Heimer's gaze swept over the stove still stubbornly spouting flames, then glanced at the black smoke filling the room.
"Should I be thankful that you haven't managed to set my entire house on fire yet?"
"G-God!"
The moment she saw Heimer appear,
the spatula and the broken knob in Ryu's hands clattered to the floor.
Like a child caught misbehaving by a parent, she instantly stood ramrod straight, hands pressed flat against her apron, and hastily bowed a perfect ninety degrees to Heimer.
"I-I am terribly sorry!"
"It was my impulsive idea! My skills are inadequate!"
"I've broken your property... I will definitely compensate you!"
Ryu's voice was full of panic.
Chloe and Lunoire beside her,
upon seeing Heimer's half-smiling, half-serious expression, immediately shrank their necks, feeling a chill run down their backs.
"G-Good morning, God, meow!"
"All of this was Ryu's doing alone, meow! Really! Lunoire and I tried our best to stop her! She was the one who insisted on showing off!"
Being a Cat People girl—Chloe reacted the fastest. Her little face, smudged with black soot, quickly put on an extremely ingratiating smile, her cat eyes blinking rapidly, trying to cute her way out of trouble.
"Y-Yes! That's right!"
Lunoire immediately nodded in agreement beside her, her head bobbing like a chicken pecking at rice.
"We originally wanted to help, we told her to let us do it, but Ryu insisted on doing it herself... We couldn't stop her at all!"
While it was indeed the truth,
throwing their teammate under the bus was just too swift.
Watching these two who instantly switched sides and were practically desperate to shift all the blame onto Ryu to save themselves,
Heimer also gave them an exasperated side-eye.
These three together really could put on a grand spectacle.
Especially these two slick ones, they were practically the epitome of terrible friends.
"Alright."
"Enough with the act."
"If something like this really broke that easily, it wouldn't be you I'd be looking for."
With that,
Heimer waved his hand.
He then walked directly into the kitchen, which still reeked of burnt food.
...
As Heimer approached,
the three of them, being exceptionally well-behaved, lowered their heads and stepped aside, clearing a path.
Heimer walked straight to the stove still emitting black smoke.
Then, bending down, he picked up the knob, reattached it, and proceeded to completely turn off the flames on the stove.
As the stove, which had been stubbornly spitting fire, finally went completely dark,
the three of them finally let out a sigh of relief.
As the black smoke slowly dissipated,
after finishing all this,
Heimer also turned around, dusted off his hands, his gaze sweeping over the completely ruined frying pan before finally landing on Ryu, who was still bowing deeply.
"Raise your head, Miss Elf."
"..."
Hearing this, Ryu's body stiffened.
Only then did she tremulously raise her head.
Her face, covered in black soot, had evasive eyes, completely unable to meet Heimer's gaze.
"Wipe that dirty face of yours."
Heimer pointed to his own cheek as an indication.
"Otherwise, if those little girls come down and see you later,"
"they might think I made you climb the chimney first thing in the morning."
"...Yes."
Hearing this, Ryu felt even more ashamed.
She hurriedly and flusteredly lifted her sleeve and rubbed it haphazardly across her face a few times,
trying to wipe off the black soot that had utterly disgraced her.
However,
due to being too panicked, and the fact that her hands were also dirty,
not only did she not clean it off,
Instead, it completely smeared the few black marks on her face into a messy mess.
The soot spread across her fair skin, getting darker and messier the more she rubbed.
Even the tip of her nose was smudged with a black spot.
Seeing Ryu's clumsy and pitiful state, getting more flustered the busier she got.
Heimer sighed somewhat helplessly.
"Forget it."
"Let me do it."
He really couldn't watch any longer.
Having said that, Heimer took a direct step forward.
This movement made Ryu instinctively want to step back.
But with the cooking counter behind her, there was nowhere to retreat.
She could only watch as Heimer's hand reached out.
It grew larger and larger in her pupils.
And then.
He wiped away the layer of soot on her cheek.
"!"
Too close.
For Ryu, who suffered from severe mental trauma and almost never let anyone touch her except for Syr.
Normally, if any man dared to do this to her, or even just tried to get close.
Her first reaction would definitely be to snap the person's wrist and arm together.
"There, all done."
However.
At this moment, Ryu's body was as stiff as a piece of wood.
Her whole being seemed frozen in place.
Even her breathing had stopped.
Not until Heimer had withdrawn his hand and casually rubbed the soot on his fingertip.
Ryu still hadn't come to her senses.
"..."
To the point where Chloe and Lunoire, who had witnessed the entire scene from the side.
At this moment.
The expressions on their faces were almost identical.
Mouths agape, eyes wide.
As if they had seen something unbelievable.
This was the Gale, after all!
An elf with cleanliness ingrained in her very bones!
The one who once beat an Adventurer trying to hit on her so badly in the pub that he couldn't get out of bed for half a month, even leaving him with psychological trauma!
Actually...
She actually had her face touched by this black-haired god and didn't cut anyone?
"Meow..."
Chloe hurriedly covered her mouth, her eyes darting frantically between Heimer and Ryu, her gossiping soul burning fiercely.
Big news!
Definitely the biggest news of the year!
If the others in the pub knew that Ryu hadn't lost her temper after being touched by this black-haired god, their jaws would probably hit the floor!
After all.
Most elves were very proud and noble people with extremely strong self-esteem; even if it were a god, they would be quite resistant to being touched by anyone other than those they acknowledged.
"What?"
"Are you two very free?"
Seeming to notice those two gazes nearby that were so hot they were about to catch fire.
Heimer withdrew his gaze and turned to look at these two who were clearly watching the show.
"Since you're so free to watch the show here."
"Then I'll leave the task of breakfast to you."
Heimer pointed to the mess in the kitchen and the smoking pot.
"Within half an hour."
"If you don't clean this place up and make a breakfast that satisfies my group of picky children."
"I'll have Captain Shakti personally come and take you to the Ganesha Familia's jail for tea."
"And by the way, I'll tell Captain Shakti."
Heimer's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That you tried to poison my kitchen."
"!!!"
"Meow?!"
"Poisoning?!"
As soon as these words came out, Chloe and Lunoire's fur instantly stood on end.
After all, if this charge was proven, it wouldn't be as simple as having tea! Poisoning a god was a crime that would mean rotting in jail!
And with Shakti's stubborn, one-track personality!
She would definitely take it seriously!
"Meow! No, Lord Deity!"
"We'll do it! We'll do it right away!"
"Stupid Lunoire, get moving! Chop the vegetables! Chop the vegetables, meow!"
"I know! Stop rushing me! Dammit... why am I always the unlucky one!"
In an instant.
The will to survive conquered all.
Chloe and Lunoire, the duo who usually loved to slack off the most, burst with unprecedented work enthusiasm at this moment.
They hurriedly began to work frantically in the kitchen.
The sounds of chopping vegetables, washing pots, and lighting fires rose one after another, their movements so fast they were almost a blur.
Looking at the two who had instantly entered work mode and could even be said to be overperforming.
Heimer also nodded in satisfaction.
This was the correct way to start the morning.
Some people never know how much potential they have until they are pushed.
As for Ryu...
Heimer glanced at Ryu, who was still standing there in a daze.
"Miss Elf, don't just stand here staring."
"Although delicate work like cooking isn't for you."
"Go do something you're good at."
Heimer pointed to the living room outside the kitchen door.
"Wipe the tables and sweep the floor."
"It's all basic physical labor; it shouldn't be too hard for Miss Elf."
"Of course."
"If Miss Elf accidentally wipes a table so hard it breaks..."
"My furniture is quite valuable; if Miss Elf accidentally breaks it."
"Then please work for me for the rest of your life to pay off the debt."
"Yes!!!"
Hearing Heimer's words, Ryu finally snapped back to her senses as if she'd received an electric shock.
...
At this point.
The mansion became completely busy.
-------------------------
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