***Arc 7 One Who Bare Their Fang on Reason, Chapter 162 Celestial Maiden, Dancing in the Palm Part 2***

She walks a short distance down a dark, deserted hallway to an underground laboratory.

There she prepared herself and knocked on the door.

The faint sounds that had been heard became quiet for a moment.

After a while, she heard quiet footsteps coming towards the door.

She knew who it was by the way she walked.

"...Krische-sama, may I open the door?”

From inside, instead of Krische’s voice, there was a rat's voice.

“Please wait a moment?”

"……? yes"

The sound of footsteps echoed again, and the sound of cleaning up something.

The rat's small voice continues to echo, and then fades away.

It was then that the door opened.

When she came out of the room, Krische immediately hugged Bery and told her she was sorry.

“Krische, deceived Bery.”

"It's okay. I don't mind it."

Krische pressed her face into Berry's chest and nods, then looked up at her.

There was a smile on her face.

"I'm sure Bery didn't want Krische to worry. But it's okay. There's nothing to worry about."

"Um……"

"Krische will heal Bery's tongue properly in no time. So, uh...give Krische a little time, then Bery will surely be able to cook as much as before."

A rat's squeak came from the other side of the door.

Frowning, Bery looked through the doorway into the laboratory.

There were several wooden boxes lying around, and sharp medical knives and scissors neatly lined up on the table.

"...Um, is that a mouse over there?"

"Yes, Krische just collected them... Krische thought it’s better various things on the rats first. It seems like they'll multiply quickly, and they're the best for experimenting, uh... B-Bery might feel a little sorry for them but"

Krische looked troubled, but headed inside.

She took a mouse out of the box and showed it to Berry.

The mouse looked surprised and let out a shriek――Krische smiled.

"But it can't be helped because it's a bad mouse in the pantry. It's not a good mouse, it's a bad one, so, umm..."

It was common to use mice in experiments.

However, wondering what he was going to do with it, she turned to the knives and scissors――other tools.

"What are you going to do with it, Krische-sama...?"

“Krische saw it a long time ago, but it seems that there was an attempt, for example, to attach a severed arm. ...That experiment ended without going well, but the theory itself had an advantage, so Krische decided to apply it.''

Krische grabbed another mouse and show it to Bery.

"Look, swapping the right hand of this mouse with the right hand of this mouse. If you think about the theory that the wound will heal properly, Krische think it's quite possible."

It should be easy, Krische smiled.

Then she put them back in the box.

"Well, maybe because of the dragon's blood, Berry's tongue has become strange...but, in that case, it's fine to just replace the bad part..."

"...Krische-sama"

"It's okay. Krische won't do bad things to other people, and Krische also won't make any trouble. It will be just exchanged with Krische’s."

Krische was smiling as she said that.

“Krische think it probably have a good sense of taste… um, maybe it aren’t as good as Bery’s, but it shouldn’t be a problem for cooking.”

Holding up her finger and she nodded.

"Look, this might alleviate Krische gluttony, and Bery doesn’t need to be worried at all. Krische also have been thinking for a long time that Krische need to fix that part of Krische."

Krische was strangely cheerful as she said that to Bery.

Bery's eyes were downcast, and Krische shook her head as if in a panic.

"It’s true, okay> Berry doesn't need to care about anything. Uhh, Krische also wants Bery to continue to make a lot of amazing dishes."

Her tone of voice was higher than usual.

Krische just put her smile on her face as if saying she had nothing to worry about.

"Krische is just, wants to help such Bery――, hg"

Bery said nothing and hugged such Krische.

She tightened her grip and pulled her closer.

“Ah, uh, Bery...?”

Just embracing that body as if being afraid.

As if panicked, after a while, as if in a daze.

Only the rat's cry and the two's breath echoed in the quiet room.

Krische’s heart beats rapidly, like after a marathon, like a frightened bird or something.

Bery quietly closed her eyes,

“...Sorry”

Then she said that one word.

Krische’s body stiffens and she shook her head repeatedly.

Tousling her silver hair.

"Bery shouldn’t apologized...K-Krische, Bery's tongue..."

“Why, did it become Krische-sama’s fault?”

The little body was trembling and seemed to be trying to escape from her arms.

She held it tightly as to not let it go.

Still she shook her head.

“Krische, Krische heard it properly from Regalave-san…But, Krische didn’t care as long as Bery was cured, then, and then…”

Her voice was shaking, almost like a cry.

"Krische-sama tried to save me, right? In fact, I was saved like this, so why is it Krische-sama’s fault?"

“Maybe, there are other ways to do it...Maybe, even if, Krische didn’t do anything unnecessary, Bery might still――''

Mixed with her sobs, shaking her shoulders shook.

Timid, Insecure, and Afraid.

Bery closed her eyes, thinking what an idiot she was.

All Bery could think about was herself.

"That’s in hind-sight. That said, why are is Krische-sama talking like that? Even if I could replace it, if Krische-sama ended up like this..."

“Krische, even if Krische can’t eat delicious food again, it’s fine”

She should have known, she should have understood, there shouldn’t have been no room for doubt.

"Bery, is like this, and yet, Krische, saying delicious, delicious, delicious, like an idiot......."

But she was just cowardly, obsessed with trivial things, and afraid.

“Even though Bery suffered, Krische, without paying Bery any attention, just having fun.”

That's why she ended up telling it to this beautiful girl in the most hurtful way.

“So...rry, Kurise, Bery――”

"...Please don't cry. It's not your fault, Krische-sama. I won’t think Krische-sama unpleasant, much less hating Krische-sama."

She was a helpless idiot.

The world's stupidest person is probably Bery Argan.

“ ......I’m more distressed than anything else that my beloved Krische should be saddened in such a way.

"but……"

When Bery pulled away from Krische a little, she could see Krische’s crying face reflected in her eyes.

Her silver hair shone like the moon――Her violet eyes peeking through the silver cracks filled with tears.

The neat beauty, like a work of art that is beaty itself, looked distorted to the point of being unseemly.

She looked as ugly as a sobbing child, and therefore, looked endlessly beautiful.

――Where on earth could there be such a happy person?

The most beautiful girl in the world loved her enough to make a face like this.

If you don't notice that, after all you’re the world's stupidest person.

She brought her face close to hers and kissed her crying face.

There was the softest feeling, and it is certainly right there.

Then everything seemed to be sufficient and she closed her eyes and savored it.

She pulled away a little and repeated it, wiping her tears with her fingers.

At least right now, she was the only person in this world allowed to do that.

She hugged the girl who couldn't stop crying and smiled.

"...Krische-sama, let’s cook together"

“Coo, king...?”

"Yes. Dinner isn't ready yet, so let's do the cleanup for this place tomorrow. Ojou-sana and Kreschenta-sama are also waiting for us."

Krische didn't answer, Bery repeated.

“Cooking.… Or can I no longer cook together with Krische-sama?”

"That's not――hg"

"Tthen. Fufu, let's go."

Forcibly picking her up.

Bery just smiled.

The sun had already completely set and the moonlight was spilling through the clouds.

As they walked on the snow disturbed by the rain and headed towards the mansion, I said a few words to Anne who greeted then.

They entered the kitchen, turned on the everlasting magic lamp as usual, and put down Krische.

“Today, shall we have your favorite pumpkin gratin and soup, Krische-sama?”

With that, Bery got on the stand, and what she took out from the shelf was the winter pumpkin.

Unlike the ones that are harvested from summer to late autumn, they are a little smaller and fewer in number.

It's a little more expensive than regular pumpkin, but it's very sweet.

They were Krische favorite, and she always kept some in the kitchen when it came in.

But Krische never looked up and repeatedly wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

Berry smiled wryly, bent down a little, gently wiped her tears with her handkerchief, and kissed her cheek.

When Bery looked into her eyes, she averted her tear-filled purple eyes were as if frightened.

Bery stared at her for a moment then she smiled, washed her hands, and gets to cooking.

She poured water into the pot and took out the other vegetables.

For a while, only the crisp sound of kitchen knives resounded.

There are pork bones in the pot. some vegetables. After a while, adjust the magic crystal to weaken the heat.

She took her time and relaxed a little more than usual.

"If you ask me if it's okay, I'll say it's okay. ...But if you ask me if it's difficult, to be honest, it's a little painful. It's really hard when you can't taste it at all."

Bery honestly said to Krische, who was crying and unable to move.

“I have a lot of things in my head, like trying new flavors and combinations…but I’m scared if I make a mistake. The more I challenge myself in that way, the farther away I am from before, and before I know it, I'm afraid I won't be able to cook even a single normal dish."

Bery said self-mockingly and checked the aroma of the ingredients that soaked into the soup.

What kind of flavor is in these bones, what kind of flavor is oozing out of these ingredients, what kind of flavor is in this soup?

The dishes was prepared only by experience and familiarity.

“...Maybe Ojou-sama and the other will say it's delicious even if I make a dish like that. Even though I failed, it still tastes delicious today. Without me knowing they being considerate of me, but I'm being convinced of that――Maybe that's how the days will go. ...When I imagine something like that, it's very scary."

She scooped the soup into a ladle and took it to Krische.

Let it cool down a bit and bring it closer to her cherry-colored lips.

Krische sipped it without saying anything, savored the soup, and swallowed it.

“Krische think the flavor comes out well. Krische doesn’t think it’s bad as a base.”

Krische nodded.

Bery smiled bitterly when she saw this.

“If Krische-sama says it’s good, then let’s remove the pork bones and add the pumpkin.”

“Eh?”

"Hehe, this is what it is. It takes a little more to get the real flavor, right?"

Krische looked up, flicked his gaze, and nodded again.

“Right now, I can still clearly understand what it tastes like, from its aroma and appearance. But I'm sure I won't understand it eventually, and at times like that, I won't know it if everyone is being considerate of me. ...I can't cook by myself anymore."

"Hg, Bery"

"But I'm sure it's a trivial thing."

Bery continues to remove the scum that floats on the soup.

She repeated it carefully, until it becomes crystal clear.

“Once it gets into your stomach, it’s all the same. There was a time when I thought that way, and I still think that way. In a sense, cooking delicious food is a luxury, but also a waste of time. Don't Krische-sama think so? ”

"…That’s"

Waste of time. Waste of food.

But Berry went on, there was no doubt there.

"It's wasteful and meaningless――but I think it's not meaningless if there's someone who would be happy with it. I'm happy when someone tastes my food and says it tastes good, so tomorrow I want to make something even more delicious."

Even after the scum disappeared, she slowly stirred the soup.

The aroma of the pale colored soup gradually became stronger and tickled her nose.

“Cooking is like that to me. I'm happy that I can make someone happy in this way, so I've been doing it like an idiot. I felt that my value was there, and that as long as I could create that value, it was okay for me to be there.”

She needed a reason to even live.

Because she was a weak human being.

They say they look alike, but in reality they are the exact opposite.

If Krische and Kreschenta were stronger than anyone else, then she was an infinitely weak creature who had to cling to something in order to survive.

"It makes me happy when my loved ones say from the bottom of their hearts that it's delicious... I will continue to do so. So Krische-sama suggestion is a thankless inconvenience."

“...anno...yance?”

“Yes, it’s really annoying. … I want to see Krische-sama say it’s delicious more than anyone else, so the most troublesome thing is that if Krische-sama’s tongue become stupid. I wonder if Krische-sama likes to trouble me.

Bery puts down the ladle and smiled mischievously.

Krische shook her head, still unconvinced.

"……but"

"I understand that Krische is blaming herself. If it were the other way around, I might have said the same thing.... So, I’ll punish Krische-sama to convince you."

Krische looked up at Bery and nodded.

She had innocent eyes, like a newborn baby.

"... I want to cook a lot from now on, and I want to continue. But, after all, I'm in trouble if I don't know the taste... So, Krische-sama."

She thought it was the worst, but she also thought it was okay.

There was something more important to Bery today than cooking, and it gives Bery more value and meaning than cooking.

Humans are selfish creatures, and she herself is human.

She can't become a saint, she’s no different from anyone else.

"――From now on, please be my tongue."

It was also her own fault, that she had been lured into her hand.

“When Krische-sama is by my me, help me cook every day, test taste for me, and savor it for me. This is Krische-sama punishment, so even if you say no, we will be together forever. It's a life sentence for the rest of Krische-sama life.

With a puzzled look on her face, still red around the eyes.

The girl who is more beautiful than anyone else looked up at her with a beautiful and unguarded look on her face.

As if puzzled and a little troubled, she then opened her mouth.

"Ah, uh, it's not a punishment at all..."

"Oh, if Krische-sama say that, I'll take more and more, is that all right?"

After trying to think a little about the teasing words.

"... Yes. If Bery want it... Krische'll give all of it."

She was so beautiful that Bery wanted to look away from her when she calmly told her that.

"Krische is Bery’s...Krische'll give Bery whatever you want."

Krische gently leaned closer.

"...Swear by this name. From now on... Krische is Bery’s."

She said this in a whisper.

"So... from now on, please stay with Krische."

A meltingly sweet voice.

It was a temptation that was irrevocable and impossibly hard to refuse.

Was it Bery who lured her in, or was it her who was lured in?

Even that sounded as if it would dissolve into obscurity.

Bery smiles wryly and bends her back just a little.

"...I’ve said before, but I'm glad that Krische-sama isn't a merchant."

"...?"

“The way Krische-sama set their prices is so clumsy that it looks like Krische-sama 'll end up losing money on business. Even now, it is a transaction with a huge loss...”

Cupping her cheeks she brought her face closer to hers.

She looked into her jewel-like eyes and drew closer to her, brushing the tip of her nose with her.

"...But what a pity. I'm an evil customer, so I don't care if Krische-sama loses a lot."

Taking her thin, soft lips, she smiled.

"Krische-sama is already mine. As I said, even if Krische-sama hates it, we will always be together from now on. Krische-sama might regret it someday if you get bought by a bad customer huh."

"...Krische won't."

Krische said and kissed her too, happily leaning in.

She rub her cheek, hug her tightly and close her eyes.

“Ehehe, Krische is bought by Bery.”

"If you're happy about something like that, Ojou-sama will call you an idiot again."

"...Krische, might be okay being a little stupid."

“Fufu, I see.”

Her eyes were still red, but a soft smile appeared on her cheeks.

Her smiling face was always the best.

“Now then, the first Krische-sama is to help with cooking. First of all, it is a hard labor, cut the pumpkin in half and have hollow out the inside.”

"Yes"

Naturally, her cheeks soften, and Bery entrusts the pumpkin to her.

“Then there is the tasting of the gratin sauce that I make. This is also difficult because you have to tell them exactly what it tastes like. Be sure to answer honestly, because when you're tasting it, it's not enough just to say it's delicious.''

"……Yes Krische will do her best"

She like cooking because it makes people happy.

She thought that was my worth.

"But that doesn't mean you need to put a stiff face on your face. Cooking is fun, and with that kind of expression on your face, even I might get nervous. The most important thing is your smile."

"Uh... yes"

But before she knew it, she started liking the process more than the final product, and that alone made her happy.

Compared to that, things like that had become trivial.

Think about the people who will eat it, imagine it, and make an effort to be skillful.

With a person by her side who thinks about the same thing.

As long as she have that, it's a trivial matter.

Cooking is a means to an end, not a value in itself.

“We're going to use Krische-sama special pumpkin, after all so let's make the best dish ever. That's right today, let’s add some chopped herbs to the gratin as well.''

Everything is here, at least to her.

"Then, that... nerip... it's a little spicy."

"...I see, it might be interesting. Let's chop it up finely."

"Yes"

She was convinced of that, and that was enough.

There was no doubt in her mind that this is what she was born to do.

"Fufu, today is a very good day."

"Umm...?"

“I realized that I’m the happiest person in the world, and for the first time in my life I felt proud.”

‘――Thanks to Krische-sama.’

Bery continued, leaning her shoulder towards the girl next to her.