Leon pulled his gaze from the panel, a hint of smugness on his face.
Rose, sharp enough to catch the shift in his expression, felt the corners of her own mouth rise.
"You really don't make a move unless there's something in it for you, do you."
Leon chuckled, rolled upright in one motion, and headed for the kitchen.
"I'm in a good mood today. Tell me what you want to eat. I'm cooking for you all myself."
"Wait, really!? I want a deluxe fruit salad platter! And iced white grape juice, the Demeter limited edition!"
Laurier's hand shot up first.
"Got it, got it. What else!"
Leon asked, full of energy.
"Tomato beef and cheese risotto!"
Aura was right behind her.
"Accordion potatoes with cheese!"
Kureha joined the order.
"Teriyaki crispy tofu!"
Jeanne's voice drifted in from the yard.
"..."
"..."
Having heard from Rose that Leon had made a killing today, nobody held back. In the blink of an eye they'd ordered a full table's worth of food.
"Alright... if everyone's done, I'll add an Orario red wine beef stew and duchess potatoes for myself."
"Orange iced barley tea and iced white grape juice... oh, someone grab some ice from the cellar. It needs to chill first."
Leon produced a sticky note from somewhere, scribbled down all their orders, and slapped it on the kitchen wall.
He rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands, and got ready to go to work.
Rose padded over in her cat-head slippers, tying an apron as she went, smiling.
"With this many dishes, you'll be at it forever on your own. I'll be your sous chef."
After living together this long, with how close they were, they were perfectly in sync.
Leon nodded, and the two fell into an easy rhythm working side by side in the kitchen.
...
Meanwhile, Jeanne emerged from her room in a simple house dress, a bamboo basket on her arm filled with dirty clothes.
"Laurier, Aura."
She called down to the two elf girls from the second-floor hallway.
"You two go shower first, then hurry up and change out of today's clothes. I'll wash everything together."
"As Leon puts it, anything that's been around dead bodies carries bad luck."
Faced with Jeanne's no-nonsense big-sister authority, Laurier and Aura obediently chimed, "Okay..."
"Got it! Going to change now."
They scampered upstairs.
"Jeanne, let me help."
Kureha joined Jeanne under the eaves in the yard. They sat on small stools, washing clothes while watching the gentle autumn drizzle.
"This kind of life... it's really nice."
After a day of chaos, everyone had caught their breath and slipped back into their warm, quiet routine.
Cooking, laundry, reading, resting, chatting over tea... the house was filled with a cozy, peaceful calm that stood in stark contrast to the tension and heaviness of the battlefield.
Two and a half hours later, it was fully dark outside.
Cold wind moaned beyond the walls while a light rain pattered on. Inside, the lamps glowed warm.
Autumn rain tapped against the windowpanes. Laurier sat cross-legged on the sofa by the fireplace, hugging a throw pillow, eyelids drooping, her head bobbing as she dozed off.
Then Leon's voice rang out from the kitchen.
"Everyone, dinner's ready!"
The word "dinner" hit Laurier like a jolt of electricity. She was wide awake instantly.
She took a deep breath, and the rich, mouthwatering aroma hit her full in the face.
A full day of fighting had left everyone starving. Now, ambushed by the smell of good food, nobody stood a chance.
"Coming, coming!"
She nudged Aura, who'd been absorbed in a book, hopped barefoot onto the floor, and bounded over.
Under the eaves in the yard, Jeanne and Kureha set down their work.
"Let's go eat."
"Mm!"
...
At the table.
Everyone stared at the spread of dishes before them, each one looking as good as it smelled. Even the normally composed Jeanne was getting antsy.
As Leon and Rose set down the final two dishes, the ladies, who'd been waiting with barely contained desperation, didn't need to be told twice. They moved.
But just as Laurier's fork was about to touch the fruit salad...
A sudden knock at the door cut sharply through the rain.
Leon had been soaking in the satisfaction of being head chef, watching everyone's happy faces. The knocking brought a look of confusion to his.
"Who'd show up this late, in the rain?"
Aura started to get up to answer, but Leon put a hand on her shoulder, already heading for the door.
"I'll get it. Things are tense out there right now. Not exactly safe."
The girl sat back down obediently.
The rain was light. Leon took a few quick steps, unlatched the bolt, and opened the gate.
When he saw who was standing outside, surprise flashed through his eyes.
"Persephone?"
"What are you doing here?"
Just beyond the threshold, Persephone stood in the rain beneath an umbrella. She wore a white court-style blouse with lace trim, a fitted pencil skirt over black tights, open-side heels, and a linen-colored overcoat.
She pushed her gold-rimmed glasses up with slender fingers, her expression calm, her voice perfectly level.
"What, surprised to see me? Or... am I not welcome?"
Her eyes flicked toward the house, and she gave Leon a loaded look.
Classic. The boss lady came out swinging with the very first sentence.
But Leon wasn't the same man who'd needed her protection just to survive in Orario anymore.
His lips curved up. He took her in once, then stepped aside and gestured her in.
"My dear, beautiful captain gracing us with her presence? How could I possibly not welcome you?"
"We were just about to eat, actually. Join us, if you'd like."
Persephone glanced at the smiling face on this handsome bastard. Outwardly she maintained her cool, aloof composure. Inwardly she wanted nothing more than to beat him senseless.
Preferably sitting on top of him, fists flying.
The thought flickered through her mind. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, gave a light huff, and clicked her way inside on her heels.
Leon shut the gate and hurried after her.
"Miss Persephone?"
In the dining room, everyone looked past the living room and saw the figure walking in behind Leon. Surprise crossed their faces.
They'd figured that anyone visiting this late, in the rain, probably had something urgent. Loki Familia, Astraea Familia, maybe...
But they never expected it to be Miss Persephone, the woman who'd left such a strong impression on them earlier that day, whom they'd only just parted ways with.
Though... one person wasn't surprised at all.
Rose wore the expression of someone who'd seen this coming.
She'd picked up on it before. Leon and Persephone... there was something between them.
The dynamic between those two was very interesting.
"Put these on."
Leon crouched down, fished another pair of fluffy animal slippers from the shoe cabinet, and set them in front of Persephone's feet in their black tights.
Catching the way his eyes flicked over her, Persephone's expression turned playful.
"Leon, you haven't changed one bit..."
Back when he first joined her Familia, a comment like that would have turned his face red.
But now...
...
...
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