“No! I don't want to!”
However, Theia adamantly rejected this. Her beautiful golden hair was disheveled as she shook her head.
“I want to pay you every day! I want to feel like a princess every day!”
She was like a child pleading for a toy.
Seeing that, Koutarou lost all motivation.
“... You're an idiot aren't you?”
“That's 'Are you an idiot, my beloved princess Theiamillis?'”
“So you're admitting to being an idiot”
“Yes. This is my hobby”
“... Okay, okay, you really are a pain... I will gratefully accept, princess”
“Ohohoho, very good, my knight!”
Koutarou gave up and took the paper bag. As he did, Theia covered her mouth and laughed elegantly.
“Well, it's not like I don't understand how you feel...”
Koutarou smiled wryly as Theia was in a great mood. He had a hobby that dumbfounded others as well, namely beetle hunting, so he couldn't blame her too much. He also believed that Theia had one more goal in mind.
“So”
Koutarou looked over the lovely, small, paper bag in his hand.
“Here, Aika-san, I'm counting on you”
He then handed it over to Maki.
Since the band of knights was formed, Maki had been in charge of finances. That's why handling the salary received from Theia was Maki's job. Koutarou believed that Theia giving him salary was also partially so that she could give Maki something to do.
“...”
However, Maki wasn't accepting the bag for some reason. She was holding an accounting book and was quietly watching Koutarou. Her eyes were filled with expectation as if she was appealing to him.
“Phew...”
Koutarou could tell what she wanted right away, and he reluctantly lived up to her expectations.
“...Lord Aika Maki, Indigo Knight of Satomi's band of knights, do the accounting on today's salary”
“Understood, Master~♪”
Maki seemed quite content as she showed a bright smile, accepted the bag from Koutarou and opened her accounting book. Seeing Maki like that made Koutarou happy too, but he felt a complex emotion as well.
“That looks like a lot of work, Satomi-kun”
“... I don't understand women's emotions”
Like that, Koutarou's shoulders slumped as he answered Shizuka.