Kaori was someone who switched gears remarkably fast. One moment, she was letting out a cry of anguish; the next, she had regained her composure and returned to her cooking.
As I watched her work, we occasionally chatted.
"By the way, I forgot to ask the most important thing—whose wedding was it?"
"It was for Seigi Mitsunaga. He was the Hero-role summoned alongside us. He was granted a title in this world and married Princess Cattleya, the Second Princess of Sinfonia."
"Huh, the Hero-role kid... and a princess? Talk about a social climber. Why is that? Are all the people from the summon right before mine strange? There were two others, right?"
"Yeah, Aoi and Hina. They seemed interested in your place too, so I’ll bring them by sometime."
"I'm looking forward to it! But... are those girls also going to be something ridiculous?"
I’d mentioned Kaori’s shop to Aoi and Hina before, but for one reason or another, the timing had never worked out. I was sure they’d love to meet a fellow Japanese person, so I resolved to bring them over in the near future.
"No, I don't think so. They're both talented in magic and working hard as adventurers, but there isn't anything particularly special about... Oh."
"...There is. There's definitely something."
"How should I put it... I guess they both received Temporary Blessings from the Earth God and the Sky God."
"I knew it! Is this a 'Golden Generation' or something? Normally, you don't even get the chance to meet a High-ranking God!"
Come to think of it, she had a point. Thanks to events like the White God Festival, the Gods were more involved in the Human and Demon Realms than before, but even so, the chance to actually meet a High-ranking God was supposed to be extremely rare.
"There is no reason for surprise," Olivia said. "Kaito-sama is a man spoken of in the same breath as Shallow Vernal-sama. By simply staying at his side, one's involvement with the Gods will naturally increase."
"W-well, when you put it like that... Wait, spoken of in the same breath as the Creator God? I guess a True Blessing really is that special."
"That is true, but Kaito-sama is also Shallow Vernal-sama's lover, after all."
The moment the words left Olivia’s mouth, Kaori vanished from my field of vision. I jumped up in a panic, only to find her slumped on the floor. She sat there, staring up at me with a dazed, hollow expression.
"...The Creator God's lover? T-that's an otherworld joke, right? I-I mean, I didn't think Olivia-sama had a sense of humor like that. You really got me!"
"It is no joke. It is a simple fact."
"...Kaito-kun, is this for real?"
"Um, yeah. It’s true."
"...I knew it. This kid is the weirdest one of all. He's on a completely different level... I understand what the words mean, but I can't wrap my head around it! My stomach hurts... it hurts so much..."
I had spoken with Kaori many times and had been slowly breaking the news of my circumstances to her, but I figured the fact that I was dating Shiro would be too much of a shock. I had planned to take my time.
And yet, that plan was obliterated in a single instant by Olivia. Since she didn't have a shred of ill intent, it was all the more terrifying.
"...Kaori-san, are you all right?"
"Just so you know... this is your fault, Kaito-kun."
"I'm sorry."
"Good grief. If this ends up shortening my life, you’d better take responsibility."
I wondered how I was supposed to take responsibility for a shortened lifespan. Perhaps I could ask Life-san to grant her an extension?
"I understand. If that time comes, I'll take care of it."
"That look in your eyes is so manly... Is this the gaze of a popular man? Hmm... honestly, if you ignore the stomach aches, he's a total catch. He's actually quite cool. If he keeps coming at me with that much intensity, I might just fold..."
After muttering something under her breath, Kaori stood up, washed her hands, and went back to her cooking.
Serious-senpai: " 'Take responsibility' (in the romantic sense) versus 'I'll take responsibility' (in the sense of literally extending her life)... Wow, just wow."
???: "It's a misunderstanding that only occurs because he can actually back up his words in the most literal way possible."