The three days of training had come to a successful close.
I believed I had made some progress, even if only a little… but I couldn’t help wondering whether I would truly be able to demonstrate my strength at the upcoming tournament.
As I prepared to leave, a tremendous roar suddenly echoed through the room from outside.
“Is it raining?”
“Looks that way.”
When I stepped outside with Ray, a heavy downpour greeted us. The rain fell in sheets, as though someone had overturned a bucket. No—this was practically a waterfall. Returning home while holding an umbrella in this weather would be nearly impossible.
“Hmm. Going back now seems difficult.”
“What should we do?”
“We’ll leave early in the morning. Judging by the clouds, it won’t stop anytime soon.”
“So… we’ll be staying one more night?”
“That’s how it is. Is that alright with you?”
“Yes. It’s perfectly fine.”
And so, we decided to remain for one more night.
But then… how should I put this.
I found myself stealing a glance at Ray’s profile.
That sharp, handsome face of his was… well…
For some reason, it seemed even more captivating than usual. Was it just my imagination?
“Eh!? You’re staying over again today!? Waaah! Yay!”
Stella threw herself at Ray’s waist with all her might.
After spending these three days with them, it had become very clear: Stella was a bro-con, and Ray was a sis-con. The two of them truly adored each other.
What surprised me most was how Ray’s demeanor became noticeably gentler whenever he was around Stella.
Normally he carried a tense, taut atmosphere, but that tension seemed to melt away in her presence.
Even so, thinking back now… I had learned a great many things that Amelia and Rebecca-senpai didn’t know. Would that really be alright?
Those two could be truly terrifying when it came to anything involving Ray…
“Hm? Where are Dad and Mom?”
“Onii-chan! I told you this morning! They’re staying at the Magic Association tonight!”
“Ah, right.”
“Which means I’ll be making dinner tonight!”
“No, Stella… that’s…”
Ah, that’s right. We had already said our goodbyes to his parents early that morning. Apparently they had urgent, unavoidable work at the Magic Association today.
Hm? In that case, did that mean it would just be the three of us tonight?
W-well… Stella would be here too. It should be fine.
Besides, this was Ray we were talking about. He wouldn’t do anything strange…
…What exactly was I thinking!?
“Ariane? Is something wrong?”
“Ha! I-I’m not thinking about anything strange!”
“I see?”
“Yes!”
“Anyway, for dinner tonight, I was thinking of making hamburg steak. It’s Stella’s favorite.”
“Hamburg steak! I love that too!”
“Fufu. Then I’ll have to put my best effort into it.”
Ray gave a mischievous grin. It wasn’t an expression I saw often, but I had grown somewhat accustomed to these slightly wicked smiles of his.
With that, he tied on an apron and stood at the kitchen counter.
Stella and I offered to help and moved to his side, but…
“You two should go take a bath. I’ll handle the preparations myself.”
He said that, but I still felt bad about leaving everything to him.
Then Ray leaned in and whispered into my ear.
“…I’m counting on you. Please keep Stella away from the cooking.”
“…Why?”
“Stella is… dangerous. She turns ingredients into ash.”
“Ehh… is it really that bad?”
“Yeah. So please, take her to the bath.”
“U-understood.”
It seemed Ray’s true objective was to keep Stella out of the kitchen. With that settled, I took her with me to the bathroom.
The bath had already been drawn—Ray must have done it without us noticing—and the two of us got in together.
“Alright! Let’s wash each other’s backs today!”
“Very well.”
We took turns scrubbing each other’s backs. Stella seemed quite used to it; she hummed a little tune as she rinsed mine.
Afterward, we soaked in the hot water together, but… her gaze remained fixed squarely on my chest.
“…Ariane-chan. Your breasts are really big.”
“W-well… I suppose they are. But they aren’t all that wonderful, you know?”
“Really?”
“Yes. Above all, they’re heavy, and they cause no end of trouble when I sweat. Maintaining this shape is quite difficult as well.”
“Heeeh… There’s a lot to it, huh.”
Even as she spoke, she reached out and touched them without hesitation. But I had already grown used to it, so I didn’t mind.
“Still, you’ve gotten so much stronger, Ariane-chan! I was really surprised! To think there’s actually someone who can take a point from Onii-chan!”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah! Onii-chan is seriously insanely strong! He’s not one of the Seven Grand Sorcerers for nothing!”
“Well… indeed, Ray is in a league of his own.”
Ray White.
I had always thought of him as extraordinary, but over these three days, my evaluation of him had shifted even further.
It was as if the very caliber of sorcerer he represented was on a completely different level.
Above all, his combat technique was on another plane entirely. Yet that skill had been forged on the battlefield. When I remembered that his abilities had been necessary for fighting in war, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad.
──He had once told me that fighting was all he could do.
After getting out of the bath with Stella, we found that dinner had already been prepared and laid out on the living room table.
“Oh, you’re out. Both of you.”
“Yeah! Wow, it looks delicious!”
“Fufufu. I put my best effort into it today.”
Ray grinned again, and it really did seem he had gone all out.
The hamburg steak was covered in a rich demi-glace sauce, with a touch of fresh cream on top. The accompanying carrots glistened beautifully and looked incredibly appetizing.
A corn soup had been prepared as well.
I had thought the same thing when I tasted his curry before, but Ray’s cooking was truly exceptional. Cooking was supposed to be the domain of maids and women; it was extremely unusual for a man to be this skilled.
And yet he was incredibly good… Did Ray truly have no weaknesses at all?
“Well then, shall we eat?”
The three of us began eating together.
“““Itadakimasu.”””
We each took a bite of the hamburg steak.
And then…
“Mmm~~~~~. Delicious! It’s so delicious!”
“Nnyaaaaah! Onii-chan’s hamburg steak is the best in the world!”
“Fufu. I’m flattered.”
Delicious. It was too delicious!
Honestly, it surpassed even the cuisine of the Kingdom’s three-star restaurants…!
This rich demi-glace sauce. The perfect balance of acidity and sweetness beautifully enhanced the quality of the meat. The juices were perfectly sealed inside, and the meat itself was exquisite!
The accompanying carrots had been sautéed until sweet—likely prepared with honey and butter.
After eating the hamburg steak, taking a bite of these filled my mouth with pure bliss.
Ray… you are far too dangerous.
These were skills that could make a girl want to marry you… Did Amelia and Rebecca-senpai know about this?
No. I was certain Ray had said that I was the first person he had ever cooked for like this.
Which meant I was the only one who knew.
For some reason, that fact made me strangely, deeply happy.
“““Thank you for the meal.”””
After we had cleanly finished every last bite, I noticed Stella rubbing her sleepy eyes.
“Stella. Brush your teeth properly before you go to sleep.”
“Ai…”
After Ray took her to the washroom, Stella quickly fell asleep in her own room.
“Has Stella gone to bed?”
“Yeah. She seemed pretty tired.”
“I suppose that’s only natural.”
Ray began efficiently cleaning up, so I hurriedly moved to help him.
“I can handle it by myself.”
“To receive a meal and then do nothing in return would be a maiden’s shame!”
“I see. Then I’ll gladly accept your help.”
The two of us stood side by side in the kitchen, washing the dishes.
Somehow… standing together like this felt almost… like a married couple…
N-no! I have no such experience, so I wouldn’t know!
Yes. B-but why was I thinking such things?
And when I stole another glance at his profile… for some reason, he looked even more handsome than usual.
“Is something the matter?”
“N-nothing at all!”
It would be a little while longer before I realized the true nature of these feelings.