Luo Hong felt a bit of irony regarding Bronya's attempt to "exploit a loophole." However, since he hadn't made a rule against it—and because he had even bigger plans for Theresa—he went along with it.
"Just this once," he told Bronya. Then, he snapped his fingers, dumping the entire plot of the Magical Girl series directly into the minds of both Theresa and Bronya.
"Sss—!" ×2
The next moment, both girls gripped their heads, looking like they'd just suffered a massive brain freeze from eating too much ice. The influx of information was overwhelming.
"Mr. Luo Hong, what's wrong with TeRiRi and Bronya?" Mei emerged from the kitchen with utensils, only to see them both gasping in pain.
"They wanted some information, so I gave it to them," Luo Hong said gently as he took the utensils from Mei. "Thank you."
"You're very welcome. It is I who should thank you." Mei sat back down, relaxing only after the two girls seemed to recover. Curious, she asked, "What kind of information was it? Can you tell me?"
"Information about magical girls. It's no secret, don't worry." Understanding Mei's concern, Luo Hong added, "And since I set the prices myself, I actually just want to ensure you don't feel like you owe me anything emotionally. We should interact as equals to be better friends, don't you think?"
"Eh?" Mei looked stunned. "Is that not a rule of this world? Mr. Luo Hong, you really are a kind person."
She had said it several times now, but she truly felt that "kind" was the best word to describe him.
"If you keep saying that, Bronya will get upset again," Luo Hong joked, glancing at the girl beside him.
"No, no." Mei shook her head and looked at Bronya, who had calmed down. "Bronya, please repeat what you told me earlier to Mr. Luo Hong. That way, the misunderstanding between you two can be cleared up." She gave Bronya an encouraging smile.
"Uh..." Under Mei's expectant gaze, Bronya gritted her teeth so hard they nearly shattered. She turned to Luo Hong and recited tonelessly, "Forgive me, Lord. B-Bronya... mis-un-der-stood you!"
She emphasized "misunderstood" with such force it was clear she was channeling all her rage into that one word.
"It's fine, it's fine," Luo Hong said dismissively. "I know Bronya is a good girl. Once we 'deepen our understanding' in the future, you'll see how good I am." He gave her a wink, knowing she understood exactly what "deepening their understanding" meant.
Bronya rolled her eyes as she turned away. You villain!
"Mr. Luo Hong," Mei interjected, trying to smooth things over. "Bronya hasn't had many men around her growing up. I hope you can understand her attitude."
"I understand. Her wariness is perfectly natural. However, my conscience is clear; every trade with her has been fair."
"Hmph. Bronya... concedes that much." Bronya nodded coldly while eating. That was the only foundation of her trust in him; otherwise, she would have tried to take him down long ago.
The rest of the meal proceeded in a surprisingly harmonious atmosphere, mostly consisting of casual chat between Luo Hong and Mei. As they finished—
"Mr. Luo Hong." Mei handed him an intricately prepared bento box, her face slightly flushed. "This is the price for using the training grounds. I hope it satisfies you."
Luo Hong took the box, watching Mei clasp her hands behind her back. Her nervous, girlish posture was incredibly endearing.
"If I said this before the meal, it might have sounded like a mere politeness," Luo Hong said warmly. "But now, I can say with certainty: with your culinary skills alone, Miss Mei, you would make an outstanding wife!"
"An outstanding wife... you overpraise me, Mr. Luo Hong." Mei looked shy. "I am still in training. I'm not 'outstanding' yet."
"Then please keep up the hard work." Luo Hong then put on a look of self-reproach. "Actually, I was too traditional just now, equating a woman's value with being a wife. My apologies, Miss Mei. My tongue is clumsy; it was the best praise I could think of for your cooking."
"Eh?" Mei hadn't expected him to be so self-reflective. She waved her hands hurriedly. "That was a wonderful compliment! I truly appreciated it."
"Really?" Luo Hong looked relieved. "That's good then."
"You're too cautious, Mr. Luo Hong," Mei said, twirling a strand of her hair. "Between friends, you can speak more freely. If I really felt offended, I would tell you openly. Just keep it in mind for next time."
"Being friends with Miss Mei is truly my great fortune."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Mei, Luo Hong saw her off, as she had to wake up early to prepare breakfast.
Then—
"We'll talk about the price later. Don't worry, I won't be too excessive."
Without giving Bronya a chance to speak, Luo Hong directly kicked her [Offline].
Now, only he and Theresa remained.
"TeRiRi, TeRiRi..."
Seeing the NPC versions of Mei and Bronya walk away, Theresa immediately sensed the shift in atmosphere. She let out a few cute sounds, desperately trying to "moe" her way out of the situation.
"Now that your students are gone, do you intend to keep up the act?"
Luo Hong wore a radiant, narrow-eyed smile as he looked at her. "Lord Principal."
"Y-You..."
Hearing this, Theresa realized her disguise had failed from the very beginning. To be honest, after receiving the information about the Magical Girl world, she had entertained the fantasy that Luo Hong actually mistook her for Magical Girl ☆ TeRiRi.
But now—
"Lord Principal, you wouldn't want the secret of you cosplaying as a magical girl to be found out by your students, would you?"
—The truth had become the ultimate leverage against her!