Lilliwood was the only one left for me to greet among the Six Kings, so I headed toward the area where the World King faction had gathered—or rather, where Lilliwood herself was. I corrected myself because Lilliwood and Lilie were the only ones there; the others were nowhere to be seen, likely off enjoying the festivities elsewhere.
"Hello, Lilliwood, Lilie. Thank you for coming today."
『Hello, Kaito-san. Thank you as well for the invitation.』
"I can only echo Lilliwood-sama’s sentiments; thank you for inviting us."
As I approached, Lilliwood and Lilie returned my greeting with gentle smiles. I had heard that Lilliwood preferred water over food or wine, so I had instructed the waitstaff to ensure high-end water was delivered to her. My foresight seemed to have paid off, as she was currently sipping water instead of wine.
"Quite a bit of time has passed since we started. I assume the others are off enjoying themselves?"
『Yes, indeed. Camellia and Rosmiel seem absorbed in the art exhibition near the stage, while Tiltania, Erial, and Blossom went to find some food.』
"Blossom was particularly fascinated by the mention of Otherworld cuisine, and the other two tagged along with her."
"Ah, I see. Blossom does have a deep interest in Otherworld culture."
Thanks to Kaori-san’s help, many of the dishes at the food corner were Japanese. There was sushi and several other Japanese-inspired options. Regarding the sushi, Kaori-san had pointed out that people from certain regions aren't accustomed to eating raw fish, so we had prepared both normal sushi and seared, aburi-style options, clearly marked with signs.
Having someone who managed a restaurant in the Friendly City was a huge help; Kaori-san's advice had been invaluable. I wanted to find a way to thank her properly later. She had mentioned something about her skin’s condition before, so I wondered if I could help in that area, but I was still debating if bringing up skincare might seem a bit too personal coming from me.
"...Wait, where is Jutia-san?"
『Jutia went to greet some of her acquaintances. She is quite social and gets along well with the other Six Kings' Executives. She also mentioned she’d be heading over to see Ein later and might be talking with her for quite some time.』
"I’m not sure where she got the information, but she seemed very interested in hearing about the original blend tea leaves being distributed at this party. As for the truth... Ah, I see. So that’s how it is. It was an original blend jointly prepared by Illness and Nebula... I see. They are also the creators of the tea leaves Jutia is so fond of."
I couldn't help but let out a wry smile as I watched Lilie nod, having read my surface consciousness to find her own answers. As I had thought before, talking to Lilie was effortless because I didn't need to explain every little detail; she just understood, which prevented any misunderstandings.
"...Most people would probably dislike having their minds read, but your sensibility is as unique as ever."
『Lilie, your flower’s color is deepening.』
"...How embarrassing. It tends to happen whenever I am in high spirits."
It seemed my willingness to accept her mind-reading was viewed favorably by Lilie. She gave a happy, if slightly bashful, smile. Honestly, I really didn't mind it. I was so used to Shiro-san constantly reading my heart that it felt a bit late to start worrying about it now.
『Where do you intend to go next, Kaito-san?』
"After this, I’ll probably greet the kings of the Human Realm and then just see who I run into. Since I tend to get caught up in small talk, I think I'll spend the rest of the event just doing my greeting rounds."
"That is the fate of anyone hosting a party of this scale. It sounds exhausting, so please remember to take short breaks when you can. Don't feel like you have to rush."
"Thank you."
I spent a little more time chatting with the two of them. Their gentle, calm demeanor was soothing, and I felt like I was finally able to relax a bit.
Serious-senpai: "As expected of the man who lost his privacy early in the story. His poise is truly on another level."
???: "Kaito-san really does have a truly strong mentality when it comes to things like this, doesn't he?"