'... Tell me, why does my voice suddenly disappear when I need it? And what were those lines that I saw yesterday?'
Yuzuriha's question was a valid one, especially considering all the times this has happened to her. It wasn't a lot, just twice, still it was weird that it happened two times in the row, on the same day no less!
It couldn't have been just a coincidence. She wasn't being paranoid!
If she didn't deal with it now, who knows, it could turn out to be a disaster later on or it could manifest at the worst possible times.
The first time she couldn't speak was when she had just woken up to this new world. Back then it was understandable that her soul might have been still adjusting to its new body.
But the second time it happened was when Marcille suspected that Yuzuriha wasn't her little sister. She was right of course, but for some reason it still hurt.
Ah well, credit is given where it's due. Marcille showed herself to be surprisingly sharp and very physically capable. Yuzuriha didn't know if that was a good thing or not, but considering the fact they lived alone without a grown adult. Having a strong older sister around wasn't so bad.
Now that she thought about it, this also begged the question….
How was she able to understand a foreign language without ever studying or hearing about it?
Back on earth, her old world specifically, she lived most of her life in the deep south of Kyoto, Japan, near the farthest reaches of the Higashiyama Mountains. Home to the two of Kyoto's greatest sights.
The sacred Shinto pathways of Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine and the serene, dreamlike world of Tofuku-ji Temple and all the sub temples that surround it.
'I'm doing it again…'
Yuzuriha immediately cut herself off before she drifted into the endless sea of nostalgia.
The point of what she was trying to say is that the only languages she knew were Japanese, the mother tongue she grew up with, and English, a compulsory language she was taught at school.
She wasn't particularly good at English but she was able to communicate with foreign clients and seal deals!
However, neither Japanese nor English were present in this world. Or at least that's what she thinks. She hasn't explored this world yet to make that assumption.
According to the memories of Yor flowing into her mind, the name of the language they spoke in this world was called Tinsellan. A language used in most cities, academies, trade routes, and by the middle-class, lower-class and high-class civilians.
If she had to make a comparison with her old world, it would boil down to soft latin or just French but a bit harsher.
The Tinsellan language was common enough to be considered the main language of the Tinsel country.
And luckily for her, she was already fluent in it.
'Other than that, there are others not native to this country, but what could they be? During one of our sessions, Grace said something about other languages…'
'Mhm, maybe I could ask her the next time I se-meet her. This world is still a mystery to me after all. I need to learn as much as I can to survive!'
With a huff of air in her stomach, Yuzuriha used the motivation she had just acquired to attempt getting out of bed but that was easily demolished by Marcille's strong arm.
'Awww, man…'
'Wait a minute…'
Yuzuriha's mind sparked with realization that her train of thought had trailed off to the point she totally missed the point of her original question. And to make matters worse, her assistant Sawatari didn't even bother stopping her or answering the question.
'Real—'
Before she could yell at the Manifestation, she quickly caught herself. The last time she shouted at Sawatari she didn't take it well. In fact, she borderline ignored her for a couple of minutes.
Her voice might have sounded like something you would normally hear from a computer or AI, but she seemed to have emotions—to an extent. She didn't understand it either.
Everything was such a mystery!
Calming her racing heartbeat, Yuzuriha took a breath and decided to put on the persona she used to deal with her former assistant as a CEO.
'Excuse me, Sawatari. I have an issue pertaining to my voice. It seems to just vanish when I need it at times, why is that?'
She asked in her most professional manner. She could have also asked about the strange colorful lines she saw, but one problem at a time.
Sawatari didn't answer her immediately, she made her wait for a couple of minutes before replying. Within those minutes, Yuzuriha was beginning to lose her patience.
Honestly, if she had continued to ignore her, she might have lost her cool. After that, who knows what could have happened.
⟨⟨ Denied. I am unable to disclose such information at this point ⟩⟩
Having heard that, Yuzuriha took a moment to process it. And then, her brows twitched.
"Why you little—!"
She unknowingly yelled out in frustration. After all that attitude Sawatari had the audacity to keep stuff from her?!
What did she mean by that anyways? Wasn't she her assistant? As in she has to follow every request she makes. What the hell?!
The way Yuzuriha felt frustrated in that moment she would have slandered Sawatari but because she was still in bed with Marcille, she immediately slapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide in horror.
'Oh no! No no no no no no!'
Panic struck her so hard she could barely even breathe, in fact, she held back her breathing. She stayed perfectly still and rigid like a statue. Her heart was pounding so loud in her ears that it almost drowned out the silence of the bedroom.
'Please tell me she didn't hear that…!'
She hoped that would be the case, however it was already too late. Yuzuriha felt the change in Marcille's breathing. It wasn't the slow, peaceful rhythm of someone who was sound asleep anymore.
It was subtle, yes, but thanks to her hyperawareness, she was easily able to catch this change. And also, there was faint movement beneath the blanket.
'I'm so screwed!'
Yuzuriha squeezed her eyes shut and mentally prepared herself for any kind of reaction. If worse comes to shove, she might be forced to kill her, but in the body of a disabled kid, can she actually do it?
Yesterday she was caught off guard, but what about now that she was aware of what might happen?
She pondered the possibilities. Seconds passed, then a full minute.
Gradually, Marcille's breathing returned to its natural and steady pace, as if whatever disturbance she felt was brushed aside as a dream.
'Whew, I'm saved. This could have escalated into something worse, heh heh heh'
She exhaled a slow, trembling breath of relief, even laughing at herself for being so silly.
But just as she was beginning to relax.
"Are you awake, Yor?"