We strolled along, glancing at the shops lining the street, but neither Illness-san nor I saw anything that particularly caught our interest. We continued toward the park, chatting idly as we went.
"Illness-san, since we’re here, why don’t we stop by that park for a bit?"
"Oh? Is there something there~?"
"...Well, it’s not that it has to be a park, but I’m feeling a bit bashful... I’d appreciate it if we could be alone together in a place like that."
"I don’t quite understand~, but let us go for now~."
As I had been told many times before, I am easy to read. Even if I tried to hide my intentions, Illness-san would likely see right through me, so I decided to simply admit I had a reason for the detour. As long as I kept the specific details hidden, it wouldn't be an issue.
On second thought, inviting someone to a park at night for an "embarrassing" reason I couldn't disclose sounded a bit suspicious. It almost felt as if I were plotting some Inappropriate Acts. However, we had known each other long enough that there was no risk of such a misunderstanding. Although Illness-san tilted her head in confusion, she readily agreed to head toward the park.
In fact, I had a feeling she might have agreed even if my motives were questionable, but I tried not to dwell on that. Thinking about it made me feel strangely self-conscious. I had to stay focused on the task at hand. Okay, I'm fine.
"Alone in a quiet~ night park~... since we’re here~, shall we share a kiss~?"
"Bwah!? N-no, that’s not it! I definitely didn't invite you for an Ulterior Motive!"
"Hehe, it’s okay~. I don’t think of you that way~."
"T-then that’s good."
"Even if it~ was for an Ulterior Motive~, if Kaito-sama wished for it~... oh, no~ talking about that might be a bit premature, wouldn't it~?"
I had tried to steer my thoughts away from those kinds of things, only for Illness-san to bring them up herself. Calm down. She was just being a Composed Mature Woman having a bit of fun at my expense... or was she? She wasn't lying, which meant if I really did wish for it, she probably... Wait, get a grip, Kaito! That’s not what this is about!
"A-actually, I’ve prepared a gift for you, and I felt it was too Embarrassing in Public to give it to you out there..."
"A gift~?"
To prevent the conversation from heading in any more strange directions, I decided to get straight to the point. We had already entered the park, and with no one else around, we were definitely alone.
As if my words were entirely unexpected, a blank look appeared on her face.
"Um, to commemorate our first date, or something like that... you might have heard from Lilia-san or Sieg-san, but during the Arclesia Empire Founding Anniversary Festival, I made some accessories and gave them to my lovers as gifts."
"I am aware~. Milady was~ very happy~ and was picking out various clothes to match it~."
Lilia-san had smiled gently and thanked me when I gave it to her, but it seemed she was even happier than I had thought. According to Illness-san, she had spent a great deal of time considering various outfits to go with the gift.
Learning about Lilia-san's Cute Behavior from an unexpected source eased my mind. Having regained a bit of my composure, I reached into my Magic Box and took out the accessory I had made yesterday.
"...Yes, so I made an accessory for you in the same way. It’s just a Simple Necklace, and it's certainly Amateur Craftsmanship, but..."
"For me~...? Th-thank you so much~..."
Since she works as a maid, I thought a bracelet might get in the way of her duties, so I decided on a necklace. I think I did a pretty good job, perhaps because I had become quite accustomed to the process after making them for all my other lovers.
In a rare show of agitation, Illness-san accepted the necklace. She held it with both hands as if it were something truly precious, cradling it against her chest before speaking.
"...This is a problem~. I never expected~ to receive such a Wonderful Gift~. My Feelings Can't Keep Up and I don't know what to do~... I am so happy~ that I can’t put it into words well~. It truly is a problem~."
As she murmured, her eyes grew slightly misty and she looked Overwhelmed with Emotion. Looking Surprisingly Beautiful Illuminated by the Moonlight, she was so radiant that I found myself staring, frozen in place. For a moment, a slightly awkward silence settled between us.
Well, it seemed she was truly happy, so I was glad.
Serious-senpai: "...Wait? Why, why cut it here...? Isn't this, like, the part where they conclude the date with a kiss? Um... with this kind of vibe, the next story is scary..."