After grumbling a bit about Alice, Listy-san glanced my way and spoke.
"...Even so, Chris-chan has improved quite a bit recently. It's all thanks to you."
"Huh? Me?"
I tilted my head at her remark. It was true that Chris-san and I exchanged letters regularly, but we hadn't actually met in person very often. Furthermore, the letters she sent were almost entirely about the Arclesia Empire or her pets. I didn't recall doing anything that deserved such credit.
"At first, Chris-chan's interest in becoming close to you was purely calculated," Listy-san said.
"Yes, I won't deny that," Chris-san admitted. "I was looking for ways to ensure things proceeded beneficially for the Arclesia Empire... However, I scrapped all those plans the moment I heard the Phantasm King-sama had sided with Miyama-sama."
"I think that was a truly wise decision. If you had continued, you surely would have danced in the palm of Shaltier-sama's hand. Trying to outmaneuver that woman is beyond reckless—it's suicidal."
Well, it was certainly true that anything involving schemes and plots was Alice's playground. She was so formidable in that arena that I doubted even Kuro or Shiro-san could hold their own against her. Just as Listy-san said, challenging Alice in her specialty was madness.
"And so, Chris-chan stopped trying to use you halfway through and began exchanging letters as a genuine friend. In a world fraught with intrigue where she had to keep her nerves frayed every day, I imagine those letters became quite the source of healing for her, didn't they? Thanks to that, she seems calmer now, and her perspective has broadened compared to before."
"...I won't deny that either," Chris-san said. "It is indeed relaxing, since I don't have to constantly analyze every word. It helps that the policies I've spearheaded since becoming Emperor are finally paying off and easing our finances, but I am aware that I've relaxed my guard more than I used to."
Thinking back, I realized my own unease toward Chris-san had faded as our correspondence continued. By the time the Six Kings Festival rolled around, we were friendly enough to boast about our respective pets.
Now that it was pointed out, I hadn't felt any calculated intent from her for quite a while; it felt like we were just ordinary friends. Perhaps the reason I had been so wary of her initially was that I was subconsciously picking up her ulterior motives through my Sympathy Magic.
"With that settled, if she could just experience even one romance, I could rest easy as a mother," Listy-san continued. "Honestly, Kaito, how do you feel? It doesn't necessarily have to be you, but I think you're quite compatible with Chris-chan. Especially since she can no longer be moved by calculation, I think you could both enjoy a pure romance."
"You're pushing the subject of love quite hard today," Chris-san remarked. "However, I have no intention of engaging in what you call pure romance. I am the Emperor, and my first priority must always be the Arclesia Empire... That is why I made a vow the moment I ascended the throne. If I ever find 'something more important than the country,' I will abdicate. Therefore, I will not pursue a romance that might lead to such a conflict."
Her words carried the weight of intense resolve and conviction. Her eyes were dead serious, filled with the iron will of someone who carried the weight of an entire nation on her shoulders.
Despite the pressure emanating from Chris-san's declaration, Listy-san merely wore an exasperated expression.
"You're so rigid. Tell me, Chris-chan... between your 'favorite food' and your 'favorite garment,' which is more valuable to you?"
"...Mother? What on earth... what is the point of comparing food and clothing?"
"Exactly," Listy-san said quietly. "In other words, 'that's how it is'."
"!?"
The quiet certainty in Listy-san's voice carried an irrefutable weight, as if she were seeing right through Chris-san's inner heart. Chris-san froze, her expression one of sudden realization.
"Are a country and a person really things that must be compared? And does the 'number one' priority have to be a single thing? Is there no possibility for a 'shared first place'?"
"...That is..."
"The fact that you're troubled and can't answer immediately means there's still room for you to think. I don't intend to deny your philosophy, nor do I want to have a tedious debate about the nature of an Emperor."
Listy-san took a sip of her black tea and looked Chris-san straight in the eye.
"If you ask me, seeing a child with a mere few decades under her belt putting on such a sagely expression is nothing short of comical. Is the path you've convinced yourself is the only one truly the only way forward? You should give that some proper thought."
"...Mother."
Listy-san didn't give her a clear answer. Instead, she presented her daughter with a challenge, leaving her to find the truth for herself.
Yet, I didn't sense any harshness in her words; they were overflowing with maternal kindness. They clearly resonated with Chris-san, who fell into a bewildered yet deep state of contemplation.
As I watched them, a thought crossed my mind: perhaps a change was coming for Chris-san. At the same time, I felt a vague, groundless premonition that it would surely be for the better.