Chapter 4: Sleepover
In King Francois’s meeting room, after the meeting with the heroes concluded...
“Princess Christina and Princess Lilianna are coming over to the mansion after this, but you should come too, Hiroaki. Bring Rei and Kouta too. That’s okay right, Haruto?” Masato asked.
“Of course,” Rio agreed with a smile.
“Huh? Why should I?”
Hiroaki’s response wasn’t enthusiastic, but he seemed to be happy to receive the invitation. His embarrassment prevented him from reacting honestly, but he didn’t seem as displeased as he would have others believe.
“There’s gonna be some good stuff on the menu tonight. If you come back with us now, they might even make some dishes from Earth for you.”
“What? F-Fine, I guess. Those two would probably want that, so I’ll let them know.”
“Heh heh! It’s decided!” Lured by Masato’s promise of food, Hiroaki surrendered easily.
“Are you sure, Sir Amakawa?” Chrisina asked hesitantly.
“Yes. The more the merrier, so feel free to invite Roanna along as well. I’m sure Celia would be happy to see her.”
“In that case, I’ll take you up on that, Haruto,” Hiroaki said awkwardly.
“If you have any requests, feel free to suggest them.”
“R-Really? I want to eat sukiyaki! I like it even more with udon noodles afterward, but...” Hiroaki made his request hesitantly, unsure if it was possible.
“Sukiyaki with udon, right? We can do that.”
“You can?! I didn’t think udon existed...” Hiroaki was wide-eyed and ecstatic at Rio’s smooth reply.
“We have frozen udon from when I prepared a batch.”
“You have everything... I’m glad I asked.”
“We also have miso soup, pickled vegetables, and fresh eggs.”
“You have good taste.” Hiroaki grinned in satisfaction.
“Liselotte’s staying over tonight too. Why not make it a huge sleepover for everyone?” Satsuki said, inviting Christina and Lilianna. Thus, it was decided that a sleepover would be held.
◇ ◇ ◇
That evening, a large number of guests visited Rio’s mansion. First came Liselotte and Aria. Then, Lilianna arrived, followed by Christina, Flora, Roanna, Hiroaki, Rei, and Kouta. Rio welcomed them all at the entrance hall of the mansion.
“My apologies for barging in with such numbers, Sir Amakawa,” Christina greeted him on behalf of her group.
“I should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry my casual invitation caused so much trouble for you.”
“No, it’s no trouble at all. Flora’s overjoyed to be here too.”
“Yes!” Flora agreed brightly.
“That’s good, then,” Rio said with a relieved smile.
Celia stepped forward beside Rio. “Welcome, Queen Christina, Princess Flora.”
“Good evening, professor,” Christina said.
“Thanks for having us today,” Flora added.
“And Roanna as well. Welcome.”
“Hello. It’s so nice to see you again,” Roanna said with a curtsy. She then turned to Rio and watched his expression while curtsying again. “Thank you for the invitation, Sir Amakawa.”
“Yo. I’m here,” Hiroaki said with a wave, greeting Rio casually.
“Welcome, everyone. Rei and Kouta too,” Rio said with a smile as he looked over at the two.
“We’re honored you still remember us.”
“Thanks for having us over.”
The older and younger schoolmate duo, Rei and Kouta, replied to Rio happily.
“Please, come inside,” Rio said, inviting them farther into the mansion.
Gouki’s wife, Kayoko, was working as their guide. “Allow me to show you to your rooms,” she said.
“We can help carry your belongings.”
Sayo, Aoi, and Gouki’s attendants from the Yagumo region took charge of the belongings from Christina’s group.
Thus, the group headed towards their respective rooms.
◇ ◇ ◇
After that, in the mansion’s large bath, the first to bathe on this day were the girls—specifically, the royals and nobles visiting the mansion as guests. As hosts, Charlotte and Celia were bathing as well.
“Ah...” Christina soaked in the wide tub and let out a sigh of happiness.
Flora sat down beside her sister with an enchanted expression. “It feels so nice...”
“I had no idea that soaking in a large tub was so blissful... I see why Sir Hiroaki always insists on bathtubs deep enough to submerge himself in now,” Roanna said. She was also soaking with them, spellbound.
“Is this your first time at Sir Haruto’s mansion, Roanna?” Flora asked.
“Yes. It makes me wish I could bathe like this every day.”
“I know the feeling. Once you experience it once, it’s so hard to go back...”
Flora and Roanna conversed with each other with fully relaxed muscles.
“Hee hee. Feel free to visit every day to bathe,” Charlotte said to them from the side.
“N-No, I couldn’t do that...” Roanna refused immediately.
“Sir Haruto is the head of the house, and he wouldn’t refuse either. Isn’t that right, Lady Celia?” Charlotte said, calling for Celia to speak from where she was soaking beside her.
“That’s right,” Celia agreed with a giggle.
“And how are you finding the water, Princess Lilianna?” Charlotte continued, this time bringing the conversation to Lilianna, who was bathing with them.
“It’s wonderful; it’s like my entire being has been soothed. I’d love to see this culture spread to Centostella, for sure.” Lilianna was also enjoying the mansion’s bathtub; she let out a sigh of relaxation.
“In that case, feel free to come visit and bathe as much as you want while you’re staying in our kingdom. I’m sure Sir Masato would be happy too,” Charlotte said cheerfully, without referencing why Masato would be happy.
“Thank you for the consideration,” Lilianna said shyly, looking slightly troubled. “He... Sir Amakawa is an amazing person, isn’t he?” she continued after a small pause, mumbling quietly. The attention of those soaking in the water gathered on her.
“He is.” Charlotte answered first in agreement. Flora also nodded without hesitation.
“Yes, Sir Haruto is an amazing person.”
Christina grimaced a little at her sister’s deification of Rio. Roanna watched her expression change from beside her.
“After everything involving Sir Takahisa, I conveyed my gratitude to Sir Amakawa for all the trouble he had to deal with. But he tilted his head as though he had no idea what I meant. In fact, he lowered his head to apologize about Sir Masato and Lady Aki, and offered vital information...” Lilianna confided with a look between confusion and guilt.
“Do you not understand his intentions?” Charlotte asked with a giggle.
“To be honest, I can’t grasp his true motives. I was expecting to be in a position where I would be excluded from all information...”
Lilianna confided her honest mental state to them. Takahisa had tried to kidnap Miharu during the banquet and just recently created a commotion by running away. Lilianna was equally at fault for being unable to stop him from running wild, so that was more than enough reason for Rio to distrust the Centostella Kingdom.
Yet, Rio had chosen to share the complex situation he was in and the secrets of the heroes as though he trusted Lilianna.
“Haruto’s true motives are simple—he trusts Masato, who trusts you, so he trusts you as well,” Charlotte answered proudly. Flora nodded along, while Christina and Celia had vague smiles on their faces.
Meanwhile, Lilianna, who still didn’t know Rio very well, swallowed her breath in surprise.
“How can he trust us?” Roanna muttered.
“Roanna?” That appeared to be a big surprise to Christina, who stared at Roanna wide-eyed.
“I’m sorry. I understand the logic, but I just don’t think it’s as easy to do as it sounds. This might apply to Princess Lilianna’s question as well, but I don’t have a grasp on what kind of person Sir Amakawa is either.” Roanna lowered her head as she explained the reason for her sudden question.
“I see...” With that, Christina didn’t question her any further.
“I’ve been wondering that too. Can you tell us what kind of person Sir Amakawa is?” Lilianna asked, jumping on what Roanna had said. In fact, she had probably brought up the topic of Rio in the first place because she wanted to know more about him.
“Sure. There’s rarely an occasion for the princesses of three kingdoms to get together naked like this. As the princess of the hosting kingdom, it would be rude of me not to present a story for you to take home.”
Charlotte nodded generously, showing her great sense of hospitality.
“It might turn into a long bath, though. You’ll get dizzy if you soak for too long, so if it gets too hard for you, please change to a footbath and listen,” she said, taking the lead by standing up from the bath and sitting on the edge of the tub.
“But first, I’d like to hear from Princess Lilianna and Lady Roanna, who don’t know Sir Haruto that well, what their honest impression of him is. That way, I can clear up any misunderstandings,” Christina said with a bright look of curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
“He’s a mysterious gentleman. He has so much strength, yet he seems too kind and quiet to be involved in conflict. I do think he’s a very kind gentleman. But at the same time, I feel like there’s something about him that cannot be perceived. Like there’s no knowing what he’s thinking...” Lilianna said, describing her impression of Rio.
“He isn’t a talkative one,” Charlotte agreed, sounding like she was having fun.
“But I can’t see what he’s thinking or feeling deep down. I can’t see his true thoughts. Normally, people’s thoughts show in their actions so you can tell what they want to do at the moment, so it’s like he doesn’t have much of a sense of self...”
Charlotte applauded with a satisfied look. “That’s quite the keen eye you have, as I should have expected. Now, can we hear from you next, Roanna?” She turned the spotlight on Roanna, who looked at Christina hesitantly, as though to confirm it was okay to speak.
“Speak. I’d like to hear it too,” Christina said with a nod.
She then stood up and sat on the edge of the bathtub. It was her way of expressing her intention to settle down for a long discussion. Then, Flora and Celia also stood up and sat on the edge, and Roanna followed suit.
“Princess Lilianna has accurately verbalized the vague impression I had of him,” she said. “I completely agree with what she said about being unable to see his true thoughts. If I had to add something, then I’ve wondered before if having so much influence yet such unclear intentions makes it easy for him to be misunderstood or suspected by others.”
“Exactly. If I could say something without fear of being misunderstood, I may be wary of him too. Sir Amakawa currently has the same influence as a high-class noble in a key position of the Galarc Kingdom, if not more. If he wished, he could make it difficult for our kingdom to continue its relationship with Sir Masato and Lady Aki...”
As the one who brought up the topic in the first place, Lilianna seemed to think she had to reveal her true thoughts. What she was saying was stepping pretty far over the line.
“I see. Being offered free information and receiving hospitality from someone like that would leave anyone confused about their intentions,” Charlotte said in understanding, the corners of her mouth curling up.
“If anything, I’d feel more at ease if he requested some kind of information in return. Otherwise I don’t know what he wants me to do...” Lilianna said.
“He’s just not the type to seek anything in return when he does things for others,” Celia agreed with a wry smile.
“There’s nothing more expensive than free. Lady Suzune once said these words, and I think they fit this situation perfectly,” Lilianna said.
Charlotte smiled mischievously, enjoying the sight of Lilianna’s mental agony.
This is by no means irrelevant to me either.
Recognizing the similarities between them, Christina pulled herself up with a sigh.
“Why doesn’t he seek compensation? It doesn’t seem like he’s acting out of noblesse oblige either,” Roanna said, peering at Christina’s side profile.
“It’s simple. There’s just nothing he wants from you in repayment. If there was, I’m sure he would ask, but there isn’t, so he doesn’t,” Charlotte answered nonchalantly.
“But isn’t it a waste not to create any favors in noble society? If he does it to the wrong person, they may look down on him for it...” Roanna pressed further.
“If that happens, then that person was rude and deserves no further association. But that’s also what makes Sir Haruto so interesting. He doesn’t like conflict, he’s so kind, and people regularly misunderstand and look down on him, without realizing they’re making an enemy of someone they would never want as their enemy,” Charlotte said with an elated grin.
Roanna shuddered and sank back into the bathtub. “I-I see...”
“He is a gentleman with enough military power and influence to get anyone to do anything he wants—he just doesn’t feel like doing that. And it is my hobby—I mean, duty—to teach gratitude to the fools who fail to realize this on Sir Haruto’s behalf, since he’s too kind to do it himself.”
Charlotte seemed in high spirits as she spoke. The flush on her cheeks from being in the bath made her smile even more charming than usual.
“Since we’re already here, I’d love to hear about Sir Haruto from Lady Celia, who’s known him the longest,” she said, inviting Celia to talk.
“I think Princess Lilianna’s and Roanna’s words were correct. There’s no doubt it’s hard to read his thoughts.” Celia spoke of Rio’s temperament with an almost strained smile.
“But that’s part of Sir Haruto’s charm,” Charlotte said fondly.
Celia nodded without hesitation. “Yes. But he does have true thoughts of what he wants. If he thinks something is necessary, he will convey it. But when he does, it isn’t because he wants someone to do something...”
She paused in search of the right words.
“He respects other people’s wills over his own. If they proceed in a dangerous direction, he’ll warn them. If there’s something they’ve missed, Haruto will tell them even if it leaves him in an unfavorable position. He’ll give us the information we need to avoid making the wrong decisions. That’s what his true thoughts are for. Otherwise, he rarely ever shares what he’s really thinking... It’s a little troubling at times,” Celia said with a small pout.
“Oh? And you’re unsatisfied with that, Lady Celia?” Charlotte asked teasingly.
“Not unsatisfied, but... He puts himself last. He doesn’t care for himself, but he’ll do his best for others. I just wish he would treasure himself more,” Celia answered, looking a little sad by the end of her sentence.
“All of Sir Haruto’s actions are like that, though I’m sure he would deny it.” Charlotte imagined the sight of Rio shaking his head and laughed in amusement.
“Maybe that’s why I want to support him by his side. The problem is that he’s so capable, he doesn’t need any support...” Celia said.
“The conversation turned to Lady Celia bragging about her relationship partway, but how was that? Do you understand Sir Haruto now?” Charlotte summarized everything mischievously and turned to Lilianna in question.
“I-I wasn’t bragging!” Celia objected with a shocked look.
“Hee hee.”
How cute, Christina and Flora thought as they laughed.
“Princess Lilianna, I know you’re worried you’ve caused him trouble, but I’m sure he doesn’t think the same. He’s just doing what he thinks is necessary for Masato’s sake,” Celia said to Lilianna in an attempt to cover up her embarrassment.
“Thank you very much. I think I have a deeper understanding of him now.”
Lilianna smiled softly and thanked her.
It’s no wonder Sir Takahisa couldn’t compete with him.
Takahisa was a man who only cared about himself. That’s why he tried to make others do what he wanted—and lashed out when they didn’t. In comparison, Rio cared about others to the point of sacrificing himself. It was clear who was more widely adored by others.
A shadow of sadness fell over Lilianna’s eyes as she thought that.
◇ ◇ ◇
After Christina and the others got out of the bath, Latifa and Liselotte headed into it.
“Aki’s avoiding Haruto?” Liselotte repeated, voice echoing through the bathroom.
“Yeah. I invited her to eat with me and Onii-chan for both breakfast and lunch, but she evaded me both times. I don’t think she completely hates him, but...”
Latifa rested her chin on her arms at the edge of the tub and let out a weary sigh.
“Sorry for troubling you. I thought you’d know the two of them well enough to come up with an idea I haven’t thought of,” she said hesitantly.
“Don’t be silly, Suzune—no, Latifa. I’m happy you came to me for help. Feel free to consult me about anything.”
Liselotte called her Latifa on purpose and smiled gently.
“Thank you, Liselotte.”
Latifa grinned happily and threw herself at Liselotte, who was soaking in the bathtub beside her.
“That tickles, Latifa,” Liselotte said, dimples showing on her face.
“Tee hee.”
“Can you tell me more about Haruto... No, about Amakawa Haruto and Aki’s relationship? I know they’re siblings, but I don’t know the details.” Liselotte sat up on the edge of the tub and patted the space beside her.
“Sure!”
Latifa beamed happily and sat beside Liselotte. She then told her about the relationship between Amakawa Haruto and Sendo Aki. About how when Haruto was seven and Aki was four, their parents divorced and they were separated. About how Aki was young, and seeing her mother suffer made her detest her father and brother.
“That’s why Aki feels conflicted about the current Onii-chan, who’s his reincarnation. Onii-chan also knows that she hates Amakawa Haruto, so he refrains from interacting with her too... But I didn’t hear their thoughts directly,” Latifa said in summary.
“And what do you want to do about it?” Liselotte asked.
“I don’t want things to stay the way they are. I’m not Amakawa Haruto’s little sister, but I kind of see Aki as a sister...”
“So you want the two of them to be closer? Do you want to set up an opportunity for the two of them to talk?”
“Yes! I want them to talk things out properly, just once! But all I can do is invite the two of them to eat together...”
“I see. In that case, it would be better for there to be less people there. They’ll be discussing a pretty delicate topic...”
“Yeah. But I don’t think I should be the one inviting them to talk about it, and Aki’s caught on to me and started avoiding Onii-chan for every meal. That’s why I’m wondering if there’s any other way of setting up an opportunity...”
With so many people living under one roof, it was quite difficult to discuss things in secret. Even more so when one party was actively avoiding the other.
“You’ll have to find a natural excuse to lure Aki out.”
“Yeah. Do you have any good ideas?” Latifa asked, quietly staring at Liselotte’s side profile. Liselotte noticed her gaze and turned to look at her.
“Shall I invite them, then?” she said, responding to the little girl who looked up to her.
“Huh?!”
“I don’t know if it’ll go well, but I have a good excuse in mind I could use. Though I may need to make some preparations in advance.”
“Really?! Thank you, Liselotte!”
Overcome with emotion, Latifa clung to Liselotte.
“I-It’s still early to be happy. I don’t know if it’ll work out. You haven’t even heard my idea yet.”
Liselotte squirmed a little, embarrassed by such a straightforward display of affection.
“No, if it’s you helping out, I’m sure it’ll go well!”
“I hope so... But I think you could have gone to the others for help too. Miharu should know about Haruto and Aki well, and everyone else would happily help out too,” Liselotte said bashfully.
“Maybe... But you were the first person I thought to ask.”
“Why’s that?” Liselotte asked curiously.
“Why... Hmm. Because you’re special...”
Latifa herself didn’t seem to know the reason. She scratched her head.
“How so?”
“You’re like a real sister to me. Oh, but that goes for everyone else. Hmm. Maybe because I have a connection to Rikka? I know all we did was ride the same bus, so we weren’t actually close, but that makes you special to me,” Latifa said with a carefree grin. Those words seemed to resonate in Liselotte’s chest.
“Gosh, you’re just so cute.” This time, Liselotte gave Latifa a squeeze.
“Huh?” Latifa was round-eyed, having not expected the return hug.
“I think of you as my little sister as well, so feel free to rely on me whenever,” Liselotte said gently, arms still wrapped around her.
“Yup! Big sis!” Latifa replied, beaming from ear to ear.
◇ ◇ ◇
As dinnertime arrived, the group of young men, including Hiroaki, Rei, Kouta, Masato, and Rio finished their bath after the girls and entered the dining room.
“All right, it’s time for sukiyaki!”
“It actually smells like sukiyaki in here.”
“I can’t believe I’d get to smell this in another world...”
“I’m starving!”
The room instantly became more lively.
“You’re right on time. Your table is over there—on the opposite side of Queen Christina and the others,” Satsuki said, in the middle of setting the table.
“Got it. Now, how shall we sit...”
Hiroaki rubbed his chin as he considered the order of seating based on those already sitting down. The table was a long rectangular shape, and one side had Roanna, Flora, Christina, Lilianna, and Charlotte seated in that order.
Furthermore, Satsuki was to sit on the other side of Charlotte. And since Hiroaki and the boys were to sit across from them...
“Look, Kouta, it’s like a mixer.”
“Let’s be quiet, Rei.”
Rei was fidgeting excitedly, and Kouta looked ashamed to know him.
“In that case, how about the two heroes sit in the middle?” Rio suggested as the host, gesturing for Hiroaki and Masato to sit first.
“Well, that makes sense. Let’s sit, Masato.”
“Okay.”
Hiroaki sat across from Christina, and Masato sat down opposite Lilianna.
“Then the two guests can sit over here. Sir Haruto, please take a seat across from Princess Flora,” Charlotte said, beckoning Rei and Kouta over to herself and Satsuki.
“Okay!”
“I-If you don’t mind.”
Rei raised his hand and nodded eagerly, while Kouta hurried to his seat while blushing.
“Hee hee. What a delightful group of people,” Charlotte said with a giggle.
Satsuki was also smiling in amusement. “There’s no need to be so nervous,” she said to them.
“Then I’ll be taking this seat.”
Once Rio confirmed his guests were all seated, he took his seat in front of Flora. On the right of her was Roanna, while Christina was to the left.
“Thank you for inviting us today, Sir Haruto.”
“And me as well, Sir Amakawa.”
Flora was in high spirits at being able to eat together with Rio, whereas Roanna was staring at Rio’s face closely as she bowed.
“It’s my pleasure,” Rio said, returning the bow with a soft smile.
“I guess I’ll be beside Haruto, then.”
Celia came over and took the seat to Rio’s right, across from Roanna. The male to female ratio was no longer equal, but they maintained the shape of six people sitting across from six people.
“Yay, I get to eat dinner with the professor! It’s like a school reunion, isn’t it, Roanna?” Flora said excitedly, clapping her hands together cutely in joy.
“Yes, it does seem like that.” Roanna looked between Rio’s and Celia’s faces and nodded cheerfully.
“Sorry for the wait.”
Just then, Sayo and Aoi arrived, carrying their meal on trays.
Hiroaki made a sound of joy. “Ooh!”
On the trays were an empty iron pot on a pot stand and a separate plate loaded with the ingredients for sukiyaki. It included beef, the main ingredient of sukiyaki, as well as the orthodox composition of tofu, mushrooms, parsley, shirataki noodles, scallions, and onions.
“Oh? A sukiyaki using the soy sauce-based stock of the Kanto region, I see. The scallions and onions have been heated already too. Looks like you know what you’re doing.” Hiroaki looked down at the empty iron pot and ingredients with a satisfied smirk.
“It smells appetizing,” Christina said, sniffing the air.
“That’s the smell of scallions after being fried in beef tallow. If you fry them first, the scent of the scallions and beef tallow transfers better into the soup,” Hiroaki explained smugly.
“I see.”
“By the way, onions also take a while to cook, so it’s an absolute rule to heat it separately first. This way, the onion flavor seeps into the stock when it’s boiled,” Hiroaki continued, showing off his knowledge with a triumphant expression. It seemed he had rather strong opinions about the making of sukiyaki, which was no surprise, considering he had been the one to request it.
“You sure have a lot to say about it when you’re not even the one who prepared it,” Satsuki sighed in exasperation.
“Ha ha. Well, it’s Hiroaki,” Rei agreed with a laugh. Before long, a tray was placed in front of everyone.
“That’s enough of that. Let’s eat already! Can I put the stock in?” Masato’s hunger must have reached its limit, as he immediately picked up the jar with the stock in it. However...
“Masato, you idiot! Wait! Listen up, there’s a correct way to eat sukiyaki. First, you fry a small amount of the meat, spreading the fat around the pot...!” Hiroaki, appointing himself boss of the pot, stopped Masato from proceeding.
“What? I just boil it all together.”
“I know Hiroaki was the one to request sukiyaki, but I thought it’d be a good opportunity to try making it ourselves. It’s a simple matter of heating the pot and placing the ingredients in it in order, but if anyone has any concerns, we can have it prepared for you. What do you think?” Satsuki said to the members who had never had sukiyaki before, ignoring Masato and Hiroaki.
“Since you’ve gone to all the trouble, let’s try it ourselves,” Christina said, looking at Flora and Roanna. Flora nodded enthusiastically, and Roanna didn’t make any particular objections.
“What an interesting idea. I’d love to try making it myself,” Lilianna agreed, choosing to make her own sukiyaki as well. Thus, it was finally time to place the ingredients into the pot.
“Now, let me teach you the most delicious way of eating sukiyaki. Listen up. First goes the meat. You fry just the meat by itself. With this, the fat of the meat seeps out, allowing you to enjoy the taste of the meat alone.”
Hiroaki picked up slices of beef with his long chopsticks and placed them into the iron pot. The pot stand was a magic artifact that could heat the pot, so the moment the meat was placed inside, it sizzled and released an appetizing smell. Smoke started to rise as well.
“Wow...” Flora muttered, eyes sparkling.
“It smells good,” Roanna said, her expression brightening too.
“There are some fools that boil the meat with the ingredients in the stock right away, but that’s heresy to me. First, you fry the meat, then add the stock while there’s still some red to the color. But take care not to add too much or the flavor of the meat will weaken. Normally, you add a bit of the stock as you fry more of the meat. You add the other ingredients after you’re done frying the first meat and savoring the taste.”
“Look, the meat’s a good color now. Isn’t it enough?” Satsuki asked, interrupting Hiroaki’s detailed explanation in an annoyed tone.
“Shut it. I know what I’m doing. Who do you think I am?”
Hiroaki looked irritated as he poured the stock over his still-red meat. The sizzle of evaporating liquid could be heard as the sweet smell of the stock spread through the area. After soaking the meat in the stock, Hiroaki finally brought his carefully prepared slice of beef to his mouth.
“Guh! It’s so good!” The taste of the saucy meat exploded in his mouth, making him groan with emotion.
“Now, you eat some rice.”
Hiroaki ate a mouthful of the white rice in his bowl. Beside him, Masato gulped as he watched Hiroaki eat his food.
“I can’t wait anymore! I’m going to fry mine too!” he shouted, hitting the limit of his patience. He fried his meat as Hiroaki began to fry his second slice.
“Shall we fry ours too?” Satsuki suggested.
“Yes,” Kouta said.
“I don’t want to wait anymore,” Rei added.
“We should start too. If there’s anything you don’t understand, please ask me,” Rio said to Flora and the others sitting across from him before frying his own meat.
“Well, you don’t have to follow the fussy guy’s instructions to the letter. Throwing everything in with the stock still tastes delicious,” Satsuki said frankly to the princesses.
“Hey, Satsuki, who are you calling a fussy guy?” Hiroaki snapped.
“I didn’t name any names.”
“Hmph. Whatever. I don’t have time to pay attention to you today. I’m busy tending to this meat.”
Hiroaki’s gaze was fixed on the meat in his pot. It was just about ready for more stock to be added, which he did so before serving it onto his rice. He then scooped both meat and rice into his mouth and swallowed.
“Gah! It’s impossible to avoid this. This endless loop of bliss. I could melt at the taste,” he said, beaming with satisfaction.
“Everyone, your meat should also be ready soon. You can add your stock now,” Rio said to Flora and the others around him.
“Right. I just pour this sauce on it, yes?” Flora nervously poured her stock on the beef in her pot. The sound of sizzling could be heard as smoke rose.
“W-Wow, that’s amazing!” she said, round-eyed and smiling. She couldn’t use chopsticks, so she elegantly cut her meat with her knife and fork before bringing it to her mouth. Flora closed her eyes happily. “Mm!”
“It’s delicious...”
“The meat just melts in my mouth.”
Christina and Lilianna also ate their meat beside her and smacked their lips at the taste.
“There’s a sweet taste to this sauce,” Roanna noted, blinking in surprise.
“That’s because there’s sugar in it.”
“How is it different from soy sauce?” Flora asked Rio.
She had eaten at the mansion a few times now, so she had experienced soy sauce-based dishes before. The stock used in the sukiyaki had resembled that color, so she had assumed it was soy sauce being used here too.
“It’s a mix of ingredients. There’s soy sauce in it, but there’s also cooking wine, a liquid called mirin, and sugar, like I just said,” Rio explained.
“So that’s why I can taste so many things.”
“It’s a wonderful flavor with depth.”
Flora and Roanna both seemed impressed.
“It’s so strange. When I hear ‘sugar,’ I normally think of desserts. I never imagined it could be used to improve the taste of savory food like this,” Celia said, watching the pleasant sight of her former students eating together.
◇ ◇ ◇
After dinner, all there was left to do was sleep, but it was still too early to do so, so Rio, Masato, Hiroaki, Rei, and Kouta moved to the parlor of the mansion to hold an all-boys meeting. They all sat around a table with drinks and snacks, the five of them in a circle facing each other.
“Man, it feels like we’re on a graduation trip,” Rei said as he munched on the snacks.
“Yeah, and it’s kind of refreshing for us to gather with these members,” Kouta agreed, taking a sip of the cold tea.
Hiroaki grabbed some of the snacks as well. “Haruto and Kouta are the same age, right?”
“No, I’m one year younger,” Rio answered.
“Haruto doesn’t really feel younger though,” Kouta said.
“I get what you mean—especially with the way we met. Sir Amakawa was the one protecting us from Beltrum to the Restoration.”
“It’s already been months since we first met him at Celia’s place.”
Rei and Kouta looked into the distance as they recalled those days.
“I’ve said this before, but I’m younger than you, so you don’t need to use titles with me.” Rio scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“Yeah, but I’m technically a viscount of the Restoration. It won’t look good for me to treat an honorary knight equal to count status so casually.” Rei also scratched his cheek in embarrassment.
“Who cares about that? It’s not like anyone’s watching here. He talks casually to Masato, who’s a hero now, no?” Hiroaki pointed out.
“Well, I suppose that’s true.”
“But it’s a little embarrassing to change it up now...”
Rei and Kouta exchanged looks with each other.
“But if you’re okay with it, then... Haruto?” Rei asked shyly.
“Of course,” Rio said with a happy nod. “That aside, weren’t you a baronet before? When did you become a viscount, Rei?”
“Oh, it was when I became Hiroaki’s aide a little while ago. They promoted me then.”
“I told them to treat him properly, since he’s working for a hero,” Hiroaki said with a smirk.
“Kouta’s also became Hiroaki’s aide. They tried to give him a rank, but Kouta put the offer on hold for now. Right?” Rei said, throwing an arm over Kouta’s shoulders.
“I was originally thinking of becoming an adventurer. But for some reason, I ended up helping in the production of Hiroaki’s light novel... Before I knew it, I was an aide,” Kouta explained.
“His art is really good, you know?”
“I’ve seen it before. It was amazing.”
Rei and Masato had nothing but praise for Kouta.
“I’d love to see it as well sometime.”
“Next time there’s a chance, then,” Kouta said with an embarrassed nod.
“And hear this, Haruto. This guy finally got a girlfriend!” Rei said with a grin, exposing Kouta’s recent developments.
“H-Hey, Rei!”
Kouta turned bright red. Hiroaki watched on with a smirking grin.
“Really?” Rio asked, eyes wide.
“I don’t think you’ve met her. Her name’s Mikaela Belmond. You’ve met my fiancée Rosa before, right? She’s her friend. She also attended Celia’s lectures in Rodania.”
“Really? Then I should have invited those two as well.”
Rei grabbed more snacks while humming in thought. “Nah, they wouldn’t feel comfortable in this mansion with so many people. All the princesses and ducal family daughters are here today.”
“That’s true. They’re both from barons’ families, so they don’t normally come into contact with royalty,” Kouta agreed with a grimace.
“I’ve been telling him to introduce her to me. I’ve met Rosa before, but I haven’t seen Mikaela yet. Hurry it up,” Hiroaki said to Kouta.
“That’s right. We have to ask Mikaela how someone as timid as Kouta ended up dating her,” Rei agreed, nodding.
Masato raised his hand, eyes sparkling. “I want to meet her too!”
“So you don’t know how they ended up together either?” Rio asked, looking at Rei and Hiroaki.
“That’s right. I’ve only heard a little through Rosa.”
“It was you who confessed first in the end, right?”
Hiroaki smirked at Kouta.
“That’s enough about me!” Kouta said, evading the question with a red face.
“No no, graduation trips are all about gossiping about love.”
“Right? We’re not letting you sleep tonight until you tell us.”
Rei and Hiroaki refused to back down, reaching for more snacks on the plate.
“M-More importantly, aren’t you two eating too many snacks? You said you were too full to eat another bite earlier,” Kouta said, forcefully changing the topic.
“I have a separate stomach for sweets. Right, Hiroaki?”
“Yeah. It tastes good too. This world has so many sweet snacks, but the ones here suit the Japanese taste better. Goes right down with milk.”
Hiroaki drank his glass of milk, then grabbed another snack and stared at it closely.
“That’s because these were made by Miharu. Of course they’d suit the tastes of a Japanese person,” Masato said casually.
“Wait, you mean this is handmade by Miharu?! Tell me that sooner!” Rei jumped up and grabbed more of the snacks.
“Rei, you have a fiancée...” Kouta muttered, glaring at Rei coldly.
“Idiot. That’s what a separate stomach is for. Miharu’s super cute, you know? She would’ve been the top girl at our school... No, she’d be better than an idol!” Rei insisted firmly.
Kouta sighed wordlessly.
“I know what you’re thinking, Kouta. Your childhood friend Akane is cuter, right?” Hiroaki said in a teasing tone.
“If I was still hung up on Akane, I wouldn’t be dating someone else right now. And Miharu is cuter,” Kouta replied with a frown.
“Oh! He said it!” Hiroaki grinned and threw his arm around Kouta’s shoulder.
“D-Don’t touch me.”
“You know, I always thought highly of you for getting together with Mikaela. I’ve never been a fan of the heroine-from-Earth trope in isekai stories,” Hiroaki said cheerfully, keeping his arm around Kouta.
“Personally, I don’t care if there’s a heroine from Earth in isekai stories,” Rei said, raising his hand to declare his stance.
“I wasn’t asking for your opinion.”
But Hiroaki swiftly brushed him aside.
“That aside, Haruto and Masato are so lucky. They get to eat Miharu’s homemade meals and snacks every day,” Rei whined, pointing at Rio and Masato.
“Lucky? This is Haruto’s mansion,” Kouta said tiredly.
“You can just come visit again then. Though it might not be Miharu who does the cooking. Isn’t that right, Haruto?” Masato said lightly.
“Yeah.” Rio nodded with a chuckle.
“More importantly, isn’t Miharu in love with you?” Hiroaki asked, glancing at Rio’s face.
The sudden change in topic left Rio troubled, unable to deny or confirm those words.
“Oh! No beating around the bush with you, Hiroaki.”
Rei was the one who smirked this time, leaning forward in his seat.
“Well, I had to witness that passionate kiss with my own eyes. Now I have to ask about it,” Hiroaki said enthusiastically.
“So what happened after that? We’ve decided there’d be no formalities between us, so there’s no need to hold back anymore.” Rei pressed Rio for answers, his indecent curiosity in full view.
“Nothing happened. The entire thing was an accident that happened against her will, there’s nothing that will happen,” Rio answered with a strained smile.
“No no, you’d definitely feel more aware of each other after that, no?”
“Well, I guess it’s a little awkward now...”
“How did the other girls react? It didn’t seem like they were on edge or anything.”
“They all seem normal to me,” Rio said, answering all of Rei’s questions.
“Really? Does it look that way to you, Masato?” Hiroaki asked with a dubious look.
“Hmm. They didn’t seem different to me. But we went to the castle today, so we weren’t with Miharu for very long.”
Masato gave the same answer as Rio.
“They might be having cat fights behind your back. You never know.”
“That definitely wouldn’t happen.”
Rio denied that with a wry smile.
“I’ve never seen them fight before,” Masato agreed.
“So the world of yuri anime really exists...”
Kouta made a face at Rei’s keen murmuring. “Eww.”
“It’s more harem than yuri, to be honest,” Hiroaki pointed out.
“Good point. Say, do you ever get into any lucky accidents living with so many young girls under the same roof?” Rei asked Rio curiously.
“None.”
“None?! Nothing like seeing them naked while they’re changing for the bath, or opening the toilet door they forgot to lock, or getting into the wrong bed at night?” Rei leaned forward, eager to know if there were any hopes or dreams to be had there.
Rio thought for a brief moment, then replied. “Nothing.”
In reality, the thought of Aishia climbing into bed with him in a half-asleep state had flashed through his mind. Lina had also snuck into his room last night by possessing Miharu. However, Hiroaki was astute.
“Hey, hold up. What was that pause just now?!”
“I-It’s nothing.”
Rio shook his head, voice cracking slightly. Neither of them had entered his room by mistake, so it wasn’t as though he was lying—or so he told himself.
“What?! So there is something!”
“It’s really nothing.” Rei was leaning so far forward, Rio had to lean back.
“What’s the truth, Masato?” Hiroaki turned to Masato instead.
Masato held his chin in thought. “Hmm. Aishia sometimes goes to Haruto’s room when she’s still half-asleep, I guess?”
“See? That isn’t nothing!”
“Ha... Ha ha...” Rio laughed awkwardly, cornered by Hiroaki.
“But both Haruto and Masato have it great. Getting to live under the same roof as so many cute girls every day,” Rei said with jealousy.
“Most of the time I spend in the mansion is with Gouki and Shin, though.”
“Really?”
“It’s a little stifling being in the same space as so many women. Especially as the only man,” Rio said, describing the actual conditions with a grimace.
“I know who Gouki is, but who’s Shin?” Hiroaki asked.
“He came from the Yagumo region with Gouki. I think he lived with Sayo in the same village that Haruto stayed in for a while? He’s the same age as Kouta,” Rei explained.
“Huh, I see,” Kouta said, sounding interested.
“Come to think of it, there was a guy around the same age as us. You should call him here too. We might get to hear more candid stories about Haruto,” Hiroaki suggested.
“Shall I go call him, then?”
They might end up teasing Rio about his relationship with Sayu, but he had no reason to refuse their request to expand their social circle. Although he was a little reluctant, Rio headed out to call Shin.
◇ ◇ ◇
While Rio and the others were having their boys’ party in the parlor, a large-scale girls’ party was being held in the dining room of the mansion.
Out of the residents of the mansion, Miharu, Aki, Satsuki, Celia, Celia’s mother Monica, Latifa, Charlotte, Aishia, Sora, Sara, Orphia, Alma, Komomo, and Sayo were in attendance. They were entertaining the guest lineup of Christina, Flora, Roanna, Lilianna, Liselotte, and Aria.
All twenty of them could have surrounded a single table, but in order to have more intimate conversations, they decided to split into four groups.
As a result, they made the following groups of five:
Group one consisted of Celia, Sara, Alma, Christina, and Aria.
Group two consisted of Aishia, Sora, Orphia, Monica, and Komomo.
Group three consisted of Latifa, Sayo, Flora, Roanna, and Liselotte.
Group four consisted of Satsuki, Miharu, Aki, Charlotte, and Lilianna.
Using two long rectangular tables, groups one and two sat at one table, while groups three and four sat around another.
First, at group one...
“I see, so the professor had such an era too.”
“Yes. She may act mature now, but in her lower elementary years, she was the most careless scatterbrain. She was always tripping over nothing, and she could get so immersed in her books she’d be late to class.”
Aria was telling Christina about Celia’s days as a student. Hearing the unexpected side of her teacher’s past made Christina giggle in amusement.
“Celia’s still a little scatterbrained now. Like when she was looking everywhere for something that was in her hand all along.”
“Yes. Just the other day she got the shampoo and body soap in the bathroom mixed up.”
Sara and Alma also revealed some of Celia’s daily slipups.
“E-Enough already...” Celia shrank back with a red face.
Meanwhile, Aishia, Orphia, Sora, Komomo, and Monica had gathered in group two.
“Hee hee, how adorable. When Celia was this little, she was already attending the Royal Academy, so we were living apart.”
Monica had Sora on her lap and was patting her head. Sora’s physical appearance was that of an elementary school student, so Monica seemed to be making up for the time she had missed out on with Celia.
“Hmph...” Sora was like a sulking cat. She had an embarrassed pout on her face but remained still without complaint.
“It’s rare to see Sora like this.”
“She won’t let us touch her head, so I’m jealous.”
Sora was generally irritable around everyone who wasn’t Rio, so Komomo and Orphia were both watching her in surprise.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. Sora is just following Master Haruto’s orders to be nice to you all.”
“What a good girl you are, obeying your instructions. Here, have a sweet.”
“Yum!”
Sora ate the sweet Monica picked for her with her small mouth.
“She might be happy she gained a mother,” Aishia guessed, watching her chew enthusiastically.
“A-Aishia!” Sora yelled, face bright red.
Then, at group three’s table with Latifa, Sayo, Flora, Roanna, and Liselotte...
“I’m glad we can talk again, Lady Sayo,” Flora said to Sayo cheerfully. Indeed, Flora and Sayo were lightly acquainted. When Sayo first began to live at the mansion, Flora had visited the mansion and was introduced to her as Rio’s friend. However, that had been the only time they had been able to talk properly.
“Y-Yes, it’s nice to see you again, Princess Flora. I’m honored you remember me.”
“Of course I remember. I told you before that I’d love to be your friend. Did you forget?” Flora asked with a sad face.
“N-No, of course not. I just didn’t think it was proper for me to be friends with a princess... I’m not even sure I should be here right now...”
Sayo was living in the mansion as Rio’s friend, but she devoted herself to working in the shadows whenever guests came over. She appeared to be Rio’s servant, and she originally came from a small village, so she couldn’t help feeling inferior before the princesses.
“That’s because I requested it. Like I said before, you can forget that I’m a princess when talking to me.”
It was normally impossible for a servant to sit in the company of a princess, but apparently exceptions could be made if the princess herself requested it.
“Are you sure...?” Sayo asked nervously, glancing at Latifa for help.
“I don’t know either...”
Latifa looked uncertain as well. After all, no matter how much Flora insisted it was fine, it was possible that Roanna, who was there as her attendant, would find it improper. Rio, Satsuki, and the other residents of the mansion kept their status differences to a minimum in their daily life, but it was a different matter when they were hosting guests they weren’t so close to.
“You don’t mind, do you, Roanna?” Flora asked, noticing their gaze on Roanna.
“I’m fine with it, but only within Sir Amakawa’s mansion. It’d be a problem outside,” Roanna said with a slightly troubled nod.
“There you have it! Tonight is a sleepover, and this is an all-girls party to deepen our friendship, so let’s get along well. I also wanted to talk to Lady Suzune and Lady Liselotte, since we were seated separately during dinner.”
Flora clapped her hands together and smiled as bright as the sun.
“I did too. Oh, I haven’t greeted Lady Roanna properly yet! I’m Onii... I mean, I’m Haruto Amakawa’s little sister, Suzune Amakawa.”
Latifa introduced herself to Roanna, who was seated diagonally to the right of her. She seemed to be happy to be introducing herself with the Amakawa last name, as she was blushing shyly.
“I’m Roanna Fontaine. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Roanna said with a bow.
Sayo realized she was yet to give a proper greeting as well and hurriedly bowed to Roanna and Liselotte. “And I’m Sayo. It’s nice to meet you, Lady Roanna—and you, Lady Liselotte.”
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Liselotte replied brightly.
“Oh yeah, Sayo hasn’t met Liselotte properly either. Please be friends with her as well.”
“Is Sayo also a sibling to you and Sir Amakawa, Lady Suzune?” Roanna asked, looking between Latifa’s and Sayo’s faces.
“N-No, I could never...!” Sayo waved her hands in denial.
“Sayo is Onii—I mean, my brother’s friend.”
Unable to shake the habit of calling Rio “Onii-chan,” Latifa corrected herself.
“I don’t think I’m worthy of calling him a friend either... I merely had the fortune of meeting Sir Haruto during his travels.”
“I see... I noticed there’s a lot of people with black hair in this mansion, including Sir Gouki and Lady Kayoko. Are they all here because of that?”
“Yes, we all serve Sir Haruto.”
“I see now...” Roanna said in understanding, but there was a thoughtful look on her face.
“Onii-chan considers them his friends, not vassals.”
“Some things cannot be allowed. We’re living in his mansion, so we can’t risk making any blunders when there are guests visiting.”
“I should be the one saying that... Tell me if I make any mistakes here, Liselotte,” Latifa said, quietly looking at Liselotte to her right.
“Heh heh. You’ll be fine, Suzune,” Liselotte said, giving her stamp of approval.
“You two seem quite close.”
Roanna expressed interest in the relationship between Latifa and Liselotte.
“Yes, we were just saying today how we’re basically sisters. Isn’t that right, Liselotte?”
“Yes, Suzune and I have gotten along since the day we first met.”
Latifa entwined her arms with Liselotte, who accepted it as though it was completely natural. It was an exchange that showed how close the two were.
“That must be nice...” Flora muttered enviously.
“What is, Princess Flora?” Latifa asked, tilting her head with a blank look.
“I have an older sister, but I’ve always wanted a younger sister... I-If it’s okay with you, Lady Suzune, would you be willing to treat me like a sister as well?” Flora found her courage to make a request of Latifa.
“Huh? Umm...”
“Why don’t you try it? Since tonight is a sleepover,” Liselotte said encouragingly.
“So... Just ‘Flora’?” Latifa said hesitantly.
What a sweet sound that was. Flora basked in happiness before replying. “Flora, Flora... Yes, that’s me!”
“Flora,” Latifa repeated once more, this time sounding more natural.
“Thank you very much, Lady Latifa!”
Overcome with emotion, Flora thanked her. At the other table, Christina was watching her little sister with a soft expression.
“Lady Suzune, could you call Roanna in the same way?” Flora requested more.
“M-Me?”
Roanna was taken aback by the sudden focus on her.
“Yes. You don’t have a little sister either, right?”
Apparently to Flora, not having a little sister meant she had to be in want of one. And with it coming from the royalty she revered, Roanna had no reason to refuse.
“U-Umm... Then can I ask the same, if you don’t mind?” Roanna said shyly.
“Err... Sister Roanna?”
She was silent at first.
“What do you think, Roanna?” Flora asked excitedly.
“Well... I can certainly see the appeal.”
It seemed the desire to be an older sister was there after all. Roanna looked embarrassed as she blushed.
“Right?!”
Having shared the joy of being an older sister, Flora looked triumphant.
“In that case, I’d prefer it if you didn’t call me Lady Suzune anymore. It feels a little silly, heh heh.”
This time, Latifa was the one to make a request.
“B-But what can we call you instead?”
“You can call me Suzune like Liselotte does, or if there’s another name you’ve always wanted to call your little sister, you can do that too!”
“Th-The ultimate question... My sister calls me by my name without the title, so maybe I could do the same... What should I do, Roanna?”
“H-Huh? Let’s see...”
The sudden question left Flora shocked. Roanna also hummed in contemplation. After thinking for a while...
“Suzune?” Flora said, calling Latifa by her name.
“Okay, Flora!” Latifa replied brightly.
And while group three steadily deepened their friendship, beside them in group four, which consisted of Satsuki, Miharu, Aki, Charlotte, and Lilianna...
“There’s something I’ve been wondering about,” Charlotte said out of the blue, grinning. “Are you and Sir Masato interested in each other, Princess Lilianna?”
She looked at Lilianna, who was sitting across from her.
“You sure don’t hold back, Char...”
Satsuki had a feigned tone of reproach in her voice, but she had probably been wondering about it herself, since she had a curious grin on her face.
“Lady Suzune once said that all-girls parties are about love-related gossip. Lady Aki must be interested in her little brother’s romantic life too, no?”
“Huh? Well... I’m not completely disinterested,” Aki said, glancing at Lilianna’s side profile. Miharu also followed her gaze in curiosity.
Lilianna shrank back in discomfort. “Erm...”
“What are we talking about? Love stories?!”
Overhearing their topic, Latifa jumped into their conversation.
“Please tell us too,” Flora said, joining the conversation with eager interest. With that, Satsuki’s and Latifa’s groups instantly merged together.
And that wasn’t all. It seemed everyone was starved of love-related gossip. Monica also sensed the waves of love in the air and leaned towards them from the other table. Before they knew it, Celia’s group had joined them in a tight encirclement enthusiastically discussing Lilianna and Masato’s romantic rumors.
“Why don’t we just bring Masato over?”
“Wha— Lady Suzune?!”
There was no time like the present. Before Lilianna could stop her, Latifa had run out of the dining room.
◇ ◇ ◇
Meanwhile, at the boys-only party...
Shin had been in the middle of drinking when he joined them, so everyone besides Masato also began drinking alcohol.
“Then, even though he gave Sayo a hairpin, he just up and left the village.”
Shin pointed at Rio as he told them about what happened in the Yagumo region.
“Seriously? That’s awful, Haruto.”
“Yeah, what a sinful man.”
“That’s right. Sayo still treasures that hairpin, you know?”
A red-faced Rei, Hiroaki, and Shin said respectively, denouncing Rio.
“That Sayo sure has guts, though. She followed after Haruto even though she was rejected, coming all the way here to the Strahl region,” Rei said.
“Sounds like he should take responsibility and marry her,” Hiroaki added.
“That’s right! Take responsibility!” Shin chimed in last.
“The three of you are getting a little too drunk...” Rio said, completely overwhelmed by them.
“Ha ha, they’ve hit it off with each other.”
“Must be tough being popular.”
Although Kouta and Masato gave Rio pitying looks, they were enjoying the situation.
“Who’re you interested in the most anyway, Haruto? You’ve been living with so many cute girls who adore you. How come you haven’t dated any of them?” Rei asked bluntly, holding a glass in one hand.
“I can’t think about anything like that right now, so even if you ask me...”
“Huh?! And you call yourself a man?! You gotta have the guts to marry them all!”
“That’s right! Marry Sayo!”
The drunkards continued pestering Rio until a knock came from the door. It immediately opened afterward, revealing Latifa.
“Is Masato here?” she asked.
“What do you want, Suzune?”
“I’d like to ask you something. Is that okay?”
“Huh? Me?” Masato pointed at himself blankly.
“Yeah. Is that okay?” Latifa was grinning, but there was an intensity to her that refused to take no for an answer.
“Y-Yeah. That’s fine...” With no reason to refuse, Masato nodded hesitantly.
“Good. Let’s go.”
Thus, Latifa took Masato to the girls’ party.
◇ ◇ ◇
“I’ve brought Masato!”
Latifa returned to the dining room, pulling Masato by the hand; all the girls participating in the party were gathered there.
It was an overwhelming number of girls. Feeling like he had wandered into an all-girls school, Masato stiffened at the pressure.
“Y-Yeah... What is this?”
“Now, sit over there, Masato.”
Latifa led him by the hand to the seat opposite of Lilianna.
Ah, I have a bad feeling about this, Masato thought instinctively.
“Y-You know, things were getting real exciting over there. Shin came over and started telling us stories of Haruto’s romantic escapades. Oh, maybe you should call them over too?”
Sorry, Haruto, Masato apologized in his head as he tried to stand up, using Rio’s gossip as bait to change the topic.
“Onii-chan’s romantic escapades...?” The look on Latifa and everyone else’s faces changed.
Okay! Masato was sure of his victory, but that vision quickly crumbled away like a mirage.
“I do want to hear more about that in detail later. But like I said, I have something to ask you.” Latifa grabbed Masato’s shoulders and grinned as she pushed him back down into the chair.
“R-Right. What is it...?”
Ah, I’m not getting away from this one, Masato instantly thought to himself. Thus, Masato may or may not have learned the terror of a harem.
◇ ◇ ◇
No matter how much fun there was to have, everything had to come to an end eventually.
After Masato was interrogated, the other members of the boys’ party joined the girls’ party. They were thoroughly questioned about what they discussed at their party, resulting in several red-faced people and Sayo getting mad at Shin.
The informal social gathering was a big hit, but it was finally time for things to come to an end. Everyone was disappointed, but it was long past their usual sleeping hour.
As the participants left the dining room one after another, Liselotte called out to Miharu and Aki.
“Miharu, Aki,” she said.
“Yes?”
“Sorry to stop you as you’re about to go to sleep. There’s something I’d like to ask the two of you.”
“What is it?”
“I’m thinking of developing a new product for the Ricca Guild, and I was hoping to receive your assistance in it.”
“Our assistance?” Miharu tilted her head with a blank look. She had given the Ricca Guild several of her baking recipes before, but she had no idea what kind of product would involve Aki as well.
“Yes. The product this time is fashion-related, not food. I’d love to hear both of your opinions from a Japanese perspective,” Liselotte explained.
“I’d be happy to help, but...”
“You’re not going to invite Satsuki as well?” Aki said, asking the obvious.
“There’s quite a lot to check, so it’ll involve visiting the actual stores in person. Considering Satsuki’s position, it won’t be easy for her to go out like that.”
“I see.”
“If it isn’t too much trouble for you, I’d appreciate your assistance. Of course, you’ll be fairly compensated for your time,” Liselotte said, bowing her head.
“As long as you don’t mind an amateur opinion...” Miharu was the first to agree.
“I’m okay with it too. Though I won’t know any better than Miharu.” Aki also nodded with a strained smile.
“Thank you very much, it’ll be a great help. I’ll have to consult Princess Charlotte first, but I’ll have more details within a few days. Please keep that in mind.”
With Liselotte’s request, the day came to an end.
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