It all started with a certain female drifter.
『You see, Valentine’s Day is a day to give your feelings to the person you like, along with chocolate. But in another world (this one), chocolate is precious… So, I think giving sweets should work just as well.』
The girls in love listened to the drifter’s story with great interest.
『I wonder whose sweets your beloved will end up liking most.』
Having said that much, there was no stopping the lovestruck girls. No, there was no way they could stop anymore.
※
「Mmm… haaah… I’m tired… my shoulders are so stiff…」
I’d just finished today’s quota, and was about to take a short nap… but the sun was already up, shining brightly to announce that it was well past morning and already midday.
「Day and night flipped… even in this world that’s a bad habit…」
Everyone else was, of course, active during the day. If I kept this up, we’d end up living on opposite schedules.
If everyone went to bed while I was wide awake, I’d have nothing to do but work again.
Ah, terrifying thought.
「Ah, Master. Good morning.」
「Ah… morning?」
「Muu. Again… did you stay up all night? I thought the deadline wasn’t for a while yet」
「Yeah, I kinda got carried away. But thanks to that, everything’s done now」
「That’s… good, I suppose… So, what will you do now? Will you have lunch, or rest?」
「I’ll have lunch. The work’s done, so I’ll take it easy today」
Can’t let the lunch Wendy worked so hard to make go to waste.
「Oh, bread porridge, huh. That’s easy on the stomach, thanks」
「I figured you just woke up, so I made something gentle… Really, please don’t overwork yourself to the point of getting sick, alright?」
「Sorry, sorry. I’ll try not to make you worry」
「Geez… you always just ‘say’ that」
Wendy puffed her cheeks and turned away in a huff, so I pressed that puffed cheek with my finger, letting a little air escape.
Even as she got more annoyed at that, I couldn’t help but think how cute she looked as I finished my meal.
-0-
「Come to think of it, where’s everyone else?」
As we stood side by side doing the dishes, I decided to ask.
Normally, I’d see Shiro or Mizera around by now, but neither of them had shown up today.
Aina and the others should’ve had the day off from quests too, yet they were nowhere to be seen.
「Mizera had to pick up something she left at the Adventurers’ Guild. Aina and the others took a temporary quest. As for Shiro… I’m not sure where she went」
「Hoh. So that means it’s just you and me today, Wendy」
「That’s right. I get to have Master all to myself」
Saying that, Wendy stepped just half a step closer, so close that I could feel her warmth, yet still a hair’s breadth apart.
In turn, I leaned slightly closer to her.
A quiet moment.
Neither of us said anything, nor did we need to do anything. Just standing there, it felt like happiness itself.
「Excuse me !」
The one who broke that peace was the voice of a young tanuki girl.
「Ah, yes! Looks like something we ordered has arrived. I’ll go receive it」
Usually, one of the gatekeepers handled deliveries, checking for danger by scent, sound, and weight before bringing them to us.
Still… just a ‘little’ more delay would’ve been nice.
-0-
「Alright, all done」
「Yes, we’re finished」
When Wendy returned, I asked what she’d ordered, but she only smiled mysteriously and said it was a secret.
So, we laughed and teased each other while finishing up the last of the dishes.
「Do we have anything else to do today?」
「Most of the cleaning is done. As for the laundry, it still needs a little more time before I can bring it in… and there’s no shopping left to do」
「I see. Hmm, then what should we do?」
「Um… if it’s alright with you, Master…」
「Hm?」
I listened to Wendy’s request, and, of course, agreed without hesitation.
Naturally! Because…
「It doesn’t hurt, does it?」
「It feels ‘amazing’…」
Whoa… this is bad.
Way too good.
「Ah, there’s a big one here」
「Aaaahhh…」
「Please don’t make weird noises! You’ll make me laugh and I might slip」
「I can’t help it… it feels heavenly…」
My cheek rested against Wendy’s soft, plump thighs, while her voice tickled my ear, sending pleasant shivers through me.
She gently inserted a thin stick into my ear, brushing and cleaning inside, sending waves of bliss across my body.
Why is it that having someone else clean your ears feels so much better than doing it yourself?
Doing it alone is satisfying enough, but when someone else does it, especially someone like Wendy, it’s on another level.
Her sultry voice whispering right by my ear only made it worse, or better.
If she were to finish it off by blowing softly into my ear… I’d probably melt right there.
「Ah, there’s another big one deeper in… Don’t move, okay?」
「Okaaay」
Ohhh… ah, this is bad. Real bad. That hit deep. I can feel the chills.
And wow, it feels ‘so’ good. Ahh… I could just fall asleep like this.
Is it okay if I do? I’m tired anyway… maybe I’ll just… sleep for a bit…
「Maaasteer! We’re baaacksssuuuu!!」
「!!」
「Ah…」
The door suddenly burst open, and Renge’s loud voice echoed through the room.
Startled, I jerked, and in that instant, I ended up ‘jabbing myself’ right into the ear pick. A sharp pain shot through my ear!
「………!!!」
「P-Please calm down, Master! Don’t move! If you pull it out too fast, you’ll hurt yourself even more!」
Wendy soothed me, gently and carefully pulling the ear pick out while I tried my best not to move.
Then she dripped a little healing potion into my ear to ease the pain.
「……」
「I-I’m so sorry! I’ll make sure to open the door calmly next time, so please don’t be madssu!」
Renge bowed deeply in a perfect Japanese dogeza, so even while holding my ear, I decided to forgive her.
Well… to be fair, I ‘was’ the one doing this in the living room, so I can’t say I’m completely blameless either.
「So, what brought you here anyway?」
「Ah, right! This, master! This is for you, a presentssu!」
「A present?」
Renge proudly held out a small black lump.
Huh? Wait a second… that looks like,
「This is ‘kokutou’! Black sugarssu! What do you think? Isn’t it amazing!? It’s not white, it’s ‘black’! And it’s even healthier and richer in nutrients than normal sugarssu!」
「Uh, oh… yeah…」
Yeah. It’s brown sugar…..alright.
「Huh? That’s kind of a weak reactionssu… wait, don’t tell me!」
「Yeah, um… we had this back in my world too…」
「Gaaah….! No waaay…! I thought if I picked a rare kind of sweetener, it’d be perfectssu!」
Renge dropped to her knees, head hanging limply as despair radiated off her.
「Nah, don’t worry about it. It’s been ages since I’ve had any. It’s delicious, really. Thanks」
And it was true, back in my old world, it wasn’t something I ate often anyway.
So yeah, it really did taste good.
「Uuuu… really? As long as you’re happy, I guess that’s goodssu…」
「Fufufu… naïve, Renge. You underestimate my lord’s world. They’re absolute gluttons when it comes to food. Of course he’s eaten something as simple as black sugar before」
A smug voice came from behind the sulking Renge, and in strutted Sorte, chin high and full of confidence.
She looked down at Renge with a proud grin, but I had no idea what she was planning.
「My lord! This is ‘my’ present! Here you go!」
「O-Oh… thanks」
Uh… this looks like honey?
No, the scent’s different… a little smokier, maybe?
「Fufufu, that is 」
「Ah, maple syrup, huh」
「Map..…」
Ah, crap.
Before Sorte could finish her sentence, I’d blurted out the answer. Her expression instantly crumpled, and she sank to the floor, hugging her knees in silent despair.
「Ah, no, I mean, wow, that looks ‘really’ good! I actually love maple syrup, you know!」
「R-Really?」
「Yeah, totally」
I gave it a quick lick, it was incredibly sweet.
Not bad. Actually, yeah, I liked it.
Though eating it straight like this didn’t feel quite right… still, this wasn’t the time to complain.
「Ehehe, I see. You know, that syrup comes from a monster called a Sugar Maple. Its sweetness is refined, you could eat it forever and never get tired of it」
「Yeah, definitely not getting tired of it!」
Right, no way I could stop at one taste after hearing that!
I dipped my finger in again and again, licking it off each time.
But seriously, what’s going on here?
Why are they all giving me presents?
Wait… is today some kind of anniversary or something?
Like “the day we met” or “X days since we started living together”?
Crap, I wasn’t counting…
「Haah… both the dog and Renge are too naive. Too flashy. Lord’s favorite sweets are the ones from his own world. That’s why this is the best one」
From behind the two crouching girls, Shiro appeared.
In her hands was…..
「Cotton candy…」
「Hmm. From lord’s world. The one you like」
A big, fluffy ball of cotton candy wrapped in slime film to keep it from melting in the wind.
「Here. Lord, aahn」
「A-Aahn…」
Another sweet thing!
What’s happening here? What is this, the Sweetness Festival?
Are they trying to drown me in sugar?
No way… right?
「My liege! Take my gift! My feelings are in it!」
Yikes.
「Fufufu. Shiro’s idea isn’t bad, but if it’s sweets from my liege’s world, there’s still one more, isn’t there?」
This time, Aina came forward carrying a large tray with a white, round object on it.
Wait, no way, that can’t be what I think it is. But that size…
「Go on, eat it! I made a deal with the shopkeeper to craft this special ‘Daifuku’!」
That’s not the daifuku I know!
It was about the size of a crushed small watermelon!
「N-No, I mean… that’s way too much…」
「Just eat as much as you can. Better too much than too little, right?」
Nnnnghhh… ugh.
I can’t exactly take just one bite, can I?
Ugh… so sweet.
The smell, the taste, even my whole body feels like it’s turning into sugar itself.
Somehow… somehow I managed to eat half of it.
But that’s it. I’m done. I can’t… I can’t eat another sweet thing ever again!
「Ah… so everyone’s already here, I see. Oh my, does that make me the fifth one then?」
Ahh… next is… Mizera.
I can already feel it. Another sweet thing is coming.
「Um… you see, Seren sent me some ingredients, so I decided to try making something with them… How does it look?」
On the small plate she held was a tiny brown square.
This… this has to be chocolate, right?
「Aah! That’s cheating, Mizera! That’s the classic onessu!」
「Why didn’t you tell us!?」
「N-No… I didn’t even know if I could make it right, and even after using up all the ingredients, this was all I could get… Besides, I’m not sure it even tastes good… it might be a little bitter… But still, would you… accept it?」
Chocolate… the classic… wait!
Could this be, Valentine’s Day!?
That’s why everyone’s been giving me sweets!?
Ohhh… and they’re not ‘obligation’ chocolates, right?
It’s been so long since I got a ‘real’ one…
「Of course! I’ll gladly accept it!」
Mizera still looked worried, but I was just grateful for how ‘small’ it was.
One bite, just one bite and it’s over!
Alright then, here we go.
I picked it up and popped it into my mouth in one go.
Yeah, a little bitter.
A bit bitter, and every now and then a chunk of sugar hits my tongue, but it’s still delicious.
「Yeah. It’s good. Thanks, Mizera」
「You’re not forcing yourself, are you? …Still, thank you」
Mizera took the plate back, and with her face flushed red, she used it to hide herself from view.
Wait… come to think of it, where’s Wendy?
At some point, she’d slipped away.
Now that I think about it, she hasn’t given me anything yet.
Could it be… that what she was preparing earlier was ‘her’ gift?
Wendy’s idea of something sweet… why do I have a bad feeling it’s going to be ‘extremely’ sweet?
Just what is waiting for me now…?
「Master, sorry to keep you waiting」
My heart pounded as Wendy appeared, carrying a tray.
On it sat a teacup, apparently, her creation was inside it.
「Huh? Wendy wasn’t done yetssu?」
「How surprising… I thought she’d be the first to give hers」
「Sometimes, saving the best for last has its own meaning. Here you are, Master. Please, enjoy…」
「Ah… thanks? Wait, huh?」
Judging by the color… this isn’t black tea.
Wait, could it be… green tea?
「It’s ‘green tea’, a drink popular in Amatsukuni. Since you’ve had so many sweets, I thought something like this might please you more… How is it?」
I took a small sip, the sound barely audible.
A faint bitterness spread across my tongue, followed by the mellow, comforting richness of the tea.
And as I drank more, a subtle sweetness began to bloom within the flavor.
「Ahh… this is really good…」
It was soothing, warm, grounding, and the perfect way to end everything.
「T-That’s cheatingssu…」
「Yeah, totally unfair! That’s not even a sweet!」
「How cunning…」
「We’ve been outplayed…」
「As expected of her.」
「Oh my, I merely chose what I thought would make Master the happiest, that’s all.」
Wendy smiled mischievously, while the others sighed in defeat, their shoulders slumping.
「No, really, I’m happy with all of them. They were all delicious. Thanks, everyone. Now, why don’t we share what’s left and have tea together?」
There’s still half a daifuku left, and since we have maple syrup, maybe I’ll make some pancakes too.
It’s a bit early for White Day, but I can at least do that much as thanks.
The weather’s nice today, perfect for tea on the balcony with everyone.
I don’t know who taught them about Valentine’s Day, but… it turned out to be a pretty great one.
Thank you very much.
※
「Achoo!」
「Misa-nee, did you catch a cold?」
「No, probably just someone talking about me.」
「Did you… do something again?」
「How rude. Ah, here you go, Ma-kun, your Valentine’s present.」
「Ah, thanks, Misa-nee!」
「Wait… it’s Valentine’s Day ‘today’?」
「Of course. It’s the 45th day of the new year, isn’t it?」
「Oh, right! Aaaah, I didn’t prepare anything! Why didn’t you tell me sooner!?」
「Fufufu. Sorry, sorry. I’ve still got some ingredients left, so if you start now, you’ll make it in time~」
Leave a Reply