Idle Talk: It Doesn’t Matter, but the Boy Smiles

As I poured some homemade tea for the girl who was munching on pie, I thought to myself that I had changed.

I didn’t think I would feel this sense of worth except when I was with Irene.

“And then, I seriously thought my head was about to explode…”

When I gave her a random response such as “Heh, I see”, the indignant girl shouted at me to provide her with a better response.

Are you daughter of a count??

Still, it made me wonder how much I have changed from being obsessed with Irene.

More than that, I think Ria is a strange girl.

She says she doesn’t want any trouble, yet she drives head-first into them. She has a small body that can be blown away in an instant, yet she dove in for me whose magic was running wild back then.

A baffling creature, full of contradictions. That’s how I see the person that is Rururia.

I don’t care as long as Irene’s there.

I’m content as long as Irene was looking at me.

I would’ve done anything as long as Irene praised me.

Irene was everything to me.

That hasn’t changed much even now. Irene is still my everything.

……If I say that, Ria will give me a headbutt.

After that blow, a few others came in.

Like my first friend, that is.

“This subtly-colored tea is good! What’s this?”

“Uh, it’s a distilled mix of chameleon plant grass and eggplant bark, and kama—“

“S-stop right there!”

“…What?”

“Don’t tell me everything! I’m not going be able to drink!”

“…So? I know you’re still going to drink it.”

I made that for myself, but she easily downs that poison-colored tea, doesn’t she?

This was made for the spare times that Irene and my master, who forgets to sleep or eat when it comes to dragons (I’m talking about the Chief Magician), meet, so of course, it’s not poison.

“Irene likes this tea too.”

“Ah, yeah, sure.”

I was about to talk about my memories with Irene, but she just gave a half-hearted response!

A little swollen on her cheeks, Ria gave me some chocolate pie. This was supposed to be my snack, after all.

…I’ll take it though.

As we munched on the pie, we revered at how good it was.

What is this lack of tension, I wonder?

I think I’ve always been wary when I’m with anyone but Irene.

I mean, why not?

My mother and father look at me with fear in their eyes. I clung desperately to live as they punch, kick and abandon me every day. But still, I never got any love from them.

Even after Master picked me up, everyone who met me has looked at me with disdain, saying that I was the “devil’s child”.

If that continues, nobody would expect things from you, would they? Nobody would look you in the eye, would they? You’d give up, wouldn’t you?

At a time like that, when your magic power went wild and your life was saved by a beautiful girl who looked like a goddess and accepted you for who you were, it’s no wonder I fell for her and made her my everything.

“Hey, if I tell you that I’m just using you to make Irene fall for me, what would you do?”

……And so, I thought I’m an absolute drag for saying things to test her.

(By the way, if I do this to Master, he’ll quietly make my arms droop, so I won’t do it right now.)

But I’m tempted to test this mysterious friend of mine.

“Heh, nothing?”

“…That’s it?”

“Thought you’ll say that…”

After providing a random answer due to lack of interest, she spoke with a tinge of confusion.

…This sounds rich coming from me, but are you thinking about this seriously??

“You know, if that’s what a friend seriously asks for if you wish for it, you use them, right? Like, what are you saying?”

“…You were born with the wrong gender, weren’t you?”

“Hey, that’s rude.” Ria retorted quickly when I unconsciously badmouthed her.

My mouth was abating as she said the word friend without hesitation, and I rushed to cover it up by drinking tea.

No, no, no, her statement was too manly, right? I wish she’s aware of that.

“However! I won’t become your bridge to Irene-sama! Sorry for you, dear Solan-kun!!”

Ria proudly declares as she puffs her chest.

…There’s a lot of things off about this, but should I say those?

Unlike Irene, I’m not obsessed with her, so I’m sure I’m not in love with Ria.

And yet, despite that, when I’m with her, I feel I can breathe better.

I wonder what this is? Ah, but I feel like I don’t have to understand it.

I can’t help but laugh at myself for being this uncertain, then Ria, my friend, threw a candy ball at me.

…My goodness, don’t play with food!!

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