「Tomoe. I’m sorry to interrupt, but I have something to say as well.」
Schnei-san stood up, walked around the table, and faced Tomoe-san.
Tomoe-san closed her mouth as instructed.
We held our breath in anticipation.
Even Chocola seemed to sense something, remaining quietly subdued, despite his empty milk dish.
「…The first time I met you was back when your old man was still active. I was just a rookie kid, and your family was doing pretty well. Were all your siblings there? No, Kinoto hadn’t been born yet.」
He smiled nostalgically.
Meanwhile, Tomoe-san’s expression remained unchanged. She stared intently at Schnei-san, silently waiting for him to continue.
「We didn’t have a care in the world back then. I thought I’d be working with your old man forever, and you did too… or at least, your old man did.」
Ah— I thought. That’s how it is for everyone.
Just seven months ago, I never imagined I would lose my father.
The future felt like an extension of the present—mundane and peaceful. If something were to happen, I thought it was far off in the distance. ‘Not tomorrow.’ I believed.
Yet that ‘far-off time’ could arrive as soon as tomorrow.
I instinctively stroked Chocola’s back.
「Kyuu…」
He nuzzled against me, making a soft sound.
And then Schnei-san continued.
「After your old man became like that… well, we all struggled, didn’t we? I might not have the right to say anything, but you must have had it tough. I’ve never really asked how you feel about your old man. But, because I’ve been with you for so long, I think I’ve lost sight of things a bit.」
The words are somewhat twisted in tone, but still repentant,
「What kind of woman you are and what you are thinking about.」
Yet he continued to look directly at Tomoe-san.
「Tomoe. You’re strong, shrewd, greedy, and incredibly tenacious. Even without me, you can fend for yourself and earn a living. This cake is a testament to that. An exclusive contract? That’s impressive. If this becomes popular, you could become a billionaire. But at the same time… you’re also anxious, lonely, and terrified of losing what’s important to you. You fear more than anyone that someone might disappear.」
That’s probably two sides of the same coin.
Because you’re anxious, you act tough.
Your greed stems from your loneliness.
「Maybe it’s because we’ve known each other for so long or maybe because I feel guilty, but I’ve been focusing too much on your weaknesses. I’ve been cowardly, thinking that if I were to disappear in the future, you would be sad. If I ended up like your old man, I couldn’t bear to make you unhappy. But now, I’ve come to my senses.」
Schnei-san took a step closer to Tomoe-san.
「The first time I saw you, I thought you’re a good person. But you’re strong. You’ve even grown stronger. Even considering your weak sides, Tomoe, you are who you are. I want to be with you.」
He pulled out a small box from his pocket.
Inside was, of course—
「Thank you for giving me the cake. For saying we should eat cake together. This is a special one made by Novium. …Will you marry me?」
He presented a silver ring adorned with a gem the same color as Tomoe-san’s eyes.
She gently accepted it.
After receiving it, she lowered her gaze, staring intently at the ring, falling into silence for a moment.
Then she raised her head and said—
「Your speeches are too long, you clumsy fool!」
With a loud thud, she lifted her maid skirt up to her knees, delivering a devastating low kick.
「Ow! That hurts!」
Schnei-san, struck squarely in the shin, grimaced and held his leg. Completely ignoring him, Tomoe-san scrutinized the ring with a critical eye.
However,
「Hmm… this isn’t some cheap piece, is it?」
「Hey, what are you saying? Apologize to the man! I’m still a top-tier adventurer, you know? If I die, you can sell this and eat well for a while!」
「…I wouldn’t sell it, you fool.」
But the ring was already on Tomoe-san’s left ring finger.
※※※
「Sui, Sui.」
While I was moved by the couple’s interaction, Karen tugged at my sleeve in a whisper.
「What’s wrong?」
「…Hmm.」
When I turned, I saw Karen gesturing toward the door.
The three of them—Berde-san, Lila-san, and Novium-san—had quietly stood up and were about to leave the room.
「We’re intruding.」
「Got it. Chocola.」
「Bark! Kyuu…」
I quietly got up from my chair as well.
Chocola obediently followed, but did she think I wouldn’t notice her lingering gaze at the empty milk dish for just a moment?
「…I’ll make sure to feed you something later.」
「Kuuuun.」
As we turned to leave the guest room, I glanced back at the embracing couple.
Now, it was their time together.
In any case, I’m glad everything went well. It seems my stollen played its part too. Just as I was about to step through the door, I took one last look at them.
At that moment, Schnei-san was turned away from the door, and due to their height difference, I couldn’t see Tomoe-san’s face.
But—
Tomoe-san’s hand rested against Schnei-san’s back.
One of her hands came up toward me, and she gave a thumbs-up, as if to say, ‘I did it!’
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