On the 18th day of the Earth month, when I was about to head to the
dining room for breakfast, Alice appeared.
[Kaito-san, I'm sorry… All the Six Kings have a meeting today, so I would
be going out for a while.]
[Eh? Ahh, I guess you really have those kinds of meetings huh.]
[Ahh~~ no, we don't have regular meetings… It's just that we were
sometimes called to a meeting. As expected, there's no way I could just
have my clone attend for me, so I'm going to attend with my main body.]
[Alright.]
Even if she's like that, Alice is still one of the Six Kings, the pinnacle of
the Demon Realm. It's hard to imagine it if you just look at how she
regularly acts, but she really must be busy with lots of things.
At any rate, I'm very relieved to know that Alice is always with me as
my guard, so when she declared that she's going to be relieving her
duties as my guard for a moment, I feel a little uneasy.
[Ahh, it will be alright. There's someone who will substitute as your
guard in my stead.]
[…When you say substitute, are you talking about those Count-level
Demons from before?]
[Ahh, no, I was actually planning on having them guard you at irst
but… An unexpected person took on the job of guarding you, so I
decided to leave it to her.]
[…Unexpected?]
[Yes, I tried to make her try out guarding you back on your third day on
Rigforeshia… And it doesn't seem like there would be any problems
with her, so I'll leave it to her.]
[Fumu… So, who is that?]
[It's a secret.]
[Why!?]
I was wondering if the Count-level, high-ranked demons would be
guarding me just like when Alice had to leave before, but they
apparently wouldn't guard me this time.
I was curious about who would be guarding me, so I asked her, but Alice
somewhat happily replied that it was a secret.
[Well, you just have to look forward to when you ind out… Then, I'll be
off~~]
[Ahh, Alice! Wait a moment!]
[Fuehh? What's the matter?]
[Ah, well… Here.]
Stopping Alice, who was about to leave with an unnatural salute, I took
out the fruit sticks from my magic box and gave it to her.
[You probably aren't eating properly again anyway…]
[Kaito-san… Kuhhh~~~. As expected, even if you say all those things,
you're really a kind person! For you, for you to love me this much——
Fugyyaahhh!?]
[Just take them already.]
[Yes~~… Well then, I'll be off.]
[Yeah, take care.]
She's still acting like usual, but I guess Alice would still be the same as
always… Thinking like that, I see Alice off with a wry smile on my face.
After a series of strangely unusual situations, and after inishing
breakfast… There was one person who was acting strangely.
[......]
[Ummm, Lilia-san… Why is Lunamaria-san acting like that since
earlier?]
In front of the four of us who gathered in the dining room, Aoi-chan,
Hina-chan, Lilia-san and I… Lunamaria-san has been pacing back and
forth in the dining room for a while now, and it seemed like she can't
calm down at all.
I tried asking Lilia-san about it, but she just tilted her head, also
wondering the same thing.
[I don't know? Luna… What's going on?]
[Ahh, My Lady… N- No, actually… Mother informed me that she was
coming to visit…]
[Is that so? How unusual.]
[Y- Yes… She said that she had something important to do…]
Instead of her usual aloofness, Lunamaria-san looked lustered, as she's
worried about something.
Not only me, but Aoi-chan and Hina-chan also know that Lunamariasan really cares about her mother.
She eats the lunchbox that her mother made for her everyday, and I
think they're a good mother and daughter.
[Lunamaria-san's mother?]
[I've only heard things about her, so I'm curious!]
Aoi-chan and Hina-chan also seem to be interested in Lunamaria-san's
mother, who they don't know much about, so they said that to
Lunamaria-san, who is restlessly moving her gaze.
[Y- Yes… I was thinking of introducing her to everyone at some point
but… I had some serious concerns so I was hesitating.]
[Serious concerns? What do you mean, Luna?]
[…I was afraid that if I introduced her to Miyama-sama… My mother
would be "violated"…]
[…Wait a second there, can I have about an hour or so of your time, let
me just ask you what is your character assessment of me deep within
your mind…]
All those bullcrap, what in the world are you saying, Lunamaria-san…
Or rather, seriously, what does she think I am in this person's mind?
[No, no, I'm saying this as her daughter… but my mother is a bit easy.
She has always been sickly and a bit naive, and since my father died
more than 50 years ago… I've been irmly focused on my job, so she
must feel lonely. If she encounters Miyama-sama, both the parent and
the child would be easily ensnared… Just thinking about that makes me
frightened.]
[…Oi.]
Somehow, it seems that in Lunamaria-san's mind… She's thinking I was
some kind of Great Demon Lord of Lust from a distant world.
[…You really care about your mother, Luna.]
[She's always talking about her after all. That she's the one she cares
most in this world.]
As I'm stunned by Lunamaria-san's reaction, Lilia-san said that as she
somehow had a smile on her face, and Aoi-chan reacted to her words.
After hearing their words, Lunamaria-san seemed to have calmed down
a bit… And gave an unusually gentle smile, as if she was reminded of
someone sincerely important to her.
[…Yes, my mother had always been very frail… And yet, she raised me
with her own hands, working as a well-bred adventurer to raise me. She
never once showed a painful expression on her face, and even though
life was dificult for us, she sent me to a magic school…]
[…She's a good mother, isn't she?]
[Yes. I'm proud of my mother… She might be a little careless, but she's
really the most important person in the world for me… I just want to
make it a little easier for her.]
Her mother is an irreplaceable part of Lunamaria-san's life… I could tell
that from the look on Lunamaria-san's face and the gentle tone she had
just now.
A mother that Lunamaria-san respects and cares so much about… I was
kind of curious to see what kind of person she is.
Just when the air was a little solemn, in a somewhat grave tone, Hinachan spoke.
[…But if she's coming here… That means she's going to meet Kaitosenpai too, right?]
[I don't want them to meet!!!]
[Calm down for a bit, Luna. It's not like you already know what your
mother will think of Kaito-san just when she meets him…]
[T- That's right… It's not like my mother would fall in love with Miyamasama just because she met him…]
As the mother-con held her head, shouting that she doesn't want her
mother to meet me, Lilia-san calmly makes a follow-up.
For me, I think she was being very unreasonable, but for now, I'll keep
quiet if this is going to help calm Lunamaria-san down…
[…However, we're talking about Kaito-san here though?]
[…It's Kaito-senpai, you know?]
[Why do those words sound depressingly persuasive!?]
[Luna!? P- Pull yourself together… It's alright. I'm on Luna's side.]
[U- Ughhh… My Ladyyyy…]
I won't be disgruntled… I deinitely wouldn't be disgruntled. However,
not just Lunamaria-san, even Aoi-chan and Hina-chan are thinking like
that, what kind of person do these people think I am…
Lunamaria-san, who was kneeling on the loor with an expression illed
with despair, Lilia-san follows up with a gentle pat on her back.
Thereupon, looking as if she has been driven to the corner, Lunamariasan looks back at Lilia-san with tears in her eyes.
[T- Then… If I said that I won't give my mother to Miyama-sama, and
end up antagonizing Miyama-sama, will My Lady stand by my——-]
[...…]
[Why are you averting your eyes!? Rather than your female friend, you
would rather take the side of the man you fe——- Mughhh!?]
[T- T- That is enough, go calm down for a bit!!!]
Just as Lunamaria-san was about to shout something, Lilia-san shouted
and covered her mouth, and for some reason, her face had turned red.
After a little while, Lunamaria-san, who had slightly regained her
composure, turns her gaze towards Aoi-chan and Hina-chan.
[W- What about Kusunoki-sama and Yuzuki-sama…]
[I'm sorry. If anything, I would be on Kaito-san's side.]
[Same here.]
[Do I not have any allies here!!!?]
Lunamaria-san cowered, her head held in her hands.
In the irst place… What she said about how I would do anything to
Lunamaria-san's mother is strange, but I was just too dumbfounded to
have the energy to ire back my tsukkomi.
How should I say this, this morning is really illed with ruckus… I'd
really like to have some tea now.
[Here.]
[Thank… you?]
[I've also prepared some cookies to snack upon.]
[…Ummm…]
[Yes?]
[…What are you doing here? Ein-san?]
[I am guarding Kaito-sama on behalf of Shalltear for the rest of the day.
If you have orders, please feel free to call me…]
[I- Is that so…]
With very spontaneous movements, Ein-san serves tea and cookies in
front of me, and after bowing, she disappears.
Eh? What is this? The replacement that Alice was talking about… It was
Ein-san!? No, no, wait, seriously, please give me a moment… There are
so many things going on that my head can't keep up!
How should I say this… It feels like today is going to be a disastrous day.
Dear Mom, Dad—— It's really just one expected situation after another.
It should still be morning yet, but with the situation like this, I'm really
anxious to see how the day goes. A- Anyway, today, in Lilia-san's
mansion——- It seems that Lunamaria-san's mother is coming.