Dinner was exceptionally sumptuous. Shichen didn't cook alone; instead, he and Tohru plus Chisato worked on it together. The two of them were in very high spirits—it was their first time cooking alongside Shichen.
But at mealtime, they couldn't stay cheerful.
Kanna didn't sit by herself; rather, she occupied Shichen's lap, eating while perched on his legs. Moreover, Shichen kept feeding her the entire time. Compared to them simply offering him dishes, the difference really showed.
In that moment, they both felt Kanna was no longer so cute.
Sure, she was adorable, but the fact that she was stealing Shichen's attention diminished all that charm.
Only Kasumigaoka Utaha ate her meal in silence, not joining Tohru and Chisato in their gloom. After all, Kanna was merely a child—even though she was a dragon who had lived tens of thousands of years, her mindset was clearly childlike. She needed their protection, not envy.
While Tohru and Chisato, ironically, felt somewhat jealous, Utaha—who considered herself calm and mature—didn't mind. Kanna was just a little girl. There was no point fretting. A normal teen could be far more complicated than an ancient dragon child. And as someone confident in her own charms, Utaha had no worries.
As she saw it, although Chisato came across as knowledgeable, she was also prone to going along with childish drama—who could say if it was genuine or intentional? Either way, a girl like that easily drew attention. She herself, on the other hand, only relied on her natural beauty to attract attention. But being so confident, she had nothing to fear.
After dinner, Tohru and Chisato cleaned up the kitchen, leaving Shichen to carry Kanna upstairs to prepare her bedroom.
Fortunately, he was quick-witted and had bought several sets of bedding beforehand, so they didn't need a last-minute run to the store. Now that he could use spatial magic, it wouldn't have mattered if he'd forgotten, but planning ahead never hurt.
Shichen chose a room across from Tohru's for Kanna. Holding her, he headed in.
"How about this room, Kanna?" he asked, setting her down.
"It's kinda small… but it'll do for sleeping."
"Heh heh~" Shichen rubbed her little head. "Well, in your current form, this is plenty big."
"Mhm. Shichen~ Shichen, where's your room?" Kanna asked in her sweet, childish voice.
"Next to Tohru's."
"And Tohru-sama's room is…?"
"Right across from yours."
"Oh, so then why isn't my room right next to yours?"
"Because the other side belongs to Chisato." Shichen patiently explained.
"All right, I get it."
"I'll help you make the bed."
"Thank you, Shichen," Kanna said earnestly.
"No need to be so polite; we're all family here."
"Family… oh~" Kanna seemed to really like that word, eyes lighting up in fascination.
Shichen couldn't help laughing at how she looked. Indeed, she had lived so long, yet was so childlike—completely different from the typical "adult's" mindset.
"Shichen~ Shichen, why are you laughing?"
"Ah… because you're very cute, Kanna."
"I'm cute?"
"Extremely so."
"Do you like me then, Shichen?"
"Of course I do."
"In that case, I'll always stay cute." Kanna said with a stern little face, as if making a serious promise.
"Haha, all right, Kanna. You must remain adorable."
"Mhm!"
After that exchange, Shichen quickly made the bed. Since the weather was warm, a simple blanket sufficed.
"All done—Kanna, want to lie down and try it out?"
"I do!"
Kanna flopped onto the bed, rolling from side to side. Shichen watched her small figure flip around, his heart practically melting. Indeed, children were so precious. An obedient, sweet child is doubly so.
He used to think he disliked kids, but now realized what he disliked was troublemaking children. Like Kanna, well-behaved ones simply tugged at his heartstrings.
"Okay, okay, shall we go look around the rest of the house?" Shichen said, interrupting Kanna's rolling.
"Oh, sure," Kanna answered, then stretched out her arms. "Shichen~ Shichen, carry me."
Shichen found that impossible to refuse. He bent down and lifted her. "Kanna, you shouldn't get too friendly too fast, y'know."
"Why not?"
"Because we don't know each other that well yet."
"But Tohru-sama trusts you, so I trust you as well!"
"Heh, well, you shouldn't act like this with other people."
"I know—I'll only do it with Shichen."
"Good girl~"
Brimming with contentment, Shichen showed Kanna around the second and third floors. He even revealed his "game room," not yet fully furnished. Kanna took great interest in it, so Shichen decided he would decorate it within the next couple of days.
Worries about "gaming interfering with real life" were irrelevant. Kanna wasn't a normal human; she was a dragon who had lived tens of thousands of years, so there was no way it'd be detrimental. Even if she were a regular girl, her minority status in this strange household made academics less of a priority. As long as one's outlook was fine, a bit of indulgence was harmless.
Shichen didn't know Kanna's educational level, but he definitely planned to let her attend school eventually. Mingling with classmates her "age" would presumably bring her joy. Staying cooped up at home with a bunch of older folks wouldn't suit her.
They toured the third floor for quite some time. Only after finishing his grand explanation of the future "game room" did Shichen carry Kanna back downstairs.
By then, Tohru, Chisato, and Kasumigaoka Utaha had finished cleaning up and had come upstairs. So when Shichen and Kanna arrived in the living room, two pairs of discontented eyes locked onto him.
"Tohru, looks like you guys are done," Shichen said casually, without any guilty conscience.
"Yes, Chen-dono…" Tohru stared at Kanna.
"Chen-nii, you gave Kanna the full house tour?" Chisato beamed, waving at the girl.
"Mhm, finished," Shichen replied.
"And you…seriously?" Kasumigaoka Utaha eyed him. "You're back as store manager, so can't you help out a bit? You didn't do anything in the café."
"Well, you three took care of everything, didn't you? And we're all family after all—each of you is a store manager too!"
"Knock it off. That sweet talk won't work on me." Utaha folded her arms with feigned displeasure.
"Oh, how my heart breaks…"
"Chen-dono," Tohru cut in, "shouldn't you put Kanna down? She can walk, you know."
"How petty can you be, picking on Kanna." Shichen teased.
"But I never got to enjoy that treatment," Tohru retorted pitifully.
"You're much bigger, and I can't exactly carry you around like this."
"I can shrink!" Tohru promptly declared.
"Even so, wouldn't that lose all meaning?"
"How mean…"
Shichen sighed. Leaning in, he whispered, "We hugged a lot this afternoon—didn't that suffice?"
"Oh, right~" Tohru recalled being wrapped around him entirely, arms around his neck, legs clamped around his waist.
"What are you two whispering about?" Kasumigaoka Utaha asked suspiciously.
"Nothing…" Shichen answered.
"You sure?" She sounded unconvinced.
He simply chuckled. "Actually, it reminded me: Tohru once mentioned that you were fighting over my bed—what's that about?"
"…"
~~~
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