In the afternoon, I headed to the accounting bureau as usual. I hadn't felt like eating lunch due to all the stress, and I also wanted to regain some peace of mind by going to work.
The accounting bureau had been temporarily closed that morning for the Queen's outing mobilization, so work started in the afternoon. When I arrived, it was still before official working hours. The staff who had participated in the outing were still riding high on excitement, talking loudly. Meanwhile, the older ladies were watching the lively group with cold, disapproving eyes. Since the official start signal hadn't rung yet, they couldn't complain, but their faces were the very picture of someone biting into a bitter bug.
After greeting the bureau chief, I went to Christine's spot as usual. There, Christine, Anise, and Marin-sensei were gathered and chatting excitedly. It made sense — the three of them had been right in front of the Queen and had seen everything up close.
The moment they saw me:
