In the afternoon of my 28th day in rural life, Chronos was savoring dried persimmons, his expression filled with delight.

"These are delicious... I never knew persimmons could become so sweet and moist." he remarked while reaching for his fifth piece.

"Hehe... I'm so glad they turned out so delicious. I wanted to share them with you, Chronos-san." I said, nibbling on dried persimmons beside him.

Clearly pleased by her words, Chronos gazed at me with a melting look in his eyes. "I wanted to share them with you too, Rinsakura-san." We both smiled and laughed together.

"These could be great for our training exercises." Carl commented while carefully examining the dried persimmons.

"Mmm...!" Noam, who was quietly eating them next to Carl, added.

The two of them had arrived a bit later, seemingly after finishing some task. Since I intended to tell them the truth, I had Chronos relay the message and invited both of them to join us.

"Where should I start...?" I nervously squeezed her sweaty palms.

"You can tell us as much as you're comfortable with." Chronos reassured her, gently holding my hand.

"Thanks."

The other two, although a bit unsure where to look amidst this sweet exchange, eagerly awaited her next words. I took a deep breath to compose herself and then began her story.

"Please, don't be shocked when you hear this. The truth is... I am not from this world."

I then proceeded to explain my situation as concise as possible. I mentioned how my family, for generations, had been transported from another world to this one. The phenomenon happened unpredictably, with no set schedule. I also revealed the slight differences in the passage of time in my world.

I clarified that my world had no magic, no magical beasts, let alone beastmen or demons. This was why, without any warning, I had been abruptly sent back to my original world.

The three of them were left flabbergasted. Well, that's understandable... I'd feel the same if the roles were reversed.

Carl and Noam, in particular, seemed stunned throughout the conversation, as if the information exceeded the bounds of their capacity for surprise.

Meanwhile, Chronos, with a thoughtful expression, remained silent for a while.

"Do you believe me?"

"Well, I haven't completely processed it yet, but I do know that Rinsakura-san you're not the type to make up such unbelievable stories." Chronos's eyes, saying it's alright and that he believed me, reassured me.

"So, you have a story straight out of a fairy tale, huh?"

"Rinsakura-san is from another world, huh?" Carl and Noam chimed in in agreement.

"In that case, it means that, at any moment... Rinsakura-san might suddenly disappear again?" Chronos tried to regain his composure.

"Yes, that's right... I might return right away, or it could be five years from now. I just don't know." I smiled somewhat awkwardly.

"So even if this house and I disappear, please don't worry-"

"I can't do that! A world without Rinsakura-san..." Chronos, on the verge of tears, cut me off.

"Chronos-san..."

"Rinsakura-san..." I found myself deeply moved by the amber eyes filled with fervent yearning, and I couldn't help but blush.

"Captain..."

Carl and Noam watched Chronos and me with pained expressions. To think they had searched for me so diligently and were now expressing their emotions so passionately...

Could it be that Chronos...? I was on the verge of admitting my feelings, but then, in the next moment...

"I... I... I really love the food that Rinsakura-san cooks... So... I'd be in trouble if this place disappeared."

"Huh? What? Food..." I was dumbfounded by those words.

"Huh?" Carl had eyes wide with disbelief.

"Are you serious?"

Noam, on the other hand, looked like he was done with this guy, with an appalled expression, and a hint of a 'What is this guy talking about?'

Noam: That' isn't right! This isn't the right way for this to go... Look! Rinsakura-san has a really annoyed expression, why is this guy terrible when it comes to romance.

The subordinates were inwardly facepalming. If he weren't their superior officer, they might have slapped the Captain face in disbelief.

"What's wrong?" Chronos, utterly clueless, tilted his head.

I could feel my anger bubbling up from deep within me. I must have been an utter fool for letting my heart flutter even for a moment. Was his true aim just for the food? I gave Chronos a icy glare.

"Didn't I say we're not a diner!!"

My affection bar for Chronos instantly plummeted. No, it didn't just plummet—it went into negative territory.

"Huh? Why are you so mad?" Chronos was wide-eyed in astonishment.

My reaction seemed to be beyond his comprehension.

"I'm really sorry... it seems the captain is a bit lacking in words." Carl said, apologizing genuinely, with inexplicable cold sweat.

"Captain. That's just not right. Even I can't handle this one." Noam added, raising an eyebrow and shrugging.

"What on earth is going on? Chronos had a distinctly confused look on his face.

"Please don't make the situation worse. We're taking our leave for today!"

With that, Carl grabbed Chronos' arm, forcing him to his feet, and they headed towards the front door.

"We now understand your situation, Rinsakura-san. Thank you for discussing this difficult matter." Carl said as he lowered his head again.

"Rinsakura-san, if you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to tell us!" Noam added, smiling mischievously and wagging his tail.

"Thank you."

"Why are you guys saying this without considering me?" Chronos protested with a pout.

"Enough, we're leaving!" Carl said, pushing him out of the entrance without waiting for any response.

"I'll be back." Chronos managed to shout as he looked back.

"....." I just watch them went away with icy stares.

***

On their way back...

"Captain, why did you say that to her!?"

"Say what?"

"It sounded like you were only interested in Rinsakura-san's cooking. Your words were too vague!" Carl retorted, his expression suggesting that he was so bewildered he couldn't say anything else.

"Or is it that you're really only interested in the food? In that case, can I make a move on Rinsakura-san too? She's beautiful and a great cook. She has a lot of fans among our other comrades." Noam said jokingly.

"Hoh?" Chronos was there, his body emanating an intimidating magical energy, baring his fangs.

Both of them involuntarily held their breath in response to the pressure. If he's so protective that he gets this angry, why can't he put it into words and tell anyone?

"There's no way I'm only after the food! Rin Sakura is my..." Chronos began to say, but then he suddenly turned bright red and stumbled.

"......"

Seeing the cold expressions on the faces of his subordinates, he finally realized the situation he had gotten himself into.

"I... messed up, didn't I?" Chronos buried his head in his hands and let out a dejected sigh.

"You messed up big time!" Carl responded with an awkward expression.

And so, for the next few days... It seemed there was a different kind of exhaustion affecting the Captain.

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