Translated by Jyzciel

I'm now on the 16th day of my rural life, and the weather had been nothing but pleasantly sunny. This was the perfect opportunity for me to tackle a big round of laundry!

After a bit of a struggle, I managed to grab the torn corner of Kinako's beloved blanket and successfully got it ready for a wash. Now, all that's left is to hang out the futon and towels. As for Kinako and Kuro-mame, they weren't too happy that their favorite blanket was being washed and decided to pout.

"Kuro-mame, Kinako, don't be so upset." I said to them, but they simply turned their heads away in a huff.

They're really sulking now, aren't they? I understand their feelings! They must dislike the idea of their scent disappearing. But, you see, I think we're nearing the limit.

It's a common scenario where there's a disconnect in understanding between a dog and its owner. It's a bit unfortunate, but I decided it was time to exercise my owner's privilege.

These things can be quite heavy, especially for me, as I'm relatively petite.

"All right, here we go! Heave-ho!" And with that, I began the rather laborious task.

It happened when I was trying to hang the futon on the clothesline, making uncharacteristic noises for a lady. Unfortunately, a strong gust of wind came out of nowhere.

Oh no... Why now of all times? This is bad; the futon is about to topple over.

I desperately resisted, trying to avoid that disaster, but the wind was stronger. Just when I thought it was hopeless, I felt someone embrace me tightly.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh?"

As I looked up, Chronos had, in one swift motion, caught both me and the futon from behind.

"Chronos-san, thank you..."

"Do you want to hang this here?" He said this and effortlessly hung the futon in place.

"Thank you..." Blushing, I expressed my gratitude.

Tall guys are so enviable... and his chest is incredibly strong... his arms are firm, as expected of a knight commander.

I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my heart at the sight of a man with a genuinely masculine physique, something I hadn't been around much before.

"Oh... uh-huh." Chronos, too, blushed, and his wolf-like ears flopped to the side.

"These need to be hung up as well. Let me help." Saying that, he proceeded to hang all the other futons and bedding.

"Hehe... thank you. I wonder if it's okay to have the Knight Commander do such things for me without getting scolded."

"What's wrong with that? If it's for your sake, Rinsakura-san, it's no trouble at all." Saying this, he scratched his cheek with a bashful expression.

Lunchtime had arrived, so we both dug in. Chronos continued to eat heartily, just as he always did.

"This is delicious... Rinsakura-san's cooking is the best..." He said as he devoured his meal.

I smiled, a bit surprised that I was enjoying this moment more than I had expected. No matter what, it's always nice to hear someone say it's delicious.

Today's menu featured chicken breast with marmalade sauce. Well, not just any chicken breast. It was the breast meat of a Big Sangria.

The side dishes included cheesy German style baked potatoes and a soup with seaweed and mushrooms.

"Hey, Chronos-san..."

"What is it?"

"Do you also draw magic from food?" My sudden question made Chronos pause in the act of eating.

"Where did you hear that...?"

Chronos had a moment of sternness, but then his gaze shifted to something on the low chest. There, the amethyst crystal earring, a gift from the Demon Lord, was placed.

"Sigh... honestly, it seems like big shots keep gathering around you one after another..." He sighed heavily and set down his chopsticks.

"I really don't need any more powerful rivals." Chronos muttered to himself, making sure I couldn't hear.

"Huh?"

"The owner of that earring, they must be a seriously formidable individual. Is that where you got the information from?"

"....." I continued to look at Chronos with my amber-colored eyes. He look like he wanted me to answer him seriously.

"You're going to tell me without hiding anything? Right?"

I hesitated for a moment, then replied, "It seems like they're an acquaintance of my grandfather's old friend."

"Oh, really?" His eyes urged me to continue.

"Um... It's... the Demon Lord."

".....??" My words left him in sheer surprise, and he abruptly stood up from his chair. His beastly ears and tail perked up.

"What did you just say... the Demon Lord?!!" I went on to explain the recent events involving the Demon Lord that I had witnessed.

"I see... so that's what happened. I've heard the current Demon Lord is quite moderate... to think there's such a backstory behind it." This was insider information that not even the beastfolk knew.

"But your grandpa is quite the big shot, isn't he?"

"Yeah, it seems that way... I'm afraid more things like this might come up."

I couldn't help but worry about the potential consequences of my family's connections, and Chronos seemed surprised by the revelation.

"This world is vast, you know... But no matter what comes, I'll protect you, Rinsakura-san" Chronos said, looking at me with a determined gaze.

Oh my... Chronos seems different today. He's more straightforward than usual.

I couldn't quite put my finger on whether this was about dinner or if he was trying to woo me, but something felt off.

"Chronos-san, is there something on your mind?" I asked.

"Huh?" He seemed flustered by my question and dropped a piece of his juicy chicken.

There was a pause before he replied, "It's just that....I had a dream... a dream where you disappeared from this world." He said with a teary-eyed expression, his animal ears drooping.

"Oh..." Indeed, it's a possibility... I'm not a resident of this world. Even at this very moment, I might return to my original world.

"Rinsakura, you won't suddenly disappear in front of me, will you?" Chronos asked, a question that caught me off guard.

I couldn't hide my uneasiness. "My dreams often come true... I've even saved the lives of my comrades because of them. But this time, I hope it doesn't come true."

"Oh..." Please don't look at me with those puppy-dog eyes... I can't make any promises.

I blatantly averted my gaze from Chronos. That day, the atmosphere grew awkward, and Chronos left in silence, not even taking the lunchbox he brought.

And, as it turned out, the premonition was eerily accurate... It happened in the dead of night. I felt a massive tremor, just like the one when I arrived here.

Oh, this might be it, or maybe not...

Wrapped snugly in the soft blanket that Chronos had dried for me, I gazed into the distance.

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