I finished the delicious bento Isis-san had made for me while sitting in that breathtaking spot atop Magnawell-san’s head.
Man, it looked like a lot when I first saw it, but it was so good that I polished off every bite. I might have overdone it just a bit.
"...Kaito... here... some tea."
"Thank you. Wait, is this green tea? I thought you were a black tea fan, Isis-san?"
"...Yes... but... I heard you liked it... so I studied... the otherworld's tea too."
"...Isis-san."
Isis-san was such an angel that she was practically dazzling.
The green tea she’d brewed was the perfect post-meal drink; it felt like it was seeping right into my soul. It was genuinely delicious.
While I was taking a breather and sipping the tea, I heard Magnawell-san’s voice rumbling from beneath my feet.
"Kaito, how fares it? Are you enjoying the festival?"
"Oh! Yes. There have been plenty of surprises, but overall, I’m having a great time."
"I see. That is good... Hmm, very well. I shall grant you a little 'pocket money'."
"...Huh? Wait, what!?"
The moment Magnawell-san said that, what looked to be about a hundred Platinum Coins materialized right in front of me.
"You will need funds to enjoy the festival properly. Go on, do not be shy. I have no use for coins, and they were starting to become a nuisance to store."
"...Ah, um... yes... thank you... very much."
"Umu. Ah, and there was a sweet that my subordinates mentioned was quite good... At my size, I cannot even tell what it tastes like, so I shall give you that as well."
"Th-thank you... I-I think I’m okay now, really!"
How should I put it? Magnawell-san really felt like a doting grandfather meeting his grandson for the first time in ages.
However, it felt like he’d keep giving me things forever if I let him, so I thanked him somewhat forcefully and insisted I was fine now.
Yeah, I really did receive something from Magnawell-san every time we met. He treated me entirely like his grandson.
I chatted with Magnawell-san for a bit longer, and once our conversation wound down, Isis-san looked at me with expectant eyes.
"...Kaito... our promise."
"Ugh... R-right now?"
"...Yes... here... there is... no one else... right?"
"I-I understand."
The promise Isis-san was referring to was the request she’d made earlier when she won the pet house for me at the auction.
Nudged along by Isis-san’s happy smile, I slowly lay down on the sheet.
"E-excuse me."
"...Yes."
After a quick apology, I lowered my head and felt the soft sensation of high-quality fabric against my neck.
Isis-san’s request was that she "wanted to give me a lap pillow." I wondered if this really counted as a favor. It felt more like a reward for me than for her, but Isis-san looked incredibly satisfied.
The sensation was quite different from the lap pillows Kuro gave me in her half-pants. Isis-san’s gothic-style dress used such fine material that it felt like resting on a luxury pillow.
Isis-san’s cool hand—her body temperature was naturally low—rested gently on my forehead. The sensation was surprisingly pleasant.
"...But, why a lap pillow?"
"...Because Kuromueina... said she... does it often... so I... wanted to try it too."
"I-I see..."
I had a feeling some unnecessary information was being leaked. It was true that Kuro gave me lap pillows all the time. In fact, lately, whenever we were alone... I’d been letting her pamper me quite a lot.
God, this was embarrassing. No, wait. I’d occasionally worried that it was a bit pathetic for a man to let a girl who looked as young as Kuro pamper him so much.
But Kuro was way older than me, so it wasn't weird for the younger one to be pampered... And it wasn't one-sided either; Kuro had been clinging to me a lot lately, so we were basically equals. Honestly, Kuro’s maternal aura was just too overwhelming... No, wait. Who was I even trying to convince right now?
"...Kaito?"
"Ah, no, it’s nothing! S-so, how does it feel now that you're actually doing it?"
"...Yes... this... is nice... I can see... Kaito’s face clearly... I am happy."
"..."
I was the one who brought it up, but that smile was totally unfair. When she looked at me with such a melting expression, my heart started racing.
I wanted to look away as my face grew hot, but Isis-san’s hand was still on my forehead, and it felt wrong to pull away.
That left me with no choice but to keep meeting her radiant gaze... This was seriously nerve-wracking.
"...Hey... Kaito?"
"Eh? Ah, yes. What is it?"
"...May I... kiss you?"
"Hah!? Wait, um... that’s..."
"...Is it no good?"
"N-no, it's not that it's no good."
"...Kaito... I looooove you."
With my consent given, Isis-san’s smile widened even further as she leaned in... and our lips met.
"Ho ho, how close you two are."
Dear Mother, Father—I realized that a lap pillow carried a different kind of bashfulness than something like mixed bathing. It was the feeling of completely entrusting yourself to someone else... Yeah, and... I thought Isis-san’s lips tasted—sweeter than usual.