The office in the Duchess Albert's mansion...... In reality, it could almost be called Lilia’s private room. Sitting elegantly on the sofa, Lilia was gracefully reading a book.
The book titled "Monthly Dragon Ecology" was one of Lilia’s favorite reads. Since she had little work today and plenty of free time, she was leisurely enjoying her hobby.
However, that tranquility was soon shattered into pieces.
[......Pardon me for the sudden intrusion.]
[......Alice-sama?]
Seeing Alice suddenly appear in the room, Lilia closed the book she had been reading, placed it on the desk, and tilted her head in curiosity. She couldn’t think of any reason Alice would visit her alone.
[Ah, well, I actually have a little business with you, Lilia-san.]
[......I see...... Before we get into that, may I ask why you’re looking at me with "those eyes filled with heartfelt pity"......? ......I have a bad feeling about this. A very, very bad feeling.]
[Well, as you might have guessed, it’s a Subject K.]
[..................]
The "Subject K” Alice mentioned was one of her coined terms...... typically used for situations involving Kaito. Lilia was aware of this and, having a vague sense of the stomachaches that awaited her, gazed distantly.
[Eek...... U- Umm, why...... me? If it’s about representing the Human Realm, surely there are others more suitable...... N- No, it's not that I'm objecting or anything!]
By this point, refusing was no longer an option for Lilia. She understood that well enough, but even so, she still wanted to know why she had been chosen.
From her own perspective, as a Duchess, she believed that her older brother, the King, would be a more suitable choice for such a gathering.
[Ahh, we’re inviting the three rulers as well. As for why you were chosen, well...... it’s because you’re close to Kaito-san...... and due to Kaito-san’s influence, you have a high reputation among individuals like Shallow Vernal-sama and Makina. Well, this might sound unfortunate for you, if similar situations arise in the future, you’ll probably be called upon again.]
[......My stomach...... it hurts.]
Indeed, it truly was unfortunate for Lilia...... but the gathered members held her in high regard. Even Makina, who was known to be fastidious, had said “If it’s Lilia, I have no complaints about her presence”, so with her receiving such high praise, it was almost certain that Lilia would be summoned to similar meetings in the future.
Clutching her stomach against the oncoming pain, yet unable to voice any complaints...... Lilia had a melancholic expression on her face.
<Afterword>
? ? ? : [That’s exactly it. The biggest reason why Lilia-san is the best choice...... is because Makina doesn’t mind her presence at the table.]
Serious-senpai : [Her aside, she's surprisingly well-regarded by Shiro too. It's like when there are any Human-related matters, her first thought would always be Lilia, and even at the last birthday party, after Kaito turned down being gifted the floating castle, the next suggestion immediately went to Lilia...... Their high evaluations just end up leading to her stomachaches though......]