As I sat at the terrace table with Rosmiel-san, Illness-san arrived with impeccable timing, pushing a cart laden with tea.
"I’ve brought the teaaa~."
"Thank you."
"……"
The moment Illness-san appeared, Rosmiel-san froze as solid as a stone statue. The frantic waves of emotion reaching me through my Sympathy Magic made it clear she was completely overwhelmed by the presence of a stranger.
I quietly informed Illness-san that I would handle serving Rosmiel-san’s tea myself. She would likely be terrified if Illness-san got too close.
As requested, Illness-san placed two cups in front of me. When she asked about snacks, I told her we would be eating the cookies I had just received.
I tried asking Rosmiel-san if that was alright, just in case, but it was no use. As long as Illness-san remained, any hope of a back-and-forth conversation was out of the question.
Rosmiel-san had mentioned earlier that she didn't typically eat, so it shouldn't be a problem. If she changed her mind, I had plenty of options tucked away in my Magic Box.
Once the tea was ready, Illness-san placed an elegant, lidded ceramic jar on the table.
"This is a type of sugar Nebula made recentlyyy~."
"Nebula made this?"
"Yes-ss. It’s quite beautiful and tastes lovely, tooo~. Please, do try it-tt."
After her recommendation, Illness-san left the cart with the teapot for refills and withdrew with a polite bow.
As soon as Illness-san was out of sight, Rosmiel-san finally began to move again, looking immensely relieved.
"……I-I’m sorry, Kaito-kun."
"Don't worry about it. I know you’re shy, Rosmiel-san, so it’s perfectly fine."
"S-Strangers are just so frightening... H-How does everyone else talk to people they don’t know so easily?"
I could certainly empathize with the nerves that came with meeting someone for the first time. While I wasn't quite as pathologically shy as Rosmiel-san, I still felt a certain tension when striking up a conversation with a stranger.
With those thoughts in mind, I placed a cup of tea in front of her and moved the container of sugar made by Nebula to where she could easily reach it.
Come to think of it, these cups were remarkably stylish. The design was such that a flower motif appeared at the center of the saucer once you lifted the cup.
"Illness-san said this sugar was beautiful and tasted great, but I wonder what it’s actually like... Oh, wow."
"Oh, how pretty. Is this all really sugar?"
When I lifted the lid, I found an array of colorful, flower-shaped sugars inside. They were essentially just sugar cubes in different shapes, but they were so intricately crafted and beautiful that they were a delight just to look at.
"S-Should I just put it in normally? Ah—"
"Eh? It floats on the tea—wait, look at the petals..."
When Rosmiel-san picked up one of the floral sugars and placed it in her tea, it floated on the surface. It was a lovely sight, like a blossom swaying on the water, but since it was sugar, it began to melt. However, there was a hidden trick to the process.
I wasn't sure what the principle behind it was, but it was a magnificent bit of theater. The center of the flower dissolved first, causing the individual petals to scatter across the surface of the tea before they, too, vanished.
"I-It’s incredible. It looks gorgeous, but... even the way the grains sparkle as they dissolve is beautiful. T-This is an original creation, isn't it?"
"It seems so. Nebula is quite the remarkable girl. She’s something of a perfectionist—look at how she handled the garden—so I imagine she put a lot of effort into these."
"It’s wonderful. I almost want to buy some from her."
"I'll ask her later, and if she's willing, I'll give some to you. Oh, and I wouldn't dream of taking your money, of course."
"N-No, I’d feel terrible. I-I already came here today specifically to thank you... Oh, t-that’s right! I should give this to you now."
"……What is this?"
Rosmiel-san produced a stylishly wrapped parcel. Based on the size and weight, it felt like there was a bottle inside.
"Um, it’s a gift to thank you for giving me the Eternal Flower... A-A-Of course, I know this doesn't come close to being an equal exchange."
"Please, don't say that. Thank you for going to such trouble. May I open it?"
"Y-Yes. I hope you’ll like it."
Inside the wrapping was a slender bottle containing vivid roses, with thornless briars artistically entwined around them. It was a piece of floral interior decor.
I recognized this. By immersing flowers in a special oil, they could be preserved in a beautiful, suspended state for a long time without wilting. It was called... um...
"This is very beautiful. I’ve temporarily forgotten the name, but this is a type of interior flower arrangement, right?"
"Y-Yes. It’s a Herbarium. I used roses in warm tones and thornless briars... I-I tried to make it based on my image of you, Kaito-kun. I used roses because I’m a Rose Spirit."
Right, a Herbarium. It was exceptionally stylish. Rosmiel-san clearly had excellent taste; it felt so artistic that my limited vocabulary could only produce the word "amazing" to describe it.
"I-I thought that if it was around this size, you might be able to keep it on your desk..."
"Actually, I was just thinking that I wanted something to decorate my desk with. I’m really happy to have this, thank you."
"I-I’m so glad. Seeing you happy makes me very happy, too."
In truth, I had been wanting some sort of ornament for the table where I did my correspondence. I had been considering displaying the Eternal Flower there as well, so this gift was a perfect addition.
When I expressed my gratitude honestly, Rosmiel-san’s cheeks flushed a faint red, and she gave me a small, bashful smile.
Serious-senpai: "……Her Heroine Power is through the roof. I want to run away already."
???: "Don't you mean 'as always'?"
Serious-senpai: "……And isn't there a Date Episode waiting right after this? I seriously need to escape."
???: "If you try to run, I’ll send Machina to your destination."
Serious-senpai: "Are you a devil or something...?"