"Alright, alright, that's enough."
Byakuya said with some exasperation. "Teasing me is one thing, but doing it to Touka and the others too..."
"Honestly~ you always say I'm teasing people. Can't what I say ever be true?"
Eto protested.
"At the very least, what you just said was clearly meant to mess with Touka..."
Byakuya now regarded Eto with dead-fish eyes of his own.
"Ah, you really don't trust me at all? If I said I actually like you, wouldn't your heart flutter even a little?"
Eto sighed.
She looked as though she was blaming Byakuya for being too dense.
"But you don't give me the feeling of genuinely liking me."
Byakuya said expressionlessly.
"That's just... feelings aren't always accurate, you know?"
Eto said dismissively. "So what do I have to do to prove my sincerity? Do you need me to prove it with actions?"
"..."
Hearing this, Byakuya felt an ominous premonition.
If he actually let this person "prove it with actions," she'd definitely come up with all sorts of elaborate schemes to mess with him.
But if he refused under these circumstances, he'd look like a coward.
So Byakuya spoke up. "...How exactly would you prove it?"
"Simple. Like this..."
Before she could finish speaking, Eto moved in for a kiss.
But it wasn't a lip-to-lip kiss...
Eto suddenly lunged at Byakuya, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her tongue first touched Byakuya's eye, and then she planted a gentle kiss on it.
[Ding! The host has been kissed on the eye by Eto Yoshimura. Reward: 50 Fusion Points!]
Byakuya could manage not to blink even through something like this—it was just that Eto's action had caught him off guard.
"What are you...?"
Byakuya asked.
"Can't you tell? I'm expressing my affection for you. Such a blockhead. Ah~"
Eto continued holding onto Byakuya, her arms still wrapped around his neck.
"That counts as expressing affection?"
Byakuya clearly still didn't believe what Eto was saying.
But Eto's behavior had made Touka feel like she could barely stand still.
The intimate display between Eto-san and Byakuya...
Yoshimura watched silently, trying to gauge just how far things had progressed between Byakuya and Eto.
As for the Dead-Fish-Eyes Sisters, they were still focused on devouring the carrion—it was so delicious that they had no attention to spare for whatever was happening with Byakuya and Eto.
After all, they'd never encountered real humans in the underground world. All they'd ever known was cannibalism.
So even mere carrion was a delicacy they'd never before tasted.
"That doesn't count? Then I'm out of ideas. You're all talk and no action yourself—do you expect the girl to keep making all the moves?"
Eto said.
"...In any case, get down first."
Byakuya said.
"No. If you won't believe me, I'm not getting down."
Eto said stubbornly.
"I believe you. I believe you, alright?"
Byakuya had no choice but to say.
Of course, he was only saying it—he still didn't believe that Eto genuinely had feelings for him.
He trusted his own instincts more.
But still, was this woman really going this far just to mess with him and Touka...?
Byakuya was somewhat puzzled but didn't think too much of it.
"Good~"
Only then did Eto finally climb off Byakuya with satisfaction.
"Hm? Little Touka seems a bit shaken?"
Noticing Touka's expression, Eto immediately teased.
Hearing this made Byakuya even more certain that this woman was definitely just trying to mess with Touka.
"Because..."
Touka's expression suddenly became resolute. "Because I like Byakuya too! So..."
This wasn't the first time she'd openly declared her feelings for Byakuya in front of others, so she didn't feel too embarrassed.
Feeling like she'd been led around by the nose by Eto-san this whole time, she refused to be outdone and directly confessed her feelings for Byakuya.
"My, Little Touka admitted she likes Byakuya. Does that mean we're rivals now?"
Eto said cheerfully.
"..."
Touka's expression grew slightly awkward, her cheeks reddening as she momentarily couldn't think of how to respond.
Byakuya decided not to insert himself into the conversation between Eto and Touka, returning to the Manager's side.
"Regardless of everything else, I'm entrusting my daughter to you from now on..."
Even Yoshimura, as a father, couldn't tell what his daughter's true feelings for Byakuya were, so he said this.
But one thing he could be certain of—Eto's relationship with Byakuya was definitely quite good. Otherwise, Eto wouldn't be in such good spirits, constantly joking around in front of Byakuya.
Thinking about it, Yoshimura found it perfectly natural. After all, Byakuya had helped him and Eto get their revenge against the V Organization, and Eto's wish to change the world was basically certain to come true now...
The pressure that had once weighed on them like a mountain had now almost completely vanished. Of course her mood would improve considerably.
So even if Eto truly had special feelings for Byakuya, Yoshimura wouldn't find it strange.
And he also believed that Byakuya was the most suitable son-in-law, bar none. If he could really entrust Eto to Byakuya, that would give him the greatest peace of mind.
"Even you're saying this, Manager..."
Byakuya couldn't help but chuckle wryly.
Just then, he felt someone tugging at the hem of his clothes.
"So yummy! I want more!"
"Me too, me too! I'm not full yet!"
"If possible, I'd like another serving, please."
The Dead-Fish-Eyes Sisters had finished all the carrion on the table but weren't yet satisfied.
"Alright, one more portion for each of you."
Byakuya agreed.
He then asked the Manager to help provide for the sisters.
Yoshimura generously brought out several more packages of carrion.
[Ding! The host has provided food assistance to the native sisters. Reward: 50 Fusion Points!]
...
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