Shikime Natsu looked at that slightly parted little mouth of Sakayanagi Arisu's, looked at those purple eyes filled with anticipation, tension, bashfulness, and a feigned composure, and the smile at the corner of his mouth couldn't help but deepen a little more.
Honestly, at the time, Shikime Natsu hadn't expected that Sakayanagi Arisu would so readily transfer 100,000 Private Points straight over to him.
No haggling at all, not even a moment's hesitation for too long.
Just like that... transferred.
Shikime Natsu savored that moment in his heart, and a trace of emotion flickered through those pale golden eyes.
This fellow Sakayanagi Arisu really had changed quite a bit. Though the old Sakayanagi Arisu had never taken Private Points and the like all that seriously either, at the very least she wouldn't have done something like trading a hundred thousand Private Points for a single feeding service.
Of course, Shikime Natsu would never think of Sakayanagi Arisu as some well-behaved girl. Getting this fellow to settle down could be said to be as hard as ascending to heaven.
Inside that head of Sakayanagi Arisu's, there were always all sorts of calculations, all sorts of schemes, all sorts of little tricks.
Even when she was sick, even when she was running a fever, even when she had just put on that pitiful expression and begged him to stay... that fellow's mind had absolutely never stopped turning.
Thinking this in his heart, Shikime Natsu's pale golden eyes once again landed on Sakayanagi Arisu's flushed little face.
This fellow Sakayanagi Arisu... was she scheming something again?
Was she plotting something once more?
Shikime Natsu mulled it over in his heart, but he didn't pay it too much mind.
In any case... Sakayanagi Arisu had already paid.
Since she'd already paid, then naturally he'd do as agreed.
As for whatever Sakayanagi Arisu was scheming in her heart... the corner of Shikime Natsu's mouth curved into an arc.
When the soldiers come, meet them with a general; when the flood comes, dam it with earth—that was all there was to it.
Shikime Natsu withdrew his thoughts, then reached out and picked up that spoon from the tray.
Shikime Natsu scooped up a spoonful of vegetable congee. The congee had been simmered just right—the rice grains soft and tender, the vegetables an emerald green, the broth thick and rich, wisps of steam rising from within the spoon.
He bent down slightly and brought the spoon to Sakayanagi Arisu's lips.
"Here."
"Open up."
Sakayanagi Arisu looked at the spoon brought to her lips, looked at the steaming vegetable congee within it, and that already-flushed little face gained a few more degrees of heat in this moment.
She lifted her head slightly, and those purple eyes met Shikime Natsu's pale golden ones.
The distance between the two of them had, in this moment, been drawn considerably closer.
Sakayanagi Arisu could clearly see her own reflection mirrored in Shikime Natsu's eyes, could see every tiny expression on that handsome face of his, could feel his steady breathing gently brushing against her cheek.
That distance... was too close.
Sakayanagi Arisu thought this in her heart, and her heartbeat couldn't help but quicken a little.
She opened her mouth and gently closed her lips around the spoon, taking that mouthful of congee into her mouth.
The warm congee spread across the tip of her tongue, carrying the fresh sweetness of the vegetables and the mellow fragrance of the rice grains.
Sakayanagi Arisu savored it carefully, and a trace of surprise couldn't help but flash through those purple eyes.
This fellow Shikime Natsu's cooking skills... were really quite good.
Even with such a simple, one might say quite plain dish—just ordinary white congee with some minced vegetables added—he had actually managed to make it this delicious.
The congee's texture was soft and glutinous, its flavor fresh and sweet, melting the instant it entered her mouth—nothing at all like the bland, flavorless invalid's meal that an ordinary person would make.
And Sakayanagi Arisu discovered that she no longer had the utter lack of appetite she'd had at the start; on the contrary, after drinking down Shikime Natsu's cooking, she felt her appetite had opened wide.
Wanting to eat a bit more of Shikime Natsu's food—this feeling was truly too wondrous.
Sakayanagi Arisu sighed inwardly, then swallowed the congee in her mouth and once again parted her lips slightly, those purple eyes staring straight at Shikime Natsu, waiting for the next spoonful.
Seeing Sakayanagi Arisu in this state, Shikime Natsu couldn't help but smile.
He scooped up another spoonful and brought it to Sakayanagi Arisu's lips.
Sakayanagi Arisu once again closed her lips around the spoon, once again savoring the deliciousness in her mouth.
And then a strange sense of satisfaction welled up in her heart once more. This satisfaction came not merely from the deliciousness of the food itself, but even more from the person feeding her.
It was that Shikime Natsu, the one who was always teasing her, always making her eat humble pie, always speaking to her in that wicked tone.
And now, that fellow was bending at the waist, carefully feeding her.
Those eyes that always carried mockery and amusement were, in this moment, focused intently on her, only scooping the next spoonful after confirming she had eaten.
That feeling of being cared for, that feeling of being paid attention to, that feeling of being treated specially by Shikime Natsu.
Sakayanagi Arisu savored this feeling in her heart, and the corner of her mouth couldn't help but curve up into a slight arc.
And then an utterly absurd thought suddenly popped up in her mind.
That 100,000 Private Points of hers... seemed to have been spent rather well.
The moment this thought surfaced, Sakayanagi Arisu startled even herself.
A hundred thousand Private Points, just for a single feeding service from Shikime Natsu—on any ordinary day she would absolutely have considered this a bloody rip-off.
A hundred thousand points—that was a hundred thousand points.
And now?
All it got her was a single bowl of congee and a few minutes of Shikime Natsu's feeding service.
How could this possibly be worth it?
Sakayanagi Arisu thought this in her heart, trying to suppress that "spent well" notion.
But when her gaze once again fell upon Shikime Natsu's face, so close at hand, when her gaze once again met those focused pale golden eyes... that "not worth it" notion began to waver somewhat.
Sakayanagi Arisu tugged back and forth within her heart.
On one side, reason told her: "A hundred thousand points for one feeding service—it's simply a bloody rip-off. This fellow Shikime Natsu really is pushing his luck."
On the other side, some emotion from deep within told her: "It's worth it, it really is worth it. Even if I spent another hundred thousand points, it would still be worth it."
These two voices kept interweaving and colliding within her mind, leaving Sakayanagi Arisu's whole self somewhat in disarray.
And it was right at this moment that Shikime Natsu scooped up another spoonful of congee and brought it to her lips.
Sakayanagi Arisu opened her mouth, closed her lips around the spoon, and swallowed the congee.
Sakayanagi Arisu silently calculated her remaining points in her heart, and the expression on that exquisite little face grew somewhat complicated.
There was the satisfaction of tasting delicious congee, the heartache of having spent a hundred thousand points, and that indescribable satisfaction of being fed by Shikime Natsu's own hand.
These utterly different emotions interweaving together made Sakayanagi Arisu's already-flushed little face grow even more vivid.
Watching the rich, ever-shifting expressions on Sakayanagi Arisu's face, the smile at the corner of Shikime Natsu's mouth couldn't help but deepen a little more.
Of course he could tell exactly what this fellow Sakayanagi Arisu was thinking right now.
But Sakayanagi Arisu wasn't looking to say much more; if she'd just obediently drink her congee like this, then that was a good thing for him too.
Sakayanagi Arisu's appetite was unexpectedly good—she actually ate that whole bowl of congee clean, and even finished off most of the little side dishes.
When the last spoonful of congee was taken into Sakayanagi Arisu's mouth and swallowed down—
Shikime Natsu placed the spoon back onto the tray, then straightened up, those pale golden eyes looking at Sakayanagi Arisu, the corner of his mouth curving into an ambiguous half-smile.
"There we go."
Shikime Natsu's voice carried a few traces of amusement as he spoke leisurely.
"Sakayanagi-san's hundred-thousand-point service... is now over."
Hearing this, Sakayanagi Arisu was slightly stunned.
Those purple eyes looked at the empty bowl, then looked again at Shikime Natsu's smiling face.
Over?
Just like that... over?
Sakayanagi Arisu thought to herself with a touch of reluctance, as if she hadn't had her fill.
It was over this quickly?
She had only just begun to enjoy it.
Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze lingered on Shikime Natsu's face for a moment, and the scenes from those past few minutes couldn't help but surface in her mind.
Shikime Natsu bending at the waist, carefully feeding her.
While Shikime Natsu had been feeding her, Sakayanagi Arisu had already cast herself in her imagination as a queen.
And Shikime Natsu?
Shikime Natsu was her servant.
The kind of servant who was utterly loyal, uncomplaining and hardworking, carefully waiting upon Her Majesty the Queen.
She had only to open her mouth, and the servant would bring the food to her lips.
She had only to give a nod, and the servant would continue with the next spoonful.
That sense of control, that feeling of being waited upon, that feeling of looking down loftily as Shikime Natsu served her.
It had to be said—it really was quite exhilarating.
Sakayanagi Arisu indulged fiercely in this bout of mental victory within her heart, and the smile on that little face went from the faint curve it had started as to becoming more and more obvious, more and more radiant.
She hadn't even realized that the smile on her face was already utterly impossible to hide.
Shikime Natsu stood off to the side, his pale golden eyes quietly watching Sakayanagi Arisu's little face as it smiled ever more radiantly.
It had to be said, a maiden's little thoughts were quite easy to read. That said, Shikime Natsu had no intention of exposing Sakayanagi Arisu's little scheme—after all, this was Sakayanagi Arisu's feeding service.
Of course, if there were to be a next time, the price would be going up.
Shikime Natsu turned and began clearing away the things on the table, then carried it all over to the sink and started washing up.
Sakayanagi Arisu lay on her bed, those purple eyes quietly watching Shikime Natsu's busy back.
Those broad shoulders, that tall and slender figure, those focused movements...
As Sakayanagi Arisu watched and watched, a rather strange feeling suddenly emerged in her heart.
That feeling was very strange—once Shikime Natsu finished cleaning up, he'd be leaving. For some reason she couldn't fathom, Sakayanagi Arisu felt as though there were a certain emptiness within her heart.
Sakayanagi Arisu felt as though something had yet to be filled, as though she wanted more.
Sakayanagi Arisu thought this in her heart, and a trace of bewilderment flashed through those purple eyes.
What... on earth was wrong with her?
Where on earth had the old Sakayanagi Arisu—the one who strategized with composure and never lost her cool—run off to?
How had she become this strange?
Sakayanagi Arisu gave a self-mocking little laugh in her heart, then shook her head, trying to fling off that strange feeling.
But that feeling was like a thin thread, coiled around her heart, impossible to shake off no matter how she tried.
Soon, Shikime Natsu had washed all the bowls and chopsticks clean and arranged them neatly.
He wiped his hands, then turned around, his pale golden eyes looking at Sakayanagi Arisu lying on the bed.
"Alright."
Shikime Natsu's voice rang out in the quiet room.
"I've cleaned everything up."
He paused, then continued.
"Then... I'll take my leave now. Sakayanagi-san, get some good rest."
With that, Shikime Natsu headed toward the doorway.
Sakayanagi Arisu lay on her bed, those purple eyes watching Shikime Natsu's back as he turned to leave.
Sakayanagi Arisu felt her heart clench sharply, and that empty feeling became incomparably intense in this moment.
If she didn't make Shikime Natsu stop now, if she didn't call out to him now, then she would once again sink into that empty feeling of missing something.
Sakayanagi Arisu gritted her teeth, a trace of impulse flashing through those purple eyes.
Then she softly opened her mouth.
"Shiki-san."
That voice was not loud—in the quiet room it even seemed somewhat faint.
But Shikime Natsu's footsteps came to a halt.
He tilted his head slightly, those pale golden eyes carrying a few traces of curiosity as he looked at Sakayanagi Arisu lying on the bed.
"What is it?"
"Is there something else Sakayanagi-san wants to ask?"
Sakayanagi Arisu was slightly taken aback.
What did she want to ask? She herself didn't know what she wanted to ask.
She had only instinctively called out to Shikime Natsu.
She simply didn't want him to leave just like that.
She simply... wanted to keep him here a while longer.
That was all.
Sakayanagi Arisu thought this in her heart, those purple eyes flickering with a touch of panic.
And then a thought—a thought that even she herself found unbelievable—suddenly popped up in her mind.
Sakayanagi Arisu didn't know what had suddenly come over her.
Perhaps the illness had made her reason grow feeble.
Perhaps that earlier bout of "queen fantasy" had left her a little giddy.
Perhaps she truly could no longer restrain that emotion that had been pent up within her for so long.
In any case, Sakayanagi Arisu's mouth moved a step faster than her mind.
"Shiki-san..."
"When we were on the Deserted Island... I heard..."
"I heard the sounds of you and Morishita-san and the others... doing that kind of thing."
The moment her words fell, Sakayanagi Arisu abruptly came back to her senses.
Those fair little hands instantly clapped over her own mouth.
Those purple eyes went wide, the pupils contracting slightly, and the expression on that exquisite little face became incomparably spectacular in this moment.
Sakayanagi Arisu wondered whether the fever had cooked her brain stupid, that she would actually say such a thing right in front of Shikime Natsu—especially about something so utterly private of his.
She'd even exposed her own identity as an eavesdropper, which one could say was quite dreadful. Sakayanagi Arisu was filled with intense regret within her heart.
Damn mouth!
Only, the words were already out and naturally couldn't be taken back, and Shikime Natsu had surely heard them too. Sakayanagi Arisu drew a deep breath, steadying herself, then forced out a smile, wanting to keep herself composed and calm.
"Ara~"
"Shiki-san, back then... could it be that you weren't the slightest bit worried about being discovered by me?"
Only, the panic beneath that smile, the flicker she couldn't conceal in those purple eyes, and that slightly trembling voice... all of it exposed Sakayanagi Arisu's true state at this moment.
Of course, even after saying such a thing, Sakayanagi Arisu still wanted to see some flustered expression on Shikime Natsu's face—after all, he'd been overheard doing that kind of thing.
Though this fellow Shikime Natsu had a very thick skin, at a time like this he ought to be at least somewhat moved, right?
Sakayanagi Arisu thought this in her heart, those purple eyes staring straight at Shikime Natsu's face, not letting a single tiny change in his expression escape her.
However, Shikime Natsu merely smiled, without the slightest sign of wavering on his face.
"As a couple, doing that kind of thing—isn't that a perfectly normal matter?"
As he spoke these words, those pale golden eyes looked straight at Sakayanagi Arisu, without the slightest evasion, without the slightest embarrassment.
"Shiki-san... could it be you weren't the slightest bit worried about being discovered by me?"
Shikime Natsu smiled again, then opened his mouth.
"Naturally I wasn't worried."
Not worried?
Hearing this answer, Sakayanagi Arisu couldn't help but freeze.
Those purple eyes instantly went wide, the pupils contracting slightly.
For Shikime Natsu to say such a thing...
Then, what was the subtext behind it?
Was it... that he wasn't worried about being discovered by her?
Was it because... from the very start, he hadn't treated her as an outsider?
Or was it that... that fellow had, from the very start, intended that...
if she discovered them, he would just go with the flow and have her join in?
Shameless!
At this thought, Sakayanagi Arisu's already-flushed little face turned, in this moment, red as though blood were about to drip from it.
That blush spread from her cheeks all the way to her small, delicate earlobes—even her fair neck was suffused with a layer of alluring pinkish luster.
Her heart was pounding so fast that even she found it a little embarrassing.
Just as Sakayanagi Arisu's heart was in complete disarray, Shikime Natsu spoke up again.
"By the way, Sakayanagi-san."
"I recall... on the last night on the Deserted Island, Sakayanagi-san seemed to..."
He deliberately drew out the last syllable.
"...have done something, hadn't she?"
Sakayanagi Arisu's expression instantly stiffened.
____
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