Chapter 10 – Love at First Sight
Chapter 1, Part 3.1
Novel Title: ルーデンドルフ公と森の獣 (Duke Ludendorff and the Beast of the Forest)
Author：かわい有美子 (Kawai Yumiko)
Illustrator: 周防佑未 (Suoh Yuumi)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 藤森賢士 (Kenji Fujimori -MC), ユリアン ルーデンドルフ (Julian Ludendorff -ML)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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“This is delicious,” Fujimori said after taking a bite of Frau Gessner’s homemade rhubarb pie. His smile was radiant as he spoke in Japanese.
“Is it delicious?” Julian asked.
Fujimori responded with another carefree smile. “Yes, very much! It’s so delicious that I ended up speaking in Japanese. When you eat something delicious, your native language just comes out, doesn’t it?”
“And also, when you’re in pain…”
“Yes, it’s true. When it comes to instinctive reactions, it often comes out in your native language,” Fujimori said, happily enjoying the pie.
Julian smiled, watching Fujimori’s delighted expression.
Fujimori Kenji, who is said to be a postdoctoral researcher in the architecture department at a national university in Japan, will be turning twenty-seven this year. He is currently looking for a job. But as he mentioned, his field of research makes it somewhat challenging to find opportunities.
He’d really like to stay in the lab and become an assistant, but despite the high number of applicants, there aren’t many positions available… He wondered what the future might hold for him.
It seems that on the day before yesterday, right after the injury, Fujimori called Professor Fushimi’s home to report the injury. However, he was quite disappointed to hear that Professor Fushimi had just left for Europe.
Alone in his room, Fujimori had vented a lot of frustration, using quite a bit of harsh language directed at his pillow.
Although Julian found Japanese difficult to understand, he could sense that Fujimori was clearly cursing about something when he overheard him.
The sprained ankle turned out to be more serious than Fujimori himself had anticipated. As a result, he had been mostly bedridden in his room for the past two days. It seemed that returning to the mansion by himself right after the injury had exacerbated the problem.
He had asked Tanba to borrow crutches from a local clinic. And now he was managing to move around the mansion with them.
Although Fujimori might have a slightly sharp tongue at times, he is fundamentally a serious and good-natured young man. It became clear that his sprained ankle on the night walk was due to his concern for Julian, who had gone out without a light.
Despite what Fujimori claims about his appearance being standard for a Japanese man, it is probably just a reflection of typical Japanese modesty. Though he may be slightly slender, his appearance is well-balanced, with an impression of curiosity and intellect.
While he may not be exceptionally handsome, his expressions are sincere and unadorned. To eyes accustomed to Western faces, his gentle, smooth contours seem fresh and kind.
His naturally simple black hair and intelligent black eyes are also attractive. The air of mystery about him may stem from cultural differences in his upbringing. His flexible way of thinking seems quite unique from Julian’s perspective. It’s not quite the typical Chinese thinking and cannot be easily categorised just because he is from the Asian region.
Fujimori mentioned that his physique is somewhat on the slender side. His body is thin, with a slim waist, and to eyes accustomed to seeing Germans, he might appear almost boyish.
Although Fujimori laughed off any claims of exceptional traits, his attentiveness and common sense made being around him quite comfortable.
As a budding scholar, he is also well-versed in many subjects. Particularly given his focus on architecture, he is knowledgeable about the associated history and culture. His knowledge extends beyond the East to include Western and even Middle Eastern contexts.
However, according to Fujimori, this broad knowledge is essential for anyone studying architecture and architectural history. His sharp intellect is complemented by a youthful and expressive demeanour. His genuine and straightforward expressions, changing freely as he feels, make him engaging to observe.
His enthusiasm for research and his lively personality are also endearing. In short, it was love at first sight for Julian.
Julian mused that his great-grandmother, who came from a Japanese aristocratic family, had a striking beauty with sharp black eyes and black hair in her young photographs. It was clear why his great-grandfather had married her despite opposition from those around him.
Julian wondered if there was something about his family’s inclination towards Eastern elements. He thought about this as he enjoyed Frau Gesner’s rhubarb pie.
Rhubarb is a major vegetable in Germany, belonging to the buckwheat family with large, round leaves. Although it is classified as a vegetable, it is actually eaten for its red stalks. Due to its strong acidity, it is often sweetened with sugar and used to make tangy-sweet jams or jellies.
Julian quietly observed Fujimori, who seemed to have regained his spirits.
Today, Julian visited Fujimori in his room, where he was taking a class. The pie and coffee were brought by Frau Gesner as a treat. Rhubarb is often used in pies and cakes, and while Fujimori had never tried it before, he seemed to quite like it.
Julian’s initial reason for visiting Japan was to consider whether to part with this estate. His father had purchased land around the estate for speculative purposes. But with the Hachigaya family now gone, Julian had never set foot in the country or the estate since his birth. Although he had some of that blood in him, it was a temperate country in the Far East. The summers were said to be extremely hot and humid, with temperatures sometimes exceeding thirty-five degrees Celsius.
Growing up in the harsh winter climate of East Germany, beyond the Elbe River, where snow and ice can keep the land closed for a long time, Julian found the thought of such a summer in a tropical and humid country quite daunting. Despite this, he had taken on the responsibility of handling Japanese legal and financial matters, as the estate was now looking to be purchased by several member-exclusive and foreign hotels.
Separately, there had been discussions about designating the old Count Hachigaya family’s mansion as a tangible cultural property, as it was considered valuable for preserving the lifestyle of the old aristocracy. The request from Professor Fushimi was to conduct a formal survey for this purpose. While the building was well-regarded locally, the Hachigaya family had continuously refused survey requests.
Julian, who was not fond of crowded or noisy places and had kept to his hotel while in Tokyo, had found it intriguing when he heard that the building might be of sufficient historical value to be designated as an important cultural property. It was a matter he was still pondering, especially since he had never visited the estate himself.
Therefore, a formal investigation had not yet been conducted. After visiting the grave of his great-grandmother, which was connected to him, Julian had decided to visit the estate and make a conclusion. It was during this visit that he met Fujimori, who had come along as an interpreter for Professor Fushimi.
When Julian first met Fujimori, he was momentarily captivated by his serene appearance. Amidst the otherwise uniform and indistinct faces of Japanese people, Fujimori seemed to stand out distinctly in Julian’s view.
Despite holding a doctoral degree, which is considered quite prestigious among the elite in Germany, Fujimori introduced himself modestly with a shy smile as an over-doctor. He spoke with earnest dedication to Julian, who was usually reserved.
It seems that Fujimori was translating at Professor Fushimi’s request, but at the same time, he carefully confirmed Julian’s intentions. His way of speaking was neither pushy nor servile, but rather strangely polite.
The German he had learned on his own was easy to understand, with few quirks. Whenever Julian’s German fell behind, Fujimori would properly acknowledge it and switch to English to continue the conversation.
Fujimori was quite proficient in English. Julian was able to communicate reasonably well in that language as well.
However, Fujimori’s insistence on speaking German was likely a sign of his sincerity. Julian appreciated his positive attitude and the approach that lacked the forcefulness typical of Westerners.
Fujimori was more charming than anyone Julian had met before, listening earnestly to Julian’s words with a refreshing smile.
Fujimori’s voice, expressions, and manner of speaking remained imprinted on Julian’s mind throughout his stay in Japan and even after returning to Germany.
It was the first time Julian had experienced someone occupying his thoughts for such an extended period of time.
There was an old legend in the Ludendorff family that those with Ludendorff blood would instantly recognize their partner when they met.
Once they fell in love, they would inevitably stay together. It was a rather passionate belief. Julian’s great-grandfather, who had come to Japan as an embassy staff member, had also defied opposition from those around him to bring his great-grandmother from the Far East.
Even when Japan was still considered an unknown and undeveloped country, the great-grandmother, who was a daughter of a count’s family, was of higher social status compared to the great-grandfather, who came from a more modest background as a local nobleman or Junker.
As a result, the great-grandmother was treated almost as if she had been disowned by her family and came alone to Germany to be with his great-grandfather.
As a child, Julian thought of this story as rather passionate but also felt it was a distant legend unrelated to him.
Julian’s parents had divorced early on. When Julian was old enough to understand, his mother left the family and also left him behind. Because of this, Julian had thought of the legend as mere superstition.
However, meeting Fujimori in person made Julian feel he understood what the legend had been pointing to. If he were allowed to dream of what lay beyond, Julian thought he would return to Japan just to see Fujimori again.
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*Translator’s Note: The legend somehow sounded like imprinting on someone, like those in omegaverse or werewolves storyline, right? -K
Next update: 2024.10.30
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