Chapter 282: The Use of Cookies
"Waaah~~ Kouya, you cruelly and mercilessly took away my first time…" Satania wailed dramatically, clutching her face as though her very soul had been violated.
Sorry for taking your freshly baked pineapple bun's "first time," seriously.
"Even a pineapple bun has dignity, you know," she sniffled, her cheeks puffed up in protest.
Dignity, my ass!
On the way to school, hasn't your so-called 'dignified' bun been stolen by that angel's lackey more times than you can count? You're the last person who should talk about dignity!
"Shut up!!"
Kouya finally lost his patience. He turned and shoved the remaining bun straight into Satania's mouth, silencing her with one clean move. Her muffled complaints came out as incoherent noises, crumbs scattering across the table.
After finishing breakfast, Kouya exhaled deeply and got up, heading toward the oven. He carefully pulled out the tray of freshly baked spirit-infused cookies. A faint, sweet aroma filled the entire room.
Earlier that morning, the catgirl Rina had called him, her voice as pitiful as ever. She begged him to come over, whining about how lonely she was and reminding him—over and over—not to forget to bring "something tasty." Obviously, she was after the spirit cookies.
He still found it amusing how popular they'd become. Who would've guessed that something so simple—cookies made from a single spirit fruit—would end up adored by everyone around him?
"Mmm~ what's that smell?" Raphiel's voice chimed in, her tone almost musical. "Kouya, what's that you're holding?"
Her eyes glowed the instant she spotted the cookies, her whole face lighting up like a child at a candy store.
"Cookies," Kouya replied simply, already bracing himself for the incoming request.
"Can I have two?" she asked, clasping her hands together in mock prayer, tilting her head with that perfectly practiced angelic expression.
"No."
Her jaw dropped. "Wh-what?! How could you say no to me!" she gasped, her expression twisting from divine to devastated in an instant. "After what you did to me this morning, you're just going to toss me aside? Typical man—heartless once you've gotten what you wanted!"
"What the hell are you talking about!" Kouya groaned. "I just made you apologize!"
He glared at her darkly, but in the end, relented. With a sigh, he handed her one. Then, of course, he gave some to everyone else as well.
Vigne, who had been watching the exchange, blinked curiously as she accepted hers. "These cookies…" she said softly. "Where did you get them?"
"I made them myself," Kouya said casually, as if baking spirit-laced confections was just another hobby.
He didn't see any reason to hide it. He wasn't trying to show off either—it was just something he did.
Vigne hesitated for a moment, her expression thoughtful, but she didn't pry further. Instead, she broke her cookie in half and handed the other piece to Rikka. "Here, Rikka. Eat this—it's good for you."
Rikka blinked sleepily, tilting her head. "Eh? Okay," she said and took a bite without question.
...
After everyone finished eating, Vigne went into her usual routine—collecting dishes, rinsing bowls, and tidying up the table with efficient grace. She even tossed Kouya's laundry into the washing machine and mopped the floor until the tiles gleamed. Finally, she stood back, satisfied.
"Kouya-kun, we're heading back now," she said politely, drying her hands with a towel.
"Huh? Why?" Satania whined, already slumping over the table. "It's so boring at home! We were having so much fun here!"
"If you want to play, go to the park," Vigne replied flatly. "Kouya's house isn't an amusement park."
"I think it is…" Satania muttered.
"No, it's not," Vigne said sharply. "We're leaving. Now."
They had already stayed overnight. Staying any longer would be pushing their luck—and propriety.
Otherwise… wouldn't that practically mean they were living together?
...
The morning sunlight glimmered through the trees as they walked home, the city waking up around them. Birds chirped, distant cars hummed, and the faint smell of coffee drifted from a nearby café.
Suddenly, Raphiel stopped in her tracks. "You guys go ahead," she said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I've got something to do."
"Huh? Something to do?" Vigne turned, puzzled.
"Oh, nothing major," Raphiel said with an easy smile. "Just meeting a friend."
"A friend?" Vigne muttered under her breath, eyebrows furrowing. "That's… suspicious." Still, she didn't press the issue. "Fine. We'll go first."
...
A few blocks away, in the shade of an old tree, Ai Igarashi stood quietly with her delicate parasol. Her golden eyes were fixed in the direction of Kouya's apartment, her petite frame almost hidden by the dappled shadows.
"The panties should've arrived by now, right?" she murmured to herself.
"So much time has passed, and he hasn't reacted at all. No anger, no outrage… maybe it worked?" Her lips curved into a small, smug smile. "Heh, I really am a genius. If I just keep sending them, he'll eventually understand my sincerity!"
Just as she was basking in her self-praise, a soft, teasing voice floated behind her.
"Yoo-hoo~ Ai-chan. Found you."
"Who's there?!"
Startled, Ai jumped, spinning around with her parasol raised defensively. Behind her stood a tall, silver-haired girl with an infuriatingly calm smile—and, much to Ai's annoyance, a chest that looked like it defied gravity.
"It's you," Ai exhaled, lowering her parasol. "Don't sneak up on people like that! What are you, some kind of ghost?!" Then, glaring, she added, "And stop calling me Ai-chan!"
"Okay, Ai-chan," Raphiel said cheerfully.
"I said stop!"
"But it's such a cute name," Raphiel replied, smiling innocently.
Crunch!
The lollipop in Ai's mouth shattered as she bit down furiously. "You—!" she hissed, eyes flashing. She turned on her heel to leave. There was no point hiding now that she'd been caught.
But before she could take two steps, a hand blocked her path.
"Wait, Ai-chan."
Ai froze. "What now?" she asked warily.
"Since we met, why not chat a little?" Raphiel suggested, her silvery hair glinting under the sunlight. Her tone was calm, smooth, and carried that unshakable grace that made people instinctively lower their guard.
Her smile was soft, her posture impeccable—elegant but relaxed. The breeze carried the faint scent of flowers as her angelic figure seemed to glow faintly in the morning light.
To anyone else, she might've seemed divine. But Ai knew better.
'Yeah, no. You're no angel—you're the devil wearing a halo,' she thought grimly.
"I'm busy," Ai said curtly. "Move."
Raphiel pouted faintly. "Aww, don't be so cold, Ai-chan. I even brought you a little present." She held out her hand, revealing a small, golden-brown cookie.
Ai blinked. "A… cookie?" Her tone dripped with disbelief. "Really? Other people offer me gourmet food, and you bring me a cookie? How cheap can you get?"
Raphiel giggled. "Oh? Then don't take it. But don't say I didn't warn you—you'll regret it."
Something about her voice made Ai hesitate. Reluctantly, she reached out and took it. "Fine," she muttered. "But if this tastes like garbage, I'm throwing it at your face."
She took a cautious bite—and froze.
Her pupils dilated as the faintly glowing crumbs melted on her tongue. A surge of pure, warm energy flowed through her body. She blinked rapidly, bringing the cookie closer for inspection, then sniffed it again.
"No way… this is… a spirit cookie!"
...
In this world, "spirit energy" wasn't the air people breathed—it was life essence itself, a concentrated force of creation and balance. Some called it mana, others chi or divine essence, but it was all the same power that sustained the supernatural.
However, Earth was a barren place for such energy. Like trying to grow coral in the desert, true spiritual cultivation here was almost impossible.
Dragons like Kanna, the young blue-eyed wyrmling, could never grow to maturity in a mana-starved world. The air was thin, the energy scarce, and human food offered no nourishment. Her endless appetite wasn't a sign of power—it was instinct, a desperate echo of her draconic heritage.
Still, dragons lived long. A century to them was a nap at best.
Ai Igarashi, a high-ranking member of the Truth Society, knew exactly how rare true spiritual resources were. Even she, with her authority and access, rarely came across anything as valuable as this.
Yet this ordinary-looking cookie radiated the unmistakable warmth of spirit energy.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she held it. If there was one cookie, there had to be more. Whoever made these had discovered how to stabilize and store spirit essence—a feat even the greatest alchemists failed to achieve.
"Are there… more of these?" Ai asked, trying to sound calm, though her voice betrayed her excitement.
"Maybe~" Raphiel sang, lips curving into a teasing smile. "Why don't you guess?"
"..."
Ai's eye twitched violently. She was one smug grin away from tackling this infuriating angel.
Guess? GUESS YOUR FACE!
'This woman really is evil,' Ai thought bitterly, gripping her parasol so tightly it creaked.
Normally, she would've stormed off. But these cookies… were worth swallowing her pride for.
She took a deep breath, her tone softening against her will. "Please… just tell me."
Raphiel tilted her head, her silver hair brushing her shoulder as she smiled sweetly. "Hmm~ I could. But you'll have to call me Onee-san first."
Crack! The stick of Ai's new lollipop snapped in half between her teeth.
Her entire face twitched as she clenched her jaw. For a long, painful moment, she said nothing. Then, with visible effort, she turned away and muttered through gritted teeth, "…O-Onee…san."
Raphiel's grin widened, pure satisfaction radiating from her expression. "Good girl. There are more cookies, but I only have one right now. Still, if you visit me more often, maybe I'll share another one~"
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