"Am I not allowed to join the fun?" Onyxia the Black Dragon looked at Lin Luo with wide eyes, giving him a look that clearly communicated, Are you an idiot?

This isn't the place for your games. You should hurry back to your Volcanic Sea to roll around and bathe. Lin Luo glared back, but the dragon had already lowered her head, engrossed in the food spread across the table.

"..." Lin Luo suspected this little girl who seemed obsessed with older men wasn't here for leisure, but purely for a free meal. And the way she was devouring her food—as if she hadn't eaten in three months—was completely unbecoming of a beautiful woman. Her appetite was comparable to Saber's.

It was truly baffling how such a small frame could accommodate so much sustenance. Oh, wait—this creature wasn't human; she was a giant dragon. With that realization, Lin Luo suddenly understood.

"Master, please dine," the maid said, thoughtfully arranging cutlery for Lin Luo as he sat down. After seven days of instant noodles, his palate was utterly bored. At this moment, he cast aside all notions of table etiquette and began sweeping everything off the table... though, admittedly, he never possessed much table etiquette to begin with.

"MASTER, your secret chopsticks are reaching into the wrong territory." Since this table had several heavy eaters, skirmishes over food often erupted, such as the current moment when Nero sharply knocked away the chopsticks Lin Luo had extended.

"I was just trying to grab a side dish, you don't need to be so agitated," Lin Luo grumbled, feeling slightly frustrated.

"But this is what this Empress has set her sights on." With that, Nero rapidly tipped the entire plate of tea eggs into her own bowl.

Lin Luo could only roll his eyes heavenward. Helplessly, he shifted his target. But just as he reached for a plate of Bamboo-Smoked Chicken, it vanished with a swift swish. Looking closely, he realized the entire plate had been snatched up by the Black Saber, held firmly in her hand.

"..." Lin Luo was speechless. His gaze met Black Saber's, and he saw her watching him cautiously, her amber eyes filled with vigilance.

"Fine, I’ll let you have it." Lin Luo broke out in a cold sweat. When he tried to redirect his focus once more, he noticed the food on the table had inexplicably decreased significantly. He frowned slightly. "Is that an illusion?"

"The meal today is especially delicious," a voice chimed in. Lin Luo quickly turned his attention to Lily, noticing five empty plates stacked before her, with two more clattering down just as he looked.

Lin Luo’s mouth twitched. He quietly leaned toward Mikoto, seated beside him, and whispered, "Is this how they usually eat?"

"Uh, well..." Mikoto looked somewhat embarrassed. "Most of the time, we eat in the other dining hall. But today, Yui insisted on a city-wide deep clean, so we were forced to share a table with the Sabers."

"These people aren't eating; they’re cleaning out the pantry," Evangeline also frowned. She then summoned a maid nearby and murmured softly, "Tell Hisao to hurry up over there. We’ll have tea and snacks at our usual spot in an hour."

The maid understood immediately and scurried away with quick steps.

Lin Luo: "..."

"But speaking of which, they weren't this fierce before. Why have they become so savage now?" Lin Luo asked curiously. During his time in the Moon World, while the Sabers often fought over food, they never reached this level of frenzy. Now, even the perpetually youthful Evangeline couldn't hold them back. It was too brutal.

"That’s because..." Rin rubbed her forehead and whispered, "Lily said the food the maids make is too good, so their appetites have increased dramatically."

"I see." Lin Luo deeply empathized with that point. In the parameters he set, every maid was a culinary master, comparable to a Chūka Ichiban chef. It wasn't surprising that the Sabers had become so ravenous.

"Little one, this fish is mine! You can't fight me for it!"

"No fair! I saw it first!"

On the other side of the table, the little Saber and the Black Dragon MM were locked in a fierce battle over a single fish.

"Does she come around often?" Lin Luo asked Mikoto, pointing toward the Black Dragon MM.

Mikoto tapped her forehead, looking genuinely troubled. "In the seven days you were gone, besides sleeping hours, she was practically here non-stop. She ate at the same table as the Sabers every meal."

Got it. Lin Luo understood—the Black Dragon MM had effectively claimed this place as her home.

"Sister, I want fish," he suddenly heard a childish voice call from across the table.

"Huh?" Lin Luo froze, his gaze sweeping to the source of the sound. It took him a moment to realize that sitting beside Lily were two little girls, appearing no older than two or three. They were exquisitely cute, like carved jade, and clearly identical twins.

"Here, this is the fish you asked for," Lily gently placed two pieces of fish into the bowls of the little girls, her face radiating maternal affection.

Lin Luo instantly turned to stone. Normally, he would never miss two small children like this, but firstly, he hadn't paid close attention, and secondly, the girls were so tiny they were completely obscured by the stack of empty plates in front of Lily. He hadn't noticed them until this moment. But that wasn't the main point; the problem was... where did these two little girls come from?

"Your daughters?" Looking towards Lily, Lin Luo blurted out without thinking.

"You’re the daughter!" Before Lily could answer, the Black Dragon MM lashed out. She pointed at the two little girls and boomed, "Ding Dang and Ling Long are Big Sister's children!"

Ding Dang and Ling Long... Right, those must be the girls' names, the offspring of Long Wanxuan. "So they’re those two Dragon Eggs."

"The meaning is correct, but why does that sound slightly irritating?" the Black Dragon MM frowned.

"Just an illusion, an illusion," Lin Luo waved his hand and looked at the two girls again. Indeed, they bore a faint resemblance to Long Wanxuan.

"Waa..." Stared at so intently by Lin Luo, the two little girls seemed slightly scared. They blinked their large, fluttering eyes and pouted, shrinking back slightly.

"Don't be afraid, come here to your big brother," Lin Luo found them increasingly adorable and beckoned them warmly.

"Waaa..." The two little girls moved, but instead of approaching Lin Luo, they hid behind Lily.

"..." Lin Luo felt profoundly awkward. He seemed to be disliked.

"Hahahaha!" The Black Dragon MM burst into laughter, looking down at Lin Luo with contempt. "Hmph, trying to trick my nieces? You're still too young. They aren't as easily fooled as you humans."

"That's quite a blanket generalization you’re tossing around. Are you looking for a group critique?" Lin Luo shot her a look, though he was slightly disheartened that Ding Dang and Ling Long regarded him like a creepy uncle. Furthermore, he couldn't understand why they were so close to Lily, especially since Lily had previously stolen from them. It was also highly incongruous for Lily to display such tenderness toward them.

However, this confusion was soon resolved.

"Don't be afraid, Ding Dang, Ling Long. Big Sister will protect you," Lily said, sounding just like a genuine older sister. She gently patted the two little girls' shoulders and softly continued, "If you sign a contract with me, no one will ever be able to harm you again. How about it?"

"..." Right, this woman hadn't given up on her dream of becoming a Dragon Rider. Now she was trying to lure children? My King, your moral integrity has plummeted.

...And so, lunch concluded amidst an atmosphere that was both complicated and lively. Lin Luo wasn't completely full, but it was certainly a vast improvement over the previous seven days of food. He was already anticipating the snack time in an hour.

After lunch, the Black Dragon MM and Lily took the two little dragon daughters to play in the central courtyard of Sky City. Their game was simple: sliding down the Rainbow Bridge that connected Sky City to the earth below.

Each woman held one child, sitting at the highest point of the bridge, then letting momentum carry them swooshing down to the bottom, only to run back up and repeat the ride, delighting the two little dragon girls. It was clear Lily was making a significant effort to win the little dragons' favor.

The others busied themselves with their own activities—watching movies, taking naps, or playing video games. While Sky City might lack some things, it certainly offered abundant entertainment to keep boredom at bay for a while.

Because he looked forward to the snack time in an hour, Lin Luo didn't pursue any major activity, choosing instead to wander around Sky City. Even though he had built the city, it didn't mean exploring it held no appeal.

He was accompanied on his tour by Rei and Shinku. Unlike the others who were boisterous, these two remained quiet throughout the walk. Cherishing this rare moment alone with Father, Shinku sat quietly perched on Lin Luo’s shoulder... pointedly ignoring the silent Rei.

Though Rei said nothing, she occasionally shot Lin Luo expectant glances.

Lin Luo knew she was getting impatient. He gently stroked her head and smiled. "Rei, we'll go to the Eidetical Garden three days from now."

Hearing this, Rei's eyes snapped wide open. After confirming Lin Luo wasn't fooling her, she nodded heavily. "Mm."

"Father..." Shinku’s soft voice reached his ear.

"Is something the matter?" Lin Luo wondered if it was his imagination, but Shinku's tone also carried a note of anticipation.

"No, nothing," the young girl glanced away, looking as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately shook her head.

What was going on? Did she also wish to visit the Rozen Maiden world? But that didn't seem right; wasn't Shinku's greatest desire to receive her Father's affection? Now that this wish was fulfilled, there shouldn't be anything left for her to long for in the Rozen Maiden universe. Could it be... because of Suigintou and the others?

Lin Luo couldn't quite decipher it.

"Huh? What is she doing?" At that moment, Lin Luo suddenly noticed a girl with twin tails standing in a corner of the courtyard, gazing blankly into the distance.

Black★Rock Shooter.

P.S.: A new month begins. Seeking monthly tickets and recommendation votes—I really haven't asked for these in a long time.

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