CH 3

After staying at Alice’s home for a few days, on the 27th day of the Light month, I came back to Lilia-san’s mansion. I feel like it’s been a long time since I left, but somehow…… I really feel like I’m home. While enjoying the feeling of relief, in the front door of the mansion…… for some reason, the door was vigorously opened.

[Arehh? Lunamaria-san?]

[I- If it isn’t Miyama-sama!? W- Welcome home…… Y- You’re just in time!]

[……Ehh?]

[P- Please help me!]

Lunamaria-san, who has jumped out of the house, seems to be in a tremendous panic, and with a sad expression on her face, she tells me to help her, hurriedly hiding behind my back. As I’m puzzled as to what in the world has happened, an angry voice immediately resounds afterwards, shaking the entire house.

[Lunaaaaa!!!]

[Hyiiihhh!?]

[Wha!?]

The air seemed to tremble with the tremendous power of Lilia-san’s loud voice, and even I, who wasn’t called by name, was frightened out of my wits. And then, Lilia-san appeared from the door of the mansion, looking like a demon spawn who climbed out of the pits of hell, clad in an aura that clearly shows how angry she is. W- What in the world did you do, Lunamaria-san!? Lilia-san became a shura, you know…… S- She’s too scary.

[How many times have I told you not to go into “that room”…… No, to begin with, it will be better if it’s just entering that room…… but how dare you do that!]

[P- Please calm down, M- Milady…… I- It’s just an accident! It was just an accident!!!]

What? That room? Putting aside if she just went in? Seriously, what happened? What in the world did you do for that kind Lilia-san to become this enraged?

[How dare you! How dare you break my “Tempest Dragon Model”!!!]

[M- My apologies!? I didn’t do it on purpose!!!]

[……Ehh?]

Eh? What? What did she just say? Dragon…… model?

[Today isn’t the day I will…… forgive…… you?]

[……E- Errr……]

Lilia-san was angrily approaching us, but when she noticed my presence while she was speaking, she stiffened. A very awkward silence passed between me and Lilia-san, before a great amount of sweat began running down her face.

[……K- Kaito-san? S- Since when have you returned?]

[E- Errrr…… Just now. So, ummm, what’s this dragon model……]

[Ahh, n- no, w- what are you talking about? D- Dragon model? I- I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about though!?]

[………………..]

……Lilia-san, you’re really bad at deceiving others. Your gaze is swimming around really fast…… So, she’s someone who can’t use lies huh…… E- Even so, I knew that Lilia-san liked dragons, but I didn’t expect that she would have models as well…… However, I’ve been living in the mansion for nearly half a year, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like that before.

[……It was Milady’s hobby.]

[Luna!?]

[Eh? Lilia-san said she didn’t have any hobbies……]

[Yes, she was trying to hide it……]

[S- Stop right there, Luna. What are you trying to say……]

When Lunamaria answered my question, Lilia-san started to get visibly shaken.

[……There was a “hidden room” in Milady’s office…… In that room, she secretly collects dragon models and scales.]

[……Luna. This is an order. Shut your mouth at once…… or I will make it so that you don’t speak ever again.]

[Hyiiihhh!?]

She would do what? No, let’s not pry too deeply into this…… I think it will be something frightening.

[I- I didn’t know Lilia-san had such a hobby……]

""

[Eh? Ah, t- that’s not it, Kaito-san!? I- It was just…… a small collection……]

[……By the way, as of yesterday, her collection had “300 items” in it.]

[……Luna, seriously, shut your mouth. If you say anything more than that, I will crush you until you are half your size.]

[……R- Roger that! I won’t speak anymore!]

Seeing Lilia-san telling her in an outrageously deep voice, Lunamaria-san completely hid behind my back in silence. As expected, even Lunamaria-san can’t seem to go against the current Lilia-san. H- However, if I let the situation stay like this, it will be a little uncomfortable…… Is there some kind of follow up I could make……

[I- Isn’t it fine? Having a hobby like that means you can afford it……]

[I- Is that how it is? Ummm…… A- Are you not disillusioned?]

[Eh? Why would I be?]

[No, ummm, i- it isn’t a ladylike hobby after all……]

Ahh, I see, she was hiding it because it wasn’t feminine huh…… I don’t think it’s anything she needs to be concerned about though. Seeing Lilia-san glancing at me with her cheeks blushing red, my shoulders relaxed and with a smile on my face, I spoke.

[That isn’t the case at all. Each person has different hobbies, so there’s nothing you should be embarrassed about. Moreover, I think dragons are cool too, you know?]

[I- Is that so…… I- If Kaito-san says so…… Then I can be relieved.]

Lilia-san is so cute. Her gesture of caressing her chest is just so adorable. Seriously, she really doesn’t look like she’s older than me, though I’m saying that in a good way, but I think the gap between the appearance of her usually steady self and when she’s like this is very attractive. Thereupon, I suddenly remembered the dragon model I got from a random box. According to Alice’s information, it’s something that Lilia-san wanted, so I think this would be the right moment to give it to her……

[S- Speaking of which, Lilia-san. I got something like this before……]

[……Eh? Wha!? T- This is, could it be…… the random box initial lots-limited Ancient Ground Dragon!? W- Where did you get this!? Please tell me where you get this! Please!!!]

She somehow bit onto it far more quickly than I expected!?

[P- Please calm down…… I just happened to get it from Alice’s store…… If you want it, I’ll give it to you.]

[Eh? Eeeeehhh!? I- Is that alright? R- Really? I- I mean, this is something you can only acquire on early lots, and is so valuable because it’s no longer available……]

[Yes, there’s no point in me keeping it anyway…… Let’s just say it’s my present for my precious lover.]

[……K- Kaito-san……]

Saying that with a smile, tears appeared in Lilia-san’s eyes, as if she was really moved, and received the model with trembling hands…… Aren’t you a bit too overreacting!? Then, she carefully hugged the model she received in front of her chest and gave me a happy smile. While admiring her adorable appearance, seeing Lilia-san happy makes me happy as well. Just then, I heard a small voice mutter behind me.

[A- As expected of Miyama-sama…… To easily pacify Milady who was that angry…… This Lunamaria gives you my admiration.]

……It’s not like I’m doing this for you, you useless maid.

I’m glad that Lilia-san is happy now but…… I can’t consent that Lunamaria-san, who broke into her hidden room and destroyed Lilia-san’s precious model, even though she said it was an accident, should be acquitted of all charges. Unnn, well, Lilia-san is my lover……. So if I’m going to prioritize someone, it would be her. While thinking about this, I moved my gaze…… and breathing in, l shouted.

[Bell~~! It seems like Lunamaria-san wants to play with you! You can play with her as much as you want!!!]

[……Ehh? Eh? M- Miyama-sama!? W- What are you……]

[Garuaaaaa!]

[Eyaaahhh!? W- Wait…… E- Even though you usually don’t want me to hug you, you’re running at full speed at me now…… Ahh, I see, it’s because Miyama-sama instructed you huh…… Ahh, ahhhh……. Migyaaaahhhh!?]

As soon as I gave the instruction, I quickly moved away from Lunamaria-san. When she saw Bell coming towards her at an intense speed, Lunamaria-san, who hasn’t been able to keep up with the situation, turned pale and ran away.

[Bell…… Keep going like that and chase her for about two hours~~]

[Gau!]

[M- Miyama-sama!? T- That’s cruel of you…… P- Please have mercy…… wait, uwoaaahhh, she’s faaaaaaast!?]

Lunamaria-san frantically ran away from Bell, but I had instructed Bell to play with her. Bell is a smart child, so he knows when to hold back. That means, Lunamaria-san will barely be able to run away from Bell, while Bell chases her with moderately fast speed. Lunamaria-san tried sending SOS distress signals towards us, but since she completely deserved it, we ignored her and went into the mansion with Lilia-san, who still looked happy with her dragon model. Thanks to Lunamaria-san, I got tired early on when I got home, but then, I reported to Lilia-san about various things…… I also properly made sure to tell her that Eden-san’s true identity is that she’s the God of the world I was in. This should prevent Lilia-san from getting mad at me for not telling her who Eden-san is…… I finally learned my lesson. Well, after all the things that happened, night has already fallen and I came back to my room……

[……Uuuu…… I’m so tired……]

Entering my room, I found Kuro lying on my bed, as if my bed was hers. I was surprised at the sight, but the most unusual thing is that Kuro looks really tired…… It goes without saying that Kuro is an overwhelmingly powerful being, and her endurance is just as monstrous. At least, I’ve never seen Kuro being visibly fatigued before.

[……Kuro? Are you alright?]

[Uuuuuu~~ Kaito-kun~~ It’s been a long time since I’ve been this exhausted. I’m already busy with the Six Kings Festival, and to add to that, there’s also Earth God…… the God of Kaito-kun’s world. She’s really strong, so fighting her is quite nasty.]

[A- Ahhh…… You’re tired because of Eden-san huh……]

[……Unnn. Seriously, good grief, that God…… Just when I thought she was going around sightseeing, she immediately goes to where Kaito-kun is…… So, I even scolded her for bothering Kaito-kun…… And yet, not even much time has passed and she started doing strange things again……]

It seems that most of Kuro’s fatigue is caused by Eden-san. Well, Eden-san certainly had power comparable to Shiro-san’s, and fighting such a powerful opponent can really be exhausting, even for Kuro. It would have been fine if she only had to fight her, but Kuro also had to make preparations for the Six Kings Festival. Having to go back and forth with these two things…… She would really be tired.

[……I see, good work out there.]

[Uuuuu~~ Kaito-kun. “Heal me”.]

[……………..]

Whoa there, just when I was saying words of thanks for her hard work, but an outrageous killer pass returned my way? “Heal me”? What’s with that abstract request…… Isn’t that too high of a hurdle? Ahh~~ but of course, I want to respond to the tired Kuro’s expectations, so~~ errr…… Heal. Heal her huh……

After a few moments of thought, glancing at Kuro who is looking at me with expectant eyes…… I couldn’t think of any particular way to do this, so to hide my cluelessness, I just spread my arms wide with a smile. It was just a last resort move for me, but Kuro’s eyes sparkled and she jumped into my chest like a speeding bullet.

[Fuuaaahhhh…… Kaito-kun, it feels warm~~]

[U- Unnn. It was really hard, wasn’t it…… Errr, there, there.]

[Fumyuuu….. Haahhh~~ Pat me more~~]

[Yes, yes.]

As she rubbed her cheek against my cheek, clinging unto me with an enchanted look on her face, I patted her head as gently as possible. As I stroked her silky, soft silver hair, I felt my heart warmed up, looking at Kuro who was acting spoiled. I think Kuro’s charm is that she has an adult-like embracing power, but I also think that the times when she’s acting spoiled like a child is just as attractive. Savoring this moment of happiness for a while, I held her warmth that snugly fits in my arms.

I continued stroking her head for a while, and when Kuro was satisfied, we started chatting. Well, even though Kuro is satisfied, saying “I’ve replenished my fill of Kaitokunium!”, she’s still snugly being held in my embrace……

[Speaking of which, Kuro……]

[What~~ is it~~?]

[I’ve been wanting to ask you, but I never really had the opportunity to…… What in the world is with those memorabilias……]

[Unnn?]

The thing that came to mind were those memorabilias that would be given to me during the Six Kings Festival. I think it was a state-of-the-art magic ship? Just from hearing its name makes me think that it was one outrageous item. No, well, all of the Six Kings have prepared outrageous things…… but there’s no sea near the royal capital of Symphonia Kingdom, so even if I received such a thing, I decided to ask Kuro, the person who sent me that ship, what her intentions were.

[Also, why a ship….. Even if I receive such a thing, I don’t even know when I would use it……]

[By the way, that magic ship is “bigger than this house”, you know!?]

[……………….]

A ship bigger than Lilia-san’s mansion? Do you want me to go into the trading business?

[However, it’s alright. I’ve placed it in a “magic box” that could properly fit the ship in.]

[…….Yeah, it did mention coming with a storage magic box.]

[Unnn, I actually asked Shiro to create a magic crystal with an incomparably high magic capacity…… And with that, I’ve prepared a magic box that I’ve carved with all my magic power.]

In front of the bewildered me, Kuro makes a cute smug face but…… Eh? A magic box made by Kuro with all of her magic power? That obviously sounds dangerous, doesn’t it?

[……I- Incidentally, how wide is that magic box’s capacity?]

[Hmmm. I haven’t really checked…… but I guess around the size of around “three or four islands”?]

[No, no, isn’t that strange!? What’s with that stupidly wide capacity!?]

[It’s wide enough that you could even hide Magnawell in it!!!]

[Isn’t that too big!?]

Able to fit three or four islands she said, what’s with that monstrously-wide capacity…… I still haven’t even used up half of the space within the magic box I’m using now, and she’s giving me a magic box that is incomparably wider than that…… Moreover, most of the things that eat up the space of my magic box are just the scales that Magnawell-san gives me every time I meet him…… That’s definitely too much for me. I think Kuro should know at least that much…… So why is it that she’s giving me a magic box with a really abnormal size……

———-Muuu~~ Even though I thought I would make Kaito-kun’s magic box myself~~

Could it be…… she was still onto that? There’s no way…… that she gave me that ship just for that magic box, right?

[……Kuro, this is just a guess but…… you were still upset about what happened at that barbecue before? That’s why you purposely chose a ship that is so big that it wouldn’t fit in my current magic box as a gift……]

[……I- I wonder what you’re talking about~~?]

[How about you look at me when you say that?]

I was wondering why she was giving me a ship…… To think that the reality was that…… The ship was actually just a bonus, and she really just wants to give me a magic box!? If that’s the case, she should have just said that her gift was the magic box from the start…… No, magic boxes normally aren’t such a luxury item huh. Even though this magic box supposedly has tremendous performance, writing “magic box” on the invitation might be a matter of keeping her reputation.

[……I mean…… I wanted Kaito-kun…… to use a magic box that I made.]

[Ughhh……]

[……Do you not like it?]

Eh? You’re going to look so meek at this moment!? There’s no way I can complain when you look at me like that……

[No, I’m glad Kuro made a magic box for me! Unnn, I’ll definitely be using that as my main magic box when I get it!]

[Really!?]

[Y- Yeah, of course, there’s no way I could not like what my cute lover made for me, you know……]

[C- Cute lover…… Ehehe, I’m glad.]

Ah, sh*t, she’s so cute. Geez, I don’t care about the boat and all that other stuff anymore. Anyway, Kuro looks so adorable, so I hugged the spoiled Kuro even tighter…… and forgetting about the future, we just flirted a lot with each other.

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

The 29th Day of the Light month.

I thought it would be nice to relax in my room once in a while, so I was currently busy reading in my room. Incidentally, the book I’m currently reading is “Eating Tour in its Entirety Guide: Symphonia Kingdom ~~Volume: Food Stalls~~”, written by Kuro. There were apparently several different types of Eating Tour Guides just for Symphonia Kingdom alone, and I’m now reading them in order. Naturally, there are many of these restaurants I don’t know about, but it’s interesting to read Kuro’s subjective impressions and evaluations of them. I also marked the restaurants I wanted to try, thinking of going there to eat next time. While I was thinking about this, a knock resounded at the door of my room.

[Yes? It’s open.]

[Excuse my intrusion.]

[……Lunamaria-san?]

When I replied it was okay to come in, the door opened and Lunamaria-san came in, pushing a cart with a pot of tea on it. Is she bringing me tea? How rare……

[Milady got some good tea leaves and is giving them to everyone…… Should I brew it for you?]

[Ahh, is that so? Thank you. Then, please.]

[Understood.]

Lunamaria-san, bringing me a cup of tea, skillfully brewed tea when I asked her to. Hmmm. Lunamaria-san looks like a woman who can do things when she’s working…… The troubling part is when she becomes mischievous, she will instantly become a useless maid. Well, even if that’s so, I can rely on her in times of need, and she’s serious when it comes to work, so she doesn’t only have bad qualities.

[…..Here you go.]

[Thank you…… Unnn, it’s delicious.]

[I’m glad to hear that you liked it. It seems like Miyama-sama is in the middle of readi…… Eh?]

[Unnn?]

After smiling when I told her how I felt about the tea, Lunamaria-san opened her mouth to leisurely chat with me…… but she stiffened when she saw the book on the table.

[Mi- Miya- Miyama-sama!? C- C- C- Could that be…… Underworld King-sama’s…… “Eating Tour in its Entirety Guide”!?]

[Eh? Yes, it is. You knew about it?]

[Of course I knew about it!!!]

[Uwooohhh!?]

Lunamaria-san vigorously approached…… Ahh~~ Come to think of it, Lunamaria-san was Kuro’s fanatic.

[T- This is the first time I’ve seen the real thing…… S- So this is the legendary……]

[……H- Huhh……]

""

[As a “7-digit member” of the prestigious Underworld King Adoration Society, I wanted to see it at least once too!]

[T- There are that many people in Underworld King Adoration Society huh……]

Underworld King Adoration Society? What’s that, some kind of fanclub? Lunamaria-san said that she’s a 7-digit member, so does that mean there are at least a million members? Seriously? Incidentally, even when she was talking with me, Lunamaria-san’s gaze wouldn’t leave the book. She’s quite fixated on it.

[……Ummm, would you like to read it?]

[Would it be alright!?]

[Hyiihhh…… Y- Yes, which volume do you want?]

[Which volume? M- Miyama-sama, by any chance…… You possess several books of the “Eating Tour in its Entirety Guide”?]

[Ah, yes…… I have all the volumes.]

[All volumes!?]

When Kuro gave me these books, she said that it was the complete set, so I think I probably have all copies within this series. When I told Lunamaria-san about it, her eyes widened.

[……I- I never expected that you would have all the volumes…… A- As expected of Miyama-sama. Rumor has it that only the President has all the volumes, and even though I heard of its existence during the final interview……]

[Final interview? Eh? Does that mean you need some kind of exam to join that Underworld King Adoration Association?]

[Yes, there are three exams: written exam, suitability inspection, and the practical exam, and after these tests are three sets of interviews.]

[What the heck is that, that’s scary.]

What kind of organization is this Underworld King Adoration Association!? Written exam? Practical exam? What the heck is that for?

[……Incidentally, just for reference…… What things are in that exam?]

[The written exam consists of 500 questions randomly chosen from several categories, including general education and magic. However, there would be 100 of these questions about “Maidology” every year.]

[……Ahh~~ I see……]

Speaking of which, I guess that would be understandable. Underworld King Adoration Association’s President is that monster maid……. Unnn, considering that it was that Ein-san, having a nonsensical test like that isn’t that strange.

[W- Well, putting that aside…… M- Miyama-sama? W- Would it really be alright for me to read it?]

[Yes, Kuro said I’m free to do what I want to do with them…… Should I lend you some of the volumes?]

[……Miyama-sama, you were my messiah all along……]

[I’m not.]

Lunamaria-san’s tension was starting to get strange, so I handed her one volume of the “Eating Tour in its Entirety Guide” to shut her up. Thereupon, Lunamaria-san immediately pounced on it. Her eyes are scary…… Those aren’t the eyes of someone reading the book, they’re definitely the eyes of someone who was about to head towards a decisive battle……

[……A- Ahhh…… How wonderful…… How sublime……]

[…………………..]

Each of her reactions are too exaggerated. Well, I guess that’s how valuable the book is to Lunamaria-san. In fact, I might look at it as some kind of restaurant report book…… but for fanatics, it might as well be the Bible huh. Already forgetting her original purpose for coming here, Lunamaria-san sat down on the sofa, reading the book…… Ummm, aren’t you working right now? No, let’s not voice out our tsukkomi here. It kinda feels scary……

Looking at Lunamaria-san, I let out a small sigh before taking out cookies from my magic box.

[……I have cookies as teacakes. Lunamaria-san, would you like to have some?]

[Thank you, “Kaito-san”! I’m really glad!]

[……Unnn?]

[Ahh……]

Somehow, I think something strange just now…… Lunamaria-san’s voice just now, it wasn’t her usual cool voice, as her voice sounded innocent like a child. It isn’t as if she did it on purpose either…… It’s as if she had accidentally “let her true nature come out”.

[…………………]

[…………………]

Lunamaria-san’s face then began to turn pale as she looked at me, sweat dripping down her forehead. A very awkward silence passed between us while I stayed silent, unable to say anything. After a while, Lunamaria-san quickly stands up, still holding the book. Her face also seemed to be dyed red.

[……M- Miyama-sama. P- Please excuse my impudence, but may I borrow this book?]

[Ah, yes. You can borrow it.]

[T- Thank you. I’ll be excusing myself then!]

[Eh? Ahh!?]

As soon as I nodded, Lunamaria-san walked out of the room at great speed. Errr, what just happened…… Could it be that Lunamaria-san…… was feeling shy? I somehow feel like I’ve seen something very unusual.

A few hours after Lunamaria-san left the room, I spent my time leisurely reading…… but Lunamaria-san, who should have ran away, came back.

[……Errr, Lunamaria-san?]

[……Miyama-sama, here.]

[……What is this?]

When Lunamaria-san came back, she handed me something wrapped in a palm-sized wrapper. It’s slightly warm and faintly smells sweet…… Is this sweets? As I tilted my head to the side, not knowing why she handed it to me, Lunamaria-san averted her gaze towards the right, speaking with an air of calmness.

[……Please think of it as some kind of hush money?]

[Hush money?]

[Please don’t tell anyone what happened earlier.]

[……Alright.]

[Thank you. Now then, I’ll be excusing myself.]

I planned to calmly talk with Lunamaria-san, but seeing the firm look on her eyes, a lot of things were conveyed. Even so, this package…… Pink paper and tied with a frilly ribbon…… It feels like Lunamaria-san has quite the cute taste. I felt as if I’ve seen a side of Lunamaria-san, which I don’t usually see, making a small smile naturally appear in my lips. Opening the package I received…… I found a variety of colorful marshmallows inside.

……As I thought, it was really something cute…… That’s one side of her that I didn’t expect.

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

The Light month has ended, and the calendar switches to Fire month again. It was the repetition point of the year. For the latter half of the year’s Fire month to Wind month, it seemed like they call them 'second” Fire month to 'second” Wind month to distinguish it from the months of the first half.

Anyhow, on this day, the 2nd Day of the second Fire month, I was reading a letter from Archlesia Empire in my room.

This is a letter from Chris-san, who kept on sending me what felt like love letters since the start of our exchange of letters. She had been shamelessly throwing me words of love right from the start…… but unnn, considering the impression I got of Chris-san back when I was making baby castellas with Kuro before, she was probably not saying it just for laughs and was seriously writing those things to me. However, probably quoting some kind of romance novel, there are many dramatic exaggerations in her words, so it looked like she was half-teasing me.

Well, let’s leave that part of hers aside, the main topic of the situation is the contents of her letter beyond that. It started with the usual exchange, containing topics that were quite normal…… what books we have read lately and other such stuff. Frankly, a serious letter like this that held playfulness here and there certainly feels like Chris-san. That’s also why the words of love that would always be there at the start of her letters feel so unbalanced……

After that, the letter began talking about the tourist attractions of the Archlesia Empire. Within Chris-san’s letters, she would sometimes introduce me to the specialties and tourist attractions of the Archlesia Empire. I personally look forward to letters like this quite a bit because of the way she introduced them. This time, she introduced me to a flower-themed tourist attraction in a town in the Eastern Archlesia. It’s something like that so-called flower garden back in Japan, where you can see a variety of flowers. Two tickets for admission were enclosed with the letter, saying that it’s one of Chris-san’s tourist attractions she recommends the most and that she strongly recommends that I visit it at least once.

Even so, flowers huh …… After I came to this world, I watched nature quite a bit…… especially forests and trees in Rigforeshia and Yggfresis, but surprisingly, I may not have seen that much flowers. The one that left the greatest impression on me was the Blue Crystal Flower, which I have many memories of with Isis-san. Since I received some tickets though, I guess it might be a good idea to invite someone.

However, who should I invite…… if it’s one of my lovers, I feel like Isis-san would like watching the flowers with me. On the other hand, rather than watching flowers, I think Alice would like the dango we eat while watching flowers more?

Arehh? Come to think of it…… What about her then?

While I was thinking about who to go to the flower garden with, a certain person came to my mind. She may not be my lover, but I’ve regularly been under her care, and besides, if I’m not mistaken, I think she likes flowers. In that case, this might be just the thing to thank her for always. With this thought in mind, I got up from my seat and went out of the room to look for the person I wanted to see. I was able to find the person I was looking for without much trouble, and I immediately invited her to the flower garden.

[……Together with meeeeee? I’m happy that you invited meeeeee, but is that really alriiiiiight? Wouldn’t it be betteeeeeer if you go with one of your lovers?]

“I thought about that, but when I heard about this flower garden, I thought of Illness-san, so I thought this would be a good way to thank you for always taking care of me……]

[Why me thouuuugh?]

[Errr, I’m sorry if I’m just misunderstanding it, but I thought Illness-san like flowers.]

Yes, the person I was going to invite was Illness-san. Illness-san is not a very assertive person, and her tastes and hobbies are not easy to tell. However, there was that rose in Illness-san’s ribbon…… I think you call that cross tie? Anyway, she wears a ribbon that is different from other maids, and I remember seeing her maid’s apron tied in a flower-like knot, and even her handkerchief has a flower pattern. From those things, I think that Illness likes flowers…… especially roses.

[I ceeeertainly like flowers buuuuut …… are you reeeeeeally sure you want to go there with meeeeee?]

[Yes, that is if Illness-san is alright with it.]

[Thank you very muuuuuuch. In that caaaaaase, I will be happy to join youuuuuu.]

Seeing Illness-san smiling as she said that, I naturally became happy and let out a smile too.

[Ahh, I’m sure you have your work to keep in mind, Illness-san, so when would you like us to go?]

[I’m fine with the daaaaay Kaito-sama decides to goooooo.]

[Errr…… Hmmm, would you be okay with, say, the day after tomorrow?]

[Yeeeeees, it’s alriiiiiight. Embarrassing it may be to say thiiiiiis, but the others had been telling me to get more rest sooooo……]

Come to think of it, I think Illness-san is always around. She did take something like a half day-off before, but I don’t think she’s ever had a whole day off…… Eh? Could it be, she doesn’t take any time off at all? Hahaha, there’s no way …… no way …… no, I guess that’s possible if it’s Illness-san. I guess this must be something that makes Lilia-san and the others’ heads ache.

[……Well then, I guess I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.]

[Yeeeees. I’m in your care at that time.]

[Me too.]

For the time being, let’s not think too deeply about this and try to think of various things for Illness-san to enjoy that day. As expected, trying to research information about flowers now would just end up with me looking pretentious, so other than that…… I guess I’ll just check out Kuro’s Eating Tour in its Entirety Guide to have some idea about the nearby restaurants we could go to. Having that day in mind, I decided to let Lilia-san know in advance, so I went with Illness-san to explain to her about the details of that day. Lilia-san seemed to be in agreement, telling Illness-san that she should instead have more regular vacations with an astounded expression on her face, giving more credence to my theory about Illness-san not taking vacations at all.

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

The 3rd Day of the second Fire month. Today is the day I will go to the flower garden with Illness-san. We will meet up in front of the mansion, and once we teleport to Archlesia Empire’s Royal Capital, we will head for the Teleportation shop over there. This Teleportation Shop, just as its name literally suggests, is an establishment where Spatial Teleportations are performed by Teleportation Magic. Needless to say, Teleportation Magic Tools are high-end products and basically not affordable for the average person. However, this does not mean that the only means of transportation for the average person is on foot or in a horse-drawn carriage. There are establishments that offer Teleportation Magic as a business, like the Teleportation Shop we are heading to now.

Well, the cost of a single-way teleportation is quite high, and the destination where you could teleport to isn’t that much either. The only places they can teleport to are well-known tourist spots and commercial areas. The flower garden that Illness-san and I are going to this time is quite far from Archlesia’s Royal Capital, and it would take too much time to get there by carriage or other means, but it’s a reasonably famous sightseeing spot that can the Teleportation Shop can teleport to. The magic tool I have certainly may have been  highly efficient, but it can’t teleport me to a place I’ve never been to, and I would have to visit the place once and record the location.

[Teleportation shops can get pretty crowded huh?]

[That’s riiiiiight. Since magic tools have cooldown tiiiiiimes before it can be used agaiiiiiiin, it isn’t possible to teleport many times in a short period of tiiiiiime.]

It seems that the Teleportation Shop has multiple Teleportation magic tools, but even when that was the case, once used, it takes a reasonable amount of time to re-use them. I’ve heard that the 30-minutes reuse time for my Teleportation magic tool is unbelievably fast, so Teleportation magic tool being reusable after several hours might be the norm. Although I often forget about it because many people around me can unreservedly teleport, Teleportation Magic is a high-ranking magic that is difficult for people to master.

[Rather…… How about I teleport you there?]

[Hey, Alice. I appreciate that suggestion very much…… but couldn’t you have told me that a little sooner……]

Seeing the people lined up in front of the Teleportation Shop, I was prepared to wait for a reasonable amount of time, but hearing the voice calling out behind me immediately after, I let out a sigh. Indeed, if it’s Alice, it would be trivial for her to teleport me and Illness-san to our destination…… but I wish she had said that earlier. At least, I wanted her to tell me that while we were walking to the Teleportation shop after we teleported here in the royal capital. I feel like complaining about her late proposal, which she probably did on purpose, but it’s hard for me to complain since her proposal is something I really want right now.

[……Can I ask you to do that?]

[Yes, yes.]

Swallowing the complaint I was about to throw, I asked Alice to help us, and she smiled happily and snapped her fingers. Thereupon, a magic circle appeared below our feet, and with the sound of a static tv, the scenery around me blurred. The place we arrived at was, how should I describe it…… It feels like a rural town in Europe. The town had a nice, peaceful atmosphere with its brick buildings.

[Well then, I will take my leave here.]

[Yeah, thanks.]

After thanking Alice before she completely disappeared, I lightly looked around to search our destination.

[Kaito-samaaaaa, I could see a signboard over theeeeeeere.]

[Ah, you’re right.]

As one would expect from a well-known tourist destination, the area seems to be well-organized. As I moved along the cobblestone road following the signboards with Illness-san, we saw what looked like a stylish gate. As long as a ticket to a place exists, there should be some kind of entrance gate, and so that’s probably the gate for the flower garden that we’re heading for. That’s a pretty big gate though…… The place we’re going to may be a much larger establishment than I had imagined.

Upon presenting our ticket and entering the gate, I found it to be a stunning sight. A quick glance at the colorful flowers spreading all over the area and I could tell that the beautifully arrangement of this flower garden was unlike natural flower gardens. It was like an artistic scene, as if I had come inside a painting.

[It’s beautifuuuul.]

While I was at a loss for words, I heard Illness-san mutter. Illness-san, who was dressed in the same relaxed, casual attire I had seen on our previous outing together, stood while lightly pinning down her hair from being blown by the wind. Together with the flower garden in the background, she was so beautiful that I couldn’t help but admire her.

[……Kaito-samaaaa?]

[Ah, no, I was just overwhelmed by the view…… It certainly looks wonderful. I’ve never been to a flower garden before, but it’s overwhelming.]

[This flower garden looked pretty vast, so I’m looking forward to iiiiit.]

[Yes. Well then, let’s get going.]

I can’t really say I was watching Illness-san in fascination, so I cut the conversation short and started walking with her, following the route in order. There weren’t too many other tourists, so it seemed like a good place to leisurely spend some time. As we walked along the garden path, my eyes moved to the flowers spread out on both sides. As one would expect from an establishment related to flowers, signboards introducing flowers can be seen along the path.

[Kaito-sama, do you have a favorite flower?]

[Favorite flower huh…… I’m not that knowledgeable about flowers, but the Blue Crystal Flower left a strong impression on me.]

You could say that the Blue Crystal Flower that I received from Isis-san when I first met her is the flower that holds the memories I’m fond of. That’s why I think that flower left the strongest impression on me.

[I seeeeeee. By the waaaaay, did you knoooooow? Blue Crystal Flower, you seeeeee, it’s also known as the “Traveliiiiiing Flower”…… The flower that was on a journeeeeeeeey.]

[Is that so? I’ve never heard it called that before.]

[The Blue Crystal Floweeeeeer is a flower that possesseeeees unusual propertiiiiiiies. It does spread its roots on the ground, but it doesn’t get its nutrients from the grouuuuuund or photosynthesiiiiiize~~ It gains nourishment from the aiiiiiiir. Therefoooooooore, it’s a flower that can grow anywheeeeeeere.]

[Fumu fumu.]

Indeed, Blue Crystal Flowers does have a slightly unusual ambience to it. How should I say this…… including its beauty as clear as it looked like crystals, it has a unique feel to it.

[It’s able to bloooooom even in extremely cold placeeeees or wastelaaaaaaands, but on the other haaaand, general knowledge about raising plants that grow through magic power isn’t understood very much, so Blue Crystal Flowers are difficult flowers to cultivaaaaaate. Even when placed in the same environmeeeeeeent, they may or may not groooooow, and it’s said that it’s impossible to grow them in a stable manneeeeeer.]

[They are mysterious flowers, aren’t they?]

[Yeeeeees. That’s why they are often depicted in fairy taaaaaales. In one of those fairy taaaaaales, the Blue Crystal Flower is said to be the footprint of an invisible traveleeeeeeer, and the flower blooms in the place they visiteeeeeed.]

[Ah, so that’s why it’s called Travel Flowers.]

[That fairy tale was indeed one of the reasoooooons. Also, since the flower has no specific habitaaaaaat, whimsically blooming here and theeeeeeeere, it feels as if the flower itself is traveliiiiiing, so it was called as suuuuuuch.]

That’s an interesting story. Even though it could bloom anywhere, it’s a difficult flower to cultivate…… It’s a bit mysterious.

[Incidentallyyyyyy, the Blue Crystal Flower holds the meaniiiiiiiing “Miraculous Encounter” in the language of floweeeeeeers. It’s a flower that is hard to fiiiiiiind, so it means “our meeting is a miracleeeeeeee”.]

[I see, what a lovely story. It seems like you’re knowledgeable about flowers, Illness-san.]

[I know just a little biiiiiiit.]

[……By the way, what is your favorite flower, Illness-san?]

When I asked her that, somehow expecting it to be a rose, Illness-san answered my question with a gentle smile.

[As you may have notiiiiiiiced, I like roseeeeees. Just as how it comes with varying colooooors, it also holds different meaniiiiiings.]

[I don’t know much about the language of flowers, but what kind of meaning does a rose have?]

[The rose is a flower with a wiiiiiiiide variety of meanings in the language of floweeeeeeers. The language of flowers changes depending on the color and other factooooooors, but most of them are related to affection and romaaaaaaance. For example, red roseeeees mean “love” and “passion”, white roseeeeees mean “purity”, yellow roseeeeees mean “friendship”, and rainbow-colored roseeeeees mean “infinite possibilities”.]

[Eh? Rainbow roses exist?]

The flower that Illness-san always wears on her bosom is a red rose. Illness-san is a person overflowing with kindness, so I feel that a rose, which holds the meaning of affection in the language of flowers, suits her well. But more than that, I was more intrigued by the term “rainbow-colored roses” and asked back.

[It’s a variety of rose called Rainbow Roooooose. It’s not that difficult to maaaaaake, and it looks so briiiiiiight that it’s a popular flower for marriage proposals and the liiiiiiike.]

[Eh? Make? You can make it by yourself?]

[Yeeeeees. You can add color by cleaving the stem of a dried white roooooose and soaking them in a dye solutiooooooon. It takes a little bit of skill to get the right colooooooor, but it’s not that difficuuuuuuult. You can also make blue roses in the same waaaaaaaay.]

[Heehhh, I see…… that’s kind of interesting.]

As one would expect from Illness-san, she is very knowledgeable. This is a field that is completely unknown to me, and I am learning a lot from this kind of information.

[Ahh, speaking of which, according to the information booklet I got at the entrance, there’s a rose garden over there, so shall we go there?]

[Yeeeeees.]

This flower garden is quite large and divided into several areas. That said, if you were to try watching everything without rushing, it might be difficult to visit all of them in a single day. Therefore, to some extent, we have to think about where to go and in what order. For my part, it’s a great opportunity, and above all, I want Illness-san to enjoy it. So, I would like to visit as many places as possible that Illness-san would like to visit. Since it’s settled that we will head for the rose garden after this…… After a bit of a leisurely look there, it may be a bit early, but I guess we could have lunch. It seems that there are several restaurants in this flower garden, and we will choose one based on Illness-san’s preference.

The rose garden we arrived at was a magnificent sight. The scent of roses wafting through the air is amazing, but the view of colorful roses filling my field of vision is nothing short of breathtaking. There really are so many different colors of roses huh……I could even see an emerald green rose over there.

[……It’s amazing. So there were many variations of roses huh.]

[It’s raaaaaare to see such a wide variety of roses in one plaaaaaace. There are also some rarely seen varieties of roses in blooooooooom……it’s a wonderful siiiiiiiight.]

[If you were happy, it was worth inviting you here then.]

[Kuhihi, thank you very muuuuuch. I am so happy to be able to see this beautiful scene with you, Kaito-samaaaaa.]

Hearing the words Illness-san told me with her peculiar smile, my heart skipped a beat. How should I say this…… The way she smiles, which I found eerie when I first saw it, now that I know her inner self, I find it charming. At least I could tell that Illness-san was truly enjoying herself, which made me happy as well. Just like that, Illness-san and I enjoyed chatting and went around the rose garden at a leisurely pace. Then, after we walked around the garden, I consulted her about lunch.

[Illness-san, it’s still a little early for lunch, but how about we have lunch? It seems that there are many restaurants in the flower garden, so if there’s one you’d like to go……]

[I suppose sooooo. I’ve prepared a bento for us thouuuuugh?]

[Eh? You made one!?]

W- When did she even make that…… I thought we left pretty early in the morning…… W- Well, if you ask me, it would be understandable that she’s well-prepared since it’s Illness-san after all.

[Yeeeeees. I don’t know if it will suit your taste thouuuuuugh.]

[Ahh, errr…… Please wait a moment.

Hearing Illness-san’s words, I hurriedly looked at the information booklet. My plans have changed a bit, but if Illness-san went to the trouble of making a bento, I want to eat it.

[……Ahh, it looks like there’s a plaza where you can eat and drink, so let’s eat there.]

If you check the booklet, the places where the guests can eat and drink are well-described and in terms of location, it’s quite close to where we are. After Illness-san nodded with a smile, and the both of us moved toward that plaza. When we arrived at the plaza, I found that it had no trees, and it looked like a large lawn. While it is quite large, the view is nice because you can see the flower garden in the distance.

[It’s a nice view. Shall we eat around here?]

[Yeeeeees. Well theeeeen, I will make preparatioooooons.]

[……Eh? Arehh?]

After nodding to my words, Illness-san took out what looked like a sheet from her magic box and laid it out on the lawn. The seats are not too big or too small, just right for two people to dine together. Unnn, errr, how should I say this…… No matter how I look at it, isn’t she too prepared? Could it be…….

[Ummm, Illness-san? Have you been to this flower garden before?]

[Noooooo, but I’ve done a little reseeeeeearch.]

[I- I see……]

[Kaito-samaaaaaa, Here you goooo. Please sit doooooown.]

[Ah, yes.]

That’s strange? I was going to escort her this time as a way to thank Illness-san for always taking care of me but…… Arehh? N- No, well, it was understandable that Illness-san is a mindful and well-prepared person, and to a certain extent, this is something that couldn’t be helped. With this in mind, I take off my shoes and sit down on the sheet, while Illness-san spreads out the bento she brought. They all look brilliant, and rather than just because all of them were my favorites…… All of them truly looked delicious. No, I mean, they would definitely be delicious.

[They look so delicious. They’re all my favorites, and I’m really happy about that.]

[Kuhihi. If you’re happy about them, then I’m happy tooooooo.]

The bento prepared by Illness-san was simple but elaborate in detail, with a variety of slightly small rice balls, egg rolls, wieners, potato salad, meatballs, and quite a variety of other items. The flavors were just the way I like them, with a gentle and comforting taste, and once I started eating them, I got so absorbed in eating. As I finished my meal in the blink of an eye, feeling pleasantly satisfied, Illness-san gently offered me a cup of tea.

[Thank you.]

[No, nooooo, I’m glad you liked iiiiiiit.]

Sipping the tea Illness-san gave me, I turned my gaze to the peaceful scenery. Stuff like this is kinda nice…… The temperature is just right, the scenery is beautiful, and eating delicious food made me relax…… How should I say this…… I feel like I’m spending my time luxuriously.

[……Fuaahhh……. Ah, I’m sorry.]

[Kuhihi, it’s a beautiful day,isn’t iiiiiit? It’s no wonder you would feel sleepyyyyyyy.]

I unconsciously leaked out a yawn, but Illness-san didn’t seem to mind and was smiling somewhat happily.

[If you’d liiiiiike, you can lie down for a whiiiiiiile.]

[Eh? H- Hmmm, that sounds fascinating but……]

[We don’t really need to rush in going around the plaaaaaace, so why don’t we just relax heeeeeere?]

[That is well, you’re right……]

There certainly was no need to force ourselves to visit all of the facilities, and taking it easy is an option. Also, above all, it would really be great to take a light nap here, so Illness-san’s suggestion is just too tempting.

[……W- Well then, I’ll accept your suggestion and lie down for a bit.]

Since Illness-san said she doesn’t mind it, I’ll just take advantage of her kindness and lie down, is what I was thinking, but immediately after, I heard words I didn’t expect.

[Yeeeees. If you liiiiike, you can lie heeeeere.]

Spreading a handkerchief over her own thighs, Illness-san told me this with a gentle smile.

[……Yes?]

Arehh? What’s going on here? You can lie here…… Does that mean she’s going to give me a lap pillow? Eh? Why did the conversation go to that!?

[……Is that alright?]

And what the heck am I saying here!? I feel like everything happened all too sudden and my thinking still hasn’t caught up with the situation. Perhaps, Illness-san actually wasn’t talking about giving me a lap pillow, and was instead indicating for the space next to her……

[I don’t know if it’s comfortableeeee, but if Kaito-sama doesn’t miiiiiiind.]

Ahh, no, she’s definitely giving me a lap pillow. Illness-san is looking at me with a very gentle smile on her lips…… What should I do?

[……Errr, ummm…… If you’ll excuse me then.]

Yeah, I lost to the temptation. No, it’s just, you see, Illness-san was overflowing with motherliness that I couldn’t help wanting to act spoiled around her. B- Besides, look, it was Illness-san who suggested it……

A little nervous, I placed my head on Illness-san’s thighs. Along with it, I could feel the pleasant fluffy aroma and happy softness. With how superbly comfortable Illness-san’s lap pillow is, I might lose consciousness if I’m not careful…… How should I say this…… I feel like this might turn into a habit. As I laid down, Illness-san gently reached out her hand and stroked my head. No, I’ve really thought about this for a while now, but Illness has a great sense of receptivity, like she had this incredible motherliness…… I guess she really must be a Holy Mother?

As I was thinking about this, feeling nervousness alongside an indescribable pleasantness as I dozed off…… I suddenly heard Illness-san’s voice.

[Let’s say if the world were a single story, how many pages would there be?]

Is that a song? Illness-san’s beautiful singing voice, alongside the gentle rhythm, sounds pleasant to the ears.

[The you on that page may be very small and hard to see.]

[………………]

[But that doesn’t matter, for you are the next page’s…… important piece.]

[………………]

[Please, keep walking, for the future lies where you’re going.]

This is the first time I’ve heard this song, but the lyrics seem gentle and devotional. Even so, Illness-san…… is really good at singing. I couldn’t help but listen to her song that was kindly and gently spun, as if it was speaking to me.

[Let’s say if the world were a single story, the miracle of meeting you like this is something I’m grateful for.]

The lyrics seemed to have entered the second verse, and she had sung with the same rhythm as the first line.

[As you who reach out to others, the others also reach out to you. And so, the circle expands, and the page gains color.]

[………………..]

[You are never alone, for you have many friends by your side.]

[………………..]

[Please, don’t forget, for there are fans who wish for your happiness.]

As if guided by the beautiful singing voice, I moved my gaze a bit, and Illness-san, who was singing while patting my head, also looked a bit in my direction. Her normally unfocused eyes come into focus and her beautiful eyes stare straight at me.

[I’m sure the road you walk will not be smooth, strong winds may push you back, but I’m sure, you will grow with each of your steps.]

[………………..]

[Someday, when you are old, reading the story again will make me smile, even when I’m not in its pages.]

[………………..]

[Let’s say if the world were a single story, I want to be the reader of the small, very small story you weave.]

[………………..]

[That’s why please, don’t forget, I will be your fan, wishing you happiness.]

It seems that this is where the song ends, as Illness-san ended it with an unusual smile.

""

[……That’s a beautiful song. What song is it?]

[……A song named “A Small Story”, it was popular about a hundred years agoooo. I thouuuught it would be the most appropriate song to send to you, Kaito-samaaaaa.]

[Eh? Errr……]

[I will aaaaaalways be on your side. That’s whyyyy~~ even in the fuuuuture, you can rely on me as muuuuuuch you want. I’m most happy when you’re happy after alllllll~~ or something like thaaaaat?]

As Illness-san said this with a giggle, the expression on her face while she tilted her head…… looked so beautiful and fantastic. I was happy to hear her say that she would always be on my side, as if it were a matter of course, but at the same time, I felt strangely embarrassed…… and to hide this embarrassment, I just closed my eyes, letting the faint sleepiness wash over me. Committing to memory the feeling of a gentle hand caressing my head, reassuring me……

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

While gently stroking the head of Kaito, who was sleeping with a peaceful expression on his face, Illness gazes at the scenery with her unfocused eyes. Green grass, colorful flowers in the distance, and clear blue skies …… Those were factors that follow the conditions for what can be called a spectacular view.

(How mysteriouuuuuus. Even though in the paaaaast, I was told I was emptyyyyy, and I myself was aware of thaaaaaat…… and thinking that I would never chaaaaaange, and even if I diiiiiid, I would have felt that such a change was not necessaryyyyyyy.)

The King she once served, Shalltear, called Illness empty. Telling her that this was the biggest distortion Illness had……

When she heard about this, Illness only nodded her in understanding, seemingly having thought about this herself. With her incredible discerning capabilities, she could sense the inner emotions of a person. However, including the words she said beyond that, it was indeed Shalltear said.

She didn’t consider that King’s words as something she needed though. She didn’t see the need to change that distortion. After all, such a thing had never been a problem throughout her life. She had never been able to live her life without any problems even though she was empty, and she had never felt disadvantaged for being such a person.

————-“Other people don’t matter”.

What’s the point of caring what other people desire? Does it affect her in any way? Even if it does, why should she bother to be affected by it? Even though she didn’t feel that change was necessary…… Illness did not understand. She didn’t see the point in seeking something. She didn’t feel happiness in acquiring something.

————-“Even her own self doesn’t matter”.

She must have been rightly empty. No matter what the environment, her heart was never satisfied and remained empty …… as it should have been.

(…….Howeveeeeer, I met Kaito-samaaaa, and fell in love with Kaito-samaaaa. My heart was filled with emotions I have never felt befoooooore. It was trulyyyyy mysterious. Even though I thought I didn’t need iiiiiiit…… but noooooow, I’m happy that I have chaaaaaaanged.)

Yes, all of that was now a thing of the past. When she met and fell in love at first sight with Kaito, she understood happiness, and her empty heart was soon filled with happiness through her touch with him.

(Kaito-sama often says that you’re always under my caaaaaare, but that’s a big misunderstandiiiiing.)

She lovingly gazed at Kaito, who sleeps on her thigh. Just with that, she felt warmth spreading through her heart.

(You have given me so many thiiiiiings. I still haven’t been able to repay even a piece of iiiiiiit. Because before I met youuuuuu…… I wasn’t even able to see this beautiful sceneryyyyy and feel its beautyyyyyy.)

Many things had changed as her empty heart was filled. She was amazed at how beautiful the world was, and she was astonished to discover this for the first time after living for tens of thousands of years. Comparing before and after she met Kaito, she felt as if everything around her has changed, both in the way she sees and feels things. Having this in mind, she gently patted Kaito’s head, and wryly smiled.

(I guess things that change really does chaaaaaange. When did I become so greedyyyyyy? If the old me knew how muuuuuuch I wished for a future where you’re smiliiiiiing, how I wished you’d always be happyyyyyyy, the past me may be surpriiiiiiised.)

A happy future for Kaito…… that is what Illness desires the most. Kaito’s happiness, being able to see him smile, was the happiest thing for her.

(Howeveeeeer, the gentle you would definitely tell this meeeeee that having such a desire isn’t being greedyyyyy.)

After smiling while thinking about what Kaito would tell her when she tells him about her desires, Illness took out a small pocket watch and looked at the time.

(I should probably wake him up alreadyyyyyy, but if he’ll allow me to be a bit more selfiiiiiish…… just for a little while longeeeeeer…… please allow me to have your sleeping face all to myseeeeeeelf.)

Gazing at the sleeping Kaito filled with love from the bottom of her heart, Illness bent down, and gently holding down her hair with one hand, she lightly kissed the sleeping Kaito on his forehead.

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

I had fallen asleep more deeply than I had expected, and Illness-san gently woke me up about an hour later.

…… I think this holds quite the punch to it, or rather, if I’m not careful, this could become a habit. In any case, Illness-san’s voice is gentle, and her smile was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes, and her gestures are full of motherly love. I’m feeling extremely relieved that it even makes me wish I could wake up like this every day.

Well, putting that aside, Illness-san and I started going around the flower garden again. To be honest, until I came here, I thought that if I just wanted to look at the flowers, we’d just finish looking at them and end up having a lot of time left…… but it’s quite nice looking at them like this. If I had been alone, I would have just looked at it, absentmindedly saying something like “It’s beautiful”, and reading the explanations on the signboards at various places, that would have been the end of it. However, thanks to Illness-san’s presence here, someone who knows a lot about flowers, I was never bored as she taught me the language of flowers and other trivia.

[…… Speaking of which, Illness-san.]

[Yeeeeees?]

[Do they have Magic Flower here?]

[Magic Flower huuuuuh, so you knew about such an unusual floweeeeeeer.]

[Yeah, I had the opportunity of knowing about it a few while ago…… I heard that they grow in caves that don’t get a lot of light, so I guess they may not be grown in this place……]

I thought of the Magic flower because I remembered Lillie-san, whom I had met in Rigforeshia. No, I mean, the only flowers unique to this world that I clearly remember the names of in the first place are the Blue Crystal Flower and the Magic Flower, so when the topic is about flowers, it’s natural that my thought process would lead to that……

[The Magic Flower iiiiiis, just as Kaito-sama saaaaaaaaid, a flower that grows only in the depths of caaaaaaves. It’s also called “material flower” and is uuuuuuused to make the highest level of magic restorative mediciiiiiiine.]

[I see. I guess that would make it difficult to see in a flower garden like this huh?]

[No, that isn’t the caaaaaase. Magic Flower grows only in a place without liiiiight, but once it grooooows, it will not die even if it’s moved to a place with liiiiiiight. It’s just that the Magic Flowers will not grow in a place where there is liiiiiight.]

[Heehhh…… In that case, they could be here in the flower garden.]

[Yeeeees. Howeveeeeeer, it’s still a very rare flower, so if it’s availableeeee, I think they will give it a large space to advertise about iiiiiit, so if it’s not mentioned in the information booklet, it may not be availableeeeee.]

Certainly, if it’s a rare flower, there should be an entry about it in the information booklet. However, looking at the booklet again, I couldn’t find any article talking about it. In that case, they probably don’t have the Magic Flower here in this flower garden. I feel a little disappointed, but the flower itself is probably the one I saw when I met Lillie-san…… I’m talking about those flowers blooming in the side of her head, so I’m not really that disappointed. Just like that, with my lack of understanding of the subject, I asked Illness-san about the flowers I knew, and she kindly answered my questions while we continued walking around the flower garden.

The flower garden is really quite large, and there are rest areas, or rather, coffee shops here and there, which are kindly designed to allow visitors to have some rest, making the tour a leisurely, yet enjoyable one. At first I was worried that we might go around too quickly, but in fact it ended up being the opposite instead. The place was too big to leisurely check out everything, and it was a little disappointing that the latter half of our tour felt a little rushed. Well, I guess I’ll save that for the next time I come back.

Before I knew it, the sky was completely tinted with madder red, presenting a different view of the flower fields dyed by the setting sun unlike the one we had just seen. Reaching the exit of the flower garden, I gazed at the beautiful, yet somewhat lonely, scene.

[……A store? Is it a souvenir shop?]

[It seems soooooo. They seem to be selling flowers tooooooo.]

[How about we check it out?]

[Yeeeeees.]

Entering the slightly large store near the exit, we found a variety of products inside, including interior decorations resembling flowers and dried flower decorations. Souvenir shops like this are somehow exciting and strangely make me want to buy something. Since we’re at it, I bought some souvenirs for Lilia-san and the others before leaving the store. At that moment, Illness-san spoke to me.

[Kaito-samaaaaa, thank you very much for todaaaaay. It was a very enjoyable tiiiiiime.]

[Ah, no, because Illness-sam was here, I really enjoyed myself. Thank you for going out with me on such short notice.]

Thanking each other, we exchanged smiles. The expression on Illness-san’s face as she smiled peacefully under the setting sun was so beautiful that it took my breath away…… and I couldn’t find the words to say anymore. Thereupon, Illness-san took out a small bouquet of flowers that she had probably bought at the souvenir shop earlier and offered it to me, holding it with both hands.

[It may be meager as a token of my appreciatioooooon, but if you’re alright with iiiiiit, please accept these.]

[Eh? T- Thank you very much.]

She offered me a small bouquet made of three red roses. Although there were only a few roses, they were large and beautiful to look at, yet I felt that they were a little modest, which I feel was just like Illness-san. Most of all, the bouquet seemed to prove that Illness-san had really enjoyed this day, which made me very happy.

[……Illness-san, it’s almost dinner time, and we can easily use Teleportation Magic to get home quickly, so why don’t we go to Archlesia Empire’s Capital and have something to eat before we leave?]

[Kuhihi, yeeeees. I’d love tooooo.]

Those were words that just happened to come into my mind. Somehow, I may have felt like ending our time here just like that was a waste. Seeing Illness-san nodding at my sudden suggestion with her peculiar…… but very attractive smile, I found myself smiling too.

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

Roses is a flower that holds its own special language. Of course, as Illness taught Kaito, just as how it comes with varying colors, it also holds different meanings…… but there are also different factors that could change its meaning.

Among them are the red roses…… Just as the red roses, which hold the meaning “love” in the language of flowers, is a flower that symbolizes love, also has the special property that “when given to someone, the meaning it holds changes depending on the number of roses you give”.

For example……

One rose means “love at first sight”.

Thirteen roses means “eternal friendship”.

Fifty roses means “perpetual love”.

The properties of such a special flower whose meaning changes depending not only on its color, but also on the number of roses when given to others…… was something that Illness, who lives roses, would naturally have a firm grasp of. That is why the bouquet she presented to Kaito was filled with her own modest…… yet heartfelt feelings.

Yes, when one is given three red roses, in the language of flowers, it holds the meaning———-

—————–“I love you”.

T/N: Yes, that Lunamaria part was a repeat, and Author-san had also addressed that…… somewhere. I forgot. I just remembered he addressed it.