Elis Dia Hamilton was, without a doubt, a woman of exceptional talent. Since childhood, she had lived as the daughter of a Marquis House, mastering every field expected of her—knowledge, etiquette, rhetoric, politics, and management—and consistently exceeding the expectations of those around her.
The fact that she had already solidified her position as the next head of the house at such a young age was proof enough of her brilliance.
However, if talent and personal effort were enough to overcome the obstacles ahead, Lilia—a genius among humankind—would never have been plagued by chronic stomach pain. When it came to Kaito, the common sense and knowledge Elis had painstakingly cultivated were utterly useless.
(In this situation, this is strictly a personal interaction with me... it is not an affair of the Hamilton Marquis House. And yet, the public will undoubtedly perceive the Hamiltons as having a close friendship with the Pope. Our house has never focused much on the Divine Religion—honestly, we avoided it because it fell under the jurisdiction of one of the other Four Great Noble Houses... but now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to expand our influence into religious circles as well... N-No, my own problems can wait! My stomach is in knots, but I must not keep Kaito-sama and the others waiting.)
With a spirit that could be called indomitable, Elis hauled her chaotic thoughts back into order. Or rather, she simply shelved the troublesome political implications and chose not to think about them for the moment.
Forcing a graceful smile, she spoke.
"Kaito-sama, shall I prepare Membership Cards for your companions? I can have them ready in about five minutes."
"Oh, that’s a good idea. Kaori-san, Olivia-san, what do you think? Buying things today is no problem, but if you plan on coming back later, it might be better to have a Membership Card."
While Kaito checked with them, Elis’s mind continued to race. She had little information on Kaori or Olivia, but she attempted to project the future based on their conversation so far and the rumors surrounding the Pope.
(The Pope surely won't need one. I can't imagine her visiting a shop like this unless she is accompanied by Kaito-sama, and I recall hearing that she doesn't even consume food or drink. As for Kaori Mizuhara-sama, she is clearly intimidated by the boutique; based on her demeanor and speech, her finances are likely at the level of a common citizen... however, I sense a certain longing for luxury. She will likely make a Membership Card as a souvenir.)
Elis’s intuition was perfect. Kaori was indeed an ordinary person and lacked the wealth to shop at Dia Royal Chocolate on a whim.
Nevertheless, she felt that since she was already here, she wanted the card as a memento, and she figured she might return to buy a treat for herself as a special reward someday.
"Ah, in that case, would it be okay if I had one made? I'm... not sure when I'll be able to come back, but..."
"Yes, of course. There are no annual fees, so please feel free to keep one."
Kaori’s reaction was exactly as predicted, and Elis anticipated no issues. However, she was slightly caught off guard when Olivia—who she expected would decline immediately—wore a pensive, searching expression.
"...Miyama Kaito-sama, before I answer, may I ask a question? Do you enjoy eating chocolate?"
"Eh? Yes, I like chocolate."
"I see. And does the flavor of the chocolate in this store meet your preferences?"
"Yeah, I really like the taste of the chocolate here. I even bought some to take home last time."
After those few questions, Olivia gave a slight nod and turned back to Elis.
"In that case, I have decided that I will be visiting this store personally in the future. Please prepare a Membership Card for me as well."
"...U-Understood."
For a moment, Elis wondered if her hearing had failed her. From the way the Pope spoke, she intended to visit the store even when Kaito wasn't around. It was a complete departure from expectation.
But it was only natural. The Olivia of the past would never have considered such a thing. However, since meeting Kaito, Olivia had been frequenting Kaori’s Shop, studying tea, and actively seeking out culinary knowledge.
She intended to use Elis’s store as a reference because Kaito had expressed his love for the flavor. Olivia remembered their previous tea date vividly; though she didn't quite realize it, she felt a profound sense of bliss whenever Kaito called the things she provided "delicious."
Her decision was born from a desire to master the art of tea-time sweets for their next meeting. Of course, Elis had no way of knowing this. Her mind was a mess of confusion, and her stomach continued to ache.
Serious-senpai: "By the way, during the Shipboard Party, the kings were getting into a contest over who was closer to Kaito, but which noble is actually the closest to him, excluding Lilia?"
???: "Other than Lilia-san, Elis-san is doing pretty well, but they've only just met... Given those terms, Orchid-san wins by a mile."
Serious-senpai: "You mean the prince who's Lilia's nephew?"
???: "Yeah. Orchid-san is one of the few people Kaito-san speaks to casually, and Kaito-san often heads to the Royal Castle on his own just to drink tea with him. He even brings over shares of Nebula-san’s tea leaves. They’re very close... and whenever Kaito-san needs to consult the Royal Family—like when he was building his house—Orchid is the first person he calls. It feels like he’s firmly secured the position of Kaito-san’s precious 'same-sex friend of a similar age.'"