Dinner was hotpot.
After the meal, Sylvie returned to the bedroom on the third floor next door, Ron went back to the study, while Yuna and Nora stayed in the kitchen to wash the dishes.
"So… do you usually eat hotpot at the shop? No one cooks regular dishes?"
Yuna passed a rinsed plate to Nora and asked curiously.
"No," Nora replied without much thought. "Hotpot is only occasional. Lately, it's probably because the weather's cold, so we've been eating it more often."
"As for cooking, the Boss usually does it. And he's really good at it."
"…I see."
Yuna nodded, a faint frown appearing on her brow.
A dignified Seventh Prince personally cooking—what kind of situation was that?
Her thoughts turned, and a brilliant idea formed.
Pretending to speak casually, Yuna said, "Ron André seems pretty busy lately, right? That's probably why he hasn't had time to cook."
Nora paused.
Now that Yuna mentioned it, it did seem true.
She'd also heard Ron say at the table that matters related to Element Cards were reaching a critical stage.
"If someone could help Ron André share the workload, that'd be great, right?" Yuna continued, watching Nora's expression closely.
"After all, cooking really doesn't suit someone of his status."
Nora's dishwashing slowed. She lowered her head, looking a little dejected.
"But… I don't know how to cook…"
"You can learn," Yuna said lightly.
"I was thinking of asking Ron André if I could take some time to learn cooking, but I'm worried he might scold me…"
"Huh?"
Nora was taken aback. After thinking for a moment, she said,
"Then maybe I should ask instead… You just got here, Yuna, and besides…"
She glanced at Yuna—who was even shorter than herself—hesitated, then added,
"If you were learning to cook… you'd have to stand on a stool. That'd be too dangerous."
?
A question mark popped up in Yuna's head.
My normal height is taller than Sylvie's, you know!
Damn it.
"Well then, good luck~."
Yuna put on a sweet smile, completely "unbothered" by the remark.
So a few minutes later, while Ron was reading in the study, he heard a knock on the door. Nora's little head poked in as she asked softly:
"Boss, I want to learn how to cook. Is that okay?"
...
Later that night, after Nora finished bathing and returned to the guest room, Ron went into the bathroom.
He agreed to Nora learning how to cook without hesitation—it was a small matter anyway.
They were all living under the same roof now. Dividing chores reasonably was only natural.
That would also make things easier for him in the future.
After all, eating hotpot every day wasn't sustainable.
With that in mind, Ron started showering.
Then he heard the system notification.
[System: Side quest triggered.]
Ron froze, momentarily dumbfounded.
How did taking a shower trigger a side quest?
[Side Quest] — [Sell Element Cards]:
[Objective: Make Element Cards go viral throughout the entire Royal Capital. The system will determine whether the "viral" standard is met.]
[Reward: Element Potato Seed and its cultivation method.]
"So it's an Element Cards quest…"
Ron stroked his chin thoughtfully.
When he had started producing Element Cards, the system hadn't issued any related tasks.
He'd assumed the system wasn't interested in this aspect.
And now it suddenly released a side quest?
Was this some kind of bug?
After some thought, Ron roughly guessed the reason.
Kiel's caravan had probably just arrived in the Royal Capital.
Since Element Cards were about to be officially sold, the system finally triggered the task.
As for the reward—Element Potato…
That name sounded extremely slapped together.
Still, a plant related to "elements" was probably something good.
That meant selling Element Cards was now just as important as the hotpot restaurant.
Ron didn't think any further. After finishing his shower, he returned to his room and entered meditation.
When he had sent Kiel off, Ron had deliberately written a letter for him, instructing him to seek out Mia upon arriving in the Royal Capital.
So tomorrow, he could just ask Mia about the side quest.
But just as he was about to fully enter deep meditation, the system prompted him again.
[System: Spy has entered your room.]
?
Ron woke up with a head full of black lines and said irritably to the empty air,
"Can you stop sneaking into other people's rooms in the middle of the night?"
No response.
[System: Spy is hiding in the wardrobe.]
"You're in the wardrobe, right? Stop hiding."
Ron got out of bed and walked toward it.
A shadow slipped out from the wardrobe's gap and condensed into a figure before him—it was Yuna, in her mature form.
"What kind of ability is this of yours?" Yuna complained, looking bored as she sat on the bed, bracing herself with her hands behind her.
"Sixth-tier assassin shadow techniques are completely useless against you."
"So what do you want now?" Ron grabbed her ankle helplessly.
"You keep doing this—how am I supposed to meditate at night?"
"I'm the one who wants to ask!" Yuna glared at him.
"You were already about to enter deep meditation—how did you still detect me? You're just a second-tier newbie!"
Ron rolled his eyes.
The system literally tells me in my head—how could I not know?
"If there's nothing important, go back to sleep," Ron said, letting go and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Don't disturb my meditation."
Yuna didn't leave immediately. Instead, she lifted her foot onto the bed, tapping Ron's leg with her toes in a teasing manner.
"I just went to Nora's room. That girl was calling your name in her sleep~."
Ron glanced at her.
"Do you want me to throw you out?"
"Fine, fine."
Yuna got off the bed and turned into a shadow.
"So boring."
Ron rubbed his forehead. Only after confirming she'd left did he lie back down and enter meditation.
On the attic floor.
The shadow condensed into Yuna's form once more, now back to her one-and-a-half-meter-tall loli appearance.
She flopped onto the bed with a plop, burying her face in the pillow, a relaxed smile appearing on her lips.
Only now did the turbulent emotions left from killing earlier finally settle.
After Ron became a Chosen One, he became the focus of far too many eyes.
He himself didn't feel it strongly yet, but in reality, many people—including Yuna—were quietly working to protect his daily safety.
That fifth-tier warrior earlier today had specialized in concealment and tracking-type battle aura. Yuna had needed to tangle with him for a while before finally resolving it.
The lingering stench of blood made it hard for her to suppress her killing intent, which was why she subconsciously sought out something—or someone—to calm herself.
She had no idea who that fifth-tier warrior was… there hadn't been any identifying marks on him.
The few dealt with last night, though, had left some clues to their origins…
Such a hassle…
Yuna took a deep breath, forcing herself to set those thoughts aside. Her slender, small body curled up under the blanket.
Tomorrow, maybe she'd make Ron drink those awful mixed drinks.
With that thought, Yuna closed her eyes, a faint curve at the corner of her lips, and slowly drifted into sleep.