Esdeath spoke with a faint smile.
Although she was talking about the dish, her eyes were fixed on Yuto.
"One taste will tell you," Yuto answered.
Esdeath removed her cap.
Her bright blue hair spilled loose, spreading over her shoulders, and her face seemed to brighten.
Compared to the sharp, heroic air she carried a moment ago, she looked more lively.
Her fingers were pale as ice, almost translucent.
Holding the knife and fork Yuto had prepared for her, she cut into the beef and placed a piece into her mouth.
Her eyes lit up, satisfaction and delight flashing within them. At that moment, the impulse stirring in her heart grew stronger.
She ate the dish with quick elegance. Once finished, she picked up a napkin and wiped the corner of her mouth, every movement showing a natural grace.
She put her cap back on, and the aura around her turned cold and aloof.
"How was it? Did it suit your taste?" Yuto asked.
"It was delicious! Calling it the best dish I've ever eaten would not be an exaggeration." Esdeath adjusted her collar and cap, lowered her crossed legs, and stood up.
"Boss, what is your name?" She looked at Yuto, a curve at the corner of her mouth.
"Kamisaka Yuto."
"A strange name, but that doesn't matter. Yuto, my name is Esdeath. Remember it." Esdeath placed a hand against her chest and looked at him with clear pride.
Yuto did not mind Esdeath calling him by his given name, so he nodded.
Esdeath raised her chin.
Her hair spread around her like a blooming blue flower.
Her sharp features carried pride and a sense of absolute certainty, as though everything she said was simply how the world ought to be.
"Come with me."
Her direct invitation left everyone in the restaurant stunned.
Yuto, however, felt a hint of amusement.
He had experienced blunt invitations before. Things like "be my son" or "be my retainer."
He looked at Esdeath. Her expression did not seem false, and her eyes stared straight at him.
For some reason, Yuto felt she was similar to Yuuka.
They both had that same overwhelming, domineering air.
While he thought that, Tohru, Erina, and Hisako were shocked.
"Yuto, I've taken a liking to you. Now, come to my side and return to the Empire with me!" Esdeath took a step forward.
Her tone carried affection, but also a domineering force that allowed no refusal.
As she spoke, she raised her hand, intending to caress Yuto's cheek.
That made everyone even more stunned.
Yuto felt awkward.
'Why did the plot develop in such a strange direction?'
Smack!
Tohru slapped Esdeath's hand away.
She was angry!
Someone was trying to take her Boss away!
Yuto leaving meant she would never again eat such delicious food.
Never eating such delicious food meant losing the greatest joy of her dragon life.
Losing the greatest joy of her dragon life was a roundabout form of "death."
She, Tohru, employee number one of the restaurant, would not allow such a thing to happen!
The dragon girl's aura spread outward.
Her pupils became narrow and sharp, her hands transformed into dangerous claws, and the wings behind her back flared open.
The moment Esdeath was locked onto by that gaze, her pupils contracted.
A chill spread across her skin.
"Tohru, don't get worked up." Yuto placed a hand on the dragon girl's head.
The restless dragon quieted down.
Across from them, Esdeath watched the scene with interest, and the heat in her heart stirred.
"Esdeath, I'm sorry, but I won't go with you. I won't leave this restaurant." Yuto smiled and answered. He already had experience dealing with situations like this.
After all, Whitebeard and the King of Conquerors had set precedents.
Esdeath's eyes shifted, and she took a breath.
"It seems I won't be able to take you away in the short term."
She did not care about his refusal.
She had been born wild, and when it came to something she had set her eyes on, the word "give up" did not exist.
After looking deep at Yuto, she spoke again. "I'll come back."
Esdeath did not stay any longer.
She turned and left, her high heels striking the floor with crisp sounds.
Once she was gone, the atmosphere inside the restaurant relaxed. Everyone looked at one another, their eyes filled with strangeness and helplessness.
"Did that woman fall for you?"
"Uh..."
"Mm... Kamisaka-kun, I have to say, you do have the potential to become a kept pretty boy."
"Oh? Then may I ask whether Nakiri-sama has any interest in keeping me?"
"Sh-shut up!!!"
In the northern territory, inside the imperial military camp.
Esdeath returned to her quarters.
She took off her outer clothing, changed into a set of nightwear, and sat down in a chair.
Her legs crossed, and one hand supported her chin.
At this moment, the woman known as the Empire's youngest and strongest general had taken on a gentle posture.
"What a wonderful smile..."
"Is this love? Or should it be called love at first sight...?"
"If only I could lock him by my side..."
Deep into the night, the Empire's female general found herself entranced.
...
Even after Esdeath had been gone for quite some time, Tohru was still muttering angrily under her breath.
"Strange woman,"
"Next time I have to beat her up," and so on.
That whole string of quiet complaints secretly amused Yuto, Erina, and Hisako.
"All right, calm down, Tohru." Yuto pressed a hand onto the dragon girl's head.
Tohru's face instantly became peaceful. She looked like a large pet being stroked.
Yuto found it amusing as he rubbed her hair.
At first, doing this had been awkward, but after getting used to it, he had grown accustomed to stroking his employee's head. He simply treated it as having raised a large pet.
Watching this scene, Erina could not help feeling amazed.
"Uu... Boss, why did you stop me just now? That woman deserved to be taught a proper lesson." Under Yuto's hand, Tohru became pliant.
Even her voice carried a mellow tone, making the adorable dragon girl seem even cuter.
Her tail swayed happily back and forth.
"Esdeath didn't really do anything. She just told me to leave with her. I only needed to refuse. What else did you want to do?" Yuto spoke gently, a relaxed smile on his face.
Although Esdeath's words had startled him, he had already calmed down.
"Uu—although that's true, I still can't help feeling angry." The dragon girl was stubborn.
She had gotten herself stuck on that point.
When she heard Esdeath say she wanted to take Yuto away, she simply could not hold herself back.
Even now, the fire in her heart had not fully disappeared.
"If you're angry, then eat something. Once you eat, you won't be angry anymore. Besides, Tohru, you haven't received tonight's 'wages' yet, so you can tell me what you want to eat now," Yuto smiled and lightly knocked Tohru on the head.
Sure enough, the moment he said that, the dragon girl immediately became delighted and excited.
"Eh?! The food I ate earlier doesn't count?" Tohru was asking about the dishes she had eaten during Yuto and Erina's match.
he had eaten quite a lot at the time. Afterward, she had even finished all the remaining soup in the pot.
"Of course it doesn't count," Yuto smiled.
"Long live Boss!" Tohru was instantly overjoyed.
She immediately hugged Yuto and rubbed against him.
Fortunately, she controlled her strength this time. Otherwise, he would have been in trouble.
A little while later, Yuto had prepared four dishes for Tohru.
One serving of sashimi, one serving of the earlier seafood soup, and two portions of meat-bun rice.
This made the dragon girl extremely satisfied. She immediately began eating, though this time she ate more slowly.
After eating so many times, she had come to understand one thing: delicious food had to be savored slowly.
Actually, the main reason was that there was too little of it. If she swallowed everything in two or three bites, it would feel amazing in the moment, but afterward she would fall into emptiness.
If she ate slowly, however, the pleasure could continue without interruption.
This was Tohru's growth!
"So this is the so-called 'wage,'" Erina sighed softly.
"After all, giving Tohru money doesn't seem useful," Yuto smiled. "Oh, right. Although the two of you count as my employees now, I won't be paying you wages."
A sudden thought flashed through his mind, and he brought up that matter.
Erina's expression immediately filled with irritation.
The young lady's mood worsened all at once!
"Do you think Hisako and I would care about something like wages?!"
Erina was very angry!
But Yuto showed no sign of reflection. "That's good. After all, I don't have much money, so saving where I can is important."
He laughed brightly, and the words he said made Erina angrier.
She did not believe for a second that Yuto was poor!
The furious young lady glared hard at him.
Then she turned her head away with a "hmph," refusing to pay him any more attention.
Yuto smiled.
Beside the two of them, Hisako watched their exchange and smiled knowingly.