I was invited to an unusual and sudden tea party.

The tea party and the tea party.

Simply picking delicious treats, drinking tea, and talking to Cachauff, the invitation will arrive no later than a week before the date of the event.

But this invitation came the day before yesterday.

Normally, this is a refusal case, but the owner of the invitation knows Liz.

If it was Liz, I'd be happy to go the day before.

I hurriedly wrote a reply to the invitation and sent it to the maid at the royal palace, asking if she could help me with the dress for the day.

"Hey, Sei. Is there anything I (I) need to tell you?"

“What do I have to tell you?”

On the day of the tea party.

After completing the formal greeting, she sat down and drank a sip of tea, and Liz asked me a question.

This is not always the case again.

Usually, even a tea party between unwary friends starts with a small chat.

And yet, suddenly, a simple question came up.

Is this an important project?

I can't believe Liz, who was the prince's fiancé, ignored Theory and proceeded.

When in doubt, I worked my head around how to answer the question.

Hmm. I don't think so.

"That's right. Do you really have no idea?" Or is it something I can't say... "

“There's something I can't tell you, but I can't answer it because I don't know what I want to hear.”

"That's right. Then I'll be very clear." What is your relationship with Master Dreves of the Court Magic Division? "

Master Dreves?

The name that came out of Liz's mouth fills my head even more with question marks.

I wonder why the division chief's name came up.

Well, I'll ask you about that later.

First of all, I have to answer.

When asked about the relationship between the division commander and me, what is clearly applicable only comes to mind as much as the teacher and the student.

Otherwise, what colleagues do we have together in a monster crusade?

I can't say anything because I work for a different division of court magic and a different laboratory for medicinal plants.

"I see... I wonder if it's a teacher and student?" I'm being taught about magic. "

Is that all?

"? That's all, though..."

I can't believe it. If you answer someone who can be sure, Liz's eyes will be dazzled.

Huh? What? What?

That's all I was asked, but I don't have any other answers.

Stuck in the answer, Liz spread the fan in her hand, hid her mouth, and sighed clearly.

There's been a rumor about the royal palace lately.

What? Rumors?

I don't know if it's a rumor.

There were rumors among the nobility that their freshness was vital.

The [Saintess] 's purification ability and the high level of healing magic effects were temporarily disturbing the Royal Palace, but that was a long time ago, and now it was on fire.

As for cosmetics, it is the same because no new products have been released recently.

The food served at the party held at the Royal Palace was the same.

I don't think it's enough to say that it's noisy, even if it's still a topic.

Then what are the rumors?

Wait a minute.

Is that what you just asked about your relationship with the Division Commander?

When it comes to the Division Commander...

As soon as I thought of it, Liz uttered her words.

I heard that Say and Master Dreves might be engaged.

Yes!?

I shouted too loudly at the outrageous remarks.

Then Liz listened and hugged her head.

According to Liz, rumors about the Division Commander and me are circulating among the nobles.

The rumors started when the Division Commander and I were at the same venue the day we went to the theater.

That day, seeing the Division Commander and I talking together in a box seat, they seemed to have skipped the conjecture.

The speculation was surrounded by tailstrips, and rumors were spreading in the royal palace that there was no such thing.

Incidentally, the representative of the unknown is that the division commander and I are engaged.

And Liz was so surprised to hear the rumor that she came to ask me the truth.

So it's true that you went to the theater with Master Dreves?

"Yeah. My family couldn't go anymore, so they told me I was running out of tickets..."

That's a typical invitation.

"But, (...) it's from Master Dreves." You're the only one who's interested in magic, and I don't think there's a rumor like this. "

"That's right. I don't know how you feel. But, you're out of your mind."

"Ugh..."

"You deserve it." There are many ways to go to the theatre alone. It's like telling a rumor. "

"Hi, Moustache Wrinkle Care Limassen..."

I can only apologize to Liz for her dazed gaze.

What Liz has just spoken is what she has learned in the lectures she is receiving at the Royal Palace.

Even though I knew it, I was totally out of my mind when I was invited by the Division Commander.

Liz is right, going out alone with the opposite sex is a rumor.

That's even better if it's a theater box seat, which is a subtle secret room.

It seems that box seats are sometimes used to appeal to people other than family members and fiancés to be close to each other.

Moreover, this time, it was a combination of the division leader of the court magic division and the big one called [Saintess].

Liz said she couldn't help but notice that the people who loved the rumors about it would fall apart.

It might get noisy for a while, but I think it'll calm down.

Is that so?

"Yes. Rumors are overwritten with newer and newer ones." If this happens, you should be careful with male invitations. "

Well, I'll be careful in the future.

With Liz's grateful advice in mind, the tea party was over.

And then two days later.

I was still worried about the rumors.

Crouching in the laboratory's herb garden, looking at the ground, he raised a strange voice in his heart.

The reason I don't actually speak out is because if someone asks me, I will be treated as a strange person.

It seems that there was still reason to consider the risks.

That said, I can't change my regrets about my inadvertent behavior.

That's because I've been thinking a lot since I broke up with Liz.

According to Liz, this rumor is disturbing the royal palace.

This means that many people are aware of this rumor.

Embarrassing is embarrassing, but you can switch your mind so that you don't care if strangers are just talking.

To be told by people you know...... you can give up a hundred steps and switch somehow.

However... when I think that person will know, my feelings become noisy and I can't help but feel calm.

That person is the leader of the regiment.

I've only recently realized that I like the leader of the regiment.

If you can see her, she'll be happy, and if you can talk, her feelings will flutter.

There's nothing wrong with that, but it's a chat.

I don't feel this way in other people.

That's why I'm sure you're in love.

Even when I was in the previous world, I didn't have this experience, so I'm worried about whether I'm really in love.

The current relationship with such a leader is very pleasant.

But what happens if I hear rumors about the Division Commander?

As Liz heard, if the Division Commander and I thought we were close to being engaged, wouldn't we be distanced?

Whether in the Kingdom of Srantanya or in Japan, it is better to get along with a person of the opposite sex other than the fiancée, and I don't think that a serious regimental leader would commit such a ban.

That warm time will surely be gone.

When I thought about it, I felt like I couldn't stand or stand.

I don't mean to regret it, but now is the time.

At that time, why did I accept the invitation from the Division Commander?

Not only aristocrats, but also other people's romance stories become stories.

With a little thought, I could have predicted that if the two of us went out, we would get along, or that we would be dating, or that there would be such rumors.

I couldn't think of anything at that time.

No, because I didn't think I'd be able to talk about love.

Isn't it easy for a junior high school student to be rumored so easily?

Even when I was in junior high school, I had never been rumored...

"The mourner didn't have a bad opponent to be rumored..."

Ah, but, as Liz said, it was bypassed.

"Really, what should I do..."

When excuses and reflections alternated around the head and unintentionally dashed the inside of the mind, they called me by name from behind.

Sei?

Huh?

Suddenly, I jumped up to the voice I heard from behind.

What I heard was the voice of the person I was just thinking about.

I stood up in a hurry and turned around, and there stood the leader of the group.

Hawk-sama?

"What's the matter? I thought you were worried about something."

Because I was very anxious to arrive, I forgot to say hello and was stunned.

Without blaming yourself for it, the chief of the regiment worries me.

But I can't say.

Definitely not.

There's no way that someone who doesn't want to know the most can say something they don't want to know.

That's why I misled her with a horrible smile.

"Oh, no. It's, uh, nothing."

"Really? If it's okay, I don't mind..."

Without breaking her worried expression, the leader seemed a little depressed.

The guilt stung my chest, but I couldn't tell you anything about the rumor.

What's the matter?

Would you like to go out with me next Sei holiday?

Going somewhere?

"Ah. It's a park in the capital city..."

There are several parks in the capital, but the biggest of them is also the aristocratic social scene.

Even if they live in a mansion with a large garden, they go for a walk in the park and talk to the people they met there.

In the warmer months, some people seem to have a picnic.

The chief of the regiment invited me to go to the park.

“It's not a good time for a walk, but I want to show you something.”

"What do you want to show?"

"I'm looking forward to it when we get there."

It seemed that the aftermath had been shot at the head of the group, who smiled and put his index finger in his mouth.

I looked up at the head of the group with my eyes slightly closed.

As always, you're an eye-catcher.

Anyway, what do you want to show me?

I'm curious.

If we don't know where we're going, why don't we go?

It would be fun to hang out with the head of the regiment.

Then, when I thought about returning my consent, Liz's angry face swept through my head.

Ah, if we go out together, it'll be rumored again.

He remembers being angry just two days ago, and he remembers his reply.

I don't care.

The leader of the regiment, is that your main order? So, even if it's rumored to be the leader of the regiment, it doesn't make me feel uncomfortable.

I think it's embarrassing.

But what about the leader of the regiment?

If you don't like to be rumored with me or feel troubled, I'm very sorry.

It's happened the other day, so I guess it's the right thing to say no here.

It's been a long time since I've been out with the regimental leader, so I'll pull my hair back...

Isn't that okay?

When the feeling of wanting to go and the feeling that you shouldn't go groped, and opened your mouth gradually and heavily to say no, the head of the regiment uttered a faint voice.

The head of the group who dropped his shoulders looked like he had drooping ears over his head.

I was looked at with a stunning gaze, and the voice that was about to come stopped.

Ugh... if you stare at me like that...

No, you can't.

I can't.

I cannot refuse the invitation of the Commander in that condition.

In the end, there was a push to go, and I was invited by the leader of the regiment.

As soon as I saw the head of the group with a clear expression, my chest became dusty and warm.

I can't help it. I'll take care of the regrets later.

With a bitter smile, he continued to talk about the fun plan with the leader of the group on the spot.