After they'd waited a bit, Emilia walked in wearing a light lavender nightgown.
"Good morning, everyone."
The girl greeted them politely, then sat down in the main seat beside Roswaal's place.
Hayashi Maki sat across from her and smiled, nodding.
"Morning, Emilia. You're even prettier today. I heard you were doing morning prayers just now? You're really diligent."
"Um… not really. Hayashi Maki, honestly, don't say things like that…"
Emilia cupped her face, clearly embarrassed.
What flustered her the most was that she could feel his compliment was sincere.
He didn't seem the least bit disgusted that she had silver hair like the Witch of Envy, or that she was a half-elf.
He genuinely thought she was beautiful.
"I'm just telling the truth," Hayashi Maki said with a grin. "You should just accept it boldly, Emilia. No need to be shy."
Aqua rolled her eyes, openly showing her contempt.
She was already starting to understand her new archbishop's personality: shameless and horny, in bold letters.
As Hayashi Maki finished speaking, a little gray-furred cat jumped out from behind Emilia and gave him a big thumbs up.
"Not bad, kid. You've got good taste! But even if you praise my daughter, I'm not just going to hand my Lia over to you that easily!"
"Oh? That's a shame. So, Father-in-law, what conditions would I have to meet to entrust Emilia to me?"
"Jeez, Puck! Hayashi Maki, don't joke around like that!"
Emilia almost exploded from embarrassment, raising her voice in protest.
Hayashi Maki just looked at her and nodded approvingly. "As expected, very cute."
Puck flashed a row of sharp little teeth. "I'm rooting for you. My daughter's the tsundere type—you're in for a lot of work."
"Got it. I'm a very patient man. Just leave everything to me, Father-in-law."
Hayashi Maki and Puck shared a conspiratorial grin, leaving Emilia completely speechless.
"You two, stop teasing me! So annoying!"
Puffed-cheeked, Emilia glared at man and spirit, her chest rising and falling with indignation.
The view was… impressive.
Hayashi Maki was just about to say something when a little girl in a pink dress with golden twin-drill curls ran in.
Her eyes lit up when she saw Puck. "Is it Oniichan? You're finally back. You'll keep me company properly today, right? Betty has been waiting so long!"
"Of course. Honestly, I can't refuse you."
Puck hopped into her open hands, rubbing up against her fingers affectionately.
Hayashi Maki glanced at the little girl, his eyes heating up.
This self-proclaimed "Betty" was actually the spirit guarding Roswaal's forbidden library: the great spirit Beatrice.
She was one of the artificial spirits created by Echidna, and had been a friend of the original Roswaal centuries ago.
When danger came, Echidna ordered Beatrice to stay in the mansion and guard the forbidden archive, waiting for "a certain person who does not exist." That wait had lasted several hundred years.
That "person" had never appeared.
Her heart had gone from hopeful, to disappointed, to quietly broken.
After centuries of waiting, she had even considered letting herself die just to escape that crushing loneliness and meaningless contract.
Apparently sensing his gaze, Beatrice flicked her eyes toward him, starlight patterns glinting in her irises. She curled her lips in disdain and snapped:
"What are you staring at? Filthy human. Hmph, acting like you've never seen the world before."
Hayashi Maki spread his hands helplessly. "I just thought you were cute and looked a few times. Can't even look?"
"Hmph, Betty can't be bothered with you, smooth-tongued, filthy human."
After that one jab, she slipped right back into "good girl" mode, speaking softly and sweetly to the Puck in her hands.
The loli spirit really had two faces.
Hayashi Maki shook his head, not taking it to heart.
Either way, this shut-in great spirit who'd been holed up for hundreds of years was also on his must-have list.
"Well, this is unexpected. It's been so long, Betty, and you finally came down to eat with us again~"
A man in a black formal suit stepped through the door, his face painted like a circus clown. His blue hair and mismatched eyes—one blue, one yellow—made him look anything but normal.
"Could it be," he drawled, pinching his voice strangely, "that you came especially for me?"
Beatrice shot him a look and snorted even colder than before.
"Hah? What are you babbling about? One boring person in this house is already more than enough."
The "boring person" in question—Hayashi Maki—couldn't help rubbing his nose.
This little gremlin was really arrogant.
Or maybe she was just acting out because of disappointment.
Beatrice, as a great spirit attuned to Yin, specialized in space magic.
Inside the mansion, she'd turned her library doors into "doors of chance"—when people opened doors, there was a chance they'd randomly connect to the forbidden archive.
Of course, if you wanted to find her on purpose, it was simple: open every door in the mansion. The last one left had to be hers.
She'd spent centuries waiting for "that person." When new strangers finally appeared, even this cynical, lonely little spirit couldn't help secretly hoping again.
But Hayashi Maki didn't look at all like "that person," and that made her feel disappointed… so she snapped at him.
As for calling him a "filthy human," she'd probably heard Ram and Rem's commentary. Those two maids had slandered him the moment they met him.
Hayashi Maki made a mental note: he'd definitely teach those two a lesson someday.
The clownish man—Roswaal L. Mathers himself—nodded politely to Emilia, then let his gaze sweep over Old Man Rom, Felt, Aqua, and Hayashi Maki. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly before he sat down at the head of the table.
Ram and Rem stood primly by his side, the picture of proper maids.
"Well then, ladies and gentlemen, let's eat. Please, don't be shy."
"Since you're all friends of Emilia-sama, then you are friends of Roswaal as well. I shall, of course, treat you with the highest hospitality."
"In that case, I won't hold back, Roswaal-sama," Hayashi Maki said with a smile, nodding before digging in.
The dishes were made by Rem, and they were very good—he ate with great satisfaction.
Seeing that, Aqua didn't stand on ceremony either and started devouring food like a black hole.
Felt, watching the two of them eat so naturally, relaxed and followed suit.
With Hayashi Maki here to take the lead, what was there to be nervous about?
She hadn't figured out her future yet, but she'd already begun to lean on him in her heart.
Hayashi Maki quickly finished everything on his plate.
"Delicious. Roswaal-sama's table is impressive. May I ask who cooked?"
"It was Rem," the blue-haired maid said, stepping forward.
Hayashi Maki gave her a thumbs-up. "Very nice. Rem will make a wonderful wife someday."
"Thank you for the meal. Emilia-sama, Roswaal-sama—there's something I'd like to ask. I'd like to keep staying here for a while… if that's all right?"
Now that he'd eaten and drunk his fill, it was time to show his hand.
He was a pervert, after all. Staying here gave him the best chance to contract more girls.
And Subaru Natsuki had already been turned to ashes by his hand. If Hayashi Maki stayed, it was also to protect Emilia, Rem, Ram, and the others.
Someone had to stop Roswaal, the lunatic who kept hiring killers to murder his own people.