In the drawing room of Crusch's mansion.
Emilia, Crusch, and Anastasia, the three Royal Selection candidates, sat around a circular table laden with an exquisite tea set and pastries.
"Emilia, Anastasia, thank you both for your hard work attending the commendation ceremony for the subjugation of the White Whale and the Sin Archbishop of Sloth."
Crusch was the first to speak.
"Thank you, Crusch,"
Emilia responded softly.
"You've worked hard as well, Crusch," Anastasia said with a smile, before changing the subject.
"Speaking of which, the commendation ceremony was truly impressive. Lord Subaru's performance today was absolutely outstanding."
"Indeed."
Crusch nodded in agreement.
"As the hero who subjugated the White Whale and slew the Sin Archbishop of Sloth, Knight Natsuki Subaru is fully deserving of this honor."
"Subaru is a true hero," Emilia said, her purple eyes blinking with a hint of pride in her voice. "He worked so hard to protect everyone. He deserves the honor he received today."
"By the way, who was that little girl who was always with Lord Subaru? I don't believe I've seen her before," Anastasia asked Emilia curiously. "She seemed to be very close with Lord Subaru."
"Are you talking about the blonde girl with Subaru, Beatrice?"
Emilia confirmed.
"Yes, yes, that's the one... she was holding Lord Subaru's hand so tightly."
Anastasia shot Emilia a probing look and continued her inquiry.
"Even during the award presentation, she wanted to go on stage with Lord Subaru, saying something about how Beatrice is Natsuki Subaru's contract spirit, so it's not wrong to call them close partners."
A glint of gossip shone in her eyes.
"Emilia, doesn't that mean..."
"Are you okay with this, Emilia? Seeing Lord Subaru being so close with someone else?"
"What do you mean?"
Emilia tilted her head, not understanding, her purple eyes filled with innocence.
"Beatrice and Lord Subaru are always together, aren't they?"
Anastasia pressed further, her tone carrying a clear implication.
"Yes... the two of them are always stuck together," Emilia nodded innocently, then recalled something and added, "Even when he has to use the restroom, without exception. Subaru was completely dumbfounded that time. It can't be easy for him."
That was no lie. The last time Natsuki Subaru went to the restroom, Beatrice had insisted on following him in. Luckily, Natsuki Subaru managed to shut the door just in time to stop her.
Emilia could still vividly remember the embarrassed look on Subaru's face.
"Huh?"
"Is that something you can just say out loud?"
Hearing this, Anastasia and Crusch looked at each other, their faces a picture of astonishment.
"And that's not all, there are many other examples like that," Emilia added, completely unaware of how shocking her words were.
"Beatrice is always very clingy with Subaru. Although it bothers him sometimes, he still takes good care of her."
"Um... Emilia," Anastasia said, looking at Emilia from across the table, trying to steer the conversation back on track. "Lord Subaru is your knight, isn't he?"
"Yes, Subaru is my knight. It's a little embarrassing to say it, though."
Emilia covered her mouth with one hand and giggled, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
"He always shows up when I need him, protecting and supporting me. He's a very dependable knight."
"In that case, shouldn't you be the one he never leaves the side of?"
Anastasia said meaningfully.
"After all, a knight should prioritize staying by his lady's side."
"Oh, Anastasia, honestly! I would never go to the restroom with Subaru," Emilia, completely misunderstanding Anastasia's point, said with a red face. "That would be so shameless..."
"Uh... Emilia, that's not what I meant..."
Anastasia was taken aback for a moment. Looking at the innocent Emilia, she explained with a sense of helplessness.
Beside them, Crusch could no longer hold back a soft chuckle.
"Let's just leave it. The pure-hearted Emilia won't understand this kind of talk. She doesn't know much about these things yet."
"You're right."
Anastasia nodded, a look of both amusement and resignation on her face.
"It seems we were overthinking things."
"Hee hee hee..."
"Hee hee..."
The two then exchanged a glance and burst into laughter in unison. Anastasia's laughter was crisp and pleasant, while Crusch's was more reserved, but their eyes held the same teasing and helpless expression.
This left Emilia looking on in confusion, tilting her head as she watched the laughing pair, her purple eyes filled with pure bewilderment.
"What are you two laughing at? Did I say something strange?"
"It's nothing."
Anastasia and Crusch answered in unison, tacitly deciding not to continue the topic.
Crusch gently refilled Emilia's teacup, while Anastasia thoughtfully pushed a plate of pastries in front of her.
Although Emilia still didn't quite understand why they were laughing, she happily accepted the pastries and began to nibble on them.
The light and pleasant atmosphere returned to the drawing room as the three girls continued to enjoy their afternoon tea.
*
The bustling market streets of the Royal Capital were filled with the clamor of voices, and the endless array of stalls presented a lively scene.
Natsuki Subaru gently held Beatrice's hand and asked, looking down at her, "So, what do you think, Beatrice? It's completely different from being cooped up in the Forbidden Library, isn't it? This place is bursting with the vibrant energy of the mortal world."
It was worth noting that the person Beatrice had waited four hundred years for had been replaced by Natsuki Subaru.
The establishment of their contract allowed her to feel needed and valued for the first time, leading to a deep emotional dependence on Natsuki Subaru.
Ever since signing the contract with Natsuki Subaru, Beatrice had become like a little spirit attached to her master, staying by his side at all times.
Natsuki Subaru was also happy to lift Beatrice up high, and Beatrice, in turn, cherished every single moment she spent with Natsuki Subaru.
"Hmph... It's certainly noisy, I suppose. But with Subaru by Betty's side, all this clamor isn't quite so annoying."
Beatrice's blue eyes widened slightly as she curiously glanced from side to side, though she still tried her best to maintain a slightly tsundere attitude.
"Is that so... For our first stop, I'll take you to try the most famous candied apples in the Royal Capital."
With that, Natsuki Subaru led Beatrice toward a fruit stall.
"Yo, long time no see, kiddo!"
Behind the fruit stall, a scar-faced man with strikingly green hair greeted them enthusiastically.
"Bringing another pretty little lady out on the town today, are we? You're quite the lucky guy, kiddo!"
"Uncle Kadomon, stop teasing me," Natsuki Subaru said with a weary sigh. "This is Beatrice, my important partner."
"Important partner, eh?"
Uncle Kadomon winked, giving a meaningful smile that all men understood.
"I remember last time it was the silver-haired young lady, and the time before that was the blue-haired maid... You sure have a lot of 'important partners', don't you, Subaru-kiddo."
"But seriously, the recipe for those candied apples you taught me is fantastic. It's the most popular snack on the whole street now. I can barely keep up with demand every day."
It's worth mentioning that Natsuki Subaru had previously taught Uncle Kadomon the modern method for making candied apples, allowing him to create a much more popular version.
"Oh?" Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but ask Kadomon curiously, "If business is that good, have you thought about opening a second stall, uncle?"
"I'm thinking about it..."
Kadomon gave a thumbs-up and told Natsuki Subaru excitedly.
"Thanks to your recipe, kiddo, I'm now the most popular candied apple vendor in the market. Even the noble ladies sneak out to buy them."
"Looks like no matter the world, girls just can't resist sweets," Natsuki Subaru said, then looked down at Beatrice. "Right, Beatrice?"
"Betty isn't interested for such shallow reasons..."
Beatrice huffed softly and turned her face away, but her eyes couldn't help but dart toward the glistening, translucent candied apples.
"I'm merely curious about the taste of this human food."
"Here, let this old uncle make a special, extra-large candied apple for this adorable young lady."
Uncle Kadomon laughed heartily as he skillfully skewered a crystal-clear candied apple.
"Wait, sweets and things... Betty isn't particularly fond of them..."
Before Beatrice could finish her sentence, a candied apple coated in a thick layer of sugar was thrust in front of her.
"Just try it. This is Uncle Kadomon's special version, you know," Natsuki Subaru said with a grin to Beatrice. "I bet this is absolutely the most delicious candied apple in the whole Royal Capital."
Kadomon added proudly, "That's right... If you don't like it, I'll give you ten apples for free."
"Hmph... A candied apple, you say?"
Beatrice looked at the glistening apple before her, which reflected an alluring light in the sun. Then she glanced up at Natsuki Subaru's expectant face, hesitated for a moment, and took a small bite.
CRUNCH!
The sugar coating shattered with a crisp, pleasant sound, and a sweet flavor instantly melted in her mouth, causing Beatrice to unconsciously widen her blue eyes with a look of surprise and delight.
"This is delicious, Subaru, really amazing..."
"Looks like your candied apples have found another loyal customer, uncle."
Seeing Beatrice's rare look of satisfaction, Natsuki Subaru turned to praise Kadomon.
"You bet!"
Kadomon laughed heartily while wiping his tools.
"Next time you come by, kiddo, it's on the house."
"Thanks for the kind offer, uncle."
Natsuki Subaru said.
After leaving the fruit stall.
Beatrice nibbled on her candied apple while looking up at Natsuki Subaru, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Subaru, where are we going next?"
"Looks like there are some street performers over there! Seems like they're performing some kind of flame-wielding magic!"
Natsuki Subaru pointed toward a gathering crowd, then looked down at Beatrice and said, "Oh, but of course, compared to our Beatrice's exquisite Yin Magic, this kind of street performance is surely child's play."
"Naturally," Beatrice said, lifting her chin slightly with a hint of pride. "This level of fire trickery isn't even worthy of warming Betty's hands. However... there's no harm in taking a look, I suppose."
"Then let's go."
Natsuki Subaru smiled knowingly, carefully guiding Beatrice into the crowd and teasing, "Make sure you hold on tight, don't get lost. If I lost our esteemed Great Spirit, I wouldn't know where to find another one."
"Dummy Subaru... Betty won't get lost. I'll hold your hand forever..."
Beatrice grumbled softly in a cute, pouting way.
After watching the performance for a while, Beatrice suddenly tugged on Natsuki Subaru's sleeve and pointed to a stall selling exquisite hair accessories.
"Subaru, what's that?"
"Hmm? Oh, hair clips."
Natsuki Subaru followed Beatrice's finger and saw many cute hair accessories shaped like butterflies or flowers at the stall.
"Do you like that one, Beatrice?"
"...I just think its design is rather unique, I suppose."
Beatrice's face flushed slightly as she looked away.
"If you like it, then I'll buy it for you."
Natsuki Subaru said, then decisively walked over and bought the silver hair clip with a blue gemstone.
"Wait a second," Beatrice said, blushing a little. "I didn't ask Subaru to buy something like this..."
"I wanted to buy it for you," Natsuki Subaru said, bending down and carefully clipping the accessory into Beatrice's blonde hair. "Mm, it suits you perfectly... Our Beatrice is the cutest in the world."
Beatrice's cheeks turned even redder as she looked down and fidgeted with the hem of her dress.
"You say things like that so easily, dummy Subaru... But, th... thank you."
"You're welcome. I brought you out to have fun today, so of course I want to make you happy," Natsuki Subaru said, gently stroking Beatrice's hair before asking, "Where else do you want to go? There are stalls selling all sorts of strange gadgets up ahead. You for a bit."
"Since Subaru has requested it so sincerely, Betty shall reluctantly accompany you for a little longer, I suppose."
Beatrice said in her tsundere way.
"Yes, thank you for gracing me with your presence, Lady Beatrice. Let's go."
Natsuki Subaru said with a smile.
Sunlight streamed down onto the bustling street as the black-haired boy, holding the hand of the blonde spirit girl, blended into the teeming crowd, filled with an ordinary warmth and happiness.
______
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