We were all gathered at the dining table, enjoying a cup of tea, while Carl and Noam savored the 'Plum Liqueur Butter Cake' I had prepared.

In the adjacent tatami room, Chronos lay, resting.

Chronos had successfully reverted from his beastly form to his more human-like beast-man form. But the process had clearly taken a toll on him, both physically and mentally.

He lay on the tatami, sleeping soundly. His appearance was disheveled, his fur unkempt, his cheeks sunken. I initially tried to put him on a futon, but Carl insisted he stay on the mat due to his untidy condition. His fur was matted, his body bore scars, and there was an unpleasant odor. To make him more comfortable, we had at least placed a blanket over him.

Sometimes, we could hear a gentle, content purring, as if he was resting peacefully.

According to Carl and Noam over a month had passed in this world, it seemed to be some time discrepancies.

From the day I vanished along with our home, Chronos had been tirelessly searching for me. Initially, he suspected that some form of magic was keeping him from entering our home. He even forcefully brought elite members of the country's magical forces into the forest to investigate, but they found no suspicious signs.

Then, he considered the possibility that I had been abducted by neighboring countries or captured by malicious magical creatures, so he conducted covert operations to search for me. Unfortunately, these efforts also yielded no results.

He even contemplated storming the Demon Lord's castle, but Carl and the entire First Unit had to intervene forcefully to prevent it.

You've done the right thing! After all, the Demon Lord had nothing to do with this.

At that point, he must have realized that he could no longer sense any presence of me. Nevertheless, he was determined to find a lead.

He wandered through the forest after work and spent his days off as a beast, tirelessly exploring every nook and cranny of the woods. He even sought help from the King and was granted access to the Royal Library, where he delved into every book available, hoping to find a clue.

As if there was a glimmer of hope that something might hint from all that reading.

Carl and the First Order offered their assistance in the search, but he insisted that he would be the one to find me first. However, maintaining such a lifestyle eventually took a toll on him. He was on the brink of losing control and becoming a dangerous magical beast.

While transforming into his beastly form granted him significant power, sustaining that form for an extended period inflicted an immense physical and mental burden.

Even someone as strong as Chronos couldn't stay in that form all day, as it posed serious risks. Yet, he persisted for many days. Gradually, it became evident to everyone that Chronos was deteriorating, both physically and mentally.

"We were in a situation where we didn't know what to do." Carl explained, his voice filled with the agony of that time.

"I'm sorry. It was a sudden for me too." I admitted, finding it difficult to explain my side of the story.

"Chronos. " He occasionally muttered my name as if it were a mantra.

Seeing Chronos in such a pitiable state weighed heavily on their hearts. I and the others watched his pitiful state in silence.

"Rinsakura-san is back safely now. That's what matters most." Carl sighed with relief.

But then, Carl surprised me by saying, "Please, you should at least tell the Captain the truth."

His request caught me off guard, and I found it hard to catch my breath for a moment. "I... I guess you're right." I replied, hesitating. The best I could do was offer a faint, awkward smile.

Noam chimed in, "The Captain was genuinely worried about you, Rinsakura. Please understand that."

After that, Carl and Noam decided to take Chronos back home, planning to give him two or three days of rest.

I prepared a bento box for Chronos, hoping that when he woke up, he'd have the appetite to eat. I put all my effort into it, infusing it with energy to lift his spirits.

I wasn't sure if my cooking had that kind of power, as everyone claimed, but if it did, I wished it would work for Chronos too.

The bento contained nikumaki onigiri, potato salad, seasoned eggs, and simmered in salt pumpkin. For dessert, there was orange juice gelatin and a milk gelatin with plenty of fruit.

All the fruits I used were freshly picked from our orchard. As an extra treat, I handed them three large bottles of plum liqueur that I had made last year, to be shared among the members of the First Knight Order.

Of course, I gave Carl and Noam the same bento boxes.

"We'll make sure the Captain eats this." They assured me repeatedly as they disappeared into the depths of the garden, expressing their gratitude.

"I hope Chronos gets well soon." I said, and the Kuro-mame chimed in with worried-sounding chirps.

If you like my translations, please support me on ko-fi!