She sparred with Selene, cleaned with Berry, went out shopping, and enjoyed cooking.
Just as Garla had said, life in the city was truly fresh and full of surprises.
Everything seemed captivating, and for Crishet, the numerous ingredients, seasonings, and cooking utensils gathered in the city were a treasure trove.
One day, while she was content with such a daily life.
She had fully enjoyed her cooking and even savored some alcohol mixed with juice that she, Crishet, could drink.
Crishet, not being very strong against alcohol, felt pleasantly tipsy as she cleared the dishes and went to take a bath.
There too, Crishet was with Berry.
While not large enough to be called a grand bathhouse, it was spacious enough for two people.
As Berry embraced her from behind, enjoying the lukewarm water, Crishet suddenly let a few words slip out.
“Berry, you’re somehow similar to Kaa-sama, aren’t you?”
It started when Selene told Crishet to call her by her name without honorifics.
Berry had then made Crishet call her by her name without honorifics, saying something like, ‘If you are to call Ojou-sama by her name directly, then it wouldn’t be right for me, a servant, to be addressed with -san.’
It was a matter of Berry’s preference, feeling that being called ‘Berry’ without honorifics felt more familiar and better than the formal ‘Berry-san,’ and Crishet had readily accepted it.
The sweet resonance of the girl’s voice.
Berry smiled contentedly and asked.
“…To Crishet-sama’s mother? That is a great honor, but… in what way, exactly?”
“Hmm…”
Crishet tilted her head, pondering the words she had casually spoken.
She had thought so vaguely, but if asked why, she didn’t quite understand.
Her cooking was poor. She cleaned diligently, but often left dust in various nooks and crannies.
Grace, who often made mistakes, was, in a word, clumsy, and bore no resemblance to the skillful and competent Berry.
Then, ah, she found a point of similarity.
“It’s how you’re skillfully liked by many people.”
“Um, skillfully liked…?”
Berry repeated the words, unable to quite comprehend, and Crishet nodded.
“The merchants and the townspeople, everyone looks happy when they see you, Berry. Kaa-sama was also liked by everyone in that way.”
“My, fufu. You’re overestimating me. …Your mother must have been a splendid person, wasn’t she?”
“Yes, she was. It was truly a waste that she died. Crishet wanted to learn more about how to raise one’s reputation with others like that.”
At those words, Berry’s body stiffened for a moment.
She frowned, perplexed.
“‘A waste,’ you say, that’s…”
“If Crishet had been a little more attentive, Kaa-sama wouldn’t have had to die. It was very regrettable for Crishet. I was very fond of Kaa-sama, you see.”
Berry wondered if it was merely a turn of phrase, questioning the sense of unease, but then understood that it wasn’t.
Perhaps it was because Crishet was a little drunk.
Her judgment seemed dulled, and she didn’t question Berry’s reaction or tone of voice.
Berry, though hesitant, spoke again.
“That… that must have been a very sad experience for you. Losing your parents… it must have been terribly painful, wasn’t it?”
Her voice was slightly strained.
“…No? The neighborhood oba-sama and ojii-sama gave me food, and now I’m living a wonderful life in a house like this. So, it’s not particularly painful.”
Without a hint of concern, Crishet stated this with utmost honesty.
Feeling a faint suspicion turn into certainty, Berry asked timidly.
“Um… Crishet-sama. May I ask you a few questions?”
“…? Yes.”
“Then—”
The questions were about Crishet’s time in the village.
A waste, regrettable—not sad.
Crishet had used such words.
Taken in and raised in the village, treated like a real daughter, and then unfortunately losing such a mother.
“There was a lot of blood. Even when Crishet pressed down, it wouldn’t stop… Thinking back now, it was a failure.”
Yet, she answered as if it were an unremarkable fact.
Lost.
But that, too, was something that couldn’t be helped.
The girl before her had completely detached it from her emotions in such a way.
“If only Crishet had thrown her sword a little sooner and killed Gado-san.”
There were words of regret, but still, no emotion of sadness was present.
Asking about the circumstances of her mother’s death was a delicate matter, yet Crishet, when asked, remained unfazed.
“I should have killed him before anyone else. I made the wrong choice.”
“…Crishet-sama, are you not afraid of killing people?”
“…? No. Because it doesn’t hurt Crishet.”
“Is that… so…”
Berry stroked Crishet as she continued her questions.
Finally understanding that she was not an ordinary girl.
What she thought about death, or about killing.
When asked, Crishet replied that it was wrong because there were rules, and when asked what rules were, she answered that they were a system to protect the interests of the community.
As long as one received the protection of the community called society, it was natural to follow its rules.
And it was natural to work for the benefit of the community, and she continued that what benefited the community was a ‘good thing.’
“If you see a wolf, you kill it. Crishet thought killing bandits to protect the village was also a good thing, but I suppose breaking the rules was still not good. Maybe it was also a problem that I wasn’t a member of the vigilante corps. …It seems I ended up being disliked, so Crishet isn’t very confident about this area.”
Crishet shyly placed her hands on her cheeks.
“Ojii-sama and the oba-san I was close to told me it wasn’t Crishet’s fault, and I wasn’t punished for it either. That’s why I understand it even less…”
Therefore, Crishet still had much to learn about ‘good things,’ and Grace was a good example in that regard, as was Berry, just like Grace.
From the immature Crishet’s perspective, both were individuals she could respect, and Grace, in particular, like Berry, was someone who treated Crishet kindly.
In that sense too, she had been very fond of Grace, and so Crishet stated that it was truly regrettable that she had died.
“So that’s what it is…”
Berry finally understood the true nature of the unease she had felt during her life with Crishet and lowered her gaze.
A slightly odd, yet adorable, hardworking, and gentle girl.
She realized that this impression was fundamentally wrong.
“…You poor child.”
Berry hugged Crishet’s slender body tightly.
“Berry…?”
Berry felt that something essential to being human was missing from her.
She was extremely intelligent, her thoughts unconventional and unique.
A genius—that was surely what she was.
However, on the other hand, something important was missing from her.
But, only a part of it was missing.
Berry had also sensed that during their conversation.
“Was your life with your mother very enjoyable?”
“Yes. Just like with Berry, she was very kind to Crishet.”
“So, is that why you feel it’s regrettable that your mother passed away?”
“Hmm… Yes, that’s right. It was regrettable.”
Haa, Berry sighed and called out, “Crishet-sama.”
“That kind of feeling is called ‘sadness.’ …At least, that’s what everyone else would call it.”
“…Sadness, you say?”
“Yes. Even if it’s a trivial difference to you, Crishet-sama, words can lead to misunderstandings. In the future, if you are asked about such things, please answer that you felt sad.”
Crishet recalled Garlen’s words from some time ago and nodded.
Garlen had also said something similar to Crishet.
“…Haven’t there been many times when conversations didn’t connect, when you couldn’t understand words, or when you didn’t know why people were happy or sad… Haven’t you often felt such things, Crishet-sama?”
“Eh… um, yes.”
For Crishet, this was a common occurrence.
Receiving reactions different from her intentions was usual, and for Crishet, it was a relatively significant concern.
—A strange child. Different. Odd. Unsettling.
Words that were different from being seen as special for being excellent, words that fell more into a negative evaluation.
Crishet had heard such words directed at her many times.
Unless there was a reason, Crishet basically didn’t talk to others.
Contrary to her ideals, she knew her conversational skills weren’t high. If possible, she wanted to avoid giving such impressions through conversation.
However, she also knew that staying silent would also lead to such evaluations.
For Crishet, it was a difficult problem she didn’t know how to solve.
When a response wasn’t sought, if she kept her mouth shut, the other party would interpret it as they pleased.
Basically, doing so was the safest option, but as a result, it had failed in the village, and ultimately, ‘negative evaluations’ of her had spread.
Crishet wondered what she should have done.
“…Berry, do you also think Crishet is strange?”
—Kaa-sama. Is Crishet a strange child? Am I unsettling? I want you to tell me what’s wrong with Crishet. If you do, Crishet will fix it properly.
When she was very little, she had asked that question once.
Grace had told her that she wasn’t strange, but that it was individuality, something everyone possessed.
She had explained, while hugging Crishet, that Crishet wasn’t strange at all, nor was she bad.
Grace had cried, begging her not to say such things, so Crishet never asked the same question again. However, the doubt still lingered.
It seemed that Berry might offer different words than Grace had.
Berry was far more intelligent than Grace, and a much better teacher.
So, Crishet suddenly recalled that question and voiced it.
“…Did someone say that to you?”
“Yes. I was often told I was a strange child, and that I was creepy.”
Berry tightened her grip on Crishet ever so slightly.
“Crishet doesn’t quite understand what part of Crishet is strange or creepy.”
Staring blankly at her own reflection in the bathwater.
Crishet murmured, the words escaping her lips one by one.
“Just as Berry said, Crishet isn’t good at talking, and sometimes I can’t understand what other people are saying. So I understand that those parts are probably what people think are strange or creepy… but even so, I don’t know how to make things go well.”
Words were not always as they seemed; they often carried meanings beyond their literal definitions.
Appearances weren’t everything; true feelings often hid behind a facade.
It happened frequently—someone she thought was showing her kindness actually disliked her.
Each time, Crishet would become confused, unable to understand.
“…Wanting to know how to improve others’ evaluation of you, is that what this is about?”
“Yes. Berry and Kaa-sama both seem very good at it.”
If only she could get along with everyone and converse skillfully.
If that were the case, life would have been much easier.
But Crishet didn’t know how.
“When I asked Kaa-sama when I was little, she told me it was individuality, and that Crishet wasn’t strange at all. But, I know that various people think I’m strange or creepy, so it feels like that’s not right. Does Berry understand?”
Berry fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.
Then, after a short while, she opened her mouth. “Well…”
“…Pardon my impudence, but to be honest, I did feel that Crishet-sama was a little unusual. At the very least, you are different from what is ‘ordinary.’ I’m sure Crishet-sama’s mother felt the same way.”
“…Kaa-sama too?”
“Yes. And if I may say so from the start, there is no perfect solution to this problem. …Well then, Crishet-sama, have you ever thought that I was strange?”
“No?”
Berry gave a wry smile.
“Fufu, but I, too, am often told by people that I’m strange. In both good and bad ways.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yes. Just like Crishet-sama.”
As if tracing the water’s surface with her fingertip.
Berry continued in a gentle voice.
“…The parts of a person that are different, unusual—if taken in a good way, they are accepted as individuality. If taken in a bad way, they are perceived as creepy.”
She raised her palm as if scooping up the hot water, then turned it over.
The sound of water spilling echoed in the quiet bathroom.
“Individuality is something where good and bad are two sides of the same coin; it’s decided by the state of mind of the one perceiving it. The reason I said there’s no clear solution is because there are aspects that we cannot control from our end.”
“Is… that so.”
Crishet pouted and sighed.
She didn’t doubt Berry’s intelligence.
If someone like her said so, it meant there was effectively no solution.
Even after repeated trial and error, if she was told there was nothing that could be done in the end, she had no choice but to give up.
“Your mother probably understood that as well. She likely said what she did because she didn’t want to… well, disappoint Crishet-sama.”
“Disappoint…?”
“Yes. It’s because she loved Crishet-sama. …Because she loved you, seeing Crishet-sama’s smile would make her happy, and conversely, disappointing you would make her very sad.”
“…Because she loved Crishet… Mmm.”
Giving a wry smile to the pondering Crishet, Berry asked.
“By the way, Crishet-sama, why is it that you help me?”
“Um… Crishet has been taught many things by you, and, um, you sleep with me… and tea, and… sweets, Crishet receives a lot from you.”
Only the part about sweets was uttered in a small voice, but she stated it falteringly yet clearly.
Berry smiled happily and said.
“So, you do things that would make me happy, is that it?”
“…Yes.”
“Fufu, Crishet-sama is probably overthinking things too much.”
Berry grabbed Crishet’s waist, lifted her, and turned her to face her.
Then, holding up a finger in front of Crishet’s face, she smiled.
“…Crishet-sama does things that make me happy. And I, impertinently, love such a Crishet-sama very much, so naturally, I want to make Crishet-sama happy too.”
She patted Crishet’s head and met her gaze.
Crishet, looking somewhat happy, stared intently at Berry.
“Conversely, I don’t want to disappoint Crishet-sama. And Crishet-sama too… it’s a little embarrassing to ask this myself, but don’t you also feel that you don’t want to disappoint me?”
“Yes… Ah.”
Berry hugged Crishet tightly and said forcefully, “That’s it.”
“That is the emotion called ‘liking.’ When fondness deepens, it becomes love. They are both similar, but please think of it like that. …The feeling of caring for someone and wanting to do things that make them happy is what love is, and Crishet-sama certainly has that too.”
“Love…”
For Crishet, fondness was the act of enduring hardship to provide selfless benefit to another.
A rather hazy definition.
Grace, who had died protecting Crishet.
The question she had harbored during her conversation with Garla-san some time ago.
It felt as if various things had taken a slightly clearer shape.
“Yes. And if you direct such affection towards someone, you wouldn’t think their unusual parts are creepy. Crishet-sama’s mother, while knowing Crishet-sama’s unusual parts, said that was precisely why it was individuality. …That’s why she said you weren’t strange at all.”
So that’s how it is, Crishet understood, and her estimation of Berry’s wisdom rose.
It was a line of reasoning that was truly easy, even for Crishet, to understand.
“…I, too, don’t think those unusual parts of Crishet-sama are strange, nor do I find them creepy. Rather, I think they are a charming individuality that Crishet-sama possesses, which others don’t have.”
While her face was pressed against Berry’s bosom, such words tickled her ear.
Feeling a sense of comfort, Crishet let the strength leave her body and hugged Berry back.
“…That being said, it doesn’t mean your worries are solved. But at least, that is what I believe, and my feelings won’t change in the future. So, if you have such worries, please ask me anything.”
“…Yes.”
Wise, kind, a good cook, and capable of anything.
And such a person would also become her teacher.
For Crishet, this was truly a joyous thing.
However, what should she give in return?
She pondered this vaguely.
“Crishet-sama is surely a very strong person, different from me and others. Perhaps it is because of that strength of heart that you sometimes find it difficult to understand others’ feelings.”
“Strong heart, you say?”
“Yes. I… well. For example, if Gotoushu-sama, Ojousama, or Crishet-sama were to lose their lives in an unfortunate accident, I would be terribly sad. It would be so painful that I wouldn’t even be able to bring myself to cook, which I love. Many people become like that when they lose a loved one.”
Berry said this in a slightly subdued voice.
Crishet remembered Garla-san around the time her son died, showed some understanding, and nodded.
“People with similarly weak hearts empathize with such feelings, console each other, and by doing so, everyone gradually recovers from sadness and can go on living. However, Crishet-sama, perhaps due to your strength, might find it difficult to understand such sensations. …From my perspective, that seems like a very lonely thing.”
“Lonely…?”
“Yes. Crishet-sama… do you like cooking with me?”
“Yes, very much… Berry knows so many dishes, and it’s amazing how you come up with new things, and it’s really fun cooking together.”
“Fufu, when you say that, it makes me feel somewhat happy, embarrassed, and tingly.”
Berry gave a wry smile and continued.
“Because Crishet-sama and I are both captivated by the same thing: cooking. That’s why I also find it very fun to cook with Crishet-sama, and I believe Crishet-sama feels the same way.”
Berry took Crishet’s hand and touched her index finger to her own.
“…That’s because we are engaging in it with the same feeling.”
Then she released her finger and continued.
“If, hypothetically, I had no interest in cooking, you wouldn’t have thought that way, would you?”
“That… might be so.”
“If you find cooking with me more enjoyable than cooking by yourself, Crishet-sama, it’s because my enjoyment is adding to yours.”
Berry said cheerfully, intertwining her hand with Crishet’s.
“…That’s the principle of empathy. Joy multiplies many times over, and painful things are eased. That’s why not being able to easily empathize with others seems like a slightly lonely thing, I think.”
“…I see.”
Crishet nodded frankly.
Indeed, if normally enjoyable things could be enjoyed many times more, then her current situation felt somewhat like a waste.
In reality, cooking with Berry was far more enjoyable than cooking alone.
“Most people aren’t as strong-willed as you, Crishet-sama. So when they experience something painful or joyful, they want others to empathize. But that’s difficult for you to understand, and that’s probably why other people think you’re peculiar.”
Berry seemed to ponder for a moment.
She traced her lips with her fingertip and nodded.
Grabbing Crishet’s waist, she turned her around and said with a smile.
“…It won’t be a fundamental solution, but first, yes, shall we start with sharing enjoyable things?”
“Sharing enjoyable things…”
“Yes. If we do that, I’m sure you’ll gradually come to understand. …There’s no time like the present, so let’s start as soon as we get out of the bath.”
No sooner had Berry said that than she stood up from the bath with a splash.
Watching her well-shaped, ample breasts sway, Crishet, who had been left behind, tilted her head.
“Um, Berry, what are we going to do?”
“Crishet-sama’s enjoyable things… namely, cooking, and baking sweets.”
Berry said to her with a beaming smile.
“Um. I’m not exactly free, you know… Why do I have to bake sweets? And at this hour…”
Selene, who had been self-studying in her room, was forcibly dragged out by Berry and glared at her sullenly.
“Well, during the day, you’re busy, aren’t you, Ojou-sama?”
“That doesn’t mean…”
“Crishet-sama, please put an apron on Ojou-sama.”
“Yes.”
Crishet did as she was told, holding out an apron to Selene, who was wearing her negligee nightgown.
Baking sweets.
Under the grand pretext of it being part of her studies, they would have a tea party afterwards, munching on the cookies they made.
There was no way Crishet wouldn’t be happy; she gazed at Selene with sparkling eyes.
“Ah, um, I, well…”
“You don’t want to…?”
It had been decided that the tea party would be held in Selene’s room.
Therefore, Berry had explained to Crishet that if Selene absolutely, positively refused, they would call it off for the day.
Of course, Berry, who had known Selene since she was little, didn’t even consider the possibility of her refusing, but Crishet, unaware of this, asked Selene with a truly sorrowful expression.
It was a sorrowful, upward glance.
Pressed and questioned by such a Crishet, Selene went “Ugh,” her eyes darting around.
“Alright, fine,” Selene answered in a small voice, as if giving up.
Crishet’s face lit up with a smile, and she cheerfully put the apron around Selene’s neck, tying the strings behind her slender waist.
“Crishet-sama, Ojou-sama has never made cookies before, so please teach her thoroughly, okay?”
“Yes!”
“…What are you going to do, Berry?”
“I’ll be watching over you both with a smile.”
“You…”
Selene glared at her, but Berry was completely unfazed.
“Look, you’ll be together for a long time from now on, so understanding each other through baking sweets on an occasion like this is very important. Isn’t it a good opportunity?”
“It just looks like you’re the only one enjoying this…”
“Of course not. Well then, let’s start with cracking the eggs. Come now, Crishet-sama, please teach her gently.”
“Yes! Selene, this way.”
“I’ll go even if you don’t pull me, honestly…”
Her hand pulled by Crishet, Selene reluctantly went along with the two of them and started making cookies.
Selene was indeed skilled in swordsmanship, but she was relatively unsuited for detailed tasks—in other words, she was a rather clumsy and rough-around-the-edges girl.
She dropped eggshells into the bowl. She messed up the amount of flour.
Each time, Crishet would dispassionately demonstrate and explain, “This is no good,” or “It’s like this.”
Eggshells could be scooped out, and if the flour amount was wrong, they could just increase the other ingredients.
It ended up being a much larger batch of cookies than originally planned, but for Crishet, this was actually a delightful thing, and she was in a very good mood.
Selene, who had initially been grumbling and complaining while doing it, gradually started to get into it, perhaps influenced by Crishet.
Regarding seasoning, it was probably because her palate had been refined by Berry’s cooking.
Her sense of taste itself was excellent, and she voiced many opinions when adding essences or mix-ins as secret ingredients to the cookies.
There were some combinations she had tried and failed at, but there were also combinations she hadn’t tried, and Crishet cheerfully trialed various kinds of cookies.
Fortunately, thanks to Selene, they had a large amount of base dough, so there was no problem even if they increased the variety.
Once they finished baking, the three of them first headed to Bohgan-sama.
Bohgan-sama, who was doing paperwork, was taken aback by the sudden visit, but when Berry emphasized that these were the first cookies Selene had ever made, he seemed to understand and ate a cookie looking very pleased.
Selene looked very embarrassed but couldn’t hide her happiness, staring intently at Bohgan-sama as he ate the cookie. Crishet watched Selene with a curious expression.
And after that, it was a late-night tea party in Selene’s room.
Selene, being teased by Berry, looked extremely sullen, but the topic gradually shifted to talk about cookie mix-ins and essences.
“This one is delicious.” “This one is a bit too sour.” “This is too sweet.” “This is bitter.” “It’s not delicious, but it smells good.”
Crishet’s preference was for cloyingly sweet things, while Berry liked things with a bit of saltiness.
Selene liked refreshing things with a slight sourness.
“I think this one turned out better.” “No, but this one…” —their preferences differed slightly, and their opinions clashed, but for Crishet, it was a very fruitful time.
Cloyingly sweet things are delicious, but it’s true that a little saltiness gives the flavor more definition.
Sometimes, as a palate cleanser, something refreshing and sour tasted better.
What tasted “delicious” changed with each one they ate.
That’s precisely why there are discoveries to be made from various opinions.
At least, it was a far more “enjoyable” time than making and taste-testing them alone.
Come to think of it, she felt like it had always been this way.
Crishet also liked having others taste her food.
“How is today’s dish? Is it more delicious than yesterday’s?”
To Grace, to Golka, to Garen, to Garla.
—Ah, it was fun, she suddenly realized.
What kind of opinion would Grace have given?
What about Golka?
She imagined, but then considered that the two of them were no longer around, and she couldn’t ask them.
She recalled Bohgan-sama’s happy expression from earlier, and Selene’s.
A vague, unsettling feeling arose in her chest, and Crishet frowned and tilted her head.
“What’s wrong, Crishet?”
“…No. It’s just, my chest feels…a bit unsettled…”
“…Didn’t you just eat too much?”
“Eh, uh…”
Now that Selene mentioned it, she thought that might be the case, her cheeks flushing and her eyes darting about.
Despite it being a tea party after a meal, she had eaten a huge amount of cookies.
Her stomach also felt a little heavy.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Just then, Berry, who had briefly left the room, returned.
On a plate was something reddish and translucent.
“…I had a feeling you were sneakily up to something, and you were making that?”
“Fufu, it’s a little surprise. I thought something refreshing would be nice after the cookies. Here you go, Crishet-sama.”
The translucent thing presented before her eyes was quivering.
It was beautiful like a jewel, something she had never seen before.
“It’s jelly. Fufu, it seems this is the first time you’re seeing it, Crishet-sama. …Here, open wide.”
Berry scooped it up with a spoon and brought it to Crishet’s mouth.
From the jelly dancing on her tongue, a familiar taste.
“Tea…?”
“Correct! What do you think? Even for Crishet-sama, who loves sweet things, isn’t something refreshing like this nice after indulging in sweets?”
“It’s delicious!”
“Fufu, it goes down smoothly, churun. I had a hunch you might like this sort of thing too, Crishet-sama, so that’s wonderful. Here, open wide.”
“Nmu…”
Selene watched Crishet and Berry with an exasperated look as she brought the jelly to her own mouth.
“…She’s not exactly at an age for ‘open wide,’ you know.”
“It suits Crishet-sama so well to be fed, so it’s fine. Fufu, could it be that you’re jealous? If so, then for Selene-sama too…”
“Hah, I don’t need it…”
“Berry, this, this…! How do you make it?”
Crishet, already captivated by the texture of the jelly, asked Berry with her eyes sparkling brightly.
Berry chuckled. “I’ll be sure to teach you properly tomorrow,” she said, petting Crishet.
And so, the night deepened, and the tea party came to a close.
Crishet, filled with excitement and a sense of happiness, was on her bed—being petted by Berry, who sat beside her.
Next time I make cookies, I’ll try doing it like that, or like this.
Crishet made several suggestions, and Berry nodded with a smile.
“…How was it? Did you enjoy the tea party, Crishet-sama?”
“Yes, very much…”
“That’s wonderful. Sharing enjoyable things is, well, like this. Enjoyable things are much more fun when you can share them with someone. …Cooking makes it particularly easy to understand.”
Saying so, Berry placed a finger on Crishet’s lips.
“Tastes differ from person to person. Opinions can clash. However, you, Crishet-sama, myself, and even Ojousama are all the same at our core.”
“…The same?”
“Yes.”
Berry smiled cheerfully.
“Didn’t you realize that Ojousama and I feel the same way you do, Crishet-sama? That we want to eat delicious things, and want to make them?”
“…Yes.”
“That is what empathy is. Crishet-sama, you were able to properly understand our feelings through the common ground of cooking. And because you found something in yourself that resonated with us, you were able to accept it even when opinions differed, and thus felt it was enjoyable.”
She then took Crishet’s hand and intertwined their fingers.
“All things are, in essence, connected at their roots.”
“…Roots.”
“Yes. Perhaps Crishet-sama and I are fruits from the same tree.”
She chuckled and gently kissed Crishet’s hand.
“Just like with cooking, people have their likes and dislikes, what they find fun, and what they find boring. Opinions on what one likes and dislikes will also differ. …But the feeling of enjoyment itself, the feeling of liking something, feeling happy or embarrassed—those feelings themselves are the same for everyone.”
“…Crishet too?”
“Yes. It’s true that you are a peculiar person, Crishet-sama. But in essence, you are the same as others; there’s no difference between you and myself, Ojousama, Gotoushu-sama, or Gahlen-sama.”
Releasing her fingers, Berry gently stroked Crishet’s forehead, brushing aside her hair.
The feel of Berry’s hand was very similar to Grace’s.
Gentle and careful.
It was the way Crishet liked to be petted.
“People interact with each other at the surface of their hearts. It’s somewhat natural not to understand others. Just as you can’t see the bottom of a soup, you can’t see the depths of another’s heart. You wouldn’t know the exact taste of a soup just by looking at it, would you?”
“…You might not know unless you taste it.”
Crishet blushed at the word “taste” and answered honestly.
Berry nodded.
“Yes. But if you know what onions taste like, what tomatoes are like, and what meat is like—if you know each ingredient like that, wouldn’t you be able to imagine, at least a little, what kind of taste this soup has?”
“That… yes.”
Pressing her forehead against Crishet’s.
And then Berry smiled.
“Fufu, it’s the same thing. …For example, I know what it’s like to have fun, and I also know sadness and hardship, so I can imagine to some extent what others are thinking. If there’s anything Crishet-sama is lacking, it’s surely just that.”
Her large, light brown eyes gazed gently into Crishet’s violet eyes.
“How you feel, Crishet-sama, what you think. If you delve deep, deep inside yourself like that, if you get to know yourself more and more—”
It was a somewhat strange sensation, as if her gaze was being drawn into Berry’s.
Just gazing, listening to her voice.
Crishet merely narrowed her eyes at the warmth transmitted from Berry’s forehead.
“If that happens, Crishet-sama, you too will become able to understand the feelings of others. …Of course, this isn’t a definitive solution, and clear results might be a long way off. But if you continue to do so, I believe you will surely obtain what you desire, Crishet-sama.”
“What I… desire.”
“Yes. …Something you may not have realized, Crishet-sama, but something that is precious to you.”
Crishet frowned with a “Muu,” and Berry burst out laughing.
“Well, but please think about it more lightheartedly. Even I am not perfect enough to lecture you so grandly, Crishet-sama. …Sometimes I look only at a person’s surface, think I understand everything about them, and thus misunderstand them without realizing it. Such things happen often.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yes. Everyone is like that. Not just you, Crishet-sama.”
“Let’s see,” Berry mused for a moment, then said, “Let’s do this.”
“There’s no need to hold back with me. If there’s something you want me to do, Crishet-sama, please don’t hesitate to say it out loud.”
Berry held up a finger in front of Crishet and smiled mischievously.
“Please tell me what makes you happy and what you enjoy, Crishet-sama. The same goes for anything unpleasant. …I believe that understanding your own heart first in that way is most important.”
“…U-um, well, that is…”
“For example, it should be about time for you to sleep, Crishet-sama. And I think, don’t you like to sleep while snuggling warmly with someone?”
“Eh…?”
Crishet’s cheeks turned red.
Seeing that, Berry laughed.
“I’m saying you can let yourself be pampered like that. Come now, please say it.”
Crishet’s eyes darted around, but she nodded.
“Th-then… p-please sleep… with Crishet.”
“Fufu. Yes, certainly.”
Berry said, kissed Crishet’s forehead, and slipped into the bed.
Then she hugged Crishet and gently stroked her forehead, brushing aside her hair.
Her body was soft and warm.
“I also like sleeping like this, hugging someone warmly, so our feelings are mutual. …Ojousama has become embarrassed lately and won’t sleep with me, so from today, please keep me company, Crishet-sama.”
“…Yes.”
“Being honest is a good thing. Please show me various sides of yourself like that, Crishet-sama. Regardless of others, at least I want to understand you. If we can find common ground, many more things will become enjoyable, and we can become happier. …Both I, and you, Crishet-sama.”
Kissed on the forehead once more, Crishet squirmed from the ticklishness but didn’t resist.
It wasn’t unpleasant; what she felt was a sense of security.
Ever since she was very young, being hugged and petted like this had felt comfortable and reassuring.
At least, it was a sensation Crishet liked.
“No matter how much one desires perfection, everyone has flaws, and there’s no such thing as a perfect person. That’s precisely why we understand and accept each other’s shameful parts, and then fulfill each other. That is the most wonderful kind of relationship, and it’s the most wonderful and happy thing.”
“Wonderful, is it?”
“Yes, it’s wonderful. Both I and Crishet-sama, sleeping while hugging like this… we’re both happy in this moment, aren’t we? Because we’re both doing what the other desires.”
Berry whispered so, cheerfully.
‘If you try to understand the other person, and they try to understand you, and then you can do things that make each other happy, that’s a very happy thing, Crishet. It means you can be happy just by being together.’
She remembered something Grace had told her a long time ago.
Crishet had tried her best to understand others. There had been some success, and it was thanks to Grace’s words that she had managed well in the village.
However, what Grace had wanted to say was probably something like what Berry was saying.
Indeed, she thought, the two of them were very similar.
“…After all, Berry, you’re somehow just like Kaa-sama.”
“Oh my. If that’s the case, it’s a great honor.”
Berry chuckled, her shoulders shaking, and said with gentle eyes.
“…Little by little, let’s discover various Crishets together with me, shall we?”
“Various… Crishets?”
“Yes. …The Crishet-sama you don’t know, the Crishet-sama you desire.”
“You will surely understand eventually,” Berry said, pulling Crishet closer to her chest.
Crishet nodded at those words and, enveloped by the sensation, closed her eyelids.