After visiting the Gun Rock Dragon, I started visiting the other dragons... especially prioritizing those within the top four.
To my surprise, I found out that the Tempest Dragon was the one that had come to greet me when Lilia-san and I traveled to the Demon Realm before, which made me feel some strange connection with it.
After visiting the dragons for a while, the social gathering turned into a food party, and I'm currently sitting on a leisure sheet with Lilia-san, watching the dragons eat, while we ate some of the food we had been given to share and what was in my magic box.
The food the dragons gave us was mostly filled with meat, so we brought out some vegetables and bread to eat with it. Slicing the meat, which had been cooked for us, into thin slices and putting it between the bread and vegetables that Tir-san had given me a while ago, a sandwich was complete.
[...Kaito-san, Kaito-san.]
[Yes?]
[Could this perhaps be a picnic?]
[...Well, I guess it's close to one, but why ask that?]
[No, I've tried camping when I was in the Knight Order, but this is the first time I've ever done a picnic, so I'm kind of excited.]
Speaking of which, it's easy to forget, but Lilia-san is a former princess and currently a Duchess, a person with high social standing. She certainly would almost never have the opportunity to sit on a leisure sheet and eat her meals.
[I see, I understand how you feel. It's fun to eat outside like this, isn't it?]
[Yes! It may not be... ladylike but...]
[Hmmm, I don't think picnics and being ladylike have much to do with each other... but it certainly doesn't feel noble-like. Well, I don't feel such a thing anyway... So that really isn't something that needs to be mentioned now.]
[Arehh? That's weird. I kinda feel like I'm being told that I'm not noble-like now.]
Well, some nobles may enjoy horseback riding and go on long rides, and some may even have picnics, but laying out a leisure sheet and eating bento seems like a commoner thing to do.
[...I had been thinking that Lilia-san wasn't noble-like, and rather than being a while ago, I had been feeling this after I was summoned to this world.]
[I- I am a noble from birth though...]
[No, but I'm not saying that in a bad way, okay? I'm saying Lilia-san wasn't noble-like, because you were friendly and kind, so not only me, but also Aoi-chan and Hina-chan, were able to feel at ease with you.]
These are my true feelings. The fact that Lilia-san wasn't very noble-like and was kind and someone affable helped ease the confusion and anxiety we've felt for suddenly being summoned to another world.
I think I'm really glad that Lilia-san was the one who summoned us. I don't think we would have had as much fun if another noble had been in charge of the summoning.
[W- Would it be alright if I can take that as a compliment?]
[That's what I had been intending. Besides, I love the kind and cute Lilia-san, that is unlike nobles.]
[...T- Thank you.]
When I honestly expressed my feelings, Lilia-san lowered her head, her face red to her ears, and softly thanked me. As I chuckled at this reaction that was really just like Lilia-san, Lilia-san turned her head to the sky and as if to cover up her embarrassment, she spoke.
[...Once again... Thank you for inviting me today.]
[I'm glad you enjoyed it, Lilia-san.]
[Yes, I had so much fun that I felt like time quickly passed by.]
[You seemed to be relaxed and enjoying herself, and I was glad that I had invited you. I have been giving you a lot of trouble on a daily basis...]
Today's Lilia-san was a little childish and seemed to be innocently enjoying herself. If she was able to refresh her mood, then it was really worth inviting her.
[Well, regarding Kaito-san's actions, I'd like it if you'd take it a little easier though.]
[Ughhh...]
[Just knowing that you're getting to know the Six Kings' executives makes me think "It's happening again huh...", but just when I was thinking you would meet them in turn like you said, you end up meeting someone completely different...]
[I- I'm very sorry about that...]
I really don't know why, whether it's various flows of situations or meetings... but I feel very apologetic that I keep on heading towards the situation where I deal damage to Lilia-san's stomach.
Well... When I was swimming in the beach with Sieg-san, she said something about Lilia-san always finding herself attracting trouble even in the past, but the main cause of her stomachache... I think that at least 80% of the problems were caused by me. Perhaps, one could even say that it has become 100%.
Feeling very awkward, I was unable to find an appropriate response... Lilia-san turned to me and mischievously smiled.
[However... Everything, including your troubling parts... were things I love about Kaito-san.]
[Lilia-san...]
[Well, I'd still like it if you make it easier on me though.]
After saying that with a wry smile on her face, her cheeks dyed with embarrassment, Lilia-san gently got closer to me. Our bodies weren't glued to each other, but they're certainly very close... Being the shy person she is, I can imagine that Lilia-san must have mustered quite the courage to do this.
Well... When I hugged her in my embrace filled with my love, her face became so red that it looked like steam would come out of her ears, so I feel like she would faint if I kissed her here.