I followed Camellia-san to a spot where a woman I’d never met before was waiting. She was tall—nearly 170 centimeters—with golden hair styled in loose vertical ringlets and a sharp, piercing gaze. Her deep crimson dress was adorned with rose motifs in every detail.
Standing there with her arms crossed and a grim expression on her face, she radiated the aura of a harsh noble lady. If she had been clutching a folding fan, she would have looked exactly like the stereotypical "villainess" from a manga.
"Kaito-san, allow me to introduce her," Camellia-san said. "This is one of my fellow Seven Princesses, the Rose Princess Rosmiel."
"Ah, I wondered about the decorations, but you really are one of the Seven Princesses. It’s a pleasure to meet you; I’m Kaito Miyama."
"……"
I was surprised by the coincidence of meeting another of the Seven Princesses so soon, but I gave my introduction as politely as I could. Rosmiel-san, however, remained silent, her stern expression never wavering.
Her gaze was sharp enough to kill, and she looked utterly displeased. At a glance, I would have assumed she took an immediate dislike to me—but in truth, I was simply confused.
The reason was my Sympathy Magic. Despite the fierce glare she was leveling at me, the emotions I sensed were the polar opposite of her outward appearance. I felt a chaotic jumble of surprise, anxiety, fear, confusion, and tension. To put it simply, she was completely overwhelmed and panicking.
"Um, Camellia-san. Is Rosmiel-san… perhaps feeling a bit nervous?"
"Huh? You can tell? Ah, of course. You have powers similar to Lilie-sama’s, don’t you?"
Aside from Elise-san and her practiced business smile, I didn’t know many people whose expressions and emotions were so wildly mismatched. When I asked tentatively, Camellia-san looked surprised for a moment before nodding in realization.
"Yes, your hunch is correct. Rosmiel—or Elly, as I call her—is pathologically shy despite her appearances. This is how she is with almost everyone she meets for the first time. She isn’t angry; her face has simply frozen into a scowl from pure nerves."
"I see. That explains the frantic sense of panic I’m picking up from her."
"Exactly. Please wait a moment."
After a quick word to me, Camellia-san approached her friend. Rosmiel-san immediately grabbed Camellia-san’s shoulder and leaned in to whisper something directly into her ear.
"I see. So direct conversation is still out of the question? Very well… She says, 'It is a pleasure to meet you, I am Rosmiel.'"
"Ah, yes. I look forward to getting to know you."
Because of the distance, I couldn't hear her at all, but Rosmiel-san continued to whisper softly into Camellia-san’s ear. By having Camellia-san relay her words, we managed to hold a semblance of a conversation.
"Meeting here was a coincidence, but thank you again for your help during the battle in the God Realm."
"She says, 'I could only help a little, but I am glad I could be of use.'"
"It’s not much, but please take this gift as a token of my thanks…"
"——?!"
"…Ah, um… Should I just give this to Camellia-san instead?"
When I took a step forward to offer the gift, Rosmiel-san instantly retreated a step, her stern expression still fixed on her face. I see; this distance was her absolute limit. She really was a hardcore introvert.
"Yes, I’ll hold onto it for her… Eh? 'He seems like a kind person, so I think I’ll be able to talk to him directly if we spend about sixteen hours together'? You’re right. Kaito-san, let's save the direct conversation for another time."
Sixteen hours, huh… That was a long time. The White God Festival would be over by then, so I agreed with Camellia-san and decided to put off speaking with Rosmiel-san directly until another day.
"By the way, Kaito-san, the fact that she thinks she can talk to you after only sixteen hours is an exceptionally short duration for Elly. I think you’ve made a very good impression on her."
"That… counts as a short time?"
"Yes. It took two days for me. And the longest record among the Seven Princesses belongs to Blossom-san—another member you haven't met yet. She’s a good girl, but she’s the type to aggressively close the distance. That kind of intensity terrified Elly, so it took quite a while for them to speak… Specifically, about two years and four months."
"I-I see."
Two years and four months… That was staggering. If that was the baseline, then sixteen hours might indeed be a record-breaking speed.
"Wait, was Blossom-san okay with that? I feel like most people would get worried or discouraged if it took that long."
"Oh, she was fine. Blossom-san was actually quite fired up about it. She thought, 'Rosmiel-sama is treating me strictly to guide my immature self! In other words, when she finally speaks to me, it will mean she has finally acknowledged me! I will work with all my might to live up to her expectations!!'"
"She sounds like a very… positive person."
"It’s more that she tends to jump to conclusions. Once she decides something is a certain way, she charges ahead without listening to a word anyone says. She’s an honest, straightforward girl, but…"
I wasn't sure what to say. I was starting to get the feeling that this Blossom-san was quite a handful in her own right.
Princess Ouka Blossom
A member of the Seven Princesses who is prone to extreme assumptions and has a habit of rushing headlong into situations. While she is a hardworking and honest individual, she is an outlier among the generally reserved members of the Seven Princesses. She is incredibly proactive and has a tendency to get worked up on her own, becoming so absorbed in her excitement that she stops listening to those around her.
Incidentally, when she finally managed to have a direct conversation with Rosmiel for the first time, she was so moved that she wept and spoke passionately about her gratitude. This terrified Rosmiel all over again, and it took several more months before they could speak a second time.