Upon returning home, I collapsed onto my fluffy bed, stretching out.

What was swirling around in my head was... the words Nanako-chan had said as I was leaving.

"I, I want to become friends with Reito-sama too..."

She wants to become friends with me.

In other words, it's like the heroine wanting to be friends with the villain...

"Why?"

I pondered, racking my brain. This was the same cycle I'd been stuck in.

Well, it's wonderful that she wants to be friends with me.

Even as the villain, I want to build a good relationship with the heroine.

That's because it leads to avoiding the path to ruin.

I also want to become friends with Nanako-chan.

I want us to be friends who enjoy spending time together.

However, the fact that Nanako-chan uttered the words, "I want to become friends with you," means... my favorability towards her has increased.

But I don't understand why.

I don't think I've done anything that would easily raise Nanako-chan's favorability.

In Kyoko-san's case, I've been doing things like wiping the floor and exercising in the training room.

I'm behaving normally by not being cold or saying harsh words.

Those actions seemed to create quite a difference from the original Reito... and I was constantly worried about being suspected.

But recently, our conversations have continued when she speaks to me, and I think Kyoko-san's favorability has increased a little.

On the other hand, I haven't done anything particularly different in front of Nanako-chan.

After all, it's only been two days since I started spending time with Nanako-chan.

Including the first day we met, it's a total of three days.

It should be difficult to raise her favorability in such a short period.

That's precisely why I have no idea how I managed to raise Nanako-chan's favorability.

"Hmm, but maybe thinking too much isn't good."

I quickly sat up from my lying position.

Looking back is important, but overthinking can lead to negative thoughts.

This villain reincarnation is already full of things I don't understand.

Let's try to be as positive as possible!

So, if I'm to think positively... I will become friends with Nanako-chan from now on.

To do that, how should I approach Nanako-chan to close the distance...

...This is also difficult.

In the first place, I haven't really done anything to become friends with girls in my previous world.

Hmm, as I was pondering, there was a knock on my room door.

"Excuse me, Reito-sama. Dinner is ready, so I've brought it. May I come in?"

It was Nanako-chan who appeared.

She's been doing her job as a personal maid today as well.

She's wearing a black and white maid outfit, and white knee-high socks underneath.

Truly... a feast for the eyes.

It's nice.

Nanako-chan's school uniform was also cute and suited her... but the fact that a classmate is secretly wearing a maid outfit and serving me, this sense of forbidden pleasure... as a man, it really gets to me.

What? You're asking if Kyoko-san is different?

Kyoko-san in a maid outfit is also, of course, magnificent.

If a beautiful woman wears a maid outfit, she's invincible.

However, Kyoko-san is more... the way she calls me "Young Master" is what really gets to me as a man.

After all, a beautiful older woman calling me "Young Master," as if treating me like a child? That's the best.

Even now that I'm in high school, I want her to keep calling me that.

While I was thinking about such things... Nanako-chan had finished arranging the dishes on the table.

I sat down in front of the table.

Tonight's dinner menu.

The main dish is meat, served with salad and soup, and rice.

As always, it's nutritionally balanced and looks incredibly delicious.

My stomach started to rumble.

Moreover, if I ask, I can get seconds.

Even before eating, I was already planning on getting seconds.

Even though such delicious food was served every day... the original Reito apparently tended to leave his meals.

And that was because he'd eaten so many snacks before dinner that he couldn't eat any more.

I don't think that's good, Reito-kun.

Above all, I think it's the most disrespectful thing to the person who cooked the meal.

That's why, the first time I asked for seconds... it seemed to become a small topic of conversation not just among Kyoko-san, but among all the maids.

It's only natural to eat without leaving food for the person who made it, and if it's delicious, of course, I'll ask for seconds.

While reflecting on such things, I was gazing at the food... and my gaze stopped.

"This is... a shortcake."

The dessert served on the plate was a shortcake.

It's probably not just a coincidence.

When I pointed to the shortcake, Nanako-chan replied, looking a little embarrassed.

"Y-yes. Well... you said you would eat it, Reito-sama... so I made it."

What, a homemade shortcake by Nanako-chan!

"Reito-sama, do you like sweets too?"

"Ah. I like sweets, and basically, I eat anything without being picky."

"I-is that so? If, if you don't mind... will you eat it if I make a cake?"

"Ah, yes. I will eat it."

"!! Really?"

When Nanako-chan said that, I instantly recalled our conversation at the school cafeteria.

Indeed, I had said that, and it was nice that it was served as dessert for dinner, but I was happy.

But I never expected her to put it into practice the same day...

"Reito-sama? Was it... a bother...?"

Nanako-chan misunderstood because I had a serious expression while lost in thought.

My bad! At times like this, I should have just said I was happy.

"No, it's not a bother. Rather, I was just thinking I had made a selfish request to Nanako. Of course, I'm happy."

"N-no! This is something I did on my own accord...!"

This is bad, this is bad.

I'm making Nanako-chan worry unnecessarily.

"I will eat this shortcake slowly at the end. Thank you for making it, Nanako."

"Y-yes!"

When I said that, Nanako-chan's expression brightened.

Now, according to the usual routine, Nanako-chan would deliver the meal and then leave.

Yes, I always ate alone in my room.

At first, I thought it was good to have time alone to organize various information.

Now that I'm getting used to this life... I feel a sense of loneliness eating alone in this large room.

Even though the original Reito wanted to eat alone and rarely let anyone into his room... for me, it was not normal, so it felt even more so.

In my previous life, no matter how late my father and mother were with work, we always ate meals together as a family of three.

We would talk about our day and eat warm meals... I thought that was normal.

But coming to this world, even though it's the same modern era, it's different.

Here, my mother works hard for me.

Because of that, she's often not home, and of course, we can't eat meals together.

That's why eating with Minato-kun, Shizune-chan, and Nanako-chan in the dining hall at noon felt like a long time ago... even though we weren't doing anything special, it was fun.

Perhaps because I was reminiscing about that...

"Hey, Nanako."

"Yes? Did you need something else, Reito-sama?"

Looking at Nanako-chan... I opened my mouth before I realized it.

"Won't you eat with me?"

"...Eh?"

In the next moment, Nanako-chan's widened eyes entered my vision...

I suddenly realized.

Ah... did I mess up?

Even if Nanako-chan said she wanted to be friends, this is too much.

Eating alone in the room of a man she's still not comfortable with... it's probably too high a hurdle for Nanako-chan.

Perhaps my favorability has dropped because of that just now...

"I-I'm sorry! Please forget what I just said. Um, I just said it because we ate together in the dining hall."

I hastily tried to smooth things over... no, I should probably bow my head too...

"...It's fine."

"Eh?"

Nanako-chan's voice reached my ears, but I couldn't quite make it out.

What did Nanako-chan just say...?

"I will eat with you, Reito-sama."

Nanako-chan said it in a clear tone, looking directly at me.

"R-really! But Nanako, are you not forcing yourself...?"

Even though I was the one who said it, I became worried.

"Yes. I'm not forcing myself. I also had fun at the dining hall during lunch."

Nanako-chan smiled softly and nodded her head.

As expected, Nanako-chan is... kind.

After that, Nanako-chan left the room once and then re-entered with her own dinner.

Does this mean Kyoko-san also gave permission for me to return to this room...?

But I feel like Kyoko-san will ask me something about it later.

I should definitely not do anything strange. If I were to sexually harass Nanako-chan, I'd probably be beaten up by Kyoko-san.

Well, I don't intend to sexually harass her!

"Well then, shall we eat?"

"Yes. Let's eat."

Nanako-chan and I sat facing each other, put our hands together, and began to eat.

After all, the main focus is eating the food.

So, while we didn't have much conversation... having Nanako-chan eat with me made the usual dinner time warmer and somehow more comforting.

"I thought this during lunch too, Reito-sama, but you eat a lot."

"Ah, the food is delicious. And I'm still growing."

Due to exercising, my appetite has been increasing even more lately.

I hope my height grows too.

"Is that so? That's unusual."

"? Is it?"

"Yes. Then I'll eat a lot too."

"That's a good thing."

While exchanging such casual conversations, the meal today was also delicious, and I cleanly finished my second helping.

However, the meal is not over yet.

There's still dessert.

It's the shortcake Nanako-chan made.

I picked up my fork and poked the shortcake.

It's soft. That's good.

"..."

I felt a gaze from the front and glanced over... Nanako-chan was staring at me with a fixed gaze.

It seems she's curious about me eating the shortcake.

Well, it's natural to be curious about someone's reaction to something you made.

It looks delicious from the appearance, so I'm sure the taste is also delicious, and I have no worries about it.

I cut it into bite-sized pieces and took a bite...

"...Delicious."

Almost at the same time as it entered my mouth, words escaped my lips.

The sweetness that spread in my mouth.

It's not overly sweet, but a moderate sweetness.

The strawberries between the sponge and the whipped cream are also sweet and delicious.

They are cut small, so they harmonize well with the whipped cream in my mouth.

This... is too delicious.

Nanako-chan said that baking sweets was her hobby, but this is at a level that could be served in a shop.

"H-how is the taste, Reito-sama...?"

As I was about to take a second bite, Nanako-chan asked me with a somewhat anxious look.

I almost blurted out "delicious"... but I should properly tell her face-to-face.

"Ah, Nanako, this shortcake you made is incredibly delicious. It's the most delicious cake I've ever eaten."

"~~! Really?"

"Ah, really."

I said that and took a big bite.

Then, I gave Nanako-chan a thumbs-up.

"Thank you, Reito-sama!"

"The pleasure is all mine."

Even though I'm the one who should be thanking her, Nanako-chan said it with a happy smile.

Yeah, Nanako-chan's smile is nice.

The smile of a beautiful girl has destructive power.

Because I'm the villain, I can maintain my composure, but if I were a mob character, I would have fallen for her instantly.

Only because of the strawberries.

Also, the first expression I saw on Nanako-chan's face was...

"T-that's why I won't become yours!"

She had a distressed expression because she was being persistently harassed by a pick-up artist.

Compared to that time, I thought a smile suits Nanako-chan better.

From now on, I have to work hard to increase that smile!

And... thinking about Nanako-chan's past made something I was curious about.

"Well then, Reito-sama. Excuse me."

"Ah, thank you."

Nanako-chan left the room with the empty dishes on the cart.

Now that I'm alone again... my mind drifted to the day I first met Nanako-chan.

After the pick-up incident, when we all gathered in the mansion's living room, something happened.

"Could you hire me as a maid at this mansion?"

It was shocking that Nanako-chan suddenly wanted to work as a maid at the mansion...

But what I was more curious about was what happened afterward.

"Even after that person left, the unreasonable hardships continued. Even though Mother and my older sister are working hard... it's strange that only I'm not doing anything!"

"Nanako, that's not right. Both I and Mother are doing this of our own will. So you don't have to think about anything. Please continue to have fun as before..."

"Even if it's your own will, it's a fact that Mother and my older sister are struggling, isn't it! Also, I know the family is in financial difficulty. I'm also a member of this family, aren't I? Yet, I can't just have fun doing nothing!"

The conversation between the Nijou sisters vividly came back to me.

I was bothered by the fact that Kyoko-san and Nanako-chan were arguing like that.

For Kyoko-san and Nanako-chan, I am undoubtedly the villain who behaved terribly.

But besides that... there's something else in the Nijou family.

There's some kind of situation.

It's undeniable that they've gone through hardships.

Next, I recalled the conversation on the day I met their mother, Maki-san.

That was the last thing Maki-san said as she was leaving...

"Please give my regards to Father as well."

Today, Maki-san, as the representative, came, but they are such lovely daughters.

Father must be worried too.

That's what I thought when I said that...

"Thank you for your concern, Reito-sama. However, I am already divorced from my husband..."

"Ah... I see."

At that time, I thought I had made Maki-san feel awkward.

But I didn't pay much attention to it...

She divorced her husband.

There seems to be a deep reason for that.

In any case, in order for me to become friends with Nanako-chan, I will need to learn about Nanako-chan's past before we met.

I will get to know about the Nijou family.

When I learn that, how should I behave...

"Well, if that father turns out to be a terrible man... I won't be able to stay silent, will I?"