Chapter 29 - It Seems Like I'm No Match Against Her

A hot embrace from a lovely beauty. It’s really wonderful when you just put it into words—– but as a person who has fainted under that embrace, I am now traumatized.

Since I came to this world, I’ve been traumatized by baby castellas and now, I’m traumatized by the embrace of a beauty…… I feel a little ashamed of myself.

Well, seeing Lilia-san apologize over and over again while she was half-crying, to the point that it made me feel sorry for her, there’s no way that I couldn’t forgive her but……

Anyway, I’ll be attending the meeting with the Goddess of Time, even though it makes my stomach churn, but the Goddess of Time’s permission must be given before I could also attend.

There’s a high probability that I will be attending that meeting, but we’ll just talk about it after the Goddess of Time has contacted her about when they would have this talk.

After dinner and a quick chat with Kusunoki-san and the others, I took a bath and returned to my room.

[Welcome back~]

[……………]

Ah, that’s right. Speaking of which, this bundle of absurdity would appear in my room every night……

However, frustrating it may be, there’s no denying the fact that I’m relieved to see her usual bright smile. I don’t know if I’m afraid I’m getting used to it, or maybe Kuro’s smile is just that sly……

[You met Shiro today, right? What do you—– Arehh?]

[Unnn?]

Kuro spoke to me with the bright smile she usually had, but for some reason, she stops speaking in the middle of her story and intently looked at me.

Then, a little later, an unusual—- or perhaps, this is just the first time I’ve seen it, but there’s a surprised expression on her face.

[Kuro?]

[……Kaito-kun. What happened when you met Shiro?]

[Hmm?]

[Well, I think Shiro may have told you that I asked her to grant you her blessing. It’s just that the blessing you acquired isn’t what I was expecting…… I thought Shiro’s blessing was safer than the blessing of an inferior low-rank God, even if she was to grant a noncommital blessing to you…… But for her to seriously grant you her blessing? That Shiro did?]

Apparently, Kuro is surprised about the blessing I received from Shiro-san.

She must have expected that she would just nonchalantly grant me her blessing, but she asked her because it’s still better than a low-rank God’s blessing.

In fact, at first, Shiro-san did noncommittally granted me her blessing. I’m not mistaken regarding that since the person herself also said it, but she canceled it out afterward and granted her blessing to me again, but she earnestly did it this time.

When I explained to Kuro about that, including the things that have happened today and the contents of the conversations I had with Shiro-san, Kuro’s eyes widened in surprise again.

[……Ku— Kukuku……]

[Unnn?]

[Ahahahahahaha!]

[Eh?]

She suddenly started laughing like she’s really having fun.

[Kaito-kun, you really said something like that? Ahaha, Shiro probably hasn’t thought that a human would actually say that “It’s something you can’t do.”]

[Errr…… Is it that funny for me to say that?]

[You can say that it’s really unusual, but that certainly is something amazing! I think that you should be proud of that! It’s not every day that someone gets the interest of Shiro!]

Kuro praised me with a smile that looks like she’s happy for some reason.

Eh? Did I really do something so outrageous? No, indeed, thoroughly thinking back on it, that might have been a pretty rude statement to say to a God.

Laughing for a moment, Kuro then began to explain to me, who still didn’t understand, with a smile on her face.

[If I were to describe Shiro, I guess you could say that she has an extremely impartial doctrine regarding all matters. It might have been strange for me to say something like this, but she’s really unusual~]

[Indeed, she had that mysterious vibe around her but……]

[For example, there would usually, more or less, a difference between what you like and what you dislike, right? In my case, I prefer sweet and tasty sweets compared to those sweets that taste bad, and if I were to asked which one I like, I will answer that it’s the sweet and tasty sweets.]

[Unn.]

[However, Shiro is different. To Shiro, whether it’s sweets that taste bad or sweets that taste delicious…… not only that, whether it’s the lives living in the world or the sceneries you can find in it, most of the things that can be found in the world have “the same value” in her eyes, and anything doesn’t have any superiority or inferiority before Shiro’s eyes. In that sense, you could say that she’s extremely benevolent, but that also means that she shows no love for anything at all. She puts most of the world on the same level and looks at it the same way…… That’s the kind of Goddess Shallow Vernal is.]

When I heard Kuro’s explanation, the first thing that came to my mind was the image of that baby castella with a murderously bad taste…… Even though Shiro-san said that it tastes terrible, she didn’t seem to mind it at all and continued to eat it like a normal teacake.

And also, those eyes that gave me the shiver the first time I saw them, those eyes that made me not know if they were looking at me or the surrounding scenery…… That means that to Shiro-san, I was only as valuable to her as the scenery around her, the flower and grasses in that hanging garden, which is so to speak, something that had been very natural for her to feel.

[But even that Shiro said that “she’s interested in you” to Kaito-kun. This is even more amazing than you think, Kaito-kun. After all, that means that Shiro recognizes Kaito-kun’s existence. That would mean that she has clearly placed you above all the other ones which she only feels has the same value.]

[E- Errr……]

[Shiro rarely holds an interest in anything. Those things that hold her interest could probably be counted in one hand.]

What can I say to this… The story seems to be getting larger and larger.

To be honest, my head was getting pretty confused as I listened to the words being told one after another. Or rather, Shiro-san—– seems to be more outrageous of a Goddess that I thought, and I understood once again why Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san were so surprised that I had tea with her, and having understood why, a feeling of unease came upon me out of nowhere.

Unn. That’s right…… To be honest, instead of feeling like I’ve done something great, I think I’m more anxious about what’s going to happen now.

[That’s why, what you’ve achieved today is amazing, Kaito-kun…… However……]

[……Eh?]

I was in a whirlpool of agony and thought, but with a gentle tone, Kuro suddenly pulled my hand.

Because of the difference in our height, I was pulled downward, so confused that I couldn’t even resist, and in a posture that looks like I just fell on her body, Kuro embraced me with her soft touch.

My face touched Kuro’s chest, and I could feel the warmth and softness of her body across her clothing. The sweet scent piercing through my nostrils and heading straight into my brain, I feel an inexplicable sense of comfort as her gentle voice resounded in my ears.

[I don’t care about that…… I’m much happier that you were able to think about what you wanted and was able to put them into your own words, Kaito-kun.]

[!? ]

[……You’ve worked really hard. The Kaito-kun just now was really cool.]

As expected, she really is sly.

The confusion and anxiety I was feeling a moment ago, giving me a sense of warmth and security that I can’t contain, all of it is erased from my mind with just those sentences—- as if she could naturally speak the words I want to hear the most.

I’m sure that I was tired after all these troubles I went through today, but it’s strange that I can’t help but feel the urge to do my best again.

Uuggghh… But this stance where a little girl is hugging me while she’s gently stroking my head, it feels really embarrassing for me but…… It’s no good. I feel like I’ve already lost the moment when I wanted to indulge in this comforting sense of security even just for a little while longer.

I was able to speak my mind against the Goddess. I was somehow able to rouse myself even against a noble. I was able to prepare myself to participate in a meeting that would make my stomach churn.

However, against her…… is a bit impossible. Or rather, just the thought of resisting hasn’t come upon my mind, and any trauma I might have felt regarding hugs was flushed out of me.

Instead, it might have been really simplistic of me, but I’m happy to think that this hug is the best reward I’ve gotten today.

Dear Mom, Dad—– I’ve been giddy about a lot of things today. But in the end, when I’m facing against Kuro—- It seems like I’m no match against her.

**********

{Author’s Note}

I think that a comprehending little girl is the best.