Tatsumaki looked at Rimuru's indifferent expression and felt a surge of anger. That damn brat!! She's banking on the fact that I'd never agree, just to ruin my reputation!
Well, I'm going to spite you! I agree! Let's see what you do now!! Tatsumaki pulled a reverse psychology move in her mind, a smug little expression appearing on her face.
Although Tatsumaki had considered many things, she missed the most important point: whether she agreed or refused, the only one who stood to gain was Rimuru.
If she agreed, Rimuru gained a powerful and beautiful servant for a month. If she didn't, Rimuru lost nothing. Tsk tsk, one could only say that Tatsumaki didn't seem very bright.
"Hmph, I agree. Tell me, what do you want me to do?" Seeing that Rimuru wasn't even as tall as her, Tatsumaki stopped using her powers to fly and stood on the ground in front of Rimuru. She crossed her arms, speaking with a classic tsundere attitude.
"First, come shopping with me." Rimuru thought for a moment and decided to help Mosquito Girl buy soy sauce and seafood first, to avoid forgetting and having to make another trip later. It would be a hassle.
Tatsumaki nodded and followed Rimuru. The two of them walked into the mall together to shop.
Soon, people in the mall witnessed a strange sight: the Rank 2 hero, Tatsumaki, was using her Psychokinesis to carry a large pile of items behind her, while walking beside the very cute Little fellow, Rimuru.
Many people took out their phones to take pictures. After all, it was rare to see an S-Class Hero, let alone one so close to everyday life.
Several people gathered together, whispering about how down-to-earth heroes actually were, even doing their own shopping. This made them like the heroes even more.
It was a good thing Rimuru wasn't wearing Miss Shizu's mask; otherwise, they probably wouldn't have been able to move an inch. Even now, it was a bit difficult, but they could still keep walking.
"I say, how much more are you going to buy? Isn't this enough?" Tatsumaki glanced at the many items floating beside her and asked Rimuru.
"This is nothing, of course it's not enough. These are just my clothes. We still have to go to the seafood section. By the way, do you want to come to my house for dinner tonight? If you're coming, I'll buy more."
Rimuru calculated that the clothes were enough and it was time to go to the seafood area. He answered Tatsumaki and then invited her to dinner.
"I'm going! Why wouldn't I? I've carried so many things for you, and you've already treated me like a p—" Tatsumaki was speaking without thinking. Fortunately, Rimuru reacted quickly and stuffed a pastry he hadn't finished into her mouth to shut her up, preventing himself from appearing in the news the next day.
Something like "Unknown Boy Treats S-Class Hero Tatsumaki as a Servant." Of course, that's what Rimuru thought. If it really made the news, it would probably be: [The Love-Hate Relationship Between an Unknown Loli and the Rank 2 S-Class Hero, Tatsumaki.]
Tatsumaki, munching on the pastry, seemed to realize what she was saying. She ate in small bites and turned her head away, refusing to look at Rimuru.
"Let's hurry. After this, we need to get some snacks." Rimuru used a tiny bit of the Repulsive Force from his Rinne-Sharingan to clear a path, allowing them to speed up.
Tatsumaki was a little surprised. Oh? This guy can use Repulsive Forces too? It seems he's not as simple as he looks on the surface. Maybe being a servant for a month isn't such a bad thing.
"Since you're eating too, let's buy more. Anyway, money is just a number to me." Rimuru said some extremely humblebragging words while taking Tatsumaki to buy a huge amount of seafood. Worried their pot at home was too small, he even bought a larger one.
While buying snacks, he also picked up a bottle of soy sauce for Mosquito Girl. A mountain of items floated behind Tatsumaki. If it weren't for her high mental strength allowing her to move things in batches, she probably would have blocked the mall's entrance.
Soon, the two returned to Rimuru's house in City Z. Tatsumaki was still shocked that Rimuru lived in such a dangerous place when she suddenly heard him call her. She turned to look at him.
"There's a monster in my house. Don't worry, she's not bad. I picked her up to be a maid, so don't attack her later. Got it?"
Rimuru warned Tatsumaki about Mosquito Girl beforehand. Tatsumaki's face immediately wore an "odd knowledge has increased" expression.
"Forget it, just remember not to go attacking people randomly." Rimuru was too lazy to explain further. After all, in Tatsumaki's view, all monsters should be eliminated. How did someone end up keeping a monster and even making her a maid?
After saying that, Rimuru raised his hand and knocked on the door. "Xiao Wen, I'm back. Open up." Although Rimuru had keys, who uses keys when someone is home? It was too much trouble.
A pitter-patter of footsteps came from inside. Soon, the door was opened by Mosquito Girl. When she saw Rimuru, a bright smile appeared on her face, and she spoke in a voice as gentle as water.
"Welcome home, Rimuru-sama~"
"This is Tatsumaki. She's having dinner at our place tonight." Rimuru briefly introduced the Tatsumaki following behind him to Mosquito Girl, then turned to introduce Mosquito Girl to Tatsumaki.
"This is Mosquito Girl, my maid. Among the things we bought, give everything to her except for the snacks and clothes."
After speaking, he took the lead and walked inside, leaving Mosquito Girl and Tatsumaki staring at each other.
It was Mosquito Girl who first broke the eerie silence. "Um... Lady Tatsumaki, please give me the items and then go inside to rest."
Hearing Mosquito Girl's words, Tatsumaki nodded and entered the house. She left a large pile of seafood and a pot at the entrance, while the rest floated in after her for Rimuru to deal with.
Genos and Saitama stared blankly at Tatsumaki as she followed Rimuru in. Genos was surprised, while Saitama didn't recognize her at all.
Holy crap? What did Rimuru do to bring this person home?
Rimuru quickly put away the snacks and clothes, then led Tatsumaki to the living room. He introduced Saitama and Genos to her before sitting on the sofa.
He patted the sofa, signaling Tatsumaki to sit. Once she sat down, he simply lay his head on her lap.
Tatsumaki's face turned bright red. Flustered and embarrassed, she shouted at Rimuru, "You! You, you, you!! What are you doing?!!"
"Don't shout, don't shout. Since you're my servant, there's nothing wrong with letting me use your lap as a pillow." Rimuru waved his hand and asked Saitama, who was playing games, to toss him an apple from the table.
Saitama grumbled a bit in annoyance, but he still found a moment to toss an apple to Rimuru. Rimuru lay on Tatsumaki's lap, munching on the apple.
Genos sat beside Saitama, staring blankly at Rimuru, lost in thought.
"You! And that baldy!! Don't you dare go spreading rumors! Or I'll kill you both!!" Feeling Genos's gaze, Tatsumaki immediately yelled at him and the gaming Saitama.
Saitama didn't even give Tatsumaki a glance, continuing his game. Just a little brat like Rimuru, I'm not listening to you.
Genos also didn't react. We're both S-Class Heroes, why should I listen to you? He gave Tatsumaki a look, then turned back to watch Saitama play, trying to learn something from his gaming.
Ah, this guy is really obsessed. It's just a game; how could there be a secret to getting stronger? Besides, Saitama is terrible at games; it'd be a miracle if he learned anything.
"Aren't you eating? There are apples over there." Rimuru poked Tatsumaki's thigh, snapping the angry girl back to her senses. She used her Psychokinesis to grab an apple and bit into it viciously, as if she were biting Rimuru.
Those two jerks! Just you wait!! Especially this hateful Rimuru!! Later, I'm definitely going to make you my servant for two months—no, for a year!!
Soon, Mosquito Girl finished preparing dinner. Everyone sat around the table, looking at the seafood in the pot. The seafood was of the highest quality, smelling delicious—the scent of the ocean.
Rimuru glanced at the scallops and conches in the pot and frowned slightly. He pulled Tatsumaki, who was about to reach for some seafood, toward the kitchen.
"Rimuru, aren't you eating? Where are you going?" Saitama was ready to compete with Rimuru for food, but Rimuru just left, leaving Saitama completely baffled.
"Oh, I'm going to mix some dipping sauce. You go ahead and eat." Rimuru lied through his teeth and pulled Tatsumaki into the kitchen.
"What are you doing?! If you're not eating, why are you stopping me!?" Tatsumaki glared at Rimuru and shouted angrily.
"You saw when I was buying seafood. Think about it, what else was there?" Rimuru said this to Tatsumaki as he reached out to open the lid of the steamer on the stove.
Hearing Rimuru's words, Tatsumaki immediately realized—King Crab!! Giant Lobster!! She turned to look at the steaming pot, which indeed contained a massive, deliciously fragrant king crab.
Tears of joy flowed from the corners of her mouth. She rubbed her little hands in anticipation, but after a few rubs, she realized her posture was wrong. She immediately crossed her arms, tilted her chin up, and put on an "I don't even want to eat this" look.
"She really is a textbook tsundere." Rimuru looked at Tatsumaki's solo performance with half-closed eyes and complained inwardly.