"It's so soft and squishy. I love it."

"My lady, may I have a turn...?"

"No! You were petting it the whole carriage ride, Nina!"

Jessi gently stroked the slime sitting on her hands. It was so wonderfully squishy that she could never tire of petting it. As she felt its softness beneath her fingers, the corners of her mouth kept twitching upward.

The slime didn't mind Jessi's touch, either. Unlike the goblin's malicious blows, her gentle hand was full of affection. Instinctively, the slime found that tender touch pleasant.

[Madam Cat's Cradle]▶I want to pet Squishy too~.

▶She just keeps petting it.

[Squishy Queen]▶Grrrr! Keep your hands off my kin, human!

[Free Spirit]▶???? What's going on? Why is Squishy in a noble's mansion?

[Slam First Ask Later]▶What's this nest? Why did the forest turn into a human nest?

As time passed, other regular viewers began joining, including the Smartass and Fenrir.

[Squishy Queen]▶Where on earth have you been looking?! Some wretched human brought my kin home, saying they would keep it!

[Free Spirit]▶For real?

[Slam First Ask Later]▶Why are you blaming me for that?

'What? Making contact with humans so suddenly?'

The Smartass had never dreamed that something like this would happen while he looked away for a moment. He hastily set his mind to work.

'If it went from the elf forest to a noble's mansion, there's only one possibility. The County of Rudendion, the closest domain to the Green Elf Forest. Could she be... Count Rudendion's daughter?'

His guess was correct, but he couldn't be certain. After all, since becoming a lich, he had not ventured outside even once, occupied as he was with investigating the broadcasting system! He still had his memories of being a human mage, but after thirty years or so, even those memories were bound to become less reliable.

'Still, at least they're not reacting aggressively. I'm still uneasy, though...'

In the past, the Smartass had been betrayed by a fellow mage from his magic tower who was obsessed with hollow glory. That betrayal had left him with hatred and distrust of humans, but his happy memories from his days as a hero barely kept that hatred in check. Of course, the moment he caught even a glimpse of a human's ulterior motives, his loathing would come straight to the surface. Still, he wasn't so far gone that he would blindly show hostility toward a girl happily smiling as she petted Squishy.

"Ahhh, it's so squishy! What should we name it?"

"Isn't it a little early to give it a name?"

"Why?"

"Well... you haven't received the count's permission yet. Let's name it once he agrees, all right?"

The maid was worried that giving it a name would only make Jessi more attached. If Count Rudendion refused, she would surely weep bitterly, calling out the name she had chosen herself.

CREAK.

Just then, the door opened, and a servant of the mansion entered Jessi's room.

"My lady, I've brought your refreshments."

"Perfect timing!"

The servant's tray held a teapot and teacups, along with cookies and a cake that appeared to be the main treat.

'Woooow!'

The slime's gaze turned toward the food on the tray carried by the newly arrived human. It instinctively sensed that the things on that tray were edible.

▶What's that stuff?

▶You don't know? Ah, that is what they call "food."

▶A quick explanation! What is food? It is something those hoomans, who can't even properly eat raw meat, make to suit their stomachs! But those hoomans went beyond simply filling their bellies, researching and combining all kinds of things to eat in pursuit of "flavor," resulting in...

▶Shut up, know-it-all!

▶I'm enjoying the explanation.

▶Ah, I understand completely.

'Food!'

"Put it here. You may go now."

"Certainly."

Jessi grinned at the refreshments set on her desk.

"Heehee."

"My lady, if you start eating snacks already, will you have room for dinner later?"

"It's fine. We just got back from a picnic. Besides, there's a separate stomach for snacks."

"That's true."

Jessi set the slime down on her lap, then picked up a fork and cut a piece from the front of the cake. She speared the piece with her fork and brought it to her mouth.

"Mmmm~ Our chef's cakes really are the best~."

Jessi smiled blissfully as the sweetness spread through her mouth. Her smile was enough to tell even the slime that what she was eating was incredibly tasty.

'She ate it! It looks delicious! I want some!'

The slime quivered vigorously, its body beginning to tremble even harder with its desire to eat.

"Hm? What's wrong?"

The slime had suddenly started shaking while she enjoyed her cake. Jessi took the fork out of her mouth and looked back and forth between it and the slime.

"Do you want some?"

'Yes!'

As if answering her question, the slime gave one little bounce on her lap.

"Nina! Look! I think the slime wants cake too! Can I give it some?"

"I imagine it should be fine. They say slimes can absorb almost anything."

"Heehee, hold on. I'll give you a bite too."

Jessi cut off a piece of cake, speared it firmly with her fork, and lifted it. Then she found herself facing a problem.

"... Where do I feed it?"

Indeed. Slimes were adorably round all over. With every part of them so rounded, people seeing one for the first time had no way of knowing how they ate.

"If you bring it close, won't it eat on its own?"

"Will it?"

Jessi carefully brought the forkful of cake toward the slime. For now, she aimed for the front, where a mouth would be on a human.

"Can you eat this? It's cake."

'Cake! Food!'

Although the slime usually absorbed nutrients through its underside, slimes could naturally absorb food from any direction. It slowly began drawing in the cake touching its body.

"Nina! The cake's getting sucked inside the slime! Oh, don't eat the fork."

Once the cake was completely inside, Jessi pulled back the fork.

POP!

The fork slipped out of the slime's body. Then Jessi and Nina watched the piece of cake vanish inside it in an instant, like melting snow.

"Nina! The slime ate the cake!"

"How fascinating."

Meanwhile, having absorbed the cake, the slime was overcome by a powerful shock.

'...!!!'

It was an intense feast of flavorings unlike anything it had ever tasted. The cake was easier to absorb than jerky, yet the many flavors within it seemed to make the slime's nonexistent eyes crackle with sparks.

Having tasted the cake, the slime felt just one thing.

'Delicious!'

▷Cake! Delicious!

It immediately posted its impressions in the chat. Then it trembled and gave a light bounce on Jessi's lap.

"Look, Nina! It's so happy! It must like the cake enough to jump for joy."

"Can slimes taste cake?"

"I'm sure they can! Look how happy it is!"

▶Is that stuff really that good?

▶Who knows?

▶Doesn't Squishy find everything delicious anyway?

[Slam First Ask Later]▶Hmph! It can't possibly beat raw meat dripping with blood!

▶Didn't ask.

[Squishy Queen]▶Ah, my kin has eaten the humans' strange food yet again...!

[Madam Cat's Cradle]▶What's the harm~? It's cute seeing Squishy so happy~.

Jessi smiled at the slime's delighted reaction. She picked up a cookie and held it out to the slime.

"Try this too, slime. It's a cookie!"

'Cookie!'

As the slime accepted the cookie, it drew Jessi's fingers inside as well.

"Wow! They're going inside the slime!"

"M-my lady! Pull your fingers out at once!"

"Ahahaha! It's a little sticky inside! But it's still soft!"

"My lady! Hurry!"

At Nina's urging, Jessi pulled her fingers out of the slime.

"It felt a little sticky, but there's nothing on them."

The slime was intelligent enough to distinguish between what it should and shouldn't absorb.

"Phew. My lady, please don't frighten me like that."

"You give it some too, Nina!"

"Me?"

"Here!"

Jessi held out a cookie with a radiant smile. Nina broke into a cold sweat at her request. She wanted to refuse. But Jessi had already proved it was safe. As her maid, Nina had no grounds to say no.

Taking the cookie from Jessi, Nina squeezed her eyes shut and brought it toward the slime.

'Cookie!'

The slime immediately engulfed the cookie along with Nina's hand.

"Eek! I-it really is sticky!"

Nina released the cookie and quickly withdrew her hand.

"See? I told you!"

"Yes. Um... there really is nothing on my hand."

After absorbing Nina's cookie as well, the slime happily bounced up and down again.

"I think it's happy you gave it a cookie, Nina."

"Is that it?"

CREAK!

Just as Nina tilted her head, the bedroom door opened, and Count Rufus Rudendion entered with Finn.

"Jessi! My angel!"

"Father!"

The moment Jessi saw her father enter, she picked up the slime in both hands and approached Rufus with the brightest smile she could muster.

"Look! It's an adorable slime! It's so well-behaved, and it does what I say!"

Jessi was usually innocent, but when it came to wheedling something out of her father, Count Rufus Rudendion, she knew very well that she had to use her charms.

"Your smile is as warm as the morning sunshine today, too, my angel."

"Heehee."

"So, this is the slime I've heard about?"

Count Rudendion stroked his chin between his thumb and forefinger as he studied the slime.

'Wow! A new human!'

The slime quivered vigorously.

"It's trembling."

"It's happy to meet you, Father! When it's happy, it shakes or jumps up and down!"

"Does it?"

"Yes! I'll show you!"

As though showing off a pet's hidden trick, Jessi placed the slime on her bed, cut another piece of cake with her fork, and brought it over.

"Here, cake!"

'Cake!'

The slime immediately absorbed it. Then, just as it had shown Jessi and Nina before, it trembled at that delicious taste and bounced up and down on the bed.

"Look! See?"

"Well, it really does! ... Finn, can slimes eat cake?"

"They should be able to eat pretty much anything."

"I see."

"Father! I want to keep this slime! I'll take good care of it! Please? Can't I? Father~."

Jessi pleaded with bright, sparkling eyes. At his daughter's adorable smile, Rufus nearly clutched at his heart without thinking.

'I must resist. I am a count, and the father of my precious angel! No matter how much my daughter wants it, I must make sure it's safe!'

"Nina."

"Yes, my lord."

"Step outside for a moment. We need to talk. Finn, remain here for now. Stay in the room with Jessi."

"Understood."

Before the count left, Jessi sent Nina a look conveying her fervent plea.

'Say the right things, Nina!'

As soon as Nina followed him out of the room, Count Rudendion questioned her.

"Nina, what do you think? Does that slime look safe?"

"At present, it doesn't appear to pose any great danger."

"Hmm. But keeping a monster beside Jessi..."

"My lord, if I may, I don't think it would be wise to turn the slime out immediately."

"Why not?"

"Well..."

Nina explained the circumstances leading up to Jessi's encounter with the slime. They had found it just after she had somehow persuaded Jessi to accept that she couldn't enter the elf forest to see Nellin. The slime had immediately lifted Jessi's spirits, but if they sent it away now, she would soon start begging to see Nellin again.

"For now, I believe that keeping the slime beside her will give her something to focus her attention on."

"So that's what happened... Ah, my angel really does take after me."

Count Rudendion sighed and looked out the window.

'To think she even shares my admiration for Lady Nellin.'

The Starlight Archer.

Count Rudendion understood the desire to see Lady Nellin. After all, he had been exactly the same in his youth. No, perhaps his feelings for Nellin had been even stronger than his daughter's. But that was all the more reason he could not let them meet.

'It would be too cruel to shatter that tenderhearted child's illusions.'