After Hestia finally left, only Tohru and Yuto remained in the quiet restaurant.
Just as Yuto reached over the counter to clear the plates Sakura and the goddess had used, Tohru intercepted him.
"Boss, let me do it!"
With the loud, intimidating deity finally gone, the dragon girl's energy returned in full force.
She had been sitting rigidly in the corner for the past hour.
Yuto lowered his hand, happy to step back.
Since his new employee's enthusiasm was running high, he was more than willing to let her handle the chores.
Tohru neatly stacked the ceramic plates and cups.
She looked at Yuto and asked, "Boss, should I wash these?"
"Yes, but just leave them in the sink for me," Yuto replied.
When he hired her, the agreement was that he would handle all kitchen duties.
Cooking and washing dishes fell under his domain.
To be honest, Yuto wasn't entirely comfortable letting someone else handle his expensive kitchenware just yet.
"It's fine! Let me do it!" Tohru waved him off confidently.
The dragon girl clearly wanted to show off her skills and prove her worth.
Yuto smiled and nodded, deciding to give her a chance.
Tohru marched into the back kitchen and began scrubbing the dishes with practiced, rhythmic ease.
To reassure himself, Yuto peeked over her shoulder. He checked the rinsed plates and confirmed they were spotless.
"I didn't expect you to be so good at this," Yuto laughed, genuinely impressed.
The dragon girl beamed at the praise.
Her thick green tail swayed leisurely behind her, looking exactly like a happy puppy that had just been petted by its owner.
"I've watched the maids in my castle do these things all the time, you know!" Tohru boasted, a hint of royal pride in her voice.
She turned around, wiping her wet hands on a towel, and pointed at Yuto's chest.
"Boss, your apron is dirty."
Yuto looked down.
He kept several spare white aprons in the back. To maintain strict hygiene, he swapped into a fresh one at the start of every shift and washed the dirty ones after closing.
The apron he was wearing tonight had already survived the messy preparation of several massive rice bowls and a batch of greasy taiyaki.
Naturally, it was speckled with dark oil stains and flour dust.
"Oh, it's fine. I'll throw it in the wash after we close," Yuto said casually.
Hearing this, Tohru's golden eyes narrowed in thought for a second before suddenly lighting up.
"Boss! Take it off right now! I'll wash it for you!"
Yuto blinked, slightly taken aback by her sudden enthusiasm.
But then it clicked.
She was a magical dragon, when she offered to 'wash' it, she probably meant using some kind of convenient cleansing spell or water magic.
Thinking it would be a neat trick to see, Yuto untied the strings and pulled the apron over his head.
"Thank you, Tohru," he smiled, handing the stained fabric over.
Tohru took the apron, flashed him a bright cheerful smile and then immediately shoved the entire piece of clothing into her mouth.
Yuto froze. '?????????'
"Gurgle... gurgle..."
Tohru's cheeks bulged as she aggressively chewed on the heavy cotton apron.
Thick white foam began bubbling from the corners of her lips as she aggressively swished it around her jaws like a washing machine.
Yuto stared at the scene in sheer horror.
He lunged forward and grabbed the apron strings that were still dangling from her mouth.
"Stop it! Spit it out!"
Tohru looked at him with wide confused eyes, clearly not understanding why he was interrupting her cleaning cycle.
She opened her jaws and spat the soaking wet, foam-covered apron onto the counter with a loud 'pfft.'
"What's wrong, Boss?" the dragon girl asked, tilting her head innocently.
Even though Yuto had imagined a lot of bizarre things regarding mythical creatures, he never in his wildest dreams would have guessed that dragon saliva functioned as heavy-duty laundry detergent.
When he first saw it, it felt completely insane.
But thinking about it logically... animals cleaned themselves with their mouths all the time.
Cats licked their fur to stay clean themself.
Perhaps dragon saliva contained a powerful magical cleansing enzymes?
"See? This is actually super convenient!" Tohru declared proudly, pointing at the foaming apron.
Yuto remained dead silent.
He just felt an overwhelming sense of speechlessness!
"How about I wash all of your clothes from now on, Boss?! It's fast, and it gets them super clean!" Tohru offered excitedly, mistaking his stunned silence for impressed agreement.
"Absolutely not," Yuto refused instantly, showing no mercy.
"Huh?! Why not?!"
"No reason."
Tohru's shoulders slumped, looking deeply dejected as her tail hit the floor.
Yuto grabbed a fresh apron from the shelf and tied it on.
As for the apron that had just been aggressively chewed and half-cleaned by dragon saliva... he picked it up with a pair of metal tongs and threw it directly into the washing machine.
Yep.
It's definitely better to trust human technology.
"By the way, Tohru... why were you so terrified of Hestia earlier?" Yuto asked, leaning against the counter.
He remembered how the dragon girl had practically glued herself to the furthest wall the entire time the goddess was in the room.
Her face had been pale with obvious tension.
Moreover, Tohru hadn't spoken a single word while Hestia was around, which was incredibly unusual for the normally loud, boisterous dragon.
Hearing his question, Tohru let out a long, heavy sigh.
"After all, she is a god," Tohru muttered, her golden eyes darkening. "In my world, the gods are the sworn enemies of my kind."
Listening to her grim explanation, Yuto remembered her terrifying title.
"I see."
Tohru's eyes carried a heavy mix of bitter reminiscence and raw, predatory ferocity.
Even though she looked like a cute clumsy maid right now, her true nature was that of a vicious, beast of war.
"Our main enemies are humans and gods," Tohru explained, tracing a claw lightly against the wood.
"Among the humans, there really aren't many who can actually scratch a dragon. The real threats are those gods. They are all insanely troublesome to kill."
"So, does that mean humans aren't very strong in your world?" Yuto asked.
"Hmm. Comparatively? No. There aren't many strong humans," Tohru shrugged dismissively. "Oh, wait! That Sakura-chan who just left... she actually has the potential to become incredibly strong! She has a terrifying amount of raw talent hidden inside her."
"Well, Sakura does have her family's magecraft inheritance," Yuto noted.
After Hestia had officially blessed Sakura and made her a Familia member, the little girl had politely introduced herself properly.
She was the heir to a magus family.
"I guess Goddess Hestia also saw that massive magical potential, and that's why she was so desperate to recruit her," Yuto mused aloud.
"Maybe..." Tohru muttered, resting her chin on her hand. "But do you really think that foolish goddess actually thought things through that deeply?"
...
Matou Residence, Fuyuki City.
"From this night forward, your name will be Sakura Matou. You will inherit the Matou family's Magic Circuits, and you will become my heir."
Zouken Matou's voice rasped through the dark, echoing like dry cardboard rubbing together.
He stood tall in the pitch-black shadows of the bedroom, the corners of his mouth curled into a sinister, rotting smile.
The sheer malice radiating from him made the air feel freezing cold.
Sakura stared up at the horrifying old man.
Her entire body trembled with fear.
She took a step back, her small calves bumping hard against the edge of the mattress.
Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the bed.
"Hmm hmm hmm... heh heh heh... I will go prepare the underground crest worm pit tonight," Zouken chuckled, his laughter echoing with a strange chilling sound.
"You rest well today, my dear. Tomorrow night, we will begin the transfer of your new Magic Circuits."
Having delivered his terrifying promise, the old man turned and slowly shuffled out of the room.
His wet rasping laughter continued to echo down the dark hallway.
He was incredibly satisfied with the 'sincerity' of Tokiomi Tohsaka.
To think that arrogant fool had just handed over a tool with such a flawless, incredibly rare magical foundation.
It was truly a wonderful gift.
...
Sakura slumped backward onto the mattress, her heart hammering frantically against her ribs.
Facing Zouken, she felt as if she were staring at a monster wearing a human skin suit.
He was cold, dead, and terrifying.
"Don't be afraid. Be strong. Be strong. It's fine! It's going to be fine!" Sakura whispered frantically, hugging her knees to her chest in the dark.
She lay alone on the massive, unfamiliar bed.
She desperately wanted to sleep and escape reality, but the crushing fear kept her wide awake.
Outside the window, a mournful, heavy wind began to howl.
The weather tonight was turning violent.
Sakura closed her eyes and took several deep, shaky breaths.
As she focused, a faint, warm, golden light—resembling a tiny, flickering flame—pulsed gently on her forehead.
The divine blessing Hestia had placed on her soul flared to life, actively pushing back against the oppressive, vile magical atmosphere of the Matou household.
Wrapped in that divine warmth, Sakura's panicked breathing finally slowed.
Her terror faded into a strange, comforting peace, and she was finally able to drift into sleep.
Pitter-patter... pitter-patter...
At some point in the night, a freezing rain began to fall over Fuyuki City.
The temperature in the bedroom plummeted.
But Sakura, deep in her sleep, felt incredibly warm.
She dreamed she was sitting in front of a massive, roaring fireplace in a cozy brightly lit restaurant.
The flames in the hearth danced like living, happy spirits, wrapping her in a safe, unbreakable embrace.
...
It was past three in the morning.
Usually, Yuto spent these dead hours waiting for customers alone.
Although he didn't find the quiet diner boring, it inevitably felt a bit lonely.
But tonight, having Tohru keeping him company made the time fly by.
The dragon girl's thought processes and behaviors were so wildly different from a normal human's that she constantly did bizarre things that made Yuto laugh out loud.
It added a lot of chaotic enjoyment to what would have been a monotonous shift.
Yuto chatted easily with Tohru until it was time for Ainz and Rimuru to switch locations.
Earlier in the night, the skeleton and the slime had hammered out a strict diplomatic itinerary: for the first half of the night, they would tour the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
For the second half, they would explore Rimuru's monster town in the Jura Forest.
When they initially pitched the plan, Yuto had been a bit puzzled.
Was simply swapping locations really that entertaining for two Supreme Leaders?
Whoosh—
The front door pulled open, and Ainz ducked his massive frame inside.
Rimuru bounced happily through the door right behind him.
"Welcome back, Ainz, Rimuru," Yuto greeted them from the kitchen.
Although neither of them had a human face, Yuto could easily sense their radiant, relaxed joy.
Rimuru's blue gelatinous body carried a faint, happy pink flush.
As for Ainz, the terrifying red glare in his eye sockets had softened into a gentle warm glow.
"Kamisaka, it really is a shame you didn't come along with us," Ainz sighed, taking his usual seat at the counter.
The deep regret in his hollow voice was surprisingly genuine.
"Yeah, Boss! You really should have come to relax!" Rimuru chimed in, slumping happily onto his stool like a melted puddle of blue goo.
"What exactly did you two do over there?" Yuto asked, genuinely curious about what kind of wild, cross-dimensional monster activities left them so relaxed.
"We took a bath," they answered in perfect unison.
Yuto frowned, his imagination instantly betraying him.
He pictured a luxurious, steaming bathhouse.
A towering, terrifying undead skeleton sits completely submerged in the hot water, every single bone soaking wet.
And floating nearby on the surface of the water, a blue slime paddles happily around like a rubber duck...
The mental image was incredibly eerie and deeply absurd!
'Yeah, it's a very good thing I didn't go,' Yuto thought dryly.
"Hmm... hmm... yes, taking a hot bath is indeed very comfortable," Yuto nodded, keeping his face perfectly neutral.
Rimuru's melted body suddenly shivered and popped back into a plump, perfectly round sphere.
He stared at Yuto.
"Boss! You have to come with us next time!"
"That's right, Kamisaka! You must join us!" Ainz slapped the wooden counter in firm agreement.
Yuto forced a polite smile. "I'll pass. After all, I have to prep the kitchen and open the shop every evening."
He quickly deployed his perfect, bulletproof excuse.
Rimuru deflated slightly, looking genuinely disappointed.
Ainz, however, rested his large bony chin on his skeletal hand, striking a pose that looked exactly like 'The Thinker' statue.
Paired with his intimidating, fleshless body, it gave off a very weird eerie artistic vibe.
"Then just come over during the day. Aren't you free during the daylight hours, Kamisaka? Just come to Nazarick. After a soak in the Spa Resort, I will arrange for my personal maids to give you a full massage. Heh... hehehe... hehehehe..."
As Ainz let out a creepy, suggestive chuckle, his entire skeletal body violently flashed with a bright green light.
His laughter was instantly choked off.
The system's [Emotion Suppression] aggressively kicked in, neutralizing his joy.
But the underlying, deeply questionable meaning of his offer was already crystal clear.
Yuto rubbed his forehead, a headache building.
'This guy...'
---------
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