Colette is the World Tree’s Shrine Maiden.
As the World Tree’s Shrine Maiden, she is supposed to offer prayers and take care of the World Tree.
Normally, she wouldn’t have time to dote on children all day due to her duties, but Colette’s situation was a little different.
This was, of course, due to Kousuke’s presence.
Usually, the World Tree and Shrine Maiden have a one-on-one relationship, but in Colette’s case, Kousuke exists in between.
In the first place, World Tree’s fairies do not appear before the Shrine Maiden except in extraordinary circumstances, but Esena is an exception to this.
Because of Kousuke’s presence, Esena appears with an impossible frequency for a World Tree’s fairy.
However, this was, naturally, only when Kousuke was by her side.
Colette thought that Esena had some condition, though she hadn’t put it into words, that made this happen.
When it was just Colette, Esena would appear when she was close to the World Tree and there was no one else around.
Colette didn’t know what the criteria were, but even so, Esena’s appearance rate was higher than other World Trees.
In other words, what I want to say is that Esena, the World Tree’s fairy, would not normally appear in front of people so frequently.
“…Well, that’s how it should be…”
Colette gave a vague smile as she met the bewildered gaze of the wet nurse who was taking care of the twins.
In front of them, Esena and two foxes were playing with the twin children.
Esena was in the form of a child.
Colette didn’t know if it was to match Seiya and Shia, or to hide her true form from the wet nurse.
Considering that she appeared in her normal adult form in front of Sheryl, it might be more natural to assume she was simply matching the children’s age.
Colette didn’t feel the need to ask about that, so she deliberately didn’t ask.
This wasn’t the first time Esena had appeared before the children like this.
Each time, Colette received the same kind of gaze from the wet nurse.
To the wet nurse, Colette sighed as if she had given up and said, “Yeah. There’s no helping it now. You’ll just have to accept it and get used to it.”
“N-No way…”
At Colette’s words, the wet nurse’s expression became one of despair.
For elves, the World Tree is an existence equal to a god, and its fairies are divine messengers themselves.
There are few elves who can remain calm when faced with such beings.
By the way, Kousuke is an avatar and a god himself, but this wet nurse treats him quite casually.
This difference stems from the experience and knowledge instilled in her by her parents since childhood.
Seeing the wet nurse like that, Colette shook her head with a pitying expression.
“I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do about this.”
Even as the World Tree’s Shrine Maiden, Colette couldn’t stop Esena’s actions.
The only one who could stop her would be Kousuke, but this time, since it was out of affection for the children, Kousuke probably couldn’t stop her either.
Sensing this, the wet nurse lowered her head as if dejected and replied softly, “…Yes.”
It’s not that the wet nurse dislikes working beside Esena.
In fact, she feels honored.
However, she feels too honored and somewhat hesitant.
Considering the wet nurse’s personality, Colette casually thought that time would resolve the issue.
♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦♢♦
“…Well, that prediction turned out to be correct.”
Colette said, looking at the scene before her with a hint of exasperation.
There, sleeping because they were tired from playing, were the children, Esena, the foxes, and the wet nurse, Adele, all sleeping together.
Months had passed since she had turned pale at the sight of Esena playing with the children, and now she seemed to have grown accustomed to it.
“…Though I do feel like she’s gotten a *little* too accustomed to it.”
“Hm?”
Kousuke, who had overheard Colette’s muttering, tilted his head.
“No. It’s nothing.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Let’s move before we wake them up.”
“You’re right.”
Kousuke had no intention of waking them, as they were sleeping peacefully.
Kousuke agreed with Colette’s words and moved to another room with Colette, who had taken his arm.
Once they had moved to another room, Colette shifted her gaze to Kohi’s arms.
“So, the reason you came here this time is to let them interact with Kuro?”
Kousuke had been brought to the children’s room immediately upon arriving at the mansion, so he hadn’t yet told Colette the reason for his visit.
However, Colette seemed to have guessed the reason from the fact that Kuro was in Kohi’s arms.
By the way, Colette had already met Kuro in the management layer.
“Yeah. I thought I’d let them interact before they start coming to the management layer.”
Young children don’t know how to control their strength, so there’s a dangerous aspect to letting them interact with animals.
However, Kuro should have been aware of this, so the plan was to let them interact while observing the situation.
Since the interaction (?) with Miku, Peach’s child, had already ended without any issues, Kousuke expected the interaction with the twins to end without any particular problems.
“Still…”
Colette turned her gaze from Kuro to Kousuke and smiled.
“She’s really taken a liking to Kohi, hasn’t she.”
Since Kuro arrived, the members who entered and exited the management layer had been competing to see who could get Kuro to take a liking to them first (excluding Kousuke).
Each of them had shown themselves before Kuro during their busy schedules, but as expected, it was Kohi whom Kuro took a liking to.
Additionally, Kuro has also taken a liking to Mitsuki, who isn’t here at the moment.
“Well, after all, she’s been with us the longest.”
Kouhi or Mitsuki always accompanies Kousuke.
From Kuro’s perspective, it was natural to judge that the two of them were closer to Kousuke than the others who came and went.
Colette nodded at the understandable reason, but then smiled as if she had just had an idea.
“That means, they just need to interact with Kousuke together.”
“Eh!? Uh, well, is that so?”
Colette smiled even more deeply at Kousuke, who tilted his head, not understanding why she thought that.
“That’s right. Well then, let’s have some alone time after a long time!”
“Whaaat!?”
To Kousuke, who was surprised by the sudden declaration, Colette showed a dissatisfied expression.
“What is it? Are you dissatisfied?”
“No. Not at all.”
To Colette, who deliberately pouted, Kousuke responded with equally deliberate politeness.
It is unknown whether the “alone time” at this moment proved effective, but Kuro ended up taking a liking to Colette first.
Needless to say, when Colette said, “As expected, it worked!”, the other members looked at her with suspicious eyes.
I intended to write about Adele, but somehow Kuro ended up being the focus.
Why do you think that is?
