Our tea party naturally drifted into comfortable small talk. Usually, when Illness-san and I chatted, she preferred to play the role of the listener, letting me carry the conversation while she followed along with an appreciative look on her face.
"I see... Tea bags. What an intriguing concept," she remarked. "The idea that even a novice could brew black tea so effortlessly is quite convenient."
"Yeah... though, of course, they can't match the flavor of tea brewed by a professional."
Illness-san had expressed an interest in my home world, so I had been sharing details about it. The mention of tea had naturally led to me explaining what tea bags were.
As far as I knew, tea bags didn't exist in this world. They might have been tucked away somewhere I hadn't seen yet, but I certainly hadn't come across them. Nebula’s recent innovation—tea that tasted delicious regardless of the brewer's skill—had been a massive hit. Everyone had been stunned and impressed by the technique.
Technically, a tea bag was just an even simpler version of that same philosophy aimed at the average person. It seemed like something that could be developed here eventually. I wasn't sure about the manufacturing process, but it seemed like a good proposal to put forward. Of course, my current brand was strictly for the wealthy, so if I did go through with it, I’d probably have to talk to Kuro about handling the distribution for the general public.
"That reminds me... Flare-san mentioned once that you used to travel all over the Demon Realm, Illness-san," I said.
"Oh, yes. It was a very long time ago, but I did spend quite a while wandering from place to place."
So far, I’d been doing all the talking, but I realized then that I barely knew anything about her. Since she was usually the listener, she rarely brought up her own life. I was particularly curious about her life before she became a maid at the Royal Castle—a period I was almost entirely in the dark about. I didn't want to pry if it made her uncomfortable, though.
"Um, Illness-san... if you're okay with it, would you mind telling me a bit more about your past? If you'd rather not, I completely understand."
"My past? I don't mind at all, but I'm afraid it wasn't particularly dramatic. I'm not sure if there are any interesting stories to tell."
"That's okay. I just... want to get to know you better. It doesn't have to be anything specific. It could be about your time at the Royal Castle, or even further back when you were traveling the Demon Realm..."
Upon hearing that, Illness-san gave me a gentle, affectionate smile.
"Kuhihi... Well, when you put it like that, I simply cannot refuse. It may not be an exciting tale, but I'll tell you about my travels through the Demon Realm in the old days. I suppose I'll start with why I began my journey in the first place."
She didn't seem to have any hang-ups about her history. In a calm, soothing voice, she began to recount her story.
Serious-senpai: "Come to think of it, I don't think we've ever really heard Illness talk about her own past before."