“This year keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it?” Claud asked. “Let’s drop by the bakery first. My mind demands cake and other suitable sacrifices. I think it ran out of food a few hours ago.”

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing,” Lily replied.

“…Why did I feel so much pride at being the captain of Licencia’s guard, when I can’t even spare a few minutes to eat some food?” Captain Blake let out a long sigh, the kind of sigh one would only unleash when they were doubting themselves and the world. “I’m going back to the guardhouse. Lots of work to do. Enjoy your date.”

Without waiting for Claud or Lily to respond, he took a hard turn to the left and vanished into a small alleyway. It probably led to some shortcut or something, which made sense — save for ruffians and thieves, guards were the next most likely people to learn the little routes of Licencia’s underworld. Even if they didn’t make an effort to learn it, chasing after pickpockets and investigating shady murders would teach guards, old and new alike, routes in which distance could be covered quicker.

“Poor guy.” Claud watched as Captain Blake vanished from view. “His work ethic is great, though.”

“Well, you also make it a point to patrol and check on your duties every afternoon. Considering that you don’t really answer to anyone, that also shows that you have a very good work ethic!” Lily smiled, a hint of pride in her face.

Claud wasn’t sure why she was proud about that fact, but if it made her happy, he definitely wasn’t going to complain. His mind spinning rapidly, he said, “You tag along the whole time too, so you also have a great work ethic. And, well, it’s nice to walk around the city with you…even if it’s actually for work.”

Lily made a rueful face. “True. If you weren’t doing all this, I don’t think you’d step out of the house all that much, right?”

“Uh…yeah.” Claud coughed twice. “Going out is dangerous.”

Something in his pocket shifted at those words, and Claud rolled his eyes internally. Clearly, Crown disagreed with those words…or was it disagreeing with that the fact that it was Claud himself who said those words? He wasn’t sure, but…

Now that he thought about it, Crown had wanted to make its own existence known to Lily for quite some time. The many recent events had made Claud forget all about it, but it would seem that the little fella was eager to make a new friend.

“Right, I forgot, but I wanted to introduce someone to you today,” said Claud.

“Someone?” Lily blinked. “Whenever you left the house, I was with you. I’m not sure how you intend on introducing anyone to me.”

“It’s…a long story.” Claud tilted his head. “Let’s get some takeaway, find a nice, shaded area, and I’ll introduce you to this really nice friend of mine.”

“…A nice, shaded area? If you’re introducing someone, it should be at a shop.” Lily folded her arms. “And the way you put it was so whimsical that I’m not sure if anyone else is actually going to show up. If not for the fact we’ve been hanging around in more suspicious circumstances than this, I would have gotten suspicious.”

“That’s a good habit, yes. Always be suspicious…although I seem to be breaking that rule when it comes to you and the others. Especially you.” Claud laughed. “But no worries. This friend of mine is a bit special…why are you staring at my pants?”

“N-no reason in particular?”

He didn’t sense Crown moving at all, but clearly, Lily probably had some sort of sixth sense. Maybe it was a passive skill or something, like Dia’s finely honed combat instincts.

“Okay then. Come on, let’s get some food.” Putting aside his thoughts, the two of them made their way to the bakery and got some cream puffs. It didn’t take long for them to find a nice tree, and the two of them sat down in the shade.

“So, uh, your friend.” Lily looked around the place. “Did you tell your friend that you’ll be waiting for him or her here?”

“Oh, this little friend has been with me all the time,” said Claud, and to his shock, Lily directed her gaze at his trousers once more. “Darn, it was that obvious? You have got to be kidding me…alright, the game’s up.”

“Eh?” Lily let out a surprised gaze as Claud took Crown out of his pocket. “Oh. A box. Phew. A box is fine, and—”

“Anyway, this little guy has begging me to introduce you to it,” Claud replied, somewhat bemused at Lily’s adorable reaction. Maybe it was because she was expecting something a bit more humanoid, but sentient boxes were miracles too.

“Begging you?” Lily repeated.

“Yeah. Ahem. Lily, this little guy is Crown.”

“Meep!”

Crown tilted on its side at those words, and Lily’s eyes turned round. Taking a few deep breaths, she rubbed her eyes and said, “Did it just…meep at me?”

“Meep!”

“Yeah. Anyway, this guy is a companion. A really close friend of mine,” Claud replied. “It’s a pet box, for lack of a better word.”

Crown rolled around a few times merrily, bouncing the whole time. He could sense a profound sense of joy from it, and Lily let out a lovely smile on her face. Without knowing it, she had extended her left hand to the little fella, and Crown promptly hopped onto her palm.

“It’s so adorable!”

“Right?” Claud agreed. “I bring him along all the time. When I’m in my room, it usually rests on my head or on my shoulders, but he can’t be displayed this openly when I’m with anyone else. But since you’re with me all the time…”

Lily didn’t seem to be paying attention to him, however, and Claud couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous over the care she was lavishing on the little guy. It was more adorable than anything else, though, and Claud felt his smile widen as Lily’s stress seemingly vanished.

“So cute.” Lily let out a contented sigh as Crown bounced back to Claud and shimmied up his shoulders. “So, what’s Crown’s origin?”

Claud had come up with a reply long ago. “This little guy was sitting on my pillow one nice night. That’s all.”

“…Damn.” Lily rubbed her nose. “No wonder you can stay in your room all day. You have a nice friend to play with. Okay, that’s it. I’m going over to your room from now on.”

“Is that appropriate?” Claud asked.

“Do…you not want me to?” Lily lowered her eyes, before perking up. “Besides, it’s unfair that you get to have Crown all the time. I also want to watch him snooze on your pillow or something.”

“Fine.” Claud gave in. “I don’t mind. Drop by whenever, but I take no responsibility for what the others say, okay?”

“Why would I care about what the others say?” Lily laughed. “Anyway, let’s settle the more pressing question. Does Crown eat food?”

“I don’t think Crown eats food,” Claud replied. “But let’s find out. Place a cream puff near the little guy, will you?”

Crown sniffed at the box, and then bounced once. Claud watched on with interest as the little guy rolled around the foreign object and bumped up against it a few times, but after a while, it rolled away. For some reason, Claud could sense that Crown was depressed and lonely, as if it thought the cream puff was like him.

“Huh.” Lily’s lips had taken on an O shape. “Crown’s sad, because the cream puff didn’t react to him.”

“You can tell?” Claud asked, amazed.

“Yeah, kinda.” Lily patted the little box. “This cream puff is actually meant for eating, though. It’s not going to animate itself and be your friend.”

“Meep…”

“Now I feel sad,” Lily muttered.

“Come on, Crown, cheer up! You met a new friend today, so don’t be down due to this!” Claud encouraged, before picking Crown up. Placing the little guy on Lily’s head, he picked up the offending cream puff and held it up to Lily’s mouth. “Say aah.”

“A-aah.” Lily’s face was a bit red after she finished off the cream puff, and Claud found himself smiling. The combination of Crown — who was currently rolling around on her head — and an embarrassed Lily was more than enough to create a warm, fuzzy feeling in his heart.

“It’s lucky there’s not many people,” Lily mumbled, before picking up another cream puff.”

“Yeah, I can feed you all I want—mmpf!”

Lily abruptly stuffed a cream puff into his mouth, holding on to the other half with her right hand. “Right? Alright, now chew up slowly and don’t choke.”

As she fed Claud slowly, Crown nestled itself into Lily’s hair, before seemingly falling asleep. With no help whatsoever, Claud could only resign himself to the fate of being fed gently…

He could get used to such a sensation, though.