Seeing Übel Again

Fern froze.

The normally quiet horse had finally spoken, and just as Lord Lorenzo had said, she had picked the worst possible moment.

For just as Frieren said the words "Little Spray Mushroom," someone happened to push the tailor shop door open from inside.

Jingle—

The clear chime of the doorbell followed. It should have been a pleasant sound, but to Fern, it now sounded like a call from hell.

A green-haired girl stood behind the door, holding a roll of uncut fabric. She looked first at Frieren, then at the purple mushroom brooch on Fern's lapel.

A familiar smile quickly appeared in those purple eyes, and Übel spoke.

"So I'm not the only one who thinks so. Even Lady Frieren has started calling you Little Spray Mushroom."

I'm doomed.

"Lady Frieren! Didn't you say you'd forgotten?"

Fern whipped her head around.

"Maybe seeing the brooch made me remember it again just now."

Frieren looked innocent. Though her answer was perfectly reasonable, it clearly did nothing to lessen the serious consequences of what she had just done.

Übel watched Fern's sulky expression, the smile on her face growing more pronounced.

"Long time no see, Little Spray Mushroom."

"Long time no see, Scissor Girl."

Fern struck back at once. Though she had already lost the initiative, she couldn't just admit defeat.

Übel raised an eyebrow slightly.

"But I'm older than you, so you should call me Scissor Sis."

"I'm calling you Scissor Girl precisely because you don't like it."

"You've picked up some bad habits."

"I learned them from you."

It felt like a battle for honor, and neither of them gave an inch as they stood in front of the tailor shop.

"What is it, Übel? Don't block the doorway."

With the sound of a fabric curtain being lifted, a young woman in an apron emerged from the back. A measuring tape hung over her shoulder, and she held several sheets covered in clothing designs.

This was Übel's older sister.

"Oh, it's you."

Übel's sister couldn't help exclaiming when she saw Lorenzo and Frieren.

"Hello, miss."

Fern immediately dropped her confrontational manner and politely greeted Übel's sister.

"Isn't that a bit too quick a change in attitude?"

Übel turned to look at Fern.

"I'm always polite to my elders."

"So I'm the only one you're rude to?"

Fern said nothing more, merely giving her a silent, self-explanatory look.

The answer was obvious.

Übel ought to take a serious look at her usual words and actions if she wanted to know why she didn't receive the same courtesy.

"Hello. You must be Fern?"

Übel's sister responded with a smile, her gaze falling on the purple mushroom brooch.

"Yes."

"You really are easy to recognize."

She looked Fern over carefully.

"You're just as Übel described you, a very cute girl."

"Sis."

Übel spoke up at once.

"I never said she was cute."

"But after you came back, you said all sorts of things about her."

"I just mentioned her a few times, that's all."

"Is that so?"

Übel's sister thought for a moment, then spoke in an imitation of Übel's tone.

"That girl called 'Fern' has long purple hair and a serious personality. Even though she's young, she always talks like an adult. And she gets angry easily, especially when people call her nicknames..."

"Sis!"

Übel stopped her again, her tone noticeably sharper this time. She really did seem a little flustered.

"All right, all right, I'll stop."

Her sister ended the subject with a smile.

"Oh, right, you're the ones who tucked that money under the spool, aren't you? Why would you do that? Honestly, that map wasn't worth much to begin with."

Then, as though she had remembered something else, she took money out of her pocket and spoke in a somewhat reproachful tone.

"No, no, there's no need. We were already sorry for the trouble last time. Consider it a small token of our thanks."

Lorenzo stopped Frieren as she reached out to take the money. This elf was a bit too shameless, wasn't she? Even if they were going to take it, he should be the one to do it. Had she finally awakened the elven talent known as "greed"?

"In that case, I'll accept it."

Übel's sister reluctantly put the money back in her pocket.

"But you're not allowed to sneak money in here again. At first, I thought a customer had dropped it by accident, and I spent a long time looking for its owner. I didn't know you'd left it until Übel told me."

At that, she shot Übel a glare, as if reproaching her for not telling her sooner.

"You didn't ask me at the time, Sis."

Übel spoke as though nothing were amiss.

"All right, come on in first. Did the three of you come all this way to buy clothes today, or to see Übel?"

"Neither."

Lorenzo took out the note Heiter had given him and handed it over.

"Heiter sent us to this address."

"Mr. Heiter?"

Übel's sister took the note, and a single glance was enough to bring a look of realization to her face.

"I see. So Fern is the girl Mr. Heiter was talking about."

"Had Lord Heiter contacted you before?"

Fern asked, a little surprised.

"Of course."

She nodded with a smile.

"More than a month ago, Mr. Heiter sent me a letter asking me to prepare a birthday present for his adopted daughter. It's actually been finished for quite some time, but with clothes, no matter how accurate the measurements are, you can't be sure until the person tries them on."

"Is today your birthday?"

Übel asked Fern in surprise.

"That's right. I'm the birthday girl today."

Fern puffed out her chest slightly as she spoke, looking a little smug for once.

Though a birthday itself was nothing to boast about, everyone had been fussing over her since that morning. Even Lady Frieren, who usually acted as though she didn't care about anything, had put thought into preparing a gift for her.

So, at least for today, she ought to have a few "privileges" as the birthday girl.

"I see. Happy birthday, then."

Übel nodded, but after saying that, she had nothing more to add.

Fern remained where she was, looking at her.

"What is it?"

"Where's my present?"

"You're awfully direct about asking for a present."

"Because Lord Lorenzo, Lady Frieren, and Lord Heiter all prepared presents for me."

Fern spoke with a perfectly serious expression. Her implication was clear: now only Übel remained.

Übel looked down and rummaged through her pockets, but all she found was a short piece of green silk thread, a few buttons, and a small pair of scissors for cutting thread.

No matter how she looked at them, none of them seemed fit to serve as a birthday present.

"Then I won't call you Little Spray Mushroom today. Let's count that as your present."

Übel thought it over.

"That's what you should be doing anyway."

Fern rejected the offer at once.

"How greedy."

"You're the one who didn't prepare anything at all, Scissor Girl."

For the first time, Übel discovered just how difficult Fern could be when she got serious, and what was worse, Übel was in the wrong.

Normally, she could have used the nickname "Little Spray Mushroom" to change the subject and enjoyed the sight of Fern puffing up with anger. But today Fern was the birthday girl, and Übel felt that if she kept doing that, she really would become a villain who bullied children.

Though it seemed she usually did much the same thing...

"After you finish trying on the clothes, I'll give you a birthday present."

"Then I'll be waiting."

Fern spoke earnestly.

"If you try to fob me off with something you can find anywhere, I won't accept it."

"You have so many demands, Little Spray..."

Übel stopped halfway through.

She had almost forgotten that Fern was the birthday girl today.

"Why did you stop?"

Fern narrowed her eyes slightly.

"It's nothing."

"Were you about to call me Little Spray Mushroom?"

"How could I? You must have misheard."