"Fresh rinfruit! Crisp, fragrant, sweet and juicy rinfruit! Hey, kid, want to buy a couple and try them?"
Back in the royal capital and walking through the busy market again, Hayashi Maki spotted that same overly-theatrical green-haired "apple" seller from before, who promptly called out to him.
"Sure, give me a few to try. I want to see if they're really that sweet and tasty."
This was the very same spot that had once been Natsuki Subaru's death-and-respawn loop point in the original story. Hayashi Maki found it amusing and copied the man's tone on purpose.
"No problem, I'll pick them out for you myself. Big, fresh, and crunchy—if they're not, you don't pay!"
Mouthing all the right lines, the vendor quickly picked out a bag of apples and carefully handed them over.
Hayashi Maki smiled, paid neatly with a silver coin, and the seller gave him a handful of coppers in change, saying, "Come again any time!"
Waving it off, Hayashi Maki pulled out one apple and handed it to Aqua, who was glancing around curiously.
Beside him, Beatrice immediately pouted, clearly jealous.
So he gives the first apple to Aqua and not Betty? Even if that blue-haired goddess is important, that's just rude—Betty is very upset!
Aqua took the apple and was about to bite into it when Hayashi Maki hurriedly stopped her.
"Aqua, what are you doing?"
"Eating an apple. They call them 'rinfruit' in this world, but it doesn't taste any different, does it?"
Hayashi Maki rolled his eyes. "Even in another world, you're still supposed to wash apples before you eat them. Go rinse them for me—and give the first one to Beatrice."
"Hah? You're making a goddess wash your fruit? Do you even understand what you're saying?"
Aqua glared at him, bristling. "Hayashi Maki, that's outrageous disrespect toward a goddess! Also, it's common sense that the best things go to the goddess first, you know!"
Hayashi Maki sighed and stroked Beatrice's hair, whose lips had just relaxed into a faint smile again.
"Goddess Aqua, only a beautiful and noble water goddess like you can conjure water so effortlessly, right? Look at my poor Beatrice—she's been cooped up alone in a library for so long, she's never even had a fresh apple outside. Shouldn't you look after her a little?"
Hearing that, Aqua instantly felt better.
She reached over to pet Beatrice's head and smiled. "Since you've put it that way, I'll forgive you this time."
She summoned water, washed all the apples, then handed the first one to Beatrice.
Of course, it wasn't like Beatrice never ate apples; in the mansion she could pretty much eat whatever she wanted. But since Hayashi Maki was using Aqua to fuss over her, she wasn't about to ruin the act.
Right now, Roswaal and Emilia had gone off with Ram and Rem to find accommodations. Hayashi Maki, meanwhile, was wandering the market with Beatrice and Aqua.
Mainly, he was keeping Beatrice company and taking her out for a stroll.
Being shut in for hundreds of years, she was naturally curious about the outside world.
They happily wandered the streets, buying things as they went, and soon Aqua's arms were full of snacks.
Hayashi Maki also swung by the Hoshin Company again to exchange another batch of jewelry for sacred gold coins. After all, he had two maids to support now; he needed to stay liquid.
"Hey, Hayashi Maki, something's going on over there at the alley entrance!" Aqua's ears perked up, and she pointed toward a dim side street.
"Oh? In that case, let's go take a look."
Hayashi Maki also saw what was happening. The flash of bright red caught his eye immediately.
If he was right, that had to be her.
The Bloodstained Bride, Priscilla Barielle.
Originally the crown princess of the Vollachian Empire, she faked her death, took another identity, and became Lugnica's fifth royal candidate. She later married Duke Barielle, and when he died she inherited the Barielle household.
At the moment, the woman in the alley with the fiery red dress trimmed with black lace, long blonde hair, and a crimson folding fan half-covering her lips, was watching a group of ragged thugs with amused disdain.
"Listen up, woman! Hand over anything valuable, and do it quick, or we'll sell you to the slavers!"
"Oh my," she murmured, voice dripping with amusement. "What pathetic ants. Have you come here especially to entertain me?"
Priscilla's shoulders shook with laughter, and the generous swell of her low-cut gown jiggled along with her chuckle.
"Oi! You sure you've got the situation straight, lady? There's five of us, you know!"
The thugs waved their knives, legs trembling, eyes twisted with forced ferocity as they tried to intimidate this apparently delicate noblewoman into handing over her valuables.
"The world moves according to my will," Priscilla replied lazily. "Whether there are five of you or five hundred, it makes no difference. In light of the amusement you've provided, I shall graciously forgive your offense. Kneel and thank me."
Tilting her pale chin, she regarded them like insects.
The five thugs exchanged looks, then nodded to each other.
"This woman's nuts. Get her, boys! Let's show her what's what!"
They were robbers, not her audience. They'd told her to hand over her money, yet she brushed them off, declared she'd pardoned them, and even wanted them to kowtow?
Let her come bow to them first.
Just as they lunged forward with their grimy hands reaching for her, Priscilla's eyes turned cold.
Being too beautiful was a sin in this world. There were always fools who thought a pretty woman was easy prey.
They had no idea they were signing their own death warrants.
She tightened her grip on her fan, crimson eyes narrowing with an icy smile.
The "Sun Sword" at her hip could be drawn at any moment—one swing, and these five would be nothing but cinders.
"Enough," a clear male voice cut in. "What exactly do you think you're doing to this beautiful lady?"
Hayashi Maki stepped into the alley with Beatrice and Aqua.
Everyone froze. Even Priscilla turned her gaze toward him.
When she saw Beatrice at his side, her eyes lit up even more.
A spirit.
And not just any spirit—an impossibly pure and adorable great spirit, too cute to be real!
The rarest treasure in the world.
It seems my fortune truly shines today, she thought.
Hayashi Maki stepped forward, caught Priscilla's hand, and gently pulled her behind him.
"You lot," he said flatly, "if you know what's good for you, leave. Right now. Otherwise, I won't be polite."
Priscilla frowned and glanced at their joined hands. "How impertinent. Who told you you could touch me?"
"Er, my lady, the situation's urgent," Hayashi Maki replied dryly. "Maybe overlook it this once?"
In truth, he was doing it on purpose. Her hand was very soft…
"Hmph. As compensation," Priscilla sniffed, "allow me to hold this beautiful spirit for a while."
She promptly scooped Beatrice into her arms, pressed the girl's cheek into her own soft, pale chest, and rubbed gently with an enraptured smile.
"Uuugh… you awful woman, don't just grab Betty like that!" Beatrice fumed, glaring at her. Inwardly, though, she burned with envy.
Why was this woman's chest so big and so white?
Almost as big as Mother's…
Hayashi Maki stared, full of envy, too.
He wanted a chest-pillow like that as well.
Still, the trash in the alley needed dealing with first.
Seeing that Hayashi Maki's companions were just a delicate blue-haired woman and a tiny loli, the five thugs grinned viciously.
A moment later, with a casual wave of Hayashi Maki's hand, they were taken care of—swatted like flies.