The person who greeted us at the Arwen nursery school was Stella, not the nursery official we expected.

Strictly speaking, Stella is also in a similar position to those involved. Anyway, the place where this nursery school was built was the Arwen estate, and Stella was the eldest daughter of the Arwen family.

Anyway, Xian and I entered the nursery school building, guided by an unexpected person.

“I never really imagined that Senior Conrad and Senior Xian would visit our Yeongji Nursery School.”

“I was also surprised at the moment. Stella, I didn’t expect you to be here either.”

“… Did you even come out for dispatch practice?”

Xian, who seemed a little taken aback by Stella’s presence, asked her.

“Oh, no. The Arwen Nursery School is a facility where operating expenses are paid by the Imperial Family, so it is not subject to dispatch training from the academy. I just occasionally help with the daycare when I have time and spare time.”

“If the eldest daughter of a lord aristocrat is helping out with the work, I think he would rather notice it.”

“Oh, that’s fine! Our territories do not recognize the faces of the people of the Arwen family, including me.”

“Well, it’s a good thing that Young Ji-min doesn’t know the face of the lord.”

At least it meant that the lord’s notoriety didn’t spread within the territory.

Originally, when it became difficult to make a living, people were the first to find someone to resent. Of course, the first place where the resentment of the residents who built a place to live under the territory is directed to the nobles who own the territory.

In other words, it must mean that there are no problems in Arwen’s territory that would make it hard to survive.

Usually, there were two main things that made the face of the lord known to the residents of the territory.

For example, if the residents insult the lord because the management of the territory is a mess, or if the lord comes down to the area where the residents live and asserts his authority.

Neither of these cases were very good to see, so if you look at the general case, it would lead to ‘the resident does not know the lord’s face = the lord is doing a good job managing the territory’.

However, since the Perdalos family had no hands to the extent that their father and mother had to do development projects or monster extermination projects from time to time, their faces were inevitably opened up.

“Therefore, I apologize to the two of you, but if possible, I would like you to refrain from mentioning the surname Arwen here.”

“OK got it.”

“I don’t mind calling you by my first name anyway. At least I won’t treat you like I would treat a noble lady.”

“Yes, please, senior Xian and senior Conrad.”

In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever treated her like a noble lady.

“By the way, what did senior Xian and senior Conrad visit Arwen Nursery School for?”

“There is someone I want to meet personally. Xian just followed me because I said I had something to do at the nursery school.”

“If you are the director of Nemia’s orphanage, you are out right now. I heard that there are documents to be submitted to the management office regarding the support fund for the second half of this year.”

“It’s okay, I didn’t come to see Director Nemia either.”

“Yeah?”

Stella tilted her head with a questioning look on who she was coming to see if not the director of the nursery school.

I moderated her response and brought out a secondary purpose of clothing here.

“Isn’t it time to eat soon? I’ll help you prepare the meal while you’re here. It happened that we brought a lot of food materials from the forest of the World Tree.”

“Ah, yes… .”

I walked to the kitchen of the nursery school, guided by Stella who nodded awkwardly with an expression that I did not know why.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

The large kitchen at Arwen Nursery School.

Most of them were children, but since it was a facility to take care of 200 family members, the scale was quite large.

The kitchen at Hermia Nursery School seems to have been much smaller than this, perhaps because of financial difficulties.

As expected, the facility itself was not bad because it was a nursery school that received subsidies from the imperial family.

After collecting and arranging all the food materials brought from the forest of the World Tree, the amount was quite considerable.

Of course, based on the consumption of Arwen Nursery School, which accommodates about 200 inmates, it will be consumed in three or three days at most.

There was no other place like this place to freely use the fruits and vegetables received from the elves.

It was because I was able to use it in a good way for the person who needed it most without ignoring the favor of the elves.

“I make vegetable stew with carrots, onions and potatoes first, and since I don’t have many eggs, I stir-fry them with other ingredients… .”

By the time they were giving out an estimate of the meals they would feed 200 children, Stella let out a relieved sigh.

“Originally, I shouldn’t have asked Conrad-senpai for such an apologetic request, but for today, I have no choice but to ask.”

“Come to think of it, what about the other teachers at Arwen Nursery School? The last time I came, I think there were about three people including Director Nemia.”

“Today is a regular holiday for Mr. Lexio, a daycare teacher for boys, and Ms. Ellen, a daycare teacher for girls, has been on vacation since last month because of childbirth.”

“You really have a complete understanding of the nursery school situation.”

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Judging by the fact that she said things that could not be known after at least a day or two of visiting, it seemed that even if it wasn’t today, Stella was steadily helping Arwen nursery school.

Of all the children at the nursery school, about half of them had moved from Cherryfield nursery school, so Stella seemed to have a sense of responsibility in her own way.

Perhaps Hermia, who was like her own mother, wanted to see the children she had raised until the end become self-reliant for as long as possible.

“If senior Conrad and senior Xian hadn’t come today, I would have had to cook meals for the children.”

“Stella, seeing that you went out leaving 200 family members in your care, doesn’t director Nemia still not know about your cooking skills?”

“Usually, all I do to help with meal preparation is preparing ingredients or washing dishes. So I said no several times, but the director left it to me saying that I had to do everything later anyway… .”

Not knowing that Stella is a member of the Arwen family, it’s worth saying that.

Even when the children of Cherryfield Nursery School were left at this nursery school two years ago, as it was Stella’s estate, we guided the children while hiding our identities as much as possible.

“Stella’s junior is also a noble lady, so she’s not good at cooking.”

“Yeah… . When I see ingredients boiling or roasting in front of the fire, my mind goes blank, not knowing what to do next.”

“It was fortunate that Conrad arrived on time. Even I, an elf, recognize Conrad’s cooking skills.”

“I see. In fact, I also had the opportunity to eat a meal prepared by senior Konrad during the dispatch practice the year before last.”

“… Hmm, so?”

Xian, who reacted strangely to Stella’s words, suddenly brought up a story about what happened in the forest of the World Tree last year as if competing for something.

“Around this time last year, the vegetable stew I ate while living with Conrad in the forest of the World Tree was quite delicious, hehehehe.”

“It was just plain vegetable stew. They are made with ingredients from the forest of the World Tree, so they are fresh and just more delicious.”

“Looks like you have enough ingredients, how about making vegetable stew today, Conrad?”

“I was trying to do that anyway. So Sian, don’t play too and wash the carrots there.”

“yes.”

It wasn’t a particularly special menu, but did you like it that much?

As Xian was unpacking the sack of vegetables with a strangely amused expression on his face, Stella suddenly heard an embarrassed voice.

“Even, living together… ?”

Suddenly struck by a strange word, Stella suddenly asked me with trembling eyes.

“No, Senior Conrad… ? Is what Xian said is true… ?”

“yes? The story that the vegetable stew was delicious?”

“No, that’s not it! The story that senior Konrad lived with senior Xian, too!”

… What the hell is it that is so important that you say it with such bewilderment?

I didn’t think it was something to hide, so I replied with a calm nod.

“That’s right. During summer vacation last year, I lived a similar life with Xian for about a week.”

“Yes Yes… ?!”

“There were many complicated circumstances. Xian probably didn’t like it too much, but it was a choice he had no choice but to make to protect me in that situation. Of course, as much as the personal space was clearly divided and lived.”

“Even so, Conrad, it doesn’t change the fact that you’ve been spying on me for a week.”

“That’s just that, Xian, you kept revealing yourself defenselessly in public spaces. I have warned you many times not to walk around in baggy clothes.”

“yes? I can’t remember.”

Strictly speaking, it was an act closer to ‘showing’ rather than ‘seeing’, so I had something to say.

“Even, living together, showing each other’s bodies… .”

“Stella, you seem to have a strange misunderstanding, but it only caught my eye in a situation where I had no choice but to see it. Besides, I’ve never shown it to Xian.”

“Th-Come to think of it, senior Konrad, you don’t use honorific words for senior Xian anymore… ?”

“Ah, that one?”

I briefly explained the conversation we had in the forest of the World Tree to Stella, who asked me with eyes that looked a little more worried.

“Anyway, since I will be graduating from Xiando Academy in half a year, we agreed to talk to each other, saying that we can’t just use honorific titles forever. Skip the annoying titles like seniors and juniors.”

“hehehehe, that’s how it happened, Stella junior.”

“Ah, ah… .”

“Sian, I told you to wash the carrots. What are you holding up and talking about?”

“… I was going to wash it now.”

After I called her attention, Xian took the basket of carrots in her hand and headed towards the water tap in the corner of the kitchen.

Anyway, why are you smiling like that when you don’t do what you’re told to do?

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Just as I was thinking that I would have to say something again when I got back, Stella asked me another question.

“I, Senior Conrad… ?”

“Why, Stella.”

“If you don’t mind, can I ask you a favor too?”

“What? Just tell me.”

Stella, who had been fidgeting like a puppy wanting to take care of her business, poured out long requests cautiously.

“Can I, like senior Xian, be able to speak frankly with senior Conrad? It’s not that I’m particularly jealous of Xian-senpai, I-I’ve known Conrad-senpai for a long time… ? Also, as senior Xian said, now that senior Conrad is graduating soon, I wonder if it would be okay for us to become close friends soon… .”

Uncharacteristic of Stella, who is usually confident, she talked around for a long time, but anyway, to summarize, it was something like this.

Like Xi’an, he wants to call me without a title like a senior. Just like the way I treat Xian now.

After summarizing it, I just quietly nodded my head because it was a story that was so insignificant that it was futile.

“Do whatever you want, because it doesn’t matter.”

“I, really?”

“Actually, it was time to let go. It’s been a long time since I’ve known you, Stella.”

Rather, in terms of title alone, even though I was of a lower rank than her, she must have been a special case as she had consistently maintained the honorific title. Of course, Stella used honorific titles fairly even for Lulu and Xian, who had no title at all.

It was rather surprising that he had turned around like this just because he wanted to say this.

“Would you like to call me as a test? Without a senior-like title, Conrad.”

“Gwa, are you okay?”

“Don’t even say respectful words. I don’t use honorifics for Xian either.”

“… All right! Then let’s start now!”

As if before the hunting festival, Stella, who showed her spleen determination, met me wide-eyed and said,

“Nose, Conrad… .”

“yes.”

“Oh, what a nice day today, Ko, Conrad… .”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Con… lard. Conra… de. that, so… As for what I was trying to say… .”

Stella, who had been contemplating whether or not to spit something out of her mouth several times, waved her hand quickly, hiding her blushing face.

“Yeah, no way!”

“yes?”

“Co-calling senior Conrad without honorifics is something I couldn’t bear to do considering the favors I’ve received from senior Conrad so far! Disrespectful!”

“It’s all about blasphemy with just a few words… .”

“sorry! I was wrong! Please disregard the request I just made, Conrad-senpai!”

I wonder if there is such a thing as overreacting, but in the first place, each person feels ashamed is different.

Above all, the purpose of the act of letting go of words is to change an awkward relationship into a more comfortable one, but if the act actually made it more awkward and uncomfortable, it would be a turn of events.

“Okay then. Stella, do as you please.”

“Go, thank you, Konrad-senpai… .”

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Just when I was thinking that I was grateful for something strange, Xian returned from a trip to the water tap.

“… what happened?”

He looked back and forth between the blushing Stella and the calm me, and only spat out a single word.