Kuro apparently decided to seek Olivia-san's insight on the future of baby castella, approaching her with a radiant, cheerful smile.
"Olivia-chan, what do you think we should do to pursue new possibilities for baby castella?"
"......??"
Faced with Kuro’s question, Olivia-san looked utterly bewildered—an expression that clearly asked, Why on earth would anyone pursue such a thing? Honestly, I could relate. If the ruler of the Demon Realm suddenly cornered you with a question like that, you were bound to look confused.
Olivia-san remained silent for a moment, then composed her features before speaking.
"......To begin with, I have never eaten baby castella, so I wouldn't know. Nor do I have much interest in the matter."
"What!?"
Kuro looked genuinely horrified. She stared at Olivia-san as if she were witnessing some impossible, tragic sight. Was it really that shocking to her? Come to think of it, hadn't Kuro asked if Olivia even ate anything before we arrived?
"That's awful... To think you’ve never tasted baby castella, how cruel! Ugh, I’m so sorry I didn't notice your suffering until now!"
"......No, truly. I don’t believe I actually require baby castella for anything......"
"How can you say that!? Baby castellas are vital! They're Shiro's favorite food, after all!"
"Wait—really!?"
Shiro-san’s favorite food? This was news to me......
(I feel as though I am being subjected to egregious slander...... Kuro, what exactly have you turned me into in your head?)
Ah, as I thought, Kuro was just making things up. Shiro-san had sent a direct complaint to my mind, but to Olivia-san, anything regarding Shiro-san was a matter of life and death. She turned back to Kuro, her face set in a look of deadly seriousness.
"Yeah, there's no mistake about it. After all, whenever I have tea with Shiro, she’s always eating baby castellas."
Always? When she had tea with me, she ate all sorts of things... though she did serve baby castellas the very first time we met. The ones filled with wasabi......
(Of course I do. Because Kuro brings them and puts them on the table every single time.)
Oh, right. That made sense. If Kuro brought them every time, then of course Shiro would eat them. She didn't really have a choice......
However, such logic meant nothing to the Rampaging Baby Castella "Demon." In her mind, the premise that baby castella was Shiro-san's favorite food was now an unshakeable fact.
"......Which means that pursuing the potential of baby castella is, ultimately, for Shiro's sake also!"
"I-I see......"
And because Olivia-san was so earnest and literal, she swallowed Kuro's lies hook, line, and sinker. The situation was spiraling into absurdity. Eventually, another complaint from Shiro-san reached my head.
(Kaito-kun, I really want to have a word with that Kuro with a Head Stuffed Full of Baby Castellas. May I come over there?)
No, please don't. Seriously. Never mind me, or Kuro, or Olivia-san—Kaori-san's stomach would literally give out. Not to mention it was lunch rush; if she appeared in the middle of a crowded restaurant, it would cause a total catastrophe.
"......Kuro, Shiro-san is complaining in my head. She’s telling you not to feed people lies......"
"Eh? I’m not trying to lie... hmm? Oh, I’m getting a telepathy too—wait, what?"
I assumed Shiro-san had reached out to Kuro just as she had to me, likely adding some kind of provocation for good measure.
Kuro was usually the picture of gentleness, but she could get surprisingly stubborn and argumentative when it came to Shiro-san. It was a sign of how close they were, but I could feel the atmosphere shift in an instant.
"......Kaito-kun, I’m going to step out for a bit. I’ll be right back."
"Ah, sure. Just... try to keep it in moderation."
It looked like they were going to have a fight. After seeing Kuro off as she vanished via teleportation, I took a breath and sipped some cold water. Well, she’d probably feel better after venting some steam. At least I’d managed to prevent Shiro-san from appearing in person.
"......Hey, Kaito-kun? What was that all about?"
"To put it very simply, it was a close call. Shiro-san... the Creator God was about to manifest in this shop."
"Don't say such terrifying things so casually! Stop it, please, I’m begging you! My stomach can't take this! I’m almost thirty! I want to live a healthy life!"
"I’m truly sorry. Ah, but, um... based on my experience, I know someone who’s an expert on stomach medicine. I’ll make sure to ask them for a recommendation for a good one."
"You’ve already given up, haven't you!? You’ve accepted that my stomach is going to suffer sooner or later and you’ve already moved on to damage control!"
It was a tragic cry, and I felt terrible... but looking back at Lilia-san’s track record, I just couldn't imagine a future where things didn't end in chaos.
Serious-senpai: "As expected, even Kaito has too much of a track record to stay optimistic now. In reality, no matter how he struggles, a stomach-aching future is probably inevitable. It feels like Lilia is beckoning from the future."