I Was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but That World Is at Peace (WN)

Chapter 2103: Date Plan Execution ㊴

One could undoubtedly say that Eris Dia Hamilton is a talented woman. From a young age, as the daughter of a marquis family, she studied a wide array of fields, including knowledge, manners, rhetoric, politics, and management, consistently meeting the high expectations placed upon her.

Her remarkable abilities were evident in the fact that she had firmly established herself as the next head of the Marquisdom at such a young age.

However, if talent and personal effort alone could resolve all matters, Lilia, the unparalleled genius in human history, would not be plagued by stomachaches. Indeed, when it came to Kaito, it was fair to say that the common sense and knowledge Eris had cultivated over the years were entirely ineffective.

(In terms of the situation, this is strictly personal…… an interaction with me as an individual, not with the Hamilton Marquisdom. However, from the public's perspective, it would undoubtedly be seen as the Hamilton Marquisdom having ties with Founder-sama. While our household hasn’t particularly focused on religious matters, as it falls under the domain of the other Four Great Noble Households…… given the current situation, we have no choice but to expand our involvement in religious affairs but…… N- No, my personal matters can come later! My stomach aches, but I cannot keep Kaito-sama and the others waiting.)

With a resilient spirit that could perhaps be described as unyielding, Eris managed to compose her chaotic thoughts. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say she decided to postpone dealing with the troublesome matters for now.

In any case, having forcibly regained her composure, Eris smiled and opened her mouth to speak.

[Kaito-sama, shall we prepare membership cards for the two ladies? If you give us about 5 minutes, we can have them ready.]

[Ah, that sounds great. Kaori-san, Olivia-san, what do you think? It’s not really needed for our shopping today, but if you plan to visit again, having a membership card might be helpful.]

As Kaito checked with his companions, Eris' mind continued to analyze the situation. While her information on both Olivia and Kaori was limited, she used the interactions so far and what she had heard about Olivia to predict the future developments.

(Founder-sama is unlikely to avail a membership card. At the very least, I can’t imagine her visiting a store like ours without Kaito-sama accompanying her, and in the first place, I also recall hearing that she doesn’t eat or drink. As for Mizuhara Kaori, she seems intimidated by the high-end nature of the shop, and based on her demeanor and behavior, I’d estimate her financial situation is at a standard citizen level…… However, she also appears to harbor a sense of longing for such luxurious establishments, so there’s a strong possibility she might create a membership card as a keepsake.)

Eris’ reasoning was spot on. Kaori was, indeed, an ordinary person and lacked the financial means to shop casually at Dia Royale Chocolates.

That said, she felt that since she's here, it might be nice to have a membership card for a high-end shop, having considered the possibility that she might visit again someday as a treat for herself.

[Ah, well then, since we're here, I’d like to have one made, if that’s okay? Though I’m not sure if I’ll be able to come buy anything in the future……]

[Yes, of course. There’s no annual fee or anything like that, so please feel free to have one.]

Kaori’s reaction was entirely as Eris had predicted, and preparing her membership card posed no issue. However, what deviated slightly from Eris’ expectations was Olivia, who had initially seemed likely to decline immediately, now wearing a contemplative expression.

[……Miyama Kaito-sama, may I ask a question before I respond? Do you enjoy eating chocolate?]

[Eh? Yes, I like chocolates.]

[I see. Then, would you say the chocolate from this store aligns with your tastes?]

[Yes, I really like the chocolate from Eris-san's shop. When I visited before, I bought several to take home.]

After asking a few questions, Olivia gave a slight nod and then turned toward Eris.

[In that case, I’ve decided that I will personally visit this store in the future as well. Please prepare a membership card for me.]

[……U- Understood.]

For a brief moment, Eris wondered if her hearing was failing her. From Olivia’s tone, it sounded as though she intended to visit the shop even without Kaito accompanying her, something she completely didn't expect.

It wasn’t unreasonable for Eris to be caught off guard. While Olivia wouldn’t have made such a choice in the past…… ever since meeting Kaito, she had been frequenting Kaori’s shop, deepening her knowledge of tea, and proactively learning about food in recent days.

As for Eris’ shop, Olivia had decided to take note of it as Kaito had mentioned its flavors suited his tastes. Olivia, especially after inviting Kaito to tea before, had been deeply impacted by his remark that the items she had prepared were “delicious”. Though she wasn’t fully conscious of it herself, hearing those words from Kaito brought her an immense sense of happiness.

With that in mind, she resolved to study sweets that paired well with tea for future occasions…… However, Eris was, of course, completely unaware of Olivia’s intentions. Left with a flurry of question marks in her mind, Eris’ stomach churned in discomfort.

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [Come to think of it, during that ship party, the rulers were competing over how close they were to Kaito. But putting Lilia aside, who among the nobles were actually the closest to him?]

? ? ? : [Other than Lilia-san, Eris-san is doing pretty well, but they haven’t known each other for very long…… Under those conditions, the clear winner would be Orchid-san.]

Serious-senpai : [That would be the prince who's Lilia's nephew, right?]

? ? ? : [Yes. Orchid-san is one of the few people Kaito-san speaks to casually, without formalities. Kaito-san even occasionally visits the royal castle to have tea with him or to share some of Nebula-san’s tea leaves…… They’re close enough that Orchid-san is also the first person Kaito-san contacts when he needs to consult someone among the royalty, like when his house was being built. Orchid-san has firmly secured the position of Kaito-san’s precious "close friend of the same age and gender".]