The 10th day of the Month of Wind, one day after the unexpected events of the first.
After finishing the simple breakfast I had prepared, Lilia-san and I headed to a lake near the cottage for a specific reason.
"This spot looks like it might be good."
"……Yes. This is actually my first time fishing."
"I’ve only done it a few times as a child myself."
That’s right, the reason Lilia-san and I had come to the lake was to fish. The cottage came equipped with fishing rods, and there was a service available where anyone could enjoy the lake as long as they bought bait in the tourist district.
Since it was a rare opportunity, we decided to take it easy and fish together to make some memories.
"Oh? You didn’t do this when you came here with Lunamaria-san before?"
"……No, Luna strongly refused. Even though I really wanted to try it……"
I wondered why. Why would Lunamaria-san refuse to fish? It wasn't as if she was bad with water.
Wait, let me think. Fishing…… flat-out refusal…… bait…… Come to think of it, the bait sold in the tourist district wasn't the earthworms I had imagined, but rather small, insect-like creatures.
"Um, Lilia-san…… Is it possible that Lunamaria-san is……"
"Yes, she is 'absolutely terrified of insects.'"
"……Is that so? That’s somewhat unexpected."
"She said, 'Vile, foolish creatures like insects should simply be wiped from the face of the earth.'"
"That much!?"
Wow. So even that Lunamaria-san had a weakness for bugs. I felt like I had just gained some incredibly valuable information. The next time something happened, I would have to make sure to put this knowledge to good use.
"By the way, are you okay with them, Lilia-san?"
"Yes, I have no problem at all. Sieg was raised in the forest, so she’s fine with them too."
"I see…… Incidentally, do you have anything you’re bad with, Lilia-san? Ah, I won’t force you to tell me if you don’t want to……"
It was a question asked out of simple curiosity, and I had intended not to push if she didn't want to answer, but Lilia-san fidgeted bashfully and replied in a tiny voice.
"……osts."
"Eh?"
"……Ghosts and the Undead Race. I’m fine with the ones that look no different from humans…… b-but the scary-looking ones are……"
"……"
Wait, what? She was bad with scary things? Why was this person so cute? Was she an angel? She had to be an angel.
Overwhelmed by Lilia-san’s radiant cuteness, I lost my words for several seconds.
Perhaps because neither of us was used to it, we fumbled a bit while putting on the bait, but once the preparations were complete, we sat side-by-side and cast our lines.
"……Lilia-san, this is nice. Just relaxing like this."
"Yes. It’s so peaceful…… it really puts my mind at ease."
"True. We’ve both been quite busy lately."
"We have. Ah, come to think of it, Kaito-san, you haven't been sleeping much lately, have you?"
Time flowed by peacefully and quietly. While savoring that sensation and engaging in calm conversation, she brought up a topic that hit the nail right on the head, making me jump.
As expected, she had noticed I looked tired. Or rather, since I had already given her the music box, she probably already knew exactly what I had been up to.
"……Please don’t worry me too much. I am happy—truly, deeply happy—that you worked so hard for me, but I still worry."
"Yes…… Though, regarding that, I feel the same way."
"……Eh?"
"Aren't you always working too late yourself, Lilia-san?"
"Ugh. S-so you’re going there……"
I certainly knew I had overdone it this time, and Kuro had already scolded me for it. However, when it came to overworking, Lilia-san was hardly one to talk. After all, she was always the last one to go to bed. At least as far as I knew, the lights were always on whenever I passed by her office at night.
When I pointed that out, Lilia-san gave a wry smile, looking as if I had struck a sore spot.
"I understand that you’re busy as the head of the house, and it's not my place to say anything, but…… I’m still worried about you."
"Ugh, yes…… I will be careful."
"Good. And I’ll be careful too."
"……Fufu."
"Ahaha."
I wondered what this was. We were both as bad as each other. Perhaps we were two of a kind, but the situation where we were both worrying about the other not to push themselves too hard felt funny, and I couldn't help but laugh along with Lilia-san.
Really, what was this feeling? It shouldn't have been anything more than an ordinary conversation, yet it was so much fun and felt so fresh. This kind of thing really was wonderful.
For a while, we continued to enjoy fishing at a leisurely pace, but then a problematic situation arose. It seemed that trouble was an inevitable companion to travel.
"……Ah, another one."
"……Uugh."
The rod in my hand shook, and I pulled up another fish. Why had it turned out like this?
A few hours after we started, a clear difference had emerged in our results. My water bucket was already so full that no more fish could fit, so I was currently releasing them immediately after catching them. On the other hand, Lilia-san’s bucket contained nothing but perfectly clear water. How did this happen?
"W-Why haven't I caught even a single one……"
"N-No, I think this sort of thing is just down to luck……"
"To even attract fish like this…… As I thought, you really are amazing, Kaito-san."
"No, please stop being impressed by something so strange."
It seemed I was unusually lucky today, catching so many fish that it was actually becoming a problem. I was at the point where I might start laboring under the delusion that I could be a world-class fisherman if I changed careers.
My concern was that Lilia-san hadn't caught anything while I was pulling them in, but judging from her reaction, she seemed to be having fun in her own way.
Just as I was about to bait my hook and cast the line again, Lilia-san’s rod twitched.
"Eh? Ah!? I-It’s here! Eh? Eh? What should I do!?"
"I-It’s okay! Calm down. The fish here seem easy to catch, so just wait for the right timing and pull it up 'with all your might!'"
"I-I understand…… With all my might, right!?"
Wait. What was that? I just felt a chill run down my spine. Oh no. This was bad. This was the dangerous kind of "all your might."
the moment I reached that conclusion, Lilia-san pulled the rod at a speed the eye couldn't follow. In an instant, the lake surface erupted as if a bomb had gone off.
"——!? Lilia-san!!"
"Eh? Kyah!"
It was an action born entirely of reflex. I instantly threw myself over Lilia-san to shield her, taking the massive spray of water across my entire back.
Even though it was summer, getting drenched like that was quite cold. As I was thinking that, I heard Lilia-san’s voice.
"——!? K-Kaito-san! I-I’m sorry! I…… I didn't know my own strength!"
"No, the way I said it just now was also bad…… Are you okay? Did you get wet?"
"Y-Yes, because you protected me, Kaito-san…… only a little bit got on me."
"That’s a relief."
I managed to shield Lilia-san from the spray, and I let out a sigh of relief. If Lilia-san had gotten soaked, her white, sundress-like outfit surely would have become completely transparent, and she would have been mortified. I was glad that didn’t happen. Really. I definitely wasn't thinking it was a bit of a shame or anything like that.
I slowly stood up and moved a little away from Lilia-san so as not to drip on her before shaking the water from my hair.
"Well then, I’m going to go back to the cottage and change for a bit……"
"Ah, yes. I’m so sorry."
"No, no, please don’t worry about it. I’ll be right back."
"Yes…… Ah, Kaito-san!"
"……Eh?"
Lilia-san called out to stop me as I was about to head back. When I turned around, she looked down with a red face, fidgeted for a moment, and then quietly spoke.
"……Thank you for protecting me. You were…… very wonderful, Kaito-san."
"T-Thank you."
Dear Mother, Father—On the second day of our trip, I spent a relaxing time fishing with Lilia-san. There was a bit of a mishap, but somehow, I think I managed to show her—even if only a little—my manly side.
Kaito: "I guess I’m just lucky today."
Not just today. You’re always lucky.