As we chatted over the rose tea Rosmiel-san had brewed, a question suddenly crossed my mind.
"Come to think of it, Rosmiel-san, is the Garden of Myriad Flowers actually located right at the entrance of the Great Forest, just hidden by a barrier?"
"No, not exactly... Strictly speaking, this place is deep within the heart of the forest, and I’ve made it inaccessible through my magic. To put it more accurately, if you tried to enter the garden from the left side, you’d simply find yourself passing right through and coming out on the right side."
"So it’s not just hidden from sight—it’s physically inaccessible. But it’s not actually near the entrance?"
I’d assumed the barrier just made it invisible, similar to Recognition Inhibition Magic, but it seemed the garden was actually located in the deep interior of the forest rather than at its edge. The Great Forest was incredibly vast, so searching for this place on foot would likely be an impossible task.
"If I get into the technical details, it becomes quite professional, so I’ll simplify it for you... Even if you found the physical spot where the garden sits, you couldn’t step inside unless you forcibly tore the barrier down. That’s because the entrance doesn't exist there. The Garden of Myriad Flowers is deep inside the forest, but the entrance only appears near the forest’s edge. Does that make sense?"
"I see. So that entrance only appears when you have an invitation?"
"Exactly. It’s easier to think of it as a teleportation Gate. I made that invitation specifically for you, Kaito-kun. If you bring it to the edge of the forest, the entrance connecting to this place will appear. That’s how it’s designed."
"That’s quite a complex system."
"It is. Since this space itself has shifted its phase, it’s closer to a Large-scale Space Isolation Barrier. I’m not sure if you’ve met her, but Gluttony, one of the Phantasm King's Subordinates, creates spaces on an even grander scale."
In principle, it sounded similar to Gluttony-san’s Subspace. Rosmiel-san likely wasn't quite as specialized in Space-Time Magic as Gluttony-san, so she had achieved a similar result by weaving multiple barriers together.
"I think I understand it, more or less. Thank you for explaining."
"Not at all. If there’s anything else you're curious about, please ask me anything."
I felt grateful for Rosmiel-san's gentle smile, but another question had already surfaced in my mind. Looking around the room, I noticed a surprising lack of anything resembling artwork. Rosmiel-san was highly cultured, possessed deep artistic knowledge, and frequently attended art exhibitions. Surely she loved art as much as she loved her flowers.
It wouldn't have been odd to see various pieces on display, yet there wasn't so much as a single painting on the walls.
"...Rosmiel-san, since you're so well-versed in the arts, do you own many pieces yourself?"
"Yes, I have a fair collection. However, since there’s quite a lot of it, I keep everything in the basement rather than up here."
"There’s a basement too?"
"Yes. In fact, the basement is much larger. I kept the surface building small so it wouldn't cast a shadow over the flowerbeds."
When I asked, it turned out she did indeed own many works of art; they simply weren't in this room. A basement, huh... I didn't see anything that looked like a staircase, but it would have been rude to let my eyes wander as if I were snooping around, so I kept my gaze fixed on her.
"If you’d like, would you care to see the basement as well?"
"Is that all right?"
"Yes, of course."
"To be honest, I’m quite interested. If you don't mind, Rosmiel-san, I’d love to see it."
"Hehe, very well. I hope I have something that lives up to your expectations..."
After a playful chuckle, Rosmiel-san glanced at my hands and smiled.
"...Oh, but perhaps we should finish our tea first?"
"You're right. It would be a waste not to finish such delicious tea."
"I’m glad you like it. We have plenty of time, so there’s no need to rush."
"True... Still, the view from here is spectacular. Did you put a lot of work into the landscaping as well?"
"I put quite a bit of thought into the color coordination. For example, what you see from this window is..."
It was decided that she would give me a tour of the basement once we finished our tea. Even if I looked at the art alone, I probably wouldn't understand most of it, but with Rosmiel-san there to guide me, I figured I’d be fine.
As we talked, Rosmiel-san looked genuinely happy, and her mood was contagious. Since she was such a chronic wallflower, she probably didn't get many chances to invite people over for tea. The other Seven Princesses, like Camellia-san, were Six Kings' Executives and likely kept very busy. In any case, as long as we were both enjoying ourselves, that was what mattered most.
Serious-senpai: "I finally see why her Heroine Power is so high. She’s surprisingly like Isis... especially the way she’s so obviously opened her heart to Kaito while they talk..."