That night, in the room that had become so familiar to me, I sat with a bit of a troubled look on my face.
"Muuuu..."
"Come on, I don't think the King actually meant any harm by it."
Before me, Kuro sat with her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel, shooting me a look that made it clear she wasn't convinced.
The reason for this standoff was my upcoming visit to the Royal Palace tomorrow. I’d decided to try and soften Kuro’s negative impression of the Kingdom of Sinfonia before the meeting took place.
I honestly didn't care about the whole thing myself, and I felt like a formal apology was overkill... but since it involved matters of national pride and various other complications, I’d agreed to go. I figured I’d accept the King's apology while I was there, but I also wanted to clear up any other lingering issues.
Specifically... Kuro.
According to Lunamaria-san, Kuro had loathed the Royal Palace ever since the summoning incident. She’d stayed so far away from it that the King’s political standing had apparently taken a major hit. So, when Kuro stopped by today, I asked her if she could let bygones be bygones once the King apologized to me tomorrow.
The result? This face.
"...I hate that King for being mean to you, Kaito-kun."
"He wasn't really being mean. It was just a sudden situation, and things just slipped through the cracks."
"Muuuu."
Kuro was clearly still fuming over the incident—even though I’d long since moved past it. I could tell she was angry, but since she looked exactly like a squirrel with a mouth full of food, there wasn't an ounce of tension in the air. She was just undeniably cute.
"I'm really happy you're getting angry for my sake, Kuro... but I’m not just 'not bothered' by it. I'm actually almost grateful to the King."
"...Grateful?"
"Yeah. I mean, because he didn't send me an invitation, I ended up having a barbecue with you and the others instead."
That was my honest feeling. Because I didn't attend that evening party, I’d spent the night with Kuro... and thanks to our conversation then, I’d found the resolve to start moving forward in this world. I honestly felt like if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't be as happy as I am today.
Of course, I was most grateful to Kuro herself, but I looked back on the incident that started it all as a blessing in disguise.
"...So, it might be selfish of me, but I don't really like the idea of you being so hard on the Palace because of that."
"...Muu."
"So, could you do me a favor... and forgive him?"
"..."
Kuro fell silent for a moment after I spoke, then let out a heavy sigh.
"...Fine. If you’re going to put it like that, Kaito-kun, then I'll forgive him too."
"Thank you, Kuro!"
"Just so you know, I’m only doing this because you asked."
"I know. But I’m still really happy. Thanks."
"Auh..."
When I thanked her, Kuro’s cheeks flushed a light pink, and she went quiet with a bashful look. Watching her, my heart began to race. Then, I remembered something I’d been meaning to say.
"Oh, that's right. Kuro, are you free on the 30th of the Month of Wood?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I should be. Why?"
"Well, on that day... it'll have been exactly three months since we met, right?"
"Y-Yeah. I guess it has."
"It's not just because of that, but... um... how do I say this... W-Would you... g-g-g-go on a d-date with me?"
"...Eh?"
Despite the nerves making me stammer, I finally managed to get the invitation out. Kuro’s golden eyes went wide, clearly caught off guard by the suggestion.
"Remember how I said... next time, the invitation would come from me?"
"Y-Yeah."
"So, um... I’m going to look into things so I can escort you properly... I-if you're okay with it... um..."
My voice trailed off into a whisper. Seriously, how nervous could I get? I felt like a middle schooler asking for his first date. The silence felt like an eternity, and cold sweat pricked at my back while I waited for her answer.
"...Kaito-kun is asking me... on a date... Ehehe, I’m so happy."
"!?"
Her cheeks were bright red, and she looked down with a shy, fluttering smile that was so heart-stoppingly cute I thought my heart might actually fail. It pounded harder than it ever had before. Kuro tapped her index fingers together in front of her face and spoke in a small, soft voice.
"...Yes. I want to go on a date with Kaito-kun too."
"Ah... T-Then..."
"Mhm! I’ll be looking forward to it, Kaito-kun!"
"...Yeah."
Looking at her radiant smile, I nodded firmly, feeling incredibly lucky to be the one seeing it.
Dear Mother, Father—Tomorrow, I’m supposed to receive an apology from the King at the Royal Palace. But more importantly... today, I summoned up more courage than I ever have in my entire life—and I asked Kuro out on a date.
The 8th of the Month of Wood...
In the capital of the Kingdom of Sinfonia, the Royal Palace was a hive of activity. Every servant in the palace had been mobilized today, and they were preparing to receive a guest with the level of hospitality normally reserved for a visiting head of state.
Today, Miyama Kaito was coming to the palace.
He was a man on intimate terms with the Underworld King and held connections with the Death King and World King—some of the most powerful beings in existence. On top of that, world-shaking rumors had begun to circulate that he was even an acquaintance of the Creator God. In such a situation, even the slightest breach of etiquette was unthinkable.
King Ryze had risen well before dawn to personally oversee the welcome. He intended to offer Kaito a sincere, heartfelt apology in an official setting without any hesitation.
However, at this moment, Ryze sat in the audience chamber looking as if he’d just swallowed a bitter bug. He glared at the figure standing before him, his voice low and strained.
"...How did you hear of this... you vixen?"
"Oh? Whatever do you mean? I simply happened to have business in the area, so I thought I would stop by the castle to discuss the Hero Festival while I was here. My apologies for the sudden visit, King Ryze."
"...Is that so... Then I cannot thank you enough for going out of your way to visit, 'Emperor Chris'..."
Chris stood there in a simple but elegant dress, a serene smile on her face. Ryze, on the other hand, spoke through a twitching cheek.
"My, my, I had no idea you already had a prior engagement. It seems I’ve picked a bad time."
"No, no, not at all. If it’s just a brief meeting, we can wrap it up immediately... I’m sure you’d like to return to your own empire as soon as possible, Emperor Chris."
"How thoughtful of you. But please, don't worry. I’m the one who dropped in unannounced; I couldn't possibly let you change your schedule on my account. 'I shall wait until you have finished your business with your guest.'"
"!? I... I see... T-Then, I shall have a room prepared for you."
Despite the vein throbbing on his forehead, Ryze forced a stiff smile to match Chris’s own perfectly maintained expression. To a casual observer, it might have sounded like a polite conversation, but the air between them was thick with tension, and their eyes seemed to clash with visible sparks.
"No, I wouldn't want to trouble you. I’ll just 'observe from the corner of the room' as 'a mere bystander'... It's not as if the meeting involves state secrets, right?"
"...Y-You... damn vixen..."
In short, Chris was insisting on watching Ryze apologize in the audience chamber. Ryze ground his teeth. It was obvious this had been her goal from the start... but she was an Emperor; he couldn't just throw her out.
Chris gave him a graceful bow and turned to walk away, still wearing that pleasant smile. Once she was far enough away that Ryze couldn't hear, she murmured to herself.
"...Don't worry, watching your humiliation is just a little extra... I really just wanted an excuse to see Miyama-sama. It's so difficult being from different countries; it makes it quite hard to make a move..."
Her smile took on a deeper, more personal meaning as her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Miyama-sama... You, who continues to reply to my letters despite everything... are truly a wonderful gentleman."