"Miyuki, is it like this?"

Although it felt awkward, I still managed to say it. Is this some kind of punishment game?

"Is it really this way? Although I would prefer darling to call me 'Yuki' instead."

"......"

"And what you said just now lacked emotion, it was too stiff. Darling doesn't need to be so nervous, but considering that darling is not used to it yet, it can't be helped. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future, don't forget to practice more."

"......"

Although Ryuto wanted to retort, he ultimately refrained from doing so. After all, the current situation was dangerous, and it was best not to provoke the other person casually.

While Ryuto was contemplating this...

"Darling!"

Meixue once again rushed towards him with a smile on her face.

"Hey, wait."

Ryuto quickly spoke up to stop her, and finally managed to do so. Luckily, the culprit didn't tear the ticket.

Ryuto sighed in relief in his heart.

"Then what else?"

"That's right! Darling, remember that I am the Minister of the Special Order Department. So the next thing is, promise me that I can join the Special Order Department. What do you think? After all, it seems like my ability is not useful for darling."

"If it were useful, I doubt it would stop at just this."

"That's right, if it were useful, it would be possible to control darling to do various things. What a pity!"

Hey, I don't feel any pity at all.

By the way, what does "various things" refer to? Why does it sound so terrifying?

"......"

If I agree, it seems like my peaceful life will become more chaotic. Although I have no basis for this, my intuition is telling me so.

But...

"It seems like darling is still hesitating! Hehe..."

As she spoke, Meixue leaned in again.

I already said it, what does that "hehe..." mean, and don't get so close.

"Wait, I understand."

In the end, I gave in.

"For real?"

"Yes, for real. Please trust me..."

"After all, it's darling's words. How could I not trust them?"

"That's great."

Ryuto couldn't help but cheer because the danger was resolved.

"But it feels a bit regrettable. It was so close, darling feels the same way, right?!"

"I don't feel any regret."

Finally, I was released and struggled to stand up.

"So, why did you call me here? It shouldn't be just because of what happened earlier, right?"

"Well...although that is an important reason, there's another reason."

Meixue answered with her index finger against her chin.

Hey, hey, can this also be an important reason?

"Another reason?"

"Yes, but...before that, there's a question I need to ask you, darling."

"A question?"

With that said, the previous feeling completely disappeared as Meixue wore a rare serious expression. She then silently turned her back towards Ryuto, just like that time.

And then, in a tone similar yet utterly different from before, he spoke up.

"Darling, don't you... dislike me?"

The sudden topic caught Ryuto off guard, but he still pondered it in his mind.

At the very least, he wouldn't like her. After all, if this kind of day continues in the future, it would be troublesome. But he couldn't answer that he disliked her either. Although she was just a kid, he didn't hate her. So Ryuto decided to choose a different response.

"Why do you ask?"

Yes, answering a question with a question. I'm so darn clever, Ryuto admired himself in his heart.

At the very least, let's clarify the situation first. Otherwise, answering randomly might lead to serious consequences. After all, the situation right now is disastrous enough.

Regarding Ryuto's method of answering with a question, Miyuki didn't say much. Instead, she honestly answered Ryuto's question, although her voice was trembling slightly.

"Because... I once deceived Darling. Darling must still remember, right? I not only said some really hurtful things at that time, but..."

She didn't continue with her words.

Why didn't she say it? Ryuto didn't know that either. What was omitted in those words? Although Ryuto had a guess in his mind, since the person involved didn't say it, he couldn't confirm it. Also, Ryuto had a bad memory, so it's possible that he had already forgotten some crucial point.

"I don't remember that kind of thing anymore. I'm a forgetful person by nature, how could my memory be good? Forgetting is not surprising at all."

And also...

"And also, that kind of thing is not important at all."

Ryuto answered with a calm expression.

"What? Not important...? How could it not be important? No matter what, it's not something that can be easily ignored, because... because I..."

Her voice was mixed with gentle sobs, and her body continued to tremble. Was it because of the cold or because of fear...?