When it had become evening and I was collecting the plates, I noticed Krish-san standing still and looking down the road in front of the house. Following his line of sight, I saw a carriage coming toward us from the direction of the city.

Different from the cart I used, it was a box-shaped carriage that looked a bit more modest than those used by Felix-sama.

"That carriage… Sorry, but I'll head in first. I apologize for not helping out,"

Krish-san said and quickly made his way to the entrance of the house.

"I wonder if it's a person working for Felix-sama. Has something happened?"

"I don't know, the carriage doesn't seem to be in a hurry though."

The carriage stopped in front of the house as I and Norm grabbed the empty plates. Couge and Gennett carried the freshly picked fruit, then hurried to help tidy up.

"I know today is your day off. Please come with me. Your father and mother are running out of patience."

"Annette-sama, I remember having refused you already."

As we hurried inside, we had to abruptly stop in front of Krish-san pushing a beautiful woman.

"Annette-sama…"

Aware of my feelings, I felt Norn's gaze on me and the corners of my mouth twitched. I had seen those two together before. It had looked like they were enjoying their date at the market.

Annette-sama noticed us and turned around. My gaze was glued to her hand on Krish-san's arm.

Even when I had seen them at the market, she had touched Krish-san like this. Her beautiful hand with thin pale fingers on Krish-san's armored torso looked very natural. As if it was a natural gesture for her to touch him in this way.

"You are Shinobu, right? Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from Elder Brother."

"...Elder Brother?"

Norn's small voice brought me out of my bewilderment at the sudden news.

"Annette-sama is Felix-sama's younger sister."

Well, then it made sense for her to arrive in a box-shaped carriage. I had only seen Felix-sama ride in those. When I had seen them in the market, I had thought she was like a princess. It turned out that she was a real one.

I wonder if she met Krish-san through Felix-sama. If they met each other long before I appeared, wouldn't they naturally become attracted to one another and become lovers?

"You are as cute as I've heard. I'm Annette. Nice to meet you."

Since she was grinning and presenting her hand, I hurried to put down the plates on the ground and take it. But compared to her pretty hand, I was ashamed of my rough hands from working in the fields.

Annette-sama's hand was soft and pale with polished and sparkling nails. My own hand had hangnails and grass juice sticking to the nails despite my having washed them.

Since this world didn't have something like working gloves, I had no choice but to touch the vegetables with bare hands.

Because I was too ashamed of my dirty hands, I hid them behind my back after shaking her hand.

"I heard you were injured. It was during the calamity, right? Is your body better now?"

"Yes, I am well now."

"Then I'm glad. Although I only know what I've heard about you, it must have been scary. And you fought despite that. I think you are an amazing person."

Annette-sama was a friendly beauty. Her expression kept changing, and despite being a beauty, she was very cute as well.

She was so kind to even worry about me. I understood how Krish-san could fall in love with her.

"Annette-sama, please stop trying to find fault with Shinobu."

"My, how can you say that? I didn't even say anything unkind."

Their arguing back and forth was natural and made them seem quite close to each other. She was so cute when she puffed up her cheeks and looked up at Krish-san, and it was the first time I saw that troubled expression on his face.

"Oh, yeah. This isn't the time to be doing this. Shinobu, I would like to borrow Krish for today, I hope that is alright?"

"Annette-sama!"

"Krish, please be quiet. Our talk isn't going anywhere. Will you listen to me? Krish is so awful. I asked him to come see my parents on his next day off, but he's keeping his holidays a secret from me."

His parents… So the rumors of the marriage talks were true.

Krish-san would be like Couge and say, "Give me your daughter."

"Annette-sama, that is…"

"No way. I'm not letting you get away today. I get what you feel, but I'm also desperate, you know? If you don't come now, I'll end up having to marry some other unknown man. So please get on the carriage. We need to hurry. You need to change your clothes before meeting my parents. Since I've already prepared clothes for you, I just need you to bring yourself, Krish."

Annette-sama started walking, forcefully pulling Krish behind her.

"Shinobu, I'll return in the evening…"

"We will be having dinner with my parents this evening. Shinobu, I think we'll be late, so I'll have Krish stay over at my house tonight."

They left with those words, the carriage departing in a flurry.

"Shinobu…"

Being called, I forced a smile onto my face before turning around.

"Oh, Krish-san left. Since I can't eat all the fruit by myself, take lots with you back, okay? If you like, it's fine to give some to the neighbors as well. Bring some to your parents too, Norn, as thanks for the clothes I received last time."

My smiling face probably looked clumsy right now. As proof of that, Norn and Couge looked at me with troubled expressions.

Even Gennett-san, who shouldn't be aware of my feelings, looked awkward.

"I'll tidy the rest myself, so it's fine for everyone to go back now. Why don't you feed your families some Kukri while it's still fresh?"

"But…"

"It's okay, I'm fine by myself."

It was fine. I had somehow lived this far.

Even when I was living in my former world, and when I came to this world, I did everything alone.

Recently, I've been acting spoiled and had Kris-san help me out, but I should return to my previous lifestyle now.

Krish-san would be marrying Annette-sama now, after all. I couldn't act spoiled forever.

It's fine, everything's fine. I was okay with being alone.

It had to be fine.

"Kris will stay over at my house tonight."

Those words opened a big hole in my heart. It meant Krish-san's relationship with Annette-sama was good enough for him to casually spend the night at her house.

It was a matter of her family accepting him to stay over with their daughter of marriageable age. Of course, it was. Their marriage was approaching after all.

"Honey-soaked lemon. Although I went to great lengths to make this, it will all be for nothing, huh?"

If Krish-san gets married straight away, there won't be any chance for me to give this to him. If I walked past the street, I'd probably see him, but if I go there without any actual business, I'll just cause trouble.

While Norn, Couge, and Gennett-san went home, the house turned deadly silent. Before I lived together with Krish-san, this must have been natural, but after having gotten used to people being around, this silence was slightly painful.

I found the room without any sound unpleasant and made loud noises on purpose as I started washing the massive amount of tableware from lunch.

Cleaning the dirty tableware was the perfect way to distract myself. After putting the clean tableware away, the dirty kitchen weighed on my mind, so I cleaned every nook and corner.

Rinsing the dust cloth vigorously, I moved the chair with a rattling sound. Since many people and come and gone, I also roughly swept away all the dust on the floor, then wiped it with a damp cloth.

Denying my rampant feelings by cleaning, I looked for something else that needed cleaning and noticed the door to Krish-san's room being ajar.

With the brand new armor and a few changes of clothes, the room smelled of Krish-san even though it was in my house. Soon, this room would return to being empty again.

Then, I guess Krish-san's scent would also disappear.

The distance between the living room on the first floor and Krish-san's room symbolized the distance between Krish-san and me. I couldn't go through this door.

Only a special person could be by Krish-san's side, and that was surely Annette-sama.

An image of the two of them happily smiling appeared in my mind, and, feeling like sighing, I closed the door.

Who was the person who said that "Happiness will flee if you sigh1"? I wanted to tell that person "Because I fled, I will sigh".

After all, you won't sigh if you're happy. Since I fled with a wonderfully happy feeling, I could say that with certainty.

"Around this time, Krish-san should be greeting Annette-sama's parents."

Without anything to do but sit absentmindedly, I couldn't help but end up thinking of Krish-san. Everyone, including Filk-sama, who would become one family, was probably enjoying their dinner right now. I should be happy for him. Krish-san's family would grow, after all.

I sat on the sofa Krish-san had brought for me in a pitch-black room, with my arms wrapped around my legs and the corners of my lips pointing down, and only felt more miserable.

"And I thought we'd be together all day…"

The empty house felt spacious, and I could hear echoing mutters. As much as I enjoyed the daytime, it was lonely to be alone, and I had no appetite.

Still, Krish-san would be angry with me if I didn't eat anything, and I had to work in the field again tomorrow.

I tried to recall the ingredients in case something was wrong, but I ate all the food I had made for lunch, and I had bread, but nothing had been bad or stale.

Besides that, what I could eat straight away was a small plate of handfuls of Kokuri on my desk. I had given away all the other harvested fruit to Norn and the others.

It was more than I could eat alone, and more fruit would be harvested tomorrow. Instead of throwing the damaged fruit away, I thought it would be better to give it to others.

"Should I eat outside?"

The lunch I had with everyone was delicious and made me happy. If I remember that while eating, I thought I could regain some of my appetite.

Standing up on shaky legs, I took a handful of Kokuri and went outside.

In truth, I had thought of eating nearby the fruit trees. But, when I reached the pond on my way there, the beauty of the stars in the night sky reflected on the water's surface fascinated me and I stopped.

"How beautiful…"

Plopping down on the ground, I gazed at the stars in the pond. Wherever I came to draw water from the pond at night, I had been too afraid and rushed back home, so I had always missed this beautiful sight.

Come to think of it, I wasn't that scared today. When I was washing the dishes, I was too restless to calm down, but now there was only a stillness inside me.

It was like my heart had been carved out of my chest.

The stars shone both above and under me like they were surrounding me. Since arriving in this world, I had only seen this scene once. At that time, Krish-san had been with me.

I was supposed to spend the breeding of light moss alone. Spores had danced in the breeze around Krish-san, who had come to pick me up.

Because the pink spores had reminded me of the cherry blossoms in my previous world, I started crying, and Krish-san wiped my tears while making a gentle lie.

At that point, I had never thought I'd fall in love with him, and he was more like a companion. To think I had thought that.

I wonder when I first fell for Krish-san. Maybe I had already started being charmed by him little by little already at that time.

I ate a Kokuri that rolled over in my hand. Crushing the fruit with my fingertips, a pleasant aroma spread out as I put it into my mouth. It was strange because it should be the same thing I ate for lunch, but now it tasted sort of bland. I chewed and swallowed the pudding-like texture several times.

It was right after I learned about Annette-sama. I had felt sad after seeing the two together by chance and wondered why.

After that, I didn't meet them again for a while, then robbers came and Krish-san was the one who saved me. He was sweating profusely as he rushed to me.

Seeing Krish-san like that, I finally realized I really was saved.

Without Granddad or Grandma at the time, I wished for Krish-san to save me. Since coming here, I've made friends with Norn and Couge, and there was Gennett-san, too.

But it was only Krish-san who I wanted to "save" me.

Krish-san was cool, kind, like a hero, but I wasn't his heroine.

I obviously wasn't. I was an otherworlder that was short, appeared to be a 10-year-old, and had a sunburn making me look like a panda.

Although gender and age didn't seem to matter in this world, I lacked the ability to be the heroine.

Annette-sama was a beautiful, cute, and bright woman. Her facial expressions were vivid, her nails were polished, and words like madonna or heroine suited her.

It was common knowledge in any world that the hero and heroine would be attracted to each other, and above all, Annette-sama was a genuine princess.

She surely grew up having her family love her and raise her with care. Completely different from me.

Picking up the second Kukuri, I crushed it between my fingers and put it in my mouth. After eating a third, then a fourth, they really didn't taste as good as at lunch.

I should have known. Krish-san had told me there were marriage talks and would stay with me and work in the fields until I was all better again.

He stayed with me because he was worried, but after my injury gets better he was bound to leave.

When Annette-sama asked me today how I was feeling, Krish-san might have left straight away because I said I was feeling better. It took about an hour for a carriage to reach my house from the city, so it would be inconvenient to commute as a knight.

The field was doing well since I had started sending Couge vegetables again, so knowing Krish-san would be going home, I should prepare to return to living alone. Even though I knew in my mind that feelings like loneliness and sadness were selfish to have, I cowardly and selfishly thought "I want to be together a bit longer".

The water's surface trembled despite the absence of any wind. I blinked my eyes feverously, scattering the water while looking up at the night sky. If I had looked down, it would have fallen from my eyes, so I looked up instead.

After my vision cleared a little, I could see the sky full of stars, big enough that it felt like I could reach them, but then water gathered again.

I remembered that the brightest star was said to be the knight's star.

This world was full of things reminding me of Krish-san, and no matter what I saw was painful.

"I should have known it would happen."

I should have known that the life together with Krish-san would come to an end and that he wasn't my hero. My chest hurt at the thought.

Since I already knew about Annette-sama when I first realized my feelings, I haven't ever thought something would happen between Krish-san and me.

Because he nursed me so kindly, I might have started to hope for something.

I was so stupid. Didn't Krish-san tell me already? That "his duty was also to confirm the safety of the civilians".

To Krish-san, living together with me was his duty as a knight.

"Sob... Hic."

Once the tears I had held back started falling, I couldn't stop them. After rubbing my eyes, I realized it was OK to cry.

Since Krish-san wouldn't come home today, so he wouldn't grow worried seeing me cry this pathetically in an improper place.

Crying as hard as I could, I let my emotions pour out.

"I love Krish-san to the point of crying."

I wonder if I cry until my tears dry up, my feelings for him will dry up too.

"Somehow I feel refreshed."

Although I didn't know how long I had cried, it must have been a considerable time. Because I cried to rid myself of all the sadness inside me, my face had grown moist from all the tears.

The hiccups had subsided, and the numbness at the back of my head was somewhat relieved.

Although I had heard crying it all out could be a stress relief, it really seemed to be true.

Pochi was sitting next to me obediently. My tears had soaked into his fur too, making it dried out.

After I had begun to cry, I heard the scratching sounds on the door of the rearing room and then Pochi's whining.

Pochi, the excellent watchdog he was, had noticed his owner was crying and came to comfort him.

After opening the door, he licked my tear-streaked face. It felt like he was telling me to "cheer up", so I buried my face in his fur and continued to cry, relying on his comfort.

Since I had made his fur fluffy earlier, I felt a bit regretful.

Then another animal came. After Pochi, Blanche, Krish-san's partner, slowly showed up.

After approaching me and sniffing my face, she simply stopped by my side.

Maybe she was meaning to protect me instead of Krish-san.

Blanche's dignified stature as she stood at attention reminded me of Krish-san. So animals take after their owners, after all?

Her strong presence put me at ease, so I could cling to Pochi and cry my heart out.

Yeah, it was fine. After crying everything out, I was fine.

When Krish-san comes back tomorrow, he'd probably say "Thank you for everything" with a smile. Should I say "Congratulation on your marriage" then?

Despite crying, my feelings for him didn't change so easily. I was still sad, but no matter how I thought about it, I didn't regret falling in love with him.

Although the time we had spent together after I realized my feelings was short, my heart was pounding and I was nervous and happy and embarrassed. He thought me all kinds of emotions.

I was happy. So I would see him off with a smile.

If I cried when he was leaving, Krish-san would definitely notice it because he was kind.

Pochi, it's lonely now that Krish-san left, isn't it? But us two will be together forever, okay?"

"Woof?"

At this time, mistaking it for Pochi's breathing, I didn't notice the pair of footsteps approaching.

A Japanese folklore meaning if you sigh a lot in life, you're unhappy

By The Pond That Reflects The Stars

"Shinobu?"

My body trembled as I heard a voice calling my name from behind. That can't be right. After all, Annette-sama already said, "He'll stay at my house today," and I didn't hear any galloping horses.

"Shinobu, what's wrong? Did something happen for you to be out here so late?"

I didn't hear it wrong. It's Krish-san.

Blanche, who heard the voice of her master, burst out happily.

What should I do? I have to say something.

"N-nothing. I just couldn't sleep and was just relaxing. What's about Krish-san? You said you were going to stay the night. I was surprised when I didn't hear any galloping horses."

"There's no way I would stay over at my boss's house. Annette-sama said that, but I refrained from doing so. I left Blanche behind. I walked back. More than that… Shinobu, what happened?"

The sound of crunching grass came nearer. What should I do? If he sees my face, he'll know I cried. I finally decided to smile and see him off.

"There's really nothing. I'll be here a little longer, so Krish-san should hurry and get some rest. You have to work tomorrow, right?"

"Shinobu, look at me."

I hear Krish's voice right behind me. I no longer knew what to say.

I'm so happy that you came back. However, I didn't want Krish-san, who was enjoying a happy dinner with his family, to see my crying face.

Due to my little pride, I don't want Krish-san to feel sorry for me. After all, Krish-san had a happy time today. I didn't want anyone to know that I was crying alone during that time.

The tears that I thought had been cried out began to pool in my eyes again. I don't know why I'm crying so much.

Don't cry, don't cry. Please, please hold back. I'll cry as much as I want when Krish-san leaves, so just hold back for now.

Even though I tried my best to calm myself down, the tears only increased, and I felt like gouging out my eyes. They were supposed to be mine but they didn't listen at all.

"I'm sorry Krish-san. I feel like being alone for a while."

Please, leave me alone. Krish-san always listens to my requests. So this time too, I want you to leave without saying anything.

Just hearing his voice hurts my heart, but seeing him makes the tears I've been holding back overflow.

"Shinobu, look this way."

Krish-san grabbed my shoulder with an unusual forcefulness. It would be easier for Krish-san to make me turn around than it would be to put a net around a fruit tree.

It was so easy for him to force me to turn around, like a child picking up a stuffed toy. Then, as I slumped over, the tears that had accumulated in my eyes flowed down.

"Were you crying…?"

Krish-san wasn't surprised to see me crying. As if he had noticed it from the beginning, a hand reached out and cupped my cheek, his thumb wiping away the tears that had spilled.

"Ah, no, I–I wasn't crying, I was surprised because Krish-san suddenly called out to me."

Krish-san's hands were as warm and gentle as before, but I couldn't rely on them anymore, because they were meant to protect Annette-sama.

"Did something scary happen? Are you still afraid of the dark?"

"No, it's nothing really. I was just surprised."

I grabbed his wrist that was touching my cheek and tried to move him away, but Krish-san's arm didn't move even with my strength.

"Shinobu, tell me. Why are you crying? It hurts to see Shinobu crying. If there's something that's causing you pain, I'll do something about it."

It's not like I'm suffering. It's sadness. It's sad to distance myself from Krish-san. I want to smile and congratulate you, but the truth is, I want you to stay by my side forever. But if I say something like this, Krish-san will be troubled, right?

I love you. I love Krish-san. I swallowed the words that were in my throat, lowered my eyes, and another tear rolled down my cheek.

"Shinobu."

Krish-san didn't forgive me as I lowered my eyes. The hand that was placed on my cheek tightened, making him look up.

It was always for my sake that the kind Krish-san became forceful. The one who held my hand when I got lost, the one who took me out of the house during the breeding season of the light moss, and the one who gave me bitter medicine.

Everything…everything was forced out of concern for me. And when he does that, he never backs down.

In that case, it might be better to say it already. It would be easier for me to give up if I told him my feelings now and he completely rejected me.

However, even if I get dumped, I don't think my feelings for Krish-san will go away for a while, so please forgive me for continuing to like you.

When I looked up in thought, Krish-san was looking straight down at my face.

"Shinobu."

When my name was called again, I opened my mouth, prepared to be rejected.

"I love Krish-san."

It was a tiny, tiny voice. I am a weakling, and even though I am determined, I am still a weakling, and I could only express my feelings in that small voice.

The finger on his cheek twitches, and Krish-san's eyes widened. Well, you'd definitely be surprised. We weren't talking about that just now.

You wanted to know why I was crying, but I suddenly confessed to you. You don't understand why, right.

"Does that mean you like me and want to be in the same household with me?"

Household is such an old-fashioned word. But it suits the hard headed Krish-san. Yes, I would be happy if that had happened.

"Yeah. Sorry."

Don't worry about it, you can just say no.

"I see…Thank you."

After all, Krish-san is kind. Those words alone were enough to make me feel better.

"No, thank you. Don't worry. I understand everything, so it's okay. I'll be fine soon. Please be happy with Annette-sama."

My heart ached and hurt, but I managed to smile. I was impressed that I was able to smile while crying so skillfully.

"I want to give the two of you a wedding present, but I don't have anythin. Ah, I have kukuri fruit. I heard it is a rare fruit, and Krish-san likes it too, right? Would Annette-sama be happy if I give her a basket full of kukuri fruit? "

"Wait a minute, Shinobu."

"I heard from Norn and the others that there are no weddings in this world. But how about we take the opportunity to gather the people closest to us and have a party? At that time, I will give you vegetables and fruits. I'll do my best to make you something delicious too eat…nngh! ? "

While I was talking, his hand covered my mouth. My eyes widened at the sudden incident, and Krish let out a deep sigh. I thought he would be happy, but maybe I said something unnecessary?

"There seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding. I will not marry Annette-sama."

Eh!? But there was a rumor in town that you were about to get married, and you greeted Annette-sama's parents and asked to, "Please give me your daughter." right?

There were so many things I wanted to ask, so I muttered with my mouth covered.

"Maybe you heard the rumor somewhere?"

"Yes, the people in town said that you were about to get married."

"That was an excuse for Annette-sama to refuse her arranged marriage. She has had feelings for someone since she was a child, but no matter how many times she confessed to him, he would never accept her."

Now that she's old enough, she doesn't want to go for an arranged marriage, so she can't help but cry, asking me to pretend to be her lover.

I'm Felix-sama's knight, so my identity is clear, and if I go on a journey, I won't return for several years. It seems like she was thinking of deceiving him for the time being and trying to get him to say yes in the meantime, but it seems things didn't go so well.

It seems that her parents, who were desperate had ordered me to come and greet them while I was still in town in order to solidify the marriage plan. Otherwise, they will ask her to marry someone of her parents' choosing. I had no intention of cooperating that much, so I was ran away, but I was finally caught today. Of course, Felix-sama also knows about this. "

So, does that mean that I believed the false marriage story and fretted about it by myself? Let me organize my thoughts for a moment.

The rumor that Krish-san and Annette-sama are lovers is a camouflage to avoid her arranged marriage, and Felix-sama knows it too?

Then, what did I say to Krish-san earlier?

He asked me why I was crying, and then…

"By the way, Shinobu. Is what you just said true?"

H–hieeee! What did I say? I let the momentum get to me and ended up confessing something I didn't need to say.

"You said you wanted to start a household with me, right?"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaa."

What should I do! I can't say "I was just kidding" now, no, but I didn't lie, so I don't have to make excuses, right? Eh?

It's my first time confessing my feelings, so I don't know what kind of face I should make!

"…You said that in Shinobu's world, love between people of the same sex is not common. When you got lost, you were teased when others thought we were lovers and didn't like it?"

Admittedly, at that time, I couldn't shake my sense of the original world and said, "It's not possible."

"No matter how accustomed you are to this world, it will be difficult to abandon the common sense of the place where you were born and raised. Just like Shinobu was reluctant to eat ravi meat, and was searching for the same staple food as in your original world. That's why I thought that you were only interested in women your whole life. I thought that if I told you how I felt, you would only be confused, so I decided to just watch over you for the rest of my life."

Krish's thumb gently strokes my cheek. The tears have completely stopped, so there's no need to do that anymore.

Also, unlike the usual gentle touch, it somehow tickled and was embarrassing.

As I instinctively shrugged my head, his other hand reached out and wrapped around my left hand. He intertwined my fingers and lifted my hand, and Krish's lips touched the back of my hand.

It felt like electricity ran through me, and I almost jumped.

If this were an American children's cartoon, I think my skin would have rippled all over my body, starting at the back of my hands and running down my arms.

"I don't have to lie to myself anymore. Is it okay to think that way?"

Have my ears become stupid? It sounds like Krish-san is saying that he likes me. I'm an otherworldly person who looks 10 years old with panda-like sunburn marks.

Even if heaven and earth were turned upside down, I couldn't wrap my head around this development, which I thought was impossible. Maybe before I knew it, I had fallen asleep and was probably dreaming.

"Can I hug you?"

I couldn't make a sound, so all I could do was nod my head up and down like the famous cow figurine. I was afraid that if I said even one word, I would wake up from the dream, and I even thought that if this dream continued, I would be fine with never being able to speak.

A thick arm easily pulled me in, and before I knew it, I was in Krish-san's arms. Krish-san's familiar scent enveloped me and I heard his rapid heartbeat for the first time.

My heart, which had always kept a steady rhythm, was now pounding hard as if I had run 100 meters as fast as I could.

"Shinobu, I love you."

Maybe I'm dreaming after all. This world and the original world, what are the chances that we can share our feelings across two worlds.

There was a time when I thought that I might never find a lover, but I never expected to hear such words from Krish-san's mouth.

Maybe I was in an unconscious vegetative state after being attacked by the bandits, and is probably having convenient dreams while sleeping.

Come to think of it, I vaguely remember hearing a rumor about the final episode of a certain nationally popular anime where a blue raccoon dog was the main character[efn_note] Sounds like doraemon [/efn_note], and there was a similar situation as I was surrounded by Krish-san's scent.

"Shinobu, can you say something?"

Yeah, that's good. It could be a dream. Let's indulge Krish before he changes his mind.

"I like you too. I like Krish-san."

As I hugged him tightly, thinking that I wouldn't let him go, something soft touched my cheek. What is it? When I turned towards him, I saw Krish-san's face closer than ever before, and the hair on my scalp stood on end.

The corner of his mouth lifted in a satisfied smile, just like when he ate kukuri fruit, and my face turned as red as pickled octopus, and I felt like steam was coming out of the top of my head like a steam locomotive.

"Kukuri fruit smells so good."

Don't think about what touched my cheek just now. If I think about it, my blood pressure will skyrocket and the blood vessels in my head will burst.

Meeting You (Krish-san's Point of View)

The first time I met Shinobu was at the end of a two-year long journey. My first impression was that of an eccentric child. It may be rude to say this, but I got the impression that he was a little loose-minded.

I did not achieve much on this trip either. This is my second time participating, and it coincides with the replacement of the knights, so before I knew it, I was in the position of coordinating the younger knights.

During the harsh journey, senior knights drop out one after another. Some people retire mid-way through their aspirations due to injuries sustained during the trip, while others leave on their own because they feel their physical strength has reached its limit. The reasons vary, but each time someone with the same goal leaves, the responsibility that falls on their shoulders becomes heavier.

It is a knight's dream to be able to work close to Filex-sama, and it is also a great honor. However, it is not the glamorous workplace that knight apprentices imagine. Covered in mud, they push their way through the vegetation, protecting the carriage along the trackless road.

What I'm looking for is a plant that can replace the tree of life, which I don't know if it exists or not. Searching for something that actually exists is different than searching for something whose existence is unknown. As they are repeatedly disappointed that something is not there, they become discouraged and end up giving up, thinking, "I can't find it no matter how much I look." My prediction is that several people will probably request to transfer this time as well.

"Krish-san, even though you say you made a triumphant return, there aren't many people around here. Shouldn't you take off your helmet?"

"It's bound to be no good."

I'm sure it won't work, but I understand how you feel. During the journey, I was allowed some freedom while navigating the safe public roads. Unlike in the forest, the temperature is different in the open plains where the sunlight is harsh. If we don't take measures against the heat, such as taking off our armor, some people will collapse from the heat.

But not now. In order to make a triumphant return, they purposely transferred from a neighboring town to a luxurious horse-drawn carriage and marched. Filex-sama's dignity must not be compromised by showing off his sloppy appearance.

Well, even if it's not because of that, I have to be a good example of a knight, so I'm not allowed to take off the helmet.

Staying hydrated is important when marching in armor as we sweat profusely. We continued onward, taking several breaks to replenish our supplies, and when we finally reached the point where we could take a breather into the town, a private house with a red roof came into view.

This area has changed a lot compared to two years ago. Before, there was a field all over, but now there are only weeds. If I remember correctly, an old couple was farming here, but I wonder if they retired because they heard that their son and his wife were working in town and had no heirs.

It's been 10 years since a child was born. The population is only decreasing.

I've seen scenes like this many times during my travels due to lack of manpower everywhere, but it's a sad sight.

"Krish-san, we found a child up ahead."

He was around 10 years old. A child with bright eyes was leaning over and looking at me. The child was probably born just before the tree of life stopped bearing fruit.

The elderly couple's grandchildren should have been much bigger, so I guess they retired and handed over the land to someone else.

"He doesn't show any signs of prostrating himself. What should we do?"

Filex-sama is a person with precious power even among the special family. It's common sense for citizens to prostrate themselves in front of Filex-sama, but maybe he doesn't understand it at such a young age.

"It can't be helped. It's unethical to punish a child so close to the end of the journey. The parents will soon come flying in and admonish the child. Until then, let's stop marching for a little while and wait."

Children have been the treasure of the world since the time when new life can no longer be born without relying on the fruit of the tree of life. They are a treasure that should be carefully protected and nurtured by all the adults around them. No one would complain if we stopped marching for a little while. However, contrary to my expectations, the child's parents did not show up.

"…"

"…"

Time passes by in the scorching sun. Meanwhile, the kid and I stood there in silence. The child's skin was a strange color, unlike our dark skin. The skin is lighter in color than baked bread. Maybe he's physically weak and doesn't leave the house much? If so, it must be painful to stand in this sun. What on earth are his parents doing?

"…."

"…."

The sparkle in the child's eyes gradually faded, and he tilted his head with a troubled expression on his face. I could answer if you said something to me, but it doesn't seem like he'll talk to me.

I can call out to him from here, but he might be frightened if he is approached by a stern knight dressed in full body armor. It's not that I want to scare you.

"…."

"…."

Still, it's hot. There is no wind today, and even a knight has a hard time standing in a place without shade. As proof of this, the subordinate next to me began to shake his body in irritation. It can't be helped. Shall I give him a call from here? If he gets surprised and runs away, that's fine too. All I have to do is walk past as if no one was there in the first place.

"Why don't you prostrate?"

"Isn't it hot inside?"

What bad timing. Speaking at the same time?

"I'm sure it's hot."

"What is prostrate?"

The words overlapped again. Moreover, there was no sign of him leaving in fear. Although he looks calm, he may be a bit nervous, but why does he look so happy? This child may be a little slow-witted, as he suddenly bursts out into laughter while talking. Even so, he didn't even know about prostration. How much did your parents spoil you?

If this continues, the truth will not be revealed. Everyone is tired from the long journey. In the city, each family will be waiting for their return. I was just about to enter the premises to drop the child off at the house with the red roof while sighing.

"Grrrrrrrrr, woof, woof!"

A guard dog jumped out and started threatening me, baring its teeth. With the child on his back, the hair on his body stood on end. He is well trained and a good guard dog.

I sent a signal to my subordinates, who had their hands on their swords, alerted the guard dog that had taken an attack stance, and ordered them to stand by. Guard dogs will not attack unless you enter the property. It is just trying to protect its master.

The child hugged the guard dog's neck and desperately tried to protect me while the dog returned its legs to its original position to avoid irritating the dog. Even if it were your own guard dog, it would be scary to touch a beast with its teeth bared. Guard dogs try to protect their owners even if it means risking their lives, but on the other hand, how many owners would desperately protect their guard dogs?

I apologized in my heart for thinking that he was being lazy. This child is courageous and kind-hearted.

"What happened? Did something happen?"

When Filex-sama, who was suspicious of the line that didn't move, discovered the identity of the mysterious child with strange skin color, the knights, who had undergone training and were supposed to be unfazed by little things, and those who were still moving and even the porter, who looked annoyed, said, "Ehh!?" exclaimed in surprise.

You become an adult at 17 years old. When they reach that age, they start working independently. Love is free regardless of age and gender, but marriage is possible from the age of 17. Being 18 years old means that one year has passed since he became an adult. That's why he proudly claims that he's a fine adult. This kid, who was shorter than my chest and had soft cheeks. I can't believe it all of a sudden, but I wonder if there's such a wonder if he's from another world. If that's the case, it would explain why he is ignorant of common sense and why his parents don't show up after abandoning their supposedly treasured child.

Filux-sama's affirmation proved that it was true, but even after hearing this, I still thought "Is it true?", my suspicions are rising.

Filex-sama and the otherworlder, who had become strangely friendly, were having a peaceful conversation, but the people watching them were still in disbelief and nervous. Recruiting immigrants from another world is a project to prevent population decline, which is being carried out in parallel with our journey. I was happy when I heard that it was a success, but if an adult male is this small, a female would probably be even smaller.

Under these circumstances, it may be impossible to have someone from the other world marry someone from this world and give birth to a child. After all, there is a physical difference between children and adults. As I walked at the front of the procession that had finally begun to move, I thought about the child from earlier. No, he wasn't a child. He said he was 18 years old.

Even though he has a guard dog, isn't it dangerous for him to live alone with such a young appearance? Support for migrants is supposed to be left to the management office staff, but it may be necessary to check on the situation later. When I finally saw the entrance to the city, people had gathered to greet us. The people who were cheering and waving were probably the families of my subordinates. Then, when I saw the girl standing at the front with her hands folded and staring at me, I felt like I wanted to go back the way I came right away.

"Welcome home, Krish. I missed you!"

A woman is a terrifying creature. I never thought you could control your tears so easily. I can stay calm because I know there's no way this person would cry tears of joy waiting for me to come home, but if this was a man I didn't know anything about, I'm sure he'd be fooled.

Does this person still want to continue doing this? I can't be rude to Filex-sama's sibling, but I frowned at the fact while my face was hidden by the helmet. For those around us, the sight of her running up to me and putting her face into my chest looks like a moving scene of a reunion between lovers.

Annette-sama has matured quite a bit in the past two years. Her beautiful appearance, which closely resembles Filex-sama, is probably something that young knights aspire to have as their lovers, but for me, who has known her since childhood, it would be impossible for me to see her as a love interest.

She is a tomboy and has been seen many times running around, falling down with her underwear exposed, and crying a lot with her nose dripping. No matter how much she pretends to be a ladylike lady, that appearance overlaps with hers and makes me laugh. If I remember correctly, Annette-sama will turn 17 this year. Does that mean that the child from earlier…the immigrant was older than Annette-sama.

"Ah, I'm so jealous of Annette-sama hugging him!"

"It's good to be Krish-san. A healthy girlfriend came to greet him. My mother is the only one I have."

If you feel that way, I would like you to replace me, but I cannot hand over this role to someone who is not in Annette-sama's favor. This is because he is playing the role of a fake lover only to refuse the marriage proposals that have begun to come to Annette-sama, who is now around this age.

This role is not suitable for someone who has even the slightest chance of becoming serious. Since she asked me so enthusiastically, the role of her lover, which I agreed to play for a period of time until I returned from my trip, will be canceled as of today.

…I thought it's supposed to be that way.

(Hey Krish, please put your hand on my shoulder. We are lovers now!)

When I stood there without doing anything while being attacked, I was scolded and had my foot stepped on. I don't feel any pain or itch when she steps on me, but I don't think it's too bad considering she's acting like my lover. It seems that the princess is not in a good mood.

"Two years is enough. I'll definitely make him say yes! "

I didn't know where her confidence came from, but she declared it with full confidence. Looking at this situation, it seems like things didn't go as she expected.

Well, I guessed so. It would be difficult for Annette-sama to deal with him. No matter how beautiful she is or how wealthy she is, if that alone was enough to woo him, he would have long ago settled into the position of her fiancé.

(Dear Annette. Because of you, I haven't had a lover in three years.)

(Shhh! What will you do if someone asks you?)

I really want you to give me a break. How long do I have to go along with this farce?

"You're tired, aren't you? You were planning to go back to the administration office today. Let's go."

Does that mean we should leave before she gets bored? I guess she wants to meet him sooner rather than later. She grabs my arm and tugs on it, leading the way.

Personally, I don't intend for it to become a spectacle forever, so I agree.