"What do you want to eat?" Ryutaro asked.
Alice was startled by Ryutaro's sudden offer of food.
"Eh? No, it's fine. I only came here to ask for your help," Alice replied.
"It's alright. Besides, we don't know when they'll be back," Ryutaro said.
"In that case, I won't refuse," Alice said with a smile.
While waiting for the others to return, Ryutaro handed Alice a banana.
"Here, eat this," Ryutaro said, offering her the fruit.
Alice, who was sitting in the living room, looked at the banana in confusion. She had never seen such a fruit before.
"(Looking at the banana) What is this?" Alice asked.
"This is a banana, one of the fruits from my world," Ryutaro explained.
Hearing those words, Alice was shocked.
"Huh? From your world? Don't tell me... you're not from this world?" Alice exclaimed.
"Of course, I'm not from this world. But why don't you know that? Didn't Noir tell you?" Ryutaro asked.
"No, he only mentioned that someone was living in the forest," Alice replied.
"Oh, I see. Well, go ahead and eat it. I guarantee you'll like it," Ryutaro said.
Alice took the banana and took a bite.
"It's delicious! The texture is soft, and it tastes sweet," Alice said in delight.
"See? That's one of my favorite fruits," Ryutaro said proudly.
"Oh, I see. By the way, could you tell me what other fruits exist besides this one?" Alice asked curiously.
"Of course. I'll tell you next time," Ryutaro responded.
As Alice enjoyed the banana, Ryutaro suddenly asked a question that shifted the mood of the conversation.
"By the way, can I ask you something?" Ryutaro asked.
"What is it?" Alice responded.
"How did your father get poisoned? Isn't he the king? His food should always be well-guarded," Ryutaro questioned.
With a sad expression, Alice answered, "I don't know either. It happened during our usual dinner. The moment my father ate one of the dishes, he suddenly collapsed, and shortly after, he fell into a coma."
Ryutaro was shocked by her response.
"Did you check the royal chefs?" Ryutaro asked.
"Yes, but no one confessed," Alice said, shaking her head.
"I see," Ryutaro muttered.
Not long after their conversation, they heard a knock at the door.
Knock, knock
"Who is it?" Alice asked.
"Maybe it's them," Ryutaro said.
Ryutaro opened the door, and just as he suspected, the three of them had finally returned.
"Ahh, finally, we're back," Aurelia yawned.
"Yeah, that investigation was exhausting," Charlotte added.
Ryutaro, standing at the door, greeted them.
"Welcome back! How was your trip?" Ryutaro asked.
"It was great! Right, you two?" Grace replied cheerfully.
"Yeah, it was fun, though we were also investigating someone," Aurelia said.
"Oh, so that's why you took so long," Ryutaro commented.
Alice stood at the door, and when the two girls saw her, they were stunned, while Grace remained calm.
"Huh? Why is there another girl here?" Aurelia asked.
"Yeah, why is there another girl?" Charlotte added.
"I know what you're thinking, but it's not like that. She's here to ask for my help," Ryutaro explained.
"Relax, you two. Ryutaro isn't the type to take people in just like that. By the way, aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Grace asked Alice.
Alice quickly composed herself and introduced herself with a polite bow, lifting the edges of her dress slightly.
"Forgive my rudeness. My name is Alice de Rossette," she said.
As soon as Charlotte heard that name, she froze. As a former member of the church's forces, she was well aware of that name.
"Alice de Rossette? Isn't she the only princess of the Rossette Kingdom and the strongest candidate for the next queen?" Charlotte exclaimed.
Ryutaro and Aurelia were equally shocked.
"Huh? Future queen? Did I hear that right?" Aurelia asked.
"Why are you so surprised? You're a queen too. I should be the one shocked," Ryutaro teased.
"Ehehe, just a reflex," Aurelia giggled.
"You... (turning to Alice) why didn't you tell me you were a queen candidate? You only said you were a princess," Ryutaro asked.
Alice lowered her head apologetically.
"I'm truly sorry. I initially wanted to hide my identity, but I didn't expect someone to recognize me," Alice admitted.
Ryutaro sighed and smiled. Before the conversation could continue, Grace spoke up.
"By the way, you mentioned needing Ryutaro's help. What exactly do you need?" Grace asked.
"It's hard to talk about it here. It's better if we go inside first," Alice suggested.
Once inside, Alice explained her request to Ryutaro.
"Alright, we're inside. Now explain," Grace said.
"I came to ask for Ryutaro's healing abilities to cure my father, who was poisoned," Alice revealed.
"Oh, I see. But who told you about that?" Grace asked.
"Yeah, no one should know about Ryutaro's abilities since he rarely leaves the house," Aurelia added.
Alice answered, and Grace's expression changed upon hearing the name.
"It was Noir," Alice said.
"Noir? Who's that?" Aurelia asked.
"Hmm... I've never heard that name in the church. Do you know anything, Grace?" Charlotte asked.
"Noir? Are you sure that's the name?" Grace asked.
"Yes, he mentioned that name and said someone here would recognize his identity," Alice explained.
Hearing that, Ryutaro turned to Grace.
"Do you know him, Grace?" Ryutaro asked.
"Of course, I know that name. It was the nickname I gave to my childhood friend," Grace revealed.
"You mean the childhood friend who was killed by your parents because they disapproved of you playing with commoners?" Ryutaro asked.
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. But why is he still around? Wasn't he supposed to be dead?" Grace questioned.
"Hmm, maybe we'll find the answer later. So, what do you all think? Should we go and heal the king?" Ryutaro asked.
The others quickly shared their opinions.
"I'm fine with it," Aurelia said.
"Yeah, I agree. I also want to know who dared to poison the king," Charlotte added.
"Looks like everyone agrees. Now it's your turn, Ryutaro," Grace said.
"Alright. Since you're all on board, we'll depart for the Rossette Kingdom tomorrow," Ryutaro declared.
Alice, overwhelmed with emotion, teared up.
"Thank you, all of you," Alice said sincerely.
"Don't worry. Ryutaro always helps people—unless they cause trouble for him first," Grace joked.
They all laughed, and soon it was time for Aurelia and Charlotte to give their surprise gifts to Ryutaro.
"Now that that's settled, it's time for Ryutaro's surprise," Grace announced.
Aurelia and Charlotte handed him a wrapped gift.
"Here, this is from me and Aurelia," Charlotte said.
Ryutaro opened it and was surprised to see a pendant inside.
"You bought this for me? But why?" Ryutaro asked.
The two girls hesitated before speaking.
"Because we... we... we..." Charlotte stammered.
"Ugh, you're too slow! It's because we like you! Please accept us too!" Aurelia blurted out.
Ryutaro, already aware of their feelings, pretended to be shocked.
"You two as well?" he asked.
"Yes! From the moment we met, we knew you were a good person," Aurelia confessed.
"That's right. Even after I fought you, you still accepted me," Charlotte added.
Grace then stepped forward and handed Ryutaro a black ring with white gold and blue sapphire accents.
"This is for me?" Ryutaro asked.
"Yes, consider it a gift for accepting me," Grace smiled.
As Ryutaro accepted all the gifts, Alice watched from the side, smiling.
"You all truly are a unique couple," Alice said.
What will happen next as they head to the Rossette Kingdom? Who poisoned the king? And what will Lilith do when she arrives at Ryutaro's house, only to find it empty? Stay tuned for Chapter 20!
*If I made any minor mistakes that might be distracting, I sincerely apologize. I have done my best for this novel, and if you enjoy it, please consider giving it a like and sharing your feedback, suggestions, or criticism so I can learn and improve. Thank you for reading, and see you in the next chapter!*