For a while after I handed Estelle the jewels, I was lying on the bed in my room, lounging around and thinking back to what happened earlier.
　I didn't expect Estelle to kiss me on the cheek...she'd always been bold enough to stick to me, but I hadn't expected her to go this far.
　The last thing you want to do is blush and walk quickly into your room.......how cute is that? I think it's cute to begin with.
　Let's think that I was so happy to receive the jewelry that I couldn't help but kiss it.
　........If he had just confessed to me like that, I might have crashed.

　It's starting to feel like this kind of thing has been happening more and more lately.
　The same thing happened when I tried to touch Sis-Ha's chest, and my reasoning is in jeopardy.
　In the meantime, I'm looking for a way to get back to my old world, so it's no way to mess with me.
　But when I can't stand it anymore.......what do I do?
　I haven't even decided whether or not I'm going home yet, so I have to be careful to keep my wits about me.

　I thought about this and that afterwards, but for now, I took a bath to clear my head and calm down.
　Hmmm.........there's no point in thinking about it now, so let's put it on hold for now.

　After I left the bath, I went to the living room and found Sisha sitting on a chair as usual, with Luna on her lap.
　And Luna seemed to be in a good mood, holding a yellow shining jewel in her hand.

'Whoa, looks like Sisha was able to hand it over safely too.

'Yes!　How did you do, Okura-san?

Oh, yeah. I got it in safely.

'Uh-huh, good for you. Since it's Estelle, I'm sure she's having a blast.

Well I guess I was excited.

　It wasn't exactly the reaction I was expecting, but I think the tension was pretty high.
　Sisha would be teasing me if she knew that I had been hugged and kissed on the cheek.

'What, Heihachi gave her something similar?

Yeah, Sisha offered to talk to me. Do you like it that you're gazing at him so closely?

'Of course. How could you not like what Sisha gave you?

You've already said something nice!

　Sis-ha was very happy, or perhaps she was stroking her head while hugging Luna.
　Luna's expression has not changed particularly, but her cheeks are red and she seems to be embarrassed.

''Oh, Ohkura-dono and Sis-ha, you're early today, aren't you?

'Oh, was Noll playing in the hut?'

Yes, sir!　Moffoot is too energetic to play with," he said.

　Noor came out of his room.
　He had Moffitt in his arms, too, and he was pooing at us, so I patted his head around.
　He was really playing in that shed....
　I almost laughed a little when I thought of the moment Noor came out of the hut.

'Hmmm, all right?　I got it from Sisha.

Oh, is this a gift from Sisha?

Yes, it's made from the raw stones of the Rugen Valley. It was worth all the effort I put in with Mr. Okura to make him so happy.

　Luna proudly shows her jewelry, and Noll stares at it, devouring it.
　The jewelry I gave you this time seems beautiful enough to attract the interest of Noor, who is always thinking about food.
　It's really a good thing I asked that jewelry store to help me.

Okura-dono helped you with this?

That's right. I was just going to give it to Esther. I already gave it to her.

　As he replied, Noll began to pout.
　'Yeah?　Was there something wrong with you?
　The eye mask makes it hard to make out her expression, but she seems to be complaining about her mood and her mouth.

'Mmm, I'm the only one who feels very out of place.

Yeah, I don't think so.　Hey, huh?

Well, I'm not sure...

　I responded deceptively, but thinking back, I certainly feel as if Nol is not involved this time.
　He seems unhappy that he seems to be treating one person as an outcast.
　Noll continued to talk further while putting the index fingers of both hands together.

It's a good thing I'm a maiden, too, and I wanted to be involved in that kind of thing.

Well you see, I'll do this one, so cheer up.

　Apparently, as a self-proclaimed damsel, this is something I wanted to get involved in. I look down and feel depressed.
　I looked a little sorry for her, so I offered Noll a large amount of rock salt that I picked up during the collection of the original rocks from the backpack I had left in the living room.
　If I give him this, he'll be fine for now........

''........Okura-dono, do you think you can fool me by giving me food?''

What?

　What?
　I thought this would muddy the conversation.......but it wasn't that simple.
　Even Sisha and Luna are surprised by Noor's reply, with their eyes wide open.

'Why are even Sisha and Luna surprised!

I'm not...

Oh, aren't you surprised?

　Sisha and the others, who reacted the same way I did, looked away awkwardly as they met Nol's gaze through their eye masks.
　Seeing that, Nol began to pull and shake.

''Ugh........they are all terrible....... Oh no.........................We are going back to our rooms!

Oh, wait a minute!

Let go of me!

　Noor snatched the rock salt from my hand and tried to run away to his room with Moffoot as it was.
　I hurriedly hugged him around the waist to stop him, but he still swung his body from side to side to force his way out and moved forward.
　　If we had a real fight, I wouldn't be able to stop it.
　If I let him get away with it, he's going to lock himself in his room and I have to keep him around somehow.
　Noor is a pretty rooted type of person, so it's better to settle things on the spot.

'Alright, alright!　I'll take whatever you want out of the rough stones we picked!

'That's not good enough!　I'd like to go and pick them myself!

Okay!　Let's go with Nol next time, and we'll go to Lugen Gorge to collect the raw stone!

Are you sure?

'Oh, yeah...'

We did it!

　When I told him we should go pick up some rough stones next time, he stopped forcing his way forward and his voice brightened.
　Oh dear, did he manage to get over it?
　Anyway, it looks like you want to go get it yourself, but are you obsessed with it?
　I don't know what I want to do with it when I go to pick it, but if that's the extent of my satisfaction, it helps.
　I finally took a breath as I sat the calm Noll down in a chair.

'Come to think of it, Esther doesn't seem to be here, what's going on?　I'm also curious about the jewels Okura-dono gave you.

'I think he's still in his room. I don't think you should go near him until he comes out.

'What kind of pleasure would that be?

'Esther is scared when it comes to Heihachi. I guess it's best not to get involved.

　It's been quite some time since I gave her the jewels, but Esther still hasn't come to the living room.
　Probably she's still in her room right now, calming herself down.
　It's a good thing that you're able to get back to your normal state of mind, but if I were to see Estelle now, I'm afraid I'd remember what happened earlier.

　I was worried about that, but in the end, Esther didn't come out of her room.
　I think Noll went to call out to her for dinner, but she asked me to leave it in front of the door.
　

●

　The next day, as usual, I was up early in the morning talking to Noll in the living room when Esther woke up.

'Good morning, brother, Nole,'

Oh, well, good morning.

Good morning, sir. Breakfast is ready, so we'll get ready right away!

Yes, thank you.

　Esther looked at me and smiled lightly and sat down in her chair as if nothing had happened.
　After that, Sisha also woke up and began to eat breakfast.
　I was bracing myself for some kind of reaction but.......nothing special.

''Esther-san, how did you like Okura-san's jewelry?''

It was so beautiful. I was so happy, yes, really.

I'm jealous! I'd like you to show me later.

"Hmm, okay.

　We're talking while taking our meals, but Estelle doesn't seem to have any intention of talking about it in detail.
　Normally, I would have said, "Huh, I was so happy I even kissed you", but.......maybe Esther herself was embarrassed by that, too.

''Okura-san, you're going to the jewelry store again today, right?

'Oh, and Luna and Esther with me...'

　I'm going to take Esther and Luna with me to the jewelry store today to finish the jewelry into ornaments.
　As I was about to say this, I began to feel an awful lot of eyes on me.
　When I looked in that direction, I saw Noll, who had stopped moving with a piece of bread in his mouth, gazing at me.

''........Do you want to go too, Noor?

I'm going, I'm going, I'm going!

Oh, my God, what's happened in my absence?

Uh, Nole was sulking a bit.

I'm not sulking, sir!

　Noor, who swallowed the bread in a hurry, says he's going to raise his hand.
　
　I was planning to go to the Adventurer's Association today after going to the jewelry store, so it's just as well that Nol is coming.
　It's about time I went to ask him if he made any progress on the black magic light stone that Diabolus had.
　I finished my breakfast and then woke Luna up a little early.

'Has Luna decided what kind of ornaments she's going to wear?'

Mm, the brooch is nice.

I knew you were right to ask me what's good for you.

　I ask her what it's going to be before we head to Queres, and Luna seems to think it's going to be a brooch.
　When I hear that, I still think it's a good thing I didn't give her the finished product as a surprise.
　From what I heard yesterday's reaction, though, she would have been happy with something else.

''What is Esther planning to make?''

'I've been thinking about it all night, but I'll keep it as a necklace.

What, a necklace?

Oh, is there something wrong with you?

　When Noor asks Esther about it, she unexpectedly says she's going to use it as a necklace.
　I expected her to say she'd want a ring, but she was completely off.
　I let my voice out, and Esther tilts her face in wonder.

''No, Okura-san and I were talking about how Esther-san would want a ring area...''

'Hmmm, that's all well and good, but...'

　Estelle put her hand on her cheek and thought she had a difficult look on her face....

''I'll save the ring until the day your brother gives it to me.

　He said that to me with a big smile on his face.
　Oho.........what does that mean?
　I have a feeling there is something contained in the words........

''........Oh, oh....

You're looking forward to it, aren't you, Okura-san!　Good luck with that!

Don't stir things up!

　What do you want me to do?
　Really, Sisha is a bit of an afterthought at times like this........................that's what helps me sometimes.
　To change the subject, I turned the conversation over to Noor.

'You sounded like you wanted to go, but is Noll interested in jewelry?'

That's rude. I'm a girl myself, so I'm interested in it.

All you do is collect rock salt in the Rugen Valley...

Yes, that's a coincidence!

　
　Did you change your mind when you saw the cut gems?
　There's been a lot going on lately with Esther and Sisha, but it's subtly soothing to see Nol's unchanging nature like this.