Chapter 1178

1178 – Bonds Deepened at the Tea Party ①

After talking with Amel-san for a reasonably long time, I moved to another table in search of Lillywood-san again. As I moved around looking at several tables, I found a table a short distance away where my acquaintance was sitting.

They were Camellia-san, who was drinking tea with a calm expression on her face, and Rosemary-san, who looked tense and stiff on her seat.

[Hello, Camellia-san, Rosemary-san.]

[Hello, Kaito-san. Are you enjoying the tea party?]

[Yes, I’m having fun.]

When I called out to her, Camellia-san responded with a gentle smile. Meanwhile, Rosemary-san got up from her chair and brought her face close to my ear before speaking.

[H- Hello, Kaito-kun. I- I’m so glad to see you.]

[Hello…… Umm, how should I say this…… Seems like you’re having it rough.]

[T- T- T- There were a lot of unknown people that attended…… It’s so scary.]

Rosemary-san, just as how she said she wasn’t fond of tea parties that much, seemed to be more frozen than usual. Well, tea parties like this certainly may be a difficult event for the shy Rosemary-san.

With her position as the World King’s executive, it doesn’t seem like she can’t not participate, so she really had it rough.

However, I guess she can talk to me and Camellia-san…… also the other members of the Seven Princesses and most of the World King’s subordinates, so it’s not like everyone around her was a stranger.

“”

[If you’d like, here you go. Kaito-san, are you just going around different tables?]

[Thank you very much. Yes, I’m looking for Lillywood-san to talk to her as well, but I can’t seem to find her.]

Camellia-san prepared a cup of tea for me, so I thanked her and told her I was looking for LIllywood-san as I sat down at their table.

I thought the area where Lillywood-san is would be quite conspicuous, but even after I had been looking for her before I met Amel-san, I haven’t found her.

As I am thinking about this, Rosemary-san, who had moved to the seat next to mine, told me in a small voice.

[……Ummm, Kaito-kun…… Lillywood-sama will return to her castle after the first opening speech, so she basically won’t be at the venue, you know?]

[Eh? Is that how it is!?]

[U- Unnn…… Whenever Lillywood-sama is around, everyone wants to greet her, and even if they don’t, too many people would gather at her table, so she would just show up for the first and last greetings, but other than those times, she would only occasionally show herself a little bit.]

[I see…… No wonder I can’t find her.]

Now that she mentioned it, I see what she meant. It’s true that even if it makes the opening greetings unnecessary, it’s obvious that the people will be concentrated in the place where Lillywood-san, one of the Six Kings, is located.

I think that Lillywood-san’s intention for this tea party isn’t just for being an after party for the Harmonic Symphony, but also for the World King’s subordinates to interact with the invited guests.

Therefore, I guess she does not want a situation where the people are concentrated where she was.

[……Lillywood-sama is watching the venue from the balcony on the floor above, so you can see her if you head that way.]

As she explained this to me, Camellia-san took out a small card from her pocket, wrote something on it with a pen, and handed it to me.

[Please hand this card to the subordinate at the entrance. I have written instructions to have you guided to Lillywood-sama’s place……]

[Thank you very much for taking the trouble of helping me. Well then, I’m going to say hello to Lillywood-san after I finish drinking this tea.]

Thanking Camellia-san for arranging for me to greet Lillywood-san, since she had made tea for me, I decided to drink it for the time being.

[K- Kaito-kun…… If you’d like some, here you go.]

[Thank you. Ahh, these were the rose cookies you made back then. They were really good, so I’ll gratefully have some again.]

[R- Really? If you liked them, I’m happy too. I- If you like to eat some again, just tell me anytime.]

What Rosemary-san held out to me were cookies with rose petals in it, which she had baked for me when she came to visit before.

They have an elegant taste and are different from the cookies I usually eat.

[Ahh, that’s right. There’s something I wanted to ask you, Kaito-kun.]

[You wanted to ask me something?]

[U- Unnn. Kaito-kun lives in Symphonia’s Royal Capital, right? I heard that there’s an exhibition of classical arts at the Royal Art Museum, but do you know when it starts?]

[H- Hmmm, I’m afraid I don’t know. I’ll look into it and tell you later.]

Rather than just not knowing where that exhibition would start, I don’t even know where the Royal Art Museum is located, so I wouldn’t really know…… Well, as there’s no internet in this world, I guess the quickest way one would know about something really is to ask someone who lives there.

Since she’s come to rely on me, I’d like to help her in any way I can.

[Eh? I- I’d feel bad then……]

[No, no, I think I can figure this out by inquiring about it for a bit…… I’ll get back to you via hummingbird.]

[T- Thank you…… Kaito-kun, you’re really kind.]

Saying this, Rosemary-san shyly smiled…… Her expression immediately stiffened again, but knowing that she trusted me that much, even if she had such an expression only for a moment, I was somewhat happy.

Serious-senpai : [Thinking that he had already blown up the Affection Meters of the new heroine, he now departed to increase the Affection Meters of the other heroines…… Can you cut it out already, Protagonist. I mean, you even went and built up a flag where you’re meeting Lillywood alone after this……]