Since Vanessa-san had originally bought the snacks with the intention of having an Evening Drink by herself, the pace of consumption was quite brisk now that there were two of us.
To be fair, Vanessa-san was downing her alcohol at such a breakneck speed that it naturally accelerated the snack consumption... There was still a decent amount left, but I was starting to tire of nothing but dried goods. I decided to pull some variety out of my Magic Box.
"……Hold on a second, Kaito-kun. These eggs…… aren't they a bit too delicious?"
"Nebula and Illness-san smoked those using World Tree Wood chips. They gave me a whole assortment—not just meat and fish, but fruits and all sorts of things."
The item Vanessa-san was raving about was the Quail-sized Smoked Eggs. They were bite-sized, bursting with rich, savory flavor, and carried a wonderful smoky aroma. Given how easy they were to snack on, they felt like the ultimate accompaniment to alcohol.
"If you're going to serve snacks this good, it would be bad manners if I didn't produce my own secret hoard. Very well, I'll bring out my best Treasured Snack."
"A Treasured Snack? That sounds interest— Vanessa-san? Wait, wh-what are you doing!?"
"I've got it stashed in the back here……"
"Do you realize what you're wearing right now!? Please don't go rummaging around under the bed in that state!"
After announcing her Treasured Snack, Vanessa-san dropped to all fours in front of her bed and reached deep underneath to retrieve something.
The problem was that she was currently wearing nothing but underwear and an oversized T-shirt. To make matters worse, her bed was positioned directly in my line of sight from where I sat.
Consequently, her pose on all fours was... incredibly provocative. Every time she stretched her arm under the bed, the movement accentuated her hips and rear in a way that was far too stimulating.
I realized the situation and looked away immediately, but even with my head turned, she lingered in my peripheral vision. My focus kept being drawn back toward her despite my best efforts... It was a very complicated state of mind.
"Aha, got it. It was shoved further back than I thought."
"……Vanessa-san, did you find it? Is it safe for me to look back yet?"
"You could have watched if you wanted to…… You really are a gentleman, aren't you?"
"I know it's your own room, but you're being way too careless. You're practically at No-guard…… You realize there's a man in the room, right?"
After retrieving what looked like a tightly sealed box, Vanessa-san returned to the sofa and sat beside me in high spirits, completely unbothered by the situation.
I was absolutely convinced that even if I had been shamelessly staring at her, she wouldn't have cared in the slightest.
"Hmm, well, I suppose that depends on the guy. You have your pick of the litter, so I don't think you feel the need to be a predator. Not that you'd do that sort of thing anyway…… But personally, I like you enough that even if Kaito-kun pushed me down right here and now, I'd probably just think, 'Want a little exercise between drinks?' and let you. Oh? Where was the knot…… on the back?"
"There you go again, saying stuff like that so casually……"
The troubling part was that Vanessa-san wasn't joking. She meant exactly what she said…… I truly felt that if I were to lose to my Desire and make a move, she would accept me with that same easygoing attitude.
She continued to speak as she rotated the box, working to untie the string wrapped several times around it.
"I mean, labels like 'Lover' or 'husband' feel like a lot of work, so I'll pass on the commitment. But I've got normal sexual urges, and I don't mind being held by someone I'm fond of. If you ever find yourself wanting a Flavor Change, just give me a shout~ Oh, it's open. Want a taste?"
"……A taste of which exactly?"
"The Treasured Snack, obviously…… What do you think?"
"Black meat? Is it marinated in something?"
The temptation posed by Vanessa-san—who was currently scantily clad and mentally at absolute No-guard—was a heavy burden for someone who'd been drinking. I did my best to put her previous invitation out of my mind and focused entirely on the snack.
It looked like dark, cured meat, and it was clear it had been steeped in some kind of liquid. That explained why she kept it under the bed rather than in a Magic Box; since items in a Magic Box are held in a state of suspended animation, they are useless for marinating or aging.
"This is actually fish. By applying a special Status Preservation Magic to the chunks of meat, I can force the sauce to penetrate deep inside while preventing any spoilage. It's actually a fairly high-level spell. Using this Magic makes the aging process very slow, so it takes quite a while to finish, but the taste is spectacular."
"I see. Well, let me try a piece…… Oh, wow. The flavor is incredibly concentrated, yet it still tastes distinctly like fish. This goes perfectly with beer."
"Right? Right? Munching on this while knocking back a cold one…… Phew! It's to die for!"
Vanessa-san’s Treasured Snack reminded me of marinated tuna, though it was far more complex. The umami seemed to expand across my palate with every chew. Despite the extensive aging, it somehow retained the fresh texture of newly caught Sashimi. True to its name, it was exceptionally delicious.
Yeah, it really was good…… and that was fine, but…… Vanessa-san? You've sidled up so close to me that we're practically joined at the hip. Was this intentional or just a product of her drunken comfort? I couldn't tell. And since her oversized T-shirt hung loose at her collar, I was running out of safe places to look whenever I glanced down from above…….
Serious-senpai: "Oh, come on! Don't screw with me! You two are basically a couple already, aren't you?! This is exactly the distance of lovers having a private drink at home! You're flirting like crazy!! Where's the seriousness!?"
???: "If it’s not there, it’s just not there, ssu."