Since lingering in the hallway was a bit awkward, I showed the three of them into the reception room and had Illness-san prepare tea and snacks.
Incidentally, this was a different reception room from the one I had used for the meeting between my lovers and my parents—the specialized room equipped with features to suppress Isis-san’s magic power of death.
With a house as needlessly spacious as mine, there was no shortage of guest rooms... even if most of them sat gathering dust.
Cento and Cien were, to put it mildly, incredibly stiff. They sat perfectly upright in their chairs with their backs like iron rods, and even from a distance, I could practically feel the tension locked in their shoulders.
They had seemed nervous from the moment they arrived, but this was a bit much. It was undoubtedly because they were hyper-aware of the fact that I was Kuro’s lover.
Tre, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She looked entirely at ease.
"These cookies are great! And the tea is delicious, too!"
"...Tre-neesama, please. Show at least a little restraint."
Cento offered a mild rebuke as Tre happily munched away, but of course, Tre didn't seem the least bit concerned.
Personally, I preferred her natural attitude. It was much easier to deal with.
"Tre-neesama, do you even understand why we came here today?" Cien asked.
"Eh? Didn't we come here to play?"
Tre tilted her head in genuine wonder. To be fair, she had insisted from the very beginning that she was just coming over to hang out, and her vibe was exactly like a friend dropping by a neighbor's house.
Cento sighed, cradling her head in her hand. "...We came to offer Kaito-sama a proper greeting and an apology."
"I get the greeting part, but... an apology? For what?"
"An apology for causing him trouble. He had to spend his time helping us search for you, Tre-neesama."
"...Hmm."
Tre’s smile faltered, replaced by a conflicted expression.
"You caused trouble for Kaito-sama, and since he is Chrome-sama’s lover..."
"That’s not it."
""Eh?""
Tre’s voice was quiet, but it lacked her usual lightheartedness. It was a serious tone that carried a strange weight, causing Cento and Cien to freeze in their tracks.
"...He isn't 'Kaito, Chrome-sama's lover.' He is 'Kaito, my friend, who also happens to be Chrome-sama's lover.' That’s a distinction you really shouldn't get wrong."
"...Tre-neesama?"
"I know a person's social circle is important when you're gauging who they are. I'm truly grateful that Kaito saved Chrome-sama, too... but I don't think it's right to change how you treat him when it doesn't need to be changed, just because of who he’s dating."
After saying that much, Tre took a sip of her tea and offered a gentle, teaching smile.
"...Kaito helped you two look for me. In other words, he was a kind person who went out of his way to help you, right?"
"Y-Yes..."
"That is correct."
"But the second you realized he was Chrome-sama’s lover, your 'Thank you for helping us' turned into 'I’m sorry for the trouble.' Can you honestly say that’s respecting Kaito for who he is?"
""...!""
The twins looked as if they had been struck by lightning. Tre really did have a knack for seeing the heart of the matter—she understood people on a level that went beyond titles.
I had been thinking the same thing, honestly. I had felt they were being far too formal with me.
"So, let's just say that the person who happened to help you out also happens to be Chrome-sama's lover. We're here to play, give a fresh introduction, and say thanks. Every person is different, of course, but for this visit, I think you two should relax a bit more when interacting with Kaito."
"...Cento."
"Yeah. It looks like... the ones who needed to apologize weren't Tre-neesama, but us."
Hearing Tre’s advice, the twins exchanged a glance. The tension finally drained from their shoulders, and their expressions softened noticeably.
After a shared nod, they both turned to me.
"We apologize. We were so caught up in your status as Chrome-sama’s lover that we ended up being rude in our own way."
"...If it’s not a bother, Cento and I would like to interact with you as friends, just like Tre-neesama. Would it be alright if we called you Miyama-san?"
"Yes, of course."
"Then, once again, thank you for helping us find Tre-neesama yesterday."
"Both Cento and I were truly saved by your kindness."
The atmosphere between us became much warmer. They were much easier to talk to now. Satisfied, Tre gave a firm nod and reached for the cookies again... at a pace that suggested she might finish the entire plate herself.
Serious-senpai: "Whew. Well, as for me, I’m just relieved that Sieg's Turn ended without being too overly sweet."
???: "Eh? What are you talking about? Sieg-san's turn... hasn't even come yet."
Serious-senpai: "...Huh? But they went on a date in the Demon Realm and everything..."
???: "No, that was just the debut chapters for Funf-san and the others. The Series of Spending Time with Lovers that featured Kuro-san and Isis-san consists of self-contained arcs. There’s no way Sieg-san would be the only one to break the pattern."
Serious-senpai: "...Wait. Please. Just wait a second... Does that mean..."
???: "The sweet, romantic time with Sieg-san happens after this story with Tre is finished."
Serious-senpai: "No way. Tell me you’re lying... I’m begging you!!"