Vol 4. Chapter 147: Reluctantly Agreeing

However,

Just as Yumo was puzzled by her youngest daughter's behavior and contemplating how to respond to Mengxi's request, little Yuan'er actually sneaked out from behind the kitchen door. Tiptoeing furtively, she crept behind the sofa and slowly poked her little head out.

"Does this big sister have nowhere to stay? ... Boohoo... That sounds so pitiful... Sister Yu, we still have empty rooms here. Why don't we let this big sister stay with us for now?"

Poking her little head out, Yuan'er quickly blinked her watery, mismatched red-and-blue eyes and directed an irresistibly adorable gaze at Yumo.

Because of Yumo's earlier instructions, Yuan'er consciously avoided calling her "Mother" in front of an "outsider," addressing her as "Sister Yu" instead. However, since she wasn't accustomed to it, the word "Sister" sounded faintly unnatural coming from Yuan'er's mouth.

Unsurprisingly, our dear Mengxi caught that subtle awkwardness.

Glancing out of the corner of her eye at the pink-haired girl who had suddenly appeared, Mengxi revealed a slightly astonished expression. At the same time, her body instinctively assumed a combat-ready stance, and powerful holy mana began surging within her.

Is... Is that her?

That Demon King-class little girl from back then?

Naturally, Mengxi remembered this pink-haired girl vividly. After all, she had previously fought against this Demon King-class existence in Wind Facing City. The image of the girl enveloped in black light and a strange liquid, wearing a bloodthirsty, crazed smile, remained painfully vivid in her memory, causing an involuntary shiver to run through her.

After all, if Sister Yumo hadn't intervened in time back then, she probably wouldn't have survived.

...

Why is she here?

And why is she calling Sister Yumo "Sister Yu"?

Though her tone sounds a little awkward. Apparently, she doesn't usually address her that way.

But none of that matters right now.

What concerned Mengxi most was the pink-haired girl's unusually different gaze. Those mismatched red-and-blue eyes were no longer as crazed and hostile as they had been during their first encounter. Instead, they now seemed filled with a child's innocence and even... goodwill toward her?

Goodwill?

Toward me? What's going on?

Mengxi couldn't quite make sense of it.

However,

As she silently watched the little girl talking to Sister Yumo, Mengxi's wariness gradually began to fade without her even realizing it...

...

——

"Sister Yu, why don't we let her stay on the third floor? There's an empty room there."

"She's Sister Yu's student, right? Since you're the class monitor, isn't it perfectly normal for you to take care of your students?"

"Sister, the Church is so far away! If she has to go all the way there, this big sister won't be able to get proper rest. How pitiful, boohoo... Let's just let her stay for a while..."

"Sister~"

...

——

As the little girl continued speaking, one persuasive sentence after another, Yumo gradually began to soften beneath the relentless assault of her adorable charms.

Even her mouth, the only stubbornly hard part of her entire body, finally showed signs of giving in.

In the end,

The black-haired girl, who had already been feeling conflicted, ultimately surrendered to her youngest daughter's irresistible cuteness.

Letting out a long sigh, Yumo slowly nodded.

"All right, I understand."

...

Huh?!

Sister Yumo agreed?!

That child actually convinced Sister Yumo?!

Witnessing this scene, the wariness on Mengxi's face vanished completely. Once she realized that the pink-haired girl was helping her stay and harbored no sinister intentions, Mengxi couldn't help pursing her lips.

At that moment,

The pink-haired girl's previously violent and bloodthirsty image in Mengxi's mind was completely replaced by one of innocence and cuteness.

An inexplicable feeling of affection began to emerge within Mengxi.

This little girl...

Her name is Yuan'er, right?

She's... actually pretty cute...

Mengxi couldn't help thinking to herself as she directed a grateful gaze toward the little girl.

As for Yuan'er, upon noticing Mengxi's gaze, she nervously tucked half her head back behind the sofa.

She seemed a little shy?

Meanwhile,

Having finally succumbed to her youngest daughter's adorable persuasion, Yumo could only sigh and gently rub the little girl's head.

"All right, Mom... Ah, no... Sister will listen to you."

"Hehe, thank you, Sister~"

"Now go wash your hands and eat. We've kept all the food on the dining table warm for you."

"Mm-hmm! Got it!"

After rubbing her cheek affectionately against Yumo's face, Yuan'er scampered toward the dining table on her short little legs...

Yumo, meanwhile, raised a hand to her forehead in helpless resignation before glancing around the room in mild confusion.

"Strange... Come to think of it, where are Saiboke and the others?"

Yumo had originally intended to ask Saiboke and the others to look after Yuan'er, but only now did she notice that her apartment had somehow become rather empty.

Apart from herself, Yuan'er, and Mengxi, there wasn't another soul in sight.

This naturally made Yumo wonder where Saiboke and the others had gone.

Hmm...

Perhaps...

Saiboke and the others have some "urgent business" to take care of...

Just like yesterday, when they suddenly disappeared and then came back carrying a huge pile of tea leaves and whatnot...

Considering how reliably steady her old butler had always been, Yumo didn't feel particularly worried.

Instead, she shifted her attention toward the silver-haired girl beside her.

Gazing at the angelically beautiful, kindhearted silver-haired girl before her, who was practically radiating an aura of "pitiful helplessness," Yumo pursed her lips.

After a brief silence, Yumo folded her arms across her chest and raised her little head with a somewhat "tsundere" air.

Under Mengxi's gaze, which seemed to be barely suppressing laughter, she spoke in a slightly helpless and "extremely reluctant" tone.

"Fine. Since Yuan'er has already said so, I suppose I can reluctantly allow you to stay."

"Really?! Thank you, Sis... Thank you, Teacher Yu!"

"Hmph! Only for one night, understand?! Once your special escorts from the Asumos Church arrive tomorrow, you'll have to find somewhere else to stay!"

"Yes, yes, understood."

"Mm."

After responding "coldly," Yumo gracefully brushed back her beautiful hair, then slowly rose and headed toward the magnificent staircase.

"Follow me. I'll show you to the guest room."

"Mm, got it, Teacher Yu."

With her hands clasped behind her back, the silver-haired girl cheerfully followed Yumo, looking nothing like a pitiful girl who had lost her residence and was now "homeless."

However,

They hadn't taken more than a couple of steps when Yumo suddenly seemed to remember something and abruptly stopped.

"Hm?"

Seeing this, Mengxi tilted her head and displayed a puzzled little expression.

"What's wrong, Teacher Yu?"

"..."

Yumo didn't answer. Instead, she thoughtfully examined the beautifully proportioned silver-haired girl before her from head to toe.

When she noticed the dirt clinging to Mengxi's hair and clothes from her training, Yumo frowned slightly.

After spending some time living the refined life of a young lady, Yumo had gradually developed something of an obsession with personal hygiene.

And that obsession became even stronger whenever she was inside her own home.

Dirty little girls must get squeaky clean first!

"I think there's something more important you need to do before looking at your room."

"Something more important?"

"That's right! You filthy little girl, hurry up and take a bath first!"

The black-haired girl spoke in a tone that permitted no argument.

The next moment,

Before Mengxi could even figure out what was happening, Yumo grabbed her slender arm and dragged her straight into the bathroom on the second floor...

Mengxi: Huh?!