A little further back in time, when preparations for the ship party had just begun, I was in my room, making a guest list while talking to Alice.
[Kaito-san, Kaito-san.]
[Unn?]
[I was just thinking, I’m practically living here in Kaito-san’s house, aren’t I?]
[Well, if you put it that way, I think so.]Alice basically accompanies me as my guard around the clock, so it wouldn’t be wrong for one to say we practically live together.
Well, she tends to keep herself out of sight most of the time, apparently spending her nights relaxing on the roof, so it doesn’t really feel like we’re living together that much……
[I do have my own resting spot, like over here……]
[The heck are you doing, sliding down the wall of my room to reveal a mysterious hidden room as if it were a matter of course? Rather, I really want to ask in detail how many hidden features there are in this room that I don’t know about……]
[Ahaha, well, putting that aside……]
[……I don’t really wanna put that matter aside but…… so?]
I really want to thoroughly investigate the hidden features of my room, but I feel like she might just casually dodge the question, so for the time being, let’s focus on the main topic at hand.[Well, in other words, what I’m saying is I’m practically part of Kaito-san’s family too!]
[……You mean you’re going to help me with something? No, but you bringing that up at this timing should mean you’re not talking about the party itself, but something else, right?]
[Oh, as expected of Kaito-san, you understand well. Well, I don’t really mind helping out with the preparations, but that would kinda deviate from what Kaito-san and the others want to do.]
I also know quite well to a certain extent. If Alice intends to help with the party preparations, she would have mentioned it earlier…… back when we were still in the planning stage, so I could tell that if she’s mentioning it now, it must be something other than the party itself.
She’s considerate, so she probably doesn’t intend to rain on the parade while me, Anima and the others are working hard as hosts. In fact, if Alice were to actually participate, it would likely end up being a situation where we could just leave everything to Alice, and that would be a repeat of what happened at the housewarming party.
[No, what I was talking about was regarding things like party sideshows, and I was thinking you could leave that to me. Ahh, it’s not like I’ll be doing anything strange, okay? It’s more like performing music with instruments or showcasing some precious art pieces. I’ll make sure to tell you what I plan to do in advance.]
[……I see, we certainly didn’t have enough hands to prepare party sideshows and the like. It would indeed be better to have such things rather than just meals and conversations all the time…… Hmmm, then, can I leave that to you? Of course, you’ll have to consult with me and Anima about the content before making the final decision……]
[Alrighty. Well, leave it to me…… since we’re at it, I’ll put out some of Alice-chan’s treasured collections.]
[Are those proper ones?]
[Well, there’s nothing weird among them. Look, Kaito-san probably already knows this, but I’m involved in various activities under different names, you know? I do blacksmithing, I do music, and I also do art…… Well, the reasons vary, whether it’s for money or just to pass the time…… I’ve made quite a few things that I haven’t showcased yet, so wouldn’t it be interesting to unveil those as well?]
Ahh~~ In other words, she’s going to introduce them as the Phantasmal King’s treasured collection…… Most of the participants know that I’m close with Alice, or rather, that Alice is my lover, so such items being showcased here wouldn’t be strange……
[Is there a risk of those causing a commotion?]
[Hmmm. I have many famous creations in various fields, so people who know about them may be surprised, but I don’t think it will cause an excessive amount of ruckus. They would just be treated as items owned by me, the Phantasmal King, rather than being possessions of Kaito-san.]
[……I see, that would certainly be alright then.]
If they heard that those are my collection, it would cause a commotion again, but if it’s just showcasing Phantasmal King Alice’s collection as a sideshow, there shouldn’t be any problem.
In the first place, Alice is very clever and I don’t think she will cause a huge commotion. However, since she also enjoys surprising people, I think she would likely release items that would make people be amazed.
[I think the music could be in the form of playing in between, like we did for Kaito-san’s birthday~~]
[It certainly feels more glamorous when there’s music…… Unn. Then, since you’re offering, I’ll be counting on you. Ahh, but let me and Anima know in advance what you’re going to do.]
[Yes, you don’t have to worry about that.]
Just like that, I’ve decided to leave the party sideshows to Alice. I trust Alice, and I’m confident I can leave that to her……
[……That aside, why the sudden willingness to help out like that?]
[Well, there are all sorts of advanced and complicated reasons, but to put it simply…… I’m bored.]
[There’s not a shred of depth to it……]
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [Even though he used to be very wary of her pranks, since she had become his girlfriend, she’s often the one reining in the crazy people around him, so it seems like Kaito’s trust in her has really increased.]
Makina : [Alice is devoted and kind, isn’t she? But still, causing trouble not just for my child but also for Alice…… I suppose these crazy people need a talking-to from the Mother that I am.]
Serious-senpai : [No, you’re on the very top of the list of those crazy people though!?]
