“Iris, can I talk to you for a moment?”
While Theo was off despairing over the thought that it takes two hands to clap, Estelle called Iris aside.
“What is it?”
Iris who was speaking in an unusually calm tone still felt unfamiliar to Estelle.
“Why do you keep acting like the Crown Princess, Iris?”
“…I don’t see what’s wrong with acting like the Crown Princess when I am the Crown Princess.”
“Sure, I know. I know you’re the Crown Princess. But why are you acting like one in front of us all of a sudden?”
Estelle raised her voice, sounding exasperated.
She knew exactly how Iris usually behaved in front of others, and the way the Crown Princess acted and the way Iris acted were entirely different.
That’s why it felt so frustrating. Estelle had just realized that Iris’s behavior now seemed like she was drawing a line and choosing to act as the Crown Princess.
“…I don’t think it’s a big deal, though.”
“Don’t look away.”
“….…”
“I said, don’t look away.”
Estelle stubbornly pressed Iris, who kept avoiding her gaze and making excuses.
“…Just leave me alone. I need time to think.”
In the end, it was Iris who gave in first.
“Now that’s more like it. This is the Iris I know. Honestly, I don’t care whether you act like the Crown Princess or just yourself. But Sir Theo is uncomfortable, isn’t he? I can’t just stand by and watch that.”
“Sir Theo doesn’t see us as romantic prospects, Estelle.”
“I know that too, you know?”
A little earlier, while Iris had been spacing out, Estelle had a conversation with Theo about a similar topic.
Through that conversation, she had instinctively confirmed that he didn’t see either of them as romantic prospects.
“So, what, you’ve decided to give up on Sir Theo? Draw a line and show a different side of yourself or something?”
“…It’s not exactly like that.”
“Then what are you trying to do? I really wish you’d stop making Sir Theo uncomfortable if you don’t have any concrete plans.”
Estelle couldn’t stop thinking about how uncomfortable Theo seemed, and the fact that it was caused by Iris was starting to irritate her.
Even if he didn’t see them as romantic interests, Estelle liked knowing that Theo cared about her and supported her, which always left her with something to think about. But now, watching Theo unable to focus on her because of Iris only fueled her frustration.
“Come to think of it, I don’t even know why we’re having this conversation in the first place.”
Still, Iris was just as annoyed with Estelle’s behavior.
She knew perfectly well that today’s outing had been made possible thanks to Estelle.
After all, it was Estelle who had first said she wanted to go out together to the mart, and Iris had quickly jumped in to tag along.
That’s why Iris had decided earlier to avoid snapping at Estelle or picking a fight with her today, no matter what.
“I believe making Sir Theo uncomfortable is something I should apologize to him for directly, so if you’ve said everything you need to say, I’ll be going now.”
However, this woman kept picking fights over every little thing, making it impossible for her to hold back her irritation.
“Sir Theo might not be thinking about romance right now, but once he resolves the matters at hand, it’s not like he’s completely against the idea of dating. In fact, didn’t he say he’d actually like to?”
“What? Is that true?”
“Yes, that’s why I plan to help him tackle the issues in front of him one by one, while slowly showing him how I feel. As for you, Iris, if you want to distance yourself, go right ahead. Honestly, it would make things easier for me.”
Though Estelle spoke with such confidence, Iris could see right away that it wasn’t her true intention.
If Estelle genuinely wanted her to leave Theo’s side, she would never have brought this up and would’ve just left Iris to struggle with her own worries.
“…For today, at least, I’m genuinely grateful. Thank you, Estelle.”
“Ugh, that’s so cringe. Let’s hurry back. If Sir Theo realizes we’ve disappeared, he’ll get flustered again.”
Estelle undoubtedly dreamed of a future where she and Theo were in a relationship, but for now, she actually enjoyed the time she spent with Iris as well.
Though their shared interest in Theo was the only thing they fully agreed on, it was refreshing to have someone she clicked with so well. It was funny, too, how that person could sometimes be a love rival and sometimes a close friend.
“Sir Theo!”
“Ah, Estelle! Iris! Where have you two been? You disappeared so suddenly…I was worried!”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Sir Theo. Iris suddenly had to… you know… go to the bathroom, so—”
“When did I ever say that?! Estelle, you’re the one who said you couldn’t hold it! Did you manage to… resolve your problem?”
“My goodness, I survive solely on dew, so I don’t even do things like that.”
Once again, the two of them started bickering, but for some reason, even that made Theo feel relieved.
[Achievement ‘Let’s Do Our Best Together’ has been recorded.]
A notification window popped up, indicating an achievement had been recorded. It made Theo wonder if something significant had happened between the two while they were gone.
So if things had gone wrong, it would’ve been a bad ending? I knew I couldn’t leave those two alone.
Theo was certain that if he had been with them, things would have gone more smoothly.
Although he felt a little uneasy about how close they had come to danger, he couldn’t help but feel a bit proud that the two had managed to resolve things on their own.
“Well then, shall we head back to the studio we rented earlier and try cooking something?”
“Yes, definitely. We’ve bought all these ingredients, so we should at least learn how to cook something.”
On top of that, it seemed Iris’s mood had noticeably improved after talking with Estelle.
“Sounds great! Let’s go! Anyway, I’ll make sure to take the lead and guide you both properly.”
Theo’s mood had lifted as well.
Haah… romance, marriage… Is that something I could even manage? At this rate, once I’ve prevented all their bad endings, I’ll probably be an old man with a long beard or something.
Even as these thoughts swirled in his mind, he couldn’t stop imagining scenarios involving romance and marriage.
Although the typical ending of the game would occur before the two girls graduated from the academy, it felt like things kept going off track.
Theo was beginning to feel uneasy, especially since the two didn’t seem to feel anything resembling “love” toward one another.
Of course, even if he was worried, there wasn’t much he could do about it right now.
***
The studio I rented to try cooking for myself was small but had everything I needed. It was the perfect space, truly designed for cooking.
At first, I thought about just buying the ingredients and borrowing the academy’s cooking practice room. But the thought of people swarming around and whispering, “The Saintess and the Crown Princess are cooking!” felt inevitable. To avoid that, I decided to rent a studio this time so I could cook quietly.
“Alright, let’s start by organizing everything we’ll need on the counter.”
Cooking was simple enough; first, take out and arrange the necessary ingredients, then decide on the cooking order, set up the tools, and finally get to work.
“Today, we’re making simple sandwiches, so it shouldn’t be too hard.”
It wasn’t that I wouldn’t use fire at all, but I didn’t need to use it for long. I wondered what I could make that would still taste delicious without requiring any special techniques, and that’s how I decided on sandwiches.
“One is an egg mayo sandwich, and the other is called a . Let’s start with the egg mayo sandwich together, shall we?”
“Yes!”
“Sounds good.”
Watching the two of them fidgeting excitedly, unable to keep their hands still as they anticipated actually cooking with their own hands, made me smile without realizing it. They were just so cute.
Ahem, thinking they’re cute… That’s fine, right?
I’d originally told myself not to think like that, but what could I do? If people with such pretty faces acted this cutely, it’d be psychotic not to find them cute.
And so, after a bit of self-justification, I decided this much was fine to accept.
“For an egg mayo sandwich, what’s the most important thing?”
“The bread!”
Estelle confidently answered, “The bread” and I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Ah, well, she wasn’t wrong. Bread is important in a sandwich. Without bread, it wouldn’t even be a sandwich.
“Yes, that’s true. Bread is important. But I was actually talking about the filling ingredients.”
“Oh, then it’s mayonnaise!”
Estelle kept dodging the correct answer so perfectly that it almost felt intentional, but it was just so cute.
“Hmm, since it’s an egg mayo, wouldn’t the eggs be the most important?”
“Oh! Iris, that’s correct!”
And so, while Estelle and I were off being playful and silly, it was Iris who nailed the answer once again.
She looked so proud of herself, holding up the eggs near her like she was performing some kind of celebratory ceremony…
Ah, seriously, why are these two so unbelievably cute? It’s driving me crazy!
Spending time like this with the two of them every day made me a bit worried. What if my standards got so impossibly high that I couldn’t date or marry anyone later? What if I ended up single forever because of them?
Still, these fleeting, ordinary moments had become so precious that I couldn’t just dwell on fears of doom and destruction all the time.
Well, what could I do? If I end up not dating or getting married, I’ll just make the two of them take responsibility.
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