Chapter 26

This is a bonus story.

In this world, there is a monarchy with a class system of nobles and commoners, and in this fantasy world with dresses, evening parties, knights, and magic, there is also an event called Halloween.

This is because it is a world of a dating simulation game.

During gameplay, it was quite challenging.

First, there were many still images. The event involves walking around the school with the character who has the highest intimacy level to collect candy, but the characters you can meet differ depending on the route you choose.

For example, if you choose "Let's start from the first floor," you will meet the disguised crown prince and a squire, but not the magician and Cain. If you choose "Let's go down from the third floor," you will meet a teacher and a junior, but not the crown prince and Cain. If you choose "Let's go around from the second floor where we are now," you will meet the second prince of a neighboring country and the magician, but not Cain and the teacher.

Not only are there characters you can't meet, but even when you can meet them, the combinations of who you can be with are different. Naturally, the content of the event dialogues also varies.

Collecting all the still images by repeatedly saving and loading was a rather arduous task.

Today is Halloween.

Cain and Dianna are not yet attending school, and they have not yet interacted with children from other families, so their Halloween costume parade is limited to inside the house.

Dianna, who usually doesn't wear such things, is dressed in a black dress, a pointed hat, and a wand with a star at the tip, pretending to be a witch. The wand is apparently a magic staff.

When Cain saw her, he rolled on the floor in ecstasy and started dancing in gratitude to the gods, but was restrained by Ilvareno with the excuse that "the clothes will get dirty and wrinkled."

Cain is dressed as a werewolf, with dog ears on a headband, a fluffy tail tied to his belt, and fur slippers and gloves.

Ilvareno, who resisted dressing up until the end, finally compromised by wearing a sheet and insisting he was a ghost.

"Trick or treat!"

"I'll play a trick if you don't give me candy!"

"..."

For today, all the servants were given a "candy allowance" from Dismaia. Each servant was supposed to prepare candy using this allowance.

Some bought materials and made the candy themselves, others bought wrapping paper to make the candy look like ghosts or pumpkins, and some simply bought cute-looking candy.

"Ah! I'll give you candy, so don't play a trick on me!"

A young housemaid enthusiastically pretended to be scared and gave out candy.

"Trick or treat!"

"I'll cast a spell if you don't give me candy!"

"..."

"Both the young master and the young lady are so cute. What is that, Ilvareno?"

"It's a ghost."

"Isn't that a bit lazy?"

"..."

From the old gardener, they received candied roses.

He apparently bought expensive sugar with the allowance and made them himself. It's best to use them in tea instead of eating them directly. Since they weren't really candy for children, Dianna didn't like them.

"Roar!"

"Trick or treat!"

"..."

"Alright, come on! I'll take you down, wolf boy!"

"Ugh..."

The knights guarding the gate, Arnodia and Sarasinya, greeted them with a challenge. Arnodia threw Cain, who had run over carelessly, and Sarasinya caught him before he hit the ground and stuffed a marshmallow in his mouth.

"Bad witches, we've got you!"

"Ah! Ha ha ha!"

Dianna was lifted up and had a marshmallow stuffed in her mouth from behind.

Ilvareno almost got caught by Sarasinya but avoided it, escaped, and jumped onto the top of the gate wall, hissing like a cat. He moved at an unprecedented speed.

"Maybe you should dress up as a ghost cat next year, Ilvareno," Arnodia suggested.

"Trick or treat!"

"I'll turn you into a frog with magic!"

"..."

"Ah, what a cute little witch. I'll give you candy, so please don't turn me into a frog."

"Okay!"

"You're so cute, Cain."

"Father, please praise me more than Dianna."

"Why are you like that?"

Father Dismaia and Mother Elise praised them, petting their heads and calling them cute. They each gave the three of them a piece of candy from a luxurious trinket box.

"By the way, Ilvareno, we've also sent candy to the orphans. They're probably enjoying it right now, aren't they?"

Mother Elise said this while petting Ilvareno's head. Since he was wearing a sheet, Ilvareno, who was being petted, said "Thank you" in a small voice.

After putting the candy they received in their rooms, they extended their tea time for a Halloween party.

The family and the senior servants, such as the attendants and maids, gathered in the tea room. The other servants also received candy in the servants' break room.

Dianna, holding hands with Cain, entered the tea room.

They could eat a lot of candy. She was looking forward to it because today was a day when she wouldn't be told "That's enough."

On the table were finger cookies with joints and wrinkles meticulously recreated, and almond slices for realistic nails. Eye jellies made with milk jelly, strawberry sauce, and blueberry sauce for the eyes and blood vessels. Dentures made with biscuit, berry cream, and marshmallows. Spider webs made with thin strands of sugar, and realistic spiders and butterflies made with icing cookies. White chocolate skulls with strawberry jam oozing from the eye and nose holes.

The head chef and the pastry chef had gone overboard. Maybe it was because they received a special Halloween allowance. Their enthusiasm had broken in the wrong direction.

The moment they saw these incredibly realistic candies:

Dianna burst into tears, Cain burst into laughter, and Ilvareno instinctively put his hand on his waist, as if to draw a weapon he didn't have.

While still laughing, Cain held Dianna and patted her back. Ilvareno, covered in the sheet, called out to him.

"Hey, are the candies sent to the orphanage the same as these?"

Cain, who had momentarily stopped laughing to imagine what Ilvareno had said, burst into laughter again at the thought of these realistic candies being sent to the orphanage. He handed Dianna to his mother and bent over, holding his stomach in laughter.

No one could see what expression Ilvareno, covered in the sheet, had.

In the midst of Cain's broken spirit, I added this seasonal story.

I will update another story at 3 PM.