Picnic

In the end, since my bed had been stolen by Catherine, Caro and Marie-san flanked me from both sides and led me—having lost my place to sleep—straight to Caro’s room. The bed in Caro’s room was also a single, so it was far too cramped for three people to sleep in. I ended up sleeping sandwiched between Caro and Marie-san. Honestly, their body heat was being transmitted to me; it was hot, and not being able to move was painful.

“Kent-san, you look hot. Shall we take these off?”

“That’s right. Shall we undress?”

Between the two of them, I had my clothes stripped off.

“ “Because we’ll keep you warm, okay?” “

Saying so, the two of them also discarded their clothes and hugged me. Partly because I was tired from various things happening today, my heart felt at ease with their warmth and the feminine scent, and I fell asleep quickly.

“Honestly, Kent-san. You fell asleep even though we were just getting started?”

“It can’t be helped. Shall we sleep too?”

Marie-san, who looked disappointed at having squandered a precious chance, and Caro, who was composed because she can sleep with me anytime, were a study in contrasts. Caro pressed the switch on the remote to turn off the lights, and the three of us went to sleep.

Morning came, and I woke up. Caro and Marie-san were sleeping on either side of me. Because I moved slightly, Caro woke up.

“Kent-san, good morning.”

“Good morning, Caro-san. Did I wake you up?”

“No, it’s fine. I was just thinking it was about time to get up anyway.”

When I looked toward Marie-san, she seemed to still be sleeping. Unlike her usual sharp expression, her mouth was hanging open sloppily, and she was even drooling.

“Ugh, and it’s my futon, too…”

Caro said as she looked at the drool, which had spread over a considerable area.

“Mama, Big Brother, Caro-oneesan, are you awake?”

Saying so, Catherine entered Caro’s room.

“Honestly, you’re sleeping naked again. You’ll catch a cold, you know?”

Catherine said with an “again?” expression.

“I made breakfast. Hurry up, get dressed and eat.”

Awakened by Catherine, the three of us got dressed and gathered in the living room.

“So, what is this?”

I said while looking at a black something piled on the plate.

“It’s breakfast, though?”

Catherine said.

“Is this edible?”

Caro also said, looking worried.

“Thank you for making breakfast.”

Marie-san sat in a chair without appearing to care. Caro and I sat in chairs in the same way.

“I made a lot, so eat up!”

Catherine said as she took her seat.

“ “ “ “Let’s eat” “ “ “

For the time being, Caro and I timidly tried a bite. Contrary to its intense appearance, it was surprisingly delicious, which startled me.

“It’s delicious. So, what do you call this food?”

I tried asking Catherine.

“My special breakfast!”

Catherine answered, but I didn’t understand at all.

“That’s right. You need drinks. What would be good?”

“For me, tea, I guess.”

“Then I’ll have the same.”

“I want juice!”

It seemed Caro and Marie-san wanted tea, and Catherine wanted juice.

“Sure thing.”

Saying so, I quickly boiled water, set the tea bags, poured the water, and made tea. I took orange juice out of the refrigerator and poured it into a glass. For myself, I made coffee.

“Here you go.”

I handed each of the three their drinks, and I placed my own coffee on the table.

“Kent-san, this has a nice smell. What do you call this drink?”

Marie-san looked at the coffee I prepared with curiosity.

“This is a drink called coffee. You know it, don’t you, Caro-san?”

“I’m seeing it for the first time, too. It’s a black drink, isn’t it?”

It seems there is no coffee in this world. The fact that Caro, a noble, doesn’t know it might mean there is no custom of drinking it.

“Would you like to try some?”

Since all three of them, including Catherine, seemed to want to try it, I prepared fresh portions for the three. This was a drip-type coffee where you just open the seal, set it, and pour hot water over it—very simple.

I placed the finished coffees in front of the three.

“Also, if it doesn’t suit your palate, it’ll get better if you add this milk and sugar.”

Saying so, I placed individual portions of milk and sugar along with spoons in front of the three.

“Kent-san, did you say sugar?”

Marie-san said, looking surprised.

“What’s wrong, Marie-san?”

I asked the reason.

“Sugar is a very expensive thing, isn’t it? Is it really okay to put it in something like a drink?”

Marie-san was looking at the small packets containing sugar as if she were handling jewels.

“It’s fine. This isn’t an expensive thing, so please use it without hesitation. Besides, some of the bread sold at the shop uses sugar normally, too.”

“Eh? I didn’t notice at all. So the secret to the sweetness was sugar.”

Marie-san was surprised when I revealed a bit of the secret.

“Then I’ll use it without holding back.”

Catherine unhesitatingly put in several packets of sugar at once.

“Catherine, if you put that much in…”

Before I could stop her, the sugar was already in the coffee cup.

“Ugh… it’s so sweet it’s sickening…”

Catherine looked like she was suffering.

“Honestly, it can’t be helped.”

Saying so, I threw out the contents of Catherine’s coffee cup and made it again.

“Now then, this time put in a proper amount while tasting it.”

“Okay!”

Catherine, appearing to know nothing of the cost, put in a proper amount of sugar while tasting it just as I said.

Looking at my actions just now, Caro and Marie-san were wide-eyed.

“I wonder how many large silver coins that was just now…”

Marie-san muttered.

“You’re bold, Kent-san. I don’t dislike that kind of wild side of yours.”

Caro gave an impression different from Marie-san’s.

Breakfast ended, and the four of us were discussing what to do next. Since the shop was closed, the conversation turned to going out somewhere.

“Let’s go on a picnic in the forest!”

Catherine suggested. There is a forest on the edge of town. The distance isn’t that far, making it a spot where one can easily enjoy themselves.

In the end, with no other plans, we decided to go on a picnic in the forest.

“Well then, shall we make lunch and head out?”

I said and started making the lunch boxes. For side dishes, I used frozen foods since there were many in the freezer, and for the rice, I prepared it quickly using the rice cooker’s fast-cook mode. The lunch boxes were completed, and we decided to head out to the forest.

“It’s been a long time since I went out with Big Brother.”

Catherine clung to my arm and spoke happily.

“That’s right. It has been a long time.”

I answered that way, but I had no recollection of it. I only know the memories from before the reincarnation as background settings; I’m in a state where I don’t even have memories of my parents’ faces.

“That’s true. Before my husband passed away, Kent-san’s parents often went out with us too.”

Marie-san said nostalgically.

“The two families were close, weren’t they?”

Caro said enviously.

“In my house, there was no such thing as socializing with neighbors, and we were distant from our relatives. But now, I’m going out and getting along with neighbors like this.”

Caro said, emphasizing the word “neighbors.”

“Caro-chan. I wanted you to say ‘family’ there. We’re like family, aren’t we?”

Marie-san said to Caro.

“I have various thoughts on the matter, but I do intend to get along, you know?”

Caro answered in an allusive way.

Since it wasn’t that distant a place, we arrived at our destination before long. A park is built in a way that surrounds a small spring inside the forest. There seemed to be other groups who had come to play in the same way. This is also a place you can go to during the early stages of the game, and it can be chosen as a dating spot.

“Big Brother, what shall we play?”

“Let’s see…”

The four of us played by putting our feet in the spring, playing tag, and gathering grass and flowers to make things like necklaces.

“It’s nice to forget about work and play like this once in a while.”

Marie-san said as she lay spread-eagled on the grass. Caro and Catherine sat a short distance away, observing flowers.

“That’s right. If you’re always working, you’ll get tired, after all.”

“I was worried about what to do after being told by the Bakers’ Association to take two days off a week, but just as you said, Kent-san, it might have been good that it became consecutive holidays. Thanks to the rest, I feel like I’ve gained some mental leeway.”

“Tell me when you’re tired. I’ll bring a drink that works well for fatigue.”

I said it thinking of the nutritional energy drinks I’ve relied on, but Marie-san seemed to take it in a different direction.

“My, how bold; if we do the kind of thing where we drink that, won’t we both get tired?”

Marie-san said, her face flushing red.

“Heh? I didn’t mean it in a weird way. There really is a drink that takes away fatigue.”

“Oh, silly me.”

Marie-san said bashfully. After that, the four of us ate the lunch boxes we brought and decided to take a nap. The temperature was just right, and the sunlight was pleasant. Caro, Marie-san, and Catherine fell asleep snuggling against me, using me as a pillow.

“Ugh, I can’t move…”

I became unable to move and had no choice but to maintain that position until the three of them woke up.

Caro slept peacefully with a relieved expression, and Catherine slept curled up like a cat. Marie-san slept with her mouth wide open and her stomach out. Drool was dripping from her mouth and soaking my clothes. I looked at Marie-san while giving a wry smile, but I felt that a very tranquil and peaceful time was flowing. While stroking Marie-san’s head, I thought it would be nice if I could spend time like this forever.

A little time passed, and when the three of them woke up, we decided to return home.

“I’m sorry. It seems I’ve dirtied your clothes, Kent-san…”

Marie-san, having woken up, noticed that my clothes were a disaster and was apologizing profusely.

“A sleeping child is innocent, right?”

I said to Marie-san with a laugh.

“Honestly, haven’t you been treating me like a child lately?”

Looking at Marie-san, who was angry with puffed-out cheeks, I felt a mood where I wanted to protect her. I gently pulled her close and tried stroking her head.

“Oh, Kent-san.”

Marie-san looked like she didn’t mind it at all.

“Only Mama is being unfair. Big Brother, stroke my head too.”

“That’s right. Please do it to me too.”

In the end, I had to stroke Catherine’s and Caro’s heads as well.

And the four of us returned to my house together in a friendly manner.