Because Mariel-chan is a fujoshi.

Mariel-chan spoke as if she suddenly recalled something, but since she had her cheeks stuffed with Tamago Kake Gohan, I had no idea what she was saying.

When I pointed that out, Mariel-chan gulped down the food in her mouth in a hurry.

“… Nn, excuse me. I ended up eating in a daze. Umm, about what we have talked previously.”

“? What might that have been?”

I don’t think we talked about anything else besides Tamago Kake Gohan.

“About me going to the Bastea Company.”

“Ahh, right, we have talked about this, didn’t we?”

We have talked about how Mariel-chan went to the Bastea Company that deals with many ingredients similar to the ingredients from our past lives, but because she doesn’t know how to cook on top of not knowing what to buy, she ended up buying nothing.

“I saw a pretty boy there! A pretty boy with Japanese-like features that I nearly mistook for a girl!”

Mariel-chan who was recalling his appearances looked entranced.

… That’s Sei, isn’t it?

I’m glad, it seems that he arrived at the Capital safely.

I felt relieved knowing Sei was safe.

Still, I didn’t think Mariel-chan would encounter Sei.

… Looking at her, did she fall for him at first sight?

Sei certainly is a pretty boy.

I thought he was a girl the first time I met him, but… I realized he was a boy once he wasn’t wearing his disguise.

… I have not recalled anything weird just now, okay?

Will she be surprised after enrolling in the academy that he’s an overseas student?

“Was he that cool?”

When I asked such, she started trembling in a trance.

Eh? Was he so cool she really fell in love with him or something?

“Noo… he was way too beautiful so… I was only admiring him.”

… Ah, is that so?

“Besides, I was more interested in the wild-looking mister by his side, or rather, I couldn’t endure having wild delusions.”

Kya! Mariel-chan who let out a shriek with her cheeks reddened while bashfully fidgeting looked like a maiden in love. However, I can’t be deceived, I won’t let myself get deceived.

Wrapped in these adorable appearances are rotten insides.

“The standard would be a ‘Wild one X Pretty boy’, but an ‘S pretty boy X Wild one’ also sounds nice…!”

Ufufu… Mariel-chan spoke of her delusions in a trance.

… Wait a moment.

That Wild-type mister, was it perhaps Byakko-sama?

W, what is she thinking of a Sacred Beast like Byakko-sama… No, even our children have fallen prey to Mariel-chan’s delusions.

I cannot warn her before explaining about Sei…

“U, umm, Mariel-san? Delusions like that are…”

“Ahh, will I be able to meet them again? How should I match them up I wonder. I would like to observe them a little more.”

Not good, she’s not listening. I called out to Mariel-chan who started earnestly pondering one more time.

“Are you listening, Mariel-san?”

“Cristea-san! If you have time, won’t you accompany me to the Bastea Company? I would like you to teach more about the ingredients!”

“Eh.”

When Mariel-chan suddenly raised her head, she proposed going to the Bastea Company all of sudden.

“I wouldn’t know what to look for if I was to go alone, so please teach me! Okay?”

Mariel-chan is pleading cutely, but…

“It would be difficult to go to the Bastea Company often for long periods of time without buying anything, so you are trying to bring me along?”

“Ugh! I got exposed…”

I certainly want to visit the Bastea Company. However, I don’t have the confidence to pretend that I don’t know Sei in front of Mariel-chan.

I also feel that Byakko-sama would spoil it by saying things like “Oh? Isn’t that Ojou? When have you come here?”

… But, wait? Rather than pretending that we don’t know each other in the school, wouldn’t it be better to make it seem like we became acquaintances in the Bastea Company? Wouldn’t we be able to talk a bit in school then?

“Errr, Cristea-san…?”

“Eh? … A, ahh. Sorry, I was thinking about something.”

“Umm, it’s fine if you are busy. We can go on the next opportunity…”

Thinking that I was hesitating to go to the Bastea Company, Mariel-chan tried to cancel our outing.

“No, let us go. Let me confirm my schedule first.”

“Eh? Really!? Yaaay!”

I was thinking about how to get in touch with Sei while looking at the joyful Mariel-chan.

I cannot use varieties of magic without a thought while in the Capital after all… hmm.