Saki, the dress version.
After hearing about the inner workings of the Marquis's household, Jin was given a tour of Reinhard’s workshop.
While it naturally lacked the rare materials found on Hourai Island, it was remarkably well-stocked with essentials like light silver, mithril, and adamantite.
"Well then, let’s at least nail down the basic concept for the Automata first," Jin suggested, and the two men sat back down at the worktable.
"Let’s decide on the exterior first—gender, apparent age, size, and so on."
Since the goal was to provide support for Saki, they needed to design an appearance she would appreciate. For that, Jin relied on Reinhard’s knowledge of her.
"Hmm, Saki’s preference... I honestly don't really know. She’s never had a single romantic rumor about her in all the time I've known her..."
Then, as if a thought had just struck him, he added, "Actually, I recall she took quite a liking to Elsa."
"…Eh?"
"……"
Hesitating to even ask if she had those kinds of inclinations, a heavy, awkward silence fell between them. Just then—
"Ah, I thought I might find you both here! Dinner will be ready shortly!"
Berche popped her head into the room, searching for the two missing men.
Rescued by her cheerful voice, they both stood up, relieved to move on.
＊ ＊ ＊
"..."
"……"
"…Saki?"
Standing before them as they entered the dining room was Saki. However, her appearance had been completely transformed.
Her once-disheveled reddish-brown hair had been combed until it gleamed, and the haphazardly hacked ends had been neatly trimmed. Her violet-gray eyes, previously hidden behind messy bangs, were now clear and beautiful. Her round glasses added a charming touch to the look.
A faint hint of blush had been applied to her cheeks, brightening her otherwise sickly, sallow complexion.
Furthermore, her stained and disheveled clothes were gone, replaced by a pristine white one-piece dress.
"…Heh," Jin remarked, genuinely impressed.
"It suits you, Saki," Reinhard added.
"…Indeed, they say makeup is written with the characters for 'transform' and 'adorn' for a reason," Saki murmured, looking down and blushing slightly with embarrassment.
The four of them—Jin, Reinhard, Berche, and Saki—gathered around the table for dinner.
As Reinhard had mentioned, this informal arrangement was a courtesy to Jin, who wasn't fond of stiff noble formalities.
Saki, it turned out, was perfectly well-versed in table manners, eating even more elegantly than Jin did.
Perhaps she was a bit nervous during the meal, as the conversation remained light and superficial. However, once the post-dinner tea service began, she relaxed and returned to her usual self.
"Kufufu, I wonder how many years it’s been since I dressed like this. It doesn't suit me in the slightest."
"No, Saki-san, it suits you very well. Don't you agree, Reinhard-sama?"
"Yeah, I'm not just being polite—it really does look good on you."
"…Is that so? If Reinhard says so, then I suppose my appearance is at least somewhat presentable."
"More than just 'somewhat.' You're quite beautiful."
"Kufufu, I'm not sure if I should be happy or lament that. Academic pursuits don't require good looks, after all," Saki joked.
"And those 'glasses' you're wearing? They are very charming."
"Thank you. Jin made them for me. Thanks to them, the world looks completely different."
"Oh, right. Saki, let me borrow those for a moment."
Jin, having thought of something, held out his hand. Saki immediately took off the glasses and handed them over.
"Thanks. Hardening. Toughening."
Jin applied Hardening to the frames and Toughening to the crystal lenses.
"There. Lenses break easily, so I applied some Craft Magic to make them more durable."
"Haha, that's a good idea. Saki can be surprisingly clumsy at times," Reinhard noted.
Hearing that, Saki put her glasses back on without a retort, simply pouting. Then, she abruptly changed the subject.
"Speaking of which... how is your cousin doing? Usually, it wouldn't be strange for her to be present here."
Reinhard's "cousin" referred to Elsa.
The fact that Elsa had been rescued by Jin after her disappearance and was currently residing in Kaina Village in the Klein Kingdom was a secret known only to Jin and Reinhard.
"T-That is..." Reinhard hesitated.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Reinhard? For you to make a face like that. Did something happen to her?"
"…I shall tell you.…Elsa-san disappeared because she was fleeing an arranged marriage," Berche explained.
Since Berche hadn't been told the truth either, everyone except Jin and Reinhard shared this understanding of the situation.
"Disappeared? Elsa?…And you mentioned an arranged marriage? Does that, by any chance, involve that Marquis?"
Calling her own grandfather "that Marquis" made it clear that Saki despised her family quite a bit.
Furthermore, she seemed well aware of the predilections of her grandfather, Marquis Gehren Teoderic von Eisen.
"…"
Seeing Reinhard's silence and realizing her guess had hit the mark, Saki grew indignant.
"…That girl-hobbyist Marquis. Elsa is young enough to be his granddaughter. Honestly, how selfish can he be?"
Then, she stared intently at Reinhard.
"But you know, Reinhard... if you're the man I think you are, while I won't go so far as to say you're hiding her, I suspect you at least have a grasp on where she is and what she's doing."
She stated this definitively. Jin, listening silently to the exchange, was impressed by Saki's intuition.
When Reinhard maintained his silence even then, Saki's expression softened into a smile.
"…Forgive me, Reinhard. Even if that were the case, it's not something you could say out loud. My apologies.…That cousin of yours seemed to have an interest in alchemy, and I had promised to teach her various things when she returned, so I suppose I was just a bit..."
Saki's face looked lonely as she spoke. Reinhard felt a sudden impulse to tell her the truth, but he used the skills he had cultivated as a diplomat to maintain his poker face.
"O-Oh, that's right, Jin-sama. Might we be able to hear Reiko-chan sing again?"
Berche made the suggestion to lift the heavy atmosphere. Jin, fully understanding her intention, gave the order.
"Reiko, sing something for us."
"Yes, Father."
Reiko began to sing.
Lately, Jin had been teaching Reiko various songs during their spare time as a sort of feminine accomplishment.
"What is the name of the flower that blooms in spring? No one told me, but... I love the wild flowers blooming gently..."
Berche, Saki, and Reinhard were all captivated by Reiko's voice.
"If I pick a handful of them... I shall give them to my dear boyfriend... If my boyfriend does not come... I shall let them float gently down the stream..."
Jin remembered these Showa-era pop songs well because the Orphanage Director used to play them as background music. He had taught Reiko the ones originally sung by idol singers.
"The autumn leaves gently tap my shoulder... Before falling to the ground... He must be thinking of me... Right about now..."
After finishing her song, Reiko bowed with a polite curtsy.
Reinhard was the first to clap. Berche followed, and then Saki joined in, as if coming back to her senses.
The maids attending them, Beth and Dolly, also gave Reiko heartfelt applause.
"Reiko-san, that was wonderful! I truly admire you!"
Neon offered her unstinting praise as well.
"…Thank you, Neon-san."
With a look that was somewhere between pleased and flustered, Reiko thanked her.
"Wow, Jin, Reiko-chan really is amazing! The word 'perfect' was practically made for her!"
Reinhard offered his own unrestrained praise.
With the atmosphere thoroughly softened, Jin asked Reinhard about something that had been on his mind.
"Reinhard, Berche-san. When do you plan to hold the wedding?"
At that, Berche, who was sitting next to Reinhard, turned bright red. Reinhard looked slightly troubled.
"Hmm, that's a difficult question. It’s scheduled for early June, but I am currently in charge of Jin's reception and entertainment..."
"You were worried about that? You know perfectly well that I'm fine being left to my own devices for a few days."
If necessary, he could just return to Kaina Village or Hourai Island for a bit.
Knowing this, Reinhard looked even more conflicted. However, a smile eventually played across his lips.
"Thank you, Jin. I'll give it some positive consideration."
From there, Reinhard took the lead, talking about their travels and sharing stories from the past.
When the story reached the part about being kidnapped by the Unifilar, Berche's face clouded over, and she looked close to tears.
As for the rescue, Reinhard told the story as if they had been saved by the mysterious Deus Ex Machina.
Saki listened intently, fascinated.
However, what interested Saki the most was the account of the battle between the Gigas and Reiko.
"I see, so Reiko-chan is that strong. Incredible, truly. I can see why Reinhard calls her the best in the world."
"It's true.…But Reinhard-sama, please don't do anything too dangerous, all right? If anything were to happen to you, I wouldn't be able to go on living."
So saying, Berche clung to Reinhard's arm.
"Kufufu, Lady Berche is as clingy as ever. It's good to see you two getting along so well."
Saki said this, and for just a brief moment, that lonely smile Jin had noticed earlier flickered across her face once again.