While eating the sweets ordered at the café, the conversation with Eris-san became quite lively and long. Perhaps because she’s accustomed to social interactions in high society, Eris-san is an excellent listener and speaker. Our conversation naturally expanded and became enjoyable.

Incidentally, since the café has only recently opened, there is usually a time limit for regular seats. However, the special seats I was using as a guest had no such restriction.

[How should I say this…… I know someone who admires high society, but hearing about it like this, it sounds quite tough.]

[In reality, we’ve got a lot of subtle probing and reading between the lines going around here. Of course, high society does have its glamorous side, but behind the scenes, it’s inevitable that various schemes move among the nobility.]

I was listening to Eris-san talk about high society, and it seemed like a difficult world. Apparently, falling behind trends can put you in a very disadvantageous position, making it seem like some sort of information war. Greene-san admired high society, but from what I heard, it felt like it’s a rough world.

Well, if someone’s just attending parties to have fun and not participating as a noble, they might not need to worry so much……

[I suppose one’s position in high society really becomes that important huh?]

[Yes. Having a strong voice in high society is akin to wielding great power. That said, one’s rank and standing often dictate their influence, so high-ranking nobles have an advantage. In practice, things tend to follow the order of noble ranks. My mother…… Marchioness Hamilton is one of the top figures in high society…… but well, in Archlesia Empire’s social circles, there is one absolute pinnacle figure that no one can surpass……]

[……An absolute pinnacle figure?]

[Yes, the mother of Emperor Chris, Former Imperial Consort Ristia-sama. She doesn’t seem particularly interested in high society and rarely makes appearances, but when she casually shows up at a soirée, she captivates the entire venue in an instant. Every one of her movements is so elegant and enchanting that my mother, after seeing Former Imperial Consort Ristia-sama once, felt an overwhelming sense of defeat, thinking she could never win against her.]

[……Ahh, I see…… Ristia-san really is amazing, isn’t she?]

I completely understood. Ristia-san is the strongest succubus, and even without the power of her charm, her communication skills are on another level. When I met her, she instantly read my personality and adjusted her approach accordingly, showing just how sharp she is at understanding people.

Even Chris-san admitted that when it comes to this domain, she can’t compete with Ristia-san, so it’s safe to say Ristia-san is truly the strongest in high society.

Well, Ristia-san seems to have no interest in politics whatsoever. When she attends parties, I think she’s just scouting for potential partners for her meal.

As the conversation reached this point, I glanced at the clock and realized quite a bit of time had passed since we entered the café.

[……Sorry, I didn’t realize how long we’ve been talking.]

[Ah, no, I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed our conversation…… but yes, perhaps it’s about time we got up.]

Eris-san was such an easy person to talk to that I ended up keeping her for quite a long time. Even if she had plans, I got the feeling she’d prioritize talking with me, which made me feel a bit guilty.

Hmm, I should offer her something as an apology…… Oh, right, I have just the thing.

[Eris-san, as a thank you for chatting with me for so long and sharing so much, would you mind receiving this?]

[This is…… It seems to be nicely wrapped, but what is this?]

[It’s a handcrafted wooden desk clock. The person who made the cups for Nifty, or rather, the one who created the prototypes for them, is someone who enjoys crafting as a hobby. They also made a variety of things for Archlesia Empire’s Founding Festival, including the ones I was selling. So, I had asked them to make me a desk clock before, and since they are a perfectionist, they ended up making several variations. I only needed one for myself, so I decided to give the rest to others. That’s why I’ve been carrying them around, nicely wrapped, just in case.]

[……W- Would it really be alright for me to receive this?]

It all started when Nebula and Illness-san were making a larger wooden clock, and I really liked the atmosphere of a wooden clock. So, I asked them to make one for my room and gave them various materials to use.

Since I provided a lot of materials, they ended up making several different desk clocks. I picked the one I liked best to use on my desk, but naturally, there were a few left over.

There was no way I could throw away something that Nebula had made, and while I thought about giving them to my lovers, there weren’t enough to go around, so I wasn’t sure what to do with them…… but Nebula suggested wrapping them as gifts so I could use them when I needed to offer a sudden present or token of thanks. And so, I had them neatly wrapped and carried them around with me.

[Yes, it’s not something particularly amazing, but it has a really nice design and atmosphere. If you don’t mind, please feel free to use it.]

[Thank you. You’ve really given me so much, Kaito-sama…… I’ll definitely find a way to properly repay you.]

Smiling as she said this, Eris-san returned my smile. And with that, our impromptu tea gathering, which had started by chance, came to an end in a pleasant atmosphere.

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [A wooden desk clock made by Nebula…… that’s crafted with the World Tree’s parts as its material, isn’t it? W- What an absolutely terrifying protagonist. From start to finish, you relentlessly attack with stomachaches, and then, just when you think it’s over, you send her home with a ticking time bomb of more stomachache as she realizes what she brought back…… He’s got no shred of mercy at all.]