A/N: I managed to get Atelier Rorona this summer at Gamestop, and now I can't stop playing! Since I've gotten True Ending A (the generic ending with Sterk added), I figured it was time for me to try my hand at some fanfiction. And yes, it's going to be Sterk/Rorona. I know how hard it is to find fanfiction for this series, so I apologize for those who wanted another pairing or a gen fic. I know that feel, bro! Now, without delay—
Kimi wa Boku no Ohime-sama
He was close to making something halfway decent. Finally, he could chop carrots into even slices. He could cook meat without horribly charring it on the outside and still have it bleeding from the inside. He could even make simple, plain pie. Not like Rorona could, of course. That girl had a special talent for making pies. But at least he could make it taste like, well, pie.
Being on a knight's salary helped in its own way too. He bought the best ingredients he could at Ms. Tiffani's shop and Iksel's café. In the beginning it was just a cole drainer; every dish he created ended up in the trash bin or scraps for the street cats. But now—now, he thought as he examined the wrapped lunchbox in his hands, Sterkenburg Cranache could make a decent meal that wasn't sandwiches.
Making a mental checklist of his daily completed tasks, he reported to Senior Esty's desk. As usual, his fellow officer was shifting through the paperwork for requests, deftly making notes as she scanned the pages one by one. She lifted her head and smiled.
"Hello, Sterk. Are you finished for the day?" Esty took a quick glance at the box in his hands and then back to his face. He frowned slightly (though to a stranger he might have looked the same. Smiling frequently never came naturally), and nodded.
"I'm going to Rorona's workshop now. I'll return again in the evening for night shift."
"Thank you for your hard work. Did you make dinner again for Rorona?"
He nodded. "I've managed to make a decent meal for once. With all the customers lining up in front of the door every day, she forgets to eat every once in a while. I'm hoping this might stir her appetite a bit."
Esty let out a small hum and shook her head. "That sounds like her. It's a miracle she hasn't starved to death." Again, she looked at the lunchbox and back to him. Perhaps this was the time to walk away.
"Say…" Was her reply, only giving him a knowing stare. He knew where this was going—a chess game of a conversation.
"What is it?" He took the bait. Sighing, Sterk placed the lunchbox on the desk and crossed his arms. Hopefully the stern glare he was sending would get his message across.
Esty pushed her short locks of hair behind her ear and pointed her pen in his direction. Her smile continued, proving his glare ineffective.
"You know, you've been going over to Rorona's an awful lot lately." She pried, slightly leaning across the desk. The statement jabbed at his irritation and his eyes narrowed a fraction.
"Astrid asked me to watch over her. It's obvious that I would be over at her place often. Besides, it's dangerous for girls to live alone." He retaliated. It seemed to phase her none.
"That may be true," Esty said as she laced her fingers together, supposedly in mild thought. "But Rorona is a lovely young lady now, isn't she? Wouldn't people be talking about how a gentleman such as yourself constantly visiting her home?"
Sterk scoffed. "I'm sure the townspeople have better things to do with their time than making ridiculous assumptions."
"I'm not so sure about that, especially the ladies in town. I hear them often talking about one thing or another while I'm shopping. She's awfully popular, you know."
"But it's not like I'm going over uninvited. It's Rorona's choice as to whose company she wants to have around." He replied, now thoroughly irritated. He wouldn't dare disrespect his senior officer, but she just had a certain way to get underneath his skin.
And today she was taking no prisoners. Esty placed her hands on the desk and firmly looked into his eyes. His instincts took this chance to warn him of immediate danger.
"Exactly, Sterk. She's turning 21 soon, which means she's of legal age to—"
"If you'll excuse me, Senior Esty, it's getting rather late. I should be on my way." He interjected fiercely. Honestly, whatever statement she was going to make did not need to be uttered in public.
Esty retained her stare for a few seconds, and with a small exasperated sigh, straightened up and gave him a genuine smile. Their makeshift conversation of wits ended in another stalemate.
"If that's the case, then I shouldn't hold you up much longer. Here-don't forget this." She handed him the lunchbox. "Tell Rorona I said 'Hello'."
With that, Sterk curtly nodded and headed out through the castle doors.
A/n: What was Esty really going to say? "She's of legal age to make her own decisions."