Yuri-sama Has Grown Up, Too

The next day, High Priest Houghtley came barging in first thing in the morning, his eyes sparkling with excitement and his skin looking so radiant that he seemed like a completely different person.

“Your Majesty! Ederine-sama! I’ve managed to arrange an audience with Her Majesty Sakura!”

Yuri-sama’s eyes widened in astonishment. I hurriedly glanced at Ai. …Thank goodness. She looked surprised, but at least she didn’t seem to be choking on anything.

Yuri-sama set down his fork with a clink and cleared his throat.

“Well done. Thank you. …However, could we perhaps discuss this after breakfast?”

“Ah! M-my deepest apologies! I shall return shortly!”

With that, the High Priest hurriedly withdrew from the room.

…Yes, as a matter of fact, we were right in the middle of breakfast.

In front of me, Ai was eagerly biting into a freshly baked, piping-hot muffin loaded with sugar and butter. Her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel’s as the sweet aroma wafted around her, making her so adorable that I wanted to poke them…!

As I blissfully picked up the crumbs that had fallen from her muffin, Yuri-sama tilted his head in puzzlement while watching the High Priest’s retreating figure.

“…Was High Priest Houghtley always like that…? How should I put it…”

“He looked rather radiant, didn’t he?”

“Yes. Radiant. And his head, too…”

“It was shining even more brightly than usual.”

At that moment, Ai quietly murmured, “…Smooth and shiny.”

Pfft! Ai, you mustn’t! My stomach muscles can’t take that!

Looking around, I saw that several of the maids standing nearby had apparently been caught off guard as well, their shoulders trembling as they struggled to contain their laughter.

“…Well, it’s good to see him so energetic. Lately, he’d been so distressed that he seemed to have shrunk by an entire size.”

His words made my expression turn serious.

High Priest Houghtley had apparently received quite a lot of criticism from those around him when Ai was summoned. Of course, it hadn’t been his responsibility alone, but whenever something like that happened, the person at the top inevitably ended up taking the blame.

…Though, now that I thought about it, I remembered blaming him myself… Yes, I should make sure to apologize properly when I had the chance…

After lunch, we gathered in Yuri-sama’s office. Accompanied by a maid, Ai was gazing curiously at the bookshelves lining the room.

I bowed my head to the High Priest standing beside me.

“High Priest Houghtley-sama, I sincerely apologize for how I behaved back then. If it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t have been able to save Ai, and yet I treated you so terribly.”

“No, no, it’s quite all right. Please don’t worry about it.”

Still wearing his usual kindly, worried-looking expression, the High Priest continued with a smile.

“That’s a trivial matter. Besides, when I was trembling with fear that I might have made a terrible mistake, the person who saved me was none other than you, Ederine-sama.”

“Me?”

I tilted my head, unable to think of anything I had done, and the High Priest’s face brightened even further.

“Indeed. Back then, I spent every day repenting, fearing that I might have completely ruined this little girl’s life. But just look at what happened! As she spent time with you, Ederine-sama, far from having her life ruined, the Saintess regained her radiant, adorable smile.”

With those words, High Priest Houghtley turned toward Ai and smiled warmly.

“At first, I had no idea how things would turn out, but I don’t believe Ai-sama would be smiling as she does today without you, Ederine-sama. It was an unprecedented arrangement, but I’m truly glad that you are to become our queen.”

Hearing him say that with such a gentle expression made my cheeks flush.

I-if you praise me so directly like that, I’ll get embarrassed…!

Just as I was thinking that, Yuri-sama suddenly thrust his face forward, looking rather fierce. He seemed strangely angry, and his shoulders were trembling.

“High Priest Houghtley…! Those… Those were the very words I was planning to say to Ederine someday…!”

“W-what!? To think that I would steal Your Majesty’s words! I sincerely beg your forgiveness!”

What!? You were actually thinking something like that!?

While I was still reeling from surprise, Yuri-sama suddenly came to his senses and pressed a hand against his forehead.

“…Ah! No! …Forgive me. That was childish of me to say. …Please forget it.”

…Oh? Oh my? The ears I could see from the side were bright red…?

The High Priest chuckled heartily.

“Your Majesty, forgive my impertinence, but next time, please make sure to convey your feelings yourself before I beat you to it.”

“…I’ll try.”

I stared intently at his face.

Yuri-sama usually wore such a serious expression, and he generally had a rather dignified air about him, so seeing him looking embarrassed was… How should I put it…? Quite a rare sight, wasn’t it? Was this what the maids were always talking about when they said, “It’s those unexpected contrasts that make someone so appealing”? …Besides, when all was said and done, he really was quite handsome.

As I continued gazing at him with narrowed eyes, Yuri-sama seemed to notice.

“What’s the matter, Ederine?”

“Oh, nothing… I was just thinking that, looking at you again, Yuri-sama, you really do have an exceptionally handsome face…”

“Wha—! W-what on earth are you saying!?”

His face turned bright red again, so suddenly that I could almost hear a poof.

“I-if we’re talking about that, you’re incredibly beautiful yourself…”

My goodness!

Deeply moved, I clapped my hands together.

“Yuri-sama, you’ve finally learned how to give compliments!?”

Yuri-sama was an extremely earnest person, but at the same time, he had absolutely no understanding of flattery or social pleasantries. Oh, how many ladies had approached him in the past, only to fly into a rage at his brutally frank remarks!

“How wonderful! Flattery is, in a manner of speaking, the lubricant that keeps human relationships running smoothly! Yuri-sama, you’re growing and improving more and more every day…! I must follow your example.”

“Ah, n-no, that’s not quite what I meant…”

While I was marveling at his progress, a cheerful “Ho, ho, ho!” came from beside me. It was High Priest Houghtley.

“Ai-sama, take a good look. That’s what we call one-way communication.”

One-way communication? What is? …I turned to the side and was utterly astonished.

—Ai was diligently stroking the High Priest’s smooth, bald head as he crouched down beside her.