Alice suddenly jumped onto the table from the side, turned around three times with her hands behind her back, her three-lobed lips pouting, and finally couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh: "Think about it, getting up early to try unfamiliar menus for your loved one, repeated experiments and failures, and finally, with the guidance of a helpful waiter, you finally reap the fruits of happiness and joy..."
"So, where did all those failed products go?"
Having nimbly dodged a sudden attack, a cunning glint seemed to flash in Ruby's eyes. She deliberately drew out her words as she announced the result: "Of course, they all ended up in this lovely lady's belly! She wouldn't want to present you with a failed attempt~ Hehe~"
Then, enraged Hikari pounced on him from behind, grabbed him, and began to suck on him violently, followed by a series of chaotic and pitiful cries.
Thank you for your enthusiastic addition, Alice.
I have a rough idea of what happened in the kitchen this morning.
"Looking at it this way, you do have faint dark circles under your eyes," I pointed out. "You haven't been sleeping much these past few days, have you? You've even been helping take care of those Pegasus horses. Why don't you take this opportunity to rest a bit? A quiet place should help you recover your energy."
"No... I'm not that sleepy... Ha, um."
The rebuttal he was about to make was quickly interrupted by an uncontrollable yawn, and the little fool's face turned a bright pinkish-red again, almost as if he could squeeze water out of it.
"Would you like me to help you carry the bedding back into the room?"
After rinsing and drying my fingers, I stood up, only to be stopped by Hikari, who hesitated for a moment. "No, there's no need to change locations. We'll be sleeping wherever we are. Besides, it's more fun to be together than scattered, isn't it... Hmm, that's what Ms. Miyuki thought too, so we didn't make any other arrangements. I suppose Ms. Anne wouldn't want to let everyone go like this either?"
"Wooden floors are quite hard, I'm worried I won't be used to them."
Hikari blinked again and quickly shook her head: "Not at all! Back in my hometown, I always slept on a very ordinary wooden bed. There was no mattress, and it even had splinters. I got pricked several times. But the smell of wood would calm me down, so I miss it and really like it."
I nodded and went along with her wishes. I smoothed out the slightly wrinkled bedding and watched as the little idiot obediently took off her fluffy coat, her face flushed, and slowly crawled into it. I then helped her cover herself with the comfortable blanket, tucking the corners in, leaving only her ten fingers and half her face exposed.
"Waaah, I'm a little shy," the little idiot whimpered. "This is the first time I've been watched sleeping by someone other than my parents."
"Didn't the other two see it yesterday too?"
"That's different!"
"What's the difference? We're all just sleeping..."
I was confused when Alice, who was watching curiously from the side, kicked me while muttering "idiot."
"In short, people should rest when they're tired. Pushing yourself too hard isn't good for your health." I gently pressed Hikari, who was trying to get up, back down and gave her a serious instruction. After thinking for a few seconds, I offered a suggestion: "How about this? To help you sleep well, I have some treasured bedtime stories I can tell you."
"Is it a bedtime story that your aunt once told Mr. Yumi?"
Her clear eyes suddenly became bright and sparkling, and even the drowsiness that had been so obvious just moments before seemed to vanish without a trace, like a lie.
It's surprising that they enjoy listening to stories so much. Is it because they are good-natured children, or because they still retain a bit of childlike innocence?
In short, this is a good thing.
With a slight smile, I nodded, paused for a few seconds to retrieve memories I hadn't touched in a long time, and then lowered my voice: "A long, long time ago, when this land was still very peaceful. One day, a man named..."
...
"Click".
In the quiet room, where only long, shallow breaths could be heard, the sudden sound of the door opening was particularly noticeable.
She shifted her gaze from the open pages of the book to the slowly opening door. A petite figure tiptoed in, her dark red eyes darting curiously inside.
"Just come in and talk. There's no need to be sneaky."
I glanced at the small soundproof barrier I had set up around Hikari, completely unconcerned that the sleeping little idiot would be disturbed by the conversation taking place nearby.
"Hehe, then I'll just come in."
As if confirming my stance, Annie resumed her carefree demeanor, hands behind her back, and strode forward in a few steps. She then curiously peered at the sleeping girl beside her: "I didn't expect you to be so good at sweet-talking. You managed to win over the most innocent and adorable girl among the three of us so easily..."
"Don't talk nonsense." I tapped her on the head and then looked behind her. "What are you holding?"
"Tch, how does he know everything? I have no anticipation at all."
With a pout, she handed over a small casserole of black, ominous-looking porridge bubbling from behind her. Annie turned her face away, her cheeks flushed, seemingly extremely reluctant: "I tried to make something with the ingredients I had in the kitchen. I don't know if it will taste good... Anyway, thank you for everything, and for taking care of me last night."
“Why are you suddenly saying something like that?” I shook my head. “Besides, you should be saying this to Hikari and the others, right? Those are the ones who have always taken good care of you. I just let you run wild and didn’t interfere.”
"What do you mean by 'just messing around'! I've always been very serious and dedicated to my work!"
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