🎃 🎃 🎃
“LOOK at all the sheep out there!”
I watched a herd of animals from the window of the steam locomotive.
We left London two hours ago and had been traveling through the countryside for a while. The animals grazed on bright green grass—a sight that relaxed me.
“That’s a sheepdog running circles around them,” I observed. “I’ve heard they corral the herd based on human commands. I wonder how much they really understand?”
Dark sat across from me, legs crossed and eyes fixed on me lovingly in my excitement. “You sound like a young child, Alice. Look at my adorable twins and note how properly they’re sitting.”
Dum, sitting next to Dark, and Dee, sitting at my side, were busy sipping the lemonade we bought at the train station. The train fascinated them when we arrived at the platform, but the novelty waned after we departed. They showed no interest in the scenes outside the window now.
I felt embarrassed when I realized I’d been the only one rejoicing over this train ride.
“I-I’m sitting properly too,” I retorted.
“Then for you, my exemplary lady, I offer this sugary-sweet black tea.” Dark handed me a canteen full of tea.
A small table was in the middle of our box seats with tea, lemonade, chocolates, scones, and biscuits to snack on.
In my past life, I usually bought a bento box at the train station before taking a train ride, but lunchboxes weren’t common in this world. You could either bring bread to dine on or stop at one of the stations along the way to eat at a restaurant. We’d brought our snacks to fend off hunger until our planned stop at a restaurant.
I drank the sweet tea, and my excitement over the trip subsided.
“I got carried away. I’ve only been on a train a few times in my life,” I said.
At the very least, the other passengers never saw me acting excited since we’d reserved a box in first class. We were in the passenger cabin while Leeds and the steward rode in the servants’ quarters ahead. Jack remained in the luggage car in case of an ambush.
Dark, in a cheery mood of his own, removed the rolled-up map he wore on his hat as a decoration and spread it out on the table. Names were written on the land of the fig-shaped continent. Those were train lines leading out of London and into the various countryside regions.
His long fingers traced the line heading for the sea.
“We’re headed for a coastal resort. It’s right beside the sea and is famous for its beautiful ballrooms. Did you pack your swimsuit?”
“Unfortunately not,” I said. “I brought the bare minimum since this isn’t a vacation. I would never think of packing five trunks like a certain someone!”
My eyes nearly fell out of their sockets when I saw Dark waiting for us on the platform. His frock coat and hat were styled to make him look like an explorer. That was attention-grabbing enough, but I was much more shocked by the mountain of trunks the attendants were carrying. He told me they were mostly carrying his outfits.
Some people just can’t resist fine clothes…!
“You’re the reason the luggage storage is full,” I sighed. “Your hats and outfits might take up space, but don’t you think you overpacked? Even a little bit?”
“But I have outfits for the rest of you too. I had them made to fit in at the boarding school since I figured you would be underdressed.”
“You made outfits for five people? In so little time?”
Sewing machines for home use had been popularized by this point, but it still took hours to complete a single piece of clothing—sometimes even a few days.
Actually, how did he know our sizes in the first place?
I was suspicious. Dum and Dee were blinking at Dark, too.
“Clothes for me?”
“And me too?”
“Of course, my lovely twins. I paid extra attention to your outfits’ designs. First, there’s the jackets…”
The boys listened to Dark’s explanation, their expressions serious as they sipped their lemonade. They were getting along with Dark well despite how rarely they displayed their emotions. It almost made that night at the party feel like a dream.
They’ll get through this long trip just fine at this rate.
I breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed another piece of sweet chocolate.
✦ ✦ ✦
🎃 🎃 🎃
SINCE we didn’t book a sleeping car, we spent the night at a hotel along the way and then set out for our second day of the trip.
Wearing a Garbo hat, I stepped off the train once we reached the last stop and looked out at the town.
“Wow…! What a lovely place.”
Unlike the foggy city of London, the town we reached was clear from the sea breeze. Even the scent of the ocean was refreshing, probably from less pollution in the air.
The area was well-developed as a popular resort spot for tourists. The buildings were large and modern, with rows of signs directing us toward ballrooms, swimming areas, and a botanical garden with a glass ceiling.
Sightseers visiting from London like us were aglow in anticipation of all the attractions.
Dark followed behind the twins and me, showing us around the area.
“This road leads straight to the ocean. You should be allowed to play in the sea as much as you like on your days off from Ark School. I know you’ll make friends right away, too.” Dark glanced at an old signboard and suddenly called for his steward.
The steward had been taking care of our luggage with Jack and Leeds, but once Dark whispered something in his ear, he headed back inside the train station.
“Where is Gramps headed?” I asked.
“I asked him to run an errand for me. Now, what say we head to the boarding school?” Dark called out to the waiting carriage.
The middle-aged coachman grimaced when he told him we were heading to Ark School.
“I wouldn’t go there if I were you. Nothing good will come of it.”
“Why is that?”
“Legends say that a monster lives in that school. The lord who ruled this land many years ago summoned the monster to build him a castle, and they say it still walks its halls, even now that it’s been turned into a school. The rich folk aren’t privy to these sorts of stories, but the locals know better than to get anywhere near that place.”
A ghost in an English building only increased its value, but “monsters” weren’t something you heard of very often.
Suspicion clouded Dark’s face. “…What do you say to that, Alice?”
“A monster in a school? That sounds like fun!” I exclaimed.
“What?!”
Dark was shocked, but I couldn’t contain my excitement.
“A monster that lives in a school sounds like the plot of a children’s movie! I always loved those in my past life.”
“Past life?”
I gasped. Dark had a strange look on his face.
My reincarnation is supposed to be a secret!
“N-Nothing! I’m eager to see what sort of school it is. Could you please show us to the school? We won’t make any trouble.”
Once I offered twice the market rate, the coachman reluctantly agreed to take us.
We arranged for three carriages to carry our group to the school. Jack and Leeds took the second carriage, while the last in line was for our luggage. Dark’s luggage probably took up the majority of the space.
A boarding school with a monster in it… I never heard of something like that in the game.
The cases of the Sleeping Beauties and Jack the Ripper were events that happened in Jack, Leeds, and the Tweedles’ story routes. I played them all in my past life. However, this “Ark School” we were heading to was never even mentioned in the game.
Perhaps it was a unique story arc in the Lord Knightley route added as bonus content.
I can only speculate, but it will be all right. We’re all going together.
I felt resilient as the carriage rattled forward.
I had yet to learn just how much terror this unknown route would bring us.