Rosmiel realized she had gotten the date for her visit to Kaito's Home wrong. She looked visibly panicked—a rare sight for a girl who usually showed so little emotion.
"W-W-What should I do!?"
"C-Calm down, Elly... So you went to Kaito-san's today even though you weren't supposed to go until tomorrow?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"Hmm... Did Kaito-san not say anything?" Camellia asked while trying to soothe her flustered friend. She suspected Kaito would have caught the mistake even if Rosmiel hadn't.
Hearing Camellia's words, Rosmiel rested her chin in her hand and recalled her interactions with Kaito earlier that day.
"...U-Um, Kaito-kun didn't really say anything... Oh, wait! No! When I told him I had come to thank him, he went quiet for a moment with a thoughtful expression. Then he apologized for being late to greet me because he’d been busy writing a letter in his room!"
"He definitely noticed, then. He likely pretended it was his own mistake just to spare you the embarrassment. Knowing Kaito-san, he would have been waiting outside to meet you if he’d known someone as shy as Elly was coming..."
"Awawawawawa... I-I have to apologize! I have to tell Kaito-kun!"
Pale with worry, Rosmiel immediately sent a Hummingbird message apologizing for her blunder. A reply arrived from Kaito in about a minute.
『Ah, come to think of it, you're right. I wish I’d noticed sooner, but I must have remembered the date incorrectly as well... I was completely mistaken. I suppose we were both just a bit careless.』
"Mngh... K-Kaito-kun is... he’s so kind..."
He was insisting that he hadn't noticed either. Rosmiel’s expression was a complex mix of being deeply moved by his consideration and feeling terribly guilty for the trouble she’d caused.
Just then, a follow-up Hummingbird arrived. Kaito wasn't particularly skilled at the precise Magic Power Control Technique required for long messages, so he had sent his thoughts in two parts.
『That said, the weather and temperature were perfect today. It was the best possible day for tea on the terrace, so maybe it was for the better. If you hadn't come today, we wouldn't have had so much fun with Nebula's Sugar and the like. More than anything, I truly enjoyed our tea time together, so please don't give it another thought.』
"Auu, auu..."
"Hehe. Kaito-san really is a sweetheart, isn't he?"
Both Rosmiel and Camellia knew these were just words of comfort meant to ease her guilt, but it would have been rude to reject such a thoughtful gesture.
"...Hey, Lia. If I keep apologizing after this... it would actually be ruder, wouldn't it?"
"Precisely. Since Kaito-san went out of his way to reassure you, it’s best to just accept it. You can always find a way to pay him back naturally some other time."
"Y-Yeah, you're right."
Between Kaito’s kindness and Camellia’s encouragement, Rosmiel managed to avoid spiraling into guilt or overthinking her mistake. She spent some time consulting with Camellia, brainstorming ways she might be able to thank him properly in the future.
Once Camellia had gone home and Rosmiel was alone, she brewed herself a fresh cup of tea. As she added a piece of the flower-shaped sugar she’d received earlier, she reflected on the day.
Getting the date wrong had been a massive blunder; she still felt a lingering sense of shame that made her face flush. Usually, a girl as timid as her would have been devastated by such a social failure.
Yet, her heart didn't feel heavy. If anything, she was in a wonderful mood.
Recognizing her own feelings, Rosmiel let out a self-deprecating chuckle and whispered to herself.
"I’m terrible... No matter how much Kaito-kun was trying to be nice, I really should be feeling more apologetic than this..."
Gazing into her teacup, she remembered the sentence from his message: I truly enjoyed our tea time together. She couldn't help but smile happily.
"It’s no use... The happiness is just too strong. It’s a problem."
Through the White God Festival and today’s incident, she had become completely enamored with Kaito. For someone as shy as her, it was rare to find someone she genuinely wanted to talk to more.
The joy welling up inside her far eclipsed any remaining guilt, and a soft, tender smile spread across her face.