Dinner With Family by Hiroyuki Morioka (best novels for teenagers TXT) 📕

“Ah.” Jint nodded, not sure how to feel about this. “I guess I should feel honored?”

“I would feel very honored if I were in your shoes, but to each their own.” Sobash sipped his tea. “Especially since your rival in love is the Star Forces. You have no chance of winning, but you’re putting up a strong showing just by hanging in there.”

“Are all Abhs like that?”

“Huh?” Sobash looked slightly mystified. “I’m not talking about Abhs. I’m talking about Abliars.”

“So that’s not necessarily true among most Abhs, then?”

Sobash’s expression turned yet more puzzled. “Just think about your own case. From where I’m standing, you aren’t the type to prioritize military matters over your crush.”

“Well, you’ve got me there.” Once again, Jint had ended up forgetting he himself was technically Abh.

“At any rate, I wish you the best. And I hope your star fief becomes stable,” smiled Sobash. “Let us meet again on the battlefield, Lonh. That is, if I live to see that day.”

If I’m still alive, let’s meet again — Jint used to employ that turn of phrase all the time when he was on Delktu. But in that context, it was just tongue-in-cheek hyperbole. On Delktu, people Jint and his friends’ age didn’t usually die. In war, however, that phrase reflected a fact of life. Descending from a world where the specter of death was ever present, to a world where that phrase was bandied about as a joke, Jint had felt a tad conscience-stricken.

“Let’s,” he replied, doing his best not to let his innermost thoughts leak out. “Best of luck in battle.”

Jint hadn’t needed to seek Ecryua out. He bumped into her on his way to his quarters.

“Are you leaving?” asked Ecryua, expressionless as usual.

“Yep,” Jint nodded. “It’d be great if we could meet again someday.”

“Great for who?” said Ecryua.

Jint needed a beat to bounce back from that, after which he asked her whether she’d like to adopt a kitten.

“I don’t want to raise a cat,” she replied immediately. “It’s more fun to look after other people’s cats.”

“Gotcha. Oh well,” he said, surrendering just like that.

There was no need to push the kitten on Ecryua. Jint turned to leave her.

“Wait,” she said, grabbing him by the arm. “Is that cat cute?”

“Yeah. Super cute. Among the kittens are raigh (pure white), striped just like Dyaho, and cnasraigh (black-and-white) fur patterns. But the striped one already has someone lined up.”

“Did you name them?”

“No, not yet. I think their owners have that right.”

Ecryua was staring a hole into him.

“Do you, uh, want one?”

“No,” she said, letting go of his arm. “I’ll be able to see your cat again soon.”

“I don’t know if you will, actually...”

They were called “Abh cats,” but they lived no longer than other cats.

“I know I will,” she declared.

“What makes you say that?”

“Vice Hecto-Commander Abliar will soon return, which means you’ll also soon return. Along with your cat.”

“That’s silly. Lafier reenlisting is her business, and me reenlisting is mine. I’m not Lafier’s accessory.”

“You just don’t understand.” And with that, Ecryua turned on her heels.

Jint watched as she walked away. The Star Forces was a vast institution. Jint figured that even if both of them ended up returning, there was no guarantee they’d be able to be together.

“Forgive my sneaking suspicion, Your Highness, but might you want to stay here, deep down?” asked Samson.

“Huh?” Lafier turned to look at him. “No, that’s not true. Why do you think that?”

“It’s just a hunch.”

“I got the same feeling,” said Sehrnye, concerned. “Your Highness seems listless, somehow. Is the current situation not to your satisfaction?”

“Your concern is unnecessary,” she said sternly.

“Three minutes until abordage,” announced the ship speakers. This time around, he was scheduled to transfer directly from ship to ship, as opposed to boarding a conveyance ship as a ferry.

“What is Jint doing?” said Lafier, happy to use the announcement as an excuse to change the subject.

Jint was here now, accompanied by his automated luggage. The starpilots of the Flicaubh assembled for a patfocechoth (gangway sendoff). After exchanging some ceremonial remarks, the Hyde Countdom group transferred to the Baucbiruch.

Over on the Baucbiruch, Investigator Yestesh and his subordinates, the top officials of the ship, lined up to salute him. Lafier stole a peek at Jint, who was standing beside her. He seemed a touch dispirited. Anger flared inside her; had it been a mistake, for her to be here?

“Chest out, Jint!” she whispered. “This is your battlefield.”

“My... ‘battlefield’?”

“Isn’t it? If it’s not, then I’m going back,” she said, and she meant it.

“No, you’re right,” said Jint, sticking his chest out. “If I fail here, I won’t die, but others might. And if my thoughtlessness ever makes victims out of decent people, then I’ll spend the rest of my life hating myself. I’m not going to live as long as you, but I still plan on living a hundred more years. And a century of misery is a long, long century.”

“I don’t need a soliloquy.”

“Right, right. But thanks for reminding me. The Countdom of Hyde is absolutely my battlefield.” His expression now cheerier by half, Jint strode forward. But Lafier got the sense both his face and his gait were a brave front.

Atop the chaise, the kittens were a tangled ball of frolicking fur. Meanwhile, their mother, Sercruca, was grooming on the carpet. It was difficult to believe that until very recently, the members of that litter would mewl betrayal when taken mere inches from their mother. Their father, Dyaho, was napping on the table. Jint reckoned he was overthinking it, but damned if it didn’t look like Dyaho was sulking.

One of the kittens slipped down from the chaise. With the typical Abh cat cry that so tickled the soul, it called out — for what, Jint didn’t know.

A hand reached for the kitten. The hand of a certain Abliar, who was seated beside the chaise.

The Royal Princess didn’t even look at it as she carried it back up onto the chair. It carried