I had been asleep for only fifteen minutes on Illness-san’s lap pillow when, exactly as she’d promised, she gently shook my shoulder to wake me.
I headed back to my room afterward, but despite the briefness of the nap, I felt wide awake. I wasn't quite ready to go back to sleep.
That said, it was getting late, and it felt awkward to start on anything productive. If I were being honest with myself, I would have liked to chat with Illness-san a bit longer, but lingering in the hallway to talk right after a bath hadn't seemed proper. I felt a slight twinge of regret over that.
I found myself feeling a bit restless. Thanks to Illness-san, I was perfectly relaxed, so perhaps a light evening drink in this calm state wouldn't be such a bad idea. I don't particularly enjoy drinking alone, and it was rare for me to do so... but once in a while was fine. I briefly considered heading down to Iris-san’s bar, but I only wanted one or two glasses before turning in. It wasn't worth making the trip all the way there.
I was just about to pull some alcohol from my Magic Box when I heard a soft knock at the door.
"Yes, come in."
"Excuse me~."
"Oh? Illness-san?"
The door opened to reveal Illness-san, now changed back into her maid uniform. She entered pushing a service cart laden with a bottle of what looked like spirits and several small, bite-sized snacks.
"...By any chance, did you see through exactly what I was thinking?"
"Oh no~ I simply thought that on such a beautiful moonlit night~ a nightcap might be a lovely proposal~. I brought this just in case~."
"I see... I was actually just about to have a drink myself. Your timing is incredible."
"My~, then that was~ very fortunate, wasn't it~?"
Knowing her, she might have actually read my mind, but regardless, she had appeared at the absolute perfect moment. I’d wanted a drink, and I’d also wanted to talk to her a bit more.
"Illness-san, since you're here, why don't you join me?"
"In that case~, I shall accept your invitation~."
"Great. Let’s sit by the window. We’ll have a good view of the moon... ironically, it’s the same spot we sat in before going to the bath."
"It is, isn't it~?"
Just as we had earlier that evening, we sat at the small table by the window. Illness-san poured the liquid into two glasses, set the appetizers between us, and took the seat opposite mine.
"Well then, cheers."
"Cheers~."
We lightly clinked our glasses, the sound echoing pleasantly through the quiet room. What Illness-san had brought wasn't wine, but a crisp, champagne-like alcohol. Its light, refreshing taste matched the tranquil atmosphere perfectly.
Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating Illness-san as she smiled gently at me. It was a wonderful mood.
"This reminds me of when the house was first built. We shared some wine back then, too, didn't we?"
"Yes~. That was a very~ enjoyable time~."
"It’s a fond memory for me as well. I don't know why, but whenever I talk with you, Illness-san, I find myself relaxing naturally. There’s no real rhyme or reason for it, but I always feel at ease."
"I also feel very~ comfortable~. However~, if you were to ask if my heart is entirely at peace~, I might have to tilt my head at that~."
"Eh?"
As she spoke, Illness-san suddenly shifted from her usual mature smile to one that was slightly mischievous.
"When I am facing Kaito-sama like this~, I feel a little~ embarrassed~."
"Wait, really? I couldn't tell at all... You look as composed as you always do."
"It is because you are~ very~ wonderful, Kaito-sama~. Sitting across from you like this, I cannot help~ but be a little~ conscious of you~."
"A-Are you teasing me?"
"Kuhihi, well~ I wonder~? I have no intention of lying to you~. However~, since I do not fully understand all of my own feelings yet~, it is a difficult thing to explain~."
I asked back in a slight panic, caught off guard by her words, but Illness-san merely replied in her usual calm, gentle tone. As always, she seemed to have so much more composure than I did.
At the very least, she didn't look flustered, but I knew she wasn't the type to tell lies just to mock me. Did that mean those were her true feelings? I couldn't read that much detail through my Sympathy Magic, so I couldn't be sure.
"Let me see~... Even so~, there is one thing~ I can say with absolute certainty~."
"What’s that?"
"The time I spend with Kaito-sama like this~ is without a doubt~ a very happy time for me~."
"...Illness-san. Yeah, you're right. I’m also very happy whenever I get to spend quiet moments like this with you. That’s enough for me."
"Yes~."
I realized I was being quite simple-minded, but my mood soared just hearing her say that she was happy to be with me. I couldn't help it; knowing she felt that way made me genuinely glad.
Serious-senpai: "Look at them flirting!! They're flirting for all they're worth... Guuuh, this is painful... And they're Still Not Lovers yet? What is with this Sugar Content!?"