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"Servant, marry into my family?"
Yamada Elf spoke expectantly while tightly hugging Blake's neck, whispering into his ear.
"My mom is really rich. If you marry into the family, helping Auntie pay off her debts would be as easy as lifting a finger."
"Sorry, I refuse."
Blake rejected the invitation immediately, without a moment's hesitation.
Sure, the little rich girl was pretty cute, but marrying into someone else's family definitely wasn't something Yamada Elf alone could decide.
Besides, his future was full of promise. His goal was to become a nationally famous literary master. There was no reason to live off a woman.
"You didn't even hesitate…" Yamada Elf puffed up her cheeks unhappily and lightly bit his ear before huffing proudly. "Dummy Servant. If you hadn't shown up on the rooftop like some hero, I never would've even given you the chance to marry into my family."
"So in the end, it's because of your chest, right?"
"Because my boobs are small, you refuse to marry in… you perverted boob-obsessed Servant!"
"..."
"I'm not that kind of person." Blake looked completely righteous. "You need evidence before making accusations. Don't slander innocent people."
"You totally are that kind of person." Yamada Elf sounded resentful. "That night at the hot springs, when you saw Mahiru's huge boobs, even your nostrils got bigger."
Don't joke around.
That night at the hot springs, Mahiru's yukata had been wrapped up so tightly nothing was showing at all, okay?!
Talking as they walked, Blake carried Yamada Elf on his back while leading the cat-and-dog squad. Before long, they reached the school gates. After a fair bit of effort, he managed to help the blonde girl climb over the wall.
With his clothes in disarray, Blake didn't look fit to ride public transport. On top of that, he was traveling with a whole pack of cats and dogs.
So in the end, he could only carry Yamada Elf home step by step.
Fortunately, the fairy girl had regained most of her energy by now. She chatted nonstop the whole way, while the animal special forces trotted around them.
At least the trip home wasn't boring.
10 PM sharp, after weaving through countless streets and alleys, Blake finally made it home with the Fairy on his back.
"Blake, you're back!"
"Is Fairy okay?"
Under the bright streetlights, two girls were waiting anxiously by the door: Goko Ruri and the Angel herself.
The second-floor lights were still on too. The curtains had been pulled open, and a silver-haired little shut-in was peeking out the window. Sagiri.
The moment the stray cats and dogs following Blake spotted Kuroneko, they all rushed over to Ruri, proudly demanding praise for their hard work.
"Meow~"
"Woof woof!"
Cats and dogs filled the night with noisy little cries, turning the whole entrance lively in an instant.
"We finally made it back…"
Blake let out a tired breath and gently lowered the blonde girl from his back.
Seeing the clearly defined eight-pack on his bare torso, both Mahiru Shiina and Ruri's cheeks immediately turned pink as they hurriedly looked away.
"Are you hurt anywhere, Fairy?" Mahiru asked softly, concern written all over her face. "Should we go to the hospital just in case?"
"No need, no need. It's just a tiny cold…"
Yamada Elf hurriedly shook her head.
"Take a hot bath when you get home, then some cold medicine," Ruri said with her arms crossed. "If you still feel bad tomorrow, then go see a doctor."
"You worked hard today, Fairy," Mahiru added gently. "Are you hungry? We saved dinner for you earlier. It's in the fridge."
At those words, Elf clutched her stomach pitifully.
"I'm starving…"
"Then I'll heat it up in the microwave," Mahiru said as she headed inside. "The bath's already ready too, so you should soak in hot water first."
…
The door opened.
A silver-haired girl immediately came charging downstairs with loud thumping footsteps.
"Fairy, are you okay?!"
"Of course I'm okay!" Yamada Elf planted her hands on her hips and proudly lifted her chin, her chuuni spirit reigniting at full force. "Today's events were merely a trivial adventure in my magnificent life!"
"But Big bro said you cried."
"T-Thats a lie! I totally didn't cry!"
"Take your clothes off so I can check for injuries."
"Eh?!"
"You might've gotten hurt without noticing."
"That's impossible!"
…
Blake stayed by the entrance instead of heading inside, turning toward Mahiru instead.
"Mahiru, could you grab me a shirt?"
He was still shirtless, after all.
"Of course, Mr. Blake. Just a moment."
Mahiru answered softly before heading upstairs.
At first, everyone had simply started eating together.
But somewhere along the way, the Angel had quietly begun taking over Blake's daily life. Cleaning the house, organizing clothes, tidying bookshelves… now she entered and left his room so naturally it barely even registered anymore.
Before long, Mahiru returned carrying a white shirt and a coat.
"It's pretty cold outside now, Mr. Blake. Put on another layer so you don't catch a cold."
"Thanks, Mahiru."
Blake quickly slipped on the shirt before turning to the black-haired girl beside him.
"Ruri and I are heading out to feed the Cat-and-Dog Special Ops Team."
He'd promised the stray cats and dogs another round of canned food if they helped find the missing Fairy. A promise was a promise. He couldn't exactly ruin the reputation of the world's greatest bounty hunter.
Hearing Blake casually call her by name made Ruri's cheeks redden slightly. She lowered her gaze shyly toward her toes.
It was just her name.
A completely ordinary thing.
And yet somehow, when he said it, it always felt unbearably embarrassing.
The two stepped outside and started feeding the stray animals.
Each cat and dog got its own can, so the atmosphere stayed unusually peaceful without any fighting over food.
"It's already past ten," Blake said while opening the last can. "Ruri, do you want to stay over tonight?"
"Eh?"
Ruri's eyes widened, her face instantly turning bright red.
"Don't misunderstand," Blake quickly explained. "You could stay with Mahiru or Fairy. Not with me."
"I-I know that…" Ruri muttered while looking away shyly. "But I still have trials of fate to complete, so I should go home."
A lie.
There were no "trials of fate."
Ruri was just absurdly picky about sleeping in unfamiliar places.
The memory of that night at the hot spring inn still haunted her. Her body had been exhausted, yet her mind stayed fully awake no matter what she did.
She absolutely had to go home.
If she stayed over somewhere else tonight, she definitely wouldn't sleep again.
And on top of that, when she'd called earlier, her mother had overheard her talking with Blake. If she didn't go home tonight, her mom would definitely misunderstand things again…
And she absolutely did not want that misunderstanding.
"Got it." Blake nodded lightly. "I'll walk you home later."
"You don't have to…"
Ruri refused quietly.
"It's already late, and your place is pretty far," Blake said. "I finally managed to recover Fairy safely. I really don't want to hear that you went missing next."
"I'm not going to get lost…"
Still, with how late it was, the thought of walking home alone honestly was scary.
After hesitating for a while, Ruri finally gave in and nodded softly.
"Then… I'll leave it to you, Blake."
"....."