"Ara ara, I never expected Yuuka to care so much about that little shop owner."
Yakumo Yukari lay sprawled across the tatami mat floor without a single shred of dignity or grandeur, her expensive clothing completely disheveled.
She didn't mind in the slightest.
This was the Mayohiga—the House of the Lost—a domain belonging solely to her.
Even if anyone actively tried to find it, they would only end up lost.
In the spacious room, her fox-eared shikigami, Ran, was quietly sweeping up the mess her master had made.
As Yukari's familiar, Yakumo Ran was a chronically overworked laborer.
Ordinary shikigami might only be summoned to fight or occasionally assist with complex magic.
But Ran? Not only did she have to act as a bodyguard, but she also had to sweep, wash clothes, mop the floors, clean the rooms, and even take care of Chen.
Sometimes, she even had to handle her master's actual duties as the Sage of Gensokyo.
It was safe to say that Ran was one of the busiest, most stressed youkai in existence.
Despite being exploited so relentlessly, the fox girl had occasionally considered voicing her complaints.
But after one particularly memorable "lesson" from Yukari, she had come to a realization: being busy was still vastly preferable to being strung up by her tails and mercilessly teased.
That lesson had taught her a great deal about holding her tongue.
"Lady Yukari, what exactly are you planning now?" Ran stopped sweeping and looked at the woman lying lazily on the floor, a distinct hint of alarm in her voice.
Yukari was undeniably beautiful, but right now, the fox girl couldn't appreciate it.
She was just panicked about whatever scheme was brewing in her master's head.
"Ran, do you really think so poorly of me in your heart?" Yukari lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling delicately, acting as if her servant's words had wounded her deeply.
Such a fragile, heartbroken expression would have been enough to shatter the hearts of ordinary mortals.
But Ran remained completely unfazed.
She knew all too well just how shameless and thick-skinned her master truly was.
Such a pathetic little act? Hah! She had seen through it centuries ago!
"Lady Yukari, please speak properly," Ran said flatly.
"Tsk. Ran is so boring," Yukari clicked her tongue lightly.
The heartbroken maiden act vanished completely, replaced by a sharp, intense look of anticipation and dangerous interest.
"To be honest, I really don't intend to do anything this time. I'm just genuinely curious about Yuuka." Yukari shifted to lie on her side, propping her head up with one hand.
"Curious? Why is that?" Ran tilted her head, her fox ears twitching in genuine puzzlement.
"Hehehe... it's quite rare, isn't it? That arrogant, bloodthirsty Flower Tyrant actually caring so much about a human. Although the shopkeeper can't exactly be called an ordinary human anymore... this whole situation... Ran, don't you find it absolutely fascinating?" Yukari chuckled softly, her purple eyes gleaming in the dim light.
Holding her broom, Ran nodded thoughtfully.
Yes, it truly was something to be curious about.
Kazami Yuuka had never been one to stay up late.
She was a flower youkai, her daily routine had always been to wake at sunrise and rest at sunset.
It was only recently that her bedtime had drastically shifted.
Because Yuto kept his diner open so late, by the time Yuuka returned from the human world, Gensokyo was already pitch black.
...
In the quiet inner room of Mugenkan, the Dream Mansion, Kazami Yuuka slept peacefully under the moonlight.
Her sleeping face was calm and gentle, bathed in a silver glow as if covered by a hazy, protective veil.
In her dreams, the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
Once again, she was dreaming of those simple, hazy memories from the distant past.
It was a time before she had become the terrifying Tyrant.
A time when she was still just a simple flower.
Every day, she simply basked in the warm sun and drank the morning dew.
No killing. No bloodshed. Everything was still beautiful.
She hadn't dreamed such dreams in a very, very long time.
Through endless years, she had forged a fearsome reputation for slaughter, her entire being steeped in violence and overwhelming power.
For centuries, even in her sleep, her dreams were locked in brutal battles with challengers.
Such peaceful, serene dreams—she had never even dared to hope for them anymore.
But ever since meeting Yuto over a month ago, her bloody, terrifying nightmares had gradually grown calmer.
And now, they had finally become completely peaceful.
Compared to the kind of brutal, high-stakes battles that used to make her blood boil with excitement, she found herself growing much more accustomed to this quiet tranquility.
Moreover, visiting the little restaurant every single day seemed to have become an indispensable part of her routine.
That simple, warm flower cake had somehow become something she couldn't live without.
...
"Huh... a goddess, huh..." Yuto murmured, slightly astonished.
He wasn't surprised by the concept of gods existing.
After all the chaotic beings he had met recently, gods were practically a given.
It was just the fact that the petite, energetic girl standing in front of him was one that left him somewhat taken aback.
"Mhm, that's right, that's right! I am a goddess! So, are you surprised?!"
Hestia—that was the girl's name.
Listening to her boastful self-introduction, Yuto's mind was momentarily filled with absolute disbelief.
'Are all gods this... immature?' he thought.
And yet, looking at her, he supposed her appearance fit the divine mold in a strange way.
She effortlessly possessed a physique that human women could hardly achieve: an incredibly petite body paired with a ridiculously huge chest held up by a single blue ribbon.
'Hiss...' Yuto mentally winced.
"As for surprise, I guess a little," Yuto said.
"Hehe! If you're so surprised, then why not join my Familia?! I'll take incredibly good care of you and look after you!"
When Hestia mentioned joining her Familia, her blue eyes practically sparkled with desperate excitement.
Her gaze was filled with intense, overwhelming longing!
"As for the Familia... there's really no need. I don't know how to do anything except cook. I don't think I'd be of much help to you, Hestia," Yuto smiled, politely declining the offer.
Hestia's bright face instantly fell.
"It's fine! You just need to join!" she pleaded, perking right back up and looking at him with renewed, pathetic anticipation.
This left Yuto a bit puzzled.
'Are all gods this persistent? Why does she insist on me joining her Familia so badly? Could it be...'
"Hestia, why are you so insistent on me joining?" Yuto looked curiously at the increasingly embarrassed goddess.
"This... well... this..." Hestia stammered, looking both embarrassed and deeply conflicted.
She pressed her two index fingers together, nervously drawing circles in the air.
The twin tails in her jet-black hair trembled slightly as she shook her head.
Yuto chuckled softly.
The girl standing in front of him truly didn't act like a divine being at all.
"Could it be... that Hestia's Familia has very few members, so you're just trying to recruit anyone you can?" he teased lightly.
It was nothing more than a gentle, unrealistic joke on his part.
After all, the girl was a literal goddess.
And she was quite cute!
How could there be no one wanting to join her Familia?
But the moment he finished speaking, Hestia's expression froze solid.
Her blue eyes stared at him in utter disbelief, as if he had just stabbed her in the heart.
Under that tragic gaze, Yuto suddenly felt a horrible pit form in his stomach.
'Wait... could I have guessed right? No way...'
"Hestia... could it really be like that?" Yuto hesitated, genuinely unable to believe his own speculation.
Hestia responded with a deafening silence.
The goddess suddenly seemed entirely unable to look him in the eye, her shoulders slumping in defeat.
Yuto took a deep breath, quickly trying to do damage control.
"Personally, I don't think the number of members in a Familia matters all that much! Even if there are very few members in your familia, if everyone can get along well and help each other out, I don't think it would lose to a massive familia with hundreds of people," he offered kindly, hoping to comfort her.
Because the goddess standing in front of his counter looked like she was on the verge of tears.
'Is this really a goddess?! Why is she so prone to crying?!' Yuto scratched his head, feeling incredibly awkward.
"But... but..." Hestia's voice trembled, intermittent and low.
Yuto's eyebrows shot up.
He had a very bad feeling about this!
Hestia slowly lifted her head. Her blue eyes were filled to the brim with fragile, shimmering tears.
'She's going to cry. She's going to cry. The goddess is going to cry!' Yuto panicked inwardly.
"But I don't have a single Familia member!!!!"
And the dam broke.
She cried!
From her curious, boastful expression upon entering to open-mouthed dramatic wailing, Hestia had taken less than ten minutes.
Yuto sighed deeply, rubbing his temples.
He truly didn't expect this.
The goddess standing before him literally didn't have a single follower.
'So even goddesses can be totally useless...'
"Hestia! Hestia, please, it's okay! Not having members now doesn't mean you won't have any in the future!" Yuto stammered.
'How do you comfort a wailing deity?!' he thought frantically.
'Waiting for online advice chat, quite urgently!'
"Wahhh! Even though those adventurers all seemed to like me, why didn't any of them want to join my Familia?! Every single one of them is a liar!!!"
As soon as Yuto tried to comfort her, she only cried harder, throwing a tantrum exactly like a toddler.
Not at all like a divine being.
Yuto was at a total loss, he wasn't very good at comforting crying girls.
Suddenly, he remembered the massive pot of congee simmering in the back kitchen.
It should be just about done by now.
'Better let her have some food first. Having something warm in her stomach might ease her sadness.'
He quickly ducked into the kitchen, grabbed a small porcelain bowl, and ladled a generous scoop of the century egg and lean pork congee from the pot.
Through her blurry tears, Hestia saw him place the steaming bowl on the counter and felt a bit puzzled.
For a moment, the delicious smell actually made her forget to cry.
"This is..." she sniffled, her voice thick and hoarse.
"Here. Kamisaka's special century egg and lean pork congee. Have a sip, and your worries will disappear!" Yuto said with a bright, encouraging smile.
He desperately hoped the food would distract her.
Or, as the old saying goes: just stuff her mouth with food so she stops crying.
The steam from the hot porridge wafted upward in gentle, savory swirls. Breathing in the rich aroma, the goddess's tears finally ceased to fall.
Her blue eyes blinked twice with intense curiosity and sudden longing.
"Thank you," she whispered politely, cradling the warm bowl in both hands and taking a small, cautious sip.
The moment the creamy savory porridge passed her lips, her expression instantly shifted to one of pure delight.
Every single trace of her earlier sorrow and humiliation vanished completely.
Observing the rapid transformation, Yuto couldn't help but smile faintly.
'If her sorrow could be healed that easily with food, then it wasn't a very serious problem to begin with.'
Gulp, gulp...
The goddess practically inhaled the bowl, tipping it back to drink the porridge clean in seconds.
Seeing her demolish the food so happily, Yuto breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
It seemed everything was fine now.
"Ah—so delicious!" Hestia set the empty bowl down with a heavy, satisfied thud.
Yuto handed her a paper napkin, there were still traces of porridge smeared at the corners of her mouth.
"Thank you," she said, accepting the napkin and gently dabbing her lips with a sudden, forced air of calm elegance.
After all, she was a goddess... she still had to maintain the most basic etiquette!
"Are you still feeling sad?" Yuto asked playfully.
"Much better! This food is amazing! Back in the Heavens, this could have easily been offered as a divine tribute!" the goddess praised, giving his cooking an absurdly high compliment.
This made Yuto chuckle out loud.
If this simple street food could be considered a divine tribute, then the gods were far too easy to please.
He found her dramatic, bouncing personality endlessly amusing.
"Since you're no longer sad, you should keep pushing forward. Even though you don't have a Familia right now, I know you'll find your own people in the future!" Yuto encouraged her warmly.
Having just revitalized her stamina and her spirits with the food, the petite goddess was once again filled with burning fighting spirit!
"Kamisaka-kun! The next time we meet, I will show you my amazing Familia!" Hestia clenched her tiny fists and declared with burning earnestness.
"Yes, do your best!" Yuto cheered her on.
With renewed enthusiasm, Hestia waved a cheerful goodbye and departed into the night.
Yuto didn't even bother charging her for the bowl of congee.
It was just a little comfort food, after all.
Hestia's chaotic visit had certainly opened his eyes.
'So there really are useless gods out there too,' he mused with a helpless shrug.
However, as he wiped down the counter, Yuto found himself genuinely looking forward to her promise.
By the time they met again, she should have finally found her Familia, right?
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