As Aka Rika brought the remaining dishes to the table, Hoshino Sora redistributed chopsticks to everyone, then asked Tohru, his eyes filled with curiosity.
The restaurant's location should be random, he was very curious where he was in the Dragon Maid world.
"My name is Tohru. I was sleeping soundly in the forest, but somehow an aroma drifted from afar, directly startling me awake. My stomach rumbled, and then I followed the direction of the aroma. When I came to my senses, I was already here."
Holding her chopsticks and tasting the dishes, Tohru said with a happy expression. The taste of these dishes was unexpectedly good; it was no exaggeration to say they were the most delicious things in the human world!
"Is that so? Then you're in for a treat from now on. My shop will only be open here from now on. You can come and taste it anytime you want to eat."
Hoshino Sora said with a smile, then picked up a dish for her.
"I'll come often!"
Eating the dishes in front of her, Tohru nodded with a happy expression. Originally, she only planned to sleep nearby, but now that she could eat such delicious dishes, how could she bear to leave?!
Dragons have very long lifespans. Although it's travel, staying in one place for decades is also part of the journey. It wouldn't be too late for her to leave after this human's lifespan runs out.
"Amazing! Chef, your skills are so good~"
She praised as she tasted the dishes, her tail wagging then straightening, her cheeks flushed. Especially these bright stir-fried prawns, one bite and her eyebrows nearly fell off from the deliciousness!
She struggled to express herself, only able to say those two words, even though there could be many adjectives, but she just couldn't think of the right ones at the moment.
"I love to hear that. Try this."
Hoshino Sora said, picking up another dish for Tohru. This constant feeding deeply moved Tohru. All three people in this shop were good people; they were truly kind to her!
I could cry!
"Eat up, eat up, only when you're happy can you give me gold coins!"
Hoshino Sora thought to himself as he picked up dishes. This was a legendary giant dragon! If she was happy, who knew what rewards the system would give him!
"Mm! Delicious!"
"If it's delicious, eat more."
"Try this, the Spicy Chicken Sora made."
"I recommend the fish-fragrant shredded pork."
"Everyone is so kind to me. It seems humans aren't all lowly commoners!"
Joyful voices echoed in the restaurant. Receiving such warm hospitality from the three, Tohru showed an overwhelmed expression. Having traveled alone, she had never experienced such treatment.
She was so moved she could barely contain herself, almost literally tearing out her heart to prove how touched she was!
One has to say, she truly was an honest dragon.
"Burp~"
After downing a large glass of cola, Tohru let out a satisfying burp. Her large tail also fell heavily to the ground. One hand caressing her stomach, her face wore an expression of pure enjoyment.
"So there are kind humans after all."
Watching Hoshino Sora and the others busily clearing the dishes, such a thought arose in Tohru's mind. Being invited by humans for the first time, she truly felt their kindness.
"Um... can I stay and help?"
In the past, she was either sleeping in the forest or on the road. Such days repeated year after year for many years, and Tohru had long since grown tired of it.
So, she gathered her courage and spoke.
"What do you mean by staying to help?" Hoshino Sora couldn't help but feel confused when he heard Tohru's words.
"It means staying here and being a maid! I can help greet customers, and you have a restaurant here, right? You need staff for both greeting customers and doing odd jobs, right? Yes, that's right."
Pointing to Aka Rika's outfit, Tohru placed her hands on her chest and spoke with an expectant expression. The three people in the room were very kind to her, making her feel a long-lost warmth.
So she wanted to stay with these people, it was that simple.
By the end of her sentence, Tohru seemed to nod as if hypnotizing herself, clearly now believing that Hoshino Sora desperately needed her.
"Alright, then you can stay.
You should already know these two's names, Aka Rika. Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Hoshino Sora. From now on, you'll be my live-in maid here."
Looking at Tohru's sincere expression, Hoshino Sora glanced at his own shop. To be honest, it wasn't big, and he didn't need five maids, but still, it was a Dragon Maid! It sounded super cool, didn't it?!
"Really? You're just accepting me like this? I thought there'd be some maid test!"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Tohru nodded heavily, her face filled with excitement and surprise. Clearly, she hadn't expected things to go so smoothly.
"There will indeed be a test. After all, you're a dragon. It wouldn't be good if you accidentally hurt a human. Humans are quite fragile creatures."
Hearing Tohru's words, Hoshino Sora nodded in agreement. He wasn't afraid of her because he knew Tohru's character setting and the invincible setting within the Dimensional Restaurant.
However, if there were no restrictions and outsiders saw a giant dragon in his restaurant, they would surely be scared to death. He remembered that this fellow loved to relieve herself anywhere and extremely disliked humans.
But, he said he wanted to take her as a Dragon Maid, so how exactly should he do it? So far, there seemed to be no effective way to keep the other party in the restaurant.
Moreover, if the other party didn't leave and return to her original world, his restaurant would remain in the Dragon Maid's world, which was undoubtedly something he didn't want to see.
As he pondered, Hoshino Sora suddenly noticed Tohru's hand transforming into a claw, her red eyes showing a hint of hesitation, but she quickly made up her mind.
With one claw, blood flowed from her other hand. The girl swiftly put her finger into Hoshino Sora's mouth, so fast that no one around reacted.
The next moment, a system prompt sounded in Hoshino Sora's mind.
[Dragon Tohru wants to sign a contract with the Host. Does the Host agree?]
[Agree!]
[Contract binding...]
[Contract binding complete. Congratulations, Host, for successfully contracting Dragon Tohru. Dragon Tohru can travel through Other Worlds via the Dimensional Restaurant, but she cannot revert to her dragon form in Other Worlds, or she will face the world's rules and punishment.]
Without thinking, Hoshino Sora directly chose to agree. Immediately after, a magic circle appeared in front of Tohru, enveloping both of them. At this point, the contractual relationship was considered complete.
"Tohru, do you know how to be a maid?"
Looking at Tohru's joyful smile, Hoshino Sora wasn't sure if he had gotten himself into something. He tentatively asked, even though he already had the answer in his heart.
"I do!"
Tohru said with certainty.
"No, you don't. For example, when it comes to cleaning, you're probably thinking of using laser beams to destroy everything, right?"
Thinking of the plot in Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, Hoshino Sora felt a bit embarrassed. Cleaning with lasers, washing clothes with saliva, and greeting guests with a fierce expression—this was the early Dragon Maid.
"Whoa, Hoshino, how did you know? Do you have mind-reading abilities?!"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Tohru's face showed a shocked expression. She covered her mouth and took two steps back, clearly not understanding why the other party could guess her thoughts so easily.
"How should I put it, Tohru has an easy-to-read face."
Realizing that his words were a bit too forward, Hoshino Sora quickly chuckled. Fortunately, Tohru didn't pay much attention.
"Hmm, alright."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Tohru nodded, a hint of vigilance in her eyes. Her thoughts being easily guessed by the other party was not a good thing for her.
It was a strange feeling.
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Starting tomorrow, let Asaka teach you maid etiquette, and then..."
Looking at Tohru in front of him, another question popped into Hoshino Sora's mind: where would she live?
Previously, he and Aka Rika had always lived in the staff lounge of Hoshino Shokumotsu, because there was a bed in it, and the three of them weren't picky about their living environment. They would just go home to shower during the day.
At night, when it was late and the mood was right, who would think of going home? They would just resolve things in the staff lounge.
Because they hadn't seen Hoshino Sora for a long time, the two sisters' desires were exceptionally high.
However, today's situation was a bit special...
Then let's go home first.
Thinking of this, Hoshino Sora glanced at the time on the wall, and waved his hand: "Time to knock off, let's go home."
Of course, the home Hoshino Sora was returning to this time was not the one he grew up in, but Aka Rika's current residence, a well-decorated small villa his father specifically left for him.
A villa with maids, that made sense!
"Okay~ Time to go home~"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Tohru's face immediately showed an excited expression. As the young man walked to the door and opened the restaurant's main entrance, she finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the outside was Sanhe Street.
"Huh? Wasn't it a forest outside when I came here? How did it turn into a city?"
Peeking her head out from behind Hoshino Sora, Tohru looked at the urban landscape outside the house, her face full of disbelief.
"I have some spatial abilities. Don't be surprised. You'll go to many more worlds in the future."
Looking at Tohru's puzzled expression, Hoshino Sora casually replied, then was the first to walk out of the restaurant, while the girl behind him was still looking around, her face full of curiosity.
"Spatial abilities? Traveling through worlds? I can do that too. I didn't expect Hoshino to be quite amazing." Patting Hoshino Sora's shoulder, Tohru praised him, clearly not expecting the other party to be a great magician.
Oh right, Tohru also has the ability to travel through worlds. That explains a lot more, and now that the contract is signed, I wonder if this fellow knows she can't revert to her dragon form in this world...
"It's alright. By the way, Tohru, do you know that you can't revert to your dragon form in this world?"
Thinking of this, to prevent any accidents, Hoshino Sora directly asked. If Tohru accidentally reverted to her dragon form and was punished by the system, it would be a bit of a loss.
"I know. Ever since I came out of the restaurant, there's been a force of rules in this world restricting me. It's probably because there are no real dragons in this world.
However, even if I can't revert to my dragon form, I'm still invincible in my normal state, so it doesn't matter whether I revert or not."
Nodding, Tohru felt a restrictive force the moment she stepped out of the restaurant. If she were to forcefully break through that restriction, she estimated she would have to pay a price.
"What's that over there? It seems to say... Maid Cafe."
Chatting and walking, the group strolled down the street. Tohru's sharp eyes spotted a maid cafe that was open for business and immediately ran over curiously to check it out.
Though it was said to be open, it was actually about to close. Half of the lights in the shop were already off, and the last few female staff members were preparing to leave.
"A maid cafe is a themed cafe centered around maids. The girls there wear maid outfits, and so do the characters in the promotional posters."
Pointing to a promotional poster, Hoshino Sora explained, and Tohru showed a thoughtful expression upon seeing it. Then, she twisted her body, and with a flash of light, the yellow clothes on the girl instantly transformed.
Tohru, maid form, was born!
Whether it was a coincidence or not, Tohru's appearance at this time was exactly the same as her anime counterpart. Rather than a maid, she looked more like a Lolita, or perhaps a combination of the two.
Pinching his chin, he mused that this was probably what the other party considered a maid outfit, otherwise it wouldn't have changed like this. But never mind, this outfit was very cute too.
If Kitagawa saw her in this outfit, she would definitely desperately drag her to take pictures with her.
Thinking of the joyful scene after Kitagawa and Tohru met, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but curve his lips slightly. He was already looking forward to that sight.
Soon, the group of four arrived at the villa Hoshino Sora's father had specifically left for him. From the outside, it looked quite large, a three-story building that could easily accommodate over a dozen people.
"It looks pretty good."
"Sora, this is your first time here, right? Let us give you a quick tour first~"
Taking out the key and opening the door, Aka Rika walked at the front of the four, taking on the role of a tour guide.
Chapter Ten: The Shocked Dragon Maid, Meeting Hoshino Sora
After some getting acquainted, Hoshino Sora and Tohru generally understood the layout of the entire villa.
It was a three-story duplex, laid out with eight rooms, three living areas, and six bathrooms. The first floor had two rooms, two living areas, and two bathrooms, with the staircase on the north side. The living room had a high ceiling, separating the activity area from the resting area.
The second floor had three rooms and two bathrooms. The south-facing master bedroom had an independent walk-in closet and a balcony, with ample natural light.
The third floor also had three rooms and two bathrooms, with an independent study for work and study, as well as a movie screening room. Watching a horror movie there late at night would definitely maximize the atmosphere!
"Tohru, you can stay in the outer room on the second floor. It has a private balcony where you can enjoy the night view, but remember to close the windows when it's windy or raining."
Leading Tohru to the outer room on the second floor, he opened the French windows and walked onto the balcony to enjoy the evening breeze. The moon and stars were bright, and the scenery was beautiful, making the dragon feel like soaring in the sky.
The greenery in the villa area was very well done, and even the air was much clearer than outside. Here, one couldn't help but lament the extravagance of the rich.
"Okay~"
Hearing Asaka's words, Tohru responded with satisfaction. This room had an open view, complete facilities, and an independent bathroom and toilet. She couldn't find any fault with it.
And she had no right to find fault.
After all, she was a maid, and having a place to stay was already very good.
"Then you can rest here. We'll go downstairs first. Just call me from upstairs if you need anything."
Hearing Tohru's satisfied voice, Hoshino Sora nodded, then went downstairs with Aka Rika. He hadn't showered in a long time because he had been in the restaurant, so it was a good opportunity to bathe.
It was also a good chance for a lovers' bath!
——————
"Do you usually live in this room? Do you sleep together or separately?"
Looking at the spacious bed in front of him, piled with the two sisters' clothes, slightly messy, and at the same time, he wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but Hoshino Sora saw some small items under the pillow...
"We sleep together," Aka Rika said in unison.
"It's all because Sora wasn't here. We were so lonely and empty at night that we could only treat each other as Sora and help each other... 'generate electricity'..."
By the end of her sentence, Asaka's face was noticeably flushed, and her gaze kept darting around. Clearly, saying these words required a lot of courage from her.
As for Rika, she had already come to Hoshino Sora's side at this moment, grabbing his hand and placing it on her chest: "Asaka is so rough, and her technique is far from as good as yours. As expected, Sora's is the best!"
"What?! Rika, you were the one who asked for it! You didn't say that when we were at... At that time, you even told me to go faster, to be harder... I can't say it anymore, it's so embarrassing!"
"How could I say such things? This is slander! Wuwuwu Sora, Asaka is bullying me."
"Rika! You're finished tonight!"
Looking pitifully at Hoshino Sora's face, Rika put on the appearance of a victim, which made Asaka feel a surge of displeasure, and her fists unconsciously tightened.
"Alright, I don't mind that. But Rika, saying these things, aren't you afraid of being targeted tonight...?"
Looking at Asaka's furious, 'kindly' expression, Hoshino Sora looked at Rika with pity.
Talking trash feels good for a moment, but it leads to a crematorium later. She was happy saying it now, but Rika would face being targeted by two people later, the kind where even apologizing might not work.
"Sora will protect me, right?"
"I don't have that much ability to protect you from an angry Asaka-nee. You'll have to fend for yourself."
Looking at Rika's confident expression, Hoshino Sora poured cold water on her without any hesitation, a mischievous smile on his face.
"Huh?"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Rika's expression clearly froze for a moment. Then she saw Asaka, 'sharpening her knives,' walking towards her. Before she could react, her weak point was attacked.
"Help! Sora, save me!"
With her weak point attacked, Rika let out a 'desperate cry,' then cast a pleading look at Hoshino Sora. Who knew that the other party was also excited at this moment and, after thinking for a moment, actually took off his shirt and joined in. For a while, the atmosphere became incredibly joyful, if one ignored Rika's happy 'moans.'
However, while they were happy, Tohru upstairs was a bit bewildered.
Her hearing was incredibly sharp; she could hear the cries for help from downstairs even through the thick floor.
Hearing that 'piteous' sound, Tohru ran downstairs without any hesitation, then found the door ajar. She immediately pushed the door open and poked her head in.
And then...
Tohru swallowed, her face flushed, and she backed out of the room, running back upstairs without looking back. Her heart rate was unexpectedly fast, a feeling she hadn't experienced even when being chased by tens of thousands of humans.
The scene before her was simply too stimulating for a little Dragon Maid!
——————
After returning to her room, Tohru was restless. First, she sat on the bed, then stood up again, pacing back and forth in the room, the scene in her mind refusing to leave, especially Hoshino Sora...
"Ah, ah, ah!"
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