"Hmm? Belle, you're already awake? Perfect, breakfast is ready. Come and eat."
"Okay~" Belle nodded softly, then glanced at Wise, her eyes lingering on him for a moment without realizing it.
Wise felt a wave of awkwardness wash over him as he noticed Belle's strange behavior. His mind flashed back to what had happened earlier.
Anby, who was quietly watching them, frowned slightly. She could sense that something was off between the two and decided to ask.
"Wise, did you and Belle have a disagreement? Nicole said small problems in a team should be solved quickly, or they'll turn into bigger ones later."
"Uh, well, it's nothing really. How should I put it... Belle just had a little accident this morning while she was still in bed."
Anby blinked, clearly confused.
What kind of accident could make Belle react like that? She tried to think of an answer but couldn't come up with anything.
Belle's face, on the other hand, turned completely red as she heard Wise's words.
'Stupid Big Brother! Why are you telling Anby about that?!'
As Belle silently fumed, Anby tilted her head curiously.
"Really? Can you tell me what happened?"
The innocent curiosity in her voice made Wise even more uncomfortable.
He forced a small, polite smile and replied, "That... maybe another time."
As for Belle's inner thoughts, Wise had, of course, been paying attention all along, but seeing her Emotional Value keep rising, he could only feel a bit guilty.
In the end, her Emotional Value reached 1388, so his little comment hadn't been in vain.
It was also worth noting that Belle's favorability hadn't decreased at all, which confirmed what the system had said.
"Oh." Anby didn't dwell on the question any longer.
Belle, however, stared at the breakfast on Wise's plate, and her eyes lit up with curiosity.
"Uh… is that a hamburger? Why are we eating this so early?" she asked, shooting Wise a confused look.
Even if Anby wanted one, Belle saw no reason to make four of them.
"Ah, I saw a hamburger recipe earlier and wanted to try making it myself. If Belle doesn't want any, I also made the usual food you like."
Hearing that, Belle's slight dissatisfaction disappeared. She had only been worried that her brother's attention toward her would lessen.
But now, seeing that Wise still cared about her feelings even with Anby around, she realized there was no reason to worry at all.
"Um, Wise, can I start eating?" Anby asked, her stomach growling again from the smell of food.
"Of course. I made two just for you, so make sure to eat everything."
Wise said it with a teasing tone, his words carrying a faint hint of double meaning. Anby, however, nodded with complete seriousness.
"Mm, since Wise made it, I'll definitely eat it all." She said that and eagerly grabbed a hamburger, opening her small mouth as wide as she could.
Anby looked so hungry that it seemed like she wanted to swallow the whole thing in one bite, but in the end, she only managed to take a small chunk, maybe one-fifth of it.
"Mm!"
The moment the hamburger touched her tongue, Anby's eyes widened. Her expression shifted from surprise to pure delight.
Without saying a word, she continued eating with sparkling eyes, completely absorbed in the taste.
"Is it really that good?"
Belle watched her, thinking it was a bit too exaggerated. It was just a hamburger, after all. But when Anby heard her, she quickly urged Belle to try it too.
Since Anby couldn't speak, she expressed it only through her eyes.
Not fully understanding, Belle took a cautious bite. The next moment, she had the exact same reaction as Anby.
The hamburgers Wise made were quite large, and by the time Belle finished hers, she could not eat the rest of her breakfast.
To avoid wasting food, Wise did not eat his hamburger yet, then noticed Anby staring at him with longing eyes.
To be precise, she was staring at the hamburger beside his plate. Seeing that, Wise smiled gently and slid the plate toward her.
Anby's eyes lit up in delight, but after a moment, she shook her head and gently pushed the plate back.
"What's wrong, Anby? Can't you eat anymore?" Wise asked, noticing her hesitation.
"No, I still have room, but this is yours, and you haven't eaten yet."
Her words caught Wise off guard for a moment, but when he thought about her personality, it made sense.
"It's fine. After I finish this, I probably won't be able to handle such a big hamburger anyway. If you can still eat it, go ahead."
With him saying that, Anby stopped hesitating. She picked up the hamburger from the plate and took a bite, then paused as a thought crossed her mind.
"Wise, you should have a bite too."
"Eh?"
When Anby held the hamburger out to him, Wise froze for a moment. She spoke again in a calm tone.
"If you eat all that, you won't be able to finish a whole hamburger, but one bite shouldn't be a problem, right? Since you made it, you should at least taste it. That's the most basic thing, isn't it?"
Anby had clearly noticed that Wise hadn't tried it himself. He had only mentioned reading the recipe before, and it was obvious this was his first time actually making it.
If he didn't even taste it the first time he made it, wouldn't that be a waste?
Besides, only by tasting it could he make sure he could recreate it just as deliciously next time, or maybe even make it better.
That was what Anby was thinking, and once Wise understood that, he didn't refuse anymore. Instead of taking the hamburger from her hand, he leaned forward and took a direct bite.
"Hmm?"
This time, it was Anby who froze for a moment.
The spot Wise bit was exactly where she had bitten earlier. She had thought he would just take it and find another place to bite, but she didn't expect this.
Anby didn't say anything, though her face turned a little red as she pulled her hand back and continued eating like nothing had happened.
'T-This... this counts as an indirect kiss, doesn't it?!'
Belle, witnessing this, couldn't remain calm at all. Her brother was being taken away by another woman right in front of her.
What was she supposed to do as his sister? Although Wise and Anby had already kissed before, doing it in private and in front of her were two completely different things, right?