"Why not just take them both? You've always been the loving type anyway. It's not like you're the devoted-to-one-person kind."
Kiki's carefree voice came through the communicator, carrying a hint of nonchalant ease.
Elysia pursed her lips helplessly, her tone full of frustration. "The key issue is that I don't even know who she is! Mei doesn't seem to want me to meet that girl. She keeps hiding her."
The mere thought that Mei was keeping something from her made Elysia feel as if a cat were scratching at her heart. It was unbearably unpleasant.
If Mei had simply brought the girl to her openly, she would have welcomed her with both hands. How could she be this troubled instead?
"I don't understand the twists and turns in you young people's minds. Telling me won't help."
Kiki replied casually from the other end. Faint, noisy music could be heard in the background.
"Fine..." Elysia sighed. Her gaze shifted to the world location displayed in the lower-left corner of Kiki's communication screen. Curious, she asked, "Mom, why did you run off to Eden's world?"
"To play in a band. To play with women."
Kiki answered crisply, without the slightest attempt to hide it.
"Mom, that's way too blunt!"
Elysia couldn't help laughing helplessly. She knew her mother's personality all too well—always doing whatever she pleased, living boldly and indulgently.
"What, do I have to pretend to be some shy, innocent little girl in front of you?" Kiki laughed indifferently.
Elysia let out a soft laugh, her voice light and sing-song. "Oh my~ Mom, don't say it like that~ Sure, cuddling with pretty girls is very fun~ but I'd still rather do those sweet and interesting things with someone I truly like~"
"You like too many people. As long as she's a cute girl, you like her. Isn't that right?" Kiki teased, even rolling her eyes. Though separated by a screen, Elysia could practically picture the expression.
Elysia raised a finger and playfully pressed it to her chin, a sly glint flashing in her pink eyes. "Mm... what's wrong with liking cute people~? That's only natural~"
Then her tone shifted abruptly, as if something had just occurred to her. Her expression tightened. "Wait, Mom, you didn't make a move on my Eden, did you?"
The moment the possibility surfaced in her mind, Elysia panicked. She immediately requested access from Eden and, in the blink of an eye, entered the world of the girls' band.
The Toyokawa family residence stood quiet and elegant.
Inside Togawa Sakiko's bedroom.
Suddenly, a streak of pink light flashed, and Elysia appeared without warning on the soft bed.
Dressed in a black-and-white maid outfit, Togawa Sakiko was so startled that her face lost all color. The book in her hand fell to the floor with a sharp thud. She stammered, "Y-You... who are you?"
Elysia propped her cheeks up with both hands and tilted her head. A sweet smile bloomed across her face, like a mischievous little fairy. "As you can see, I'm a beautiful and charming elf~"
She even blinked her bright, lively eyes.
Togawa Sakiko steadied herself and cautiously asked, "What... what is your relationship with Lady Kiki?" She had almost blurted out "that woman," but at the last second, remembering Kiki, hurriedly changed her words.
"She's my mother~"
Elysia rose lightly from the bed like a fluttering butterfly, floating in midair. Mischief shimmered in her gaze. "Mm... just call me Elysia~"
Mom?!
Togawa Sakiko's eyes widened in shock. She never would have imagined that Kiki—so willful and unrestrained—actually had a daughter.
"Hello there, adorable little maid~ Can you tell me your name?"
Elysia gently landed in front of her, staring at her with expectant curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
"My name is Togawa Sakiko," she answered instinctively.
"Togawa Sakiko..." Elysia softly repeated the name, her pink eyes brimming with a smile. "What a lovely name. I'll remember it~"
As she spoke, she began looking around the room like a curious child, muttering to herself, "How did there end up being a deviation? That's strange."
"What's wrong?" Togawa Sakiko asked, confused and unable to understand what she meant.
"Nothing. I just think you're especially cute, Sakiko~" Elysia snapped back to herself, her radiant smile returning.
Togawa Sakiko was momentarily speechless. This person is way too familiar, isn't she? They had just met, yet she acted like an old friend.
From the very first moment Elysia saw Togawa Sakiko, she had already obtained her personal information through a special ability. Yet she revealed none of it, her smile unchanged—though a trace of contemplation now lingered in her eyes.
Are all the girls who play in bands in this world this unique?
"I'll go find Mom first. See you later~"
Elysia blew her a kiss. In the next instant, her figure vanished from the room, leaving Togawa Sakiko standing there blankly, replaying the dreamlike scene in her mind.