Chapter 2057: Intermission: After the Ship Party ~ ~ Ein Edition ~ ~
In the grand hall of Kuromueina's castle in the Demon Realm, those who had returned from the ship party naturally gathered, their gazes focused on one spot…… Amid the normally friendly atmosphere of the hall, there was a place where the air had become as sharp as a finely honed blade.
At the end of their gaze was Ein, who was holding a wooden box and staring at it intensely.
What Ein was holding was the final souvenir given out at the ship party. Inside was a specially designed Nifty teacup commemorating the ship party, limited-edition ornamental sugar, and a special commemorative tea leaves blend.
In the tense air, Ein quietly opened the box…… and after a moment, spoke.
[……Magnificent. A refreshing, ocean-themed cup, a specially shaped ornamental sugar that isn’t sold by Nifty…… and this…… this commemorative blend that uses Nebula-sama’s treasured tea leaves…… W- What is this…… Even I, just by looking at the tea leaves, can’t perfectly envision the final product!? I- I can only say, truly impressive.]
[Seems like Ein's having fun.]
[Rather, Elder Sis Ein's intensity is so strong, it's a little scary……]
[Keeping a careful hold on her magic power and the like is just like Elder Sis though…… Ah, she's already brewing the tea.]
Watching Ein muttering to herself with a serious expression, Kuromueina wore a gentle smile, while Acht and Eval, who were nearby, muttered, slightly overwhelmed by Ein’s intense aura.
As they watched, Ein quickly began to prepare tea with the special blend and tasted it…… and her eyes widened.[M- Magnificent! A deep, complex aroma, and a flavor that’s clearly different from other tea leaves, yet overwhelmingly delicious…… The only pity is that it’s used in such a small amount…… It’s so wonderful it makes me sigh.]
The commemorative blend seemed to have deeply moved Ein, and she spoke about the tea with sparkling eyes. Watching her, Kuromueina lightly placed a hand on her chin.
(……Just now, even though it was very slight, Ein’s magical power seemed to increase? Ahhh~~ maybe that’s why they restrict its distribution? If that’s the case, I’ll need to make sure she doesn’t try to get more……)
Until now, Kuromueina had worried that Ein might want more of Nebula’s tea leaves, and it seemed likely again this time, but although Ein was excitedly commenting on the tea, she showed no signs of wanting more of the tea leaves.
[……Ein-oneechan, are you going to ask Kaitokun-san to get more of those tea leaves too?]
[No, that wouldn’t be appropriate. I do want these tea leaves. Desperately even…… but I think these tea leaves will probably be used for commemorative events hosted by Kaito-sama from now on. In that case, maintaining their rarity is important, and if I were to ask for them, it might cause trouble for Kaito-sama, so I’ll have to restrain myself.]
Although Ein may seem prone to losing control over anything related to maids or tea, she still had a firm sense of priorities.
She wanted Nebula’s treasured tea leaves. She definitely wanted them, but she places Kaito higher in the priority in her mind, and she thought that wanting the tea leaves might affect future events hosted by Kaito. So, it seemed she chose to hold back this time.
[I see. Then, Ein-oneechan! Raz'll give you the tea leaves that came with Raz's souvenir. Raz can't brew them well myself anyway……]
[Ah, then ours too……]
[Same here. I'm not confident I can brew tea well either. Let us taste it if you make some.]
[……T- Thank you very much.]
With Razelia offering the special blend tea leaves from her own souvenir to Ein, the other family members began handing over the tea leaves from their souvenirs to Ein as well.
Since many of Kuromueina's family members knew Kaito, a substantial amount of tea leaves ended up in Ein's possession. Ein looked deeply moved by her family's thoughtfulness…… and seeing this, Kuromueina also nodded slightly, looking somewhat satisfied.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [I wasn't worried about Jutia, but this one also showed no signs of going out of control huh……]
? ? ? : [Well, Ein-san still knows her limits. She tends to go out of control when it comes to anything maid-related though……]
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