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The visitors turned out to be their neighbors—Toka Takanashi and her younger sister, Rikka.
Rikka launched straight into a long, well-rehearsed string of chuunibyou lines, then looked at Lucian with sparkling excitement.
"O spirit hunter lurking in the darkness! The Wicked Lord's Eye has sensed an overwhelming surge of magical power. I've come to form a contract with you!"
Smack!
Before she could even finish striking her pose, Toka mercilessly brought her hand down on Rikka's head, cutting the "spell" short.
"My apologies, Mr. Lucian. She's acting up again."
A faint trace of helplessness flickered across Toka's otherwise composed, expressionless face. She handed over a plate of golden fried chicken, her tone steady.
"I made a bit too much dinner tonight, so I brought some over. Also… I heard you officially became this child's homeroom teacher today. I'll be counting on you to keep an eye on her at school."
"Miss Toka, you're too polite. We're neighbors, no need to be so formal."
Lucian stepped aside to let them in, smoothly extending an invitation. "Perfect timing, actually. I bought some top-grade marbled beef today and I'm making sukiyaki. If you haven't had dinner yet, why not join us? It's livelier with more people."
"No need. We just came to say hello."
Toka shook her head. As the head chef of a high-end French restaurant, she had her own strict boundaries when it came to socializing and didn't want to intrude on the siblings' dinner.
"Eat the chicken while it's hot. We'll be heading back."
But before she could turn around, Rikka sniffed the air.
The rich aroma of sukiyaki broth mixed with premium beef drifted straight into her nose like some irresistible spell.
The "Wicked Lord's Eye" wielder swallowed hard and immediately switched sides.
"Wait! Sacred Chef!"
She grabbed Toka's arm and looked up seriously. "The Wicked Lord's Eye has just expended a great deal of energy. I urgently require meat infused with abyssal flame magic to replenish my power. I accept this contract!"
Toka's forehead twitched faintly as she looked at her sister's shameless greed, her hand already lifting for another chop.
"Miss Toka, why not stay?"
Standing in the doorway, Lucian curled his lips into a meaningful smile and casually dropped a bomb.
"I actually saw something interesting today… about Rikka."
"About her turning in a blank math test this semester—and her general attitude toward studying. I think it's something we should discuss properly. Over dinner."
The air in the hallway froze instantly.
Toka's raised hand stopped mid-air. Her calm eyes sharpened in an instant as she slowly turned to Rikka.
"Oh? A blank test?"
"Hiss—!"
Rikka sucked in a breath, clutching her eyepatch in shock.
She'd just been backstabbed!
"The dark holy war is about to begin! This place is extremely dangerous—I must retreat at once!"
She spun to run, but Toka caught her neatly by the back of her collar like a kitten and hauled her straight into Lucian's apartment.
"Then we'll accept your hospitality."
Dragging the struggling Rikka, Toka stepped into the entryway with composure, still managing to pass the plate of fried chicken to Lucian.
"I'll be listening carefully to the homeroom teacher's opinions during this meal."
Watching Rikka's utterly defeated expression, Lucian quietly shut the door on her fate.
Once inside, Toka didn't act like a guest at all. She naturally took an apron from the hook behind the door, tied it around her waist, and walked into the open kitchen to help with the remaining ingredients.
Their easy coordination came from years of being good neighbors.
Ever since Lucian moved into the apartment with Sora, Toka—both neighbor and professional chef—had looked after the orphaned siblings, often bringing over extra dishes she'd made.
Still… watching the chuunibyou girl rolling around dramatically on the sofa in the living room, Lucian couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt.
After all, at least fifty percent of Rikka's current condition was his fault.
In the kitchen, Toka deftly added tofu and konjac noodles into the bubbling pot and asked, "How does it feel, your first day as a homeroom teacher? Class 1-B must be quite a handful."
"Definitely a headache. But they've got plenty of energy too," Lucian replied with a smile, plating the seared marbled beef.
Meanwhile, in the living room, a completely different scene was unfolding.
Rikka sat upright on the sofa, staring in amazement at Sora, who was holding half a papaya and aggressively scooping out the flesh with a spoon.
As a sixth grader, Sora's sheer determination to devour the fruit—like she might eat even the peel—left even the "Wicked Lord's Eye" user slightly shaken.
"O silver-haired contractor," Rikka leaned closer, pointing at the papaya with curiosity blazing in her eyes. "Why are you consuming this crimson fruit so fervently? Does it contain some kind of berserk crystal that greatly enhances magical power?"
Sora swallowed her bite, wiped her mouth, and turned to her.
Her delicate black eyes held a depth and determination far beyond her age.
Pointing forward with her small metal spoon, she answered in a low, serious tone:
"You wouldn't understand. This isn't just a fruit full of magical power. It's a stepping stone to becoming a mature adult."
She lowered her voice further, as if declaring a sacred mission.
"It's the ultimate weapon to bridge the gap of age, defeat those cunning 'vixens,' and restore absolute balance to my territory. Only by fully absorbing its power can I remain undefeated in the wars to come."
Rikka didn't understand most of it—but she was thoroughly awed.
"I see… a path to maturity… the ultimate weapon against vixens…"
She nodded thoughtfully, silently adding "papaya" to the highest tier of magical materials in the Wicked Lord's Eye's mental database.
"Dinner's ready!"
Lucian's voice cut through their cross-dimensional conversation.
The steaming sukiyaki was brought to the table, its rich aroma instantly whetting everyone's appetite. The fried chicken Toka brought was reheated and placed front and center.
The four of them sat down together. At Lucian's signal, they all picked up their chopsticks.
"Rikka, eat more beef and less snacks. And tomorrow, I'll personally check your corrected math homework."
As he spoke, Lucian casually placed a large slice of marbled beef—coated in raw egg—into her bowl, perfectly embodying his authority as a homeroom teacher.
"Ugh…" Rikka chewed the delicious beef, letting out a cry that was equal parts pain and joy.
Lucian smiled, just about to grab some tofu for himself, when the phone in his suit pocket suddenly vibrated.
He took it out and glanced at the screen.
It was a special LINE notification.
Sender: Yukino Yukinoshita.
His eyes landed on the message. The chat box contained only two simple words—yet somehow cold and faintly resentful.
[Are you there?]
The smile on Lucian's face froze instantly.
Oh no.
He'd eaten and run.
And forgot to text her.
"....."