Yes. That's all.

Though, if he did have one, I'd probably go, 「Whaaaat?! Dammit!!」

「Ah—...」

That was a very ambiguous 「Ah—...」

What's that? Is he thinking about what to say? Or is he just at a loss for words?

This guy's expressions don't change, so I never know what he's thinking...

Layla always has that unreadable smile, too. I guess it runs in the family.

While thinking about that and walking along, I noticed Franz was staring at me.

「Hmm? What? Something wrong?」

Did I have breadcrumbs in my hair or something?

「No... I just realized that probably no one has told you yet, Milady.」

「Eh? Told me what?」

A secret unknown only to me?!

「Hmm—...」

Seriously, Franz-kun...

What are those 「Ahs」 and 「Hmms」 for?

「What is it? What is this thing only I don't know?」

「Well, I'm not sure if I'm the one who should be telling you the details.」

He gave a sort of disclaimer, then looked at me and tilted his head slightly.

「Milady, have you ever heard anything about having a fiancé?」

...Eh?

「Konnyaku?」

「Fiancé.」

「Who does?」

「You do, Milady.」

「With whom?」

「Well... I'm not sure if I should say, so please ask someone once we get home.」

Whaaaaaaaaaat?!

「This is total news to me!! I'm hearing this for the very first time! What's that?! Did I have an otome-game-style event like that?!」

I grabbed Franz by the collar, and he gave his usual half-hearted response: 「Haa...」

「Don't 'Haa' me!! I mean, since when?! With who?!」

What's going to happen to my 'Hill of Youth' that I just started climbing?!

「Uhh...」

Franz gently pried my hands off his collar, then took my hand—I had stopped walking—and started pulling me along.

「For now, we're blocking traffic, so let's keep walking.」

That's a fair point, but this isn't the time for that!

「It was decided when you were seven, I think? My father and all the other servants probably know.」

「Then why am I the only one who doesn't?!」

That's incredible! I feel totally left out in my own house!

「Probably...」

What?!

「Everyone just assumed someone else had told you and ignored it...」

「Heeeeeeey!!」

I can't help but yell at that!!

Is it that?!

The phenomenon where a fire breaks out, and all the onlookers think 「Someone else must have called the fire department already,」 so in the end, no one calls and the firefighting is delayed?!

「Ah, yeah. That's it. It's exactly like that.」

「It's not 'exactly like that'!!」

I tried swinging the hand Franz was pulling. As expected, he just pulled it firmer and made me stop.

「Yes, yes, don't throw a tantrum. Let's walk.」

Let me throw a bit of a tantrum! I'm full of emotions with nowhere to go over here!

As we walked, I calmed down a little.

I am a girl who can control her emotions. Fufu... so 'mature'... Even if my mental age feels like it's stuck at a pretty low level despite being on my second life.

「...So, who's the guy and where's he from?」

「Ah—...」

Seriously... can't you just give a straight answer?

After hesitating for a bit, Franz let out a small sigh.

「I'm telling you now, don't snap at me.」

「Is it someone worth snapping at?」

「Knowing your personality, Milady, no matter who the partner was, you'd start by snapping at me.」

...Ouch. You're absolutely right...

Franz sighed again and glanced at me.

「It's me.」

「What is?」

「The partner.」

「............Huh?」

「Don't snap at me.」

No, let's wait a second.

「By the way, apparently the plan is for us to register the marriage once you turn eighteen.」

「No no no! Wait a second! Seriously, let's wait a second!」

I just heard this for the first time, and I only have two years left?!

The Hill of Youth I just started climbing is already announcing its conclusion!!

I thought I saw a 'cancellation flag,' but it was a literal notice of 'discontinuation'!!

***

I arrived home in a state of confusion and confronted my father, only to have him say with a carefree smile, 「Oh, you didn't know, Ann-chan?」...

Daddy... let's work on our 'Hou-Ren-So' okay...?

*****

More gag jokes, I mean cultural references...

Ann praises Hana-chan for putting the lemon wedges on the side rather than squeezing them over the chicken. In Japan, "Karaage and Lemon" is a legendary internet debate. Squeezing lemon over a shared plate of fried chicken without asking is considered a "social crime" or an act of war by those who prefer the skin crispy.

Ann makes a "Tibetan Sand Fox" face when Hana-chan asks if she and Franz are a couple. The Tibetan Sand Fox became a massive meme in Japan because of its incredibly flat, deadpan, and judgmental-looking expression.

When Franz mentions a Kon'yaku (fiancé), Ann repeats it as Konnyaku (the rubbery grey yam jelly used in oden). Kon'yaku (engagement) and Konnyaku (yam cake) sound almost identical.

Hana-chan starts singing the "Aoi Kumo" (Blue Clouds) song. This is a famous, very old-fashioned jingle for Nippon Kodo brand incense (Mainichi Koh). The song is iconic in Japan but is associated with funerals and ancestors. Hana-chan is trying to be supportive of Ann’s "Seishun" (Youth/Blue Spring), but she mixes up the "Blue" imagery and sings a song about burning incense for the dead. It suggests that Ann's "youth" is already dead or ashy.

The reason Ann didn't know she was engaged for nine years is that every single servant assumed someone else had told her. This parodies the "Bystander Effect" or "Diffusion of Responsibility." In most stories, a hidden engagement is a grand conspiracy. Here, it’s just a result of a massive, house-wide communication failure. It turns a serious plot point into a "clumsy workplace" mistake.

Ann yells at her "Daddy" to do his Hou-Ren-So (Report-Contact-Consult). Hou-Ren-So is the standard Japanese business acronym for communication. However, Hourenso is also the word for spinach.

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