The 7th of the Month of Wind. Today was my twenty-third birthday. I was not sure if that was the reason, but the servants had been busily scurrying about the mansion since the break of dawn. A fleeting glance out the window revealed a staggering crowd gathered before the gates.
Most of them were messengers from various noble houses. It was a self-evident truth that they had congregated just to offer me a single word of congratulations. It was, quite frankly, a massive headache.
At the party recently held at the Royal Castle, I had become the first person in the history of the Human Realm to receive the True Blessing of a Supreme God. That power was now equivalent to a divine authority. Currently, I was undoubtedly the noble with the most significant political influence in the Kingdom of Sinfonia.
Naturally, I had no intention of using Chronoa-sama's name recklessly. However, even if I did not explicitly invoke her name, I was well aware that I appeared as her herald to the other nobles. Consequently, since that party, the number of invitations to tea parties and other social functions had increased ten, if not twenty, times over.
Luna disposed of the majority of them, but since nobles were essentially brazen creatures, the pile never seemed to dwindle. In this regard, I truly envied Kaito-san.
Kaito-san’s existence was common knowledge among the aristocracy, yet he was also a figure they dared not approach carelessly. While he had received numerous letters from nobles in the past, that number had now dropped to almost zero. Occasionally, someone might send a modest invitation to a tea party, but that was all.
The reason was simple: Kaito-san had the Phantasm King-sama backing him.
Luna was highly competent in diplomatic affairs and was a great help in skillfully declining such advances, but the Phantasm King-sama operated on a completely different dimension. She would not even allow a letter to be sent. Since she refused to tolerate any entity that might cause Kaito-san harm, the letters had ceased entirely once she took an interest in him.
According to the rumors whispered in high society, anyone who even considered sending Kaito-san a letter would receive a prior warning from the Phantasm King-sama herself. The text reportedly stated that if they intended to exploit Kaito-san for selfish gain, their lives would no longer be guaranteed. When faced with such a threat from the possessor of the world’s greatest intelligence network, no one was foolish enough to resist.
Kaito-san truly was an extraordinary individual.
Looking back, Kaito-san had been different from Aoi-san and Hina-san from the very beginning. I smiled to myself, remembering that the first words we ever exchanged were, "Could you please be a bit quiet?" That certainly caught me off guard.
Despite such quirks, my initial impression of him was merely that of an ordinary person who required my protection. However, that notion was shattered before Kaito-san had been here for even a month. After all, he surpassed me in the blink of an eye.
Being favored by the Underworld King-sama, being chosen by the Death King-sama, and receiving a blessing from the Creator God-sama—all of this occurred within a single month. Honestly, that man is a monster.
His meteoric rise showed no signs of slowing. He met the World King-sama, brought the God of Fate-sama home, defeated the War King-sama in a drinking contest, was bestowed a scale by the Dragon King-sama, and eventually even made the Phantasm King-sama his subordinate.
Even reflecting on it now, it made absolutely no sense. He existed completely outside the boundaries of common sense. Thanks to him, I had spent the last half-year in a whirlwind of confusion without a moment to catch my breath. I had likely consumed a lifetime's worth of stomach medicine in those six months alone. I really wished he would show a bit more restraint.
If that were all there was to it, I might have distance myself, thinking I wanted nothing to do with such a person. But the trouble was, I simply could not bring myself to dislike him.
Kaito-san was a truly mysterious man. He did not lecture pretentiously or hide behind sophistry; he was simply straightforward, sincere, and kind. That character of his attracted people and changed them. Sieg, Luna, myself, and even the mansion servants—we were all being transformed by his influence.
It was by no means a negative change. Smiles were more frequent, and the entire mansion felt as though it were enveloped in a warm happiness. It made me realize just how incredible he really was.
Kaito-san had performed so many miracles for me. He had effortlessly repaired my strained relationship with Sieg, returning her voice and her smile. He had even lent me his strength to settle my past, which was another of my long-held wishes. He confused me with his constant surprises, but he also brought so much joy into my life. He was a mysterious, gentle man.
Falling in love with someone like him... perhaps it was inevitable.
Since that party, I had become fully aware of my feelings for Kaito-san, which had made it impossible for me to speak to him normally. To experience my "first love" at the age of twenty-three... it was truly pathetic.
I couldn't keep running away forever. I needed to gather my courage, steel my resolve, and tell him how I felt.
However, Kaito-san’s behavior had been a bit strange recently, which worried me. One moment he would look utterly exhausted or incredibly sleepy, and the next he would be suddenly energetic. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but lately, he would leave to care for Bell and Rin immediately after breakfast and then stay cooped up in his room the moment he returned. The timing was... No, that was just an excuse.
There were plenty of opportunities to speak with him if I truly wanted to. I was just too embarrassed to face him properly. I decided I would stop running.
Today was my birthday, and at my request, it was to be a modest celebration with only the household staff. Naturally, Kaito-san would be there as well. If he didn't come... I felt like I might actually cry.
When I finally reached the dining hall where the birthday party was to be held, I found myself pacing restlessly in front of the door. Luna’s words from a few days ago echoed in my mind: "Kaito-san is discouraged because you’ve been cold to him lately."
I had no intention of being cold, but I didn't know how he perceived my behavior. What if he had grown to hate me?
As the thought crossed my mind, I felt a shiver run through me. I placed my hand on the door, praying that he would be inside, and slowly pushed it open.
"...Eh? Oh?"
The sight that met my eyes was not what I had expected. The room was magnificently decorated, just as I had anticipated, but...
"W-W-Why... are you alone, Kaito-san?"
"...I'm sorry. I actually asked Lunamaria-san to tell you to come here an hour earlier than the others."
"E-Eh!?"
Indeed, the room was empty of servants. There was no Luna, no Sieg, no Aoi-san or Hina-san. Kaito-san was waiting there all by himself. He bowed to the stunned me and explained that he had orchestrated this situation.
He told only me to arrive an hour early? Why would he do such a thing?
"U-Um, K-Kaito-san?"
Confused by the sudden turn of events, I looked at his face and saw he was wearing a very serious expression. His usual gentle look was reassuring, but he looked so gallant when he was serious... Wait, what was I thinking!?
"...Lilia-san, there's something I want to tell you."
"Eh? Ah, um..."
Looking at his face made my skin flush, and I found it difficult to speak. He said he had something to tell me. Was it about how I had been lately? Was he going to complain? I had certainly been avoiding him. It would be natural for him to be angry. I felt like I needed to apologize.
"I'll start with the most important thing."
"Ah, t-that... I-I'm so sorr—"
"I love you, Lilia-san."
"—y... Huh?"
My mind stalled. Had my ears failed me? I thought I heard the word "love." Oh, this had to be a hallucination brought on by extreme stress and tension. How pathetic I was. Since I had gone so long without knowing love, I must have developed some strange delusional habit. I was truly hopeless. Come to think of it, I hadn't taken a proper break in ages. Once this party was over, I decided I would take three days of leave...
"...Lilia-san?"
"Eh? Oh, sorry! I didn't quite hear you..."
"Um, like I said... I'm in love with you, Lilia-san. As a woman."
"………………Eh?"
In that instant, my mind went completely blank. I lacked the composure to even consider that this single night would be the turning point where my relationship with Kaito-san would change forever.