"Yesterday, Uncle Ainz gave me a doll, so today I wanted to give Uncle Ainz a gift in return," the little girl replied in her soft, sweet voice, prompting Ainz to cast Forced Calm on himself once more.
Even after forcibly calming himself, Ainz's heart remained filled with tender emotion—a feeling he had rarely experienced since his transmigration.
If he still had a physical body, he felt he would surely have cried.
"Ah, thank you, Shoko. I really like this pendant," Ainz murmured gratefully, accepting the charm from her hand.
He hung it prominently on the front of his robe.
The image of the skeletal overlord was shattered by the tiny cat pendant.
Rimuru and Saitama, standing nearby, didn't laugh.
Instead, they felt a pang of envy!
"Eh? Really? But I feel like the pendant I picked doesn't really suit Uncle Ainz," Shoko said, her voice tinged with concern.
When choosing the gift earlier, the little girl had simply followed her own preferences. Now, she realized the cat pendant clashed horribly with Ainz's imposing figure. A pang of sadness tugged at her heart.
"Hahaha, it's fine, it's perfect! It suits me perfectly! Rimuru, Saitama, what do you think? Does this pendant suit me?!" Ainz burst into laughter, his voice brimming with joy and excitement as he turned to his friends.
Rimuru and Saitama nodded with a hint of envy.
'Ah, I want to get a gift too!' Saitama and Rimuru both thought.
Ainz, too caught up in his own excitement to notice his friends' feelings, turned to Shoko.
"See, Shoko? You chose perfectly! Rimuru and Saitama both agree."
The little girl was easily fooled, her face lighting up with a relieved and delighted smile.
Her eyes darted furtively toward the kitchen.
Actually, she had prepared two gifts today!
Ainz, basking in his good mood, failed to notice Shoko's furtive glance.
The other two members of their trio, lost in their own disappointment and existential crises, were equally oblivious.
"Oh, Shoko, did you run into those little brats who bully you today?" Ainz suddenly remembered the Misfortune Doll he had given her.
He was eagerly anticipating the consequences for those bullies.
"Mm-hmm, I did."
"Oh? Did they bully you today?"
"Not today! I ran into them, but one of them tripped really badly while walking toward me. He accidentally pulled the person next to him down too, and they both fell hard. Then they carried the injured boys away."
"Hmm, that's good." Ainz nodded repeatedly as he listened to Shoko's story.
Still, he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
'Why didn't the curse trigger a more severe effect?' Ainz thought.
'A crippling injury would have been perfect. Just get cripple already, those damned brats!'
...
When Yuto brought out the thick tamagoyaki, he saw Shoko chatting with Kanna.
This brought a smile to his face.
He first placed a portion of the thick omelet in front of Yuyuko.
Since she had arrived, she had eaten a considerable amount, yet her expression remained calm and serene.
It was impossible to tell how the food was affecting her.
"Tohru, take this over."
He then placed another portion of the thick omelet on the counter.
Finally, he could put his employee to work.
Tohru responded immediately, cheerfully taking the plate and leaving.
Yuto noticed Chen already asleep in the fox yokai's arms.
Instead of returning to the kitchen, he asked, "Asleep so early?"
It was barely past eight o'clock, far too early for even a young child to be asleep.
Moreover, Yuto knew Chen was a yokai.
"Mm, Chen's been going through a growth spurt lately. Her demonic power has been unstable, causing her to fall asleep frequently," Ran explained, looking at the cat-eared little girl in her arms with a mixture of helplessness and tenderness.
Though they were nominally shikigami, Ran had essentially raised Chen.
To Ran, Chen was like a young cub.
"Is it okay for her to sleep like that?" Yuto asked, watching Chen curled up in Ran's arms.
He couldn't help but wonder if the little girl could really sleep comfortably.
"It's fine. Chen's a cat yokai, and cats are naturally very flexible when it comes to sleeping. Besides, we'll be heading back soon anyway."
Hearing Ran's words, Yuto understood.
Cats, after all, were indeed creatures of habit when it came to sleep.
"Are you leaving already?" Yuto turned to look at Kazami Yuuka and Yakumo Yukari.
He knew that Ran and Chen followed Yukari's orders, so he focused his attention on the two of them.
As for Suika, her drunken state made Yuto doubt whether she was even coherent.
Yuyuko was a ruthless eating machine who also obeyed Yukari's commands. Reimu and Marisa were still asleep in the corner, so they didn't need to be considered.
That left only Yuuka and Yukari to ask.
"Ara, I don't mind either way, but Yuuka seems eager to return," Yukari said with a sly smile, her words drawing Yuto's gaze to Yuuka.
Hearing Yukari's words, Kazami Yuuka shot her a cold glare, her eyes flashing with what seemed like murderous intent.
"Are you leaving, Kazami-san?" Yuto asked calmly.
But as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a pang of confusion.
He had seen Yuuka's brow furrow slightly, a fleeting expression that vanished in an instant, yet he was certain he had witnessed it.
'Shit—did I say something wrong again?'
Yuuka remained silent, nodding slightly.
Beside her, Yukari quietly covered her mouth with a smile, her eyes sparkling with amusement as if something had tickled her fancy!
"Yukari, are you leaving so soon?" Yuyuko asked, looking up from her plate of thick omelet with a hint of sadness.
She still wanted to eat more!
"Yes," Yukari replied with a gentle smile and a nod.
Yuyuko's expression turned slightly forlorn before her eyes suddenly lit up as she turned to Yuto.
"Boss, come to Hakugyokurou with me!"
Hakugyokurou was Yuyuko's residence in the Netherworld.
Yuto chuckled softly and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I'd rather stay here."
The ghost girl's face visibly fell.
She had simply wanted Yuto to become the chef at Hakugyokurou.
Beside her, Yukari let out a soft, helpless chuckle.
Kazami Yuuka stood up abruptly, signaling her departure.
Yukari clicked her tongue lightly and also rose to her feet. Yuyuko, Ran, and Chen followed suit.
As for Suika... she had somehow slipped away and was now sitting across from Quetzalcoatl, heartily drinking with her.
"Suika, it's time to go," Yukari called out softly.
Suika, busy drinking, gestured an okay without speaking.
Yuto watched this scene with a profound sense of helplessness.
He hadn't even noticed when Suika had slipped over to Quetzalcoatl to offer a toast.
'Is this some special ability of an oni?'
"Reimu and Marisa..." Yuto thought of the two girls huddled in the corner.
The moment he spoke, Yukari's expression brightened with sudden realization, as if she had only just remembered they were there.
"Oh dear, I almost forgot!"
Her tone carried a hint of feigned relief as she waved her hand.
In the corner, the two girls plummeted into a fissure that opened beneath them, taking the mattress with them.
The abrupt disappearance drew the attention of the other guests, but only briefly piqued their curiosity.
Yuto was momentarily speechless.
He didn't expect Yukari to actually forget about them.
"Well then, Boss, see you later!" Yukari flashed a playful smile.
The contrast between her usual refined demeanor and this sudden playfulness was captivating.
"Mm, see you later," Yuto replied warmly.
With Yuyuko, Ran, and Chen in tow, Yukari departed without delay.
Nearby, Suika bid farewell to Quetzalcoatl, visibly thrilled to have finally found someone who could match her in drinking prowess.
As an ancient dragon and a former goddess at that, Quetzalcoatl harbored an insatiable love for fine spirits.
The two parted with flushed cheeks and slightly glazed eyes.
After leaving her payment, Suika followed suit.
Only Kazami Yuuka remained from the Gensokyo group as Yuto glanced at her with a hint of surprise.
"Kazami-san, is there something else?" he asked softly.
Yuuka took a barely perceptible breath, her emerald-green eyes fixed on Yuto.
Her cool, beautiful face shimmered like snow atop a mountain, glittering under the golden sunlight.
This beauty was different from Yukari's, yet no less striking.
Even Yuto found himself momentarily mesmerized.
"From now on, call me Yuuka," she said, turning and leaving without giving him a chance to ask any questions.
He stood there for a moment, stunned, before letting out a soft sigh.
'Yuuka, Yuuka...'
Calling her by her first name.
A strange sense of elation stirred within him.
He called many people by their first names, but only now... this felt different.
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