maboroshi-no's Translations

After growing up in the slums, being kidnapped by slave traffickers, and drifting from place to place, I ended up this time in a country where many people were born with a mysterious power called magic.

That's where I was bought by a noble.

Why did such a high-and-mighty noble buy me? Apparently, it was because I also possessed that mysterious "magic" power.

However, it seemed like that "magic" of mine didn't live up to what that noble had expected, so, he quickly complained that I was useless.

I thought I'd get sold off to someone else again, but as he valued my history of doing dirty work, I was assigned to do shady work instead.

Even so, almost none of it was life-threatening like the work I'd done up until now. And best of all, my master was a noble, so the perks were pretty great.

I was given nice clothes, a comfortable bed, and, cherry on top, I could eat delicious food to my heart's content.

Compared to my life until now, it was like I'd come to paradise.

Also, I already had good looks that women loved, but ever since I started dressing nicely, women approached me even more. Not only that, haughty ladies of fairly high standing who wouldn't have given me the time of day before were now casting passionate glances my way.

"Who knew a simple change of clothes could make such a difference?" I took up the invitations of the women eyeing me, only to find they fell even more easily than the lower-class women around.

Seeing how good I was with the ladies, a coworker recommended me, and as a result, I was tasked with sweet-talking women now and then.

Sometimes I approached mature ladies who liked a good fling, and other times young ladies with no experience with men. I sweet-talked them, got them in the mood, and extracted whatever info I needed.

I wasn't new to this. Given my good looks, I'd been made to do that kind of work before too, so things went smoothly.

In fact, it was ridiculously easy. Compared to women of the underworld, mature and young ladies fell for me much more easily and were far looser with their mouths.

Living so comfortably off a job where I just needed to do a little sweet-talking, that was just incredible. Just as I started wondering if I might not actually turn this into a full-time living, that day came.

Coworker: You know, I'm thinking of quitting this women-sweet-talking job.

One of my coworkers, chosen just like me for his looks to sweet-talk women and extract intel, muttered that while the two of us were taking a break in a back alley.

He was pretty good-looking even if not as much as me, and as far as I could tell, work was going well for him…

Sora: What? Is work not going well?

Could it be he couldn't hook women anymore?

Coworker: No, that's not it.

Sora: Then what is it? Did you find a job that pays more?

I honestly didn't think there were many low-effort, good-pay jobs like this one, but maybe he learned about a better gig from a woman he sweet-talked?

But he flatly denied it.

Sora: Then why are you suddenly talking about quitting?

I just didn't get it, so when I asked him with a look of disbelief, he looked back at me with a serious face and asked me...

Coworker: Have you ever seriously fallen for someone?

Sora: Huh? What are you talking about? Don't tell me you can't do your job just because you fell for a woman?!

When I looked at him in disbelief,

Coworker: Well… That's exactly it… I've seriously fallen for a woman… It's gotten tough to sweet-talk women like I used to… Her face keeps popping into my head while I'm in the middle of sweet-talking someone, so I can't concentrate at all.

…he said, looking gloomy.

Sora: Aw, come on! Work is work!

When I said that in disbelief, he smirked, curling the corner of his lip.

Coworker: I'd do that if I could. I mean, have you never seriously fallen for someone?

Sora: Huh? What are you talking about? I've made a name for myself for playing around with more women than I can count!

Coworker: …That's not what love is. Seriously falling for someone is different from just enjoying a casual fling in the moment. When you do, you can't just let her go, or give up on her even when you know you should. You just want to hold her in your arms. That's what it is.

Sora: What the heck is that? Sounds like a pain.

Coworker: Oh, well. You'll understand one day. Anyway, that's how it is, and since I can't sweet-talk women anymore, I'm quitting.

He said that and left. After that, true to his word, he quit his women-sweet-talking job.

Not being able to let her go, or give up on her even when you know you should, and just wanting to hold her in your arms… If that kind of hassle was what they called love, then I was better off without it.

To begin with, I'd probably never meet someone I'd feel that way about.

After all, I had no interest in most people.

Except maybe for that guy who gave me a name when I was a kid. But after him, I'd never taken the slightest interest in anyone else.

Well, love had nothing to do with me anyway. Then I got through work, which had picked up a bit with one less person around.

I seriously believed that at the time. That love, seriously falling for someone, had nothing to do with me.

It would only be a little later that I finally understood what my coworker meant back then.

Katarina: It's finally my day off, and it's pouring down… I can't tend to my fields, and going out feels like a drag.

I, Katarina Claes, muttered that while gazing at the rain pouring down outside the window. My younger brother Keith, who was also off today...

Keith: On days like this, you should just spend time quietly inside the house.

Or so he said. If it had been my past life, I would have had games, anime, manga, and plenty of other entertainment, so staying inside the house wouldn't have been boring at all, but in this life, there was hardly any entertainment. The only things I could do inside were reading romance novels and eating sweets— nothing else. Wondering how everyone else spent their time on days like this, I decided to ask Keith.

Katarina: Keith, how do you spend your time inside the house?

Keith: Let's see... I read books to study up on different things, look into things I didn't understand at work, and that's about it.

He gave me a splendidly diligent answer.

I couldn't be happier that my younger brother, a frivolous playboy in the game, had grown so splendidly. But I was the kind of person who wanted to rest and not work on my days off, so unfortunately, it didn't seem like his answer would help my case. Since I couldn't use Keith's answer, I decided to ask my personal maid, Anne.

Katarina: Anne, how do you spend your time inside the house?

Anne: Let's see… I try to find ways to brew delicious tea and ways to dress you quickly and beautifully. Lately, I have also been looking into different ways to keep your fields in good shape.

And this one too could only think about work. What's more, it was all related to taking care of me, which made me feel guilty.

Katarina: It'd be fine to focus more on yourself, you know?

I said that, but…

Anne: But I am only doing things I love…

…she replied with a puzzled face. What Anne loved… might actually be work.

Still, her answer didn't help my case either.

Wasn't there anyone who spent their time in a way I could relate to? As I was wandering around the manor, I came across a maid hired a few years ago. We seemed to be similar types, so I decided to ask her.

Katarina: Hey, how do you spend your time at home on your days off?

Maid: Let's see… I put everything I need on my bed and just laze around there except for bathroom breaks.

Katarina: Eh?! Put everything on your bed?!

Maid: Yes. Sweets, drinks, and books to pass the time. I bring everything to my bed, sleep whenever I like, wake up whenever I like, eat sweets, and just laze around freely.

Katarina: That's wonderful! I'll definitely consider doing just that!

Maid: Oooh! I am honored to have been of help to the young mistress.