Once I set out the wine glasses, Illness-san poured the vintage Nebula had crafted into them. Sipping wine across from a beautiful woman in the lavish suite of a luxury cruise ship... it was an incredibly surreal situation.
My only regret was that I still didn't feel quite at home in such a sophisticated atmosphere. I certainly didn't feel like I was carrying it off with any real elegance.
I sighed inwardly; I really wanted to become the kind of man who looked natural in a setting like this.
"Thank you. Well, since we're here, shall we have a toast?"
"Yes... of course..."
We lightly clinked our glasses together, and I slowly brought the wine to my lips. Before coming to this world, I had rarely touched the stuff, but I’d had it so often since arriving that I’d actually become quite accustomed to the taste.
I wasn't nearly at the point where I could lecture anyone on the nuances of body or vintage, but... wow, this wine was delicious. I suspected it was a rosé; it had a delicate, pale hue and a slightly sweet flavor with a crisp, pleasant finish.
"It's crisp and delicious. This is a rosé, right?"
"Yes... it is. Most likely... because I... love roses... Nebula must have crafted... a rosé specifically for me."
"Ah, I see..."
Come to think of it, wasn't the name "rosé" derived from the word for roses? Knowing that Illness-san was fond of the flowers, Nebula had likely chosen a rosé specifically for her instead of a standard red or white.
Aside from the thoughtfulness of the gift, the taste was superb. Alice had once mentioned during a dinner out that rosé supposedly offers the best of both worlds—the astringency of a red and the fruitiness of a white—making it versatile enough to pair even with dishes that usually clash with either.
"...Um, so, you mentioned you had something to consult with me about?"
I couldn't just sit here and enjoy the wine forever, though. The whole reason we were here was that Illness-san had asked for my advice, and I intended to give her my full attention.
At my prompt, Illness-san tilted her glass and took a sip. Based on her height alone, she wouldn't have looked old enough to even touch alcohol, but her refined movements and mature aura were such that I felt no sense of contradiction at all.
"...Where... should I begin? Perhaps... starting from the very beginning... would be best. You see... my world was always a simple one. I never... truly... thought about things like... wanting to become someone specific... or having goals to achieve. I simply... lived... according to my own internal standards... without any particular reason... just because I felt... that was simply how I should be."
"..."
Though Illness-san spoke calmly while gazing into her glass, I could sense a rare trace of emotion from her—something akin to hesitation or inner turmoil.
She had mentioned not fully understanding her own heart, so her current distress was likely tied to that confusion.
From what little she’d said, it sounded like she’d always acted according to a rigid set of personal principles. Because those standards had never wavered, she had never felt lost, but now... they were shaking. Of course, I wouldn't know the full story until she finished.
"In that sense... even though I have lived for a very long time... I might have been... spiritually immature. I find myself... tossed about by feelings I never knew existed... and even now... I am quite lost."
"...Hmm. I don't quite have the full picture yet, but is it that you encountered some major turning point you'd never experienced before, and that's what triggered these worries?"
"That is correct. The trigger... occurred shortly after Kaito-sama... arrived in this world."
"...Eh? Me?"
"Yes. It was the time... when the servants were gathered by Milady... that was when I... saw Kaito-sama... for the first time."
She was referring to the day I was first summoned, when Lilia-san had called the entire household staff together to announce that I was a precious guest and that she would tolerate no mistreatment of me.
But wait... why was she bringing that up now?
"At that time... Kaito-sama wore... quite understandably... an anxious expression."
"That's true. I was definitely worried about a lot of things back then, having been plucked out of my world so suddenly."
"Looking at your face then... I thought... that I wanted you... to be smiling. That I wanted you... to be happy. At the time... I did not understand it... immediately, but... it must have been love at first sight."
"......................Wh-What?"