Yuto leaned against the counter and explained his purchase of the flower shop next door.
A red glow flickered in Ainz's dark eye sockets.
Merging two rooms was a trivial task for a magic caster like him.
Though he still felt a lingering pang of disappointment that he wasn't being unleashed to murder street thugs, he was eager to prove his worth.
If Yuto needed construction, Nazarick's master would deliver!
"Ainz, later tonight, could you tear down this shared wall and extend the roof of the new space? We will need to seal the exterior walls too," Yuto explained, outlining his rough blueprint.
He planned to start the dusty demolition work the moment Marisa finished her soup, aiming to get the bulk of the heavy lifting done quickly.
"Consider it done. Leave the structural work to me," Ainz nodded.
As one of the original architects who helped design the sprawling Great Tomb of Nazarick, he knew a thing or two about building secure fortresses.
"Boss, if you need extra hands, I can help out too!"
Yuto hadn't bothered to lower his voice, so Rimuru chimed in from the end of the counter.
The slime bounced up and down, eager to contribute.
Originally, Yuto hadn't asked him because he figured a gelatinous blob wouldn't be much use with demolition or carpentry.
But seeing Rimuru's enthusiasm, he welcomed the offer.
With another person—or monster—on the job, the work would go much faster.
"Then I'll gladly take you up on that, Rimuru. Thank you," Yuto smiled.
Rimuru wobbled from side to side, then bobbed up and down to mimic an eager nod.
The three of them leaned in, hashing out the details of the renovation plan.
Sitting a few seats away, Yuuka listened to their conversation in silence.
Her green eyes narrowed, and a delicate frown creased her forehead.
She was displeased!
Yuto had asked the skeleton and the slime for help, but he didn't even looked in her direction.
Yukari Yakumo caught the subtle shift in Yuuka's expression.
A sly, knowing smile curled the edges of the ancient yokai's lips.
She loved a good mess.
Leaving the impromptu construction committee to their planning, Yuto returned to the kitchen.
On the stove, Marisa's cream of mushroom soup was bubbling gently.
The timing was spot on.
He lifted the heavy lid, releasing a thick, rich cloud of steam. A savory, milky fragrance instantly filled the small restaurant.
He had made a large batch; it was far too much for Marisa to finish alone, but he figured he could share the leftovers with the others.
He ladled a generous portion into a deep ceramic bowl. When Marisa had requested mushroom soup, Yuto had weighed his options before settling on a Western-style cream base.
It fit her identity as a traditional witch.
To be honest, Western cuisine wasn't his specialty. Back in his days as a culinary apprentice, mastering his own country's extensive cuisine had taken all his time, leaving little room to delve into European techniques.
Still, a classic cream of mushroom soup was straightforward enough.
The earthy depth of the mushrooms paired beautifully with rich, simmering cream.
To elevate the dish, he toasted a few flaky cheese sticks and rested them on the rim of the bowl.
He carried the steaming meal out to the dining room.
"Kamisaka's Special Cream of Mushroom Soup. Please enjoy."
Marisa leaned over the bowl, her eyes sliding shut as she inhaled the aroma.
Her expression turned into one of pure bliss. For a girl who spent her days forcing down her own toxic, explosive mushroom experiments, this simple bowl of soup smelled like pure salvation.
Yuto decided he would wait until she scraped the bowl clean before starting the dusty renovations.
He didn't want a rogue piece of drywall ruining her meal.
"Boss."
Just as Yuto was mentally mapping out where to put the new tables, a soft voice called out to him.
He turned to see Yukari smiling brightly at him from behind her folding fan.
Faced with that particular, mischievous smile, Yuto felt an inexplicable knot of dread form in his stomach.
"Is something the matter, Yakumo-san?" he asked cautiously.
Yukari let out a melodic laugh, her sharp eyes fixed intently on his face.
"Why didn't you ask for my help with your little project?" she purred, her tone light and teasing.
Yuto offered an awkward, diplomatic smile. "Yakumo-san, we have only known each other for a few days. It felt inappropriate to trouble you with manual labor so soon. But if you are offering, I would naturally be grateful."
It was a tactful dodge.
A flicker of deep amusement danced in Yukari's eyes. She snapped her fan shut and leaned forward, setting her trap.
"Well... since we are such new acquaintances, why didn't you ask Yuuka? You and Yuuka have known each other for quite a while, haven't you?"
The moment the words left Yukari's mouth, the temperature in the restaurant plummeted!
Yuuka shot Yukari a glare so sharp and cold it could have frozen boiling water.
A suffocating, chilling aura radiated from the Flower Master, filling the room with the promise of violence.
Standing behind the counter, Yuto swallowed hard.
He did want to ask Yuuka for help.
But her icy demeanor earlier that evening had convinced him she would reject him outright.
He assumed he had done something to offend her and figured asking for a favor was a hopeless endeavor.
But now that Yukari had forced the issue out into the open, he had to take the plunge.
If Yuuka agreed, it would be fantastic for the new dining room.
If she refused, he wouldn't hold it against her, she had already given him a priceless gift with her youki essence.
"Kazami-san..." Yuto started, bracing himself. "There actually is something I'd love your help with, if you have the time."
He laid out his vision: he wanted her to use her abilities to weave living plants and greenery into the architecture of the new dining room.
Yuuka raised an eyebrow, glancing at him with a calm, unreadable expression.
The deadly aura in the room thickened.
"What is it?" she asked softly.
Reimu and Marisa stopped eating.
They stared at Yuto in horror, looking at him as if he were already a corpse.
'Did this human have a death wish?!'
'How dare a mere restaurant owner ask the terrifying, bloodthirsty Tyrant of Flowers to do interior landscaping?!'
They braced themselves for the inevitable explosion of magic.
And yet...
"Fine."
Yuuka parted her crimson lips and delivered a single, indifferent word.
"Alright."
Reimu and Marisa sat frozen in shock, their jaws practically hitting the counter.
'Huh?!'
'The Tyrant of Flowers had actually agreed to such a ridiculous, domestic request?'
'What on earth was happening to this world?'
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