I Healed the Cold Dark Goddess’s Loneliness, and Now She Won’t Let Me Go! - Chapter 18

Even when I wake up, the morning sun never comes to greet me in this land.

Two moons float in an unchanging, pitch-black sky. In this domain of darkness, night lasts forever. I’ve grown quite used to the scenery by now, but it’s still a bit inconvenient. After all, you can’t tell the time just by looking at the sky.

…But on the flip side, there’s no midday sun to scold me for oversleeping after a restless night, which is actually kind of nice.

That’s what I thought as I sat up in bed and looked out the window at the sky.

Ah, but then again, it’s probably bad for the body not to get any sunlight. Living under a night sky 24/7 can’t be good for one’s health. It’s something to think about. I wonder if the villagers are doing okay?

“Haruno.”

Lady Reine, who was right beside me, spoke up.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Lady Reine.”

Lady Reine’s purple eyes gazed at me tenderly. …Ah, right.

The color of the sky is a trivial thing. Lady Reine is here with me. That realization alone is enough to make me feel happy. That is the kind of morning this is.

“Did you sleep well?”

“W-well…”

I didn’t fall asleep easily in the end, but I don’t feel particularly sleep-deprived. Come to think of it, there’s no sunrise to wake me up here, and I don’t have a job yet. A “hopeless human” lifestyle—staying up late and sleeping in is perfectly permitted here. I have to keep a firm grip on myself so I don’t completely fall into decadence…

“I am glad to hear it. So, Haruno, what would you like to do today?”

“Um…”

When she asked, the answer came to me instantly.

“First, I’d like to eat something…”

“Hmm. In that case, simply envision your favorite dish. With my power, I shall—”

“No, no, no! Not that! I’ll make it myself!”

I hurriedly rejected Lady Reine’s proposal. That would be bad…! As a human being! I want to at least do the cooking myself…!

“W-we have a kitchen now, after all, and I want to cook my own meals…!”

“…But I will still be the one providing the ingredients, will I not? Would that not simply be unnecessary labor?”

“T-that’s… well, that labor is important, or rather, it’s a source of comfort and more than anything, I want you to eat something that I worked hard to make, Lady Reine…”

“…!”

Lady Reine’s eyes went wide at my words. The next instant, I was pulled into a tight embrace.

“I see…! Forgive me, I spoke thoughtlessly. I shall look forward to your cooking, Haruno.”

“Y-yes…”

Looking at her now, the Lady Reine who used to act like she was only eating because I insisted was gone; she was now actively looking forward to it. It was a moving change, but before I could dwell on it:

“L-Lady Reine, please let go~”

I needed to be released so I could breathe.

“Ooh~!”

When I finally stepped into the kitchen, the exclamation escaped my lips involuntarily.

I had seen it once before, but seeing it again, it was amazing. A perfect, state-of-the-art kitchen stretched out before me. Well, “state-of-the-art” isn’t quite right; technically, Lady Reine had manifested my vague image of a “luxurious kitchen.”

“The refrigerator, the oven… everything is here!”

“I intended to replicate what you envisioned as best I could.”

“This is incredible, Lady Reine! With this, I can make all sorts of things!”

Excitedly, I toured the kitchen. Spices, utensils—everything was there. It was a dream kitchen that motivated me just by standing in it.

“Alright, let’s make something right away!”

Caught up in the momentum, I pulled open the refrigerator. It was empty.

“…Huh?”

“Simply tell me what ingredients you require.”

“Ah, right…”

Well, of course. That was the deal… Wait? Doesn’t that make the refrigerator half-pointless? No, stop thinking about it.

“Then, let’s see! I’ll try making an omelet, so could I have some eggs, milk, butter, and salt…?”

“Hmm. Envision them.”

As usual, I let myself be guided by Lady Reine’s presence, and the familiar ingredients appeared. As soon as I gripped the frying pan, I felt a surge of confidence. In the village, my knowledge from my old world was useless, making me feel like a total beginner, but finally, my true power could be unleashed! Though Mina-chan isn’t here to see it!

With practiced movements, I cracked the eggs and whisked them with the milk and salt. I heated the pan, melted the butter.

“…”

Lady Reine was standing behind me, watching silently and intently. Feeling her gaze made me a little nervous.

“L-Lady Reine, I get a bit twitchy when you watch me that closely.”

“Do you? But I enjoy seeing Haruno work so hard.”

“Gah…!”

Careful! Her sudden words almost made my hand slip. This Goddess is always saying things like that so casually, I guess I just have to get used to her “affection attacks.”

“Honestly, you say things like that so easily.”

“I merely speak what I feel.”

“That’s the embarrassing part…!”

My face turning bright red, I continued cooking. I poured the egg mixture into the pan and stirred quickly, then folded it into shape.

“There, all done!”

I placed the plated omelet on the table. Its soft yellow color was very appetizing.

“So, this is an ‘omelet’?”

“Yes. Please, give it a try.”

Lady Reine picked up a fork and took a bite.

“…”

Unlike the food I made with the village’s unfamiliar equipment, this omelet was me at my absolute best. If she told me the previous ones were better, I’d never recover, so I waited for her reaction as if offering a prayer.

“…It is delicious.”

“Really!?”

“Yes. It is so fluffy… a curious texture.”

Lady Reine took another bite. She looked somehow… happy.

“You are a skilled cook, Haruno.”

“N-no… anyone can make something like this.”

“Is that so? Perhaps… but even if that were true, Haruno’s cooking will always be my favorite.”

“Lady Reine…”

My chest felt warm at her words. Seeing her smile like that made me want to cook all sorts of different dishes for her.

I started eating my own portion. I thought I’d done a pretty good job, if I do say so myself. As I ate, Lady Reine spoke to me.

“Haruno.”

“Yes?”

“I shall be able to eat your cooking every day from now on, then.”

“Yes. I’ll make it every day just to see you smile, Lady Reine.”

“…I see.”

Lady Reine’s expression softened. It was the look of someone who had finally obtained something precious. I suspect I was wearing the exact same expression.

After we finished eating and the cleanup was done, I turned to Lady Reine with a serious posture.

“Um, Lady Reine. Actually, there’s something I’d like to discuss and decide on properly.”

“What is it?”

Lady Reine looked at me with a solemn expression. This was important. A very important agreement that would determine our future together.

“It’s about going outside.”

“…Going outside?”

A slight edge of wariness crept into Lady Reine’s aura.

“Yes. I’m going to be living here from now on, but I’d still like to visit the village every now and then. After all, a Shrine Maiden’s job is to convey your will to the people.”

The “Shrine Maiden’s duty” part was a pretext, but I really do want to go outside occasionally. I didn’t want to make Lady Reine anxious, though.

“…Do you dislike being by my side, Haruno?”

“N-no! That’s not it at all!”

I hurried to deny it. This was the Goddess who became unstable just because I went to say goodbye to Mina-chan. It wasn’t surprising she’d jump to conclusions. That’s why I have to explain it clearly.

“I’m happy living with you, Lady Reine. Truly. But I don’t think it’s good to only do that. I think it will be better for both of us if I go out once in a while and experience some moderate stimulation…”

“…”

“But I don’t want to make you worried. That’s why I want to set some rules for going out that you can be comfortable with.”

“Haruno…”

Looking at her face, I was certain. My feelings had reached her.

“If you go that far, I do not wish to stop you. However…”

“However?”

“To be honest… it would be painful for me if you were to leave too frequently.”

Hearing Lady Reine’s true feelings made my heart ache a little, but at the same time, she looked so cute being that honest. Either way, it was proof of how much she cherished me, and it made my heart feel full.

“Then, what kind of frequency would be okay with you?”

“Once every three… no, once every five days. I shall allow that.”

“! Thank you!”

Happy that she had agreed, I squeezed her hand. However, a shadow remained on her face.

“Lady Reine? Are you forcing yourself…?”

“No, it is not that. Truthfully, I wish I could forgive me, for only being able to endure your absence once every five days…”

“Honestly, what are you saying? For the other four days, I get to be with you the whole time, right? I think that’s a very happy thing.”

If she’d said once a month, I might have pushed for a compromise but once every five days was plenty.

“Haruno…”

Lady Reine squeezed my hand back. The strength in her grip spoke volumes about her feelings.

“Thank you! For me, you are… you alone are…”

“Yes. Me too.”

I smiled back at the overcome-with-emotion Goddess.

By the way, regardless of any promises, we were in the upper levels of the temple, and there were no stairs leading down. Inevitably, I can’t go outside without Lady Reine’s permission anyway. I decided not to point that out.

…I think Lady Reine is sincere. She listens to my opinions and settles things through discussion. It sounds conceited when I say it, but I know she probably wants to bind me even tighter. She probably wants to monopolize me completely.

And yet, she considers my feelings and compromises.

Maybe I should tell her my secret.

Yes. About the “game.” About the knowledge of the “future” from the original story.

I know about this world. I know what happens to Lady Reine five thousand years from now. I know what kind of existence she becomes.

Should I tell her that?