PandoraHearts ~Caucus Race~, Vol. 1 (20 page)

Read PandoraHearts ~Caucus Race~, Vol. 1 Online

Authors: Shinobu Wakamiya

Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy

BOOK: PandoraHearts ~Caucus Race~, Vol. 1
3.06Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

The suspicious spells and mysterious jargon the magic book held weren’t entirely unlike fantastic poems. Reim decided that must have been it.

I’ll return this to Ada-sama later
, he thought.

Magic book in hand, Reim turned the corner. Then he stopped.

While not as unexpected as Ada, a person whom it was quite unusual to see at Pandora Headquarters stood just around the corner. Reim had guessed as much from Ada’s words, but it was Vincent Nightray and his valet, the girl Echo.

Vincent was a son of the House of Nightray, another of the four great dukedoms, and he was also affiliated with Pandora.

However, he was notorious for almost never leaving the Nightray mansion.

Reim remembered that Ada had said she meant to recommend the magic book to Vincent-sama.

He considered passing it on to Vincent himself, right there, but almost immediately thought better of it.

No doubt Ada-sama wanted to give it to him personally.

Reim decided not to do anything too forward. He drew a small breath.

“—Vincent-sama,” he addressed him, bowing. Noticing Reim, Vincent smiled.

It was a decorous smile. However, it held no sense of affection for the other person. Echo was standing next to Vincent, and as he spoke, he stroked her head.

“We just came by for a bit of fun. Was that all right…?”

“Of course. I’m afraid I can’t personally accommodate you just now, though.”

Vincent only murmured, “I see.

He smiled tranquilly; he didn’t seem to mind.

Simply having Vincent smile at him made Reim feel as if it was a bit hard to breathe.

I’m really no good with this person…

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

•   
Respondent: Vincent Nightray

Time: 1755

Place: Pandora Headquarters, second floor, north corridor

Notes: Respondent’s valet Echo was essentially silent.

Q.  
Could I ask you a question, perhaps?

A.  
Ask me what…?

Q.  
Have you ever heard the word “Mahani”?

A.  
It doesn’t ring a bell. What about you, Echo? …She doesn’t seem to know it either.

Q.  
I see. I apologize for taking your time.

A.  
Would you mind if I…asked a question as well? Where is Gil? I came out just to see him, but…

Q.  
I’m afraid I couldn’t say. I haven’t seen him today either.

A.  
I see… That’s a pity. All right, Echo, shall we go?

A.  
Yes, Vincent-sama.

A.  
No, no, Echo. I insist you call me “Papa,” too…

A.  

A.  
—Echo.

A.  
…Yes. Puh…Papa.

*Note 7: They’re blood relations?! I had no idea!

A.  
…Please kill me.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Vincent left Reim, and Echo followed after.

“Papa,” she said… I’ve heard something shocking
, Reim thought. Still, he didn’t want to get too involved with the House of Nightray, and especially not with Vincent. He swore to forget what he’d heard, and chased the word from his mind.

His eyes fell to the magic book in his hand. He did have a curse to investigate, but first he thought he should find Ada and return the book. He turned on his heel.

Ada was standing right behind him.

“—?!” Reim was so startled that he froze up.

Ada seemed terribly flustered and anxious. She looked at the book in Reim’s hands, pointing.

“Umm…umm… I… That…”

“Oh. Oh, this? Yes, I’m afraid you dropped it. …Here you are.”

Reim handed the magic book to Ada, who was looking truly desperate. Ada hugged the magic book to her bosom and gazed at Reim. She seemed to want to say something. Reim cocked his head, puzzled, and asked her what was wrong.

“Umm…I…this… This book. Did you…look inside…?”

“Ah—” Reim responded, just to show he’d been listening. Ada’s whole body seemed to be radiating the wish
Say you didn’t see it! Say you didn’t see it!

Reim’s understanding was that Ada had mistaken a magic book for a book of poetry or some other romantic volume, and he interpreted the situation based on that understanding:
Ada-sama must be embarrassed by the idea of anyone knowing the contents of the book.

Reim smiled and—kindly—lied: “I didn’t look.” The instant he did, Ada heaved a sigh of relief so great that her shoulders sagged.

Ada thanked Reim over and over for picking up the magic book. Reim told her she’d probably find Vincent quite soon if she went after him now, but Ada only shook her head, red-faced, and walked away.
Women are complicated
, Reim thought.

Mentally switching gears, Reim returned to his investigation of the curse. Thinking he’d try Pandora’s books as well, he headed for the library. When he entered, Break was already there.

“Hullo, Reim-san.”

His friend—a “friend” he couldn’t shake, no matter how hard he tried—waved at him cheerily. For some reason, the moment he saw him, Reim thought:

That little… Was he waiting for me?

If asked why he felt this, Reim couldn’t have answered. It was just instinct.

“Wasn’t today your day off?”

“As it turns out, no. …Rufus-sama had a request for me.”

“My,
my
. May blessings be upon you, industrious Reim-san.”

“Don’t mock me. Never mind that, do you have a minute?”

Did Break know? If not, Reim would end the conversation quickly. He didn’t have time to waste joking around with this amiable bad influence.

“Sure. What do you need?” Break cocked his head.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

•   
Respondent: Xerxes Break

Time: 1810

Place: Pandora Headquarters, library

Notes: Respondent smiled the entire time.

Q.  
Do you know the word “Mahani”?

A.  
Hmm… I might. Then again, I might not. Which could it
be
?

Q.  
Understood. See you later.

A.  
Ahhh, I remember, I’ve got it now! You mean “the curse of Mahani,” don’t you?

Q.  
…If you know about it, tell me everything, right from the beginning.

A.  
Let’s
see
… If you dress in drag and give me a cute little ‘Tell me
,’ I’ll—

Q.  
I will broadcast every single thing I know about your embarrassing past throughout Pandora.

A.  
Ah— Oh,
come
now! You’re no fun at
all
today, Reim-san!!

Q.  
I don’t have time to play along with your jokes, particularly not today.

A.  
Hmmmm, that’s a pity. I thought the dress I wore the other day would look good on you, too, if it were a bit bigger.

Q.  
You
wore one?!

A.  
Well, never mind. In light of our long acquaintance, I’ll make an exception and tell you, so just rub my shoulders,
would
you?

Q.  
…Why your shoulders?

A.  
Oh, my lower back would be fine, too.

Q.  
That’s not what I meant.

A.  
It’s the price of the
information
. What your master’s always bringing up. Go on. You’re in a hurry, aren’t you?

Q.  
Blast you… Look, you can talk while I’m rubbing your shoulders, so talk.

A.  
Ahhh, that’s the spot. No, I don’t know it.

*Note 8: At this point, the interviewer momentarily considered strangling the respondent.

A.  
My lady does, however. I do know
that.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Reim’s conversation with Break had left him more tired than before.

He hesitated, wondering whether he should continue with his planned investigation of the library’s volumes as well, but in the end he left the library and headed for the third-floor office where Break had said he’d find Sharon. As he climbed the stairs, on the landing between the second and third floors, Reim spotted Gilbert.

Gilbert was looking out through the window on the landing.

The sky was already fading from sunset vermillion to the dark blue of night, and the moon was up.

Apparently, that night was the full moon.

A hazy memory rose in Reim’s mind. Something Rufus had said.

To a moonlit night like this…

What had they been talking about? He couldn’t remember.

“Reim?” Gilbert ended up speaking to him first.

Gilbert had worried wrinkles between his eyebrows, although that was nothing unusual for him. He seemed to have been deep in thought as he gazed outside.

Although Reim was on his way to the office where Sharon was, he thought he’d ask Gilbert as well.

“Gilbert-sama. Would you mind if I asked you a question?”

Before Reim could ask his question, Gilbert asked one of his own:

“Reim, what exactly are ‘women,’ anyway? I really don’t know.”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

•   
Respondent: Gilbert Nightray

Time: 1920

Place: Pandora Headquarters, staircase landing

Notes: Respondent seemed to be worried about a profound topic.

Q.  
Has something happened recently? …To do with women, I mean.

A.  
Venemous spid— N-no, nothing. There’s no way a woman and I would… It’s not even possible.

*Note 9: The respondent was incredibly unsettled. Something must have happened.

A.  
If only… Why can’t all women be like Ada-sama…?

Q.  

*Note 10: Interviewer began to feel a bit concerned for the respondent. Was he all right?

A.  
I don’t understand.

Q.  
Erm, could I ask you a question? I’m afraid it’s about something else…

A.  
I don’t understand, Reim.

Other books

Starling by Fiona Paul
His Mistress by Morning by Elizabeth Boyle
Betrayal by St. Clair, Aubrey
Vital Signs by Robin Cook
To Wed a Werewolf by Kryssie Fortune