On the morning of the eighteenth day of the Month of Earth, as I was heading toward the dining hall for breakfast, Alice suddenly appeared.
"Kaito-san, I’m sorry... I have a meeting with the Six Kings today, so I’ll be out for a while."
"Eh? Oh, I guess those kinds of meetings really do happen."
"Ah, well, they’re held irregularly... but calls go out every now and then. It would be a bit much to just send a clone, so I’m heading there in my main body."
"I understand."
Despite how she acted, Alice was still one of the Six Kings, the pinnacle of the Demon Realm. It was hard to imagine given her usual behavior, but I suppose she really did have a busy schedule.
Knowing Alice was always following me as my guard provided a massive sense of security, so having her announce she was temporarily stepping down made me feel a little uneasy.
"Don't worry, though. I’ve arranged for a substitute to guard you while I’m gone."
"...A substitute? You mean one of those Count-class demons who helped out before?"
"Actually, no. I thought about doing that at first... but an unexpected person offered to take over, so I decided to leave it to them."
"An unexpected person?"
"Yes. I actually had them guard you as a trial run on our third day in Rigforresia... and since there didn't seem to be any problems at all, I’m leaving it to them."
"I see... So, who is it?"
"It’s a secret."
"Why?!"
I had assumed another High-ranking Demon of the Count-class would be stepping in like last time, but apparently not. I pressed her for a name, but Alice just gave me a mischievous look and refused to budge.
"Think of it as a surprise for when you finally notice. Anyway, I’m off!"
"Wait, Alice! Hold on a second!"
"Fue? What is it?"
"Here, take this."
I stopped Alice as she was about to leave with a mock-salute and pulled a Fruit Stick out of my Magic Box.
"You haven't been eating properly again, have you?"
"Kaito-san... Kgh! You really are a softie! You actually love me quite a bit, don't you? You—Fugyaa?!"
"Just take it and go."
"Yes, ma'am... well, I'm off then."
"Yeah, see you later."
She was as exhausting as ever, but that was just Alice being Alice. I watched her go with a wry smile before heading inside.
Strangely enough, unusual events seemed to come in pairs. After I finished breakfast, I noticed one person was acting particularly bizarre.
"..."
"Um, Lilia-san... what has Lunamaria-san been doing for the last few minutes?"
In front of the four of us gathered in the dining hall—myself, Aoi, Hina, and Lilia-san—Lunamaria-san had been pacing back and forth with a restless, unsettled energy. When I asked Lilia-san about it, she simply tilted her head in confusion.
"I wonder? Luna... what's the matter?"
"Ah, Milady... n-no, actually... I just received word from my mother that she would be visiting today..."
"Is that so? That's quite rare."
"Y-Yes... She mentioned she has some very important business to attend to..."
Gone was her usual aloof composure. Instead, Lunamaria-san looked utterly frantic. I wasn't the only one who knew how much she cherished her mother; Aoi and Hina knew it too. She ate a lunch her mother made every single day, and I always got the impression they were an exceptionally close pair.
"Is this about Luna-san's mother?" Aoi asked.
"I've heard rumors about her, but I've never met her. I'm curious!" Hina added.
The two girls spoke up, clearly interested in meeting the woman Lunamaria-san held in such high regard.
"Y-Yes... I had intended to introduce her to everyone eventually, but... I've been hesitating because of a certain grave concern."
"A grave concern? What is it, Luna?" Lilia asked.
"...I'm afraid that if I introduce her to Miyama-sama... she'll be 'ensnared' by him."
"Excuse me, Lunamaria-san, but I’d like to grill you for about an hour on just what kind of person you think I am..."
Of all the things she could have said. Seriously, what exactly was my reputation in this woman's head?
"No, no, I realize it sounds strange coming from her own daughter, but my mother is an easy target! She’s been sickly since she was young and is incredibly naive about the world. It’s been fifty years since my father passed... and now that I’ve moved out and found a job, she must be lonely. If someone like that encounters Miyama-sama, both mother and daughter will be captured in an instant... The mere thought is terrifying!"
"Hey..."
For some reason, it seemed Lunamaria-san viewed me as some kind of legendary seducer.
"Well, Luna really does care for her mother more than anything," Lilia-san said with a warm smile, ignoring my indignation.
"She talks about her all the time," Aoi agreed. "She says she's the most important person in the world to her."
Hearing those words, Lunamaria-san seemed to calm down slightly. A gentle, tender smile touched her lips—a look she rarely showed, reserved only for those she truly loved.
"Yes... My mother was always physically weak. Despite that, she worked as an adventurer to provide for me, raising me all by herself. Even when times were hard, she never let me see her suffer. She even worked herself to the bone to send me to a Magic Academy..."
"She sounds like a wonderful mother," I said.
"She is. She is my pride and joy. She can be a bit airheaded, but she truly is the most precious person in the world to me. I just want her to be able to live comfortably."
It was clear from her expression and the softness in her voice that her mother was irreplaceable. Hearing how much she respected and loved her, I couldn't help but feel curious about what kind of person she was.
As the air turned sentimental, Hina spoke up with a mock-serious tone.
"...But if she's coming here, that means she's bound to meet Kaito-senpai, right?"
"I don't want them to meet!!"
"Luna, please, pull yourself together. Just because she meets Kaito-san doesn't mean we know what she'll think of him..." Lilia-san tried to soothe her.
"Th-That's true... Just because she meets Miyama-sama doesn't necessarily mean she'll fall in love..."
I felt incredibly slighted by the conversation, but if it would get Lunamaria-san to stop hyperventilating, I was willing to let it slide. Or so I thought.
"...But this is Kaito-san we're talking about, right?" Aoi whispered.
"...It's Kaito-senpai, isn't it?" Hina added.
"That's a terrifyingly convincing point!" Lunamaria wailed.
"Luna?! Get a grip! It's okay. I'm on your side, Luna."
"U-Uuugh... Milady..."
This was ridiculous. Truly ridiculous. Between Lunamaria-san, Aoi, and Hina, I wondered if any of them had a normal opinion of me. Lilia-san gently rubbed Lunamaria-san’s back as she sat on the floor, looking like the world was ending.
Cornered and desperate, Lunamaria-san looked up at Lilia-san with tears in her eyes.
"Th-Then... if it comes down to it, and I have to stand against Miyama-sama to protect my mother, will you take my side, Milady...?"
"..."
"Why are you looking away?! Are you choosing the man you've fallen for over a woman's friendship—?!"
"E-Enough! Just calm down already!"
Lilia-san clamped her hand over Lunamaria-san’s mouth, her own face turning a brilliant shade of crimson as she shouted.
After a few moments, Lunamaria-san regained enough composure to turn her tearful eyes toward Aoi and Hina.
"K-Kusunoki-sama, Yuzuki-sama... what about you?"
"Sorry. If it comes to a choice, I’m on Kaito-san’s side."
"Same here."
"I have no allies left!!"
Lunamaria-san curled into a ball, clutching her head with both hands.
The entire premise—that I would somehow do something to her mother—was absurd, but I was far too exhausted by the conversation to even bother arguing. It had been a long morning already. I really just wanted a cup of tea.
"Here you go."
"Thank you... ve... ry... much?"
"And here are your cookies."
"...Um..."
"Yes?"
"Why are you here, Ein-san?"
"I am acting as Kaito-sama’s guard for the day in place of Shaltier. Please do not hesitate to call on me for anything you might require."
"I-I see..."
With perfectly practiced movements, Ein-san placed the black tea and cookies in front of me, bowed, and then simply vanished.
Wait, what? The "substitute" Alice was talking about... was Ein-san?! No, wait, please, just stop. Too much was happening at once. I couldn't keep up.
I have a feeling today is going to be an exhausting day.
Dear Mother, Father—Unexpected situations just keep piling up. It isn't even noon yet, and I'm already filled with anxiety about how the rest of the day will go. But, for better or worse, it seems that Lunamaria-san’s mother is visiting Lilia-san’s mansion today.