The crowd lasted for several hours. The people offered a word or two to Roxy and Aisha-sama before dispersing back around the party.

We laughed when we saw the rampaging Miria being towed by her neck by Mugan away from the party. Apparently for Roxy, these kind of scenes were already like a daily routine.

My my. I gave the leaving Miria a look. I guess Ill come across that girl more often from now on. Wellshes just doing what she wants to do, that strange fellow.

[Fate, I am sorry but I will have to leave early. I need to go to the palace after this.]

[Ah, Mimirs matter?]

[Shell be arriving on the mansion tomorrow. But before that, there are still some procedures left to do. I will most likely return tomorrow morning. I hope you will be looking forward to when I return to the mansion alongside Mimir.]

[..Ill prepare my heart.]

[Umu, that is it for me. Roxy, Aisha, I really enjoyed todays party. Please do not forget to invite me again if there is a similar event]

Roxy and Aisha-sama who were standing on my sides bowed, and promised Aaron. Putting back his coat on, Aaron headed out.

I thought about returning to Barbatos mansion myself, but then Aisha-sama proposed a different idea.

[So that means Fate will be alone today. I heard you havent hired any servants yet to work in the mansion. How about, staying here for the day?]

[Eh!? That..will that be okay?]

I felt troubled by Aisha-samas sudden proposal, so I looked at Roxy for approval. Shes after all the current head of Heart family.

I may have become the head of one of the Five Great Families.

But that doesnt mean I can stay over at anothers house so easily. Butas if ignoring me who was thinking like that, Roxy gave an immediate answer.

[Sounds good. Anyways, now that we are talking about Fai, you havent eaten well at all, have you?]

[Uu..thats]

The melancholy of living with only one other man. Aaron would have a meeting with the White Knights nearly everyday and would only return back home late at night. Meanwhile, I was busy with investigating on what Rafal had been doing up to that night. So, as Roxy said, I hadnt gotten myself a decent meal recently.

Looking around the party, the dishes being served here sure looked delicious. Roxy went around so that I was facing her.

[Ill make dinner!]

[Roxy will!?]

I had been observing her since I was employed at the Heart mansion, but I mostly saw her doing sword training. I remembered that Id never seen her cook before.

Thats why when I heard that shed be cooking the dinner, I was really surprised.

[That surprised me too.. Anyways, Ill do my best. Thats right, Ill definitely surprise Fai even more.]

Perhaps its just me, but its as if I saw a bright burning fire behind Roxy. In any case, Im glad that Ill be able to eat her cooking. If the barbeque I ate earlier could be used as a standard, then I guess I can expect a lot of things here.

[Ill be looking forward to it.]

[Un un, its what makes our body strong after all.]

What kind of dish would come out? While my imagination nearly flew high to the sky, Aisha-sama suddenly chimed in from behind me.

[Yes, ye~s! Ill also join in the fray]

[But why, mother!]

[Because it sounds interesting. I also have to show my dignity as a mother.]

[Why do you bother to show your dignity only at such times.]

Oya!? Because of Aisha-sama pulling the twist, it somehow had turned into a cooking battle. And then, it seemed that Id be the one responsible for the judging.

Whos cooking will be more delicious, Im also curious myself. Either way, anything the two presented will most likely be delicious.

Un, while I thought to do just that, Aisha-sama added as if already seen through my plan.

[Fate, let me tell you this in advance, you couldnt just say that both of our dishes are delicious. Youll have to tell us precisely which one is more delicious.]

[Yes]

[Mouu, mother!]

It relieved me to see Aisha-sama acted like this. That strength and playfulness, its all too similar to Roxy. Really, they are parent and child after all.

Just when I thought Aisha-sama wouldnt get tired of smiling today, she suddenly stopped. When I noticed, the sun was getting close to setting down. No matter how good the weather today, once the sun goes down, the forgotten coldness of winter would surely come back.

Since we were worried, me and Roxy followed through the path Aisha-sama had gone down silently. Its not toward the mansion, but to the direction of the setting sun. From there, I knew where shes going.

Ah, why didnt I notice earlier. Aisha-sama came here today not only because she wanted to make a surprise for Roxy. There was one other reason.

Its something she couldnt do before due to her deteriorating health. But now that shes healthy once more, its only a given that shell do this now.

Aisha-sama stood in front of the grave of her husband Mason.

[I must thank you again, Fate. It felt like coming here was just a mere dream before. This man, he had decided that hell be buried here if he died since a long time ago.]

[Aisha-sama..]

I made the same mistake once again.

Its the same case with Roxy. I never knew that her father had passed away until after I became the employee at the Heart mansion. To be fair its hard to notice given the situation.

Roxy put her hand on my shoulder.

[Fai dont need to feel troubled. Because, its like a very dear wish was granted for my mother.]

I laid my hand over hers, and nodded.

After a while, Aisha-sama turned around, and told us that we should return to the mansion. Before we knew it, thick cloud had covered the sky, and snow had begun to fall once more.

[Ill make up something to warm ourselves. What about you Roxy?]

[I, too, will make something warm. I wont lose to you, mother.]

[I have no doubt that you are better than me in swordsmanship, but when it comes to cooking, Im not so sure.]

Aisha-sama had deliberately provoked Roxy. The way she said it, its as if to point out that her daughter was a muscle-brain.

If its me, I think I need to learn how Aisha-sama could easily take over the conversation. Its not stat nor skill, but strong regardless.

For dinner, itd been decided that well eat the dinner made by Aisha-sama and Roxy.

The two had miraculously cooked a same dish. It was a stew with plenty of milk and butter. Its their idea of warming food, but I guess its a bit too heavy.I laughed in spite of myself.

Both servings were delicious, and it left me wondering of who had cook which serving.

I was told by Aisha-sama to be precise in determining which one is more delicious, but the result was truly a tie.

Both were as delicious as the other in the first place. Both Roxy and Aisha-sama were only convinced after they tasted each other dish.

With the lively dinner concluded, I went to the large public bath, and to the room prepared for me afterward..

It looked very much like the room when I was still an employee here, the bed was just as comfortable if not more. I set Greed on the side of the bed. Speaking of Greedthat guy had been uncharacteristically quiet since the party was over.

Usually, before I go to bed, hell be noisy speaking about this and that, but today hes strangely quiet.

While thinking about that, I turned the light off and closed my eyes. Aisha-sama had put me in some hard works today.

While remembering how me and Roxy were at her mercy, I drifted off to sleep.

=====

I was standing in a white space.

Im familiar with this place. Recently Id been visiting this place quite often, so there was no way that I dont know about this place.

Under my feetbeyond the white floor were the countless souls that the Gluttony skill had consumed. Because there is this world as a barrier, Gluttony skill had little to no influence to me.

I heard the voice of Lunathe one guarding me, and turned around to see the figure of a girl in all white.

[Hi, Luna]

[Good evening, Fate. You look fine, despite having eaten an archdemon. Please dont do that kind of thing too often.]

[For that time, thanks. If not for Luna, Area E will be impossible for me.]

[Honestly. I think youve grown a bit. I saw everything from here, you know?]

[Everything!? I no longer have any privacy, do I?]

I wonder to what extent shes been watching me. Is it everything, from my battle against Rafal, to my reunion with Roxy? Did she watch me attending the party too?

That said, Lunas capability was really beyond my expectation.

[The next time Fate go to have a bath, immerse yourself a bit longer. One or two minutes more wont hurt to lessen exhaustion. Also, dont forget to wash your hair too next time.]

[Uuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, just how far you are seeing!? We dont need that here]

[Sorry, I couldnt help watching you since I have nothing to do here.]

Luna tried to comfort me.

[Now now, dont be distracted by that]

[Because Luna was the only one benefitting from it!]

[Nothing will change, Ill still watch you from here]

[Dont watch!]

I calmed myself down after putting the bath matter aside. Its the only way for Luna to spend time, at least shes watching the scene on her own. But just when I thought so, a sound of giggling can be heard.

It came from a tall, red haired guy. He had a handsome face, which for some reason I couldnt really hate.

And because of that, I couldnt hide my surprise.

[Why is Greed in here!?]

[Because only you and Luna could have all the fun, I became interested too. It started with a joke, but I asked Luna to connect a path to this place. It took a while but Im finally here.]

From how Greed said it, it seemed to be something hard to do. But why is he in here now? When asked, he reverted back to his unreasonable and arrogant persona.

[Its about time, for me to train Fate personally.]