The 13th day of the windy month. Lilia and I had a big problem at the beginning of our vacation at Karel, but after that we were able to enjoy our stay, and both Lilia and I were able to fully achieve our original goal of taking a break.

　And the best thing about it is that the situation we'd been in after Amalie's party was resolved in a good way.
　I'm not sure if it's the same as before, but it's a good thing that I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to get away with it. We are now able to exchange words with each other much more intimately than before.

　In that sense, I must also thank Lunamaria-san for pulling the strings behind the scenes in this case.
　 Hey.....
　Well, Lunamaria-san was all melancholy after an hour...................People in this world are not half bad.

''........Alright, Belle, you're looking good.
Gah!
Thank you for helping me with this, Lynn.
Cui!

　With that in mind, I finish brushing Belle.
　I thank Lynne for helping me, and then I hold her to my chest as she jumps up and leans against Belle, who is in a prone position.
　I'm very proud of Belle's fur, which I brush and wash every day, and it feels nice and silky and fluffy.

　As I sit down on the grass and bury myself in Belle's fluffy mess while feeding Lynn some dried meat as a reward for her help, I hear footsteps and Zeke comes over.

'Good evening, sir. Mr. Kite.
Good job, Zeke. Are you done with security?
Yes, this was a night shift and I just finished.

　After smiling and exchanging greetings, Mr. Zeke hands me a drink in his hand and asks if he can sit next to me.
　Of course, there was no reason to say no, so I agreed, and Mr. Zeke sat down on the lawn with a classy motion and leaned against Belle, just as I did.

'Huh, Belle's hair feels nice,'
Yes, I'm sure you've been brushing him.
Gah!

　We had a leisurely conversation, and when I put Lynn on my lap after finishing the dried meat, her belly swelled up and she got sleepy, she just curled up on my lap and started to sleep.
　Belle wasn't asleep, but the fact that she's in a relaxed, prone position means that she may be dozing off.

　Well, it's certainly the perfect weather for a nap, and I know how that feels...

Oh, I'm sorry.
'Oh, Zeke, you worked the night shift. I don't blame you for being sleepy.

　Zeke-san gives a small, adorable missive, and when I turn to look at him, he's rubbing his eyes as if he's a little sleepy, probably because he's on duty at night security.
　Smiling at such an adorable gesture, I call out to Zeke-san.

''It's okay if you take a nap like this, right?
That's ... a very tempting proposition.
'Oh, but before that...'
What's going on?　Kite--what?

　I thought it was just the right time, so I take out a small wooden box from the magic box the music box I made for Mr. Zeke and hand it to him.
　Mr. Zeke's eyes widen as he is completely struck by the emptiness of the situation, and he stares at the music box he received, stunned.

''........What is this?''
Well, it's a music box.
A music box?　Huh?　But that's for Lili...
'Oh, yes. Of course, this is different from the one I gave to Lilia-san. Well, you know, Zeke-san has always been a big help to me, and since you helped me with this one......I'm thanking you for that.

　Hearing my words, Zeke compares my face and the music box over and over again.
　The music box I gave to Mr. Zeke is different from the one I gave to Lilia-san, and is made with emeralds and other green gems as its centerpiece.
　When activated, the tree and bow, the emblem of the elven tribe, illuminated by the light of the demonic crystal, emerge as a mechanism.
　Well, since I was short on time and didn't know where to go with the stones, I used store bought gems, but.......
　The song was also composed by Alice to suit Zeke's needs. It feels like a vast, lush wilderness. It's finished in a way that reminds me of a folk song.

I'm not sure if I should take it.　Because I'm not that...I'm not doing much to help...
'Not at all. He took care of Belle and Lynn while I was busy, and he even gave me some food to eat while I was working. Thanks to you, I was able to work hard. Thank you so much.
......

　When I honestly expressed my heartfelt gratitude, Zeke-san made a surprised, yet very happy expression, held the music box I gave him with both hands and hugged it carefully in front of his chest.

'.........Thank you.......thank you. I will cherish it.
Yes, sir.
...This is, well, I don't know what to do about it...I'm so happy, I can't say the words like I thought I would.

　With cheeks red and eyes watering, Mr. Zeke moved his gaze several times as if searching for words, but still didn't know what to say in the end, he looked down once, shook his face, and then gently leaned on my shoulder.
　

''I don't mean to bother you but may I indulge you for a moment?　Right now, I feel like I need to be near you.
Yes, sir. 'It's not a bother, not at all. I'm rather happy about it.
Thank you very much.

　With that announcement, Zeke leans on my shoulder and closes his eyes with a smile on his face.
　A comfortable silence passes, and a feeling of happiness fills my chest.

''Well you are happy.''
Yes.

　No further words were needed, just, yes, feeling safe in each other's presence next to each other, I surrendered to the warm sunshine and the slight breeze.

　Dear Mom and Dad - I'm back from the summer resort, and I think it's a good time to bring my thanks to the people who helped me with this one. First of all, to Zeke - I thanked him for his help.