Miss Yumemizuki Mizuki faced Mr. Cid's refusal with a touch of helplessness.
The Baku's nightmare-devouring service was clearly a good thing, so why did it have to be rejected by the two people she felt were most important to her?
Wait… two important people…
Today was clearly their first meeting, right?
"Mr. Cid, I suddenly feel like you're really good at talking to people."
The older gentleman gave a proud smile.
"Of course. To be honest with you, I really enjoy interacting with children. Sometimes kids get very sad,
and when I meet a child like that, I talk with them, try to understand what they've been through, and help them however I can."
Miss Yumemizuki realized something.
"So, Mr. Cid… you were treating me like a little kid just now, weren't you?"
The older gentleman noticed the faint dissatisfaction in Miss Yumemizuki's tone, but he still answered honestly.
"Uh… well, it really does feel that way. A little kid finds out their good friend isn't getting along with them anymore and feels really upset…"
Sigh… I'm clearly the one who's lived for five hundred years as a great youkai…
So why does being around Mr. Cid make me feel like I'm the one facing an elder from the past…
Yumemizuki Mizuki let out a silent wail in her heart.
But in reality, she didn't actually mind.
Yumemizuki Mizuki looked at Mr. Cid, who now seemed slightly nervous.
"It's fine, I don't mind… It's just that, Mr. Cid, what do you think I should do about my relationship with Lady Yae now?"
The older gentleman fell into thought.
What could be done?
"That depends on what you want to do. Are you planning to reconcile, or to cut ties completely, or just leave things as they are?"
Mizuki answered this question with some hesitation.
"I don't know… I just feel that Lady Yae and I used to have such a good relationship…"
In the end, Mizuki turned the question back on Mr. Cid.
"Mr. Cid, do you think it's embarrassing to take the initiative to salvage a relationship?"
Mr. Cid actually had some thoughts on this topic, but he still paused to think for a moment before giving his answer.
"It depends on you. It depends on whether you feel it's worth it. If you think it's worth it, then it's not embarrassing at all.
After all, in any relationship, someone has to be the sun that takes the initiative to melt the ice.
But there's another thing you need to understand: solid ice doesn't just wait passively to be melted.
It also holds the sun up so it doesn't fall. That kind of relationship is mutual.
And finally, one last piece of advice: when you make your choice, you must first prepare yourself for the worst possible outcome.
You have to have the resolve to face the worst result without regret—and you absolutely must not, at the very last moment, say that you regret it."
Yumemizuki Mizuki closed her eyes, as though consulting her own heart, and finally reached a conclusion.
"I want to reconcile with Lady Yae, and… I definitely want to do the very thing she doesn't want me to do…"
That would be quite difficult, since Lady Yae would almost certainly refuse…
But at that moment, Yumemizuki Mizuki stared straight at the older gentleman.
"Mr. Cid, do you have any way to help me?"
The older gentleman also looked somewhat helpless.
"How could an ordinary person like me possibly get involved in matters between great youkai…
But you could consider scouting out Lady Yae's situation first. See if there are any techniques over there that can ward off Baku.
If there aren't, then sneak in at night and devour her nightmares without her consent. Once it's done, the die is cast, the rice is cooked—
If Lady Yae blames you afterward, just don't hide the fact that you're suffering from indigestion and say:
'Lady Yae, even though I know you've been very cold toward me, I still couldn't just leave you alone…'"