Once I had finished giving the accessory to Lilia-san, I decided to go look for Sieg-san. I considered asking someone for her whereabouts, but it proved unnecessary. As I walked down the hallway, I happened to glance out at the garden and spotted her there, spending time with Bell and the others.
The fact that she was playing with the pets at this hour suggested that she was likely off duty today. Sieg-san was a total animal lover, so she frequently spent her holidays playing with Bell, Rin, and Sera. Then again, since it was already evening, it was also possible her early shift had simply ended.
A smile naturally tugged at my lips as I watched her enjoying herself. I made my way out to the garden and called out to her.
"Hello, Sieg-san."
"Kaito-san? Hello. Is the preparation for your stall all finished?"
"Yes, everything went smoothly. Actually, I was looking for you because I have a bit of business to attend to. I happened to see you from the window."
"Business with me?"
Sieg-san was already aware that I would be hosting a stall at the Arclesia Empire Founding Anniversary Festival, and she knew I had been working on the preparations with Amel today. Mind you, Amel’s arrival at the mansion had been so flamboyant that it was likely impossible for anyone staying here not to notice.
"Actually, while we were preparing the merchandise, the topic of making Original Accessories came up. I ended up crafting a few pieces for my lovers, so I was hoping you would accept this one."
"Oh, thank you so much! I'm a bit surprised... but fufu, I'm very happy."
The gift I had prepared for Sieg-san was a bracelet. Since she was Sera’s owner, I had been determined to create a piece that featured Sera's Rainbow Diamond.
However, when I thought of Sieg-san, my mental image was always associated with the color red. After a great deal of thought, I had settled on a bracelet design where two different gemstones appeared to cross over one another. Since I had the ability to soften the materials during the crafting process, I was grateful that I could easily form shapes that would normally be incredibly difficult to achieve.
"It’s a bracelet made from one of Sera's Rainbow Diamonds and a gemstone called an Astral Ruby."
"Those are incredibly rare materials. I imagine the price would be staggering... but that’s so very like you, Kaito-san. I’ll treasure it."
Sieg-san beamed as she took the bracelet, immediately slipping it onto her wrist to show me. As a warm sensation filled my chest at the sight of her gentle smile, I suddenly recalled my conversation with Amel.
"Ah, that reminds me—to change the subject—Amel mentioned that it might be a good idea to give Sera's Rainbow Diamonds a unique name of their own."
"I see. That makes sense. Sera's stones are quite different from the standard variety; they aren't even rainbow-colored, to begin with. A distinct name would probably be for the best."
"Yeah. And since you’re her owner, I thought it was only right that you be the one to name them, Sieg-san."
It was a fundamental point, but Sera's Rainbow Diamonds didn't possess the vivid, multi-colored spectrum of a typical Rainbow Diamond. Instead, they had a luster reminiscent of an aurora. While they could look somewhat like a rainbow depending on the angle, describing them as an "aurora" felt far more accurate.
"Hmm... let me see. Now that I think about it, there is a variant of Blue Crystal called Midnight Crystal, isn't there? Following that naming convention, how do you feel about Midnight Diamond?"
"Oh, I think that’s perfect. Between the black base and the shifting colors, they really do look like an aurora dancing in the night sky. Alright, let's go with Midnight Diamond."
"It's a deal. Though, since I don't exactly distribute them to the general public, it might not be a name that gets used often. It’s usually just Alice-sama buying them from time to time..."
"She does seem to have taken quite a liking to them as a crafting material."
Alice was a big fan of Sera’s Rainbow... or rather, Midnight Diamonds. While they were softer than Orichalcum, they possessed excellent magic power conductivity and were easy to work with. Furthermore, having a guaranteed source made them very convenient for her. Apparently, because Orichalcum was an alloy, the process of manufacturing the metal itself was a time-consuming hassle that she found annoying.
"...Anyway, I was hoping to deliver accessories to my other lovers as well, but the sun is already starting to dip. I should probably call it a day and finish the rest tomorrow."
"That sounds like a good plan. It’s not as if you’re in a desperate rush. Since you're already here, why don't you stay and play with Bell-chan and the others for a while?"
"That’s true. Even if the sun is setting, we still have a bit of time. Let's play."
"I'd love to."
Sieg-san smiled brightly at my answer. I took her hand and we headed toward Bell and the rest of the group, who were already waiting restlessly for our attention. We spent the rest of the evening playing together for as long as time allowed.
Serious-senpai: "...A-Are we really going to spend an entire chapter per lover at this rate? I-I hate thiiiiiis! Just get back to a serious plot already!"
???: "Has that kind of wish ever come true even once in the history of this story?"
Serious-senpai: "...No. Even when things do get serious, it’s always a total ambush. More often than not, I'm not even in the room when it happens."
???: "Well, there you have it."
Serious-senpai: "Dammit!"