Ritsuka felt like she was dreaming.
Most girls probably had dreams of becoming princesses, dreaming of meeting a handsome prince on a white horse.
And now, Ritsuka felt as though her princess dream had come true. In fact, the handsome prince standing before her was even more attractive than any she had imagined as a child.
Inside the room transformed into a kitchen through Imaginary Numbers, Ritsuka sat beside the dining table, watching Naoki busily preparing food. A strange sense of nervousness spread through her, making her slightly uneasy.
"Relax, Fujimaru. There's no need to be so tense."
Gray patted her shoulder. "Like I said, Brother only invited you here for dinner."
"I know, it's just… I feel like I'm in a fancy restaurant, and it's making me uncomfortable. Should I go back and change into a dress?"
"If so, I can help."
Merry said with a smile, placing the appetizer she had just made onto the table. "Alright, two lovely princesses, please enjoy this Sun Knight-flavored mashed potatoes."
"Thank you, Miss Merry."
"Ah… Thank you, Teacher Merry."
"You're very welcome. That said, would you like to try what I offered earlier?" Merry asked. "It's essentially just changing your outfit's appearance with illusion—your clothes won't actually be replaced."
(Teacher Merry is a master of illusions. She claims even Solomon, the King of Magecraft, couldn't surpass her in illusion magic.)
After tasting the mashed potatoes, Ritsuka thought for a moment. "Then… please help me, Teacher."
"Okay~~~~ Then—"
Merry pulled out a large cloth—large enough to cover an entire person—from somewhere, and wrapped it around Ritsuka. After making a few circles above her and snapping her fingers—
*PLAK!*
The cloth vanished instantly. Ritsuka reappeared, her Chaldea uniform gone. In its place, she wore a sleeveless white dress that fit her perfectly.
"All done~~~ Come on, little Ritsuka, take a look in the mirror and see how you look?"
Merry smiled and pushed a mirror forward. Seeing herself in such a beautiful outfit, Ritsuka felt a little shy. It was the first time she had ever worn something so elegant.
At that moment, Naoki, who had just finished preparing a dish and was about to bring it out, turned around and saw Ritsuka in her new attire. "Hmm? Fujimaru, you… Merry, did you change her?"
"Yes. Little Ritsuka asked if the atmosphere would be better if she wore something more elegant, so I helped her. This is our specialty. Even the Knights of the Round Table and Guinevere once asked for my assistance." Merry proudly patted her chest. "Well then, King, what's your opinion? Little Ritsuka changed especially for you. What do you think?"
"Especially… Teacher Merry, don't say such things!"
Ritsuka's cheeks turned red as she kept glancing shyly at Naoki.
After observing Ritsuka carefully, Naoki smiled and nodded. "Hmm, very beautiful. It suits you perfectly, Fujimaru."
"R-really?"
"Absolutely. I'm being completely honest—now, let's eat. It's been a while since I last cooked; I hope my skills haven't declined. The soup is still simmering."
Naoki brought out an authentically British dinner: a medium-rare steak, soft mashed and fried potatoes, golden-brown fried fish, and boiled carrots and broccoli.
Before coming to Chaldea, Naoki had mostly lived in London, returning to Misaki Town only once a month. As a result, he tended to cook British food—it was more time-efficient. Though, in truth, he rarely had to cook for himself; Gray and Rei usually fed him until he couldn't move.
Actually, he had spent years continuously practicing Chinese cuisine—his cultural roots. But to be honest, the depth of his homeland's culinary culture was immense. Even today, his studies were still limited to Su-style cooking, and due to time constraints, he couldn't be called truly skilled. He only possessed modest ability.
Naoki removed his apron and sat down beside Merry. "Alright, let's eat. But first—Merry."
"Yes, yes, yes, I know."
Merry stood up, cleared her throat, and turned to Ritsuka. "I'm sorry, little Ritsuka. During your training these past few days, I got a bit carried away. I suppose I made you suffer… Ehehe, well, anyway, I apologize."
"At least be serious…" Naoki sighed, rubbing his forehead in resignation. "Well, that's just how it is. I admit I'm partly at fault too—I momentarily overlooked her nature. I'm sorry, Fujimaru. The main reason I invited you to dinner tonight was for this."
Seeing both the Chief and her teacher apologize, Ritsuka immediately felt flustered. "There's no need, Chief and Teacher—please don't apologize…"
"Fujimaru, just accept their apologies." Gray interrupted. "If you refuse, Brother will keep apologizing. He's very stubborn about this, right?"
"I'm not that stubborn…"
Hearing even the Chief's younger sister say that, Ritsuka paused briefly, then nodded. "Then… I accept the apologies from the Chief and Teacher."
"Hmm hmm hmm, good. I knew little Ritsuka was big-hearted. Unlike that flat-chested, possessive maid. Come on, let me give you a hug~"
"Eh?!"
"Merry, get back here and sit properly!"
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
At the same time, in the control room.
"Achooo!"
Rei, who was operating a console, suddenly sneezed loudly. Roman, standing nearby, asked, "What's wrong, Rei? Are you catching a cold? Is the air conditioning too cold?"
"No, I just feel offended again… Anyway, Roman, I've finished checking this part. What else needs to be reviewed? If possible, I'd like to go back and have dinner with Master. If I don't return soon, that evil creature will definitely steal his food from behind!"
"I understand how you feel, but sorry. There are still two more sections to check… I think you'll only need about half an hour more."
Half an hour before she could go see Master…
Rei sighed in resignation. She could only hope that, during these final thirty minutes, Master wouldn't be "completely devoured" by that evil creature.