Even though it's called a meal, it's not good to keep Lilia and the others waiting too long, so I'll be able to get away with opening a stall instead of going into a store.
　I've noticed after searching for a meal like this, but........there are also some that are just like normal restaurants. The scale of the quintessence is tremendous, or should I say....

　I bought a salted fish and a few other items from the stall, and sat down with Anima on a bench a little off the area where the stalls were lined up.
　And as soon as I try a bite of the salted fish, the white meat, pale and matching the salt, emerges from the crispy grilled skin and spreads softly in my mouth.
　The seasoning is really simple, but it goes without saying that the salt and the whitefish are an excellent match. Very tasty.

''Yeah. Delicious.........anima?　You're not going to eat it?
No, no, I'll eat.

　When I turn my head to the side, I see Anima staring at the skewer of the salt-roasted meat with a somewhat unflattering expression on her face.
　When I called out to her, Anima looked a little flustered and brought the salt-grilled skewer to her mouth, but after taking a bite, she stopped moving.

''Didn't it ... taste good?''
'No, no, it's very good...'

　Anima's expression was somewhat strange. It's hard to explain it this way.......she doesn't seem depressed or anything like that, but she seems somewhat confused.
　However, I don't understand what on earth she is perplexed about.

　In front of me, who cannot continue to speak, Anima was silent for a while and then muttered to herself.

''........Master.......''
Yeah?
"...I'm sorry, well, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being so selfish...
....

　What is it?　After all, Anima seems to be confused about something, and the confusion she feels with her sensory magic along with her current mutterings became stronger.
　However, it's not that they can't read your mind with my sensory magic. I can only read only superficial emotions, and even though I know that Anima is confused, I don't know the cause of her confusion.

　An unanswerable question comes to mind, but the answer was told by Anima's mouth soon after.

''........I.......why did you do that......''
Huh?
"I am the servant of my master and I am sworn to be absolutely loyal to him and I have sworn an oath of absolute loyalty to him... why?　I shouldn't be interfering with my master's actions because of my own selfishness...
...Anima.

　The reason for Anima's confusion was understandable in her words now. She probably noticed a little bit, really a little bit...if not enough to put it clearly into words.
　It's in my own heart. A different emotion than the loyalty that is directed towards me.....

　That's why Anima is very confused right now. Because she can't get a clear answer to the reason why she has acted differently from her previous self, to the true nature of the feelings within her....
　

　
　Because that feeling has only just begun to sprout within Anima, and it has not yet become a definite one.

　If I told Anima before she could give me a proper answer and accept her feelings, she would surely be confused and forced to convince herself.
　 That's not good enough.

'Anima.'
Yes?
"...what are you talking about?　Anima 'went along with my selfishness'.
No, no, but...
Yeah?　Or did Anima not want to eat with me?
'No, it's not!

　So what I should be doing is giving Anima time to calm down and look into her own mind.
　I don't know what kind of answer she'll give me as a result of that.
　Will she prioritize her loyalty and stifle those feelings.......or will she accept and change....

'Hey, Anima?　Are you happy to have dinner with me, Anima?
'Yes!　Well ... strangely enough, it seems to taste better than usual.
Well that's not a problem then, is it?　I'm happy to have dinner with Anima and we're happy for each other so I think it was a rather good choice.
Yes.

　
　It's not a physical one, but a mental one and yes I think Anima will become a stronger and more attractive girl than she is now.

'........Master.
Yeah?
...well, you know, it's...delicious.
Yeah.

　So, I'm not saying anything.

...Master.
Yeah?
What is it, exactly?　I have a strange, warm feeling in my heart.
''Well yes. I feel just like that too.

　Anima wouldn't know it. That before I knew it, I was holding a salt-roasted skewer in one hand........
　

'.................Master.
Yeah?
Thank you very much.
What's that?
I don't know. But I kind of wanted to thank you.
I see...

　For now, yes, I'll just wait patiently.
　I've been happy to be behind me, but one day she'll want to stand next to me. I'm hoping for that future....

　Dear Mom, Dad - Anima is beginning to change, though slowly. She still seems to be very confused right now, but there's no need to be impatient.