女性の助けになるのが自分の美徳、彼女のために狐を探しに行く

I look at the clothes I'm wearing. Sure enough, I had a lot of foresight when I chose this set. Snowy Dumpling can't have gone that far away since it has such short arms and legs. Instead of sitting here and worrying, it would be better to go downstairs to help Kurone Toujou look for it.
[player]I'll go. It shouldn't have gotten that far away.
[Kurone Toujou]But... you're a guest I invited here. It would be too rude to make you help me with this. I'll ask staff members to search for it.
[player]It's alright. You can get staff members to help search for it together. I'll see if Snowy Dumpling is still nearby.
[Kurone Toujou]Well... I really am worried about it. In that case, I'll be brazen enough to ask you for help this time.
I encounter several staff members downstairs. Kurone Toujou must have called them here to help find the little fox together.
[Staff]You're not familiar with the terrain here, so you can help us search around here. Let us search the more distant places.
[player]Okay.
I walk around the small building into well-tended gardens with many berry trees. It is quite difficult to find a little fox in this environment as it will not be easy to spot if it hides among the flowers.
Luckily, the pastry it took before it left is quite crumbly, so I manage to follow an intermittent trail of crumbs all the way to a small clearing in the center of the garden.
After I approach it, I see that Snowy Dumpling really is here. Most of the pastry has been eaten, and there are crumbs all over the floor. Meanwhile, Snowy Dumpling is now playing by chasing its tail in the clearing.
It seems a little frightened when it sees me, but it doesn't hide from me. Instead, it looks at me cautiously like a child who has done something wrong.
I step over a bush in front of me and try to pick it up when I hear someone talking nearby as they pass by. It looks like a man and a woman, but I can't hear what they are saying because they are quite far away.
Just as I look up, the woman who I heard talking just happened to come to the corner and face my direction. This woman is Ciri, the reason why I came here.
The man next to her is wearing hats, masks, and sunglasses, which makes it impossible for me to see his face clearly. Judging from Ciri's expression, they are obviously arguing about something, and their conversation isn't going well.
Before long, Ciri leaves quickly first. After she leaves, the man glances in my direction and leaves after her.
I make a mental note of his clothing even though it has no recognizable features. With Snow Dumpling in my arms, I return to the third floor to where Kurone Toujou is.
Seeing us come up, Kurone Toujou thanks me politely, then she lowers her voice and tells Snowy Dumpling to get behind the screen. I start worrying about it because her tone is a little cold, so I focus on my ears and listen to their voices from over there.
To my surprise, instead of scolding Snowy Dumpling coldly like someone self-important, her voice is filled with warmth and concern and sounds quite gentle.
Seeing Kurone Toujou act so amiably and gently changes my initial impression of her.
My only regret is that the snacks and tea on my table have been replaced with something else. Although all the snacks served at Countless Springs are delicious, what you don't have always seems nicer. The new snacks don't look as delicious as the one that Snowy Dumpling took away. I only have myself to blame for being too slow.
Hesitate, and you'll lose. Hold yourself back, and you'll miss out on things.
During the remaining time, Kurone Toujou and I chat a lot about mahjong, and I learned a lot from her insights on mahjong.
The afternoon tea session ends soon. Before I leave, a staff member comes over and hands me an exquisite box of snacks.
[Kurone Toujou]Among the snacks we prepared for your afternoon tea is a pastry called "hundred flower crisp" which is extremely complicated to make. This pastry is a specialty of Countless Springs that is usually only prepared for esteemed guests.
[Kurone Toujou]I didn't expect this little baby to destroy it. There wasn't enough time to make another one, so we could only give you normal snacks to eat.
[player]Actually, those snacks were very delicious too. I like them.
[Kurone Toujou]Hehe, that's great to hear. But I still wanted you to have a taste of this famous pasty of Countless Springs, so I asked the kitchen to make you another batch while we were chatting. If you don't mind, you can take it home and taste it later.
[Kurone Toujou]I... wanted to give you some beautiful memories today, but my hospitality was terrible in the end.
[player]My memories of today are beautiful. Snow Dumpling is very cute, and I also got to see a different side of you that I had never imagined, Miss Toujou.
[Kurone Toujou]A different side of me, huh... Hehe, in that case, please play mahjong with me at the East Wind dojo when you get the chance. I'll also be happy for the opportunity to get closer to you.
[player]I'll definitely come if I get the chance.
When I leave Countless Springs, I see Noah already waiting for me at the entrance.
After I change out of the clothes at Chaque Jour, she bustles around me like a hardworking bee.
First she makes me sit on the sofa, then she puts a mobile phone stand on the table in front of me and arranges a mobile phone so that it faces me, and then she adjusts the angle again.
After everything is ready, she gives me a big thumbs up. Immediately, I see an arrogant face appear on the screen of the mobile phone.
[Kutsuji]According to the original plan, you would be able to go home already, but because you lost the spy camera that you were wearing, you'll have to tell me everything that happened today.
[player]When did you put a camera on me?
He glances at Noah beside me, after which, she pats my shoulder. Suddenly, I remember that she also patted me there before I went to meet Kurone Toujou. So that's when it happened.
I feel like saying something, but then I stop myself. After swallowing the things I want to say to her, I decide to give up. I should have already gotten used to the way Strix does things over these last few days anyway.
After sighing, I tell him everything that happened today after I separated from Noah, including the part about seeing Ciri in the garden.
Surprisingly, Kutsuji, who usually has a lot to say, actually listens carefully to me, frowning from time to time as if he is thinking about something. It takes me half an hour to finish the story, and I find myself feeling strange that he didn't interrupt me at all during this time.
Suddenly, I receive a text message from Kutsuji.
[Kutsuji](Text message) I'm very pleased with your performance today. I'll come and pick you up to complete the last part of the transaction in a few days.
To be honest, I actually don't know what useful information he got from this process. The closer I get to these legendary Four Greats, the more mysteries there seem to be. Moreover, these mysteries collide and merge with each other to create new mysteries.
Perhaps I'll find out the truth of all these things one day. I gradually fall asleep with this thought in mind.