After preventing the world from being destroyed, the ship girls started acting strangely.

But... that's so shameful...

Seeing this, even though she already knew the answer in her heart, Noda's already slightly flushed face turned even redder, as if it could drip water.

Noshiro, you need to stay calm. Don't miss this opportunity; once it's gone, it won't come back.

We can't hesitate any longer; everything is for the sake of getting the commander back!

Finally, she made up her mind. In order to get a better grasp of her winning weapon, Noshiro adjusted her posture and quickly changed from sitting to kneeling, bending over and lying on the ground.

At this moment, Noshiro felt like a cat stealing fish, sneaking around in the narrow passage just to steal a sip of the Commander's precious milk, which had a slightly fishy smell.

Meanwhile, Yu Ran, who was still engrossed in the delicious food, stiffened when Noshiro took action. However, under Sirius's questioning gaze, Yu Ran didn't show much of a reaction, though she really hadn't expected Noshiro to be so bold...

After a long while, Sirius, carrying the tray and having guessed his master's intentions for the first time, finally walked out of the command room with a satisfied expression.

Shortly after, with a slightly flushed face and wiping her mouth, Noshiro, having had her fill of milk, felt completely at a loss as to how to face the Commander and quickly ran out.

It wasn't until a gentle breeze rustled her skirt that Noshiro, sensing the chill, gradually calmed down.

Ugh... my chin hurts so much, but at least, she should have won this time.

Realizing this, Noshiro felt a surge of pride, and coupled with the moments she shared with the Commander today, her joy and sweetness grew even stronger.

Commander, you've finally accepted me? I'm so happy...!

However, she needed to clarify the matter concerning the commander's eyes, lest some of her comrades be deceived again.

By the way, she should also thank Sakabori for what happened today. Without Sakabori's encouragement, she probably wouldn't have been able to make this decision.

Thinking of this, Nobuyo took out her phone and couldn't wait to send a message to Sakebori.

Noshiro: "Sakebori, thank you for your encouragement and reminders today. I succeeded!"

Sakebori: "Huh???"

Meanwhile, at the cafeteria, Sakawa, who was waiting for Nobuyo to come out of the kitchen, was startled when she saw the message.

No, I meant to encourage you to cook some food for the commander. What exactly did you succeed at?!

Chapter Fourteen My Poor Ernest

Sakano: "Noshiro-nee, you confessed to the Commander successfully?"

Noshiro: "Hmm, you can understand 'sakebori' that way too."

Sakabo: "What do you mean by 'that's how it can be interpreted? Does it mean the Commander didn't give you a definite answer?"

Noshiro: "Well, although the Commander didn't say it explicitly, I feel that since things are already like this, it doesn't really matter whether he said it or not."

After receiving Noshiro's message, Sakabo couldn't help but rush to the cafeteria entrance. He had originally planned to go home immediately to ask Noshiro for clarification, but after seeing the message, he stopped in his tracks.

Sakebori: "Oh, I see. Well then, congratulations, Noshiro-nee."

Call ~

That startled me; it seems I worried for nothing.

She knew it! How could that ice block Commander suddenly accept another ship girl? Noshiro must have taken some unintentional message from the Commander as a hint to her, otherwise she wouldn't have acted this way.

Oh, my poor Noshiro-nee, she's already been rejected several times already, she's going to be hit hard again when she finds out the truth.

Sure enough, if you know something is impossible, don't try it. Like her, she stays home every day, cultivates hobbies, eats, reads comics, surfs the internet, and when she feels sad or stressed, she finds a lewd picture of the commander in her album to release her emotions. Isn't that a pretty fulfilling life?

It seems that after this incident, it's time for her to find some time to persuade Noshiro-nee together with Agano-nee, otherwise, continuing like this can't go on.

Noshiro: "Actually, the main reason I was able to succeed this time is because of the change in the Commander's attitude. I always feel that the Commander is not as cold as before. And you know what about the Commander's eyes? I made a big discovery. They are not as outrageous as the rumors in the port say. I will tell you the details when I get home. Anyway, I think that as long as you don't feel as much pressure when you are with the Commander as before, you have a good chance of success."

Sakabo: "Hmm, I see. I understand now. I'll try it when I have the chance."

Ah, it's starting, it's starting! The classic feeling is that the whole world changed after the commander accepted himself.

Realizing this, before Noshiro could send another message, Sakabo immediately used her decades-long single-skill typing speed to quickly end the conversation.

Sakano: "Okay, that's all for now. We'll discuss the details when we get home. Oh, by the way, Noshiro-nee, I'm at the cafeteria entrance now. Do you want something to eat? I'll get it for you."

Noshiro: "Food...? Hmm, no thanks, I'm already full. That's all for now. I'll tell you the details when I get home."

Full...?

Wait, wasn't Nobuyo supposed to be delivering lunch to the Commander? How come she's already full...?

Could it be that—!

A terrifying possibility suddenly flashed through Sakabo's mind.

Could it be that Noshiro suffered too much mental trauma after being rejected by the Commander, and secretly hid in a corner to finish her bento while crying and then fell into a fantasy?

Thinking of this, Sakabo was also startled. He wanted to ask Noshiro's location immediately, but hesitated after picking up his phone.

No, even though Noda is on the verge of a breakdown, the fact that she can still send her messages means she's still under control. Going over there now might provoke her again.

Instead of doing that, it would be better to wait until Noshiro goes home and have Agano cooperate with her to pretend to believe Noshiro's fantasy. After a while, when Noshiro's emotions have stabilized, they can comfort her. That way, there shouldn't be any problems.

Well, it seems that this is the only way for now.

Although she was quite worried before that the Commander would accept Noshiro, now when she thinks of Noshiro curled up in a corner eating her lunch alone, Sakabo can't help but feel sorry for her.

Oh, my poor Onassis, I hope you can get out of your fantasy and into reality soon.

Thinking of this, Sakabo picked up her phone again, carefully sending some messages to Noyo while explaining the situation to Agano in advance.

......

Meanwhile, in the lounge, after Sirius and Noshiro left, You Ran thought that after feeding Noshiro so much milk, she might enter a state of enlightenment again.

But whether it was because he had used up his sage state over the past few decades or something else, You Ran felt that the aroused desire in his heart not only failed to dissipate, but instead rose even higher.

Fortunately, he has a strong will and has managed to suppress this desire for the time being.

After that, Belfast and the others began to serve the dishes one after another, but Sirius's appetizers were indeed a bit too amazing, so much so that although the later dishes were delicious, You Ran lost some of her interest.

However, considering the efforts of the ship girls, You Ran still smiled and waited.

But this laughter, once it started, almost caused nine out of ten dishes to spill. Manchester's thoughts wandered, and she nearly tripped and fell flat on her face. Edinburgh was stunned and spilled a bunch of gold nuggets from under her skirt. The other ship girls were also somewhat distracted.

It was only then that You Ran realized that the stereotypes she had left with the ship girls were a bit too serious. Considering that some ship girls might not be able to accept it all at once, You Ran became a little more serious, which allowed the serving of food to proceed normally.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, it was time to sleep. After solemnly refusing Sirius's bed-warming service in front of everyone, You Ran thought for a moment and then asked everyone to go back and rest, citing the need for rest.

After everyone left, You Ran finally left her desk and lay down on the bed in a very relaxed manner.

Sigh, I guess it's because I worked tirelessly for too long before, and now that I'm coming out of that slump, I'm suffering a serious backlash. I'm almost at the point where I'd rather lie down than sit, and rather sit than stand.

Lying in bed, she felt increasingly reluctant to move. As she rested her head on the pillow, she suddenly began to miss Charybdis's lap pillow.

But speaking of which, today's secretary ship is Charybdis, so who will it be tomorrow?

Thinking about this, You Ran suddenly felt a sense of anticipation...

Chapter Fifteen: Warm Sunshine in Early Spring

At 3:03 AM, the Royal Maid Mutual Aid Group.

Manchester: "@All members, is anyone still awake?"

Curlew: "1"

Glasgow: 1

Sheffield: 1

Manchester: "!"

Manchester: "There are still so many people! What are you all doing? Aren't you sleeping?!"

Glasgow: "Staying up all night reading comics."

Sheffield: "Conquering the dungeon."

Suffolk: "Sending a signal to the commander."

Ambition: "?"

Edinburgh: "?"

Scylla: "?"

Kent: "What image did you use? Send me a copy."

Glasgow: "Unbelievable..."

Curlew: "So what's going on? It's the middle of the night."

Manchester: "Hehehe, it's nothing really. I was just thinking about tonight. Did you see that? Master smiled at me tonight! It was just a slight smile, but it was the first time I'd ever seen Master smile since the place was built. My heart melted at that moment, and I suddenly understood the meaning of being a maid!"

Scylla: "How do you know your master is smiling at you? What if he's smiling at the other companions?"

Manchester: "Bullshit! How could that be! From that angle and at that distance, if Master wasn't smiling at me, would he have been smiling at you?!"

Scylla: "Oh, you caught me! Master was actually smiling at me! I don't know why, but I felt like Master was secretly watching me today. Well, my master is so cute! If you wanted to see me, you could have just told me."

Sheffield: "No, from a professional point of view, I think the host was probably still smiling at me at the time."

Charybdis: "No, Master was eating the food I made. He must have felt Charybdis's heartfelt sincerity and was so touched that he smiled~"

Manchester: "One or two should be enough?"

Hermione: "Alright, alright, to be honest, the Commander is probably very satisfied with the food, which is why he's smiling at everyone. It all depends on everyone's efforts, so let's not overthink it."

Scylla: "Hey, Hermione, you're not asleep either?"

Hermione: "Well, actually... I also feel that the Commander is different today. He's like the warm sun in early spring, giving people a feeling that the ice and snow are beginning to melt."

In a dormitory at the royal palace, Hermione turned over in bed after seeing the message, her face slightly flushed.

Just like the other ship girls, Hermione, who is usually mature and composed, couldn't help but overthink when she saw the commander smile at the banquet. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so troubled and unable to fall asleep until now.

Manchester: "Yes, yes, yes! That's exactly it, hehe, Hermione, you're so good at it."

Cute maids.jpg