Kochou Shinobu was silent for a full five seconds,
Then she shook her head gently and helplessly: “Ara ara, Mr. Hanayuki Ippuu, really… I just can’t do anything with you~”
In the end, she still picked up that small dish,
And along with Hanayuki Ichika’s food box, she headed towards the kitchen to heat them up.
Kanao watched quietly the whole time,
After Kochou Shinobu left, her gaze turned toward Hanayuki Ichika, an extremely subtle curiosity flashing in her purple eyes.
Before long, Kochou Shinobu returned carrying the heated food.
She placed both food boxes in front of Hanayuki Ichika—
One was a complete set meal, while the other was the small portion of leftovers she had eaten from.
Hanayuki Ichika opened the food box,
Steaming hot vapor wafted over him.
He first ate his own portion,
Then he picked up the small dish and finished off the leftovers Kochou Shinobu had left behind,
His face even carried a hint of…
satisfaction?
In the corner of the dining room, the three little ones of the Butterfly Mansion who were organizing medicinal herbs—
Kanzaki Aoi, Terauchi Kiyo, and Takada Naho witnessed this entire scene.
The three of them exchanged a glance,
And silently reached a consensus in their hearts:
[This handsome Mr. Demon… is really hungry!]
The ‘Wang-star’ (dog) in the Butterfly Mansion: [I don’t dare open my eyes, I hope it’s just my hallucination!!! No way, man… We never thought that one day we’d have to compete for our food bowls with a different species! As a poop-scooper—go scoop the poop properly, you bastard! (Roaring face with tears) Don’t steal the food the mistress of the Butterfly Mansion gives us…]
After dinner, Kochou Shinobu pressed her hands together,
And smilingly made a request: “Since Ippū-san is full, then… could you help with some work?”
“After all, you can’t just eat for free~”
Her smile was gentle yet carried a hint of being impossible to refuse.
Hanayuki Ichika nodded straightforwardly:
“So… what does Kochou need me to do? A foot massage? Or an essential oil back massage?”
The smile on Kochou Shinobu’s face stiffened slightly,
And a few veins popped out on her forehead…
[Calm down… calm down… I’m not angry…]
She slowly exhaled, calming her thoughts.
She suppressed the urge to use her foot, clad in a white cotton sock,
To kick Hanayuki Ichika right in the face.
“The hot spring roof in the side courtyard of the Master’s house is leaking a bit, A few ceiling panels need to be repaired.” Kochou Shinobu handed over a toolbox,
“Originally, members of the Kakushi should have done it, but they’ve been short-handed lately. Ippū-san should be up to the task, right?”
“No problem, Kochou.”
Hanayuki Ichika took the toolbox,
And following the direction Kochou Shinobu pointed, he walked toward the side courtyard of the Master’s house.
The night was deep, and it was very quiet within the headquarters.
He arrived at the side courtyard and found the hot spring bathhouse—
It was an independent Japanese-style building, and at this moment, a warm light was glowing inside,
And the sound of water and soft voices could be faintly heard.
They must be preparing to bathe, right?
Hanayuki Ichika thought as he went around to the side of the building and found the wooden ladder leading to the roof.
Covered with wooden planks and tiles.
He stepped onto it carefully and found the leak Kochou Shinobu had mentioned.
The few wooden planks there were indeed somewhat decayed,
And the light from below could be seen through the gaps.
Hanayuki Ichika opened the toolbox,
Took out the tools and replacement wooden planks, and began to work.
His movements were very careful,
Trying his best not to make too much noise.
But just as he was replacing the third plank…
The author’s mighty hand was activated!!!
His foot suddenly and accidentally stepped on a particularly old beam…
Crack!
A slight splintering sound.
Hanayuki Ichika was startled,
And before he could react, the wooden plank beneath his feet suddenly collapsed!
“Wha—!”
He lost his balance entirely,
And fell straight down!
At this moment, inside the hot spring room, the steam was dense.
Lady Amane and her four daughters were soaking in the warm spring water.
The four little girls had had a great time playing with Hanayuki Ichika during the day,
And were still chatting excitedly now.
“That big brother is really gentle!”
Nichika said, splashing the water.
“His movements when catching the ball were agile and gentle, As if he was afraid of accidentally bumping into us while catching it.” Hinaki added softly.
Kanata nodded,
A rare smile on her small face: “And… the way he looks at us is different from those adults.”
“There’s no pity, and no excessive respect.”
Kanao said in a thin voice, “It’s like… he’s really just playing with children.”
Lady Amane listened gently to her daughters’ words,
A gratified smile on her beautiful face.
She gently pulled Kanata into her arms,
And stroked her hair.
“That Ichi Fu-kun, although he became a demon…”
But he is indeed a special child.” Lady Amane said softly,
“Your father has also placed his trust in him, so—”
Her words came to an abrupt halt.
Because at that very moment—
Rumble!
The ceiling overhead suddenly shattered!
Fell straight into the hot spring pool!
Splash—!!!
A huge splash rose,
The spring water surged violently, splashing Lady Amane and her four daughters all over.
When the water settled, everyone froze.
Hanayuki Ichika sat up from the hot spring pool,
Soaking wet, his white hair plastered to his face.
He wiped his face and opened his eyes—
And met five pairs of eyes.
Lady Amane, along with Hinaki, Nichika, Kanata, and Kanao,
Were soaking in the hot spring, staring at him dumbfoundedly.
The air was dead silent.
A few seconds later, Lady Amane was the first to react.
She quickly grabbed a bathrobe from the poolside, shielded her four daughters behind her,
Tightly covering their bodies with the fabric, while also shielding herself.
On her face, which was always gentle and composed,
A flush of red appeared now.
Her eyes were a mix of surprise and bashfulness,
As well as a hint of vigilance.
The four daughters hid behind Lady Amane,
Their small heads peeking out from the edge of the bathrobe, four pairs of large eyes blinking as they looked at Hanayuki Ichika,
Their expressions shifted from the previous excitement and praise to complete bewilderment and awkwardness in an instant.
Just a moment ago, they were praising this big brother for being kind and gentle…
And the next second, he fell from the sky?
This makes it very awkward for them!
Hanayuki Ichika looked at the scene before him,
Feeling like his brain had also stalled for a few seconds.
He stiffly raised his hand,
Scratched the back of his head, and gave an extremely awkward, extremely sheepish smile:
“Um… if I say I fell down by accident, Would you… believe me?”
Lady Amane did not speak.
She just silently held her four daughters in her arms a little tighter,
Looking at him quietly with those beautiful eyes, a gaze that seemed to say: “What do you think?”
The four daughters didn’t speak either.
They just silently and in unison shook their heads—
Their small heads shaking like rattle-drums.
In the hot spring pool, the steam was still dense.
But the atmosphere had dropped to freezing point.
Hanayuki Ichika knew—
It’s over!!
This time, he really can’t explain himself.
How is he going to explain this to Kochou later??
Will he be trampled by Kochou?