A short while later.
Seele sat at the dining table, staring wide-eyed at the spread of delicacies laid out before her.
Cream stew, grilled fish, garden salad, pork miso soup, and several refined side dishes filled the long table to the brim.
"Please, dig in. i and Sakura are quite the chefs," Hiko said. For once, she wasn't holding a drink, instead looking at Seele with a gentle, sincere expression.
"This... isn't this way too much?"
Seele's eyes widened slightly, her jaw practically dropping.
"Is the world you live in really this abundant? Can we even finish all this?"
"It's not much at all—in fact, it's just enough for !" Kiana sat across from i, a confident, cheeky grin flashing across her face.
However, when her gaze drifted to the empty seat beside Seele, her expression dimd.
That was where Ei used to sit. The Science Departnt had already filed their report: no abnormal energy readings had been detected within the academy. Even the surveillance footage showed no sign of Raiden Ei leaving.
It was official. Raiden Ei had vanished as silently and abruptly as she had first appeared.
"Alright, alright, let's eat. Everyone's starving," Hiko said, breaking the heavy silence. She picked up her chopsticks and gave everyone a reassuring smile.
"Seele... try this." Bronya ladled a bowl of cream stew and placed it carefully in front of her.
"Thanks..."
Seele looked a bit conflicted, her expression a mix of awkwardness and resignation.
She clearly wasn't used to being coddled by soone who looked like a child. Still, she nodded, picked up her spoon, and took a bite of the stew.
Then...
Seele's eyes lit up instantly.
"What is... this? The at is so tender... the vegetables are bursting with broth, and there are... I can't quite place them, but the spices are incredible..."
"It's cream stew," Bronya said softly, her tone earnest. Watching Seele lose her reservations and begin eagerly shoveling spoonful after spoonful into her mouth, the corners of Bronya's lips curled into a happy arc.
"And this... Seele, try the fried saury i-nee-sama made..."
Bronya placed a piece of fried fish into Seele's bowl.
By now, Seele was lost in the culinary bliss, hardly noticing as she popped the fish into her mouth. At that mont, she discovered sothing fascinating!
It turned out that after transforming, her perception of the world shifted to match the character she had beco. The food prepared by i and Yae Sakura blood across her taste buds with a deliciousness she had never experienced before.
"It's amazing!"
"I'm glad you like it." Raiden i watched the two of them getting along so well and couldn't help but let out a relieved smile.
"It looks like... sothing interesting happened while we weren't looking," Hiko added, a relaxed, playful smirk playing on her lips.
Seele's movents froze. She looked a bit fidgety, hesitating for a mont as she glanced at everyone around the table. Finally, she let out a helpless sigh.
"Fine, fine. I was out of line earlier. I thought... I thought you were just more of those scumbag bureaucrats from the Overworld. I misjudged you. I'm sorry."
"Hmph, that's more like it," Kiana snorted.
"Seele... salad."
"...Okay."
"Seele... pork cutlet."
Bronya began a relentless campaign of piling food into Seele's bowl, piece by piece, until the mountain of food almost hid Seele's face.
"Enough, enough! I can get it myself," Seele said, looking utterly defeated by the hospitality.
In that mont, she realized the greatest perk of transforming into Seele.
She had hit the jackpot: she'd gained a "loli-mom!"
"Okay," Bronya nodded obediently. Yet, the second Seele's bowl showed signs of emptying, Bronya's chopsticks would fly out again, stacking it high once more.
Seele had hoped Kiana might swoop in and compete for the food, but the girl was uncharacteristically somber, eating quietly. She seed still lost in the gloom of Ei's sudden disappearance.
Sigh...
Seele let out a silent, weary sigh.
If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have played the "mysterious vanishing act." Now, she felt like Bronya was trying to fatten her up like a prize pig.
And besides!
Kiana's make-up exam was only six days away, and AI Kallen was still tucked away in the Schicksal database. When exactly were they planning to start the tutoring sessions? Seele wondered anxiously.
After dinner.
"Seele, does Seele need Bronya to show her how to use the appliances?"
It was late, and everyone was getting ready for bed. Bronya stood by the bathroom door, watching Seele with a serious, questioning gaze.
"No need, I'm not an idiot," Seele replied helplessly. "And besides! It's not like the Underworld is completely primitive."
"Understood. Bronya sees."
Bronya nodded. Just as Seele breathed a sigh of relief, Bronya added, "Then Bronya will go make Seele's bed. That way, when Seele is ready for sleep, she can lie down right away."
"Bronya..."
Seele looked at her, her expression bordering on a total ltdown. "I have to ask... are you treating like a toddler?"
"No... Bronya is just worried that Seele won't be used to life in this world."
Bronya's gaze remained dead serious.
"Fine... I give up." Seele sighed, a look of total surrender crossing her face.
Seeing this, a tiny smile finally touched Bronya's lips. She closed the bathroom door and turned to leave.
"Why do I feel like... this kid has wrapped around her finger?"
Seele let out a soft sigh, but internally, a sense of delight began to bloom.
So what if she was a "loli-mom?"
"Loli-moms" were the best!
Being cared for in such ticulous detail by a prim and proper little girl was a feeling that was simply to die for.
If she'd only say sothing like, 'Stay ho and don't open the door for strangers, Mommy will be back from school to protect you soon,' it would be perfect!!!
After finishing her bath, Seele walked into her room.
She found Bronya already in her pajamas, kneeling on the bed, carefully smoothing out the corners of the duvet.
"Um... thanks."
Seele stepped forward and offered a soft word of gratitude.
"You are welco." Bronya climbed down from the bed and stood before Seele in her slippers, looking up at her with those earnest eyes.
She looked just like a delicate porcelain doll.
Seele was certain that even if she picked her up and squeezed her right now, Bronya wouldn't put up a fight at all.
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