Akari and Kazuya Miyama were currently in the middle of a formal introduction to another of their son’s lovers: Fate, the God of Fate.
"Nice to meet you~ I’m, well… you know. The name's Fate. Good to meet ya."
"I am Kazuya Miyama. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"I-I am Akari Miyama. It’s an honor to meet you."
"Hmm-hmm, Kazu-yan and Aka-rin, got it! Nice to meet you~"
Watching Fate casually assign them nicknames with a bright voice and a cheerful smile, Akari and Kazuya straightened their postures, their bodies rigid with nerves. Despite her friendly demeanor, cold sweat trickled down their spines.
Her voice was cheerful, her expression was pleasant, and her words were amicable—yet Akari and Kazuya couldn't help but notice a chilling disconnect. The eyes Fate turned toward them held no emotion whatsoever.
It was the look one might give a pebble on the side of the road—not malicious, but utterly devoid of interest.
Had they been alone with Fate, they might not have noticed the depth of her indifference. However, there was one other person in the room for whom Fate’s reaction was drastically different.
"Anyway, greetings over! Kai-chan, this is such a drag. Can I go home now?"
"Wait, you only just said hello…"
"Ehhh? But serious atmospheres just don't suit me at all…"
The eyes Fate turned toward Kaito were worlds apart from the ones she showed his parents. They were filled with an unmistakable warmth, shining with a deep, passionate affection as if she were looking at her most precious treasure.
And then, the moment she turned back to the parents, her eyes became profoundly bored. Even though they had only just met her, the couple understood the situation immediately.
Fate had only agreed to this meeting because Kaito had asked her to; she didn't have a shred of interest in Akari or Kazuya themselves.
Ultimately, Fate barely spoke to the two of them for the remainder of the session, directing almost all of her conversation toward Kaito.
The meeting that followed with Alice, however, allowed the parents to breathe a sigh of relief.
During Kaito’s trial, they had spent time with Arisa, a girl modeled after Alice. Since Alice shared a similar personality, they found her a comforting and familiar presence to talk to.
They understood, of course, that she was a different person, and they had no intention of being disrespectful to one of the Six Kings, but compared to the God of Fate, the ease of conversation was night and day.
Unlike Fate, Alice was friendly in her speech, her expressions, and her overall aura. The conversation between them was quite lively.
(Hmm. They’ve interacted with my other self before, yet they aren't acting overly familiar or entitled with me. Evaluation point earned. I’ll bump their rating up a notch.)
In reality, Alice was simply a far better actor than Fate. If anything, Alice was significantly more dangerous than the indifferent Goddess.
Alice was a former human and understood the weight of parental bonds, but her priority was Kaito and Kaito alone. She would not let her guard down, even for his parents. At that very moment, Alice was calculating whether Akari and Kazuya would become a liability to Kaito.
(They were treated with incredible hospitality at Lilia-san’s mansion, but I don't see any signs of them becoming arrogant. If anything, they seem to feel apologetic about the lavish treatment. I’ve taken a peek inside their heads, too… and there don't seem to be any problems for now. I had considered "educating" them in secret if they harbored any troublesome thoughts… but that doesn't seem necessary yet. I suppose I can lower my guard just a little.)
Their behavior since their resurrection had met Alice’s standards, leading her to relax her vigilance slightly.
(Well, people can change once they get used to life in another world, so I can't be too optimistic. But as long as things don't get complicated, that's for the best.)
While running through every possible future scenario in her mind, Alice maintained a perfectly friendly facade as she chatted with them.
Watching Alice and my parents exchange smiles and conversation, I finally allowed myself to relax.
Both Alice and Fate-san were being much more friendly than I had expected. Fate-san had acted like the meeting was a bit of a chore, but I suppose that’s just her way of doing things.
At any rate, with this, only Kuro was left. I was just glad everything was wrapping up smoothly.
"Pardon me. I’ve brought refills for the tea."
"Ah, yes. Th… ank… you…?"
"…"
Following a rhythmic knock, a figure entered the room pushing a refreshment cart. I froze where I sat. Beside me, Alice stared in a daze, the teacup slipping from her hand and shattering on the floor.
Alice’s reaction wasn't strange in the slightest. If I had been holding anything, I would have dropped it too.
Honestly, I couldn't even begin to process the sight before my eyes.
Please, someone… anyone, explain this to me!
What kind of logic, what kind of sequence of events, could possibly lead to this?
Why on earth was Eden-san standing there pushing a tea cart while dressed in a maid uniform?!
If my memory serves me right, Eden-san is actually quite popular, isn't she? Though not as a heroine—more as "the dangerous person who stirs up the scene"…